Heart of Dixie Workshop: Pitch, Pile, or Public: Three Paths to Publication

It's not too late to sign up for another Heart of Dixie Online workshop. This month's class features three of my favorite people: Kira Sinclair, Kimberly Lang, and Lynn Raye Harris. They are my chapter mates at the Heart of Dixie.These ladies are dedicated to helping all of our members achieve our goal of becoming published. I've been fortunate to learn first hand how they reached their goal to become published authors. Now they have developed a fabulous, collaborative online workshop to share their knowledge with more people. I personally use Kira's pitch method for all my editor/agent appointments, and I always received requests. Kira's a published author now with BLAZE, but it all started with her pitch. When I met Lynn she was a Golden Heart contest finalist and had just won an editor for a year with Modern Heat. Two years later she has 8 books published with Harlequin Presents. And finally, Kimberly Lang is the Queen of Querying. She sold her first book straight from the slush pile just before I met her in 2008.

If you want to learn how to use all the opportunities you can to get your own manuscripts taken seriously, don't miss this workshop. 

PITCH, PILE, OR PUBLIC:  THREE PATHS TO PUBLICATION

Dates: September 13-27, 2010

Instructors: Kira Sinclair, Kimberly Lang, & Lynn Raye Harris

Cost: $20

Sponsored by: Heart of Dixie, RWA

Register at: www.heartofdixie.org

Summary:

There is no one path to publication; no one way to get an editor or agent’s attention.  In this workshop, three authors draw on their own experiences to prepare you for success on the three most common paths to an editor or agent’s desk.

The Pitch:  Kira Sinclair’s pitch led to a request, then a sale.  Kira will go over the basics of how to craft a short, informative pitch designed to showcase your book’s best bits and leave the agent or editor requesting more.  Kira now writes for Harlequin Blaze.

The Pile:  Kimberly Lang is a slush pile success story.   Since your query letter is the first thing an editor or agent reads, it needs to be the very best it can be. We’ll build on what we learned from Kira’s pitch lessons to build a query letter that encourages the editor or agent to read on. Kimberly is a USA Today bestselling author for Harlequin Presents/Mills & Boon Modern Heat.

The Public:  Lynn Raye Harris got an editor’s – and the public’s – attention in a big way when she won the Harlequin-sponsored Instant Seduction contest.  Lynn will share her tips on how to make your first chapters pack the punch needed to get judges, editors, agents (and eventually readers!) wanting to see what happens next. Lynn is a USA Today bestselling author for Harlequin Presents/Mills & Boon Modern.

Class format includes lectures and Q&A.  Some students may have the opportunity to have their pitches and/or query letters critiqued by the instructors for the benefit of the participants.

For more information contact online@heartofdixie.org