Getting Your First Novel Published

Getting Your First Novel Published

Getting Your First Novel Published:
Using Your Expertise As A Lawyer

Friday, October 15, 2004
Sea Crest Resort, Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Getting Your First Novel Published: Using Your Expertise As A Lawyer is designed to show attending attorneys how to get their first novel published. There will be exercises and networking opportunities. Attendees will have an opportunity to get their query letters and pitch reviewed and evaluated. NOTE: Course attendees will get the most out of the course if they bring samples of their writing for the writing groups and faculty to critique.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Following this course, you will be able to:

Understand what fiction sells
Create ideas for novels with commercial potential
Understand how the book publishing business works
Write a superior query letter
Understand how to locate and work with the right agent
Submit novel excerpts prior to completion of your novel
Submit their novel directly to editors
Evaluate the utility of unsolicited submissions
Deciding whether to use a book doctor
Evaluate whether to self-publish
Know what to realistically expect in their first book contract
Access the additional resources they need
Find an agent
Get their first novels published

FACULTY

Sheree Bykofsky is the co-author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published and is a New York literary agent who represents some 100 book authors in all areas of adult nonfiction and literary and commercial fiction. Her specialties include popular reference, business, health, psychology, spirituality, self-help, humor, cookbooks, biography, ethnic, women's issues, and much more. She is also the author, co-author, and editor of more than a dozen books, including the best-selling The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles, The New York Public Library Desk Reference, three editions of the regional best-seller The Best Places to Kiss in and Around New York City, The Big Book of Life's Instructions (Harper), Me: Five Years from Now (Hyperion), Popping the Question: Real-Life Stories of Marriage Proposals from the Romantic to the Bizarre (Walker), and The 52 Most Romantic Places in and Around New York City (Adams). Her books have been excerpted, and she has written articles for a variety of magazines and newspapers.

Sheree speaks about all areas of publishing at colleges, writers' conferences, and seminars across the country, including the 92^nd Street Y in New York City, and she also teaches the publishing overview course at NYU. She has also promoted her books on hundreds of radio shows and many TV shows (including Good Day New York, Eyewitness News, News Four New York, among others). She has a column called "Ask the Agent," and she is a member of both the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR) and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA).

Schedule
Friday, October 15, 2004
7:30-8:00	Continental Breakfast
8:00-8:30	Introduction Using your unique medical expertise and training
8:30-9:00	Studying the Book Market: What you need to know about the book publishing business. Questions and Answers
9:00-9:15	Creating Book Ideas With Sales Potential Questions and Answers
9:15-10:15	Writing the Superior Query Letter Exercise: Reviewing Attendees' Query Letters
10:15-10:30	Break and Networking Opportunity
10:30-12:00	Locating and Obtaining and Working With Your First Agent Questions and Answers
12:00-1:00	Lunch With Faculty (Provided)
1:00-1:30	What Agents Are Looking For in a New Writer/Client Questions and Answers
1:30-2:00	Unsolicited Submissions: How To Make Them Work Questions and Answers
2:00-2:45	Perfecting the 30-Second Pitch Exercise: Reviewing Attendees' Pitches
2:45-3:00	Break and Networking Opportunity
3:00-3:30	Book Doctors For Attorneys: Advantages and Disadvantages Questions and Answers
3:30-4:00	Submitting Your Novel Directly to Editors Questions and Answers
4:00-4:30	Book Contracts: What You Can Expect and Need To Know Questions and Answers
4:30-5:00	Concluding Roundtable Discussion