THE ROAD TO PUBLICATION
Date: Saturday, April 28, 2018
Location: Summit Lodge, 200 Summit Rd, Killington, VT 05751
Killington is located in Central Vermont at the junction of US Route 4 and VT Route 100 in Killington, 16 miles east of Rutland, Vermont, and about 15 miles west of Woodstock, Vermont. The Summit Lodge is located 1.5 miles up Killington Mountain Road, in the heart of Killington. Consider using Google Maps to determine exact direction from your location.
Rate: $49 member, $69 non-member, $99 at the door with no pre-registration (you will also need to buy your lunch á la carte)
Please make sure to register by April 20th so we can budget for seating and the amount of food we’ll need. Walk-ins on the day of the event will have to pay substantially more (see “Rate” above) and will have to buy their own lunch.
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
9:30 am – 10:00 am - Check-in/registration
10:00 am – 10:45 am - Your Query Letter (Annalisa Parent/Jennifer S. Wilkov)
10:45 am – 11:00 am - Break
11:00 am – 11:45 am - Your First Five Pages (Annalisa Parent)
11:45 am – 1:00 pm - Lunch
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm - Your In-Person Pitch to an Agent (Jennifer S. Wilkov)
1:45 pm – 2:00 pm - Break
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm - The Straight and Crooked Paths to Publication (Jeff Sharlet)
PRESENTATIONS
TOP 15 MISTAKES TO AVOID IN YOUR PITCH -
FROM QUERY TO PACING, TO IN-PERSON PITCH
Annalisa Parent and Jennifer S. Wilkov
In this three-part presentation, two seasoned industry professionals pull back the curtain on the top mistakes they see would-be authors making in their query letters, in-person pitch sessions, and first five pages. Jennifer S. Wilkov and Annalisa Parent run the Polish & Pace Workshop in New York City and have collectively helped hundreds of first-time writers seek and secure representation for their projects.
Give yourself the best opportunity to submit your project to literary agents and publishers. Get implementable direction on how to prepare for traditionally publishing your book and landing the representation you are seeking. Feel free to bring your query letters, pitches, or first five pages with you so you can revise on the fly as you learn the ropes. Though this presentation won't allow for one-on-one development of your work, there are opportunities for you to work more closely with Jenn or Annalisa (read on).
Want to continue working with Jennifer and Annalisa?
Option 1: They offer a follow-up Polish & Pace 3-hour workshop on Sunday, April 29, 2018. This workshop will dig into the details of what to include in your submission package and how to be more effective with your pitch. $595 (special League of Vermont Writers price $395)
Option 2: In addition to the Polish & Pace workshop, they also offer a limited number of individual sessions that may be purchased in conjunction with the workshop. During these half-hour sessions, Annalisa and Jennifer will review your query letter, first five pages, and give you feedback on your in-person pitch. $995 (special League of Vermont Writers price $695)
These must be booked and paid for in advance to make the most of your session time. Do not send money to the League for Option 1 or 2—these fees must be paid directly to Annalisa and Jennifer.
To register for one of the above options, please visit www.polishandpace.com.
THE STRAIGHT AND CROOKED PATHS TO PUBLICATION
Jeff Sharlet
Jeff Sharlet will discuss how to get onto the straight path to publication and some of the virtues of the crooked one—that is, conventional routes, shortcuts, and why sometimes the long way around leads to more interesting opportunities.
· How does one build an author profile that will engage agents?
· And just what are agents really for, anyway?
· What about direct relationships with editors?
· Should you aim for a small traditional publisher or one of the Big Five?
· Book proposals vs. full manuscript submission?
Most importantly, Jeff will ask us to think about what it really is we want from the dream of publication, the better to consider the many different realities of the literary world.
BIOS
Jennifer S. Wilkov is a #1 international best-selling, award-winning author, an award-winning freelance writer, a media personality and executive producer, and a respected book and business consultant in her business called “Your Book Is Your Hook!”
She is a consultant for book writers, screenwriters, and playwrights in writing, marketing, getting published and produced. She teaches the essentials for writing and pitching a bestseller: a great project, a strong platform and a well-polished pitch, presentation, and hook for their book or project as well as the crafting of high-quality industry standard materials (queries, treatments, and bibles).
She teaches classes and programs for Writers Guild of America East, New York Women in Film and Television, The Writers Store, Writers Digest, and at myriad conferences and events such as the Chelsea Film Festival, and runs the Writers Group at the New York Women in Film & Television. She has also taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Jennifer is the creator of The Next Bestseller™ Weekend Workshop in New York, a safe space that provides lucky participants with exclusive access to the dream team to help you learn to talk effectively with industry professionals about your project. She writes for Huffington Post Books, the award-winning PUBLISHED! Magazine, and guest posts upon request for other industry sites. Her keen eye for stories that sell for books, Hollywood, and Broadway is trusted by industry professionals who appreciate her savvy in seeing the many possibilities a subject can lend itself to.
Annalisa Parent helps writers to finish, publish, and sell their novels. She owns and operates Date with the Muse, LLC, which helps novelists to publish traditionally at the highest level possible. Her book, "Storytelling for Pantsers: How to Outline and Revise Your Novel Without an Outline," walks non-outlining fiction writers to navigate the writing and revision process with ease.
Annalisa writes for many local, national, and international publications, and has written and produced sketches for a Telly Award-winning television show. She has been featured on Huffington Post Live for her novels, CBS, Associated Press, and Korean Broadcast Systems, as well as many podcasts and radio programs. Additionally, she is a featured speaker at the Writer's Digest Annual Convention and the Unicorn Writers' Conference.
Photo: Eli Burakian
Jeff Sharlet is a nationally bestselling author and editor of six books of literary nonfiction, including The Family, C Street, Sweet Heaven When I Die, and Radiant Truths.
An associate professor of creative writing at Dartmouth College, Sharlet is a contributing editor for Harper's and Rolling Stone, editor at large for VQR, and a contributor to The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, and GQ, for which his 2014 story, “Inside the Iron Closet,” won a National Magazine Award.
He has been a guest on The Daily Show, The Rachel Maddow Show, Democracy Now, Fresh Air, and other programs. Belletrist Ann Coulter has named him one of the stupidest journalists in America.
LIT BY THE FIRE OF OUR WORDS
Open Mic and Social for Writers
Date: Friday, April 27, 2018
Location: Summit Lodge, 200 Summit Rd, Killington, VT 05751
Killington is located in Central Vermont at the junction of US Route 4 and VT Route 100 in Killington, 16 miles east of Rutland, Vermont, and about 15 miles west of Woodstock, Vermont. The Summit Lodge is located 1.5 miles up Killington Mountain Road, in the heart of Killington. Consider using Google Maps to determine exact direction from your location.
Join other League members at the Summit Lodge on Friday night, April 27th, for an informal open mic and social. We’ll gather at 7:00 pm in the Lodge's library, complete with a cozy fireplace, for an informal open mic, emceed by the League’s Immediate Past President, Alyssa Berthiaume.
Following the open-mic session, writers will migrate to Dwyer’s Pub for drinks (cash bar) and socializing. Sign-ups for the open mic will happen that evening—no need to register in advance. Bring no more than five minutes’ worth of reading material and a brief bio if you plan to participate.
And, if you’re coming all this way, book yourself a room. Take advantage of a 10% discount that the Summit Lodge is extending to Spring Program participants. Call well in advance to reserve your room and tell them you’re attending the League of Vermont Writers Spring Program. They have a variety of accommodations available, starting with their eco rooms at $121 (before tax or the discount.) Please note that you must call the Lodge to get the 10% discount. You cannot book a room through their website and get the discount. Their number is 802-422-3535.
Email Alyssa.berthiaume@gmail.com by Friday, April 20, if you plan to attend Lit by the Fire, so we know how many people to expect.
We hope you’ll join us and make the Spring Program an entire weekend to remember.