Query and First Pages Summer Workshop
Well, summer is here. And I really wanted to host one more webinar or workshop before I logged off for paternity leave this August (surprise!), and found myself not doing any conferences for a while. The most popular of my webinars have been the query letter and first page chats, so I’ve put together a summer workshop to really dig into both of those.
Ideally, doing these occasional workshops and webinars can help pay for the free events my agency is hosting, because as much as I love having colleagues join me… I want to pay them for their time, as well as the bookstores gracious enough to host.
So! Come join me for a new kind of webinar… a workshop! A query and first pages summer workshop. Please note, seats are VERY limited for this. You can grab a spot here.
Over the course of a few weeks, we’ll workshop your query letter, polish up your opening pages, and dig into what agents look for in all of those. Spoiler? What agents like to see in opening pages, tends to be the same thing readers like to see.
Zooms will be recorded (so if you can’t make them, you’ll get the video!), and will be at 8PM EST. By the end of this, it’s my hope you’ll have a query package you’ll be proud of, from the pitch letter to your first ten pages, as well as a fresh community of new people to network and share work with. Though that last bit is really up to you and how social you want to be.
Registration is here (and also linked at the bottom), and here are the dates for the live Zooms.
6/2 - Welcome Zoom: Get to know your summer cohort! Why yes, I am treating this like an MFA class. We’ll chat, talk about what we’re working on, and maybe find a few critique partners while we’re at it. Afterwards, we’ll have a chat about query letter basics, answer your questions and concerns, and send you off to work on your pitch. Already have a query? Then the advice will help you polish it up.
6/16 - Query Letter, Workshop #1: Tonight we’ll dig into those queries that you’ve been writing (or editing and polishing up), and chat a bit more about what makes really great jacket copy… the part of the pitch that makes up the core of describing your book. For those of you feeling brave, we’ll dig into a few live and share some tips and direction. And over the next two weeks, you’ll be revising your query with me.
6/30 - First Pages: Today we begin digging into first pages. You’ll be sharing your first ten pages (New Times Roman, double spaced, 12 point font!) with me for notes and edits, and if you’re comfortable, your cohort. But first, we’ll discuss what makes excellent first pages. We’ll look at examples and talk about what works.
7/14 - First Pages, Workshop #2: Tonight, a few brave souls will share their polished up opening pages, and we’ll discuss them in real time, gently! While we won’t have time to dig into them ALL live, everyone will get notes from me over the next two weeks before the wrap up. It’s my hope that not only will you leave with pages that feel ready to paste into a query, but that maybe this discussion might rattle around some ideas about revising a good chunk of your book. Sometimes a book starts off in the wrong place! We’ll see!
7/28 - Wrap Up Zoom: We’ve spent the early summer polishing your query and then digging into pages… now let’s chat and unpack the advice, answer questions, and of course, say our farewells.
Registration is $125. Spaces are very limited (there are only so many query letters and pages I can critique in one summer, friends!), so scoop up a pass while you can.
And as always, if the price point is a stumbling block, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.