Is there a silver lining for the publishing industry as people read, write, and work from home? Learn how publishing insiders are picking up the pieces and what it means for writers. Hear from editorial director Ibrahim Ahmad (Akashic Books), CEO Dara Beevas (Wise Ink Publishing), book publicist Saracei J. Fennell (Bronx Book Festival), and agent Danielle Svetcov (LGR Literary).

Moderated by Janine Kovac. $12

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Co-presented by MFA Writing at CCA

”It is a truth universally acknowledged that a writer in possession of a good novel must be in want of a great opening line. ”

—Jane Austen, sorta

Come compete in our Great First Lines contest! Bring three versions of the first line of your novel, short story, memoir or even query or cover letter. I’ll be moderating this panel of experts who will offer suggestions and choose a winner. We'll discuss great first lines in literature and what makes them succeed. Featuring editors from ZYZZYVA, Bare Life Review, and Wise Ink Publishing, as well as an agent from Andrea Brown Literary Agency. $20 (for sessions 1 and 2 of Pursuit of Pub. panels)

Grab your spot here!

This annual writing retreat brings the radical hospitality of Hedgebrook to the bucolic setting of St. Mary’s College of California in Moraga. Specifically created for woman-identified, non-binary and genderqueer writers, this spectacular event gives each participant her/their own writing space in addition to three meals and breakout sessions ranging from craft talks on fiction (Elizabeth Stark), non-fiction (Christine Hyung-Oak Lee), and poetry (Maw Shein Win) to a yoga class (taught by MRP’s Janine Kovac). The afternoon offers a publishing panel with Brooke Warner, Peg Alford Pursell, Brenda Knight, and that dynamic duo that makes up Moxie Road Productions, Janine and Tarja! The evening concludes with a keynote from Elizabeth Rosner and book sales courtesy of Orinda Books.

Click here for full details and retreat schedule.

Register here.

This event is part of Litquake’s Writers Weekend at Z Below April 13 and 14 at Z Below in San Francisco.

Click here for the full schedule!

In a world where attention spans are short and reading recommendations are determined by algorithms, how do today's authors find their readership? HarperOne publicist Melinda Mullins, Devi S. Laskar (The Atlas of Reds and Blues; Gas & Food, No Lodging), Hilary Zaid (Paper is White), and Leslie Carol Roberts (Here Is Where I Walk: Episodes from a Life in the Forest, The Entire Earth and Sky: Views on Antarctica) share their strategies with Litquake's Janine Kovac. $20

Get your tickets here!