Thank you to our sponsors! (Please consider sponsoring this program to help keep costs down for our attendees)

  • DoubleTree Hilton in Huntington, WV for giving our presenters rooms!
  • West Virginia Writers for ad space in their June 7-9 WV Writers conference program.

When: Aug. 17-18, 2024

Where: DoubleTree Hotel in Huntington, WV Get the best rate by letting them know you are part of IGW GenreCon. You can also use this link. Address: 1001 3rd Ave, Huntington, WV 25701 Phone: (304) 525-1001

Who: For all writers who love writing genre fiction! Our intention is to bring to our corner of Appalachia an amazing conference with writing craft, marketing, and agents and editors! This conference is specifically for all kinds genre writers in any stage of their writing career. We intend to have at least twelve workshops, a cocktail party with light refreshments and a cash bar on Saturday night to get to know each other, and the opportunity to pitch to an agent and editor.

BE A SPONSOR!!!

Cost: Includes access to workshops and the possibilty to pitch. We cannot guarantee participants will be able to pitch to every publisher or agent they want. We will be capping the number of attendees in an effort to allow each attendee the opportunity to pitch once. Jen Graybeal and Scarlett Moss are also offering free one on one sessions that can be scheduled in advance. Spaces are limited.

BUY NOW! Early Bird Registration

Order before July 15th to save $50 on your registration. Join us for our first ever Genre Conference in Huntington, WV! Spots are limited, so please register now! You need to fill out the registration form as well.

$200.00

Workshop Presenters (will be updated regularly)

  • Sheila (SG) Redling – best-selling Thriller writer
  • Tobi Doyle – Romance and Mystery author
  • Jen Graybeal – editor and writing coach
  • Tim Waggoner – (Multiple Bram Stoker Award Winner) Horror and short stories
  • Misty Simon (who also writes as Gabby Alan) – Mystery and Romance
  • Amanda Hooser – YA and Mystery
  • Casey Bond – (Rone Award Winner) Fantasy and YA
  • Scarlett Moss – Selling for Authors
  • Katherine Graham – Autocrit

Participating Publishers:

  • Aislyn Fresdall – TOR Publishing
  • Reagan Rothe – Black Rose Publishing
  • Kelly Moran – Rowan Prose Publishing
  • Chandra Haun – Henlo Press

Participating Agents:

  • Carey Blankenship-Kramer – Agent, Belcastro Agency
  • Megan Frayser – Agent, Creative Media Agency
  • Andrea Hurst – Agent, Andrea Hurst & Associates
  • Alexandra Grana – Agent, Corvisiero Agency
  • Catherine Ross – Agent, Corvisiero Agency

Participating publishers – More Info:

Aislyn Fresdall

Assistant Editor TOR/Forge Books

accepting pitches

Aislyn Fresdall Assistant Editor TOR/Forge is accepting pitches: MSWL – Having been at Macmillan since 2017, I joined Tor Publishing Group in 2022 and am thrilled to be building my list. I am actively seeking Adult and select YA fantasy fiction across subgenres. In particular, I enjoy—

Fairytale-inspired fantasy, whether imaginative retellings and continuations that cleverly employ, invert, or critique classic fairytale tropes to create fresh narratives or tales that embrace fairytale form and style to tell wholly original stories. I especially appreciate stories integrating elements from lesser-known mythologies, legends, and folklores.

Epic fantasy that tells large-scale stories with fate-of-the-world stakes and features rogues, thieves, and assassins teaming up with or facing off against wizards, gods, monsters, and other larger-than-life figures.

Romantasy that takes the fantasy and the romance equally seriously. The fantasy setting and plot enhances the romantic relationships rather than overshadows them, and the romantic relationships do not sideline the fantasy plot.

Historical fantasy that skillfully interweaves real historical periods and events—especially rarely represented periods and events from all corners of our world—with fantastical elements in clever and surprising ways.

Contemporary fantasy where magic merges seamlessly with the real to address issues of our modern world. 

No matter the subgenre, I’m most excited by worldbuilding and settings that are so rich they feel like characters in and of themselves. Whether it’s a version of our world or a completely secondary world, I appreciate when worldbuilding feels lived-in and allows for in-depth exploration. I want worlds with unique cultures, histories, and magics, and I particularly enjoy worlds that are influenced by under-explored cultures and historical periods. And I adore distinctive, innovative magic systems, especially magic systems that interact with language and culture in interesting ways.

I am strongly interested in stories that reflect the diversity of the world we live in and feature underrepresented voices and perspectives. 

Compelling, complex characters are a must. I love characters with moral gray areas, and I really love ensemble casts with varying personalities. +1 if they make me laugh, +2 if they make me cry. 

I love love! If your manuscript combines the grandeur and expansiveness of a fantasy plot with compelling romantic relationships—whether it’s a subplot or central to character development and plot progression—I probably want to read it. And I always appreciate well-wrought tropes!

While I read widely across genres and enjoy genre-bending narratives, I am not currently looking to acquire science fiction, horror, or contemporary romance.

Rowan Prose Publishing

Our own Misty Simon is pleased to work with Rowan Prose Publishing and I’m excited to announce they have agreed to accept pitches from our partipants. They are accepting romance, cozy mystery, horror, thriller, women’s fiction, some YA, and a little fantasy. You can find more information at their website https://www.rowanprosepublishing.com/submissions

We are a tiny yet mightily passionate team, trying to make waves, change how people look at Appalachia, and take as many people along for the ride as we can. Located close to Huntington, meet this team face to face to pitch your completed manuscript. More information can be found at: www.thehenlopress.com

Reagan Roth, publishing editor

Black Rose Writing is accepting pitches. They accept all genres. No poetry, please. You can find more about them at BlackRoseWriting.com.

Participating Agents – More info:

Megan Frayser, Agent, Creative Media Agency

  • Adult
    • Contemporary Romance
    • Women’s Fiction (Ghosts by Dolly Alderton or Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour)
    • Book Club Fiction
    • Mystery/Thrillers
    • Horror (Bunny by Mona Awad, Simone St. James, Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky)
    • Mythological Retellings
    • Dark Academia 
    • Fantasy (Black Sun, Piranesi, Babel)
    • Nonfiction: True Crime and/or Sociology only

  • Young Adult
    • Contemporary 
    • Romance
    • Mystery (Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Maureen Johnson, Holly Jackson)
    • Fantasy 
    • Horror (The Weight of Blood, House of Hollow)

Find out more at her website: https://cmalit.com/megan-frayser/

Carey Blankenship-Kramer, Agent, Belcastro Agency

Specific Things I Would Love to Find:

  • Cozy fantasy! Anything that is quiet with a twist of magic where I can fall in love with the characters and the settings.
  • Books set in fun settings, like a coastal town or a summer camp or a mountain cabin.
  • A horror book centered around video games.
  • A story where the main character is a barista or a chef.
  • I am OBSESSED with books that use multimedia storytelling or unique perspectives. One of my all time favorite books is A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan.
  • Picture books! I am really looking to represent a handful of picture book authors, so if you have something that fits any of my MSWL items, please send it my way! 🙂
  • Stories written by Swifties or inspired by Taylor Swift’s lyricism.
  • You can find more about her at: https://www.belcastroagency.com/about_us/ and https://www.belcastroagency.com/about_us/

Andrea Hurst – Andrea Hurst & Associates

  • Women’s Fiction
    • Upmarket/Book Club
    • Romance
    • Historical
    • Contemporary
  • Thriller/Suspense/Mystery
  • Science Fiction/Fantasy
    • Space Opera
    • Military Science Fiction
    • Paranormal
    • Urban Fantasy
  • YA Contemporary/YA Thriller
  • You canfind more about Andrea Hurst here: https://www.andreahurst.com/literary-agency/
Catherine Ross, Esq., Associate Literary Agent, Corvisiero Literary Agency
Learn more about Cat and her wishlist

​​Cat is actively building her client list, with a specific eye on urban to second-world fantasy, paranormal romance, and horror. She loves any blending of supernatural and lore alongside grounded realities, and she is seeking #ownvoices within these worlds. A hands-on editorial agent, Cat uses her legal background and literary skills to help authors through each step of the publishing journey.

Alexandra Grana, J.D., Associate Literary Agent, Corvisiero Literary Agency
Learn more about Alex and her wishlist

​Alex is actively building her client list, focusing on science fiction, fantasy, and horror. She is a sucker for gothic horror, reimagined folklore, and poetic prose. Alex combines her legal and literary background to work with authors every step of the way on their journey to publication.

WORKSHOPS:

SHEILA REDLING AND TOBI DOYLE

  • HOW TO PITCH at our conference
  • Yep, if you want to pitch at our conference we’re going to make you get up before ten and deal with our shenanigans to learn the process of HOW to pitch at our conference. Why? First, to make it run smoothly, and second to make sure that you are presenting the best pitch possible to the right people.
  • STORY MAGIC CARDS – build a story
  • Perfect for a creativity exercise or creating a story whether your a pantser or a plotter.
  • Indie Publishing Panel – Tobi
    • Tobi is a hybrid and a control freak, so she’s seen both sides of the process.
  • Autocrit – with Kathrine D. Graham – and why she loves it so much!

MISTY SIMON
Hybrid Mystery and Romance Author with over 30 books published.

  • Mindmapping – An interactive story building session
  • Learn the ropes on this great tool to help with story ideas and execution for Plotters, Pantsers and Plantsers. We’ll create a story during class to show you how it works. Bring your ideas, your creativity, and your burn to learn as we bubble our way into a map to guide you in your writing!
  • Structure Swap: From Cozy Mystery to Romance
  • Cozies and romances have far more in common than some people think they do. They both have something that must be overcome and the author has to keep you on the edge of your seat through the entire book. Using red herrings, the usual suspects and the monologue we all breathlessly wait for at the end, you can sharpen your skills and make thinking through your story a true masterpiece.
  • Participating in the Marketing and Genre panels.

TIM WAGGONER
Four-time Bram Stoker Winner
Weird fiction meets extreme horror.

Pacing and Tension
Enthrall readers by using pace to increase the tension in your writing.

Writing Short Stories

Learn from a master short-story teller (and novelist) the tips and secrets to writing short.

Participating in the Genre Panel

Jen Graybeal – Creative Coaching and Editing
She has helped over a thousand romance authors create stories
they are proud of and businesses that align
with their individual vision of success.

Jen is willing to do one-on-ones throughout the weekend. Contact Tobi at AskIGW@gmail.com to set up a schedule.

Marketing Beyond Social Media
Consistently creating interesting, engaging content takes time and creativity–both are precious commodities for authors. Let’s look beyond social media and ads to tap into other marketing options. We will also explore how to develop a marketing strategy with 3.5 questions and why marketing presents such a big challenge for authors.

From Spaghetti to Strategy – Creating a Marketing Plan that Works for You: Marketing is the single most frustrating thing authors have to do but it often feels like throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks. We’ll explore the art and science of marketing, the four key elements to consider, how to mix things up, and what to do when failure feels personal.

Participanting in the Marketing Panel

FYI: Tobi took her 6 week coaching course, Work-It and now we have Story Magic Cards and a conference, so… CHECK IT OUT!

Casey Bond
YA Fantasy – RONE Award Winner

Writing YA Fantasy – Reader’s Expectations and More
RONE Award-winning author Casey Bond lives on a rural farm in West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. She writes phoenixes – gloriously flawed and morally gray characters that fiercely rise from the ashes of their circumstances.

Participating in the Marketing Panel

Participating in the Genre Panel

Amanda Hooser
Author of The Perth Paranormal Mystery Series (YA)
and The Getting Dirty Mystery Series

TikTok and Canva – Or how I learned to do social media on a budget.

Plot Braiding – Tobi says, “Mind blown! My plotter heart is so stinking happy!!!” Books always have subplots, but how do you weave the stories together cohesively. This workshop will teach you how to take your story lines, braid them together, and plot your novel. Pantsers may develop hives.

Participating in the Marketing Panel

Participating in the Genre Panel

Scarlett Moss
Bryan Cohen’s Selling for Authors

Scarlett has agreed to do one on ones to discuss your cover art and sales pages. Please contact Tobi at AskIGW@gmail.com to set up an appointment.

Scarlett has agreed to provide us with a few workshops, so check back for more details! She loves to talk about self-publishing and marketing, Amazon Ads and more!

Book Covers, Sales Pages, and the Market

Write the book of your heart, but if you want to have other’s read it, you need to understand the market for your genre! Bring your questions for this expert!

Participating in the Self Publishing (Indie) Panel

Participating in the Marketing Panel


Katherine D. Graham
Autocrit

On Sunday, Katherine from Autocrit will be joining Tobi virtually to discuss this program which you may have seen advertised. Before you spend your money, come check out this writing program that is nothing like Scrivener, only has a few things in common with Pro Writing Aid and Grammarly, and stands out dramatically with its ability to beta read your work. Your work remains private and is not used to train the program (Tobi asked, and that’s how she met Katherine). Tobi’s blown away by the programs abilities so if you’re looking for a beta reader that will find your inconsistencies and plot lines, please join us!