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Discover what’s hot, what’s not, and what you can do to land your big break. Featuring leading industry professionals, this full-day seminar lifts the curtain on contemporary publishing. Whether you are ready to submit, still working on your book, or just starting out, this is where you’ll find invaluable tips and advice to improve your chances of getting published. Featuring top literary agents, leading Irish editors, debut authors, and the mastermind behind Europe’s biggest writing resource website Writing.ie, this seminar is designed to help you make sense of the publishing industry and get your work out there.
Please note Early Bird Ticket of €70 for Seminar will be available only up until the 24th of April.
Saturday 23rd May Schedule
9:15–10:00. Check in (tea and coffee available).
Session 1. 10:00–11:30. The Agent Panel. Five top literary agents discuss what it takes to make it, what the market is looking for in the genres they represent, what they love and loathe to see in a submission, and how to avoid rejection. Featuring: Maria Whelan, Mushens Entertainment (Literary Fiction/Book Club), John Baker, Bell Lomax Moreton (Speculative Fiction/Science Fiction/Romantasy/Fantasy), Jade Kavanagh, Darley Anderson Agency & Associates (Crime/Thriller), Isobel Dixon, Blake Friedmann Literary Agency (Memoir/Historical Fiction), Shanika Hyslop, Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency (Women’s Fiction).
11:30–11:45. Refreshments.
Session 2. 11:45–12:45. The Perfect Pitch. What can you do to stand out in the sea of competing talent? Vanessa Fox O’Louglin, who writes as bestseller Sam Blake, and is founder of Writing.ie, explains what to include and leave out in that crucial submission package, and how to get noticed.
12:45–13:30. Lunch (included in ticket price). Enjoy a catered lunch on the grounds of the beautiful Merrion Square Park (included in the ticket price).
Session 3. 13:30–14:30. Inside Editing. Part I Two leading editors discuss what they’re looking for in a submission, what makes a break-out novel, what not to do when submitting your manuscript, and how to make your work sing. Featuring Joanna Smyth, Editorial Director, Hachette Ireland and second editor to be announced shortly.
14:30–14:45. Refreshments.
Session 4. 14:45– 15:45. Inside Editing – Part II. Learn the secrets of self-editing – essential for turning a draft into a polished submission capable of hooking an editor’s attention. Featuring Joanna Smyth, Editorial Director, Hachette Ireland and 2nd editor tbc
Session 5. 15:45–16:45. My Big Break. Debut authors Aisling Rawle (an ex-bookseller whose dark reality TV satire The Compound, won the Goodreads Choice Award in the Readers’ Favorite Science Fiction category and was shortlisted for Best Newcomer at the Irish Book Awards), Neil Tully (whose 2026 novel The Visit, is a gripping tale of guilt, anger and survival set in small-town Wexford against the backdrop of JFK’s visit – just out) and Bernie McQuillan (who was twice shortlisted for Date with An Agent and whose debut The Lobster Pot was longlisted for the Caledonian Novel Award and highly commended in the Irish Writer Centre’s Novel Awards) discuss their route to success – how they approached getting seen and heard by agents and publishers, and how they landed a deal.
16:45–17:00. Closing Remarks
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Refreshments throughout the day and the catered lunch on the grounds of Merrion Square Park are included in the ticket price. Tickets are issued by email, along with the schedule for the day.
Successful applicants to Date With An Agent have their agent dates during Session 2 and 3. Time slots are notified in advance.
Time for Q&A is included into each session.
In partnership with Writing.ie.
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Event Venue
Merrion Square Park, Merrion Square,Dublin, Ireland
Tickets
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