Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for! Not sure if this wasn't listed on the website, or if I just missed the link.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
-
Guest please check The Index before starting a thread.
Tell me about the Backspace Writer's Conference [in the ad^^^]
It sounds great. Do they do one in NYC every November? If so, I'll probably wait until my WIP is finished next year.
It sounds great. Do they do one in NYC every November? If so, I'll probably wait until my WIP is finished next year.
Has anyone ever attended the Backspace Agent-Author Seminar? It looks like they hold one every November. Is it worth the time/money?
Thanks for your interest in our Backspace conference! To be honest, I'm not sure if we'll have another Agent-Author Seminar in November 2010 or not, since my second novel publishes that October, and it's tough to plan a conference and promote a novel at the same time. (We did not have a November event in 2008 for this reason.) The next scheduled Backspace event is the 2010 Backspace Writers Conference May 27 - 29 in NYC.
Here's a look at the November 5 & 6 program, along with an explanation of the small-group workshops that will be sent to conference registrants in the next day or two. We're very excited about the program, and honestly think this is going to be our best event yet!
------------------
Program Schedule
Thursday
9:00 - 10:15 "What Literary Agents Want" Paige Wheeler (moderator), Jennifer DeChiara, Holly Root, Paul Cirone, Adam Schear, Michelle Brower
10:30 - 12:00 Query Letter Workshops
12:00 - 1:30 Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 Query Letter Workshops
3:00 - 4:00 Mixer
4:00 - 5:00 "First Contact: Query Letters That Worked" Stephany Evans (moderator), Janet Reid, JL Stermer, Diana Fox, Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, Jennie Dunham
Friday
9:00 - 10:15 "The 'Wow!' Factor: What It Is, How to Achieve It" Jeff Kleinman (moderator), Laney Katz Becker, Lois Winston, Miriam Kriss, Alexandra Machinist, Gina Panettieri
10:30 - 12:00 Opening Pages Workshop
12:00 - 1:30 Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 Opening Pages Workshop (continued)
2:30 - 3:15 "Agents and Editors, Working Together" Scott Hoffman, Daniela Rapp (editor, St. Martin's Press)
3:15- 4:00 mixer
4:00 - 5:00 "Breaking In: The Secret to Becoming a Published Author" Colleen Lindsay (moderator), Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Jason Allan Ashlock, Matthew Mahoney, Elizabeth Evans
Workshop Format
The format for the query letter and opening pages workshops is the same: In small groups of no more than a dozen authors, two agents react to authors' material as the author reads aloud as though they'd received it as a submission, stopping the reading when the material stops working for them, and explaining why.
Authors should be prepared for honest, objective feedback. Naturally, if an agent loves the work, authors are welcome to submit their material at the agent's invitation. But if suggestions for improvement are offered, as is most often the case, authors should not be discouraged. Because these are workshops and not pitch sessions, authors whose materials were not as well-received as they had hoped can apply the suggestions that resonate and submit to these same agents later, according to the agents' regular querying process.
Query Letter Workshops: On Thursday, there will be two query letter workshops, one on the morning and one in the afternoon, so that authors can rework their queries if they wish during the 1 1/2-hour lunch break.
You may revise your queries using your own laptop, or by writing them out in longhand. If using a laptop, be sure to bring a flash drive so you can save and print the revised version.
A printer and copier will be available at the conference registration desk in the upstairs lobby, where for a small fee, you can make copies of your new and improved letter for the afternoon workshop. You can avoid the last-minute rush on the conference printer by having copies made at either Kinkos or Staples, both 3 blocks from the hotel. A map and directions will be available at the conference.
You don't have to rework your query during the noon hour if you feel it doesn't need changing, since you'll be reading your letter to a new pair of agents in the afternoon. However, you will still need an additional 15 copies of your letter for distribution in the afternoon workshop.
Authors who have more than one project are welcome to present a different query letter in the second workshop.
Opening Pages Workshop: While the Friday opening pages workshop is also conducted in two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, authors' opening pages will not be reworked during the noon hour, since it's just not practical to revise in such a short period of time.
Instead, the afternoon workshop will take up where the morning readings left off until everyone's opening pages have been considered. Because authors' opening pages will be read only once, if you'd like feedback from a specific agent in the group to which you've been assigned, you may ask to have your opening pages read either in the morning, or in the afternoon.
At the end of each small-group workshop, there will be an opportunity for general discussion and to ask questions. Additionally, the 15 minutes between program parts, and the hour-long mixer both afternoons provide plenty of time for registrants to speak with all of our attending agents. There's no need to be shy about approaching agents - remember, agents come to our conferences because they're looking for great projects!
Here's a look at the November 5 & 6 program, along with an explanation of the small-group workshops that will be sent to conference registrants in the next day or two. We're very excited about the program, and honestly think this is going to be our best event yet!
------------------
Program Schedule
Thursday
9:00 - 10:15 "What Literary Agents Want" Paige Wheeler (moderator), Jennifer DeChiara, Holly Root, Paul Cirone, Adam Schear, Michelle Brower
10:30 - 12:00 Query Letter Workshops
12:00 - 1:30 Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 Query Letter Workshops
3:00 - 4:00 Mixer
4:00 - 5:00 "First Contact: Query Letters That Worked" Stephany Evans (moderator), Janet Reid, JL Stermer, Diana Fox, Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, Jennie Dunham
Friday
9:00 - 10:15 "The 'Wow!' Factor: What It Is, How to Achieve It" Jeff Kleinman (moderator), Laney Katz Becker, Lois Winston, Miriam Kriss, Alexandra Machinist, Gina Panettieri
10:30 - 12:00 Opening Pages Workshop
12:00 - 1:30 Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 Opening Pages Workshop (continued)
2:30 - 3:15 "Agents and Editors, Working Together" Scott Hoffman, Daniela Rapp (editor, St. Martin's Press)
3:15- 4:00 mixer
4:00 - 5:00 "Breaking In: The Secret to Becoming a Published Author" Colleen Lindsay (moderator), Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Jason Allan Ashlock, Matthew Mahoney, Elizabeth Evans
Workshop Format
The format for the query letter and opening pages workshops is the same: In small groups of no more than a dozen authors, two agents react to authors' material as the author reads aloud as though they'd received it as a submission, stopping the reading when the material stops working for them, and explaining why.
Authors should be prepared for honest, objective feedback. Naturally, if an agent loves the work, authors are welcome to submit their material at the agent's invitation. But if suggestions for improvement are offered, as is most often the case, authors should not be discouraged. Because these are workshops and not pitch sessions, authors whose materials were not as well-received as they had hoped can apply the suggestions that resonate and submit to these same agents later, according to the agents' regular querying process.
Query Letter Workshops: On Thursday, there will be two query letter workshops, one on the morning and one in the afternoon, so that authors can rework their queries if they wish during the 1 1/2-hour lunch break.
You may revise your queries using your own laptop, or by writing them out in longhand. If using a laptop, be sure to bring a flash drive so you can save and print the revised version.
A printer and copier will be available at the conference registration desk in the upstairs lobby, where for a small fee, you can make copies of your new and improved letter for the afternoon workshop. You can avoid the last-minute rush on the conference printer by having copies made at either Kinkos or Staples, both 3 blocks from the hotel. A map and directions will be available at the conference.
You don't have to rework your query during the noon hour if you feel it doesn't need changing, since you'll be reading your letter to a new pair of agents in the afternoon. However, you will still need an additional 15 copies of your letter for distribution in the afternoon workshop.
Authors who have more than one project are welcome to present a different query letter in the second workshop.
Opening Pages Workshop: While the Friday opening pages workshop is also conducted in two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, authors' opening pages will not be reworked during the noon hour, since it's just not practical to revise in such a short period of time.
Instead, the afternoon workshop will take up where the morning readings left off until everyone's opening pages have been considered. Because authors' opening pages will be read only once, if you'd like feedback from a specific agent in the group to which you've been assigned, you may ask to have your opening pages read either in the morning, or in the afternoon.
At the end of each small-group workshop, there will be an opportunity for general discussion and to ask questions. Additionally, the 15 minutes between program parts, and the hour-long mixer both afternoons provide plenty of time for registrants to speak with all of our attending agents. There's no need to be shy about approaching agents - remember, agents come to our conferences because they're looking for great projects!
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Thanks, Medi! I'd missed your post.
Karen, it sounds wonderful. My WIP isn't far along... but wow! I may still do it. Thanks so much for the information.
Karen, it sounds wonderful. My WIP isn't far along... but wow! I may still do it. Thanks so much for the information.
Thanks, backslashbaby. We've been refining this format over the course of several conferences thanks to feedback from both registrants and agents, and I really think we've nailed it this time. The program will be very relaxed, lots of free time to chat with agents, and a nice mix of direct feedback and general information. Plus the ratio of authors to agents is VERY favorable (at this point, 75 authors and 25 agents).
Naturally, a person with a finished manuscript who's ready to query will get the most benefit from this event, since they can follow up on agent interest immediately. But having a finished manuscript is not a requirement, and in a way, that author is in a good position too, since they can take the agents' comments into account as they finish their novel. One person who's coming this November who also came last spring told me she's bringing a different manuscript that she wrote over the summer, based on what she learned at the conference last spring.
The main purpose of our Backspace events is education. If writers understand the business and have a better grasp of what they need to do in order to break in, they're more likely to succeed.
No matter what you decide, best of luck!
Naturally, a person with a finished manuscript who's ready to query will get the most benefit from this event, since they can follow up on agent interest immediately. But having a finished manuscript is not a requirement, and in a way, that author is in a good position too, since they can take the agents' comments into account as they finish their novel. One person who's coming this November who also came last spring told me she's bringing a different manuscript that she wrote over the summer, based on what she learned at the conference last spring.
The main purpose of our Backspace events is education. If writers understand the business and have a better grasp of what they need to do in order to break in, they're more likely to succeed.
No matter what you decide, best of luck!
Just FYI, Karen's posted some details here: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157460
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Just chiming in to say how much I like the Backspace forums.
I find them especially helpful with specific, non-hypothetical publishing process questions. For example, one might ask about marketing through Facebook or the timing of a book's launch or what to do when you get a new editor. Within a week, you'll have something like 6-10 replies, most from authors published by major houses, replying from specific experience. It's been very, very helpful to me.
I joined around the time I got my agent or book deal (I forget which), which was good for me. That's what I recommend to others, though unpublished members may speak up--perhaps they find it helpful in a different way than I do.
I find them especially helpful with specific, non-hypothetical publishing process questions. For example, one might ask about marketing through Facebook or the timing of a book's launch or what to do when you get a new editor. Within a week, you'll have something like 6-10 replies, most from authors published by major houses, replying from specific experience. It's been very, very helpful to me.
I joined around the time I got my agent or book deal (I forget which), which was good for me. That's what I recommend to others, though unpublished members may speak up--perhaps they find it helpful in a different way than I do.
I'm a Backspace Member and I find some of the members pretentious, but most are extremely helpful. There are many published authors on the boards, as well as agents, who chime in to answer questions and help novices. It's a place for professional camaraderie and good advice.
Backspace Seminar
Hello all, I've got a bit of a newbie question.
I was interested in signing up for the Backspace Agent-Author Seminar, but the no pitch thing has me a bit confused. I've never been to any sort of writer's conference/seminar before, but I do know that many have pitch sessions.
Is it a red flag that Backspace does not have one?
Hello all, I've got a bit of a newbie question.
I was interested in signing up for the Backspace Agent-Author Seminar, but the no pitch thing has me a bit confused. I've never been to any sort of writer's conference/seminar before, but I do know that many have pitch sessions.
Is it a red flag that Backspace does not have one?
I haven't been to this one, but have a pitch ready anyway. Opportunities happen.
It doesn't hurt to write it out beforehand, and practice with a friend or a voice recorder until it sounds natural. You need a short one ('elevator pitch') and a longer one (for a longer opportunity, say, over a lunch or while playing Frisbee).
Concentrate on what's different about your story, not as much on the conventional parts which will be much like everyone else's.
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Not a red flag at all. It's a great seminar, and has resulted in many authors becoming agented (including a friend of mine). The workshops allow agents to read your material, instead of just pitching them a quick elevator style pitch. The panels are great just for education. And because it is a relatively small conference you get to mingle and chat with everyone, including the agents, in a casual way as well.
I do agree with dangerous that it never hurts to have a quick answer to "what's your book about" ready. But please, believe me, Backspace is extremely above board.
For anyone else interested, you can find more info about the seminar is here. And here's a list of the agents attending:
Stephany Evans (FinePrint Literary Management), Paige Wheeler (Folio Literary Management), Janet Reid (FinePrint Literary Management), Nicole Resciniti (The Seymour Agency), Jeff Kleinman (Folio Literary Management), Rachel Vogel (Movable Type Literary Group), Jenny Bent (The Bent Agency), Joanna Volpe (Nancy Coffey Literary Management), Becky Vinter (FinePrint Literary Management), Lois Winston (Ashley Grayson Literary Agency), Katharine Sands (Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency), Michelle Brower (Folio Literary Management), Sandy Lu (L. Perkins Agency), Louise Fury (L. Perkins Agency), Rebecca Strauss (McIntosh & Otis, Inc.), Roseanne Wells(Marianne Strong Literary Agency), Nicholas Croce (The Croce Agency), Moses Cardona (John Hawkins Associates), Weronika Janczuk (Lynn Franklin Associates), Jennifer Laughran (Andrea Brown Literary Agency) and more to come!
I do agree with dangerous that it never hurts to have a quick answer to "what's your book about" ready. But please, believe me, Backspace is extremely above board.
For anyone else interested, you can find more info about the seminar is here. And here's a list of the agents attending:
Stephany Evans (FinePrint Literary Management), Paige Wheeler (Folio Literary Management), Janet Reid (FinePrint Literary Management), Nicole Resciniti (The Seymour Agency), Jeff Kleinman (Folio Literary Management), Rachel Vogel (Movable Type Literary Group), Jenny Bent (The Bent Agency), Joanna Volpe (Nancy Coffey Literary Management), Becky Vinter (FinePrint Literary Management), Lois Winston (Ashley Grayson Literary Agency), Katharine Sands (Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency), Michelle Brower (Folio Literary Management), Sandy Lu (L. Perkins Agency), Louise Fury (L. Perkins Agency), Rebecca Strauss (McIntosh & Otis, Inc.), Roseanne Wells(Marianne Strong Literary Agency), Nicholas Croce (The Croce Agency), Moses Cardona (John Hawkins Associates), Weronika Janczuk (Lynn Franklin Associates), Jennifer Laughran (Andrea Brown Literary Agency) and more to come!
It's a top-notch conference, and well-regarded by the industry.
One of the best guides to the quality of a conference is the list of speakers; who are they?
That list Toothpaste posted has some exceedingly well-respected agents.
One of the best guides to the quality of a conference is the list of speakers; who are they?
That list Toothpaste posted has some exceedingly well-respected agents.
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Two of my friends have attended Backspace, and both of them received offers of representation from agents they met there. They absolutely rave about this conference.
Backspace Writer's Conference
Thanks mods for moving this to the correct place! My questions are answered so I deleted the original post.
Thanks mods for moving this to the correct place! My questions are answered so I deleted the original post.
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2013 Backspace Writers Conference registration now open!
Save $125 through Feb 1!
2013 Backspace Writers Conference – May 23-25, 2013 - New York City
Three days of panel discussions, workshops, and one-on-one editorial critiques. Mingle with agents, editors, and bestselling authors in a relaxed, friendly and helpful atmosphere in the heart of the publishing world!
Keynote Speaker: award-winning young adult author A.S. King
Workshop instructors: Donald Maass, President, Donald Maass Literary Agency; Lane Shefter Bishop, Producer, CEO, Vast Entertainment; New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry
Agents: Jeff Kleinman (Folio Literary Management), Kirsten Neuhaus (Kirsten Neuhaus Literary Agency), Suzie Townsend (New Leaf Literary), Jessica Regel (Jean Nagger Literary Agency), Laura Biagi (Jean Nagger Literary Agency), Sarah LaPolla (Curtis Brown, Ltd.)
Authors: Keith Cronin, Karen Dionne, D.E. Johnson, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, Maureen McGowan, M.J. Rose, Heather Webb
We’ll be adding many more faculty members in the weeks to come. Watch the conference website for details!
www.BackspaceWritersConference.com
Save $125 through Feb 1!
2013 Backspace Writers Conference – May 23-25, 2013 - New York City
Three days of panel discussions, workshops, and one-on-one editorial critiques. Mingle with agents, editors, and bestselling authors in a relaxed, friendly and helpful atmosphere in the heart of the publishing world!
Keynote Speaker: award-winning young adult author A.S. King
Workshop instructors: Donald Maass, President, Donald Maass Literary Agency; Lane Shefter Bishop, Producer, CEO, Vast Entertainment; New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry
Agents: Jeff Kleinman (Folio Literary Management), Kirsten Neuhaus (Kirsten Neuhaus Literary Agency), Suzie Townsend (New Leaf Literary), Jessica Regel (Jean Nagger Literary Agency), Laura Biagi (Jean Nagger Literary Agency), Sarah LaPolla (Curtis Brown, Ltd.)
Authors: Keith Cronin, Karen Dionne, D.E. Johnson, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, Maureen McGowan, M.J. Rose, Heather Webb
We’ll be adding many more faculty members in the weeks to come. Watch the conference website for details!
www.BackspaceWritersConference.com
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Hi, Karen. Hold on to your seat for a second while I move your announcement to BR&BC. I keep telling myself that someday I'll be able to make it to the conference. Someday. 
All the best,
Ari
All the best,
Ari
BackSpace Online Writing Conferences
I saw that there was already a post about BackSpace, but it didn't answer my question. I realize they have some sort of writing conference in NYC, or at least did at one point, but what about their online writing conferences? They're a lot cheaper than the ones you actually have to travel to, plus you can enjoy them from the comfort of your home. From what I gather, there is 20 authors and 4 agents. Among other things, you get to pitch to all four agents. The best part is that the conferences are genre specific so that saves you from pitching to agents that don't handle your genre. Too good to be true or are these as amazing as they sound?
I saw that there was already a post about BackSpace, but it didn't answer my question. I realize they have some sort of writing conference in NYC, or at least did at one point, but what about their online writing conferences? They're a lot cheaper than the ones you actually have to travel to, plus you can enjoy them from the comfort of your home. From what I gather, there is 20 authors and 4 agents. Among other things, you get to pitch to all four agents. The best part is that the conferences are genre specific so that saves you from pitching to agents that don't handle your genre. Too good to be true or are these as amazing as they sound?
Welcome, Suspense Author. Please add to existing threads rather than make new ones. Thank you. (Both merged.)