May 23: Agent-Author Seminar

Panel discussions, small-group workshops, and query letter and opening pages critiques by 20-25 literary agents. Attendance this day only limited to 150 authors.

Evening logline workshop with Hollywood producer Lane Shefter Bishop. Screenwriters welcome!

May 24: Two-Track Program

Panel discussions, workshops, and one-on-one editorial critiques with literary agents, editors, and bestselling authors.

Mingle with agents, editors, and bestselling authors in a relaxed, friendly and helpful atmosphere during the Friday evening cocktail reception!

May 25: Back-to-back workshops

Morning workshops with New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry:

· Writing Fight and Action Scenes
· Writing Across Genre Lines
· Making a Living as a Writer

Afternoon workshop: Writing 21st Century Fiction with literary agent Donald Maass

Announcing the Backspace conference scholarship winners! CLICK HERE for the results!

Backspace members receive up to $100 off! Details at the discussion forums.

 

2013 Backspace Writers Conference – May 23-25, 2013

Radisson Martinique, New York City

Please note: This will be your only chance to attend a Backspace Agent-Author Seminar in 2013.

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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 (Foundry Literary + Media), Suzie Townsend (New Leaf Literary), Jessica Regel (Jean Nagger Literary Agency), Laura Biagi (Jean Nagger Literary Agency), Sarah LaPolla (Curtis Brown, Ltd.), Michelle Brower (Folio Literary Management), Rebecca Strauss (DeFiore and Co.), Peter Rubie (FinePrint Literary Management), Alex Glass (Trident Media Group), Linda Epstein (Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency), Louise Fury (L. Perkins Agency), Carrie Pestritto (The Prospect Agency), Jennifer Udden (Donald Maass Literary Agency), Emmanuelle Morgen (Stonesong Literary Agency), Kristin Nelson (Nelson Literary Agency), Katharine Sands (Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency), Bridget Smith (Dunham Literary Inc.), Jason Yarn (Paradigm), Rachel Vogel (The Waxman Leavell Agency), Roseanne Wells (Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency), MacKenzie Fraser-Bub (Trident Media Group), Sandy Lu (L. Perkins Agency), Erin Harris (Folio Literary Management)

Editors: Rhoda Belleza, Associate Editor, Paper Lantern Lit, Lynette Eklund, Senior Editor, Allegory ezine

Authors: Jerry Amernic, Nathan Bransford, Keith Cronin, Karen Dionne, D.E. Johnson, Steve Lehto, Maureen McGowan, Randy Susan Meyers, M.J. Rose, Heather Webb

Publishing Professionals: Don Lafferty, Dan Blank, Gabriela Pereira

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CONFERENCE SUCCESS!

CONGRATULATIONS to Heather Webb, who attended the May 2012 Backspace Writers Conference, where she met and signed with Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management! Heather’s debut historical BECOMING JOSEPHINE, following the transformation of Rose de Beauharnais from Creole socialite to the neglected Parisian wife who survived prison during the French Revolution and emerged at the pinnacle of French power as Empress Josephine Bonaparte, sold to Plume.

CONGRATULATIONS to Raymond K. Wong, who attended the November 2011 Backspace Agent-Author Seminar. This week, Raymond signed with Sandy Lu of the L. Perkins Agency!

CONGRATULATIONS to Derek Sherman, who attended the 2011 Backspace Writers Conference last May, where he met his agent, Rachel Vogel of the Mary Evans Literary Agency.

Derek’s untitled novel about two brothers — one an ultramarathoner living in a cult-like running community and the other working in biotech in Silicon Valley — who must come together after years of estrangement to save a child with a genetic lung defect that will most surely kill her unless a cure is found, sold this week to Denise Roy at Plume.

Derek says, “I debated if a conference could be worth the costs of attending. There’s no doubt that was. I spoke with real, powerful agents, happy to offer their advice, critique, and email addresses. I got advice and feedback. I met my agent. And my book is being published. Attending the Backspace Conference got my novel sold. Also, I had the best Korean food of my life. If you feel like you’re ready, go for it. It’s real.”

Thanks, Derek! And we completely agree about the Korean food. Best place for lunch is right next door!

CONGRATULATIONS also to Cecy Robson, who attended the Backspace Agent-Author Seminar last May, where she met and signed with her agent, Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency!

Cecy’s sexy urban fantasy series, WEIRD GIRLS, in which four sisters embrace their ‘curse’ to protect the Tahoe region and unsuspecting humans from dark supernatural forces, sold this week to Jhanteigh Kupihea at Signet Eclipse in a three-book deal for publication in early 2013!

Read more stories of authors who met their agent at a Backspace event:

Kim Stagliano | L.R. | Helen DePrima | Naseem Rakha

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Which method is better for you?Pitch Sessions vs. Small-group Workshops  -  Which approach is better for YOU? 

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Which method is better for you?Do I need to be a Backspace member to attend the conference?

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Which method is better for you?Do I need to have a finished manuscript to register for the Backspace conference?

 

Which method is better for you? Why do agents “really” attend conferences?

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Which method is better for you? Can a literary agent really expect to understand the intricacies of a novel from just a query letter and the first two pages?

“The Fall 2009 Backspace Agent-Author Seminar was the most phenomenal conference I have ever attended. The mixers with agents were wonderfully informal and comfortable, nothing like nerve-wracking pitch sessions. They provided a great opportunity to network with agents and other writers. I recommend this conference to all my writer friends.”

– Lisa Iriarte

“I love being associated with you guys. Such a class act. Backspace is the pre-eminent writers organization because you guys have made it so. Always innovating, thinking outside the box, and just generally doing conferences bigger and better than they have been done before. I’m just honored to have been there from the start.”

– Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary Agency

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“Unquestionably the best of all writers conferences, this two-day annual conference has leaped to the top with its emphasis on quality, not quantity. There are no formal pitch sessions. Instead, you’ll have the opportunity to attend quality workshops and mingle with some of the best editors, agents and other publishing professionals in the industry in a comfortable, non-aggressive atmosphere.”

– Bibliobuffet

Did you know?

Did you know that in addition to our real-world conferences, Backspace is also a vibrant, online writers community?

If you’ve been looking for a large, diverse group of talented writers who talk about writing and the challenges and successes involved in getting published in a private, unGoogleable corner of the Internet, this is it.

  • Over 1,800 members in a dozen countries.
  • One-third of the membership is agented and/or published.
  • Nearly 200 members log into the discussion forums every day.

To learn how to join, CLICK HERE.

“(Backspace is) an incredible online writers community THAT YOU SHOULD JOIN IMMEDIATELY! GO! NOW!” – Colleen Lindsay, formerly of FinePrint Literary Management

“Backspace is my favorite.” – Jeff Kleinman, Folio Literary Management

Questions?

Check our Frequently Asked Questions section, or write to Backspace Administrators Karen Dionne or Christopher Graham. You may also telephone Chris at 732-267-6449