The Pocono Writers Conference was hosted by the Pocono Liars Club at the Hughes Library in Stroudsburg, PA, on April 20.
WHY ATTEND: Structure of the event makes it convenient to select what you’d like to attend and stay within a budget. Talks all happen in the same room, with small workshops split into a conference room around the corner. Food not included but plentiful options nearby, even within walking distance. The library is gorgeous and has a small cafe.
The Pocono Liars Club does not charge dues, nor does the one-day event have an admission cost. Donations are encouraged. Presenters hold small sessions throughout the day for $20/per person, and the speaker receives all of those fees. That facilitates the one-on-one contact without big budget prices or production costs.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Presenters this year: Michael Ventrella, lawyer and author; Randee Dawn, entertainment journalist and author; Leslye Penelope, fantasy author; Lori Perkins, agent, author, publisher, and Josh Palmatier, anthology publisher (and math professor—talk about making the numbers work).
“Lectures” were all in the same room, 45-60 minutes with a 15-minute break between.
Topics included beginning your online, in-person and in-the-press marketing; world-building; submitting to an anthology, and an insider’s view of the last 30 years in publishing.
MAIN TAKE-AWAYS:
Create a public persona for yourself. It will make appearances less exhausting. (Randee Dawn)
Brainstorm 20 ideas for every project. The first 10 everyone will have. Throw those out. The last five are crazy. Throw those out. Work with the remaining five. (Josh Palmatier)
Have multiple streams of revenue to survive as a writer. (Lori Perkins)
The Internet is forever. So edit yourself and plan what you publicize.
If someone has given you the time of day, go back [to them]. (Lori Perkins)
Invest in Publisher’s Marketplace if you are serious about learning the traditional publishing agency. (This one came from Jonathan Maberry at the Write Stuff AND Lori Perkins.)
Presenters at this conference recommended beta and sensitivity readers. Jonathan Maberry at the Write Stuff warned that sensitivity readers can often have an axe to grind and recommended being extremely diligent in your research instead.
Angel Ackerman is the founder and editor of Parisian Phoenix Publishing and the author of the Fashion and Fiends horror series. Her career has included 15 years as a print journalist and a decade in nonprofit communications. She volunteers with Mary Meuser Memorial Library and Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group when not rehabilitating abandoned cats. Her academic interests and travel experiences focus on post-colonial Francophone Africa and stereotypes/prejudice.
She accepted the role of GLVWG president in 2023 after some time away. I talked with Angel about her writing projects, publishing company, and goals for GLVWG as the group’s current president.
Q: How long have you been a GLVWG member?
ANGEL: I want to say Darrell Parry and I joined GLVWG before our daughter was born, and then rejoined when she was about 18 months old. I served on the board for eight consecutive years, I believe, including two terms as president (circa 2005-2013, because the toddler mentioned here is 19 and started college this fall). I started attending meetings again last year, and officially rejoined recently.
Q: What roles have you held during your time in GLVWG?
ANGEL: Member, president, PR chair.
Q: You are currently serving as GLVWG’s president after some time away. Why did you want to serve again?
ANGEL: Honestly, I didn’t. But after watching several meetings where no one was nominated and no one volunteered, I accepted the nomination because I know what the position entails and that it’s not a stressful position. My hope is that newer members might see me step into the role and consider becoming more involved themselves.
Q: What are some of your goals as GLVWG’s current president?
ANGEL: A group like GLVWG is a membership-driven group, versus a mission-oriented one. I know that people are busy, and that volunteering and community involvement is in decline in American society. I’m busy—I’ve worked full-time in the Stitch Fix warehouse for the last three years (and I was laid off Sept. 15), built my craft book-publishing press, have a 19-year-old in college, serve on my local library board, and foster cats for Feline Urban Rescue and Rehab, having hosted 35 or so cats in my home in the last three years. And I have a disability—diplegia spastic cerebral palsy—which has required a lot more medical attention and troubleshooting as I age (but it’s going to make a great medical advocacy memoir when I get some time).
My point with all that is—being busy is an excuse. A membership group like GLVWG can only do as much as its members support. If people don’t express their desires and get involved, we’re not going to do anything new. And maybe we don’t need to. But if members have needs or wants they want GLVWG to address, they need to speak up. As president, my job is to lead and provide structure to the many voices. I am one voice and one vote. But my responsibility is to make sure that the group’s needs are met, and that every voice is heard.
Q: Tell us about your publishing company, Parisian Phoenix.
ANGEL: Parisian Phoenix traces its origins to an art project for the Northampton Community College faculty art show in the late aughts? My now art director asked if she could use my novel series to design a box set of covers and promotional materials. I said sure, and at the end of the event she let me keep the display. She invented the logo, the notable pink, and somehow we named each other—I was Parisian, by her choosing, and she was phoenix, because she reinvented her graphic design career with new technology. I decided to put my novels into print so my daughter could read them, and then other people asked if I would help them. Two years later, we have 18 books in print.
Q: How has GLVWG helped you get established as a publisher?
ANGEL: I drew my inspiration from Jonathan Maberry in his first visits to the Write Stuff conference and owe debts to Katherine Ramsland and Kathryn Craft. Katherine was a member of GLVWG when she first moved to the Lehigh Valley, and I was one of several writers (with Darrell) in a horror fiction critique group with her. Kathryn Craft always encouraged my writing and always knew what to say, to teach others or as a matter of diplomacy. My involvement directly goes back to her.
Q: What is something you wish more folks (members and potential members) knew about GLVWG?
ANGEL: It is a membership-driven group, but as members we need to support each other and work together. I feel like too much of the group has relied on the status quo, and I hope I can encourage more people to speak up with new ideas. I came back to the group specifically as part of my corporate mission to embrace community among ALL fine artists, but I don’t see many members actually taking the time to read each other’s work.
Q: Any general final thoughts?
ANGEL: I challenge every member to buy a book by another member—and review it on Goodreads, Amazon, Google books, on your web site, wherever. If you hear of members having a book signing or attending a special event, go. Sharing these experiences, and using the technology at your fingertips to spread them via social media, will build community. And you might learn something you didn’t know about one of your peers.
Q: How can GLVWG members get in touch with you?
ANGEL: I’m not hard to find. I’m on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and even the social media X formerly known as Twitter as both myself and Parisian Phoenix. Parisian Phoenix has a website, ParisianPhoenix.com, as do I, angelackerman.com. Email me at angel@parisianphoenix.com. Or, come say hi at a GLVWG meeting or at any public event.
I could be biased, but for me, the keynote is the best part of every Write Stuff Conference. This year was no exception, with the multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author Jonathan Maberry generously sharing several highlights of his journey as a working writer. As a full-time feature writer who dabbles in fiction, I appreciated so much of what Maberry shared with the attendees—namely, that he was a working feature writer long before he became a novelist. He simply loves to write and can’t wait to get back to his keyboard every day. He just likes writing fiction best of all.
Here are my top 5 takeaways (paraphrased a bit)—which I think are helpful lessons for all writers, regardless of genre—from his keynote:
Be open. Maberry writes in many different genres, and he said he chose his agent largely because she was open to repping him across those many genres. He said he rarely turns down an opportunity because many projects challenge him, and he likes a challenge. He stressed it’s important not to say you can’t do a project, even if it’s a type of writing you’ve never tried. He’s written sarcastic greeting cards, package copy, scripts for comic books—all because they stretched his writing muscles. He cautioned against limiting ourselves to one type or one genre of writing. He loves having fun with writing and encouraged us to do the same.
Be nice. Lift up other writers. Be supportive. Don’t develop an arrogant or jaded attitude about this amazing career. How many people can truly say they love what they do?
Be easy to work with. Maberry said part of the reason why he’s offered so many different kinds of projects is because he’s easygoing, easy to get along with, delivers on time, and isn’t too demanding. No “diva” attitudes here. Editors and project managers like writers who are easy to work with and deliver high-quality work, so those writers are the ones who get repeat business.
Be humble. Maberry admitted he broke into fiction late—he published his first novel at age 48—and said he still experiences impostor syndrome. He’s become friends with many of the writers he grew up reading—a fact that continues to blow him away. He counts Stephen King and Neil Gaiman among his friends. He remembers being that writer just starting out and never wants to lose that feeling.Lesson here: Be humble. Remember your roots and where you came from.
Be grateful. He closed with the message life is weird. Life is wonderful. Opportunities often fall into our laps; take advantage of every one. He’s grateful for the career he’s built, the relationships it’s provided him, and the opportunities he’s been given. Truly, great lessons for all of us!
What were some of your biggest takeaways from the 2024 Write Stuff Conference?
Friday night at this year’s Write Stuff conference includes an evening reception, a chance to meet and mingle with other conference attendees. But the reception also encourages people to come in costume—as your favorite fictional character (or favorite author).
It’s rumored that Mark Twain will put in an appearance! Join the fun with your own take on a character you love (or despise—villains, anyone?).
Ask yourself, if you could be any character in any book, who would you be? For me, if securing an authentic costume was as easy as waving a wand, I would arrive as either Professor McGonagall from the Harry Potter series or SecUnit from Marth Wells’ Murderbot series. Showing up in either of those costumes—a Hogwarts robe and hat or full android armor—would make it fairly obvious I was from the realm of fiction.
But there are many, more subtle characters to choose from. Here are a few ideas if you need a prompt:
Jack Reacher from the Lee Child cop thriller series, which also was featured recently on Amazon Prime
Stephanie Plum from Janet Evanovich’s Plum series about a bail bond skip tracer
Jason Bourne from Robert Ludlum’s action-thriller Bourne series, also made into several films
Lisbeth Salander from Stieg Larsson’s Dragon Tattoo series, also made into several films
Detective Robicheaux from the James Lee Burke mystery novels
Meg, Jo, Beth, or Amy March from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, also made into several films
Claire Randall or another character from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books, also made into a TV series
You get the idea.
So, will you be the villain? The hero/heroine? A sick-kick character? Or someone whimsical like Arthur the aardvark?
And let’s be honest. You don’t need to be in full regalia to qualify as being in costume. Wear a hat, carry a prop, or even bring along the book that features your character. That’ll do. Another idea: Wear a name tag that includes a photo of your character on it.
Let’s Play Books and The End Bookstore held their 5th Annual Lehigh Valley Book Festival at Cedar Crest College, Nowhere Coffee Company, Emmaus Public Library, both bookstores, and the Bethlehem Area Public Library on March 20 to 24.
The main event for the public was Saturday’s Family Day and Author Expo at the Bethlehem Area Public Library. Local and regional children’s book authors presented stories and activities for the kids.
On Sunday, the festival closed with a Sip, Swap, & Swoon event at The End, featuring wine, romance authors, and a romance book swap. Authors included Xio Axelrod, Timothy Janovsky, Victoria Schade, and Nisha Sharma. Nisha has a history with the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group and the former Pocono Lehigh Romance Writers.
The kickoff occurred Wednesday night at Cedar Crest College with a keynote by Greg Pizzoli, author of The Baloney and Friends graphic novel series, followed by a panel moderated by the college’s Assistant Professor of Education Melissa Kamyab of Pizzoli, middle-grade author Kat Yeh, and Molly Magro, a librarian in the East Penn School district.
On Thursday, the festival hosted its “Literary Latte” Open Mic at Nowhere Coffee Company.
On Friday evening, interactive author-readers events continued at Emmaus Public Library with speedy five-minute presentations from Bob Boehmer, Stacy Gabel, Katarah Jordan, and Deborah C. Mortimer. Next, Cedar Crest hosted a conversation with author Kate Zernike about the role of women in science. The final event of the evening was a whiskey-tasting reception at The End with author Kurt Maitland and also Jahmal Mayfield and Lesa Cline-Ransome. A collaborative art installation by Lorna Flowers was also part of the evening.
GLVWG Board member Donna Brennan caught up with author Amy Deardon recently to talk about Amy’s writing and publishing career. Amy is leading a half-day workshop on Thursday, April 11, to kick off this year’s Write Stuff conference, as well as presenting several other conference workshops on Saturday, April 13.
The first part of this essay, in which Suzanne looks back on her attendance at past Write Stuff conferences, ran last week.
I’ll always remember sitting at lunch during our first live conference after the pandemic, which took place not long after I served as chairperson for the 2021 GLVWG Writes of Passage anthology. The bulk of that collection had been assembled during lockdowns, so I had little opportunity to meet the authors in person. But because of the very personal nature of that year’s theme, more than 20 authors from the group had bared their souls in their submissions, relaying some of their most difficult moments and reassuring epiphanies.
Typically, my eyesight doesn’t do me any favors when it comes to reading name tags from more than a foot away. But I was able, one by one, to discern the identities of the writers who sat around that table with me. Each of them had contributed to the anthology. That meant I had pored over their work, come to love each narrative gem, and carefully knitted their submissions together into a literary kaleidoscope composed of some of the most poignant moments of their lives. It dawned on me that I was privy to each of their proudest achievements and greatest fears. I felt honored to finally be in their physical presence, instead of just being uplifted by their writing.
Again, this was so much richer an experience than I regularly had in a classroom. And I did the whole four-year writing program thing, back in the day. Not to completely knock academia, though; my daughter now has an MFA. That’s all good stuff. But it’s not The Write Stuff.
About Suzanne:
Suzanne Mattaboni writes in genres including horror and women’s fiction and is a Newsweek Expert Forum contributor. Her novel, Once in a Lifetime, is being launched in its second edition in March 2024. It has won multiple awards including a Pencraft and an IPPY independent publishers award. One of her short stories was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Suzanne has been published in Newsday, Seventeen, TheHuffington Post, Mysterious Ways, Guideposts, and Child, and has appeared in anthologies including Chicken Soup for the Soul, the 2023 Howard Jones “fanthology” We’re in This Together, and the new Ever After mythical creatures anthology. Learn more on her website: www.suzannemattaboni.com.
There’s still time to register for this year’s Write Stuff! Registration closes March 31.
Did I ever mention I wanted to be a writers conference groupie?
Some people follow religious leaders. Some caravan with the Grateful Dead or tailgate at football games. But some time over the last eight years, me and my best friend from college decided we wanted to become writers conference groupies together.
Wouldn’t that be terrific? Just going from conference to conference all year, communing with fellow authors from all over the country, avoiding the fracas of the real world? Jumping from workshop to keynote to seminar to critique panel, on a continuing cycle?
Well, neither of us can afford to quit our jobs and travel the world from conference to conference, fabulous as that may sound. Instead, we make it a ritual to attend the GLVWG Write Stuff Conference every year. I suppose that makes us Write Stuff groupies.
When I was asked to talk about an experience with the Write Stuff Conference, my only stop-gap was that I couldn’t really pinpoint one unique incident. The conference is more of an ongoing experience. It’s a real-world community. It deepens for me each year as I meet more new writers in the group, as my own publishing journey progresses, and as I watch other writers succeed that I’ve been working with at GLVWG over the years.
I decided a long time ago that I could almost learn more at a single writing conference than I did in a whole four-year college writing program. Although ongoing college workshops are good for exercising craft, the information you get at a conference is exponentially more practical. It comes from people who boast bonafide success and experience, right now. By definition, a writers association conference is not “academic.” It isn’t dictated by a group of professors who exist within the confines of a university bubble. Conference content often comes directly from people who are making a living through publishing and know the current market. And GLVWG has always had a knack for fetching top-notch talent at their events.
It’s also 1/100th of the price of a college semester. So you can’t beat that value.
Because of this, when my daughter started showing signs of wanting to be a writer, I right away pulled her into conferences. Starting at 16 years old. I brought her to conferences from three different writing organizations before she even graduated high school. In fact, I think one or two conference guidelines now clearly state you have to be 18 in order to attend, because of me.
Time passed and my daughter went off to college in West Chester, where she became a creative writing major and president of the Creative Writing Club. She got the bright idea to convince the university to sponsor members of the club to attend the Write Stuff Conference. Little did I know that also meant that eight students would all be bunking at my house the whole weekend, including five guys.
So there I was, den mother to a house full of college students, in addition to my old college roommate and conference buddy. The two of us spent each morning before that Write Stuff stepping over a gaggle of twenty-somethings in sleeping bags on my office floor and scattered throughout my living room. But as I scrambled through the chaos, I was proud that my daughter was expanding the tradition of getting writers out to conferences while they were still young. Her friends enjoyed the whole event.
And my heart swelled with pride that weekend when one of the GLVWG board members (it might have been Bart Palamaro) leaned over to my 19-year-old daughter and asked, “Are these your students?” as she shepherded her friends through conference activities. As if she were a young teacher. In that moment, I watched a sense of leadership wash over her and a certain authority flash in her eyes, as she answered that, no, they were her college classmates. But from the Creative Writing Club she founded.
These are moments you don’t get in a classroom. Certainly not on an intergenerational scale. And although that wasn’t quite my unique experience with the Write Stuff Conference, it’s still one I won’t forget.
Marie Lamba is author of the young adult novels What I Meant… (Random House), Over My Head, and Drawn, and of the picture books Green Green: A Community Gardening Story (Farrar Straus Giroux) and A Day So Gray (Clarion). Her articles appear in more than 100 publications, and she’s a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest. Marie has worked as an editor, an award-winning public relations writer, and a book publicist, and has taught classes on novel writing and on author promotion.
As a senior literary agent at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency, she represents picture books, middle grade, YA, and adult novels, and memoir, as well as graphic novels and nonfiction for all ages.
I talked to Marie about the difference between an agent and an editor, pitching do’s and don’ts, and a wide range of other topics.
SK: Thank you for speaking with me!First, can you explain an agent’s role and how you work with authors?
MARIE: There are a lot of things to it—it has so many pieces. First, I want to make sure I’m representing someone I can stick with for the long haul. Next, we work with the manuscript to get it where it needs to be for submission. I’ve been an author, editor, and publicist, so I understand how important this is. Over the years, I’ve only seen one or two manuscripts that needed no changes before submitting to publishers, so most need at least some editing.
Next, I create a pitch for the book, and create an editor list. Editors change their interests all the time, plus they are often moving to different houses, so I’m always researching to find the very best fit for that work at that moment. Then I pitch the work to those editors and follow up with them. When we get offers, I negotiate the deal and the contract points. After that, I oversee everything that happens with your editor, even after we hand off the manuscript.
Throughout all of this, I keep the author informed. As an author myself, I hate not knowing what’s going on.
I’m also by the author’s side beyond the first deal, for all subsequent projects, and advocating for them throughout their entire career.
SK: How many authors do you represent?
MARIE: I’ve been an agent since 2011 and have 30 clients on my list.
While 30 may sound like a lot, there is an ebb and flow to the work. Some authors wrote a few novels a number of years ago, but have been less active lately. Others write several works a year.
SK: Self-publishing has grown tremendously over the past decade or so. What are the benefits of pitching to an agent and pursuing “traditional” publishing versus self-publishing?
MARIE: It depends on your goals. As an author, I’ve been traditionally published, and I have been self-published. With self-publishing, there is great control in doing your own work, but it’s a lot of work. And the downside is you have to be a full-time marketer. Every time I focused on my books and promotion, sales went up. When I looked away, sales went down.
Some things lend themselves to self-publishing, like short stories, something regional, and poetry/chapbooks. When you’re published by the mainstream publishers, you’re seen—you’re getting reviews, librarians see the work. That’s hard to replicate with self-publishing.
One thing I always say—whether you self-publish or work with a traditional publisher, make sure whatever manuscript you put out is as good or better than what’s on the market. You want to be really proud of your product.
SK: What are some of the most in-demand genres right now?
MARIE: Because publishing is so slow-moving, “trends” are often over by the time writers notice them on the shelves. That glut of trendy titles coming out now, were often acquired 2 to 3 years ago, and those editors likely have moved on to the next “trend.”
That said, I see more editors asking for “romantasy” (fantasy with romantic elements). Graphic novels have seen a huge surge, although there is a caveat—they are a lot of work and expensive to produce. They are trending upward in the middle-grade space. Overall, the fantasy and sci-fi market is picking up, especially when it comes to female authors, diversity, and authentic voices.
In children’s [books]—those that have social/emotional learning within a plot, or mental health aspects are highly sought after. That goes for middle grade as well as picture books.
SK: You are also an author. How does that inform your “agent” hat and working with other authors?
MARIE: I started out as an author and worked with an agent, so I definitely have a lot of empathy for authors. Even with the Internet, there are so many things a beginning author doesn’t even know to ask about. Suddenly you have an agent, and an editor wants to talk to you on the phone—gah! Having all of that experience allows me to anticipate the author’s needs, and offer them the information and reassurance they want at each step.
SK: What makes you want to represent an author?
MARIE: First of all, I need to feel the work is something I’d be proud to represent—it’s something I’m excited about and I feel needs to be shared with the world.
Then, I need to make sure I can work with this person. It’s a professional relationship—it’s being able to work together, not just about the work. There are times when I’ve been absolutely crazy about the work, but passed because I just didn’t connect with the author.
And I need to feel the author is in it for their career. It’s not just a hobby.
SK: Similarly, what do you look for in a manuscript?
MARIE: Something that makes me sit up and take notice. That gives me the feeling that I’ve got to finish it! Give me a character I care about, then mess them up so bad I worry about them.
I’m also looking for a great point of view and great way of telling the story.
SK: What are some “don’ts” for authors hoping to land an agent (whether it’s you or someone else)?
MARIE: When pitching at a conference, don’t think this is your only chance. Sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves and think it’s our only shot to get an agent. You can always query other people. Take that pressure off—instead, think of it as an opportunity and learning experience.
Also, don’t spend your whole time telling me how you wrote the manuscript; tell me what it’s about. Sometimes an author gets so caught up in the process, they don’t actually tell me anything about the plot.
And finally, don’t squander your time at a pitch. Come with extra questions—use any extra time to learn some more info and help jump-start your career.
SK: Any words of advice for the authors you’ll be meeting with?
MARIE: Use this conference in every way you can. It’s not just about talking to the editors/agents/authors. For me, some of the best information and career-jumping things I’ve learned have been from chatting with people I happened to sit next to. They are your peers, doing what you’re trying to do. You can learn a lot from the other people at the event. Don’t miss that opportunity.
And, it may go without saying, but please don’t stalk the agent. Make the most of your appointment, but don’t hang out in the lobby before or afterward hoping to talk to them for a few more minutes, and definitely don’t hang out by the ladies room door waiting to pounce!
There’s still time to register for this year’s Write Stuff conference! You can do so here.
Best-selling author Jonathan Maberry is this year’s keynote speaker for the Write Stuff conference. He has generously agreed to meet in advance of the conference at a free virtual event set for Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. You can register for the event here.
GLVWG member Donna Brennan spoke with Jonathan recently. You can view that conversation below.