Maine Literary Festival Expands Ready-to-Publish Workshop for Aspiring Writers

The acclaimed Maine Literary Festival (MLF) Ready-to- Publish Writers’ Workshop is expanding exponentially in 2009.

Writers with complete or nearly complete manuscripts will gather In Camden, Maine on November 6 and 7, 2009, for two days of presentations by and consultation with three literary agents and two book editors.

Previous workshops involved one agent, one book editor and one magazine editor. Expanding the faculty and the program length is designed to increase participants’ opportunity for face time with agents and editors as well as extend consultation and introduce advance reading appointments, in which agents and editors seeking a particular genre read specific work in advance and meet by appointment at the workshop.

“We could not be more delighted that so many excellent agents and editors are interested in this workshop,” says MLF Chair Maryanne Shanahan. “Maine is a fertile field for new writers and manuscripts, and agents and editors actively are seeking publishable work. They genuinely are excited and enthusiastic about coming to Camden.”

This year’s faculty includes literary agents Michelle Brower, Will Lippincott and Melissa Sarver as well as book editors Emily Griffin and Kendra Harpster.

The workshop is designed for advanced writers who have a manuscript(s) fully in progress or completed. It will help participants develop marketing awareness and introduce them to the publishing professionals who can facilitate the next step in a writing career. Meet and learn from editors, agents and fellow writers. Explore strategies for identifying appropriate traditional or online publishers, attracting their attention, and writing effective query letters.

Deadline for registration is September 15. Deadline for advance reading appointment submissions is September 22. Guidelines for application and submission can be found at http://maineliteraryfestival.com/workshop.html#makeappt and must be followed carefully to qualify for advance reading appointments.

General information about the Maine Literary Festival, the workshop and other events is available at http://www.maineliteraryfestival.org.

The Maine Literary Festival is a scholarship project of the Midcoast Branch of the American Association of University Women.