August 1, 2 – 3:30 p.m. EST

A refrain you’ll often hear when asking a question about the publishing process is “it depends.” Every book, every author, every agent, every publisher is wonderfully (and, yes, also frustratingly) unique. There is not a single right path to publishing a book, no traveling salesmen “six tricks to get an agent” to game the system, and no simple calculations to become a bestseller.

This is a business of chaos and a business of luck. Most importantly, it’s a business. Through this seminar, I hope to be a transparent resource and provide clarity on the wild process of publishing a book. We’ll cover topics including: How to query (and more importantly, are you ready to query); Tips for getting picked out of slush; What to ask a prospective agent; How to know what you need out of the agent/author partnership; the path to sale; and much more.

Dana Murphy is a literary agent at The Book Group. After studying critical film theory and sociology at New York University, Dana began her literary career assisting Brettne Bloom and Elisabeth Weed.  In 2015, The Book Group was founded, and Dana began building her own list alongside that team.

Dana is hungry for writing that is immersive and surprising, with a voice so distinct it makes her cancel plans and read through meals. She is attracted to upmarket and literary fiction for both adults and young adults, and smart narrative nonfiction/essay collections about pop culture, social issues, science, feminism, race, gender, film and television, music, comedy, religion, and place. Across genre, she is interested in finding marginalized voices that speak to the radical change and compassion readers are searching for, and books that are equally tenderhearted and self-aware.

Dana’s client list includes literary bestseller Danya Kukafka and celebrated culture writers Kelsey McKinney, Blythe Roberson, Sarah Marshall, and Claire Comstock-Gay (Madame Clairevoyant at The Cut).

). Fèt e leve sou Long Island, Dana te viv nan New York City pandan dis ane anvan li te deplase nan Philadelphia de zan de sa. Depi lè sa a, li fin adapte nèt ak yon rejim alimantè ki baze sou cheesesteak epi li aksepte Gritty kòm pi gwo dye nan kè li.

Ou dwe anrejistre pou w resevwa lyen pou atelye vityèl la.