A few weeks ago, literary agent Mark McVeigh invited a group of his blog followers to particpate in a webinar session about publishing, and I was one of the lucky followers!Mark is an agent with the Mark McVeigh Agency. Before that, he was an editor for eleven years, including editorial director at Simon & Schuster's Children's Publishing Division. Mark definitely knows the publishing industry. He's also a former teacher, so he knows how to structure a class and how to teach. What an awesome combination!
During the seminar, using the webcam on my computer and a website Mark directed us to, I was able to see and hear Mark and the other participants, and they were able to see and hear me. I was pretty nervous I wouldn't be able to get the whole thing working, but using Mark's directions I was up and web conferencing in no time. The really cool part is, I didn't even have to leave the comfort of my own kitchen...no travel, no hotel, no babysitters. I could even get up to let the dog outside when I needed to. I just love technology!
We focused on how to get an agent, an editor, and get published. I learned so much and took pages of notes, which I've already referred to repeatedly. We were all able to ask questions, which was so cool! Another valuable part of the webinar was the writing project he assigned, which we later submitted to him via email and he critiqued. How cool is that?
Many of the group members formed an online critique group, and I even found a beta reader in the group, which is like gold! I stay in touch with other participants through emails and through our blogs, and you know how much I love new bloggy friends!
Thank you to Mark - who is planning more of these webinars in the future, so check with me if you're interested - and all the other participants, who made this such a wonderful experience!
