W&M Libraries Events

Breaking into a career as a writer may seem daunting, but there are a million different ways you can build a life (and make a living) through your fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or hybrid written work. In this workshop, we’ll talk through all of the nuts and bolts of publishing — from your first flash fiction publication to the major book deal. We’ll cover submissions, MFAs, the art of building community, and the etiquette of interacting with literary gatekeepers. I’ll share my experience working with Big Five publishers as well as with indies, and I’ll leave you with a list of agents, magazines, residencies, grants, and other resources you can use to get started today.

ABOUT KATE REED PETTY ’06

Kate Reed Petty’s debut novel, True Story, was called “spellbinding” and chosen as an Editor’s Choice by the New York Times Review of Books in 2020; it is currently a finalist for the Stoker Award for First Novel. Kate’s work has appeared in ZYZZYVA, Electric Literature, and American Short Fiction, among other places, and she has received support from The Mount, Bloedel Reserve, the Rubys Artist Awards, and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. At William & Mary, she was a member of I.T. and a ghost of Tucker Hall. She lives in Baltimore.