After successful 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 events in Michigan, Writing Day Workshops is excited to announce The 2026 Michigan Writing Workshop — a full-day in-person “How to Get Published” writing event in the Detroit suburbs (Troy) on May 2, 2026.

This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (200 total). All questions about the event regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2026 Michigan Writing Workshop! We are very proud of our many success stories where attendees sign with agents following events — see our growing list of success stories here.

(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next MWW is an in-person event happening in the Detroit suburbs on May 2, 2026. See you there.)

To register, click the button above, or email Brian at WDWconference@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Michigan event.

WHAT IS IT?

This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Livonia. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.

This event is designed to squeeze as much into one day of learning as possible. You can ask any questions you like during the classes, and get your specific concerns addressed. We will have literary agents onsite to give feedback and take pitches from writers, as well. This year’s agent and editor faculty so far includes:

• literary agent Jacqui Lipton (Tobias Literary)
• literary agent Linda Glaz (Linda Glaz Literary)
• literary agent Carrie Howland Yellin (Howland Literary)
• literary agent Maggie Sadler (Corvisiero Literary)
• literary agent Erika Staiger (SpencerHill Associates)
• literary agent Rachel Beck (Liza Dawson Associates)
• literary agent Najla Mamou (Savvy Literary Services)
• literary agent Paige Broadbent (The Purcell Agency)
• and possibly more to come.

By the end of the day, you will have all the tools you need to move forward on your writing journey. This independent event is organized by coordinator Brian Klems of Writing Day Workshops.

To register, click the button above, or email Brian at WDWconference@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Michigan event.

EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:

9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, May 2, 2026 — at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Livonia, 19525 Victor Pkwy, Livonia MI 48152.

(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next MWW is an in-person event happening in the Detroit suburbs on May 2, 2026. See you there.)

THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (MAY 2, 2026):

What you see below is a quick layout of the day’s events. The topics below are mostly set, but subject to change. You can see a more detailed layout of the day’s classes on the Schedule Page here.

Please Note: There will be 2-3 classes/workshops going at all times during the day, so you will have your choice of what class you attend at any time. The final schedule of topics is subject to change, but here is the current layout:

8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.

BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30

1. How to Write a Query Letter That Gets Agent Attention. If you want an agent to represent your work, it all starts with a compelling query letter.

2. Beyond the Book Deal: How to Navigate Social Media and Build an Effective Brand. This workshop will discuss the importance of an author’s platform. This class will help you understand the very basics of marketing yourself and your book(s) online, whether you’re traditionally published or self-published.

BLOCK TWO: 10:45 – 11:50

1. Conquering the Novel. This workshop helps writers develop a plan for organizing, writing, re-writing, and finishing their novel.

2. Plotting Arcs and Compelling Narratives. A great work of fiction requires excellent pacing to move the reader past those first pages and to propel them to the very end.

(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here.)

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN: 11:50 – 1:15

Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.

BLOCK THREE: 1:15 – 2:30

1. “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest. This is a chance to get your first page read (anonymously — no bylines given) with attending agents commenting on what was liked or not liked about the submission.

2. How to Sell a Nonfiction Book Proposal.This session focuses on effective strategies for writing a nonfiction book proposal on any subject.

BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45

1. Open Agent Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from MWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.

2. Lost In Revisions—How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript. This session will teach the foundations of self-editing, focusing on high level plot and and continuing down into the nitty gritty of grammar.

(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here.)

BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00

1. Make Your First Five Pages Amazing. You have five pages to impress an agent–make them count.

2. Story Lessons from Hollywood. How lessons from screenwriting, acting, directing, producing, and video editing can help prose writers craft more compelling stories and keep readers turning those pages.

SESSIONS END: 5:00

At 5 p.m., the day is done. Speakers may make themselves available by the workshop’s bookstore for a short while to sign any books for attendees.

Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.

PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR:

Maggie Sadler is a literary agent with Corvisiero Literary. She is seeking: literary fiction written in lyrical, artful prose with carefully crafted tension; iterary fiction with speculative flavors—let’s get weird; upmarket fiction, especially with emotionally complex characters who explore evocative settings; untold and/or underrepresented historical fiction (pre-twentieth century, please); urban fantasy/magical realism rooted in our reality; folk and fairy tale retellings—the more stunning the twist, the better; work from Indigenous/First Nations authors, as well as other historically marginalized and underrepresented voices; narratives that interrogate themes of cultural identity, femininity, family legacy, rebellion against tradition, and self-discovery from a fresh, unorthodox perspective. An experienced traveler, Maggie also welcomes nonfiction travel narratives depicting remote locations and thought-provoking encounters in a raw, authentic, and intentional narrative voice. Learn more about Maggie here.

Erika Staiger is a literary agent with Spencerhill Associates. On behalf of her agency, Erika is seeking commercial fiction — new women’s fiction, romance, historical fiction, thrillers and horror. She is seeking exciting new voices that utilize elements of different genres to tell their story. She holds an MFA in Fiction from the University of South Florida, where she also taught creative writing and worked as a writing tutor. Learn more about Erika here.

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ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2026 Michigan Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at a specific Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2026 MWW on our calendar.

That event is the 2026 (Online) Chesapeake Writing Workshop, August 14-15, 2026, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.

This means that 2026 MWW attendees can have access to pitching all those online Chesapeake WW agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online August 14-15 2026 event. (That said, if you want to formally register for the August online Chesapeake Writing Workshop and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Michigan attendees.)

If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Michigan. Following the conference on May 2, 2026, we will be in touch with all Michigan attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2026 online CWW (August 14-15, 2026). At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.

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        More 2026 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

These one-on-one meetings are an amazing chance to pitch your book face-to-face with an agent, and get personal, individual feedback on your pitch/concept. If the agent likes your pitch, they’ll request to see part/all of your book — sending you straight past the slush pile. It also gives you an intimate chance to meet with an agent and pick their brain with any questions on your mind.

(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings, and pricing/detail is explained below.)

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PRICING:

$199 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the 2026 MWW and access to all workshops, all day. As of fall 2025, registration is now OPEN.

To register, click the button above, or email Brian at WDWconference@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Michigan event.

Add $29 — to secure a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with any of our literary agents or editors in attendance. Use this special meeting as a chance to pitch your work and get professional feedback on your pitch. (Spaces limited.) If they wish, attendees are free to sign up for multiple 10-minute pitch sessions at $29/session — pitching multiple individuals, or securing 20 minutes to pitch one person rather than the usual 10. Here are four quick testimonials regarding writers who have signed with literary agents after pitching them at prior Writing Day Workshops events. (Our bigger, growing  list of success stories an be seen here.)

“I met Mai Nguyen at the Toronto Writing Workshop
and sold her manuscript to Simon & Schuster for six figures.”
– literary agent Carly Watters of P.S. Literary Agency

“I signed Sarah G. Pierce from the Seattle Writing Workshop,
and we recently sold her book to Orbit/Redhook.”
– literary agent Pam Gruber of Highline Literary Collective

“I met Amber Cowie at a Writing Day Workshops conference. We sold
her best-selling crime novel to Lake Union / Amazon.”
– literary agent Gordon Warnock of Fuse Literary

“I met my client, Dana Corbit Nussio, at the Michigan Writing Workshop.
Dana signed a new three-book contract with Harlequin Romantic Suspense.”
– literary agent Rachel Beck of Liza Dawson Associates

“I signed Nedda Lewers from a Writing Day Workshops event. Her debut
novel from Putnam Children’s was an Indie’s Introduce Best Book of 2024.”
– literary agent Kelly Dyksterhouse of Tobias Literary Agency

Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Brian Klems, one of the day’s instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Michigan Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?

Add $89 — for an in-depth personal critique of the first 10 pages of your novel. Spaces with faculty for these critiques are very limited, and participating attendees will either 1) get an in-person meeting at the workshop, if the faculty member is attending the live event, or 2) get a 15-minute phone call with the faculty member, and have notes passed along via email, if the critiquer is not attending the live event. Options:

• All types & genres of fiction for adults, young adults, and middle grade readers (virtual critiques): Faculty member Lorin Oberweger, a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
• Horror, fantasy, sci-fi, urban fantasy (virtual critiques): Faculty member Bob McGough, a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
• Women’s, mainstream, science fiction, fantasy, romance, crime, thriller, mystery (virtual critiques): Faculty member Michelle McGill-Vargas, a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
• Romance, women’s fiction, domestic suspense, and young adult fiction (virtual critiques): Faculty member Swati Hegde, an author and freelance editor, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
• Children’s picture books (virtual critiques): Faculty member Rosie Pova, a published author, will get your work in advance, critique your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
• More critique options possibly forthcoming
  

How to pay/register — Registration is now open.

To register, click the button above. Or reach out to workshop organizer Brian Klems via email: WDWconference@gmail.com. He will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by credit card, PayPal, or check. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The MWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Brian plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Michigan workshop specifically.

REGISTRATION:

Because of limited space at the venue (Embassy Suites by Hilton Livonia), the workshop can only allow 200 registrants, unless spacing issues change. For this reason, we encourage you to book sooner rather than later.

(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next MWW is an in-person event happening in the Detroit suburbs on May 2, 2026. See you there.)

Are spaces still available? Yes, we still have spaces available. We will announce RIGHT HERE, at this point on this web page, when all spaces are taken. If you do not see a note right here saying how all spaces are booked, then yes, we still have room, and you are encouraged to register.

How to Register:

To register, click the button above. Or reach out to workshop organizer Brian Klems via email: WDWconference@gmail.com. He will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by credit card, PayPal, or check. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The MWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Brian plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Michigan workshop specifically.

Refunds: If you sign up for the event and have to cancel for any reason at any time, you will receive 50% of your total payment back [sent by check or PayPal]. The other 50% is nonrefundable and will not be returned, and helps the workshop ensure that only those truly interested in the limited spacing sign up for the event. (Please note that query editing payments and manuscript editing payments are completely non-refundable if the instructor has already edited your work.)

Thank you for your interest in the 2026 Michigan Writing Workshop.

Paige Broadbent is a literary agent with The Purcell Agency.

At the Michigan event, Paige is taking pitches on behalf of not just herself but also her agency. She is seeking pitches for the following genres and categories:

• Middle grade fiction (contemporary, coming of age, dystopian, romantic, #ownvoices, BIPOC, and LGBTQ​)
• Young adult fiction (contemporary, coming of age, dystopian, romantic, #ownvoices, BIPOC, and LGBTQ​)
• New adult fiction (contemporary, coming of age, dystopian, romantic, #ownvoices, BIPOC, and LGBTQ​)
• Adult fiction — contemporary, upmarket, women’s, book club, mainstream, romance, dystopian, #ownvoices, BIPOC, and LGBTQ
• Some memoir
• Children’s picture books
• Any fairy-tale retelling or re-imagining, especially if pulled into a contemporary setting

Paige is a storyteller and artist from southwestern Ontario, Canada, where she spent her childhood climbing trees and playing make-believe. As a nature enthusiast, Paige advocates for sustainable practices and the preservation and conservation of nature. As a creative, she champions the narrative merit of both traditional and unconventional and/or experimental storytelling techniques and is particularly interested in the narrative capabilities of environmental and non-linear storytelling in video games.

Described as a ‘professional student,’ Paige is a curious individual with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. She is currently working towards an Honours BA (and yes, she spells ‘honours’ with a U) in Creative Writing & Publishing from Sheridan College in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.