QUERYPALOOZA
HOW TO WRITE AN EYE-CATCHING QUERY AND HOOK AN AGENT
WITH EVE PORINCHAK OF THE JILL CORCORAN LITERARY AGENCY
In this interactive workshop Eve Porinchak, of the Jill Corcoran Literary Agency (JCLA), will teach you the basics of how to write a QUERY LETTER – the most important step in landing your wonderful manuscript on an agent’s desk.
During QUERYPALOOZA you will learn to:
- Identify QUERY Do’s and Don’ts.
- Write a One Sentence Logline whittling down your book to its main hook and theme.
- Write a brief one-paragraph synopsis of your book.
- Write a brief, intriguing and/or applicable bio.
- Write a one-sentence explanation of why you are sending to a particular agent.
- Pull all these pieces together to create a concise and killer QUERY that will leave an agent begging to read your entire manuscript!
* Please bring a sample query letter you have written (it could be a quick rough draft, or one you’ve used in the past) and get ready to have it pulled apart, stretched, re-worded, chopped down, and critiqued in small groups. At the end of QUERYPALOOZA, you will have an edited, perfected one-page query letter, ready to submit.
I’m looking forward to seeing you there! P.S. There may be cupcakes. Why? Because there should always be cupcakes!
NOTE: Workshop attendees' will have an open window to submit to literary agent Eve Porinchak, and their submissions will be given priority.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
EVE PORINCHAK, JCLA
A true omnivore (both literarily and gastronomically) Eve has eclectic tastes, with favorites ranging from THE STUPIDS STEP OUT to Walter Dean Meyers’ MONSTER. Eve is open to everything from picture books to adult novels, with special interest in Young Adult and Adult Fiction featuring younger main characters. Eve is especially fond of contemporary, realistic, edgy stories, speculative fiction, gang-lit, prison-lit, crime, and light magical realism, but is not a fan of high fantasy. A lover of psychologically intriguing plots, Eve loves “nothing is what it seems” themes, a la GONE GIRL. A world traveler and lover of fresh adventures, Eve will travel anywhere, read anything, and eat anything (except frog legs – EWH!)
Eve graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s degree in Psycho-Biology. She earned a degree in Early Childhood Education and also attended medical school, anticipating a career in Pediatrics, but decided she loved sleep and creative outlets too much to continue doctoring (not to mention those white lab coats - such a fashion DON'T). Eve has always worked with children in some capacity. She has taught Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade, was a foster care case manager in Vermont and court-appointed Guardian ad Litem, currently teaches creative writing to incarcerated teens in Los Angeles, and serves as an aid worker in Tijuana orphanages.
A writer and active member of SCBWI for 13 years, Eve worked as Jill Corcoran’s assistant (reading thousands of queries) before being promoted to Agent.
FUN FACTS:
Books I Wish I had Represented:
- YOU SHALL KNOW OUR VELOCITY! by Dave Eggers
- THE OUTSIDERS by S.E. Hinton
- TRUE NOTEBOOKS by Mark Salzman
Favorite Movies:
- The Breakfast Club (Pure brilliance!)
- The Blue Lagoon (Don't judge)
- Kings of Summer
Dream Job: Quality Control Tester at Cinnabon
Death Row Meal: Anything cake related: cupcakes, bundt cake, ice cream cake
Likes: Books, movies, running, golf, tennis, travel, cupcakes, puppies, cows that run
Dislikes: Frogs, snot, eyeballs (Please don’t send me your book about a snotty-nosed frog with conjunctivitis—sorry!)
* If interested in querying Eve Porinchak of JCLA, please submit a brief query letter with short bio and synopsis, and the first 10 pages to eve@Jillcorcoranliteraryagency.com
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2015
Time: 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Venue: El Segundo Public Library
Fee: $65
*$10 Discount for CBW-LA Members.
*Non-members pay the full amount.