The Muse & the Marketplace 2016

You know the basics of submitting your work: the cover letter, the waiting. Maybe you've had a piece of narrative nonfiction, a personal essay or short fiction published. But you want more out of submitting and publishing: perhaps to increase the frequency, or to publish in a way that gets you closer to a goal, such as a book. You may want to move up to the next tier of publication (we'll question if these tiers still exist and the very different things various publications can offer.) Or maybe you just want to publish pieces that are more fun, interesting, or longer: pieces that are less constrained by the procrustean effects of anticipating what editors want and more "you." We'll look at ways to be more strategic and successful so you're not just lobbing queries into the abyss. And we'll debate the merits of viewing publishing your work not quantitatively but qualitatively. We'll move between small tips and overarching philosophies. We'll share submission mantras, horror stories, victories, long shot dreams, nagging fears, and of course questions. (Come with all of these.) And we'll learn the important difference between simply publishing and publishing what you want. (Note: most examples will deal with nonfiction but many tips will apply to submitting short fiction as well.)

Having outside readers look at your work-in-progress is an essential part of the process for every writer--essential and intimidating! How do you find a reader you can trust, and how do you work with feedback once you have it? Join Kate Racculia (author, manuscript consultant, and writing instructor) and Louise Miller (author and Novel Incubator graduate) as they discuss their approaches to reader feedback and critique, and share their own experiences–both the good and the not so good. They will talk about different options for finding readers, how to know you are ready for feedback and, critically, how to know when you have had enough. They will also discuss what to do with conflicting feedback, and other critique pitfalls that can happen along the way. You will leave the session with inspiration and a roadmap for taking feedback and transforming it into a revision plan. This lively discussion will leave ample time for Q&A.

In ten steps, award winning writer Ann Hood will help you take your good essay to kick ass. We will read essays by Jonathan Lethem, Joanne Beard, and Junot Diaz and discuss why these essays are successful. Then Hood will take you through the steps that you can apply to your own essays to make them moving, resonant, and memorable.