Join acclaimed novelist and memoirist David Goodwillie as he explains (and simplifies) the often daunting process of writing and selling a book. How does the publishing industry actually work? Who are the publishers, and what are the different genres? What about e-books, audiobooks and self-publishing? He’ll discuss the process of writing itself: What, exactly, do you want to write — a novel, a memoir or a collection of essays — and how can you get started? He’ll also talk about craft of balancing character and plot, dialogue and exposition, and the ever-important role of revision. And, finally, he’ll help unlock the secrets of selling your book. What are editors looking for? Do you really need an agent (and what’s the best way to find one)? Can you write a proposal, or should you have a finished manuscript? How do advances work? He’ll even touch on foreign sales and optioning your book to Hollywood. Finally, the discussion will be turned over to you, and David will answer any questions you might have about books and the process of creating them.

David Goodwillie is the author of the novels Kings County, a 2020 New York Times Editors Choice and finalist for the Gotham Book Prize, and American Subversive, a 2010 New York Times Notable Book of the Year, along with the memoir Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. He writes about books for the Times, and his journalism has also appeared in Newsweek, Popular Science, New York magazine, Men’s Health and The Daily Beast. He’s been drafted to play professional baseball, worked as a private investigator and was an expert at Sotheby’s auction house. A graduate of Kenyon College, he lives in Brooklyn and the Catskills.