Due to public health concerns surrounding COVID-19, this workshop will be presented in an online format. If you are interested in registering for the course or have questions about the format, please email us at iowawritershouse@gmail.com
When: Friday, April 24th, 6:00pm-7:30pm
Saturday, April 25th, 9:30am-3:30pm (Lunch break at noon)
Sunday, April 26th, 9:30am-3:30pm (Lunch break at noon)
Where: Online Format
Specific information and instructions about how to connect to the workshop will be sent out to participants upon registering.
Cost: $265
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
How does a manuscript move from a hard-drive to a reader curled up on a couch? How do you know which literary agent would be a good fit for it? How do you pitch them effectively so that they agree? Would your book benefit most from a small press’s intimacy, a commercial publishing house’s muscle, or the holistic control of self-publishing? What are some compromises you might make along the way—and should you make them at all?
This weekend workshop will provide a literary agent’s candid and wide-ranging overview of everything you need to know about book publishing to approach the process like an insider. Getting a book published can be daunting, and we will approach the topic as a community, cracking open the world of publishing, and working collaboratively to support each other’s goals. We’ll discuss a range of motivations and options, dig into concrete advice on how to find and query an agent—or eschew having an agent entirely—and even brainstorm how to change the world of books from the outside-in. There will be exercises and workshops on pitch letters, sample selection, and how to describe writing through a publishing lens. Each session will include ample time for questions and personal feedback in order to address multiple genre and form concerns.
Beyond a firm grasp of the many approaches to book publishing, participants will leave with an individualized plan so that they may confidently take their own next steps. Along the way, we’ll build a network of like-minded writers to support seeing these plans through long after the weekend is over.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Julia Conrad is an essayist and translator. She is currently a dual MFA candidate at the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program and in Literary Translation from the Italian. A past Iowa Arts and Vermont Studio Center fellow, her writing has been published in The Massachusetts Review, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Nexos, and is forthcoming in the Haymarket Books anthology Choice Words: Writers on Abortion. She is at work on a book about sex and sexism in classical music.
Formerly, Julia was an associate literary agent and foreign rights director at the two-woman literary agency Sarah Lazin Books, helping develop projects, provide editorial insight, and advocate for authors ranging from folksinger and bestselling memoirist Ani DiFranco, Iowa’s Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Art Cullen, soul musician Booker T. Jones, novelist Richard Brautigan, and many others. Before agenting in the world of “Big 5” publishing, Julia also worked in editorial and marketing for small presses such as Wesleyan University Press, New York Review Books, and Archipelago Books.
INSTRUCTOR INSPIRATION STATEMENT
Having experienced the world of publishing from many angles—both indie and commercial, agent and writer—I know firsthand how unintuitive, intimidating, and personal the process can feel, as well as the writerly concerns that can come up along the way. Whether it’s a cozy mystery or an essay collection, your book is an extension of you, and deserves the care and thought of a rewarding publishing experience.
Book publishing should be in service of the author rather than vice versa. That may sound idealistic, but I believe that as writers we learn about publishing not to stuff ourselves into a mold, but to learn how best to take care of our work. The aim is to think together about what’s at stake in our choices or negotiations, and make sure that the book is the best that it can be, and reaches the readers who’ll love it.
Everyone has a story to tell. If you are financially unable to attend this workshop, scholarships are available through our generous partners and donors. Apply here:
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All course information is sent to participants upon registering, including confirmation of workshop times, location, and materials.