Algonkian Writer Conferences and Fiction Shops

INTERVIEW
OBSERVATIONS

"Any first time author can be made to look "fabulous" -- it's all about how an agent, author and publisher present the author. Every author has a background and a story, which can be told to the book- sellers and public in a boring way or a way that is spectacular."
Barbara Zitwer

"If an author is a terrific writer and has a voice or perspective or style that's not been seen before, there is a far greater chance it will have a place in the literary market. Though it's true that it can be tough to get a first book published, agents and editors are always looking for the next voice or story."
Elise Capron

Contact Us

Email:

algonkian@webdelsol.com

Phone:

Address:

Book Resources for Writers

The worst advice a writer can get is to ignore the market, forget craft, and simply "write from the heart." Our motto: "From the Heart, but Smart." Believe it or not, most aspiring authors do little to familiarize themselves with the most recent novels in their genre. Big mistake. We always cajole our writers to stay well read, know their market inside out, especially what type of work first-time authors are getting published. Why? Because their work is a better indication of what the market is looking for. As follows:

BookSense Picks
The indie bookers include a best picks page. A must for serious writers of all genres.

Center for Book Culture
High literary works reviewed and going back several years. Reviews are a bit too positive at times, but c'est la vie.

ChickLitBooks.Com
A-Z, loads of reviews and much more. The place for "all things chicklit." The genre is expanding.

Historical Novel Society
Both English and American historical fiction here. Excellent starting place. Five stars.

House of Blogs - all genres
A creation of Webdelsol.Com. FIVE LIVE blogs like Maud, Powell's, Beatrice, and more, + a list of the best + a remarkable blog search engine. If you want the real dig on a new novel, the bloggers are waiting for you.

Mystery Reader.Com
No fancy cosmetics here, but MR gets the job done. Great capsules, archives, + all sub-genres. Learn from the many-stars and one-stars too.

MetaCritic Scores for Lit Books
A "scoring" site for literary commercial books. Check the scores then hit the blogs.

Romantic Book Club
Includes only the top reviews. Any bias here? We're not sure, but it's a good place to start.

San Francisco Chronicle
You might not agree with all the SFC book reviews, but they won't stop coming. Good archives. All genres plus non-fiction. Worth comparing to MetaCritic and blogger reviews.

The SF Site (sci fi/fantasy)
An explosion of book reviews on the very first page. Begin your search here.

Young Adult
YALSA, yowza, the best of the year list, plus check out Reading Rants for their latest reviews by category.

• Powell's Book Reviews

• Writer's Edge Musings

• Best of NY Times Reviews

WRITERS AND AUTHORS
TALK ABOUT
ALGONKIAN CONFERENCES

Interview with Algonkian attendee, author Julie Kaewert: "Because I was changing agents, I knew it was important to learn how to package the MS effectively ... When I saw the Seven Mountains Writers Conference on the website, it looked like just the thing. In fact, it far exceeded my expectations in every way."

Interview with Algonkian attendee, author Kate Gallison: "One way to lengthen your life is to stretch it backwards, and so I read a lot of history. Early movies fascinate me. They were both like and unlike stage plays of the time, borrowing actors and melodramatic plots, but developing entirely new techniques for portraying dramatic action. "

Interview with Algonkian attendee, Greg Haas: "I could tell a story about how the process works. Fiction gave me a chance to go where non-fiction wouldn't let me…inside people at both ends of the political food chains heads. The final inspiration came from a strange place Karl Rove spent a great deal of time."

Interview with Algonkian attendee, Candy Somoza: "The preparation work got us thinking about the book in the store, how it got there, what makes it sell. While we read works and studied the writing, we also focused on the outside, so to speak, the marketing, and that was essential to prepare us."

Interview with Algonkian attendee, author Thierry Sagnier: "I was stuck, hadn't done any serious writing for months, and a friend of mine—also a writer—suggested I attend a workshop to kickstart me. So I looked on the net and found that there were quite a few places that offered what I wanted, but when I researched the Algonkian conference, I recognized the name of a reporter I really respect. He'd been there and was highly complimentary, so that sealed it for me."