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Writing and Selling First-Person Pieces

A panel discussion moderated by Susan Shapiro

Course is closed.
Writing and Selling First-Person Pieces

DURATION/TIME
Monday, Jul. 31, 7-9 p.m.
Book signing to follow discussion.

LEVEL
This panel discussion is perfect for anyone interested in publishing personal pieces in this country's top newspapers and magazines and/or selling a memoir, essay collection, anthology, or first person novel.

LOCATION
The Manhattan Ensemble Theater
55 Mercer St.
(Broome & Grand)
New York, NY
Map

PRICE
$20 ($15 for )
more info

Course Details

If, as the critics keep proclaiming, first-person writing is dead, then why is everyone still reading, buying, selling, and talking about it? Poignant personal essays on the back pages of The New York Times Magazine and The Los Angeles Times Magazine have led directly to book and film deals. Sexy anthologies were so popular they spawned the controversial and wildly popular "Modern Love" column in the New York Times. New blogs are procreating faster than the world's birth rate, and the "I" word has even infiltrated pseudo-intellectual op-ed pages a la Maureen Dowd.

Clearly it's not the Herculean task to spill your own story onto the pages of a newspaper, magazine, or anthology that we've been taught to believe. But how do you chronicle yourself in a current, revealing, and relevant way that won't lead to losing your job, your mate, your mother's love, or your integrity?

In this panel, editors from Self magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Seal Books, and the anthology The Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt will join a literary agent and a 44-year old memoirist (already on her third volume exploiting her not even all that dramatic life in print). They'll spill the secrets of how to craft, submit, and publish in first person. You'll also learn why writing about your angst is the tricky way of turning the worst things in your world into the most beautiful.

Speakers include:


--Ruth Andrew Ellenson, editor, The Modern Jewish Girl's Guide to Guilt; journalist, Los Angeles Times, Forward, Heeb, People, etc. 
--Paula Derrow, articles director, Self magazine
--John Glassie, editor of the "Lives" column in the New York Times Magazine; author of Bicycles Locked to Poles
--Daniel Lazar, agent, Writer's House
--Jill Rothenberg, editor, Seal Books 
--Susan Shapiro (moderator), author of memoirs Lighting Up and Five Men Who Broke My Heart
 

Instructor Bio

Susan Shapiro's Courses

Susan Shapiro
Susan Shapiro has written for the New York Times Magazine, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, The Nation, Village Voice, Salon.com, People, Glamour, and Jane magazine. o.) She's co-editor of the anthology Food for the Soul, and author of the books Secrets of a Fix-Up Fanatic, Lighting Up, and Five Men Who Broke My Heart (recently optioned by Paramount Pictures). Her new book "Only As Good As Your Word: Writing Lessons From My Favorite Literary Gurus" will be published in September by Seal Press, a California publisher. She lives with her husband, a TV/film writer, in Greenwich Village. Susanshapiro.net is her website.


Testimonials


Sue is great. Any writer at any level will find a lot to learn from her. -- Sheila McClear, Gawker.com

"If it weren't for Sue's class I wouldn't have a book deal. Sue is not only extremely savvy, but extremely generous with her publishing network. That who you know thing really paid off for me. I met an editor who was a guest speaker in her Publish your Memoir class. He heard my first page, emailed me the next day, and long story short, I have a deal with Penguin." -- Louise Sloan, author of Knock Yourself Up, a girlfriends' guide to choosing single motherhood

"I was coming down the homestretch writing the proposal. Before panic set in, I signed up for Sue Shapiro's workshop. As soon as Sue started to talk, fear backed off. Sue is passionate, fiercely strategic, authoritative, and demanding. Hers was just the kind of high-energy-get-your-ass-in-gear pep talk I needed. Just weeks later, I've got a deal with Penguin to publish my first book!" -- Bruce Frankel, author of Better Late: Stories of Americans Who Succeed After Sixty

"Sue's critique of my work was a crucial step in improving it. My novel eventually sold to Spiegel & Grau, a fantastic imprint of Random House. I couldn't recommend studying with Sue more." -- Liza Monroy, mediabistro instructor and author of Mexican High

"Sue helps her students break into print by sharing her knowledge, expertise and connections without reservation. Within five weeks, one of my assignments for class became a published piece in the NY Press. Sue went beyond my expectations to help me get three other pieces published, including one in the New York Observer. What Sue offered that was just as important as her practical and constructive advice was the feeling that she really wants to see her students succeed and will help every step of the way." -- Paul Smalera

"Sue Shapiro's class gave me the kick I needed. I learned more from her in one day than I learned from most of my college professors over the course of a year. Six months later, I'm thrilled to say I sold my first book!" -- Kimberlee Auerbachauthor of The Devil, The Lovers, and Me: My Life in Tarot

"Based on Sue's insider tips for cover letters and queries, I pitched an editorial to Metro New York and the editor bought it within an hour! Sue is available to her students 24/7 and has great connections with major newspapers and magazines." -- Kerri Allen

"Sue's class was both fun and informative. I had already had some personal essays published years before, but had gotten out of the groove and needed guidance getting back into it. Sue gave insightful, encouraging feedback and had lots of great ideas about ways to rework essays and recast them for different publications. She's got lots of great tips to offer, plus she shares contacts, which is absolutely invaluable. I've placed all the essays I worked on in Sue's class." -- Sari Botton

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