"In The Writers' Conference, Marian D. Schwartz tackles the topic with glee, laying bare the underbelly of one such event…a fun read for everyone, and a useful education for anyone who might be thinking of a writing career. The story moves along quickly and holds the reader's interest all the way to the exciting (and surprising) ending." Peter C. Foster, author
"The Writers' Conference…is alternately moving and funny, and never dull. It was interesting to read about the "dirt" in the publishing/reviewing industry." Mark Stevens
The publishing world has secrets…
The Clymer Workshop, one of the oldest writers' conferences in the country, has successfully hidden a shameful history. It has a lofty reputation that attracts aspiring writers like Laura Belmont.
Laura has been unable to get a literary agent for her first novel. Hoping to connect with an insider in the publishing industry, she's thrilled to be accepted to the prestigious writers' conference. She feels that the expense of attending is worth it because she thinks of her acceptance as a credential.
The conference isn't like what she had expected. Despite being held in a picturesque setting in rural Western New York, the atmosphere is intense. Almost two hundred aspiring writers are attending for the same reason she is there. They are all competing for the attention of the visiting agents and editors.
Laura attends writing workshops while games of literary politics are being played in the shadows by the famous authors teaching her. She is unaware of the favors made, the courtesies given, the grudges held. She would be shocked if she knew what they were saying to each other in their private cottage about the writers they were hired to teach.
The lessons Laura learns about the publishing industry aren't on the conference schedule. When she receives an offer that comes with a price, she learns how power works in the publishing world.
"I enjoyed every minute that I spent reading this excellent novel, and I was pleased to read so many reviews from writers who confirm that the description of the conference is quite accurate." A. Rees
"Carried by the substantial characters and surprising plot twists, author Marian Schwartz' meditations on the state of fiction and symbiotic relationships of agents, publishers, and critics are insightful....an entertaining and very smart book." JB Hicks
"I was surprised by this book…it's pretty amazing... You're in a community of interesting people and conflicts.... A really fine read…" Linton Robinson, author
