Submitting Your Work and Getting a Literary Agent

What you can do to make yourself “irresistible” to the literary agents (or publishers) you hope to represent you.

Find out what literary agents look for in query letters and book proposals, and what are the clues that attract their interest. If you’re interested in obtaining literary agent representation or get an insight on presenting your manuscript to publishers, you’re invited to attend this free session.

Date: 13 January 2009
Time: 3.30pm to 5.30pm
Venue: Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library Building
Registration: Call 68488290 or email info@bookcouncil.sg with your name, email & tel. no.

Admission is free. Seats are allocated based on first-come-first-serve.

Speaker:

KELLY SONNACK is a Literary Agent and Submissions Manager at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, USA. She also assists with PR, events, foreign rights, and manages permissions. She specializes in children’s literature (picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, as well as illustration). She is also interested in adult fiction and non-fiction from unusual perspectives. She has been with the agency since 2006.

Twilight in the Land of Nowhen

The week hasn’t ended yet but what a fabulous week it has turned out to be so far. Just one more day left to the Asian Storytelling Festival. This evening, Aurelia and I attended author Nuri Vittachi’s talk on “How Asia will become the world’s hotspot for cultural creativity.” We were impressed not just by the talk but also by his warmth and personal interest he took in talking to his audience — us included.

When Mr Nuri Vitatachi was about to leave the Arts House with author Dilip Mukerjea, he turned around said to Au and myself. “Come join us for dinner. I’m paying. I insist!” Here’s proof…

Aurelia, Angel, Nuri Vittachi, and Dilip Mukerjea

Nuri gave us each an autographed copy of his book, “Twilight in the Land of Nowhen” and Dilip gave us each a copy of his autographed book, “Taleblazers.” WOW!

From wikipedia.org
Nury Vittachi (born 2 October 1958 in Ceylon) is a Sri-Lankan author and journalist. One of his most well known works is the comedy-crime novel series The Feng Shui Detective, which has been translated into French, German, Portguese, Italian, Indonesian and other languages. He has had regular slots in more than a dozen publications, and several television channels. He is also noted for playing a key role in founding the Asia Literary Review, the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, the Man Asia Literary Prize, and is advisor to a number of other literary festivals in Asia.

Creative Writing Workshop for Sec School students

Hi there, Writers’ Coffee Lounge bloggers!

I have received an invitation from Yio Chu Kang Secondary School (through my publishers, AsiaPac Books) to conduct a workshop for 32 of their students, who are planning to write an illustrated book.

I will be using my book “Dying to Marry” as a reference book to discuss various writing and illustrating techniques. The school will buy one copy of my book for each student attending the workshop, which is scheduled for Friday, 22 Aug during the a.m. session. Wish me good luck.

As far as the eye can see…

Asia Through My Eyes – What does Asia mean to you? A regional travel writing competition in conjunction with the Singapore Sun Festival.

Writers are called to write about “your insights into life in Asia in the 21st century – its culture, people, landscapes and atmosphere…This year, your entry will need to begin with “As far as the eye can see……”

http://www.singaporesunfestival.com/competition.php

Singapore Sun Festival

Here comes the sun again! If you can’t go to Tuscany (Italy) or Napa Valley, California for the Sun Festival, don’t fret. You can enjoy it right here in Singapore, it’s only Asian home.

Mark your calendar for the Singapore Sun Festival  17-26 October 2008, “an annual multi-arts premium lifestyle festival celebrating The Art of Living Well through seven disciplines – music, visual arts, literature, film, wine, cuisine and wellness.” 

Australia’s bestselling author Cameron Forbes; award-winning novelist and playwright Merlinda Bobis; and published travel writer and political foreign correspondent Andrew Forbes will do talks and workshops like:

• A Sense of Place, A Sense of Identity. An essential element in both fiction and narrative non-fiction is the establishing of a sense of place and a sense of identity. Readers should be able to identify with, be sympathetic to, or react to the individuals who carry the stories. They should be able to picture people in their environments. Cameron Forbes will examine the weaving of people and place both in books and in magazine articles.
• Two Voices: Writing the Bilingual Poem. There are two languages in your head. There are two cultures in your heart. How do you write both in a single poem? This workshop facilitates the inventive conversations of two voices in one text. Experimentation with sample techniques will be introduced by award-winning Filipino-Australian author, Merlinda Bobis.
• Get Published in Southeast Asia, Europe, and America (Andrew Forbes). This talk focuses on the extent an aspiring writer can be independent from setting up a properly registered news and features agency, seeking clients or breaking into news, magazine and book markets. Andrew Forbes also shares insights into how to get manuscripts to the big publishing firms without using the services of a literary agent – and if need be, how to go about getting the latter.
• …and more!

For more info: www.singaporesunfestival.com