Remote Session (Out of town speakers, so remote only)
How does a manuscript go from query to submission to acquisitions to contract? In this session, (pictured left to right) editor Terri Bischoff and literary agents Saba Sulaiman and Abby Saul will give an overview of the submission process from both the publishing house and agent perspectives, including how agents work with their clients and what editors really discuss at acquisition meetings.
Saba Sulaiman is an agent at Talcott Notch Literary Services, a boutique agency located in Milford, CT. She holds a BA from Wellesley College and an MA from the University of Chicago, where she studied modern Persian literature. In children’s fiction, she is looking primarily to build her Picture Book, Middle Grade, and Young Adult lists, and is particularly interested in contemporary realistic stories. In adult, she's open to literary, upmarket, and commercial fiction, category romance (all sub-genres except paranormal), tightly plotted, character-driven psychological thrillers, cozy mysteries à la Agatha Christie, and memoir. A first-generation immigrant who is constantly negotiating her identity and sense of belonging in a place she now calls “home,” she is committed to highlighting more diverse voices with compelling stories to tell; stories that demonstrate the true range of global perspectives and address urgent and often underexplored issues in both fiction and non-fiction with veracity and heart. Follow her on Twitter @agentsaba. Website: sabasulaiman.com
Abby Saul founded The Lark Group after a decade in publishing at John Wiley & Sons, Sourcebooks, and Browne & Miller Literary Associates. She's worked with and edited bestselling and award-winning authors as well as major brands. A zealous reader who loves her iPad and the ebooks on it, she still can’t resist the lure of a print book. Abby’s personal library of beloved titles runs the gamut from literary newbies and classics, to cozy mysteries, to sappy women’s fiction, to dark and twisted thrillers. She’s looking for great and engrossing adult commercial (including mysteries/thrillers, women's, and historical) and literary fiction. She's not looking for fantasy, sci-fi, or political thrillers - and no kids' books. A magna cum laude graduate of Wellesley College, Abby spends her weekends—when she’s not reading—cooking and hiking with her husband and son. A longtime OCWW contributor, you can follow her @BookySaul on Twitter.
Saba Sulaiman will critique up to 15 single-page, single-spaced query letters on a first-come basis.
Terri Bischoff will accept up to 15 20-page manuscripts on a first-come basis. Please see the manuscript guidelines on our OCWW Website for details.
We offer free student memberships at a discounted rate of $5.00 per session. You must send verification of your student status. Please contact Claudia Katz at ckatz17755@aol.com for details.
9:00-9:30 Socializing & Registration
9:30-12:00 Program
