After successful past writers conferences in Kentucky and across the country, Writing Day Workshops is excited to announce The 2026 Kentucky Writing Workshop — a full-day in-person “How to Get Published” writing conference in Louisville, KY on Friday, April 24, 2026.
This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (150 total). All questions about the event regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2026 Kentucky Writing Workshop! We are very proud of our many success stories where attendees sign with agents following events — see our growing list of success stories here.
(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next KWW is an in-person event happening in Louisville on Friday, April 24, 2026. See you there.)
To register, click the button above, or email Brian at WDWconference@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Kentucky event.
WHAT IS IT?
This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Friday, April 24, 2026, at the Kentucky International Convention Center. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.
This event is designed to squeeze as much into one day of learning as possible. You can ask any questions you like during the classes, and get your specific concerns addressed. We will have literary agents onsite to give feedback and take pitches from writers, as well. This year’s agent and editor faculty so far includes:
- literary agent Laura Crockett (Triada US)
- literary agent Sarah Fisk (The Tobias Agency)
- literary agent Amanda Wooden (SBR Media)
- literary agent Brandi Bowles (United Talent Agency)
- literary agent Trinica Sampson-Vera (New Leaf Literary & Media)
- literary agent Alice Speilburg (Speilburg Agency)
- literary agent Vicky Weber (Creative Media Agency)
- editor Sandra Foreman Sutter (Gnome Road Publishing)
- and possibly more to come
By the end of the day, you will have all the tools you need to move forward on your writing journey. This independent event is organized by coordinator Brian Klems of Writing Day Workshops.
To register, click the button above, or email Brian at WDWconference@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Kentucky event.
EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:
9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, April 24, 2026 — at the Holiday Inn Louisville East, 1325 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., Louisville, KY 40222. 502-426-2600.
(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next KWW is an in-person event happening in Louisville on Friday, April 24, 2026. See you there.)
THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (APRIL 24, 2026):
8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.
BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30
Inspiration as an Author. Inspiration can also be learned, honed, and even stored. Learn practical tips on how writers can boost their inspiration levels—and improve their writing in the process.
BLOCK TWO: 10:45 – 11:50
Anatomy of a Successful Query. This workshop will take you through the do’s and don’ts of crafting a query letter that will get the attention of literary agent.
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN: 11:50 – 1:15
Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.
BLOCK THREE: 1:15 – 2:30
1. “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest (room). This is a chance to get your first page read (anonymously — no bylines given) with attending agents commenting on what was liked or not liked about the submission.
BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45
Revision and Self Editing: Get Your Work Ready for an Agent. The workshop will cover: tips on genre and story structure; the importance of showing not telling, and how to enact it in your writing; beats in fiction; scene writing versus summary, and striking the right balance in your prose; book genres and their norms.
BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00
Creating Compelling Conflict in Your Fiction. This craft-related course defines conflict and demonstrates the various elements of its application in writing novels or short stories.
SESSIONS END: 5:00
At 5 p.m., the day is done. Speakers will make themselves available by the workshop’s bookstore for a short while to sign any books for attendees.
Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.
PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR:
Amanda Wooden is a literary agent with SBR Media. “I am open to all sub-tropes of Romance (contemporary, sports, new adult, suspense, etc.), Romantasy, Romantic Thrillers, Cozy Mysteries, Young Adult (would prefer it to have some YA romance elements), and upmarket women’s fiction.” Amanda found her love for reading when her husband was deployed in 2013, and it has continued to grow over the years. She has been a book reviewer, blogger, Author PA, graphic designer, and more. Learn more about Amanda here.
Laura Crockett is a literary agent with TriadaUS Literary Agency. “In adult fiction, I love character-driven stories first and foremost, with beautiful writing, emotional investment, and interesting, unique circumstances. With fantasy, I enjoy incredible world-building with lush settings and authentic characterization, historical fantasy, horror fantasy, gothic fantasy, dark academia, and fantasy inspired by fairytales and other cultures’ mythology (though please, not Greek or Roman). In women’s fiction, I’m looking for something heartfelt with complex moral dilemmas. I also adore historical novels that spotlight unique points/women in history and/or meatier topics. Ultimately, I want the book club, upmarket fiction that readers will pick up again and again for years to come. YA Fiction: She seeks fantasy, as well as contemporary realistic fiction. Learn more about Laura here.
Brandi Bowles is a literary agent with United Talent Agency (UTA). Brandi began representing authors in 2007, transitioning from Penguin Random House to represent a wide array of idea and platform-driven nonfiction, from memoirs and essay collections to cookbooks, comedy, pop culture, parenting, science, business, health & wellness, and narrative nonfiction. On the fiction side, Brandi also represents authors of select children’s fiction and upmarket genre fiction, particularly those with a focus on magical realism or psychological / scientific themes. Learn more about Brandi here.
Trinica Sampson-Vera is a literary agent with New Leaf Literary & Media. Trinica is accepting children’s and adult fiction and nonfiction. Across age groups, she loves adventurous, character-driven stories with largely emotional stakes. Trinica is passionate about championing diverse and marginalized voices. Some of the things she is specifically seeking include: speculative fiction (especially horror, cozy-to-high fantasy, hopepunk, and near future science fiction); romance and romcoms (especially featuring sapphic/queer relationships); Caribbean (especially Trinidad & Tobago) characters/settings; reality TV premises; and retellings. Learn more about Trinica here.
Alice Speilburg is a literary agent and founder of Speilburg Literary. In fiction, she’s looking for genre novels — historical, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, horror, or adventure. Within that, she’s interested in historical novels from fresh and unique perspectives, women’s fiction that has thriller and/or horror elements, high-stakes mystery novels with female protagonists, fantasy that imagines fresh worlds with non-Western roots or fantasy that springs from newer American folk magic (especially Appalachian), sci-fi that explores the line between progress and corruption. “I like darker elements, especially when they’re woven deeply and subtly into the atmosphere of a novel.” In nonfiction, she’s looking for cultural narratives, as well as paradigm-shifting books that explore how we live and think from a fresh perspective. Her favorite subgenres in nonfiction include microhistory, nature, and pop science written by journalists and academics. “I’m also interested in untold histories of incredible women, travel/adventure narratives, culturally-engaged history narratives that look at how we came to be where we are, music books that go beyond the basic biography narrative, environmental/conservation narratives, true crime.” Learn more about Alice here.
Sarah N. Fisk is a literary agent with The Tobias Literary Agency, and is open to pitches for young adult of all genres, middle grade of all genres, adult romance, science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, and select nonfiction (see wishlist for more specifics). They also take pitches for mysteries and thrillers via conferences only. Sarah especially loves fiction that is compulsively readable and social justice issues woven into commercial plots. Particular areas of interest include atmospheric fantasies, speculative mysteries, books that challenge societal norms, especially gender norms. Learn more about Sarah here.
Vicky Weber is a literary agent with Creative Media Agency. In adult and young adult fiction, she seeks: horror, psychological suspense, thrillers, commercial, upmarket, historical, women’s fiction, romance, fantasy (dark/high/epic), magical realism, speculative, and paranormal/supernatural. In middle grade and picture books, she seeks highly giftable, commercial fiction with a strong voice—stories that feel like they always should have been on the shelf. Learn more about Vicky here.
Sandra Foreman Sutter is the owner and editor (“top gnome”) at Gnome Road Publishing. Gnome Road books are for readers age 3 and older. Presently, we are only publishing picture books. Our audience attention levels and reading interests are particularly important factors in what we choose to publish. We want stories that are engaging, fresh, and fun, that enrich readers’ narratives about self and others, and that beg to be read time and time again (without causing an eye roll from caregivers). We focus heavily on RE-READABILITY. We highly recommend you browse the books on our website to see what we have published so far and what is on upcoming lists in order to avoid sending material that is too similar to those titles. For example, we will not be looking for books about farms, stuffed animals, baking/cooking, early reading/writing skills, pianos/violins, baseball, grandparent relationships, pet adoptions, alpacas, moose or caves. We also recommend sending material that fits into one of the categories on our wish list: sports, earth sciences (other than caves), poetry collections, holiday themes, and unique storytelling formats. Learn more about Sandra here.
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ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2026 Kentucky Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at a specific Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2026 KWW on our calendar.
That event is the 2026 (Online) New England Writing Workshop, July 24-25, 2026, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.
This means that 2026 KWW attendees can have access to pitching all those online New England WW agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online July 2026 event. (That said, if you want to formally register for the July 24-25 New England Writing Workshop and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Kentucky attendees.)
If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Kentucky. Following the conference on April 24, 2026, we will be in touch with all Kentucky attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2026 NEWW (July 24-25). At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.
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More 2026 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.
These one-on-one meetings are an amazing chance to pitch your book face-to-face with an agent, and get personal, individual feedback on your pitch/concept. If the agent likes your pitch, they’ll request to see part/all of your book — sending you straight past the slush pile. It also gives you an intimate chance to meet with an agent and pick their brain with any questions on your mind.
(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings, and pricing/detail is explained below.)
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PRICING:
$169 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the 2026 KWW and access to all workshops, all day. As of fall 2025, registration is now OPEN.
To register, click the button above, or email Brian at WDWconference@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Kentucky event.
Add $29 — to secure a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with any of our literary agents or editors in attendance. Use this special meeting as a chance to pitch your work and get professional feedback on your pitch. (Spaces limited.) If they wish, attendees are free to sign up for multiple 10-minute pitch sessions at $29/session — pitching multiple individuals, or securing 20 minutes to pitch one person rather than the usual 10. Here are four quick testimonials regarding writers who have signed with literary agents after pitching them at prior Writing Day Workshops events. (Our bigger, growing list of success stories an be seen here.)
“I met Mai Nguyen at the Toronto Writing Workshop and sold her manuscript to Simon & Schuster for six figures.”
– literary agent Carly Watters of P.S. Literary Agency
“I signed Sarah G. Pierce from the Seattle Writing Workshop, and we recently sold her book to Orbit/Redhook.”
– literary agent Pam Gruber of Highline Literary Collective
“I met Amber Cowie at a Writing Day Workshops conference. We sold her best-selling crime novel to Lake Union / Amazon.”
– literary agent Gordon Warnock of Fuse Literary
“I met my client, Dana Corbit Nussio, at the Michigan Writing Workshop. Dana signed a new three-book contract with Harlequin Romantic Suspense.”
– literary agent Rachel Beck of Liza Dawson Associates
“I signed Nedda Lewers from a Writing Day Workshops event. Her debut novel from Putnam Children’s was an Indie’s Introduce Best Book of 2024.”
– literary agent Kelly Dyksterhouse of Tobias Literary Agency
Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Brian Klems, one of the day’s instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Kentucky Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?
Add $89 — for an in-depth personal critique of the first 10 pages of your novel. Spaces with faculty for these critiques are very limited, and participating attendees will either 1) get an in-person meeting at the workshop, if the faculty member is attending the live event, or 2) get a 15-minute phone call with the faculty member, and have notes passed along via email, if the critiquer is not attending the live event. Options:
- All types & genres of fiction for adults, young adults, and middle grade readers (virtual critiques): Faculty member Lorin Oberweger, a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
- Horror, fantasy, sci-fi, urban fantasy (virtual critiques): Faculty member Bob McGough, a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
- Women’s, mainstream, science fiction, fantasy, romance, crime, thriller, mystery (virtual critiques): Faculty member Michelle McGill-Vargas, a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
- Romance, women’s fiction, domestic suspense, and young adult fiction (virtual critiques): Faculty member Swati Hegde, an author and freelance editor, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
- Children’s picture books (virtual critiques): Faculty member Rosie Pova, a published author, will get your work in advance, critique your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
- More possibly forthcoming
How to pay/register — Registration is now open.
To register, click the button above. Or reach out to workshop organizer Brian Klems via email: WDWconference@gmail.com. He will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by credit card, PayPal, or check. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The KWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Brian plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Kentucky workshop specifically.
REGISTRATION:
Because of limited space at the venue (Kentucky International Convention Center), the workshop can only allow 150 registrants, unless spacing issues change. For this reason, we encourage you to book sooner rather than later.
(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next KWW is an in-person event happening in Louisville on Friday, April 24, 2026. See you there.)
Are spaces still available? Yes, we still have spaces available. We will announce RIGHT HERE, at this point on this web page, when all spaces are taken. If you do not see a note right here saying how all spaces are booked, then yes, we still have room, and you are encouraged to register.
How to Register:
To register, click the button above. Or reach out to workshop organizer Brian Klems via email: WDWconference@gmail.com. He will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by credit card, PayPal, or check. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The KWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Brian plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Kentucky workshop specifically.
Refunds: If you sign up for the event and have to cancel for any reason at any time, you will receive 50% of your total payment back [sent by check or PayPal]. The other 50% is nonrefundable and will not be returned, and helps the workshop ensure that only those truly interested in the limited spacing sign up for the event. (Please note that query editing payments and manuscript editing payments are completely non-refundable if the instructor has already edited your work.)
Thank you for your interest in the 2026 Kentucky Writing Workshop.
The 2026 Kentucky Writing Workshop 