Elle E. Ire

Elle Ire writes Sapphic science fiction and paranormal romance featuring kickass women who fall in love with each other. Her work includes Vicious Circle, the Storm Fronts trilogy including two-time RPLA gold award winnerThreadbare; Goldie Award finalist and Stonewall Award nominee, Reel to Real Love, the Nearly Departed trilogy including Goldie Award and RPLA gold award winner and RPLA first-runner-up for book of the year, Dead Woman's Pond, and Harsh Reality. Elle is represented by Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary Agency.

Networking for Writers (with José Pablo Iriarte)

Networking isn't a one-time thing, and it won't replace the need for an outstanding manuscript, but it can get an author a longer look or tip the odds in their favor if an agent or editor is on the fence about a project. This presentation will discuss ways to prepare for an in-person networking opportunity, where to find opportunities to network, different venues for networking and different approaches for them, how to pitch someone in person, and methods for following up on the contacts you make.

Query Letters Done Right

Many unpublished writers believe you must have inside contacts and unbelievable luck to score agent representation, but the reality is, most first-time writers get their agents through the query letter process. Elle Ire has worked with four different agents and been offered agent representation thirteen times, all of which began with a well-written query letter. From the opening pitch, to the blurb, to the closing, Elle will lead her audience through the query letter format line by line and element by element, including a humorous look at some major query "don'ts" and an examination of some excellent resources for the querying author.