Area writers will have a unique opportunity to sharpen their skills while gaining insights into their best publishing options at the 13th Annual Bay to Ocean Writers Conference to be held February 20, 2010 at Chesapeake College, Todd Performing Arts Center, in Wye Mills, Maryland.
In order to compete in today’s economy, experts say it is more important than ever for a writer to have polished work that stands out to publishers.
Whether writing a scene in fiction or memoir, adapting a novel to a screenplay, or learning how to add boldness and simplicity to writing, this conference will address the art and craft of writing. Speakers on this topic include Barbara Esstman, internationally published and nationally awarded author; Khris Baxter,screenwriter, producer, and script consultant; published writer and writing instructor Kate Blackwell;mystery novelist Austin Camacho; Kathryn Kimball Johnson, writer’s mentor and author of 42 novels; published script writer and coach David Garrett; and William O’Sullivan, essayist and senior managing editor of the Washingtonian Magazine.
“No one would pick up a tennis racket and expect to play at Wimbledon without some coaching,” said Barbara Esstman, prose advisor on the conference committee. “Writers should consider that they likewise need to achieve a high skill level before attempting to publish.”
“With the market so tight today,” Esstman said, “publishers expect submissions that are ready to go, and agents will toss out manuscripts as soon as they see rookie mistakes. The Bay to Ocean Conference gives aspiring writers the opportunity to collect the tricks of the trade from published writers who are also experienced teachers able to head them in the right direction.”
In addition to addressing how to polish your writing, the conference will examine readying manuscripts for submission, selecting publishing options and using literary agents. Presenters include Richard Peabody, editor of the 34-year old Gargoyle Literary Review; Jamie Brown, founder, publisher and editor of theBroadkill Review; John Ellsberg, poet, teacher, publisher, and member of the Editorial Board of The Delmarva Review; Melissa Rosati, a 15-year veteran of New York’s publishing industry and is a leader in “e-learning” education; editor, writer, and publishing consultant Ally E. Peltier; Gregg Willhelm,director and editor-in-chief of Apprentice House, based at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland; and agents/attorneys Jeff Kleinman, of New York, and Laura Strachan, of Washington, D.C.
Conference participants will also have an opportunity to learn the latest about online publishing and social media marketing. Speakers include Leslie Walker, a previous editor at The Washington Post and the current Knight Visiting Professor in Digital Innovation at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism; online writer and blogger Mary McCarthy; and published author Mindie Burgoyne.
The 23 speakers presenting at the 2010 Bay to Ocean Writing Conference offer a wealth of experience and expertise, making this year’s conference a real value for the cost of registration. Registration is $89 for adults and $45 for students and includes a continental breakfast, refreshments and a networking lunch. Advance registration is required. For more information and to register, visit www.baytoocean.com.