A Virtual Conversation with bestselling author Susan Shapiro and literary agent Samantha Wekstein
Monday, January 8th, 7 pm EST, on Zoom
Science Writers in New York is pleased to kick off 2024 with a talk by teacher and author Susan Shapiro (@susanshapironet), an award-winning writer and professor who freelances for The New York Times, New York Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. Her previous talks with SWINY broke attendance records.
Susan will talk to SWINY co-chair David Levine (@dlloydlevine) about how to get published, without going broke or insane, as well as her new book American Shield, coauthored with Aquilino Gonell, (Counterpoint press) and the reissue of her Barbie book (Assouline.) She will be joined by her agent Samantha Wekstein.
Hundreds of thousands of books come out every year worldwide. So why not yours? In The Book Bible, Susan revealed the best and fastest ways to break into a mainstream publishing house. Unlike most writing manuals that stick to only one genre, Susan maps out the rules of all the sought-after, sellable categories: novels, memoirs, biography, how-to, essay collections, anthologies, humor, mystery, crime, poetry, picture books, young adult and middle grade, fiction and nonfiction. Susan once worried that selling books in varied sub-sections made her a literary dabbler. Yet after helping her students publish many award-winning bestsellers on all shelves of the bookstore, she realized that her versatility had a huge upside. She could explain, from personal experience, the differences in making each kind of book, as well as ways to find the right genre for every project and how to craft a winning proposal or great cover letter to get a top agent and book editor to say yes.
About Susan Shapiro
Susan Shapiro is the best-selling author/coauthor of several books her family hates, like Five Men Who Broke My Heart, Lighting Up, The Forgiveness Tour, Unhooked and American Shield. She uses her writing guides The Book Bible and Byline Bible to teach her popular “instant gratification takes too long” courses at The New School, NYU, Columbia University and in private classes and seminars—now online.
Follow her on Instagram @Profsue123@gmail.com or email Profsue123@gmail.com
About Samantha Wekstein
Samantha has a BA from the University of Maryland. She began her career in 2013 at Writers House and joined Thompson Literary Agency where she’s sold young adult, middle grade, picture books, adult fiction, memoir, self-help Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Her clients include Lani Forbes, Korrie Leer, Jessie L. Star, Kenan Trebincevic, Orlando Mendiola and Susan Shapiro. She lives in Westchester with her husband and dog.
Have a question for Susan or Samantha you would like answered? Submit it here!
