The time is here and open registration for the 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference is upon us. Though the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed our event online, we still plan to offer the same great lineup, complete with plenty of informative and inspirational panels and workshops, one-on-one pitch sessions with agents, as well as our brand new one-on-one mentoring sessions with authors and agents, and a one-on-one first page critique with New York Times bestselling author David L. Robbins! All for a lower price! We’re confident you will get all you expect from us, and as much more as we can possibly offer!
The 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference Schedule is now available for you to review! From open Q&A sessions, to storytelling, to getting your outline and story structure in place, we’ve put together a schedule of sessions we know will give you the tools and inspiration you need to grow as an artist, and to pursue your dreams of publication.
On Saturday, October 17th, we’ll kick things off with an open Q&A session with a legend of the comic book and gaming industries (You can’t say Wolverine without mentioning him!), Paul Jenkins! We can think of no greater source of encouragement and information to get your weekend started than Paul, and this is your opportunity to hear his story, pick his brain, and learn from one of the best around.
Consisting of 7 more panels and 1 workshop, our Saturday schedule digs its heels into the hard work of creating a dynamic story, memorable characters, and, of course, nailing that first page. An annual favorite, the First Page Critique returns to close out the day, giving you the opportunity to have the first page of your manuscript critiqued by our panel of literary agents. The submissions are anonymous and highly recommended. Not ready to submit? No problem! You can still attend and gain invaluable tips from agents to assist you in perfecting your first page!
We return on Sunday with a brand-new session! Our literary agents will sit once more, this time to listen to your query letters! A daunting undertaking for any writer, this will be your chance to hear what agents have to say about the query letters our attendees have submitted! Much like First Pages, if you are not up for submitting, no worries! You can still gain from their insights and use all you learn to get yours right! But we do recommend you submit! After all, your submissions remain anonymous!
With 6 additional panels and 2 more workshops, Sunday is another busy day full of opportunities to learn! And it includes another new session we’re beyond excited to present. Hosted by the dynamic duo of YATL, Kimberly Jones and Vania Stoyanova, the YATL Pitch Match is your chance to present your story to an agent in a whole new way! Covering four categories—Young Adult, Fiction, Romance, and Nonfiction—we will select four attendees for each (you will submit your name on Saturday) and Kimberly and Vania will lead our contestants through a series of fun and entertaining questions and scenarios for a literary agent that represents that category. At the end, our agent will select a winner and meet with them in a private breakout room for 15 minutes to discuss the story further! Not only will it be fun, but you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about pitching your work and give an agent even more reason to consider reading your manuscript!
We’re working hard to add more elements to this quite different way of presenting a conference. From social rooms to chat with other attendees and our speakers, to a storytelling reception to celebrate our fifth year of existence, we plan on giving you all the elements of our conference from the cozy confines of your home. Additionally, you no longer have to decide between which session to attend. Every attendee of the 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference will receive access to the recordings of every session! Watch it all again or catch the ones you missed!
Register early to ensure your place in our one-on-one sessions! With your registration you receive one pitch and one mentoring session, but for an extra $25 for each you can add more if you wish! With a lower cost, yet as much or more of what we normally offer, this is an incredible opportunity to attend a conference and grow as a writer! We hope to see you there!