Three days of query craft, live-editing, and insider publishing information to get your book to YES.
with ALLISON K WILLIAMS,
& Literary Agents including Amy Collins
Weekend Intensive | June 27-28-29, 2025
MORE THAN A WEBINAR.
Experience all the benefits of a physical event replicated online, with casual chat, Q&A time, breakout rooms and 100% interactive sessions. Build your writing career—and grow your literary community.
Got Questions?FOR BUSY WRITERS
YOUR GUIDES
Allison K Williams
Writer - Editor - Speaker - Coach
Allison K Williams has edited and coached writers to deals with Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Mantle, Hachette, Knopf, Spencer Hill, literary and university presses, including New York Times, USA Today and Canadian bestsellers.
Amy Collins
Literary Agent
Amy Collins is an agent with the Talcott Notch Literary Services with more than 30 years in the publishing industry as a book buyer, Sales Director for a large non-fiction publisher, and the founder and President of New Shelves Books, one of the largest book sales and marketing companies in the US. Collins is herself a USA TODAY and WALL STREET JOURNAL bestselling author.
Other Agents
From Noted Publishing Houses
Two more agents to be confirmed, specializing in Young Adult and Adult Fiction and, Memoir. They represent a roster of talented authors and are passionate about helping writers achieve their publishing dreams. Check back for bios coming soon!
Allison K Williams
Writer - Editor - Speaker - Coach
Allison K Williams brings deep understanding of dramatic structure, sensitivity to voice and theme, technical expertise, and contagious enthusiasm for your work.
She is the author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro From Blank Page to Book and the Social Media Editor of Brevity.
She has edited and coached writers to deals with Big Five, literary and independent presses and publication in the New Yorker, Time, the Guardian, the New York Times, McSweeney’s and TED Talks.
Allison herself has written for NPR, CBC, the New York Times, Creative Nonfiction, McSweeney’s, Kenyon Review and Travelers’ Tales. Her plays, including London Fringe Best of Fringe Winner TRUE STORY have been produced worldwide.
Dinty W. Moore
Writer - Editor - Speaker - Coach
A direct and supportive teacher known for drawing out meaning in memoir, Dinty W. Moore is author of The Story Cure: A Book Doctor’s Pain-Free Guide to Finishing Your Novel or Memoir, the pop-culture/ enlightenment mash-up To Hell with It, and many other books.
Dinty has published in The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Harpers, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Arts & Letters, The Normal School and elsewhere.
A former professor of nonfiction at Ohio University, he serves as Editor-in-Chief for Brevity and consults regularly with authors and publishers on book proposals and revisions, many going on to publish with Big Five houses and university presses.
QUERY BOOTCAMP MEANS GETTING IT DONE
Three days to a polished query package and your submissions list.
Focused time and a commitment to “show up” helps you get that query DONE and prepare your best submissions material.
Insider publishing info and specific guidance from working literary agents get you ready to go.
Query Bootcamp combines education, networking, and writing career growth. You’ll leave with new ideas, renewed commitment to your craft, and you’ll know your best publication opportunities.
I’ve guided authors in selling their books to Big Five, university, literary and small presses. Not only will I share my deep knowledge of the publishing market, you’ll get my sources for insider information.
Unlike the traditional “workshop,” you’ll be revising as we go. Tools, techniques, and discoveries made in live-editing will be immediately applied to your query.
Check-ins may include sharing short sections, but writers won’t read each others’ work in advance or in full. It’s like working at your favorite cafe—with peer and editorial support.
You need to know the publishing market–but you also want to stay true to your voice, style, and story. Fortunately, the best preparation for traditional publishing is also the best prep for self- and hybrid publishing. Find out what makes agents, publishers, and readers turn the page.
In live-editing, Allison shares queries on the screen, reading aloud and discussing suggested edits.
Throughout live-editing time, you’ll apply specific techniques to your own query and pages.
Need to polish your manuscript before getting it out there? Combine Query Bootcamp with Ultimate Revision Weekend, June 14-15.
Check out Ultimate Revision Weekend here.
THE DAILY SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES US EASTERN
| TAKE A MOMENT & BREATHE | |||
| AFTERNOON | BEFORE BOOTCAMP | WRITE YOUR SYNOPSIS | Get going! Watch the INCLUDED bonus video, use the worksheets, and draft your synopsis. |
| 1230-1300 | WELCOME SESSION | Greetings, introductions & setting our goals | |
| 1300-1330 | QUERY 101 | What goes in a query and why? | |
| 1330-1400 | WRITE/REVISE YOUR QUERY | Drafting or revising your query, with Q&A in the chat | |
| 1400-1500 | LIVE-EDITING | Query feedback live on screen, with notes for everyone’s revisions | |
| 1500-1545 | COMPS 101 | What are comp titles, why do you need them, and resources to find good, current comps. | |
| 1545-1600 | CLOSING WORDS | Day ends 4PM Eastern | |
| TAKE IT HOME | FIND YOUR COMPS | Find the comps for your query | |
| TAKE A MOMENT & BREATHE | |||
| MORNING | |||
| 1000 – 1030 | REVIEW SESSION | Reflections on QUERY 101, COMPS 101 & your first query attempts | |
| 1030 – 1100 | THE PITCH | Condensing your 350-word query into a 2-sentence pitch–and practice pitching. | |
| 1100 – 1230 | LITERARY AGENT FEEDBACK I |
One of our special agent guests will hear your pitches and give feedback. | |
| AFTERNOON | |||
| 1230 – 1400 | LUNCH | Zoom Room re-opens at 1355 | |
| 1400-1500 | WHO TO QUERY? | Resources to find the right literary agents and publishers for you, and red flags/scams to watch out for. Plus, what to prep for submissions (so it’s easy!) | |
| 1500-1530 | MAKING YOUR LIST | Putting your own querying list together, with Q&A in the chat | |
| 1530-1545 | CLOSING WORDS | Day ends 3:45PM Eastern | |
| TAKE A MOMENT & BREATHE | |||
| MORNING | |||
| 1000 – 1030 | CHECK IN | How’s that query doing? And more practice pitching. | |
| 1030-1200 | LITERARY AGENT FEEDBACK II |
Literary agents join us to hear YOUR queries and give feedback | |
| AFTERNOON | 1200 – 1300 |
LUNCH |
Zoom room re-opens 1255 |
| 1300-1430 | LITERARY AGENT FEEDBACK III |
Literary agents join us to hear YOUR queries and give feedback | |
| 1430-1500 | CLOSING WORDS | Review, inspiration & next steps. Day ends 3PM Eastern. | |
ULTIMATE REVISION WEEKEND
QUERY BOOTCAMP
COMBINED VALUE PACKAGE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Joining The Intensive
Nope! While Query Bootcamp will get you ready to send out your manuscript, it’s also a great opportunity to learn more about the market while you’re still writing.
- You can be working on a novel, memoir, essay collection, or creative nonfiction.
- You’re writing in English, because Allison isn’t fluent enough to edit in any other language. (English need not be your mother tongue.)
- You DON’T need a degree in writing (or anything else!).
- You DON’T need previous publication credits.
There are no guarantees! In our previous publishing-focused events, some writers have been invited to submit full manuscripts, but it very much depends on what the pros are looking for and how ready your work is. You’ll still hear valuable insights and writing inspiration.
Allison loves teaching, and we do quite a bit of it throughout the year. Very often, students ask to be added to the waitlist for the next retreat or intensive, sometimes regardless of location! When a new event is announced, we tell the waitlist first, and events often sell out before they’re publicly announced.
Sign up for The A-List to get first notice of waitlists and open registrations for upcoming retreats.
If the button at the top of the page says “Sold Out,” there’s a waitlist and we’re happy to add you to it. Email us through the contact form, and we’ll confirm your spot on the list. Most intensives have included waitlisters; we usually know 2-3 weeks in advance.
Intensive Days
You’ll get resources to check out for the comps, agents and publishers who will be right for you. Plan to spend another 2-4 hours making your lists; that might be the same weekend as Bootcamp, or take a break and pick it up again afterwards. You’ll have the recordings for guidance!
Allison will be offering synopsis and first pages feedback at an additional cost. You’ll be able to add extras when you register.
For feedback on more pages, check out Allison’s regular editorial offerings here.
You can also find out about upcoming webinars and events by visiting her linktree, or joining the A-List monthly events email.
If you have accessibility concerns, let us know. We’ll work with whatever technology you need to make the virtual intensive work for you.
Allison has worked with writers who are d/Deaf, hearing-impaired, blind, visually-impaired, neuro-atypical and with physical disabilities.
We want to work with you—let’s discuss how to make it an excellent experience.
Bookings & Payments
We accept Venmo, Zelle, Canadian e-transfers, US checks, PayPal and credit cards via PayPal.
If you’d like to pay in two installments, due May 30 and June 20, email us through the contact form.
We have two tuition-free places reserved for writers from underrepresented communities, including but not limited to LGBTQ+, BIPOC, working-class, neurodivergent and emerging writers. To apply, please use the contact form; share a brief statement of how this intensive will help you as a writer, and any literary citizenship activities you already do.
If you are unable to attend live, there is no refund, but you still receive the workbook, the contact list and all slides and session recordings. We encourage you to enjoy the session recordings when you can. You may also want to contact other writers from the intensive to spend time working on the exercises together.
Rebirth Your Book reserves the right to cancel the intensive in the event of civil unrest, natural disaster or Act of God. In the event of cancellation of the intensive in its entirety, you will receive a full refund of any fees paid. You agree to release Rebirth Your Book and its agents and/or representatives from any liability, including consequential expenses you may have incurred in planning to attend.