Middle Grade Winter Workshop
January 23rd, 2023 - April 19th, 2023
with Leslie Zampetti
A two and half-month workshop for writers seeking story-level feedback on their middle grade projects to take their work to the next level.
In this workshop, you will work with Leslie Zampetti from Odom Media management, and a small group of writers (up to 4 others) on the first 12,500 words of your novels in process, over two rounds (8350 words for novels in verse). The workshop includes written feedback from Leslie and your peers, live calls to debrief each round, and a group discussion board where Leslie will answer questions.
The workshop begins with an introductory group call to meet the other members and discuss workshop expectations. Then you will submit the first 7,500 words (5000 if verse) of your project for feedback, plus a short summary (this is for your readers and will not be critiqued). You have three weeks to read and post your written critiques of participants work. Round 1 critiques are followed by a group debrief call where you can dig into questions about the notes and/or brainstorm with Leslie about revisions. You will then submit your next 5000 words (or 3350 for verse) for peer and professional feedback. The group concludes with a one-on-one call.
Participants may opt to share a third submission for critique from Leslie and optional peer critique. This is an additional charge and you will be able to make this choice at the end of the workshop. Additional submissions may be either the next section of your project or a revision of material you submitted earlier in the workshop.
What to expect from your written critiques: Leslie will provide a detailed critique on your pages addressing character development, plot development, pacing, and sentence-level writing tips to take your story to the next level.
*This workshop has a zero tolerance policy against racist, sexist, harassing, or otherwise offensive behavior. Writers who engage in this behavior against the instructor or fellow writers, or present material that promotes this behavior, will be removed from the workshop without a refund.
Notes
Who this workshop is for: This workshop welcomes writers working on middle grade fiction stories. Leslie is excited to read submissions in prose, as well as verse novels (VN). For VN, submission word counts are lower; see the “submissions” heading below for guidance.
Focus: Children's - Middle Grade - Contemporary fiction - Children'…
Group size: 5 writers
Submissions: Prose - Round 1: first 7500 words plus a story summary; Round 2: 5000 words. Verse Novels- Round 1: 5000 words, Round 2: 3350 words.
Fee
Members: $300; Non-members: $365
We are pleased to offer a scholarship for 50% of the workshop fee to a writer of color or from a historically marginalized group. Applications for this scholarship have closed.
About Leslie Zampetti
A former librarian with over 20 years’ experience in special, public, and school libraries, Leslie’s focus was on the reader, giving them the right book at the right time - which works for matching client work to editors too. Having negotiated with organizations from Lexis-Nexis to the elementary school PTA, she is able to come to terms that favor her clients while building satisfying relationships with publishers. And after cataloging rocket launch videos for NASA and model rocket ships for an elementary school, Leslie welcomes working with the unexpected challenges that pop up in publishing.
Leslie joined Odom Media Management in 2022. Previously, she was an intern for The Bent Agency and an agent with Dunham Literary.
A writer herself, Leslie is very familiar with querying from both sides of the desk.
For children’s books, Leslie seeks middle grade and young adult novels, especially mysteries and contemporary fiction. Historical fiction with a specific hook to the time and place, novels in verse, and off-the-beaten-path romances are on her wish list. For picture books, Leslie prefers nonfiction that tells a story almost too good to be true, stories that show everyday diversity to mirror under-represented readers and open windows to others (per Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop), witty wordplay, and dry, sly humor. Drawn to books about Florida, odd homes, and kids with book smarts and big hearts, Leslie is highly selective.