The conference for serious writers of fiction and nonfiction.
Learn. Professionalize. Connect.
December 2020 | The New School | New York City
The Literary Writers Conference includes two days of panels and meetings with agents during the Agent Pitch Sessions.
The 2020 LWC}NYC is scheduled to take place in December 2020. Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates about when registration will open. Read about last year’s featured speakers and the conference schedule below.
} 2019 Featured Speakers and Agents
Amanda Annis is an agent at Trident Media Group. } Preparing for the Pitch, Query Letter Clinic, Agent Pitch Sessions
Sarah Bedingfield is an agent at Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Nathan Bransford is the author of How to Write a Novel and a former literary agent. } Literary Agents 101
Heather Carr is an agent at the Friedrich Agency. } Query Letter Clinic, Agent Pitch Sessions
Lucy Carson is an agent at the Friedrich Agency. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Farley Chase is an agent at Chase Literary Agency. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Mieke Chew is the Co-Director of Publicity at New Directions Publishing. } How to Build a Platform
Rachel Crawford is an agent at Mackenzie Wolf Literary. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Molly Dektar is the author of The Ash Family: A Novel. } The Author and Her Team
Stephanie Delman is an agent at Sanford J. Greenberger Associates. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Nicole Dewey is a publicist and the founder of Dewey Decimal Media. } How to Build a Media Platform
Adam Eaglin is an agent at the Cheney Agency. } Literary Agents 101
Julia Eagleton is an agent at the Gernert Company. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Rachel Fershleiser is the senior director of marketing at Alfred A. Knopf, Pantheon, and Schocken Books. } How to Build a Platform
Diana Finch is an agent at Diana Finch Literary Agency. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Jessica Friedman is an agent at Wylie Agency. } Query Letter Clinic, Agent Pitch Sessions
Sarah Fuentes is an agent at Fletcher & Company. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Kate Garrick is an agent at Karpfinger Agency. } Literary Agents 101
Veronica Goldstein is an agent at Fletcher & Company. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Emily Graff is an editor at Simon & Schuster. } The Author and Her Team
Lisa Grubka is an agent at Fletcher & Company. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Serene Hakim is an agent at Ayesha Pande Literary. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Erin Harris is a Vice President and an agent at Folio Literary Management. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Lauren Rosemary Hook is Senior Editor at the Feminist Press. } Case Study of a Novel
Anne Horowitz is a freelance editor and former Associate Editor at Counterpoint/Soft Skull Press. } Preparing for the Pitch
Carrie Howland is an agent and the founder of Howland Literary. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Trevor Ketner is an agent at Ladderbird Literary Agency. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Sarah Levitt is an agent at Aevitas Creative Management. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Rachel Lyon is author of the novel Self Portrait with Boy and Editor-in-Chief at Epiphany. } The Author and Her Team
Dana Isokawa is Senior Editor at Poets & Writers Magazine. } Publishing in Literary Magazines
Alison Lewis is Editor at American Chordata. } Publishing in Literary Magazines
Chad Luibl is an agent at Janklow and Nesbit. } Agent Pitch Sessions
PJ Mark is an agent at Janklow & Nesbit. } The Author and Her Team
Christina Morgan is an agent at Serendipity Literary Agency. } Query Letter Clinic, Agent Pitch Sessions
Carley Moore is the author of the novel The Not Wives (The Feminist Press, 2019). } Case Study of a Novel
Cassie Mannes Murray is an assistant agent at Howland Literary. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Kim Perel is an agent at Irene Goodman Literary Agency. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Minna Zallman Proctor is Editor-in-Chief of The Literary Review. } Publishing in Literary Magazines
Clarence V. Reynolds is Editor of the Killens Review of Arts & Letters. } Publishing in Literary Magazines
Adam Schear is an agent at DeFiore and Company. } Preparing for the Pitch, Agent Pitch Sessions
Alexa Stark is an agent at Trident Media Group. } Agent Pitch Sessions
Joanna Yas is Editor-in-Chief of Washington Square Review. } Publishing in Literary Magazines
Renée Zuckerbrot is an agent at Massie & McQuilkin. } Literary Agents 101
Thursday, December 5
9:30 AM Doors Open
Enjoy coffee and meet other conference participants.10 AM Welcome Remarks
Mary Gannon (Executive Director, CLMP) offers welcome remarks. Learn what the day has in store for you.10:15-11:15 AM Literary Agents 101
Agents Adam Eaglin (The Cheney Agency), Kate Garrick (Karpfinger Agency), and Renée Zuckerbrot (Massie & McQuilkin) provide an overview of how literary agents work and the process for securing one to represent your book. Learn how to pitch them, what to expect from them, and what they look for in prospective clients.11:30 AM-12:30 PM Preparing for the Pitch: Query Letters and Writing Samples
Agents Ann Rittenberg (Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency), Amanda Annis (Trident Media Group), Adam Schear (DeFiore and Company) and freelance editor Anne Horowitz offer tips and best practices for crafting a successful query letter and writing sample to submit to an agent.12:45-1:45 PM Lunch—Or Query Letter Clinic
In these intensive workshops, two agents will read all query letters ahead of time and discuss each one with the group, offering specific guidance for improvement. (Query Letter Clinics are available with a cap of 10 participants in each. Additional cost: $50. Registration is first come, first served. Query letters must be submitted to David Gibbs, Director of Programs, [email protected] prior to the conference.)2-3 PM The Author and Her Team
Author Molly Dektar and her publishing team—PJ Mark (Agent, Janklow & Nesbit) and Emily Graff (Editor, Simon & Schuster)—discuss the journey that The Ash Family: A Novel took from manuscript to publication. Moderated by author Rachel Lyon.3:30-4:30 PM How to Build a Media Platform
Publicists Nicole Dewey (founder of Dewey Decimal Media), Mieke Chew (Co-Director of Publicity, New Directions Publishing), and Senior Marketing Director Rachel Fershleiser (Knopf, Pantheon, and Schocken) guide you through the ins-and-outs of developing a successful media platform. Gain professional advice about to how to represent yourself in newsletters, social media, and more.4:45-5:45 PM Wine Reception
Toast the end of an exciting day and meet fellow attendees during this fun, casual reception.
Friday, December 6
10-10:15 AM Welcome Remarks
Mary Gannon (Executive Director, CLMP) welcomes you back to day two of the conference.10:15-11:15 AM Case Study of a Novel: An Indie Author and Editor Discuss the Journey to Publication
Novelist Carley Moore (The Not Wives, 2019) and Feminist Press Senior Editor Lauren Rosemary Hook talk about how they worked together during the acquisition, editing, and marketing process and what advice they have for writers about successfully partnering with their publishing team.11:30 AM-12:30 PM Publishing in Literary Magazines
Moderator Dana Isokawa (Senior Editor, Poets & Writers Magazine) joins editors Alison Lewis (American Chordata), Minna Zallman Proctor (The Literary Review), Clarence V. Reynolds (Killens Review of Arts and Letters), and Joanna Yas (Washington Square Review) to discuss the landscape of literary magazines, how to find the right ones to submit your work to, and how doing so can help get your book published.12:30-1:45 PM Lunch
2-4:45 PM Agent Pitch Sessions
Fiction, nonfiction, and memoir writers: Meet with agents from the Association of Author’s Representatives for two quick-pitch sessions. Each session is 6 minutes long. Note: Although we cannot accommodate requests for specific agents, we do our best to pair participants with agents who represent related genres. All pitches are verbal and do not include a manuscript review.
Agent Pitch Sessions: During your 6-minute sessions with two agents, you’ll be delivering verbal quick pitches, also known as the elevator pitch—a clear, concise, compelling description of your book that can be delivered in the time it takes to ride an elevator with someone. You’ll hear how to hone your pitch at the conference, but delivering a strong pitch takes practice. To make the most of your Agent Pitch Sessions, we recommend you take time before the conference to write and practice your delivery.
2019 LWC}NYC will take place at The New School’s Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, located at 55 West 13th Street in New York City. This facility meets federal compliance for accessibility at universities. A security guard at the front desk will be available to give directions to the elevator.
