TBR 2027: Full Schedule

9:00am EST

Paths to Publishing: Which Is Right For You?

Saturday January 16, 2027 9:00am - 10:00am EST

Traditional, independent, hybrid, small press — there's no single "right" way to publish a book anymore, just the right way for you. This session breaks down the major paths to publication, what each one actually involves (timelines, costs, creative control, royalties, and reach), and the trade-offs writers often don't realize they're making until they're deep into it. Whether you're weighing your first book deal or reconsidering your approach after one path didn't pan out, you'll leave with a clearer framework for choosing the route that fits your goals, your genre, and your life.

Moderators

Edwin Hill

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT, Author

Edwin Hill’s critically-acclaimed crime novels include Who To Believe and The Secrets We Share, and three novels in the Hester Thursby series. His latest thriller What Happened Next will publish in March. He has been nominated for Edgar and Agatha Awards and received starred re... Read More →

Speakers

Trisha Blanchet

MURDER LIKE MAGIC, Author

Trisha Blanchet is the author of Murder Like Magic and The Neath Trilogy: Herrick’s End, Herrick’s Lie, and Herrick’s Key. She’s also the producer and host of A Mighty Blaze Podcast, a member of Sisters in Crime, ITW, Mystery Writers of America, and the Tall Poppy Writers, and the founder of Operation Delta Dog: Service Dogs for Veterans (OperationDeltaDog.org... Read More →

Becky Hilliker

Köehler Books, Vice President and Executive Editor

Becky learned the power of words at the age of six, when she slid a note under her sister's door that said “I don’t love you—I don’t even like you.” That declaration moved her sister, who never tattled again. Becky coauthored the 2015 novel Sisters of Shiloh with that s... Read More →

Marin Takikawa

The Friedrich Agency, Literary Agent & Foreign Rights Director

Marin Takikawa is an agent and foreign rights director at the Friedrich Agency. Born in Tokyo and raised in Singapore and NYC, she joined TFA in early 2021 and now has the immense privilege of selling international rights for both debuts and seasoned authors including Alison Espach... Read More →

Saturday January 16, 2027 9:00am - 10:00am EST
TBA

Track 2: Pre-Pub

10:15am EST

The Hook (and Other Things Writers Need to Know About What Gets an Agent's Attention)

Saturday January 16, 2027 10:15am - 11:15am EST

TBA

Agents read hundreds of queries a week-- so what actually makes one stop scrolling? This session breaks down the mechanics of a strong hook: how to open a query (and your manuscript) with the tension, voice, or premise that signals a book worth reading, common mistakes that get a query passed over in seconds, and what agents are really looking for beyond a clever first line. Beyond the hook itself, we'll cover the other elements of a submission that catch an agent's eye— comp titles, bio, sample pages— and how they work together to make a case for your book. Come for a sharper, more strategic sense of what actually gets an agent to say yes.

Speakers

Jessica Berg

Rosecliff Literary, Agency Director + Founder

Jessica Berg is the founder and agency director of Rosecliff Literary, a boutique agency built on the belief that ambitious writers deserve transparency, strategy, and a seat at the table. She earned her MFA from Spalding University and brings more than a decade of experience to her... Read More →

Saturday January 16, 2027 10:15am - 11:15am EST
TBA

Track 2: Pre-Pub

11:30am EST

Finding "The One": Researching Agents Who Are Actually Right for You

Saturday January 16, 2027 11:30am - 12:30pm EST

TBA

A great query letter means nothing if it lands in the wrong inbox. This session is about the research that happens before you ever hit send: how to identify agents who actually represent your genre, how to read a deal announcement or MSWL post for real signal (not just wishful thinking), and how to avoid wasting your shot on a mismatch. We'll cover the tools and databases worth using, red flags to watch for, and how to build a smart, targeted query list instead of a scattershot one. Whether you're querying for the first time or starting over after a round that didn't go anywhere, you'll leave knowing how to find the agents who are actually right for your book.

Speakers

Kimberly Hensle Lowrance

WHAT REMAINS OF YOU, Author

Kimberly Hensle Lowrance is the author of the debut novel, What Remains of You.

Kimberly’s writing can be found in The Boston Globe, WBUR’s Cognoscenti, and Embark Literary Journal, among other publications. She’s also been included in two anthologies: The Pandemic Midlife... Read More →

Katherine Fausset

Curtis Brown, Ltd., Literary Agent

Katherine Fausset is a Literary Agent and Vice President at Curtis Brown, Ltd., where she represents literary and upmarket fiction, and select non-fiction. Her clients include multiple New York Times bestselling and internationally-acclaimed authors. Notable recent titles are Emi... Read More →

Saturday January 16, 2027 11:30am - 12:30pm EST
TBA

Track 2: Pre-Pub

1:45pm EST

Working with a Developmental Editor

Saturday January 16, 2027 1:45pm - 2:45pm EST

TBA

Your draft is done — now comes the part where someone tells you, lovingly but firmly, that your structure isn't working or that chapter 3 is where your argument actually starts. That's a developmental editor's job, and this session is your guide to working with one. We'll cover what developmental editing is (and isn't), how to find the right editor for your project — whether you're writing narrative nonfiction, memoir, or fiction — and how to turn hard-to-hear feedback into a stronger book without losing your voice. Whether you're shaping a novel's arc, structuring a life on the page, or building a clear case out of research and reporting, you'll leave with practical tools for making this creative partnership work.

Speakers

Elizabeth Pryor

SOMETHING WE SAID: RICHARD PRYOR, A NOTORIOUS WORD AND ME, Author

Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor is a Professor of History at Smith College where she teaches courses on race, slavery and her father, comedic legend Richard Pryor. She is the award-winning author of the article “The Etymology of [N-Word]: Resistance, Language, and the Politics of Freedom... Read More →

Julie Merson

Developmental Editor /Film and Television Producer, Developmental Editor /Film and Television Producer

Julie Merson Bio

Julie Merson is an award-winning producer and senior entertainment executive who has been developing, packaging, selling and producing television for more than 15 years. She’s headed up development and programming at companies including Washington Square Films, 44 Blue and Rainn... Read More →

Saturday January 16, 2027 1:45pm - 2:45pm EST
TBA

Track 2: Pre-Pub

3:00pm EST

Soft Skills: How to Network Effectively Without Feeling Like an Asshat

Saturday January 16, 2027 3:00pm - 4:00pm EST

TBA

The networking author has a bad reputation — and honestly, a lot of it is earned. Nobody wants to be the person working a room like it's a transaction, or sliding into an agent's DMs with a pitch disguised as a compliment. This session is about the other way to do it: building real relationships with publishing professionals, fellow writers, and readers that don't feel gross, forced, or purely self-serving. We'll cover how to network at conferences, online, and in everyday life — what to say (and not say), how to follow up without being a pest, and how to play the long game in an industry where today's slush pile reader could be tomorrow's editor. Come learn how to build a genuine network without losing your dignity — or your soul.

Moderators

Alexis M. Wright

Fine Arts Works Center, Education Program Manager

Alexis M. Wright is an essayist whose work has appeared in The Common, Shenandoah, The Maine Review, and Electric Literature, and was named a Notable Essay in Best American Essays 2023. A 2022 Tin House Scholar and 2024 Tin House Reading Fellow, she holds an MFA in Nonfiction from the University of San Francisco. As Education Programs Manager at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown—and a teacher at GrubStreet, The Loft Literary Center, and midnight & indi... Read More →

Speakers

Paula Weiman

ASH Literary, Literary Agent

Paula Weiman (they/them) joined the ASH Literary team in 2023 as an Agent after a career in literary scouting and educational publishing. Based in New York and with a background in translation rights, they bring an international approach to selling their clients’ work. Their goal... Read More →

Patricia Park

AMBROSIA LEE DROPS THE MIC, Author

Patricia Park writes humorous and heartfelt coming-of-age-novels set in the “Queens Multiverse.” Her adult novel Re Jane, is a Korean American retelling of Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Her Middle-Grade/YA crossover novel is What’s Eating Jackie Oh?, and the YA novels are Imposter... Read More →

Saturday January 16, 2027 3:00pm - 4:00pm EST
TBA

Track 2: Pre-Pub

9:30am EST

Query Tip: How to Write an Excellent Query Letter

Sunday January 17, 2027 9:30am - 10:30am EST

TBA

A query letter is your one chance to entice an agent or editor into reading your manuscript. Needless to say it must be just right. But what does a perfect pitch entail? In this course, an experienced literary agent will offer tips on how (and how not) to pitch your work to increase the chances of an agent or editor requesting your manuscript.

Speakers

Amaryah Orenstein

GO Literary, Literary Agent

Amaryah Orenstein, founder and president of GO Literary, is actively seeking works that wed beautiful writing with a strong narrative and tackle big issues in engaging, accessible, and even surprising ways. Amaryah began her career at the Laura Gross Literary Agency in 2009 and, prior... Read More →

Sunday January 17, 2027 9:30am - 10:30am EST
TBA

Track 2: Pre-Pub

10:45am EST

I’ve Signed With an Agent; Now What?

Sunday January 17, 2027 10:45am - 11:45am EST

TBA

The offer's in, the contract's signed, and now comes the part nobody quite prepares you for. This session walks through what actually happens after signing: what to expect during the submission process, how to communicate with your agent, how much patience (and silence) is normal, and how to manage your expectations without losing your mind. Whether you're newly signed or still figuring out this relationship, you'll leave knowing what comes next — and how to be a good partner in it.

Moderators

Lauren Liebow

Aevitas Creative Management, Literary Agent

Lauren Liebow represents authors across literary and upmarket fiction as well as nonfiction. She has editorially supported award-winning authors who are New York Times bestsellers, MacDowell fellows, Fulbright Grant Awardees, and National Book Award longlisted authors, among othe... Read More →

Speakers

Weina Dai Randel

THE MASTER JEWELER, Author

Weina Dai Randel is an award-winning, internationally bestselling, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of six historical novels, including The Last Rose of Shanghai, which was optioned for a feature film; Night Angels, which was longlisted for the Massachusetts Book Awards; Th... Read More →

Laura Katz

Writers House Literary Agency, Junior Agent

Writers House is one of the largest independent literary agencies in the world, with in-house international licensing, media, contracts, and accounting teams. I joined in 2021, working first as an assistant in the contracts and accounting departments. Since 2022, I’ve supported... Read More →

Eric Smith

Neighborhood Literary, Founder + Literary Agent

With over fifteen years of experience in publishing, both at a house and an agency, Eric Smith (he/him) has worked with numerous New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors across genres and categories.

He is always looking for Middle Grade and Young Adult projects (fiction and non-fiction), adult genre-blending upmarket and literary fiction, accessible sci-fi and fantasy, high concept rom-coms, and memoir, essays, and wellness titles in the non-fiction space... Read More →

Sunday January 17, 2027 10:45am - 11:45am EST
TBA

Track 2: Pre-Pub

12:00pm EST

I’ve Sold My Book; Now What?

Sunday January 17, 2027 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST

TBA

A book deal feels like the finish line — but it's really the starting gun. This session covers what happens between signing a contract and holding a finished book: the editorial process, marketing and publicity timelines, what your publisher expects from you, and how to manage the long, sometimes disorienting road to publication day. You'll leave with a clear-eyed roadmap for turning a sold manuscript into a successful launch.

Moderators

Pam Gruber

High Line Literary Collective, Literary Agent

Pam became a literary agent when she realized her favorite part of the publishing business was working closely with authors and artists, helping them to shape not only their stories, but also their careers. She got her start in publishing as an editor, working for over a decade at... Read More →

Speakers

Amy Caldwell

Maria Pinto

FEARLESS, SLEEPLESS, DEATHLESS: WHAT FUNGI TAUGHT ME ABOUT NOURISHMENT, POISON, ECOLOGY, HIDDEN HISTORIES, ZOMBIES, AND BLACK SURVIVAL, Author

Maria Pinto is a naturalist, essayist, fictioneer, and educator living in the Boston area. She teaches creative writing for various organizations, has led workshops and given lectures for mycological societies and environmental groups around the country, and leads regular fungal forays... Read More →

Mariah Stovall

Trellis Literary Management, Literary Agent

Mariah Stovall is an agent at Trellis Literary Management, which she joined upon its founding in 2021. She previously worked at the agencies Howland Literary and Writers House and the publishers Farrar, Straus & Giroux and Gallery Books. She represents literary and upmarket fiction... Read More →

Sunday January 17, 2027 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
TBA

Track 2: Pre-Pub

TBR 2027

From $20.35

Tickets

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TBR 2027

9:00am EST

Edwin Hill

Trisha Blanchet

Becky Hilliker

Marin Takikawa

10:15am EST

Jessica Berg

11:30am EST

Kimberly Hensle Lowrance

Katherine Fausset

1:45pm EST

Elizabeth Pryor

Julie Merson

3:00pm EST

Alexis M. Wright

Paula Weiman

Patricia Park

9:30am EST

Amaryah Orenstein

10:45am EST

Lauren Liebow

Weina Dai Randel

Laura Katz

Eric Smith

12:00pm EST

Pam Gruber

Amy Caldwell

Maria Pinto

Mariah Stovall

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