“The publishing industry, unsurprisingly, is full of different people who love different things and express that love in different languages. Find the people, the editors and agents, with whom you share some language, and some sense of what makes literature worth reading.”
Publishing Salon:
Find Your Narrative Arc
The path to publishing a book can be confusing and overwhelming. How can you catch the attention of a literary agent? How do you write a good query letter? Do you need to write a book proposal? And what is an author platform and why does it matter?
The Publishing Salon is designed to demystify the world of publishing. Through a series of intimate and dynamic conversations, Spirit of Story founder Karin Gutman and esteemed literary agent Jennie Dunham offer insights and practical steps for navigating your way to finding a home for your work.
Publishing Salon:
Find Your Narrative Arc
with
Karin Gutman and Jennie Dunham
Saturday, May 15th
10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PST
Hosted via Zoom
open for registration
* Premium package is limited to 10 participants.
In this salon, Karin and Jennie will discuss the basic elements of story structure and what makes a strong story. We’ll devote a full hour to critiquing the story synopsis of up to 10 participants in order to help build a compelling narrative.
The conversation will explore key questions:
Is the emotional arc of your protagonist clear to the reader?
A life is full of so many events. How do you know which ones to include or leave out of your story?
What's the difference between a sequence of events in a story and a tight, coherent narrative?
In the three-act story arc, how do you know where one act ends and the next begins?
Does the story build in tension and conflict, and lead to a satisfying resolution?
This mock submission exercise is an opportunity to receive professional feedback from a successful New York literary agent who receives thousands of query submissions every year. This premium package is limited to 10 writers, who may register on a first come, first serve basis. For those interested, you will be required to submit your work two weeks in advance of the event date.
If you are not ready to present your work, you of course can still benefit greatly from listening to the conversation. Each premium author’s work will be shared live on the screen as specific feedback about it is shared.
The last part will be an open Q & A period for all participants to ask questions related to the publishing process.
We hope you’ll join us for the kick off of this series. Ultimately, stories are meant to be shared, and there are so many ways to share them. This forum is a way to support you by illuminating the path forward!
About the Instructors:
Karin Gutman, MFA, is a memoir and story coach who has been guiding writers for over 15 years towards discovering and writing their life-based stories. The safe, dynamic spaces she creates allow for this deeply personal work to unfold, as writers peel away the layers, dig deep, and make meaning out of their life experiences. Her clients have sold books to major publishers, including HarperCollins, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster.
A former story analyst for Creative Artists Agency and 20th Century Fox, she is a published author and has written and developed projects for Nickelodeon, the Jim Henson Company and National Geographic Kids. She has taught at Cal State Fullerton, UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and UCLA Arts and Healing, and currently offers workshops, retreats and one-on-one coaching under her Spirit of Story banner.
Jennie Dunham has been a literary agent in New York City since May 1992. In August 2000 she founded Dunham Literary, Inc.
She represents literary fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Her clients have had both critical and commercial success. Books she has represented have appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers in adult hardcover fiction, children’s books, and children’s book series. Her clients have won numerous awards including: New York Times Best Illustrated Book, The Schneider Family Award, Boston Globe Horn Book Honor, and Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist.
She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Anthropology and has a master's degree in Social Work from New York University. She frequently speaks at writers conferences and events.
Questions you may be asking...
Who is this webinar for?
This 2.5 hour seminar is for anyone who wants to learn more about the path to securing a literary agent and what it takes to land a book contract with a traditional publisher.
It is also for those who are working on full-length book projects and would benefit from a professional critique from a successful literary agent.
What is the format of the workshop?
Karin and Jennie will spend the first 30 minutes dialoguing about the basic principles of story structure and what makes a compelling narrative.
Then, Jennie will spend a full hour critiquing the story synopsis of book projects submitted by 10 participants (those who sign up for the Premium Package).
The last 30 minutes will be a Q & A open to all participants who have specific questions related to the publishing process.
I’m interested in the Premium Package. What will I need to submit?
Excellent! You will need to submit a synopsis of your story using a three-act structure by May 1st. The synopsis should be 1-2 pages (250-500 words).
What kind of book projects are appropriate to submit?
This salon would be most helpful to writers of fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction or a children’s book (which includes young adult, middle grade and picture books).
What if I can’t make the date? Will you be offering it again?
The Publishing Salon is an ongoing series. Be sure to also check out the Query Salon also coming up on June 12th. If you have a topic that you’d like us to consider, please message Karin!
Choosing which package is right for you…
Who should register for the premium package?
Those who are working on a book project and have a strong sense of the story they want to tell would most benefit. The feedback you receive will help you find and build a strong narrative.
Also, you need to be thick-skinned! You have to be ready to share your work with the seminar attendees and for everyone to hear where you need to grow your writing.
The feedback will be brief, but very personalized and specific. You will receive feedback about the strengths and what can be improved.
The premium writers will be muted until the end of the critique at which point they'll be unmuted for a quick moment.
Additional perks for Premium Writers!
The Premium registrants are invited to join 20 min early to enjoy some mingling time before the workshop begins, as well as 20 minutes hangout time after the workshop to ask any additional questions pertaining to your work.
I’m not yet ready to share my book project. Will I still benefit from this salon?
Absolutely! This setting will offer you a rare window into the professional lens of a literary agent, in addition to an understanding of what makes a compelling narrative.
You will be privy to the discussions and feedback Jennie is giving the premium members, and be able to apply that to your own book project. You’ll also have the chance to ask questions in the Q & A period.
It is a unique opportunity, and you are not required to submit anything to register!
Kind words...
Hearing the critiques was invaluable, and I have a much better understanding of what makes a good premise.
“Hearing the critiques was invaluable, and I have a much better understanding of what makes a strong premise, and the drive needed on the first page to grab the reader.
Thank you for the amount of thought that you put into the structure and the order of events. One aspect flowed into the next, and the interchange between both of you was also informative. And the moments when you each picked up on slightly different details during the critiques added insightful perspective in looking at the work at hand.”
Karen Samski
“My understanding of the publishing process increased significantly after yesterday's session. I knew very little leading into it so I feel much more informed now. Specifically, it was very helpful to understand all of the pieces required for submitting book ideas, what literary agents can do for writers in terms of getting book deals and also protecting the hundreds of rights that may be involved, what should be included in credentials and bio information, and also the importance of having a platform.
I am absolutely more confident about writing a premise and first page. In fact, I worked on that last night after the session because I was so inspired!”
Rachel Perry
My understanding of the publishing process increased significantly after yesterday's session.
I am absolutely more confident about writing a premise and first page. In fact, I worked on that last night after the session because I was so inspired!
I liked Jennie’s crisp, to the point feedback, very helpful and supportive of where each writer was with their story.
“I liked Jennie’s crisp, to the point feedback, very helpful and supportive of where each writer was with their story. I particularly liked it when she noted — as I could, hearing the writing — that the writer was still in the process of discovering exactly “where” and “what” their own story was, and why it mattered to them. This allowed me to turn around and ask the same questions of myself, and my own writing. Made me look forward to bringing a piece of my own one day.
Many thanks for a very practical and (from writing perspective) empowering workshop!!”
Marie Unini
