I was so pleased to participate as a keynote speaker at the Adirondack Center for Writing’s annual Publishing Conference two weekends ago. Besides the incredibly productive train ride, I got to enjoy a cool, beautiful weekend in the mountains of upstate NY. I also got to meet a whole new community of writers and was invigorated by my conversations with fellow keynote speakers Amy Holman, Jeffrey Lependorf, and Peter Joseph. ACW’s Executive Director Nathalie Costa Thill couldn’t have been a more gracious and lovely hostess.

In the comfort of an Adirondack ski lodge-style room complete with the most gorgeous stone fireplace I’ve ever seen (it was encrusted with garnets, likely from the local mines for which Garnet Hill is named), I gave my talk on Winning Fiction and Nonfiction Book Proposals. The information and advice given in the talk helps writers understand how editors and agents evaluate potential acquisitions and what their book proposals must contain to get the coveted attention of these publishing professionals. The talk also addresses the differences between fiction and nonfiction proposals and what goes into each, where to find important information, and how writers can evaluate their own material. Here’s what a few participants had to say:

I don’t know if I allow myself to think of the marketing side of writing, so your talk on positioning and writing proposals made me realize, once again, how much there is to publishing and how each facet is important. Thank you!–Mike DeDivitis

This was the most thorough explanation of the topic I have read or heard.–April Peterson

What an enjoyable and informative speaker!–Ewa Hammer

 

Thank you so much to everyone who came out for the conference, and especially to those of you who met with me privately in the one-on-one sessions. I hope you got a lot out of our time together. And thanks again to Nathalie and the ACW for inviting me and bringing me up!

The Adirondacks are really gorgeous in the fall. I encourage you to keep an eye on ACW’s calendar to find out when their conference will occur next year. If you’re local, consider attending some of their other events held throughout the year.

FYI, here’s a copy of the  ACW full brochure for the 9-24-11 conference.

Founder of The Writer’s Ally, Ally E. Machate is a bestselling book collaborator, award-winning editor, and expert publishing consultant who loves using her insider knowledge and experience with the publishing industry to lead serious authors toward success. She and her team live to help make great books happen, whether that means showing a writer how to improve a manuscript, get an agent, or self-publish; or coaching an author on growing her platform to sell more books. Since 1999, she has supported hundreds of authors on their publishing journey and takes pride in serving as their books’ best ally.