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3-Hour Publishing Seminar: Art of the Query, Tuesday, August 8th, 2023
$75.00

3-Hour Publishing Seminar: Art of the Query, Tuesday, August 8th, 2023

Live Seminar Via Zoom Tuesday, August 8th, 2023

Class will meet 6:00PM - 9:00PM EST

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


Taught by Emma Brodie, a Martha's Vineyard-based writer, editor, and packager. As an editor, she’s published authors including Awkwafina, Anna Drezen, Nathan W. Pyle, Marlee Grace, Deborah Hanekamp, and Emma Gray. Currently an Executive Editor at Chronicle Books, Emma acquires a variety of illustrated non-fiction and products for the Voracious imprint. Her debut novel, Songs in Ursa Major, was published by Knopf in 2021. 

In my 15 years in book publishing, from starting as an assistant at a literary agency to my current gig as an executive editor at Little, Brown, I’ve seen a lot of pitches—the good, the bad, and, occasionally, the perfumed. As a writer hoping to sell your first project, being able to query editors and agents in their own language is the most important tool in your arsenal.

This seminar will teach you how to describe your work in terms that will catch the interest of publishing professionals, using strong sales positioning and the right kind of details: the ones that will make insiders sit up and listen.

The first half of the seminar will be a detailed class on query craft, including key information on the life-cycle of querying and a paragraph-by-paragraph analysis of what makes a great pitch, with an emphasis on market positioning. The second half of the seminar will be a series of group exercises designed to help you shape your query and practice pitching your work.

Students will walk away from this course with the skills to craft a query letter from scratch, and enough knowledge about the industry to pitch editors and agents with confidence.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:
  • A strong understanding of the ways a single pitch letter can influence the trajectory of your project from acquisition to publication.
  • An in-depth look at the key ingredients of a good pitch and intimate coaching on how to best showcase your project in a commercial light (yes, even you literary folk!).
  • The skills to craft a kick-ass query from scratch.
  • A heads-up about the most common pitfalls that get great writers overlooked and tips on how to avoid them.
  • Resources on finding the right agent(s) for you and how to wield your query once you’ve created it

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

Class will meet Tuesday, August 8th, from 6:00PM - 9:00PM EST

TESTIMONIALS:

"Emma was extremely well-prepared, personable, knowledgeable, and genuine. I also greatly enjoyed her sense of humor which made the class fun, and that’s quite a feat for subject matter that is normally very daunting/stressful for writers. I found the examples of queries and discussion most valuable. I appreciate how open Emma was to answering everyone’s questions and allowing enough time for that. I hope Emma teaches more workshops." -Kelly X.

"Emma taught an enriching seminar -- energetic and knowledgeable. Well done!" -Kerry C.

"Emma Brodie is the dopest editor in town. Without her, this book would be an incoherent rambling with nonsensical bullets and distasteful jokes about Monica Lewinsky."- Awkwafina, rapper, actor, and author of AWKWAFINA'S NYC

"I found Emma's insider knowledge and familiarity with the industry most valuable. Her seminar 100% exceeded my expectations. Thank you!" -former student

"Emma took a google doc filled with run on sentences and vague ideas and sculpted them into a real book that makes sense. She is the grit behind my softness."-Marlee Grace, author of HOW TO NOT ALWAYS BE WORKING

"This is an excellent class. I found all the information valuable and appreciated Emma's candid and direct responses. I would definitely take another class with Emma." -former student

"Emma's seminar exceeded my expectations! I was so pleased and it was one of the best classes I’ve taken at WritingWorkshops.com! The information was clear, and direct. Plenty of time for questions and Emma was so knowledgeable. Thank you!" Daisha W.

"I will be forever indebted to my brilliant editor Emma Brodie who took a lot of unbridled passion for the former Soviet Union and shaped it into a narrative. This book would not have been possible without her generous guidance, patience, kindness, and vision, and throughout the process she has been a snake charmer, coaxing out the best that I am capable of."-Audrey Murray, author of OPEN MIC NIGHT IN MOSCOW

"I attended The Art of the Query and we LOVED it! It was quick, VERY informative, and super helpful! We all came out of the event ready to sharpen our pencils and get started to writing query letters. It incorporated a quick, simple presentation that went deep and provided insider info that I could never find online. When I say it went deep, I typed up 15 pages of notes! I'd love to shout out to Emma Brodie for leading it—she was fabulous!!"-Anastasia Q.

"The Art of the Query was extremely helpful, perhaps one of the best events I've attended."-Amanda O.

"I learned infinitely more about querying in those two hours than I had in months spent Googling the subject. Prior to last night, my query letters felt a little like disheartening stabs in the dark, but Emma's tips made so much sense—and made me realize all the things I was doing wrong. Now I'm actually excited to start querying again!"--Mikki B.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. These options are available at checkout.
  • Instructor: Emma Brodie
  • Live Seminar Via Zoom on Tuesday, August 8th, 2023
  • Class will meet 6:00PM - 9:00PM EST

Contact us HERE if you have any questions about this seminar.

Instructor Emma Brodie is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and packager. As an editor, she’s published authors including Awkwafina, Anna Drezen, Nathan W. Pyle, Marlee Grace, Deborah Hanekamp, and Emma Gray. Currently an Executive Editor at Little, Brown, Emma acquires a variety of illustrated non-fiction and products for the Voracious imprint. Her debut novel, Songs in Ursa Major, was published by Knopf in 2021.