Polish Your Pitch

We are very excited to have literary agent Holly Root at this years conference. Holly's workshop, "Polish Your Pitch," is an interactive query letter workshop. What is a query? A query letter is a single page cover letter, introducing you and your book.

The workshop will cover what agents are looking for in queries, common mistakes, and tips on catching the agent’s attention. Participants who submit queries will receive specific constructive feedback. If you are not ready to share a query, don't worry! You will walk away with valuable tips and tricks.

Space in this workshop is limited--so register soon! Query letters must be submitted in advance. The deadline has been extended to August 15. Send your query (in the body of an email or as an attachment) to meb0015@auburn.edu.

Not sure how to write a query? Check out this helpful guide on Agent Query.

New Workshops

We have added two new workshops! Both are presented by Emma Bolden, Visiting Assistant Professor of English in Creative Writing at Georgetown College and poetry editor of the Georgetown Review.

Speak, Memory!: How to Start a Memoir

Everyone has a story to tell; the question is, what’s your story? And what is the best way to tell it? The memoir is a form of autobiography shaped by your story, by your memories: as Gore Vidal writes in his own memoir, Palimpset, "a memoir is how one remembers one's own life.” In this workshop, we’ll cover the basics of memoir writing and practice ways to make our memories speak to the page.

Memories, Dreams, Reflections: Putting Your Childhood on the Page

Note cards, thesis statements, outlines: we’re familiar with ways to prepare and write research papers, but how does one research and write about one’s own life? It’s essential for creative writers to gather details about their own lives, but how do we learn about our dimmest, most distant memories? This workshop will give you the keys to creative research. We’ll discuss research and interview methods as well as exercises that will help you to uncover details and create vivid childhood scenes and stories.

*If you have already registered, but are interested in one of the above workshops, please call 334-844-4903 or email meb0015@auburn.edu.