MSWL Admin

So you’ve got your query. You’ve got your first page. You have some idea of how all this works. Then the rejections start coming in. How do you pivot? How do you know if you’re on the right track? Are you making easily avoided mistakes, or do you just need to be patient? In this … Read more

In this very special episode—our first live-streamed episode—we talk about Alyssa’s unusual entry to publishing, the tips she has for writers, and her answers, in the moment, to your most burning publishing questions. We cover her requirements for queries, whether agents have secret meetings, when agents fire clients, advice for graphic novelists and picture book … Read more

We are deeply saddened by this week’s events, and want to do what we can to support the Black community. We are offering five scholarships to our educational program (three months of writing classes, book events, and an agent consultation), to be awarded this Friday. Click below for more information.

Lynda Mullaly Hunt has dazzled hundreds of thousands of young readers with her riveting middle grade reads. Join us for a live reading of her newest book, Shouting at the Rain, a chat about what makes a fabulous first page, and a Q&A. Time permitting, we’ll also go in and critique first pages from the audience. … Read more

One of the most important skills for a writer to have is the ability to craft clear and strong voices in their manuscript. Sounding inauthentic or unrealistic can be the difference between a pass or an offer of representation. In this class, we’ll target common mishaps and approach creating strong narratives on three levels: dialogue, … Read more

In this uplifting, inspiring episode, we talk about how Molly McCaffery received more than 100 rejections, shelved more than three books–-and then landed top agent John Cusick. We talk about her journey, how she learned to successfully pivot, and the querying tips you can only learn after sending out that much work and spending that … Read more

We hope you and yours are doing well–and that you’ll join us for our FREE live workshop Tuesday, May 12, at 8:00 p.m EDT/5:00 p.m PDT. In this evening with writing and theater teacher Chip Brewer, we’ll explore how your characters exist in the physical realm–how they take up space, how this shows us their … Read more

We are so happy to bring you this conversation with Stephanie Winter, an agent at P.S. Literary. We talk about how agents read differently than most book buyers, the logistics of selling a series, and what word counts scare us (and what we do about it). Plus, how rejection is kind of like a video … Read more

Let’s get your submission package ready! Both your query and your first page have a LOT to do with whether you get requests–and, together, we’ll get those polished and agent-friendly. Even if yours isn’t chosen, you’ll learn how agents things–and take away lessons that will help you long into your submissions process. The panel will … Read more

We talk with writer-turned-agent Lauren Spieller about publishing in quarantine, long-term industry hope, and what this means for you (and your book) right now. We also discuss book scouting, selling books abroad, and whether writers should move to New York (NO!). We discuss what you actually need for a successful writing career, how Lauren had … Read more