CB & LMG Winter Workshop with Alison Weiss

January 6th, 2025 - March 28th, 2025

with Alison Weiss

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A three-month workshop for writers seeking story-level feedback on their Chapter Book or Lower Middle Grade projects to take their work to the next level.

In this workshop, you will work with senior development editor, Alison Weiss, and a small group of writers (up to 5 others) on the first 10,000 words of your novels in process, over two rounds. The workshop includes written feedback from Alison and your peers, live calls to debrief each round, and a group discussion board.

The workshop begins with an introductory group call to meet the other members and discuss workshop expectations. Then you will submit the first 5000 words of your project for feedback, plus a short synopsis (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 Alison about revisions. You will then submit your next 5000 words for peer and professional feedback (either a revision of round 1, or the next section of your book). The group concludes with a second group debrief call. 

What to expect from your written critiques: Alison will provide a detailed critique on your pages addressing character development, plot development, pacing, and sentence-level writing tips to take your pages to the next level. It will not include full line-edits.

*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.

<p>Writers may register for one MG/CB workshop per season. The winter season runs from Jan 1st - April 14th. If spaces are available one month prior to a workshop starting, writers will be able to register for a second workshop.<br></p>

Notes

Who this workshop is for: This workshop welcomes writers working on CB &amp; LMG fiction stories. Alison is excited to read submissions in prose across genres.

Focus: Children's - Middle Grade - Contemporary fiction - Children'…

Group size: 6 writers

Submissions: <p>&nbsp;Round 1: first 5000 words plus a synopsis; Round 2: 5000 words.&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-weight: 700;">Changes and Withdrawals Policy:&nbsp;</span><br></p><ul><li>2 months or more&nbsp;ahead of a workshop start: you will be credited the full amount of the workshop, less a $15 change fee.</li><li>Under 2 months to 15 days ahead of a workshop start: you will be credited for the full workshop cost less a $15 charge if we are able to replace you. If we can't replace you, you will receive a credit for 50% of the workshop cost.</li><li>Withdrawals within 2 weeks&nbsp;of a workshop start will not be credited even if you are able to be replaced. Your payment will go towards our scholarship program.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Fee

Members: $320; Non-members: $400

About Alison Weiss

Alison Weiss has been in publishing for more than fifteen years. Until recently, she was acquisitions editor at Pixel+Ink (part of the Trustbridge Media Group), a publisher focused exclusively on series publishing with transmedia potential. She currently runs her own consultancy working with publishers (representative clients include Holiday House, Simon & Schuster, Audible, and Arctis), as well as private clients preparing their projects for querying or publication. Series she’s edited include The Curious League of Detectives and Thieves by Tom Phillips (Beehive nominee, Missouri Mark Twain Book Award nominee), Plotting the Stars by Michelle A. Barry (Texas Lone Star Reading List, Indiana Young Hoosiers Book Award Nominee, Read Aloud Indiana Middle Grade List, Words Great Books List (Official Book List of the Scripps National Spelling Bee)), The Winterton Deception by Janet Sumner Johnson (Kirkus Best Book, Whitney Award nominee, Maine Student Book Award Reading List; New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award Nominee), Clara Poole by Taylor Tyng (Crown Book Award nominee), Drag and Rex by Susan Lubner, illustrated by Blythe Russo (Kirkus Best Book, Louisiana Readers’ Choice Award nominee) Shiver-by-the-Sea by Erin Dionne, illustrated by Jenn Harney, and Sky & Ty by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Steve Breen. She was also editorial director at Sky Pony Press, where her list included William C. Morris Finalist Devils Within by S.F. Henson, the Project Droid series by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Krulik and Amanda Burwasser, illustrated by Mike Moran, the Timekeeper trilogy by Tara Sim, and the Mahabharata-inspired Celestial Trilogy by Sangu Mandanna. You can follow her on Twitter and Bluesky at @alioop7 and learn more about her consultancy at alisonweisseditorial.com.

Schedule:

  • Mon, Jan 6th - 6-7pm ET - introduction call 
  • Wed, Jan 8th - Round 1 submissions due (5,000 words plus synopsis for context only)
  • Wed, Jan 29th - Critiques due
  • Tues, Feb 4th, 6-7:45 pm ET - Debrief call on Zoom

  • Wed, Feb 26th - Round 2 submissions due (5000 words)
  • Wed, March 19th - Critiques due
  • Tues, March 25th, 6-7:45pm - Debrief call on Zoom
  • Fri, March 28th - Group closes.