Guide to Literary Agents

Fun contest online!

Agent Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown, LTD is sponsoring a new contest to find the next great writer who can compose scintillating speech and dominating dialogue (not to mention awesome alliteration).

It's a dialogue contest! Being that my first love was playwriting, this contest excites me (and I may even submit). All the details are on his blog, so you may want to open up a new tab/window and check those out. Here's the gist. You submit 250 words of dialogue and the necessary prose/description that goes with it. Logically, it would have to be a bit dialogue heavy.

Submit it by Wednesday, May 28, for consideration and the winner will be announced soonafter. The winner gets a variety of prize choices, including a phone conversation with Nathan or a query critique.

Reservoir Dogs had good dialogue.

Hat tip on this great
info: future famous
writer Nancy Parish.

Contests

5/19/2008 4:16:55 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Friday, May 16, 2008

Agent Michael Sterns Interviewed on CWIM Site
Posted by Chuck

My great co-worker, Alice Pope, recently posted her interview with super-editor turned Firebrand Literary rep Michael Stearns. See the entire interview on her Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market blog.

The interview has a lot of good advice from a new agent. Check it out, and way to go, Alice!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Children's Writing

5/16/2008 11:19:01 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Lucienne Diver Moves to the Knight Agency
Posted by Chuck

Lucienne Diver, an accomplished and experienced agent has moved from the Spectrum Agency to The Knight Agency.

I got the chance to meet Lucienne when I was presenting in Florida and she was a joy to be around.

I learned the news by reading the blog of Nephele Tempest, another agent at Knight. If she was on your short list of agents, note this change. Lucienne's main areas of interest include fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery, suspense and erotica.

Lucienne Diver

Genre Writing | Random Updates

5/16/2008 11:11:49 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Agent Advice: Bernadette Baker of Baker's Mark Literary
Posted by Chuck

"Agent Advice" is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Bernadette Baker of Baker's Mark Literary. Bernadette deals in many subjects, but her passion and specialty is for graphic novels and comics.

GLA: Tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to be an agent?

BB: In 2005, I was finishing up my master’s degree and working as the marketing director for Beyond Words Publishing, now an imprint of Simon & Schuster. I had been accepted to law school in Chicago and had every intention of leaving Portland for Chicago in the fall, but three things happened in early 2005 that directly resulted in the development of Baker’s Mark.
        The first thing that happened was that I met Gabriel Boehmer, the author of City of Readers: A Booklovers Guide to Portland, Oregon. Gabe had simply one of the best proposals I have seen to date, and so I arranged a meeting between him and the publishers of the (then) new publishing house Tall Grass Press. Because of my experience in publishing, Gabe asked me to help him in negotiations and management. This ended up being my first book deal. Simultaneously, I had been approached by an investor who was interested in growing an agency with me. And finally, Janet Hill of Doubleday’s Harlem Moon imprint introduced me to my long-time colleague and mentor Victoria Sanders. These three things really happened in a matter of about 90 days, which was a huge indicator that something was going on, pointing me to launch Baker’s Mark.
        A couple of months after I had established Baker’s Mark, I met my business partner, Gretchen Stelter. She showed an incredible amount of enthusiasm for publishing, is a voracious reader, and very intelligent. It was clear that she and I really had a lot to offer one another in business. She also possessed a number of strengths that I did not have. My background is in Marketing and Sales, while Gretchen’s background is in editing and journalism. Our varied expertise really became an asset to our company. We are just approaching our three-year mark.

GLA: What's the most recent thing you've sold?

BB: Our agency sold two books immediately after the New York Comic Con in April. Oddly enough, neither were comics! The first book, however, does have its roots in the comic book world because it is written by veteran comic book creators Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett. World English and first serial rights for Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel, the definitive history of the world's first robot soldier, were sold to David Cashion at Abrams Image.
        The second book that we sold after NYCC is our first fiction sale as an agency, and it is a debut fiction for the author, 18-year-old Dan Elconin. Neverland is a modern and gritty retelling of the story of Peter Pan, where Peter is the antagonist. The retelling captures all of the original elements of the classic with very dark, witty storytelling that will change how everyone thinks of Peter Pan. Look out for this book in hard cover in Fall 2009.

GLA: You specialize in graphic novels - something the blog has not touched on much. When a writer queries you and submits something, does the writer compose both the text and the illustrations, or just the text?

BB: Every book is different. We do represent single creator books, but not all comic book writers can draw, and not all illustrators can (or want to) write, so submissions for graphics come in many styles and formats. Short of a completed work, we typically request a full script and/or a fully developed synopsis, 15 pages of representative artwork, a full bio for the author/illustrator, and other materials that may be helpful in our decision making process, such as thumbnails.
        Typically (and there are exceptions to this rule), when it is a separate artist and writer, we are looking for projects where a team is already established. We represent the amazing team of Jamie S. Rich and Joëlle Jones. While Jamie also writes prose, and while they both do work for hire, they came to us after their wildly successful 12 Reasons Why I Love Her with more ideas for collaboration. Another great example is Jesse Post and Ted Slampyak, who teamed up specifically for a brilliant book called Small Plans (deal news to come). Post and Slampyak shared a vision for the work and were able to team up in a way that makes a lot of sense for the full realization of the graphic novel.
        Then again, we also did two book deals in a co-agenting arrangement with Victoria Sanders, for writers Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan. Their scripts are brilliant, they both have an amazing platform, and we were able to place these books with no art attached at all.
        All that said, the answer to this question also depends on the types of publishers we will be approaching with the work. But generally speaking, it is a long shot that we would acquire something without art attached.

GLA: What makes a subject matter or plot "worthy" of a graphic novel format?

BB: I think all subjects are worthy of the graphic format, but the success of a comic is all in the execution. The story, or the subject matter, should be served by the marriage of illustration and writing. It is a huge letdown to read a comic and feel no influence from the illustration. On the other end of that, a well executed comic can provide some of the most poignant, satisfying reading I have ever experienced. For each comic, there must be a reason to tell the story in sequential art style, an advantage that you gain only by telling the story in comic format. It is really clear when a creator has conscientiously used the art and writing together to convey the story.
        When I first started really reading graphics, I remember being surprised at the broad range of material that was being published. I first met Scott Allie, an editor at Dark Horse comics, shortly after Gretchen and I decided to represent comics. I remember that he scolded us for referring to graphic novels as a genre—“Comics can be written in any genre, you see”—which was really an eye opener for me. While I immediately fell in love with “classic” memoirs like Maus, Blankets, and Persepolis, there were also things like Capote in Kansas and Deogratias (though that came a little later) which were completely unexpected. Now, more and more, I look for comics that are trying new things with genres of all types.

GLA: You say you're looking for comics "with an indie bent or that will appeal to women." Can you give a few examples?

BB: These are really two different things, so I will talk on both. When I talk about comics that appeal to women, I am really talking about myself. I know it is selfish, right? But I am a woman reader. And I love reading comics. There is something about the format that works so well for me. And I could put this same statement out there when it comes to prose, except there is a lot more material geared toward women readers in the prose world than in the comic book world. When I say that I want to rep more comics that appeal to women, I primarily mean that I want more comics with female lead characters (especially for the YA market), but I also want to rep books that are character and emotion driven. I want to represent comic literature. I want something that I could give my sister, who probably has never even cracked a comic book page, and she could really fall in love with. It is a hard sensibility to describe because I couldn’t really see myself representing Lara Croft books, even though she is a kick-ass female lead. I guess I want things that experiment more with the format as new literature and that quite frankly keep me interested as a woman reader.
        When I talk about an idie style of art, I am talking about an organic feel that generally results from having only a single artist or a couple of artists illustrating a book. I typically don’t really like art that is overly digitized, even though it can be really clean and in some cases quite beautiful. I enjoy comic art that has the clear identity of the creator behind it. For instance, when I look at my client Farel Dalrymple’s art, he has a very distinct style.

GLA: Let's say you're talking to someone who has very little knowledge about starting as a comic writer. What are three invaluable tips you can give them as they start out?

BB: Usually, when asked this question, I tell people to begin reading comics voraciously. I would also definitely recommend Scott McCloud’s books on creating and understanding comics and Douglas Wolk’s new book Reading Comics. And later this year, I will recommend Chris Ryall and Scott Tiption’s forthcoming book from F+W Tow Books, Comic Books 101 (that is right, Chuck, I am plugging you and my clients, all in one sentence).
        Then, read more comics. Learn what you like, what you don’t like. Read books that are similar to the ones you want to write and study them. What is working and what is not? Figure out which art styles appeal to you most; even if you never ever have to work directly with an artist (unlikely), you will be giving the artists direction in your script. You must develop your understanding of sequential storytelling. Some of the Slave Labor books have sample scripts in the back of the book. Take a look at what the scripts look like. I also think comic book conventions are a great way to network with other creators, fans, and publishers, and there are a lot of hidden opportunities there. Comic book conventions take place nationwide, so try and find the one closest to your region to start.

GLA: What upcoming conferences will you be at where writers can pitch you?

BB: Gretchen Stelter and I will both be attending the Writer's Digest Books Writers' Conference and BookExpo America, as well asthe San Diego Comic Book Convention. We also attend the New York Comic Book Convention, Stumptown Comic Book Festival, and Emerald City Comic Con. Our hope is to make it to the shows abroad in the near future.

        The comics that most interest Bernadette Baker right now are historical stories, biographies, fables, mythology, memoir, and urban fantasy. But she is also a great fiction lover, and would really like to see more psychological thrillers in the comic format; I don’t think that area has been explored enough. And more, more, more books with females as the main character.
    See her agency website here. Submission information is available online.

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Graphic Novels

5/15/2008 3:28:21 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Auction Offers a Chance For Writers to Impress Agents
Posted by Chuck

This is an exciting post to write. It's exciting because it involves amazing opportunities for writers, as well as making the world a better place.

Author extraordinaire Brenda Novak is thick in the middle of her 2008 Online Auction to Benefit Diabetes Research. To make a long story short, Brenda has managed to get about a million cool things for free, which she is auctioning off to the highest bidder. The money goes to charity.

Here's the coolest part: There are dozens and dozens of services and things being auctioned off that benefit writers!

Let's go over some of the examples:
    - A professional editor will write your query letter for you
    - A professional editor will edit your entire ms
    - A professional writer will edit and critique your entire book proposal
    - And so much more...

If it's agents you're specifically interested in, check out the list of agent evaluations that were donated.

Among the agents who donated their time for this good cause are the following: Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary, Michelle Grajkowski of 3 Seas Literary, Lois Winston of the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency, Donald Maass, Laurie McLean of Larsen/Pomada Literary Agents, Scott Eagan of Greyhaus Literary Agency, Eileen Cope of Trident Media, Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency, Annelise Robey of Jane Rotrosen Literary, Rachel Vater of Folio, and many more...

Super cool. I'm guessing the money you pay to get these amazing opportunities will not be cheap by any means, but hey, it's for charity! And your career!

Hat tip on this great
info: future famous
writer Nancy Parish.

5/14/2008 12:07:55 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

New Agency Alert: The Croce Agency
Posted by Chuck

Reminder: Newer agencies are golden opportunities for new writers because they're likely building their client list; however, always make sure your work is as perfect as it can be before submitting, and only query agencies that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise, you're just wasting time and postage.

The Croce Agency

PO Box 449, Leonia NJ 07605. Phone: (201)248-3175. E-mail: submissions@thecroceagency.com. Web site: www.thecroceagency.com. Contact: Nicholas Croce. New agency actively seeking clients. Prior to becoming an agent, Nicolas was an editor. He is also a writer. Established: 2008. 25% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Currently Handles: 50% Nonfiction Books; 50% Novels

Nonfiction areas of interest: Biography, Business, Parenting, Cooking/Foods, Current Affairs, Ethnic/Cultural, Health, History, Humor, Money, Popular Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, True Crime. Fiction areas of interest: Action/Adventure, Comic Books/Cartoon, Confession, Detective/Crime, Ethnic, Experimental, Family Saga, Glitz, Historical, Humor, Literary, Mainstream, Mystery/Suspense, Religious, Thriller, Women's. How to Contact: Query with SASE. For fiction, a one-paragraph synopsis, author bio, 3 sample chapters. For nonfiction, send a one-paragraph synopsis, book outline and author credentials and platform. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Responds in 8 weeks to queries; 4 weeks to manuscripts. Returns materials only with SASE.

Actively seeking commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction. Does not want to receive poetry, children's, sci-fi, romance, horror or fantasy. Recent Sales: Red: A Curious History of the Rarest Hair Color, by Jennifer Papale Rignani (Univ. Press of Florida). Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales. This agency charges for postage if a sale is made. Writers' Conferences: Maui Writers' Conference; BookExpo America; San Francisco Writers' Conference.

Agency Profile | New Agency Alerts

5/13/2008 10:29:29 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Eberhardt Moves to Reece Halsey North
Posted by Chuck

April Eberhardt has recently left the Andrea Brown Literary Agency and moved to Reece Halsey North. ABLA confirmed the move to me recently. Both agencies are located in the Bay Area.

Here is what she is looking for: "Her specialty is adult literary fiction, particularly ironic family dramas and realistic midlife tales, often with a twist, preferably involving strong female characters. She is attracted to collections of interlinked stories with a common character or theme. An original voice and smart, speedy delivery are critical, as is a subtle sense of the absurd. She enjoys working with new authors to edit and streamline their manuscripts before submitting them to publishers. April does consider selected nonfiction works. She does not represent mysteries or murders, thrillers, historical fiction or fantasy, nor does she represent children's titles."

Contact her at:

Reece Halsey North
98 Main St., No. 704
Tiburon, CA 94920
info@reecehalseynorth.com

A full submissions page for April and the agency is available online.

Random Updates

5/13/2008 10:19:57 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Monday, May 12, 2008

All Hail the Query Shark!
Posted by Chuck

Awesome new blog on the Web: Query Shark, run by the great Janet Reid of FinePrint Literary Management.

I talk about query letters all the time at conferences, and attendees always ask the same question: Where can I go to see examples?

I always pass on a few good websites, but this one looks like it's going to be quite a helpful monster in no time. The blog is still relatively new, but extremely helpful. Stay locked in to not only Query Shark, but also other agent-related blogs (see my blogroll on the left side of this page) to get a mix of opinions and thoughts on query letters.

Queries and Synopses and Proposals

5/12/2008 10:19:51 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Principles, Not Rules!
Posted by Chuck

Remember the movie Adaptation? (Second mention of that movie in a week! I know!) There is a scene where two brothers are sitting around, talking about the craft and business of screenwriting. One brother is discussing screenwriting workshops he recently attended and singing their praises. The other brother warns against workshops and instructors, saying that anyone who says they possess all the rules of writing is lying, because "there are no rules."
       The first brother counters, "Not rules, Charles. Principles. A rules says 'you must do it this way.' A principle says 'this way works, and has worked since the beginning of time.'"

Well that's what you have to keep in mind when reading my blog or others like mine. I, for one, speak in terms of principles, not rules. The thing is: Since there truly are no rules of writing, you can probably find a contradicting opinion to a lot of writing instruction, mine or others. You can't get every agent to agree on anything.

At past writers' conferences, I've heard agents say things such as:

1. "Oh, I will open unsolicited e-mail attachments."
       Sending them is generally a big no-no.

And the mind-blowing:

2. "I wouldn't say you have to have the whole novel finished before querying."
       Are you kidding? Can't we agree on anything???

Agents all have their little weird quirks that go against general principle. Some wants things this way. Others like to see this and that. You just have to look for these weird quirks in their submission instructions.
       I am not an agent. I don't factor in a single agent's strange likes and weird quirks. I speak to you from having interviewed and met many, many agents and hearing their general advice and instructions for submitting. Just keep that in mind...

"Wow them in the end, and you've got a hit."

5/7/2008 10:27:00 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Agent Advice: Paul S. Levine of Paul S. Levine Literary
Posted by Chuck

"Agent Advice" is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Paul S. Levine of the Paul S. Levine Literary Agency. Paul has 27 years experience as a lawyer and has helmed his agency since 1996.

Paul S. Levine

GLA: What’s the most recent thing you’ve sold?

PL: I just sold a fantasy book—it’s the first fantasy book I’ve ever sold. It’s by an author named Steve Savile, who is a British author living in Stockholm, Sweden, and I sold it to a brand new start-up publisher called Variance Publishing.

GLA: If you don’t usually rep fantasy novels, how did this one fall in your lap?

PL: Steve was referred by another client. It just goes to show you once again that the best way to get an agent is through a referral.

GLA: When you go through the slush pile, what are you looking for but not getting?

PL: A professionally written query with something I can sell. In nonfiction, I’m looking for self-help and how-to books with authors who have a so-called "platform"—people who are experts in their field, who can get out and promote and publicize and sell their book. For fiction, I’m looking for commercial, salable mysteries, thrillers and chick lit, among other things.

GLA: You once told me that you’d like an emotional connection to a book, but more so, you are looking for projects and novels you can sell. How long does it take you to size up a book proposal and judge whether you’re interested?

PL: Two minutes. After I look at the overview, I flip to the most important sections: the “Marketing” section and the “About the Author” section. I can size up a query letter in three seconds.

GLA: 75% of your clients are new and unpublished. That’s high for an experienced agent. Are you plucking people from the crowd and getting them to write good books?

PL: I represent new and upcoming authors who I hope will become the next Stephen King. We’re all looking for that author who will break out of the pack and become a bestseller. I like to take on beginning writers who have potential. Obviously, my agency is not an ICM (International Creative Management), so I can’t attract writers who have 10 or 15 books published.

GLA: You bridge gaps between a lot of areas in the literary world. You rep fiction, nonfiction and some movie rights. You’re also a lawyer. How does having your toe in all of these pools help you excel at what you do?

PL: I started off as a lawyer representing a large book publisher here on the west coast, so I know the kinds of tricks that publishers try to play when they issue their contracts. When a client signs with me, they get a 2 for 1. In addition to selling their work, I will also look over their contracts.

GLA: Do you also represent TV writers and screenwriters?

PL: No. I don’t represent screenplays. I only deal with the movie and TV rights for literary projects I’ve sold. I have rarely, if ever, been able to sell a project to a Hollywood producer or studio without a publishing contract first.

GLA: Talk to us about the process of “vetting” a manuscript. How does that work and when does a manuscript need someone like you to vet it?

PL: Vetting is when you look for libelous content – something that is a false statement of act that tends to lower one’s reputation in the eyes of the relevant community. That’s the legal definition. I look for anything that would remotely defame or libel a third party.
        When I vet a true crime book or some other supposedly true story, such as a memoir, I’m looking for backup for anything that the author says that may be libelous or slanderous. There has to be some independent corroboration of what’s being alleged. For example, if a memoir accuses somebody of committing a murder, but person was never convicted of murder, then that’s a problem. A complete defense to libel is truth.

GLA: Speaking of memoirs, what is the current market for selling them?

PL: After James Frey, memoirs are really, really tough to sell. Publishers are shying away from anything even remotely controversial. Unless you’re Lindsay Lohan or somebody like that, I’m not taking on your memoir.

GLA: What are some basic tips and info on copyright you think all writers should know?

PL: Register your work for copyright the moment you’re starting to circulate your work to potential agents and publishing houses. Register each substantial revision to the work. If you make minor changes, those don’t warrant a new copyright, but if you make some major revisions, then you should register the revised work. Spend the $45 and download the form “TX” from the copyright office web page. Register your work as soon as it’s finished, so that’s it’s registered prior to the date it’s ripped off. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
        In the nonfiction area, registering the book proposal with the copyright office is basically useless. What a copyright protects is not the ideas, but the words themselves – the expression of the idea. A copyright for a proposal is not appropriate.
        By the way, the most fun an author will ever have is to fly to Washington, D.C., go to the Library of Congress and check his or her book out, because the Library of Congress is just that – a library.

GLA: You have an online submission form – is that the best way to query?

PL: That’s a good way, sure. But I also take e-mail and snail mail queries. I’m also open to carrier pigeons and strip-o-grams, but no writer has yet to query me like that.

GLA: Will you be at any upcoming conferences where writers can meet and pitch you?

PL: I’ll be at the Writer’s Digest Books Writers’ Conference in Los Angeles (May 28), the Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference (June 21-26), the Great American Pitchfest (June 20-22), and the Cuesta College Writers Conference.
        This summer, I’ll also be teaching classes as part of the UCLA extension and writers program. Starting June 7, I’ll be teaching “Fiction and Nonfiction Writers’ Essential Guide to the Legal and Business Aspects of Getting Published.” On Aug. 9, I’ll start “Filmwriters and TV Writers’ Essential Guide to the Legal and Business Aspects of Getting Published.”

GLA: Best advice on something we haven’t discussed?

PL: Keep plugging away.

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Contracts and Copyrights and Money

5/6/2008 2:55:02 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Monday, May 05, 2008

No More Excuses: Find a Writers' Conference Near You
Posted by Chuck

I know how important writers conferences are to writers. They energize us, allow us to network, and give us the chance to meet agents face to face and increase the chances of snagging one exponentially.

That's why I have listed about two dozen conferences below. I have tried to find at least conference for every state that's either smallish in size or population, so people can no longer use the excuse, "Well I would but there's none around here." The only state without a conference is South Dakota. Note: Not all states are listed here, because plenty of states have multiple conferences and finding them should be no problem.

Here you go:

Alabama: Writing Today, Birmingham, AL
Alaska: Alaska Writers Guild Speculative Fiction Conference, Anchorage, AK
Arkansas: Ozark Creative Writers Conference, Eureka Springs, AR; Arkansas Writers Conference (PDF), Little Rock, AR
Connecticut: Wesleyan Writers' Conference, Middletown, CT
DC: Washington Writers' Conference, Washington, DC
Delaware: Writers at the Beach: Seaglass Writers' Conference, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Hawaii: Maui Writers Conference, Honolulu, HI
Idaho: Idaho Writers League Writers' Conference, location varies; Sun Valley Writers Conference, Sun Valley, ID
Indiana: Midwest Writers Workshop, Muncie, IN
Kansas: Kansas Writers' Association's Scene of the Crime Conference, Wichita, KS
Kentucky: Kentucky Christian Writers' Conference, Elizabethtown, KY; Kentucky Women Writers' Conference, Lexington, KY
Louisiana: Words & Music, New Orleans, LA
Maine: Writers' Conference at Ocean Park, Ocean Park, ME
Mississippi: Mississippi Writers Guild Writers Conference, Vicksburg, MS
Montana: Flathead River Writers Conference, Whitefish, MT
Nebraska: Nebraska Summer Writers' Conference, Lincoln, NE
Nevada: Las Vegas Writers' Conference, Henderson, NV
New Hampshire: Keene State College Writers Conference, Keene, NH; Seacoast Writers Association Conference, Chester, NH
North Dakota: University of North Dakota Writers' Conference, Grand Forks, ND
Ohio: Columbus Writers' Conference, Columbus, OH; Northwest Ohio Writers Conference, Toledo, OH; Cleveland Rocks Romance Writing Contest, Strongsville, OH
Oklahoma: Oklahoma Writers Federation Annual Conference, Midwest City, OK
Rhode Island: Northeastern Writers' Conference, Bristol, RI
South Dakota: None!
Utah: BYU Writing and Illustrating For Young Readers Workshop, Provo, UT
West Virginia: West Virginia Writers Spring Conference, Ripley, WV; West Virginia Writers Workshop, Huntington, WV
Wyoming: Jackson Hole Writers Conference, Jackson, WY

By the way, there are several conferences in Canada, as well. I've also found international conference (with English-speaking presenters) in Paris, Italy, Geneva and Tokyo. Note that cities (locations) can change year to year. For example, the Pennwriters Conference (PA) has its conference each year in a different city around the Keystone State.

Writers' Conferences

5/5/2008 3:30:39 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

How Many Words Constitute Plagarism? I Want to Know What You Were Taught in High School.
Posted by Chuck

So I just blogged a little about what constitutes "fair use" and how it's all debatable. On this note, I want to talk about plagarism. Now I'm not really interested about talking about the law, per say, but rather what you were taught.

In high school, I had a strict English teacher who said anything up to and beyond "three distinct words" was plagarism. Now that didn't include proper nouns and such. So "the United States of America" only counted as one distinct word. But you couldn't lift the words "(1)detrimental to the (2)country's (3)future" from a source without a direct quote. Now, granted, even if you took the gist of the material and reworded it, you still had to attribute it with an endnote, but we're talking quotes, not endnotes.

When I got to college, it would be junior year before I heard any teacher address how many words you could get away with, but I was very surprised to hear my prof say "10 words." Whaaaat? 10 words? Heaven!!!

So ignore the law for now. Just let me know what you were taught back in the day. How many words could you use in sequence before you had to quote?

Mrs. Walker, my high school English teacher
(who is still teaching today at my school).
I was quite the troublemaker and
would often test her nerves.

5/5/2008 2:04:42 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

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