Philip Freeman’s. ALEXANDER THE GREAT has been chosen as a runner-up in the Society of Midland Authors awards in the biography category to a Midwestern author!  Congratulations, Philip!

Two great stories in the press this week in which we are featured! 

Deadline announced that Ti West has been tapped to write the screenplay for Tango Pictures of Ben Winters’ tale of urban paranoia, BED BUGS, published by Quirk Books.  The deal was brokered by agent Shari Smiley who recently left CAA to found her own agency on behalf of Quirk, working with Joelle Delbourgo Associates. The story was widely picked up in the Hollywood press. Congrats to the brilliant Ben Winters, one of our all-time favorite clients:

http://www.deadline.com/2012/04/tango-pictures-scratches-deal-for-horror-novel-bedbugs-ti-west-to-write-script/

Huffington Post just ran a story by Terri Guiliano on why self-published books are so poorly represented in indie bookstores, which makes for fascinating reading.  Terri interviewed me for the story.  Thank you, Terri!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/why-you-cant-find-indies-in-bookstores_n_1418839.html

And now, I’m off to Madison, Wisconsin for the Writers Institute conference that begins tomorrow. You can read more about what I’ll be doing there in my previous post.

–Joelle Delbourgo

I’m thrilled to be returning for the third time to one of the best writing conferences I’ve participated in over the years: the Writers Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, April 13-15.  Writers will have a chance to mingle with and learn from editors, agents and writing teachers, including panel discussions, workshops and one-on-one “pitch sessions” where they get to present their projects and get valuable feedback from these industry insiders.

In addition to participating in panels and being available for pitch sessions, I’m excited to be leading two workshops, described below.  In the first, we’ll be addressing some of the transformational changes that are occurring in the industry and how they impact readers and writers.  In the second, I’ll be joined by two of our cherished writer/clients at Joelle Delbourgo Associates, and we’ll discuss the journey from query letter to published books through the prism of the author/agent relationship.  Both workshops should be informative, fun, interactive and I hope, lively!

Publishing in the Digital Age Some would argue that not since the invention of the printing press has “the book” undergone such a revolution. New technologies are changing everything about how we write, deliver, purchase, experience, and share books. As e-book sales rocket and the sale of physical books shrink, publishers are rethinking the model, making it harder than ever before to get published. What does this mean for writers and readers? Is the book as we know it dead? Why do writers need to think not only about the content of what they write but how it reaches an audience? What new forms are evolving? Where are the opportunities?

The Author/Agent Relationship with Authors Heather Shumaker and Anne Greenwood Brown
Some say that it may be harder to find an agent than a publisher! Others question whether agents are necessary. YA novelist Anne Greenwood Brown met her agent, Jacquie Flynn of Joelle Delbourgo Associates, at the Madison Writers’ Conference, who landed her a two-book deal. Heather Shumaker undertook her quest through a query letter, which led her to agent Joelle Delbourgo. Together, they will explore the journey from the perspective of both the author and the agent. What are the advantages of representation? How does an author get the attention of an agent? How do agents sort through and evaluate the many queries and submission they receive? How does an author know who might be the right agent? What does the agent look for in a client? How do you handle communication with your agent? What is the actual nature of the relationship and how does it evolve through the course of the publishing process? From the query letter and the initial proposal or draft manuscript to making the sale, navigating the contract, shepherding the book to publication and marketing it, this workshop will explore this unique partnership. Lies Beneath, by Anne Greenwood Brown, will be published in June by Delacorte/Random House. Shumaker’s It’s Okay Not to Share will be published this fall.

For more information about the conference and all the other great presenters and participants, here is the link:

http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/writing/awi/index.html

–Joelle Delbourgo

Everything you need to know to eat healthfully and live compassionately in the real world.  Holistic health practitioner Victoria Moran shares what she’s learned eating a plant-based diet for over thirty years, raising a vegan daughter and maintaining a 60 lb weight loss.  Best of all, you don’t have to do it all at once.  “Finally a book that isn’t preaching to the vegan choir…Once you read this, you’ll now it’s possible to get healthy and enjoy doing it–even if you live in Paramus or Peoria.”–Michael Moore