This Week At WriterCon (Week of July 7)
LAST CALL for the WriterCon Retreat! Plus Many New Places To Submit Your Work
Hey Writers! Hope you’re staying out the heat and meeting all your writing goals. The WriterCon Retreat (July 17-21) is only eleven days away—but there’s still time to register (we have four rooms left). And of course, after that we’ll host the Big Kahuna, the WriterCon Conference, which takes place in OKC over Labor Day weekend (Aug 30-Sept 2). Let me update you on those programs, then I’ll talk about some of the latest news and opportunities from the book world.
WriterCon Retreat at Canebrake—ONLY FOUR CABINS LEFT
The next WriterCon event will be the Retreat (July 17-21). A small group of writers like you will join us at a fabulous (though pretty reasonable) luxury resort called Canebrake, an easy drive from the Tulsa airport. What do you get? Five days of small-group and individual instruction, consultation, and feedback on your work-in-progress. Class in the mornings, including instruction and direct feedback on your work-in-progress, with afternoons left free to write or explore the tranquil and enriching opportunities at Canebrake. Join us at the WriterCon Retreat.
Still on the fence? Okay, now I’m bringing out the Big Guns. If this TikTok video doesn’t convince you to come to the Retreat, nothing can.
WriterCon Annual Conference
The annual WriterCon Conference is in OKC, August 30-September 2 (Labor Day weekend). More than 70 speakers, more than 90 breakout sessions, unlimited pitching, new contest categories for published and unpublished work, manuscript reviews, private consults, 7 MasterClass workshops, and much more. This program will cover all aspects of writing. If you’ve been thinking about registering—do it now! For more info, visit: www.writercon.com
We get all types at WriterCon. You will fit in just fine. (That’s NYT-bestselling author Lisa Garner with a pirate.)
The Latest News (click the headlines for more info)
You thought "romantasy" was popular last year? It has equalled last year's sales in the first five months of 2024 and is projected to make $610M in 2024. This is by far the most popular fiction subgenre now. (And we have many people, including superstar Kimberly Lemming, coming to WriterCon to talk about it!) It is not too late to climb aboard, if this genre interests you. Rebecca Yarros and Sarah J Maas may have launched it, but there will be many more in the future.
I can't say it often enough. Don't fall for scams (which plague the writing community). If it seems to good to be true, it is. If you're being pressured to act quickly or to provide personal info, DON'T! Better idea—post on the WriterCon Facebook page (which you are welcome to join) or email me (willbern@gmail.com) and we'll investigate. Here's a sad account of an intelligent writer who still got scammed.
She’s The Bestselling Thriller Author in America—and You’ve Probably Never Heard of Her
Who's the top thriller writer working today? Patterson? Grisham? Me? No. This physician started self-publishing a few years, built an audience with KU, and now has 6 million books in print and is the top-selling thriller author in the US, according to Bookscan Circana. What I particularly like is that she started self-publishing and then, once she’d built an audience, was able to get the attention of the Big Five. There are many paths to publication these days.
Opportunities (click the headlines for more info)
Three new imprints have recently been announced. Is one of them right for your book?
New Adult Imprint at St. Martin’s Press (Macmillan)
Macmillan’s new Saturday Books will specialize in new-adult titles for 18- to 30-year-olds. They plan to publish 10–12 books per year and they’ve signed authors such as Kristen Ciccarelli, Betty Cayouette, Talia Hibbert, Isabel Ibañez, and Julia Jones. The imprint is described as “commercial and voice-driven fiction with a special focus on fantasy, speculative fiction, romance and genre-adjacent fiction.”
Disney Debuts Planet Possible Books
Disney Hyperion will launch the first Planet Possible titles in February 2025, starting with four picture books. The program’s criteria include “high-quality storytelling by a diverse slate of authors and illustrators” and stories that center on environmentalism.
DK (Dorling Kimbersley) Announces New Imprint
DK Red will focus on lifestyle books and narrative nonfiction. This is part of DK’s adult division, DK Living. The first titles include Rachel Barr’s How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend, and Julius Fiedler’s Naturally Vegan.
The WriterCon Podcast
Last time I mentioned our podcast interview with mystery writer Connie Brand. Would you like to see a snippet? Here it is. Remember you can subscribe anywhere you get podcasts, and you can watch the video version on YouTube. And either way—it’s totally free.
See Ya Real Soon!
Till next time, WriterCon Crew, keep writing, and remember—you cannot fail if you refuse to quit.
William Bernhardt
willbern@gmail.com
www.writercon.com