From July 16 through August 1, 2012, Mediabistro will host its first online literary festival and writing workshops.

Author Susan Orlean will open LitFest with a keynote speech about the story behind her new book, Rin Tin Tin. It will be a chance to learn from famous writers, meet editors and agents, and workshop your writing project with an online community of writers over three weeks.

Check it out: “This is an innovative online conference and workshop that bridges the best of conferences and online learning: Keynote speeches by world-class authors, with interactive Q&A sessions. Practical how-to sessions from agents, editors, and writers that show you how to put big ideas into immediate practice. Writing workshops with authors and peers. Get feedback on your writing project. Peer interaction: Make connections with other writers from across the globe and participate in our summer reading group.”