Saturday, August 16th, 2025

Live Seminar Via Zoom

Starts at 1PM EST/ 12PM CST/10AM PST

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.

*A recording of this seminar will be made available to enrollees.

Led by an industry-leading literary agent at Trident Media Group, Mark Owen Gottlieb.

Your first page is your first impression—and in today’s competitive publishing landscape, it has to be unforgettable. Whether you're querying agents, submitting to editors, or enticing readers to keep turning pages, your opening must captivate, intrigue, and compel.

In The Art of the First Page, we’ll explore what makes a compelling opening, from crafting an irresistible hook to establishing character, voice, and tension right from the start. We’ll analyze successful first pages, discuss common pitfalls, and workshop participants’ openings to ensure they grab attention for all the right reasons.

By the end of this session, you’ll have a sharpened understanding of how to make your first page impossible to ignore—and the tools to revise with confidence. Bring your opening paragraphs for live feedback or come ready to absorb insights that will transform your writing.

Mark Owen Gottlieb is a highly-ranked literary agent in overall deals and other categories. He is actively building his client list of authors using that same initiative and insight for identifying talented writers. Mark Gottlieb is excited to work directly with authors, helping to manage and grow their careers with all of the unique resources available at book publishing’s leading literary agency, Trident Media Group. At Trident Media Group, Mark Gottlieb has represented numerous New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors. He has optioned and sold books to film and TV production companies. He previously ran the agency’s audiobook department and worked in foreign rights. Mark Gottlieb is actively seeking submissions in all categories and genres and looking forward to bringing new and established authors to the curious minds of their future readers.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

Craft an Unforgettable Hook: Learn how to shape your opening sentences so they instantly grab agents, editors, and readers—creating a compelling gateway into your story.

Establish Character and Voice Right Away: Discover techniques to anchor your protagonist’s perspective and personality from the very first page, setting the tone for the entire manuscript.

Infuse Immediate Tension and Intrigue: Understand how to generate page-turning suspense in your opening, ensuring that readers are invested before they’ve even turned to page two.

Spot and Avoid Common Pitfalls: Identify the missteps that can derail an otherwise promising beginning, and learn how to sidestep clichés or overly familiar tropes.

Revise with Confidence: Gain actionable feedback on your own work and walk away with a toolkit for refining first pages, empowering you to make each draft stronger than the last.

AUTHOR TESTIMONIALS:

“To find someone in the publishing world these days who possesses such style and grace…a throwback. Crown moldings and brass door knocker in a world of prefab housing. —Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author

“He is professional, knowledgeable, and deeply cares about the careers of his clients. …I'm lucky to have Mark in my corner!” —Alan Hlad, USA Today bestselling author

“My writing career never would have advanced as fast or as far without Mark's help.” —James Breakwell, bestselling author

“He goes above and beyond his work expectations by cultivating caring relationships with his clients, always expressing empathy and patience. He is kind, supportive and knows what he's doing.” —Ruby Karp, author of Earth Hates Me

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS:

"I wanted to thank you for your time this weekend for the Hook and Query writing seminar. It's hard to know from reading articles alone what a query letter or pitch should look like." -Jed H., Workshop Student

"It was my absolute pleasure to meet you virtually on Saturday! Thank you for the wealth of detailed information and on-the-spot, yet carefully crafted critiques you shared with each of us— the experience is treasured, and invaluable." -Mica K., Workshop Student

"Saturday’s class opened my eyes to the mistakes of my query submissions, which boil down to two crucial elements: word count & comps. Soliciting a bloated manuscript with no comps outside of a couple of 20+ year-old movie references advertised a novice understanding of the publishing industry, making me a rightful candidate for the rejection pile." -William W., Workshop Student

"Thank you, Mark, for this wonderful workshop!" -Diane G., Workshop Student

“You gave me enough writing technique and marketing information to feel like I can get started with confidence. Thank you!” — Workshop Student

“Thank you for being so diligent, so focused and so professional in your approach to the class. I found the whole experience exceeded my most optimistic expectations.” — Workshop Student

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This Workshop will meet via Zoom on Saturday, August 16th, 2025

Session 1 will be 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM EST

15-minute Break Between Sessions

Session 2 will be 1:55 PM – 3:00 PM EST

*Recordings of all sessions will be made available to everyone who enrolls.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

• Mark Owen Gottlieb | Live via Zoom
• Saturday, August 16th, 2025
• Seminar is fully ONLINE and meets via Zoom