Presentation sessions

Participants will have the opportunity to speak with editors and agents who are passionate about novels. During this time, attendees are welcome to stop by and introduce themselves to editors/agents. This event will be held in a speed dating format, so there is no need to make an appointment!

From fantasy romance to gaslighting to why you should choose, romance as a genre seems to spawn subgenres every year. Some of them are cannon fodder for publishers and their marketing departments, some can only be seen in the dark corners of social media. This workshop gives participants the opportunity to share the first five pages of a manuscript with the group and critique it in terms of genre conventions. We’ll also spend time identifying the tropes, rhythms, and audience expectations associated with the major subgenres, thinking about how the first pages meet or break those expectations, and whether the author can avoid doing so without alienating the audience.

As an author, in addition to the skills needed to write, present, and publish your book, you need business skills. This workshop will provide you with some of the basics of setting up an author business. It will provide you with tools to navigate common issues such as business taxation and accounting, contracts and hiring assistance, intellectual property (copyrights, trademarks, licenses, and royalties), websites and consumer protection laws, and how to deal with Amazon. A handout with self-help resources and guidance on which legal tasks you can do on your own and which require professional support is included.