With Autumn Krause

With Erin Phillips

Stories aren’t just words and letters, a casual activity to pass the time. Rather, we were made to perceive and process our experience of life with the aid of stories. Together, we will scratch the surface of the power of story beyond its ability to entertain and catch a glimpse of the eternal legacy we get to be a part of as storytellers.

With Lauren Hildebrand & Haylie Hanson

With Katie Phillips & Katie Williams

In this interactive session, Katie Phillips and Katie Williams will workshop several student-submitted* concepts. We’ll begin by identifying potential complex elements in each story, along with their masked counterparts—i.e., sneaky story components that seem simple on the surface but actually play out in execution just like their (more overtly) complex cousins. From there, we’ll explore the strategies and skill sets required to do each story component justice, and we’ll troubleshoot common pitfalls that may arise when putting the whole story together. If you’ve been wanting to dig deeper into the complex elements, or just enjoy a double shot of Katie wisdom in a single room, then this session is for you.

*Instructions for submitting concepts will be released closer to the conference date. Submissions will be open to students in Year 2 and beyond.

With Jen Lindsay and Amy Williams

We’ve all been there. You’ve written your first draft, and you can already sense something feels “off” with the story. But you can’t identify what the specific issue is—yet. Join Amy Williams and Jennifer Lindsay in an interactive workshop where we’ll identify 5 common issues developmental editors often identify in early drafts. We’ll show you how to identify and problem solve those pesky story issues before you submit your manuscript for a developmental edit or assessment.

With Abi Lyn Voss & Ruth Nguyen

Come join Abi Lyn Voss and Ruth Nguyen as they spill the tea on landing dream agents—from giving your query package a glowup and navigating the publishing industry with rizz, to how your Year 1 coursework will help you slay querying one day. We’ll also dive into valuable encouragement and mindset shifts for the big feels that come along with the publishing process. Come with your favorite note-taking tools (and a Gen Z slang dictionary).

We can’t wait to set you up for your querying era (and beyond).

With Millie Florence

When telling a story in a written form, the words you choose should be intentional. In this session we’ll learn line-level prose tactics that you can apply directly to your own scenes and discuss how to think through the reader’s psychological response to word-choice, sentence length, and more. Make your story stand out with every sentence!

Bio: Donald Maass founded the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York in 1980. He is the author of The Career Novelist (1996), Writing the Breakout Novel (2001), Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook (2004), The Fire in Fiction (2009), The Breakout Novelist (2011), Writing 21st Century Fiction (2012) and The Emotional Craft of Fiction (2019).  He is a past president of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, Inc.

Appointment Details: Donald will be hosting a series of 60-minute roundtable discussions. These will consist of 10 students each. Students should prepare a query letter and the first 3 pages of their manuscript. Each roundtable member will get personalized feedback on their manuscript opening and get to learn from the discussion at the table. This is a unique opportunity to not only receive high-level critique that will bring your opening pages to the next level, but also to personally show your work to a distinguished literary agent.

Please note that students should primarily expect feedback during this appointment. Donald will not be making any manuscript requests at the conference, but may follow up after the conference with any requests he wishes to make. Keep in mind that agents are incredibly selective, but regardless of the outcome of this appointment, you will still gain valuable feedback from an industry professional on your project.

Required Materials: Students will submit their query letter and the first 3 pages of their manuscript by April 30th via a submission form that will be sent to all sign ups. Additionally, students should bring printed copies to their appointment to share with Donald and the other roundtable students.

Note: Finally, please keep in mind that this agent focuses on the mainstream publishing market. We have a wide variety of students at the Author Conservatory, some seeking to publish in the Christian market and others aiming for the general, mainstream market. Our goal is to provide opportunities for all students to learn from the wisdom and experience of industry professionals in the broader publishing world, and this agent may be particularly helpful for those who want to publish mainstream. That being said, not all industry professionals that we bring in share the same faith background. We always recommend students use discernment before diving into a professional’s work. We believe this agent has a skillset that you will benefit from regardless of the market into which you publish.

Bio: Prior to joining New Leaf, Suzie graduated film school, earned her Masters of Education, taught high school English, and coached a swim team. In her spare time, she read everything she could, which prompted her move to publishing. She got her start as an intern at FinePrint Literary Management where she was hired as an assistant before making the move to literary agent. She’s been part of the team at New Leaf Literary & Media since its inception in 2012.

Suzie represents all brands of children’s and adult fiction. She loves women’s fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, and debut fiction. On the children’s side, she is interested in select YA and MG. Suzie loves strong characters and voice-driven stories that break out of the typical tropes of their genres, and she’s always looking for unique new voices in stories.

Appointment Details: Suzie will be taking a limited number of 15-minute pitch appointments. Students prepare a query letter and their first chapter for this appointment. Additionally, Suzie is happy to answer any industry questions you may have during your appointment, so we recommend preparing a few questions if you have extra time.

Please review the resources below to check if this agent would be a good fit for you. Please keep in mind that agents are incredibly selective, but regardless of the outcome of this appointment, you will still gain valuable feedback from an industry professional on your project. 

• Publishers Marketplace: https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/sztownsend81/
• Query Tracker: https://querytracker.net/query/suzietownsend

Required Materials: Students will submit their query letter and the first chapter of their manuscript by April 30th via a submission form that will be sent to all sign ups. Additionally, students should bring a printed copy to their appointment with Suzie.

Note: Finally, please keep in mind that this agent focuses on the mainstream publishing market. We have a wide variety of students at the Author Conservatory, some seeking to publish in the Christian market and others aiming for the general, mainstream market. Our goal is to provide opportunities for all students to learn from the wisdom and experience of industry professionals in the broader publishing world, and this agent may be particularly helpful for those who want to go mainstream. That being said, not all industry professionals that we bring in share the same faith background. We always recommend students use discernment before diving into a professional’s work. We believe this agent has a skillset that you will benefit from regardless of the market into which you publish.

Bio: Talia Messina is a writer, speaker, and believer in Jesus who acquires children’s and youth books for Tyndale House Publishers. She has a passion for storytelling and especially loves helping authors hone their craft and navigate the publishing world. When she isn’t working, she is usually rock climbing, playing Everdell with friends, or reading overdue library books. 

Appointment Details: Talia will be taking a limited number of 15-minute pitch appointments. Students prepare a one sheet and their first chapter for this appointment. Additionally, Talia is happy to answer any industry questions you may have during your appointment, so we recommend preparing a few questions if you have extra time.

Talia will have more specific details on what she’s looking to acquire closer to the conference, but she is generally looking for YA and middle grade, specifically leaning toward historical fiction. She is also open to receiving pitches for adult books and, in the event that they may be a good fit for Tyndale, she is happy to pass them along to the right editor.

Please keep in mind that acquisitions editors are incredibly selective, but regardless of the outcome of this appointment, you will still gain valuable feedback from an industry professional on your project. 

Required Materials: Students will submit their one sheet and the first chapter of their manuscript by April 30th via a submission form that will be sent to all sign ups. Additionally, students should bring a printed copy to their appointment with Talia.

Note: Finally, please keep in mind that this agent focuses on the Christian publishing market. We have a wide variety of students at the Author Conservatory, some seeking to publish in the Christian market and others aiming for the general, mainstream market. Our goal is to provide opportunities for all students to learn from the wisdom and experience of industry professionals in the broader publishing world, and this agent may be particularly helpful for those who want to enter the Christian market. That being said, not all industry professionals that we bring in share the same faith background. We always recommend students use discernment before diving into a professional’s work. We believe this editor has a skillset that you will benefit from regardless of the market into which you publish.