Speaking Engagements

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As a former educator who's taught in classrooms ranging from daycare to college writing classes to adult ESL to conferences and libraries, Sarah has years of experience speaking to groups of all ages and sizes. Whether it's encouraging fourth-grade readers and writers to look for the deeper meanings in Bunnicula and write first-person narratives from the perspective of their own pets or other animals of their choice (true story!) or guiding mid-list authors through explorations of deeper POV to add emotional depth to their stories, Sarah has done it all with humor and large hand gestures.

“Sarah has an energy that instantly engages a room. It’s hard to beat that combination of great information cleverly delivered, and I jump at every chance to present with her.” - Allie Pleiter, Author, Speaker

“Sarah is a captivating presenter. Audience members will be laughing while learning a great deal about the business of writing and publishing. Realistic, yet inspiring, Sarah’s presentations will remain with the audience.” - Amy AlessioAuthor, Librarian, Speaker

*programs marked with an * can be adjusted for writers aged 12 through adult!

For Readers

Raising Readers: Helping Children Love Literature for a Lifetime*
Homework, sports, music--where do you find the time to help your children learn to love books? Learn how to capture your kids' interest with books and squeeze literature into spare moments. All ages welcome!

How to Make Friends With Your Favorite Author*
With the Internet, it's easier than ever to contact your favorite author. But what's the best way to do so? Learn how to reach out to your favorite author as well as guidelines for keeping the conversation respectful.

How I Learned to Love Romance
Romance gets a bad rap from lots of people who don't read it--including Sarah M. Anderson, once upon a time. In this fun autobiographical talk, join Sarah as she chronicles her reasons why she didn't read or write romance--until she did and why she's now a total convert (and you should be, too!)

For Writers

What to Expect When You’re Revising*
You've polished your book until it shined--and it sold! Now what? Learn about how the revision process changes from unpublished to published and get handy tips on how to survive that first revision letter, TrackChange, and never-ending rewrites.

Don't Be a Jerk! Critique for Writing*
Writers at every stage of their journey can benefit from a fresh set of eyes and honest, constructive feedback. Join award-winning author Sarah M. Anderson as she demonstrates tips, tricks and techniques to help writers learn how to give effective critiques, how to take them, and how to apply them to their writing, all without being a total jerk about it.

Take Me Deeper, POV! Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About POV*
Does your dialog read as a list of “he said, she said?” Do your critique partners ask, “Whose head are we in here?” Have you gotten contest feedback saying, “go deeper into the POV” or “Show, don’t tell”? And are you wondering how on earth to fix your manuscript? Good news! POV is a skill that can be learned! Join Point-Of-View obsessive Sarah M. Anderson as she identifies common POV errors, when the rules are flexible and how to layer deeper meaning into your story with deeper POV. Questions welcome!

So You Have to Write a Synopsis!*
Writing a synopsis is a requirement for many aspects of school, work and publishing. Learn about the different kinds of summaries--pitches, blurbs, short and long synopses--and tricks and tips to make writing them less painful in this interactive presentation.

Is Self-Publishing Right for You?*
So you finished a book--congratulations! Now what? Learn about the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing, as well as the key steps to make sure that, no matter what you're publishing, it's a book that readers will love.

What Can You Do with an English Degree?* 
Are you tired of people asking what you're going to do with your English degree--and tired of not having a really good answer? Learn about job alternatives available to people with English degrees as well as what additional skills you'll need to get the job of your dreams!

How to Break into Publishing*
Publishing is a fast-paced, fast-changing industry. Whether you're interested in writing, editing, agenting, or something in between, learn what skills you need to get your foot in the door of a publishing career.

Consent is Sexy!* (ages 16+)
Whether you're writing romance, spec fic or YA, consent is sexy! In this informative presentation, the audience will fully explore consent, what it is, when it’s absent and the gray areas that may occur in literature. We’ll address common misconceptions about consent and how its representation has changed over the decades.

No Excuses! Writing at Hospitals, Through Heartache and Despite Kids
Writing is your life—but what happens when life is suddenly filled with heartache and loss? Learn how to develop the skills to write around and through many of life's trials, how to maintain professional contact with your editors when things fall apart and how to restart when life forces you to take time off.

Making a Career Out of Category: The Pros and Cons of a Category Career
What are the pros and cons of a category career? Learn about breaking into publishing by writing category novels, how agents figure into the equation, how the submission process works, and what to expect from contract negotiations.

Contact

Got a specific topic you’d like to have me cover? Email me and we’ll set something up!
message @ sarahmanderson dot com
(remove spaces and use a . for dot)