How to Sell Your Fantasy & Science Fiction to Agents and Editors OnDemand Webinar

Science fiction and fantasy is a crowded field, and unless you get to just the right agents and editors with just the right message, you'll have an epic struggle just breaking in.

There are agents and editors who specialize in science fiction and fantasy. They're seeing hundreds of queries in any given week, and you can bet that most of them claim to be the next Jim Butcher or George R.R. Martin. How do you sell yourself to someone who's getting similar pitches,maybe even from more experienced authors, every day? How do you stand out from the crowd without looking like an amateur? We'll discuss the all-important query letter and bio with concrete do's and don'ts.

In addition to a good query letter, you will need a one-page synopsis of your book,in fact, you'll be surprised by how often people will ask you for this. Let's get real about what should go in that fantasy/sci-fi synopsis and what we mean, exactly, when we say one page. This webinar will also examine example queries, bios and synopses to show writers what a successful submission package looks like. All examples shown during the presentation will be available as a free PDF download afterward.

But even if you have a solid query letter, bio, and synopsis, how do you know who to send it to, when to follow up, and what to expect in terms of response?

What you'll learn:

• The logline: The most important 25 words you'll ever write
• The query letter: Less is more
• Clich√©s: What can sink a fantasy/sci-fi query letter right from the start.
• The author bio: Find your hidden strengths
• The synopsis: How to cut down a lengthy summary
• Who's buying: Finding the right agent and editor
• Patience: The author's most valuable skill

Speakers
Philip Athans is the founding partner of Athans & Associates Creative Consulting, and the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and ten other fantasy and horror books including the recently-released The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction. Born in Rochester, New York he grew up in suburban Chicago, where he published the literary magazine Alternative Fiction & Poetry. His blog, Fantasy Author's Handbook, is updated every Tuesday, and you can follow him on Twitter @PhilAthans. He makes his home in the foothills of the Washington Cascades, east of Seattle.

Who should attend?

• Writers of SF/fantasy who are actively querying agents and publishers
• Writers who are ready to kick their careers to the next level
• Writers who intend to actually do this professionally
• Writers with a love of the SF/fantasy genres
• Writers who are ready to ask questions