All workshops and events will take place at the conference hotel, the Wyndham Irvine, located at 17941 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614. Workshops summaries can be found on the Workshops and Events page, and within the working Schedule (when it becomes available).
Special Guest Speakers
NEAL GRIFFIN is the author of Benefit of the Doubt (Forge Books). A gripping thriller exposing the dark underbelly of policing in small-town American, Kirkus hails, “Griffin’s debut novel propels readers into the chilling worlds of big-money drugs, small-town corruption, and a murderer who strikes without conscience … Griffin’s work proves superior to the unrealistic fare that often passes for a police thriller.” Joseph Wambaugh (The Onion Field) calls it, “[U]nique and suspenseful.” And Booklist declares, “[T]his debut boasts the creepy, dangerous feel of the film Cape Fear and offers a compelling portrait of ethical burdens that often come with bearing a badge.” A 25-year law enforcement veteran, Neal has worked as a patrol cop, field training officer, SWAT member, hostage negotiator, narcotics investigator, gang enforcement specialist, and homicide unit supervisor. He has been named Officer of the Year on two occasions, and currently holds the rank of Detective Lieutenant.
ROSEANNE MONTILLO seeks to uncover the truth behind fascinating mysteries. Her first book, Halloween and Commemoration of the Dead, details how societies globally perceive death and the afterlife, as well as the funerary rites involved in that process. Its follow up, The Lady and Her Monsters, chronicles Mary Shelley’s lurid journey writing Frankenstein, and the writers, poets, doctors, scientists, alchemists, and gravediggers who influenced her. The Wilderness of Ruin (William Morrow) is her latest. Also a work of creative, historical nonfiction, it tells the story of America’s youngest serial killer, who preyed on Boston’s working-class neighborhoods in the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1872. Publishers Weekly calls the book, “A riveting true-crime tale that rivals anything writers in the 21st century could concoct… [Montillo is] a masterly storyteller.” While Kirkus extols, “A lively, evocative reinvigoration of Boston’s Gilded Age.” The case went on to influence the approach of mental issues, prison reform, juvenile delinquency trials, and literature, including the last work of Herman Melville.
ALINE OHANESIAN is the author of Orhan’s Inheritance, her debut novel recently out from Algonquin Books. A moving saga spanning the final years of the Ottoman Empire and the 1990s, Orhan’s Inheritance is a story of passionate love, unspeakable horrors, incredible resilience, and the hidden stories that haunt an Armenian family. A Barnes & Noble 2015 Discover Great New Writers Pick, an American Booksellers Association’s no. 1 choice for its April 2015 Indie Next Great Reads List, and Library Journal Editors’ Spring Reading Pick, in a starred review Kirkus hails it, “A harrowing tale of unimaginable sacrifice… A novel that delves into the darkest corners of human history and emerges with a tenuous sense of hope.” The Christian Science Monitor calls it, “An irresistible debut novel about first love, ancient betrayal, secrets within secrets, missing parents, war crimes, and ambiguous morality.” And the Library Journal declares it simply, “Unforgettable.”
TO BE ANNOUNCED
Authors & Industry Experts
WES ALBERS is Director of the Southern California Writers’ Conference. For more than a decade he has helped to facilitate over $4 million worth of first time book and movie deals for emerging authors through the SCWC and his personal contacts. His own writing draws from over twenty years in the San Diego Police Department, first as a patrolman, then sergeant. He now serves as Detective Sergeant in charge of Border Investigations, as well as Staff Sergeant supervising the Emergency Negotiations Team, a hybrid team of hostage negotiators from the SDPD, the FBI, and NCIS. Of his debut novel, Black and White (ZOVA Books), New York Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds (The Book of Spies) hails, “Gritty and rewarding… A top-notch cop novel. Watch out, Joseph Wambaugh!”
- SESSIONS: “How to Make the Most of the Conference,” No-Host Mixer, Introductions
GAYLE CARLINE began life as a software engineer until she chewed her way out of the cubicle to become a storyteller. In addition to writing a humor column for her local Orange County newspaper, she is the author of the fun and entertaining Peri Minneopa Mysteries, including Freezer Burn, Hit or Missus, The Hot Mess, and Clean Sweep, featuring a housecleaner-turned-detective living in the OC. Her latest releases are the stand-alone From the Horse’s Mouth: One Lucky Memoir, and the first of a new equine-themed murder-mystery series, Murder on the Hoof.
- SESSIONS: “Self-Publishing from A to Z: The Nuts and Bolts of Making Your Own Way” and TBA
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Fiction, mystery, humor, columns; first 15 pages, cover letter
KRISTIN FITZPATRICK is the author of My Pulse is an Earthquake, a short story collection forthcoming in September 2015 from West Virginia University Press. This collection was also a semi-finalist for the 2014 Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction. Kristin’s work has appeared in journals such as Colorado Review, The Southeast Review, and Epiphany. Her writing has been chosen for the Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize, the Gival Press Short Story Award, The New Short Fiction Series, and Stories on Stage. She is the recipient of fellowships from the Jentel Artist Residency Program and The Seven Hills School. Originally from the Midwest, she now lives and writes in Southern California.
- SESSIONS: “Making Every Line Count: Dialogue in Short Stories” and “Writing Razor Sharp Description in Short Stories”
MICHAEL STEVEN GREGORY, Executive Director of the Southern California Writers’ Conference, is an award-winning, independent filmmaker and WGA screenwriter of material ranging from mainstream drama and bio-pics to animated action-adventure and videogames. He has scripted series for Fox, UPN and HBO, directed television and features, and been involved as a writer, producer or director in over 150 short films. His longform projects include the doculogues We, The Writer and We, The Screenwriter, the romantic-comedy A Valentine Carol, and groundbreaking Don King Presents: Prizefighter, for 2K Games. His books include the popular Disc Golf: All You Need to Know about the Game You Want to Play, which remains a bestseller after over a decade of publication and will have a new edition in 2016. Michael is also director of the American Academy of Arts’ Indie Filmmaker’s Bootcamp program and owner of AuthorEdge, a boutique studio specializing in transmedia content production for writers.
- SESSIONS: No-Host Mixer, Introductions
NEAL GRIFFIN is the author of Benefit of the Doubt (Forge Books). A gripping thriller exposing the dark underbelly of policing in small-town American, Kirkus hails, “Griffin’s debut novel propels readers into the chilling worlds of big-money drugs, small-town corruption, and a murderer who strikes without conscience … Griffin’s work proves superior to the unrealistic fare that often passes for a police thriller.” Joseph Wambaugh (The Onion Field) calls it, “[U]nique and suspenseful.” And Booklist declares, “[T]his debut boasts the creepy, dangerous feel of the film Cape Fear and offers a compelling portrait of ethical burdens that often come with bearing a badge.” A 25-year law enforcement veteran, Neal has worked as a patrol cop, field training officer, SWAT member, hostage negotiator, narcotics investigator, gang enforcement specialist, and homicide unit supervisor. He has been named Officer of the Year on two occasions, and currently holds the rank of Detective Lieutenant.
- SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER
ARA GRIGORIAN is a technology executive in the entertainment industry who helps firms and individuals leverage strategy, leadership, and technology to produce extraordinary results with lasting value. He earned his Masters in Business Administration form University of Southern California where he specialized in marketing and entrepreneurship. True to the Hollywood life, Ara wrote for a children’s television pilot that could have made him rich (but didn’t) and sold a video game to a major publisher (who closed shop days later). Fascinated by the human species, Ara writes about choices, relationships, and second chances. Always a sucker for a hopeful ending, he writes contemporary romance stories. Ara is an alumnus of both the Southern California Writers’ Conference and the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, and is a passionate advocate of Scrivener, the immensely popular, powerful content-generation software for writers. His debut novel, Game of Love is now out from Curiosity Quills Press.
- SESSIONS: “Anatomy of Romance: New Adult and Beyond” and “Finding the Beats of Your Story”
MELANIE HOOKS is a recent graduate ‘With Distinction’ of UCLA Extension’s TV Writing Program, Melanie Hooks first dipped her toe into Read & Critiques over ten years ago at her first SCWC San Diego. As an English teacher, she thought herself prepared, but discovered firsthand the terrors that can await the fragile writer ego. She’s happy to share her ‘id’ survival tricks – and all her distinguished, unfunded script pitches if you sit still too long over coffee… you’ve been warned.
- SESSIONS: “Read, Critique & Live to Write Another Day” (with Perkins) and Rogue Read & Critique: SciFi/Fantasy (with Perkins)
ROSEANNE MONTILLO seeks to uncover the truth behind fascinating mysteries. Her first book, Halloween and Commemoration of the Dead, details how societies globally perceive death and the afterlife, as well as the funerary rites involved in that process. Its follow up, The Lady and Her Monsters, chronicles Mary Shelley’s lurid journey writing Frankenstein, and the writers, poets, doctors, scientists, alchemists, and gravediggers who influenced her. The Wilderness of Ruin (William Morrow) is her latest. Also a work of creative, historical nonfiction, it tells the story of America’s youngest serial killer, who preyed on Boston’s working-class neighborhoods in the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1872. Publishers Weekly calls the book, “A riveting true-crime tale that rivals anything writers in the 21st century could concoct… [Montillo is] a masterly storyteller.” While Kirkus extols, “A lively, evocative reinvigoration of Boston’s Gilded Age.” The case went on to influence the approach of mental issues, prison reform, juvenile delinquency trials, and literature, including the last work of Herman Melville.
- SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER
- SESSIONS: Historical Nonfiction (TBA)
STACEY O’BRIEN is the best-selling author of Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl. Recounting her 19-year relationship with an 18-inch Barn Owl adopted from Caltech, where she was a student researcher, the memoir has now been published in German, Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese), Korean, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Japanese, Hungarian and a special U.K. edition. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly declared, This memoir will captivate animal lovers and, though not necessarily for kids, should hold special appeal for Harry Potter fans who’ve always envied the boy wizard his Hedwig.
- SESSIONS: “Memoir: Structuring Your Story and the Stories Within” and “Re-entry: Editing Non-fiction for Dramatic Impact”
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Memoir, narrative nonfiction; first 15 pages, cover letter
ALINE OHANESIAN is the author of Orhan’s Inheritance, her debut novel recently out from Algonquin Books. A moving saga spanning the final years of the Ottoman Empire and the 1990s, it is a story of passionate love, unspeakable horrors, incredible resilience, and the hidden stories that haunt an Armenian family. A Barnes & Noble 2015 Discover Great New Writers Pick, an American Booksellers Association’s no. 1 choice for its April 2015 Indie Next Great Reads List, and Library Journal Editors’ Spring Reading Pick, in a starred review Kirkus hails it, “A harrowing tale of unimaginable sacrifice… A novel that delves into the darkest corners of human history and emerges with a tenuous sense of hope.” The Christian Science Monitor calls it, “An irresistible debut novel about first love, ancient betrayal, secrets within secrets, missing parents, war crimes, and ambiguous morality.” And the Library Journal declares it simply, “Unforgettable.”
- SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER
MATTHEW J. PALLAMARY’s first book The Small Dark Room of the Soul was mentioned in The Year’s Best Horror and Fantasy. Dreamland a novel about computer generated dreaming, written with Ken Reeth, won an Independent e-Book Award. His historical novel Land Without Evil received rave reviews along with a San Diego Book Award. Matt also received the San Diego Writer’s Monthly Magazine Man of the Year award. Spirit Matters, his memoir, took first place in the San Diego Book Awards Spiritual Book Category, and was an Award-Winning Finalist in the National Best Book Awards. He frequently visits the jungles, mountains, and deserts of North, Central, and South America pursuing his studies of shamanism and ancient cultures. He has taught a fiction workshop at the Southern California Writers’ Conference and the Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference for over twenty years and is Editor-in-Chief of Muse Harbor Publishing. His latest books include a new novel, Eye of the Predator and nonfiction, Phantastic Fiction: A Shamanic Approach to Story.
- SESSIONS: “Transformative Narrative: A Shamanic Approach” and Rogue Read & Critique
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Horror, fantasy, transformative fiction; memoir, biography; first 15 pages double-spaced
LAURA PERKINS has penned five young adult fantasy novels and serves as a freelance editor and writing coach. She has an extensive background in facilitating groups as well as conducting personal feedback sessions, assisting clients with motivation issues, goal setting and strength assessment. She brings first-hand knowledge and experience in many areas writers often use as their story worlds, including the Criminal Justice Department, probation, psychiatric facilities, wilderness programs, adventure sports, middle schools and high schools – internationally and in the states. She has lived in Europe and South America and traveled extensively internationally and domestically. While her passion is fantasy, young adult, character driven fiction and sci-fi, she works with many different genres and loves the offbeat and out of the ordinary.
- SESSIONS: “Make YOUR Sci-Fi/Fantasy World Come to Life – a BYOP (Bring Your Own Pages) Workshop,” “Read, Critique & Live to Write Another Day” (with Hooks) and Rogue Read & Critique: SciFi/Fantasy (with Hooks)
KATHY PORTER is the award-winning author of the Gray Guardians book series. Earth’s Ultimate Conflict and Escape from Nuur are the first of eight planned novels. Kathy paves new territory with her quest to interest more women in today’s science fiction, highlighting their strengths and leadership roles in the future. Aficionados of the genre will be drawn into emotional turbulence, without sacrificing the intense action and suspense they demand in a sci-fi thriller. The series has garnered international recognition, including the 2010 National Indie Excellence Book Award, 2010 USA National Best Books Award, 2011 International Book Award, and the 2014 50 Great Writers You Should be Reading Award, all in the Science Fiction category. The third book in the series, The Journey, will be eleased later this year.
- SESSIONS: “Book to Audiobook: Meeting the Needs of Your Audience”
DARLENE QUINN is an international award-winning author and well known TV and radio commentator. Each stand-alone novel in her wildly popular Web series draws upon real events in the ever changing world of high-fashion of the mid-80’s to present day. As part of a seven-member corporate management team of Bullocks Wilshire, Darlene saw first-hand how greed became a major factor in the demise of our regional department stores. But while the series is brimming with intrigue and haunting nostalgia, she never allows the hard facts get in the way of page-turning suspense. Each title has garnered national and international awards. Her most recent, Unpredictable Webs, won the International Readers Favorite Gold Medal for General Fiction, as well the President’s Choice top prize at the Beverly Hills Book Awards. Darlene’s latest in the series, Conflicting Webs, is just out.
- SESSIONS: “Authorpreneur: Managing YOUR Publishing Business” and “Voice: Whose story is it?”
SUZANNE REDFEARN writes novels that explore the truth of contemporary existence, exposing its soft underbelly before turning each story on its head and offering redemption through her characters. Cautionary tales of morality, her stories are eerily familiar and recognizable. Her debut title, the literary thriller Hush Little Baby, was released by Grand Central in the U.S. and four other countries last October, and selected for Target’s Emerging Author’s Program. Publisher’s Weekly hailed it, “A smart, suspenseful debut.” Kirkus calls it, “A compelling tale of the deceit, violation and anguish that undergrid the myth of suburbia.” And Jane Porter (The Good Wife) extolls, “The book…the writing…is soo soooo sooo sooo sooo good. Loved it…so much. Just wow. Damn good. So amazing. I have goosebumps just thinking about the book, and how it ends.” Suzanne’s suspenseful follow-up, No Ordinary Life, is out February, 2016.
- SESSIONS: “Keep the Creativity Flowing”
LAURA TAYLOR is the recipient of numerous awards for her writing, including 6 Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement, Reviewer’s Choice, and Career Achievement Awards, 2 Maggie Awards from GRW/RWA, 2 Golden Heart Finalist Awards (RWA), an RWA RITA Finalist Award, and a Golden Rose Award from the Gold Coast Chapter of RWA. Having sold over a million books in print, an additional 550,000 digital editions have been downloaded by e-book readers. Her novels feature sassy, strong-willed heroines and determined alpha male heroes. Her romance e-books include: Desert Rose, Midnight Storm, Heartbreaker, More Than Friends, Fallen Angel, Wilder’s Woman, Warrior Series Boxed Set, Moment By Moment, The Christmas Gift, Anticipation, Seduction, Surrender, Sublime, and the Love at the Beach Boxed Set.
- SESSIONS: “Indie Excellence: Glocalization and the Key to Survival” and Rogue Read & Critique
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Mainstream, historical and genre fiction, romance; first 15 pages double-spaced
JANIS THOMAS is the author of Something New, her laugh-out-loud debut novel published by Berkley Books in 2012. Of it, Sally Koslow (The Late, Lamented Molly Marx) effused, “[S]pot-on in capturing how it feels to be an upper-middle class suburban mom who longs for…something more. She writes with sparkle and humor.” Her equally funny follow-up, Sweet Nothings, was released July of 2013 and called “A breezy read” by Publishers Weekly. Eschewing legacy publishing, in a departure from the chick-lit genre she’s best known for, Janis is releasing a crime thriller called Murder in A-minor, A Sam Wedlock Musical Murder Mystery, under the pen name of J.T. Hamlin. Her latest novel is Say Never. Janis has also written over fifty songs and two children’s books (with her dad).
- SESSIONS: “Getting to the Heart of Women’s Fiction,” “Plot vs. Character: What’s Driving Your Story?” and Read & Critique (Women’s Fiction)
CLAUDIA WHITSITT is an award-winning author and veteran special education teacher. Her debut novel, The Wrong Guy, was published by Echelon press to raves. The plot was based on personal experiences, having attended Eastern Michigan University on the heels of the serial murder of seven college coeds, dubbed “the Michigan Murders” by the media. Her experiences with identity theft and stalking also led her to write Identity Issues, which she published as her second novel, the first in Claudia’s popular Samantha Series. Intimacy Issues followed and Internal Issues are the most recent. The Wrong Guy has also been re-released independently, officially establishing Claudia as a full-on indie author-publisher. Her latest, a stand-alone, telling the story of three girls who become friends during the racially-charged aftermath of the 1967 Detroit Riots, Between the Lines is just out.
- SESSIONS: “Care and Feeding of a Writer” and “Creating Tension Where There is None”
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Fiction, mystery, romantic comedy, humor; first 15 pages, cover letter
JANET F. WILLIAMS is a writer of erotica and romance. Her stories have been published in various compilations by Alyson Press, Here Media and Cleis Press, the most recent appearing in The Big Book of Domination (under the pen name Zoe Amos), which just received a Silver IPPY Award. In 2010, Janet wrote the non-fiction book You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get: Proven Techniques to Get More Out of Life, named Best Specialized Instruction Book by Kirkus Indie, and selected one of their top 10 picks of the year.
- SESSIONS: “Everything You Need to Know about Sex Scenes”
MARALYS WILLS is the author of a dozen published books in a variety of genres, including the techno-thriller Scatterpath, of which The New York Times said, “Her cockpit sequences all but put the reader at the controls,” and four romance novels. Her nonfiction includes the critically lauded Higher Than Eagles: The Tragedy and Triumph of an American Family, which chronicles the loss of two of her sons and has been optioned for film five times, and Save My Son: A Mother and a Sheriff Unite to Reclaim the Lives of Addicted Offenders (with Michael Carona). Maralys’s other titles include A Clown in the Trunk, a sequel of sorts to her light-hearted memoir, A Circus Without Elephants, and Damn the Rejections: Full Speed Ahead. Her latest titles include Buy a Trumpet and Blow Your Own Horn! Turning Books into Bucks (Stephens Press) and a memoir, The Tail on my Mother’s Kite (Lemon Lane Press).
- SESSIONS: “Ten Ways to Upgrade Your Manuscript,” “Query Letter Tricks that Work” and Read & Critique
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Mainstream, literary and historical fiction; memoir and narrative non-fiction; first 15 pages double-spaced, cover letter
Agents & Editors
SAMANTHA BREMEKAMP is an agent with Corvisiero Literary, having first started her career in publishing in 2008, then quickly realizing that she preferred working directly with authors from the other side of the industry. Her favorite writing is children’s, middle grade, young adult, and new adult, is open to any genre within those age groups, but prefers speculative fiction, mystery, and quirky romance. Although there may be a difference between a three-year-old and a 33-year-old, maybe, Samantha finds that all of life’s challenges in these age groups show the potential for amazing growth in a character. She also believes that if a writer is confident in their work, their work will demonstrate that without having to showboat to prove it via a pitch.
- STATE OF THE AGENT PANEL
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Children’s, middle-grade, young adult and new adult fiction; first 10 pages, cover letter
MEGAN CLOSE is an associate agent at Keller Media. Her passion lies not only in getting great books published, but in working closely with the authors who write them. Nothing is more exciting than a great new idea or story! Prior to her agenting career, Megan read, reviewed, edited, rejected and selected thousands of book and script projects for agencies, film companies and publishing companies. She represents projects in the following genres: self-help, relationships, pop culture, pop psychology, management, career, entrepreneurship and literary fiction (especially mystery/suspense).
- HOW TO CRAFT AN EXCELLENT NONFICTION BOOK PROPOSAL
- STATE OF THE AGENT PANEL
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Literary fiction, mystery, suspense; practical and narrative non-fiction; first 10 pages, cover letter
MARISA IOZA CORVISIERO, Esq. is the founder of the Corvisiero Literary Agency and its senior literary agent. During the few years prior to starting her own agency, Marisa worked with the L. Perkins Agency, where she learned invaluable lessons and made a name for herself in the industry. She is also a Literary Consultant and an Attorney practicing law in New York, She belongs to the New York City Bar Association, New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Marisa seeks creative stories with well developed plots and rich characters with unique voices.
- STATE OF THE AGENT PANEL
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Adult, new adult, and young adult fiction of romance, thriller, adventure, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, and Christmas themes; for middle grade, unique concepts in fantasy, adventure and science fiction; picture books (illustrations not needed) with unique voices and special messages; Nonfiction: out of the box and high concept spiritual, self-improvement, parenting, science, and business; first 10 pages, cover letter
LANE HEYMONT is an associate agent with The Seymour Agency, having served as a literary assistant for two years, leading the marketing efforts for its authors and connecting clients with readers. As a lover of literature since childhood, he decided to pursue his passion as a literary agent to bring well-written books to the masses. With a bachelor’s degree in psychology, business and literature, Lane continued his education in Creative Writing and English, attending Harvard. Lane is a member of HWA, ITW, SCBWI, RWA and the AAR. He believes what John Gregory Dunne sad: “Writing is manual labor of the mind.”
- STATE OF THE AGENT PANEL
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Adult/YA sci-fi (no space operas), fantasy, including all sub-genres, romance (contemporary, suspense, historical, paranormal, and new adult); in nonfiction, popular science by prominent researchers, cultural studies, and memoirs ; first 10 pagesfirst 10 pages, cover letter
JEAN JENKINS is a freelance editor (MsRewrite.com) and consultant to writers. She has successfully shepherded to print genre and mainstream novels with major publishers and small independents, as well as editing/advising self- and e-published writers. Clients include writers, both foreign and domestic. Her specialty is teaching craft and what works in the marketplace as she helps writers polish their material. Several books on which she has consulted are in the pipeline and nearing publication with major houses. Calling upon her varied life experiences and over twenty years of editorial consulting, she is equally at home editing spy thrillers, cozies, suspense, women’s issues, mainstream, or any bloody good story. It might be said, the bloodier, the better.
- SESSIONS: “Best Foot Forward: Polishing to Impress” (1 & 2), “Defining Genre: What Are You Really Writing?” AND “Promises to Keep: Rewarding Your Reader”
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Mystery, suspense, thriller, police procedural; narrative non-fiction; first 15 pages, double-spaced, cover letter
JILL MARR is an agent with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, one of the most respected literary agencies in the U.S. Representing an impressive and eclectic client roster, SDLA has helped guide the illustrious careers of many best selling authors in several genres, including Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan, Lisa See and Diane Mott Davidson and on the non-fiction side, Peter Irons, David Landes, Mike Davis, Chalmers Johnson and Susan Faludi, among others. Jill is interested in commercial fiction, especially women’s fiction, multi-cultural fiction, historic fiction, mysteries and thrillers. She is also looking for non-fiction in the areas of self-help, inspirational, memoir (she especially loves travel and foodie memoirs), parenting, history, health & nutrition, pop culture, humor and music.
- STATE OF THE AGENT PANEL
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Fiction, mystery; practical and narrative non-fiction; first 10 pages, cover letter
MARLA MILLER wrote for the OC Register’s lifestyle magazine for 16 years before becoming founding editor-in-chief of an O.C. coastal lifestyle magazine. Her first book, All American Girls, the only authorized biography of the iconic World Cup/Gold Medal winning U.S Women’s National Soccer Team, was published by Simon & Schuster in 1999, and her sports oriented columns appeared in Oxygen.com. Marla launched MarketingtheMuse Workshops in 2003, motivated by her recognition that most traditionally published authors receive little help from “big house” marketing departments. Her experience in the entrepreneurial author movement includes “with author” bylines for two indie books, The Booty Bible and Decode the Black Box of Group Health Insurance, along with her own Days Gone By and first e-novel, Deadly Little Secrets, published under MarketingtheMuse Publications. MarlaMiller.com is a resource center for writers with emphasis on marketing information in publishing/epublishing.
- SESSIONS: “Nonfiction for Newbies: Is it a Book or Not?” “Pitch Witches: What’s Your Book About?” (with Redmond) and Query Letter Critique
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Fiction, narrative and prescriptive non-fiction, columns (Note: anything emphasizing medicine or psychology, Marla’s your reader); first 15 pages, cover letter
JENNIFER SILVA REDMOND spent more than a decade as editor-in-chief/acquisitions editor at Sunbelt Publications before becoming a freelance publishing consultant and editor. On the staff of the Southern California Writers Conference and San Diego Writers, Ink, she was also prose editor for A Year in Ink Vol 3, and co-founder of the Sea of Cortez Review. Her essays, articles, and short fiction have been published in various anthologies, such as Latinos in Lotusland, and national magazines. She is always looking for “great new stuff” and has a wide circle of agents, editors, and publishers with whom to share marketable fiction and non-fiction. More information, a short list of edited titles, and client testimonials can be found at www.jennyredbug.com.
- SESSIONS: “Backstory: Employing Expository like a Screenwriter,” “How to Polish, Package and Promote Your Memoir” and “Pitch Witches: What’s Your Book About?” (with Miller)
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Fiction, non-fiction, memoir, short stories; first 15 pages double-spaced, cover letter
SARA SCIUTO is an associate agent with Fuse Literary. Her focus is on middle grade and young adult fiction; in particular, contemporary, historical, gothic/thriller/horror, sci-fi, mystery/suspense, fantasy and other speculative fiction. For YA she’s drawn to literary voices with commercial appeal (i.e. no chick-lit, please). For MG, she seeks everything from provoking historical to fun/silly adventure projects. She has a particular soft spot for gritty narratives. Sara is also looking for standout picture books, as well as conceptual or art-driven projects. She’s also considering select adult nonfiction in the areas of craft, design, how-to, lifestyle, and pop culture.
- STATE OF THE AGENT PANEL
- ADVANCE SUBMISSION CRITIQUE: Middle-grade and young adult fiction; picture books; select adult non-fiction; first 10 pages, cover letter