Jaclyn Youhana Garver: MWW Agent Fest Success Story

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Meet Jaclyn Youhana Garver: Author, Poet, Journalist

Jaclyn Youhana Garver is an author, poet, and journalist. Her novels are represented by Savannah Brooks of KT Literary Agency. In her contemporary fiction, Jaclyn explores the nuances of grief, love, family, and friendship. Her first poetry collection, the chapbook The Men I Never: is scheduled to be published by Chicago’s dancing girl press in summer/fall 2022. She received an honorable mention in Writers Digest’s 90th Annual Writing Competition in 2021 in non-rhyming poetry, for the piece “I Never Caught His Name.”

Jaclyn worked for daily newspapers for eight years and in community college marketing for five. She is a freelance writer whose current and previous clients include Cincinnati Magazine, Lifehacker.com, Harper College, Visit Fort Wayne, and Graphics Output. She’s also the communication specialist for the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR), the country’s premier professional organization for community college marketers. Her duties include producing Peer and Simple, NCMPR’s podcast; writing emails, blog posts, scripts and more; media relations; and helping plan NCMPR’s national conference for 300+ attendees.

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Q&A with Jaclyn

Jaclyn Youhana Garver and Leah McNaughton Lederman at MWW22 conference in Muncie, IN

I “met” Jaclyn when she attended MWW’s first online conference in 2021. She has great energy and exudes positivity; she definitely pulls people into her orbit. We became friends on Facebook and she has been a faithful encouragement to me in my writing endeavors. Plus, we’re both sort of silly. It was a great pleasure to interview her and highlight her *many* writing successes, especially getting signed as a result of MWW Agent Fest!

MWW: How long were you a writer before encountering Midwest Writers Workshop?

JYG: Oh man, I first started writing in second grade when my grandma gave me a diary so … 30ish years? I’ve kept a journal since. In a more professional way, I started writing in high school, when I joined the school paper. I studied journalism in college and wrote everything–though mainly features–for daily newspapers for eight years. I still freelance.

Creatively, I guess I started with crummy poetry in about sixth grade (didn’t we all start that way??). I turned to long-form after I left newspapers and got into marketing–once I wasn’t writing daily on a deadline, my creative energy gathered enough to turn to longer projects. And I finally started to hone in on poetry work during the pandemic. I’d wanted to take some classes to learn how to edit my own stuff and get over that hump–I felt stuck but didn’t know how to further improve–but I was so intimidated. That the pandemic necessitated online classes ended up being really helpful for me.

MWW: What drew you to MWW and what did you find there?

JYG: My first MWW event was the summer conference in, I think, 2018. I’ve always loved professional, workshop-style conferences and turned to Google to see if I could find anything local. MWW is a pretty short drive from Fort Wayne and insanely reasonably priced, so I figured I’d give it a shot. There, I found so much knowledge and friendliness (even if I hardly spoke to a soul that first time). I’ve since attended three four other events — in person or virtually — because through MWW, I found people happy and excited to help me improve upon my writing and meet my goals. I found encouragement and support. I found sessions that weren’t just surface-level but instead got into the nitty gritty of writing and the industry. I’m a learner in my core, so truly, the sessions were the first things that hooked me.

MWW: What classes/conferences did you attend, and what was your experience like?

JYG: I attended the conference in 2018 and 2021 and Agent Fest in 2019 and 2021, plus this past summer’s hybrid conference. The 2018 and ’19 events were more about getting to know MWW and getting my feet wet in terms of what the organization offers and how it could help me succeed. The 2021 events were when I felt myself getting involved on a deeper level, if that makes sense. I connected with instructors more and signed up for some one-on-ones with faculty. Allison Joseph, in poetry, was so supportive and helpful, building my confidence that my full-length poetry manuscript might someday maybe find a home. Matthew Clemens gave me one of the largest confidence boosts I’ve ever experienced related to my novel writing, through some first-page reads for two of my projects. Angela Jackson-Brown helped me polish and refine my pitch for the ’21 Agent Fest and build my confidence for my novel. I attended this summer’s conference in person, and getting to meet so many people after just seeing their faces the previous year has been a highlight of 2022. Plus, the faculty was exceptional. I want to do some shoutouts, but I’d basically be listing everyone who presented.

MWW: Tell us about your writing success(es)!

JYG: I found an agent through MWW Agent Fest last year!! I signed with Savannah Brooks of KT Literary this spring. I’m so embarrassed to say that this is how it went down but … I wasn’t even originally signed to pitch to Savannah. Her original manuscript wishlist focused on kid lit and YA, with selective contemporary fiction, so I opted to pitch to a trio of agents that named contemporary fiction as a focus. The first page of my novel was the first read on the first night of first-page reads (say that three times fast …) Savannah was one of the agents sitting in, and she laughed at the right spots and had such incredible feedback. She really got my story, which was a spectacular feeling. I sent her a private message during that Zoom call to thank her for her kind words (also apologizing in case I was making a faux pas–these were, after all, blind reads), and she encouraged me to pitch to her. I did, and she requested pages … and eventually the full manuscript … and at like 11 p.m. on a Wednesday night in April, I got that email that so many writers hope to get but never actually think is going to come. I burst into tears so hard, my husband was like “Good news or bad news? GOOD NEWS OR BAD???”

If you’re interested in other successes unrelated to MWW: My poetry chapbook, The Men I Never:, is due out later this summer this fall by dancing girl press in Chicago. I also received an honorable mention in last year’s Writer’s Digest Writing Competition in non-rhyming poetry. I was a scholarship recipient to two Tupelo Press poetry conferences last year. I also launched my website this summer, which has me ecstatic. Man, putting together a website is a ton of work, but I’m thrilled to have a space to share my successes and ideas. There’s a blog there, and … finger’s crossed … I’m in the early, early stages of kicking off a podcast. Who knows how long that’ll take (first episode this fall? maybe?), but I’m really excited about the topic and structure.

MWW: If you were to recommend MWW to a friend, what would you tell them?

JYG: Oh boy, just do it. If you’re looking to improve as a writer; to find like-minded people; to meet helpful, friendly, encouraging experts; and for an organization that is wonderfully down-to-earth and unintimidating, MWW is your org. I’d like to stress that unintimidating part. Imposter syndrome is real, and it’s tough to not think, “Who the heck do I think I am, even trying to do this ridiculously impossible thing?” The kindness and support I’ve found in MWW is invaluable.

Check out all the details for what MWW Agent Fest offers: the agents and the schedule!

Secure your spot today!

Click on the link below to register:

Register for MWW Agent Fest Online 2022 Now!

Join us for a Facebook Live “Conversation with Annie Sullivan”

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We love it. Yes, MWW loves when writers succeed. When they leave our conferences crafting better sentences, improving clever plots, developing stronger characters. When they leave with friendships and a community of writing supporters and encouragers.

Yes, MWW loves to celebrate writers.

And now it’s Annie Sullivan we celebrate!

Join us for a Facebook Live on Wednesday, September 23, from 7:00 pm ET to 8:00 pm for a Conversation with Annie Sullivan, as MWW congratulates her on the release of her third young adult novel, A Curse of Gold.

MWW Director Jama Kehoe Bigger will interview Annie about her sequel to A Touch of Gold, about plotting, about editing, about MWW, and about all things writing.

Hear about curses and queens. Pirates and kings. Gods and magic. Hear about the final saga of a princess cursed by Midas’s touch, a vengeful Greek god, and a dazzling kingdom in the balance.

Annie Sullivan is the author of the young adult novels A Touch of Gold, Tiger Queen, and A Curse of Gold. She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, and she loves fairytales, everything Jane Austen, and traveling and exploring new cultures. When she’s not off on her own adventures, she’s working as the Senior Copywriter at John Wiley and Sons, Inc. publishing company, having also worked there in Editorial and Publicity roles. She loves to hear from fans, and you can reach her via the contact form on this website or on Twitter and Instagram (@annsulliva).

7 Tips for a Great Conference by Annie Sullivan

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We welcome MWW alum Annie Sullivan as our guest who shares her  7 Tips to Getting the Most Out of Any Writing Conference.

Annie Sullivan is a Young Adult author from Indianapolis, Indiana. Her work has been featured in Curly Red Stories and Punchnels, and her novel, Goldilocks, won the Luminis Books Award at the 2013 Midwest Writers Workshop. She loves fairytales, everything Jane Austen, and traveling and exploring new cultures. When she’s not off on her own adventures, she’s teaching classes at the Indiana Writers Center and working as the Copy Specialist at John Wiley and Sons, Inc. publishing company, having also worked there in Editorial and Publicity roles.

You can follow Annie’s adventures on Twitter (@annsulliva) or on her blog: https://anniesullivanauthor.wordpress.com/

I attended my first writing conference back in 2013, the 40th annual MWW, and I went in with one goal: to get a literary agent. Every decision I made was calculated on how best to accomplish that goal. Did I leave that conference with a literary agent? No. But I did leave with the knowledge and connections that helped me land one within the next four months. So here are my secrets to how you can get the most out of a writing conference.

 

Treat it like a job.

If you want to actually make money writing, then you have to treat it like a business. Invest in business cards. Start author pages on Facebook and/or create a blog or Twitter account. Make sure people can find/contact you after they leave the conference.

[MWW Director note: if you need help, MWW17 offers free social media tutoring for Facebook, Twitter, and blogging.]

 

Define your brand.

Since you need to treat writing like a job, you need to figure out what your brand is and make sure you’re consistent. This means, if you’re writing picture books and an agent goes to your Twitter and sees nothing but tweets full of profanity, they may be turned off (unless that’s what your picture book is about, of course.) You need to encompass what you’re trying to sell. This means dressing the part, too. If you’re pitching an agent face-to-face, look presentable. However, if your brand is all about goth vampires, don’t be afraid to let that show in your clothing and makeup choices. You have to be the best representative of what you’re pitching them. This also stands true with alcohol consumption. While some people may need some liquid courage before facing agents during a conference’s cocktail hour, you can leave a bad impression if you consume too much. Keep in mind your brand encompasses all that you do and say.

 

Strategically plan your agent interactions.

Many conferences offer a chance to pitch agents. Take advantage of this. Of course, do thorough research ahead of time to see which agent is the best fit. (Go to an agent’s website to see what types of books they are looking for.) At some conferences, they also offer everything from query critiques to first 10 pages critiques, often by editors and agents. If that’s the case, it could be worth the money to do both, especially if there were two or three agents who might be a good fit for your story. By doing a pitch with one agent, a query critique with another, and 10 page critique with a third, you can successfully get feedback from all three and see if they’re interested. If nothing else, when you do query them, you can include that you met them at that specific conference, which always helps.

**Bonus Tip** Sign-up for the conference early for the best chance of getting to pitch/have a query critique with the agent or editor you want. Slots often fill up fast!

 

Find your people.

Conferences are one of the best places to meet critique partners. Talk with as many people as you can to find other writers who write in your genre or age group. Take advantage of activities like “Find Your Tribe” to meet people who write what you do. Even if you leave without making any headway with agents, you might just leave with a new critique partner who can help you polish your next work in progress so it catches an agent’s eye. Or, a new writer friend might have an agent already and be willing to put in a good word for you.

 

Don’t be a wallflower.

If you’re shy or introverted, it can be hard to put yourself out there. But if there are opportunities to read your work aloud or have your first sentence critiqued during a session, speak up. You never know what agent has sneaked into a session and is listening. The more you put yourself out there, the more you’ll get in return.

 

Make the most of every opportunity.

Having lunch and there’s an empty seat next to that literary agent you know would love your book? Take it! Did an author give a great session on world building? Stop them in the hallway and let them know. You never know what interaction could open a door for you. Be kind and sincere, and don’t be afraid to take chances. (Note: DO NOT approach literary professionals in the bathroom, and do not blind pitch them when you’re standing in the lunch line. Only tell them about your story if they ask, and generally, they will ask because they’re just as eager to find good stories as you are to get published.)

 

Don’t be afraid to attend different sessions.

Are you a fantasy writer? Don’t be afraid to attend a session on writing mysteries. You never know what tips you might pick up about adding suspense and writing about villains. The biggest thing is to go in with an open mind so that you can absorb all the information being thrown at you, and then, when you get back in front of your manuscript, you can sort out how to implement it.

Above all, have fun and make friends. Being a writer can be tough and isolating, but going to conferences is one of the best ways to break out of those ruts. Take chances, and maybe in a year or two, you could be that author giving a session on voice or point of view. Good luck, and I hope to see you at Midwest Writers Workshop this year!

For a detailed listing of the 2017 MWW schedule, and to find out the writing instructors, agents and editors who make up this year’s amazing faculty, click on the link below.

Register now !