Aurora, Illinois is the host for the Midwest Literary Festival. If you're looking for a smaller venue rather than a national conference, then this may be what you're searching for.
Dates: October 5 -7, 2007
Friday: Writer's Workshop ~ registrations are still open until Sept. 30 or until the workshop is full. The day-long event costs $130.oo, and includes all breakout sessions, continental breakfast, lunch, and plenty of opportunity to hear professionals speak. For additional costs you might want to have a manuscript evaluated, pitch to an agent or publisher, or attend the Friday night reception and rub elbows with other authors, editors and publishers. Hotel accommodations are also available.
The workshop runs from 7:30 - 4:30 p.m. and offers a wide range of sessions:
finding your market, from ideas to sales, writing the memoir, hooks and cliffhangers, pitching your novel, point of view, mistakes writers make, selling non-fiction, elements of suspense, the writing community, writing for film, how to build your career, writing the historical narrative, developing fantastic characters, etc.
This will be a great time to speak with agents and publishers, one-on-one. I believe all who sign up for this, will have a specific time slot.
New York Times best seller, David Morrell, Scavenger, will be attending,along with Jonathoan Santlofer - Anatomy of Fear, Camille DeAngelis - Mary Modern, New York Times best seller Jacquelyn Mitchard -
Still Summer, and many more greats. Check the site to see all the award winning folks who plan to help with the workshop:
http://www.midwestliteraryfestival.com
Publishers and Agents ~ I mentioned they would be there, but it will cost you to pitch to them. Gotta pay in advance folks!! To date they have scheduled: Gary Heidt - Imprint Agency, Inc.; Danielle Egan-Miller - Brown & Miller Literary Assoc.; Lauren Mosko - Writer's Digest Books; Kelly Nickell(for you nonfiction writers!) and Johanna MacKenzie - Brown & Miller Literary Assoc. Others may be coming too!
Saturday and Sunday (Oct 6-7) the downtown area of Aurora will be blocked off for vendors - my publisher will be there ... and me!! If you like browsing through books, you'll enjoy this friendly atmosphere. It reminds me of Printer's Row. Arts and craft vendors have been in attendance in the past and I imagine they will be there again this year as well. Barnes and Noble have had big discount sales and small press publishing houses line the streets. If you wish to be a merchant/book vendor, applications can be obtained at the website.
So if you haven't attended a writer's workshop in awhile, this would be the perfect time. I sent my registration in last week and am really looking forward to mingling with other writers and learning from the pros. Illinois is beautiful in October, and usually warm during the day. Space at the workshop is limited, so get signed up soon. Hope to see you there!
Til next time ~
DL Larson
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