WANT TO KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME?
I try to keep my appearance calendar updated as dates get booked. To view my upcoming appearances, scroll to the bottom of this page.
INVITE ME TO YOUR CONFERENCE!
I am currently scheduling conferences for 2027. If you’re interested in booking me for your event, the below information is a great starting point. Please take a moment to read over the information then send an email to Cathie@MarsalLyonLiteraryAgency.com.
COMPENSATION
Most conferences are non-profit and function on a limited budget. For that reason, I do not have a “set fee” and prefer to work within the budget of the conference for all compensation related to my time and participation. I do, however, require the conference to cover all conference fees, travel and lodging, and I appreciate a small per diem for meals if not included as part of the conference.
CONFERENCE OFFERINGS
- Face-to-Face Pitches
- Round Tables / First Pages Workshops
- Agent Consults
- Q&A Panels
- 5-10 Page Critiques
- Contest Judging
- Workshops & Presentations
- Online / Remote Options Available
ONE-ON-ONE AGENT PITCHES
I’m frequently invited to receive face-to-face pitches with authors hoping to find an agent. Knowing whether I represent the genres your attendees write can be very helpful, so the following is a list of the genres I represent:
Genres I Represent
- Romance (all categories except Science Fiction)
- Romantasy
- Domestic or Psychological Suspense
- Horror
- Thrillers
- Mystery
- Paranormal Fiction
- Historical Fiction
- Commercial Fiction
- Upmarket Book Club Fiction
- Select Young Adult
- Select Non-Fiction
Genres I DO NOT Represent
- Middle Grade and Picture Book
- Science Fiction
- Fantasy
- Poetry
- Short Stories
For more specific information on what I’m currently hoping to find, visit my Manuscript Wishlist.
FOR CONFERENCE COORDINATORS
Use THIS LINK to download a high resolution headshot for your conference brochure or website.
WORKSHOPS & PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE
The following is a list of workshops I currently have in rotation, and I’m always happy to create new ones as needed. Each workshop/presentation is intended to be interactive and includes time for questions and answers.
COMING SOON:
THE ABC’S & 123’S OF PUBLISHING
Though still in the works, this will be an approximately 60-minute presentation/workshop on the whys of the information literary agents request in an author’s query package.
Agents don’t request a plethora of information to give authors busywork or to reduce the number of queries in their inbox. Every piece of information has a funtion and a purpose, and when we understand why we’re being asked to produce something, it’s easier to buy into the request and offer more complete information.
This workshop will cover the whys of word count, genre, loglines, the pitch, comp titles, the synopsis, the author bio, and more!
PICK YOUR PATH:
CHOOSE YOUR PERFECT PUBLISHING PATH
Length of Presentation: Approximately 60 minutes
Description: This presentation is intended to give authors a good overview of the different paths to publishing (Self-Publishing, Small Press, Finding an Agent for Large Publisher) along with the necessary steps they’ll need to take for each path.
BAT A HOME RUN:
THE AUTHOR’S GRAND SLAM GAME PLAN FOR SCORING A LITERARY AGENT
Length of Presentation: Approximately 60 minutes
Description: This presentation is a very broad overview for how to find a literary agent, why an author might want one, what steps they should take to query an agent, what an agent does for an author, and when/how an offer occurs. This presentation is intended for the newbie with little or no understanding for how the publishing industry works.
YOUR AGENT MEET-CUTE:
WHERE ADVANCE PREPARATION MEETS AUTHOR-AGENT COMPATIBILITY
Length of Presentation: Approximately 45-60 minutes
Description: This presentation is a step up from Bat a Home Run: The Author’s Grand Slam Game Plan for Scoring a Literary Agent. In this workshop, authors walk through the steps necessary before sending that first query letter, a detailed look at how to put together a winning query package, and tips for vetting prospective agents. Participants will have a good working knowledge of the query process, but may need a more in-depth understanding for how to make sure their package is ready.
PITCH PERFECT:
TIPS FOR SCORING A HOME RUN
IN YOUR FACE-TO-FACE AGENT PITCH
Length of Presentation: Approximately 45-60 Minutes
Description: This presentation walks authors through the preparation process for meeting agents face-to-face to pitch projects. While there are very few strong “don’ts” when meeting an agent, there are things you can do to stand out and make your pitch memorable, and that’s what this presentation focuses on–how to make the most of your 10 minutes with an agent.
THE QUINTESSENTIAL QUERY:
WRITING A STAND-OUT QUERY LETTER
Length of Presentation: Approximately 60 minutes
Description: The query letter can be the most challenging aspect of securing a literary agent. After all, you’re asked to condense 85,000 words down to fewer than 300. This workshop will help authors learn how to silence the background noise of extraneous information to focus only on the important information that will grab an agent’s attention.
POLISH YOUR PROSE:
YOUR LAST STOP IN EDITING BEFORE PRESSING “SEND”
Length of Presentation: Approximately 60 minutes
Description: One of the biggest reasons agents pass on a manuscript is not the pitch or the idea itself, but on the mechanics of the writing itself. This workshop walks authors through the most common writing mistakes that result in an agent pass, and how they can identify and fix those mistakes before sending a manuscript to an agent.
SAVE YOUR DARLINGS:
CUT YOUR WORD COUNT WITHOUT CUTTING CONTENT
Length of Presentation: Approximately 60 minutes
Description: The advance to “write a good manuscript and someone will take it, regardless of the word count” is simply not true. Agents seek manuscripts that conform to specific word counts, and too many words are a deal breaker for most agents and a hard stop for many editors. This workshop walks authors through the process of reducing the number of words in a manuscript without cutting chapters, scenes, or large sections of content—allowing authors to keep the work mostly as they intended when writing.
CONGRATS! YOU’VE RECEIVED
“THE CALL.” NOW WHAT?
Length of Presentation: Approximately 45-60 minutes.
Description: When offered representation, many authors want to jump in with both feet without looking both ways. But stop! The most important favor an author does for themself is to slow down and follow a few important steps before accepting that offer. And frequently, authors are so anxious to land an agent that they pitch to every agent who represents the genre they write. But once an offer is in hand, the author is in the driver’s seat, and there are some very important steps one should take to ensure they not only sign with the agent who’s the best fit for themselves and their manuscript, but also that they sign with a reputable agent rather than a “schmagent.” This presentation walks the author through the important steps they should be taking before signing on the dotted line.
