The 2010 NYC Pitch and Shop Conference

I've always wanted to attend a writer's conference, but time and/or finances didn't always permit. This year however, I'm actually going to attend. Now , I've heard that going to a conference is one of the best ways to find an agent, and since I'm still in the market for an agent I figure it's a good investment. This particular conference is set up to allow authors to "pitch" their manuscripts to (not at) actual agents. Even if I don't find an agent at this event, at least someone may remember my face and have a decent word to say about me and/or my work in the near future... Anyway, below is the email I received from the conference and I urge everyone to join me!

NYC PITCH AND SHOP CONFERENCE
Shop The Novel, Pitch the House

Dear Arnold,

Hello and thank you for your application. It is clear you are a serious writer and one capable of writing a manuscript that editors and agents will want to see. Following a review, we have decided to accept you into the upcoming NYC 2010 Pitch-and-Shop Conference.

Pre-conference assignments will follow upon registration. They are designed to help you perfect your pitch and focus on those specific elements the conference Editors want to see and hear you talk about.

At the conference, we will work to help your manuscript find a home at a major publishing house. If a publishing house wants to publish your novel, they will ask that you be represented by an agent; therefore, if necessary, we will assist you in finding suitable representation. We work with several agencies, including ICM, Folio Literary, Dijkstra Agency, AEI, Amster Literary, and others. No fee is involved. However, if your manuscript is not yet ready, the conference will provide you with a firm list of additional prep work you must complete before securing yourself either an Editor or an agent.

Registration can be accomplished at http://nycpitchconference.com/pc-registration.htm

More information will follow in the weeks prior to the conference.

We look forward to working with you.

Please RSVP you received this mail.

Best Wishes,

Michael Neff
Fiction Workshop Editor
NYC Pitch and Shop Conference
http://nycpitchconference.com

Lewis Black On Writing A Book

This is Lewis Black's very funny, painfully true take on writing a book. Every time I watch it, I find something that resonates. But even though he points out the challenges, write a book anyway. It's worth it.




Karen Harrington
author, Janeology
http://www.karenharringtonbooks.com/
http://www.scobberlotch.blogspot.com/

10 Silly Things You Didn’t Know About Canadian Crime Writer Cheryl Kaye Tardif

I was recently interviewed by Anthony Bidulka, author, interviewer and possibly professional stalker, and this interview wasn't your normal run-of-the-papermill type. Instead of asking me those questions I usually always get during interviews or ones I've answered a million times, he tried a more...um...unique approach.

So here it is, folks! The complete list of...

10 Silly Things You Didn’t Know About Canadian Crime Writer Cheryl Kaye Tardif (with a teaser introduction from Anthony.)

A New Year and so... new mayhem

Wow, okay so it's a New Year... now would be a good time to sharpen those pencils or dust-off those keyboards. Yes, we human beings are very often creatures of habit, tradition and ritual. So we like to categorize things and put things in places just so... What the heck am I talking about? Well, consider the ritual of Spring Cleaning. It makes sense to throw open the windows and break out the cleaning solutions and feather dusters in order to air out our homes, and make things new again in time for Spring's new beginnings. We have times and dates and places that we keep for special occasions or even hum-drum duties. And all that being said (or written as it were), perhaps the New Year would be a good time to take inventory of our writing tools and needs for the upcoming months. Do you have enough of your favorite writing tools? Is your sharpener still sharpening sharply or does it need to be replaced or repaired? Is your computer operating at top mode or have all of your files slowed things down to a crawl? Hey, how about that snazzy new writing software you were dying to try out last year? Maybe this year would be a good time to give it a spin! There are tons of things we can do to make this year's writing more pleasant and streamlined... kind of like a literary spring cleaning. Check out those unfinished stories you have languishing in a drawer somewhere... maybe they can be spruced up and be made marketable after all. Maybe you can even take a shot at that screenplay you were unsure of tackling last year. Anyway, the New Year may be a good time to start the ritual of new beginnings, new ideas or the tweaking of not-so-new ones, grabbing the duster and wiping off that computer desk 'til it shines... and then let the murder and mayhem begin for the New Year!