Annual October Conference
October 22, 2011- Featuring Mary Buckham, and Agents Rachelle Gardner and Jim McCarthy
Heart of Denver’s annual day conference and awards luncheon features nationally known presenter Mary Buckham giving two information-packed workshops: QUERY LETTERS and SUPERPOWER OPENINGS.
Also in attendance, WordServe Literary agent, Rachelle Gardner, and Jim McCarthy, with Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. Both will take pitches.
Date: October 22, 2011
Time: 9am to 4pm (Registration begins at 8:30 am)
Features: Agent pitches, lunch, workshops and an after-event, cash-bar Happy Hour for those who wish to stay and network or socialize.
Price: $30 HODRW members/$35 non-members.
Location: Doubletree Hotel, 8773 Yates Drive, Westminster, CO off Highway 36 (Boulder Turnpike) and Sheridan Exit. Hotel Phone: (877) 387-8277. Click here to link to hotel. Special $99 rate for attendees.
Register: Register directly through Paypal by clicking this link, and use treasurer”@”hodrw.com. Please note your name and October conference with your payment. No need to send separate registration form.
To register by mail and pay by check, please send to HODRW, October conference, PO Box 3811, Englewood, CO 80155.
More Information: Contact Linda Fillingim to sign up for pitches: lizzietleaf”@”comcast.net.
Workshop Descriptions
presented by Mary Buckham
1. QUERY LETTERS
Why is it so hard to write a query letter? Well, because an author’s career depends on the response! This doesn’t make the job any easier when a writer – who routinely creates compelling prose – is suddenly forced to create a sales tool. Find out how to craft a query letter including:
* The differences between a query and a cover letter
* What needs to be said in what order and why
* How to make your credentials stand out for an editor or agent
* What phrases can jam up your chances of getting a request and why
* A template to repeat the process down the road
* Solve numerous other writing bugaboos
Participants should come prepared to write your own Query letter, or bring one to work on.
2. SUPER POWER OPENINGS
Can you sell your book based on your opening alone? Agents, editors and thousands of readers are going to decide to choose your book based on your opening. Is yours ready?
Each Attendee Brings to Workshop: TWO copies of their opening [up to 150 words max] with only 3 initials and a zip code in the header [no full names on pages].
About Mary Buckham:
Mary is an award-winning romantic-suspense author and co-author of BREAK INTO FICTION™: 11 Steps to Building a Story That Sells who, before becoming published in book-length fiction was a freelance article writer, selling hundreds of articles to local, regional, and national publications. She was also an editor of a regional magazine. Mary co-founded www.WriterUniv.com an online educational resource for writers and is a sought-after speaker and writing craft teacher for both online and in live presentations throughout the United States and Canada.
For more on Mary visit http://www.marybuckham.com/or http://www.breakintofiction.com/
About Jim McCarthy, Senior Agent, Dystel and Goderich Literary Management:
On Saturdays when I was growing up, my family would pile into the station wagon and head off to the library. One of my earliest memories is of my oldest sister sitting in the kids’ section and reading Babar to me. Our quest, as a family, was always to find our new favorite books. I have never really stopped that search. No matter how many good, or great books I read, I always have faith that I’ll come across something that I like as much or more than my current favorite.
Those moments of discovery are what have kept me reading as much as I always have. Whether it was the time a teacher gave me a copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame as a gift, when I happened across a copy of Bee Season, or when I began reading The House of Leaves, these somewhat revelatory instances are among my most cherished memories.
For me, the most exciting aspect of working at DGLM is the chance that I may have another one of these moments, and that this time I can help in some way to get that book published.
Visit DGLM’s website here.
About Rachelle Gardner, Agent with WordServe Literary Group:
I became an agent in 2007 and as of this writing, have done 50+ book deals between authors and publishers. See this page for the latest update on my clients’ books. While I’ve focused my first couple of years as an agent on the CBA market, I’m now expanding and seeking books for the general market as well.
I’ve been in publishing since 1995 (sixteen years), working in various positions encompassing marketing, sales, international rights, acquisitions and editorial. Just prior to starting as an agent, I ran my own freelance writing and editing business from home. Before that, I was Senior Editor with NavPress, where I developed and launched the NavPress Fiction line, including three Christy Award finalists and an ECPA Award finalist in its first year. I acquired and edited numerous nonfiction books as well.
I’ve written eight published books (as a ghostwriter) and edited over 100, including such authors as Mary DeMuth, Lisa Samson, Jill and Stuart Briscoe, Neta Jackson and Brandilyn Collins.
Visit WordServe Literary here.
The August joint workshop with CRW was a huge success. A number of HODRW members made the trek up north and the presentations were well worth the driving time and effort.
Lara Balmbach from MLR, Passion In Print and Featherweight Press had some very interesting comments about how she got into the business and began her own e-publishing and print on demand press. She is expanding her business and talked about the explosion in ebook sales.
In the afternoon session, Tamela Buhrke told us why we all need to learn about Facebook, Twitter and why it pays to blog. She recommended blogging with other authors and once you start a blog you should keep your name out there by getting on Twitter and following people. she recommended making comments at other writing sites.
This was a really great session and had some very valuable information. She has sent all the attendees lists of sites to visit. It was a good way to spend a day and a good way to get re-energized about writing.
Becky