Workshops for 2011
February 21, 2011
I thought I’d let you know a little about the workshops I’m attending this year so you know how I plan to advance my career in publishing.
Next week I’m attending a short story workshop hosted by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Katherine Rusch, Denise Little and John Helfers. Denise is a freelance editor for Tekno Books and a literary agent with vast experience editing and has recently become an agent for a major NY literary agency.
John is an editor with Techno Books and has been for many years. Tekno is a book packager who edits and sells books to many NY houses. They are well known for selling themed anthologies to various NY houses.
Dean has been editor of the ten Star Trek Strange New Worlds anthologies and the prestigious Pulp house Publishing.
Kris was also and editor with Pulphouse and was an award winning editor with The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. She is also a multi-award winning author in several genres as a writer.
We were required to write a short story based on a theme and submit them to these editors prior to the workshop. At the workshop we will be asked to write a new story based on another theme in a very short timeframe. Some 30 plus writers will be in attendance so it will be very competitive.
The best part of these workshops is the networking with other writers, and the exposure to these editors for future projects they may have.
The next workshop is about voice and my wife is attending. I’ll go with her and hopefully I’m able to sit in but mostly I plan to write. This workshop is designed to enhance the “voice” in the manuscript. A very valuable skill these days in fiction.
Then in May we are attending a workshop called How to Be your Own Agent. This is to learn more about contracts and clauses to watch for in contracts. Always good to know more or at least as much as agents if you ever hire one.
The other May workshop is entitled How to Make a Living in Publishing. This will be very interesting and no doubt invaluable to every writer who attends.
That’s it for this year, so far.