Query Camp 2024
Join New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young, literary agents, and guest speakers for our second annual Query Camp open exclusively to Writing With the Soul alumni.
August 3-4, 2024
Enrollment opens June 28, 2024 | 12 PM EST
Cost: $350 per person
Check out our 2024 info below
Camp Directors
Courtney Shack & Ghabiba Weston
WWTS Alumni & Founders, Co-hosts, and Producers of STORYBEAST PODCAST
Courtney Shack
Courtney is one half of Storybeast. She lives, works, and writes in Virginia. She has experience in graphics and other artforms of storytelling. She’s a devout reader and wordsmith of both the romance and fantasy genres. Courtney enjoys long talks about the joys and struggles of storytelling over coffee, even long after her cup has cooled. Find her on Instagram @cshackwrites.
Ghabiba Weston
Ghabiba is the other half of Storybeast. Born in Africa, she bumped around the world until she landed at the opposite end amid a toppling pile of books and a growing collection of plants. She writes MG, YA, and Adult fantasy. Snacks and tea (mint or ginger) are her love language. She shares story pebbles and snippets of poetry on Instagram @ghabibaweston.
The Agents
Kurestin Armada| Root Literary
Chelsea Eberly | Greenhouse Literary Agency
Victoria Marini | High Line Literary Collective
Sara Megibow| KT Literary
Stuti Telidevara | Park & Fine Literary and Media
Sydnie Thornton| Word One Literary
Guest Speakers
Adrienne Young
Query Construction & Synopsis and Pitch
NYT & Internationally Bestselling Author, The Unmaking of June Farrow, Spells for Forgetting, The Sky & Sea Duology, The Fable Series
Kristin Dwyer
The First Ten Pages
Critically Acclaimed Author, The Atlas of Us, Some Mistakes Were Made
Jamie Clark
Research & Strategy
Women's Commercial Fiction Writer & Owner of The Deckle
New to Query Camp in 2024
The Query Camp Shopping Book will not only be sent to our participating agents but will also be shared for review with our 2024 participating publishers and newest additions, Owl Crate Press & FairyLoot.
The Details
Query Camp is a weekend-long virtual event exclusively for Writing With the Soul Alumni.
Join us for two jam-packed days of teaching sessions, agent panels, live query critiques, and group discussions about the harrowing world of querying. We’re going to dive deep into every facet of landing and working with literary agents, and we’ll hear directly from some of the industry’s most successful and up-and-coming agents on what querying looks like today, what they’re looking for, and how to stand out in the slush pile. Participants will also get the invaluable opportunity to submit their polished queries to the Query Camp Shopping Book, which will go to our agent faculty and participating publishers after the event so they can “shop” alumni pitches in an exclusive submission.
The Details
Query Camp is a weekend-long virtual event exclusively for Writing With the Soul Alumni.
Join us for two jam-packed days of teaching sessions, agent panels, live query critiques, and group discussions about the harrowing world of querying. We’re going to dive deep into every facet of landing and working with literary agents, and we’ll hear directly from some of the industry’s most successful and up-and-coming agents on what querying looks like today, what they’re looking for, and how to stand out in the slush pile. Participants will also get the invaluable opportunity to submit their polished queries to the Query Camp Shopping Book, which will go to our agent faculty and participating publishers after the event so they can “shop” alumni pitches in an exclusive submission.
Cabins & Camp Counselors
Each participant will be assigned to a cabin with 15-20 other writers. Every cabin is led by a Camp Counselor who is a WWTS alumni who is now agented and/or has sold their first book. The Camp Counselors are there to share their personal experiences, answer questions about the process, & lead discussion each day in the group. You will also have the opportunity to use your group to workshop your query, if you have one. If interested in becoming a camp counselor, please email community@writingwiththesoul.com.
2024 itinerary
Day 1
- Cabin Meeting
- Coffee Chat
- Session 1: Synopsis & Pitch
- Agent Panel #1
- Arts & Crafts
- Session 2: The First Ten Pages
- Live Critiques
- Campfire Cabin Meetings
Day 2
- Cabin Meeting
- Coffee Chat
- Session 3: Query Construction
- Agent Panel #2
- Arts & Crafts
- Session 4: Research & Strategy
- Live Critiques
- Campfire Cabin Meetings
Registration
Registration opens June 28, 2024 at 12 PM EST.
Tickets are first come, first served and are non-refundable. If you purchase an enrollment in Query Camp, you are not eligible to receive a scholarship.
Query Camp Details
Do I need to have a finished book that’s ready to query in order to participate?
Do I need to have a finished book that’s ready to query in order to participate?
No! Writers at any stage of the writing process who want to learn more about querying and the publishing industry are welcome to join.
Do I need to have a finished manuscript in order to submit my query to the shopping book?
Do I need to have a finished manuscript in order to submit my query to the shopping book?
Yes. If you plan to query the agents and the shopping book you do need to have a finished, polished manuscript. You will submit that finished/revised query one week after Query Camp.
I can’t afford the registration fee. Will there be scholarships?
I can’t afford the registration fee. Will there be scholarships?
Yes, we are offering 4 full scholarships. Scholarship applications will open on the same day as registration and those awarded will be notified afterward.
Is the event open to non-WWTS writers?
Is the event open to non-WWTS writers?
No. This is an event specifically designed for and open to Writing With the Soul alumni.
What kind of interaction will I get with agents?
What kind of interaction will I get with agents?
All participants will attend two different live agent panels, all of which will have open Q&A. In addition to the live panels, some agents will critique queries submitted by participants live during the event. After Query Camp, if you submit a finalized query to the Shopping Book, your query will go directly to the faculty of agents in an exclusive submission.
Will I get to workshop my query?
Will I get to workshop my query?
Yes. All participants will be placed in a “cabin” with a “camp counselor”. This is the space designated for group discussion and sharing pages. Each group will decide their own approach to trading and critiquing queries.