After successful 2016, 2017, 2019, 2024, and 2025 events in Cleveland, Writing Day Workshops is excited to announce The 2026 Cleveland Writing Workshop — a full-day in-person “How to Get Published” writing event in Cleveland on November 21, 2026.
This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (150 total). All questions about the event regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2026 Cleveland Writing Workshop! We are very proud of our many success stories where attendees sign with agents following events — see our growing list of success stories here.
(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next CWW is an in-person event happening on November 21, 2026. See you there.)
To register, click the button above, or email Brian at WDWconference@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Cleveland event.
WHAT IS IT?
This is a special one-day in-person “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at the Wyndham Cleveland Airport. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.
This event is designed to squeeze as much into one day of learning as possible. You can ask any questions you like during the classes, and get your specific concerns addressed. We will have literary agents onsite to give feedback and take pitches from writers, as well. This year’s agent and editor faculty so far includes:
- literary agent Rachel Beck (Liza Dawson Associates)
- literary agent Jacqui Lipton (Raven Quill Literary)
- literary agent Malaga Baldi (Baldi Agency)
- literary scout Maureen Wise (Linda S. Glaz Literary)
- literary agent Chelsea Moyer (Raven Quill Literary)
- and possibly more to come.
By the end of the day, you will have all the tools you need to move forward on your writing journey. This independent event is organized by coordinator Brian Klems of Writing Day Workshops, with regional assistance from local writing groups.
To register, click the button above, or email Brian at WDWconference@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Cleveland event.
EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:
9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturday, November 21, 2026, at the Wyndham Cleveland Airport, 4277 W. 150th St, Cleveland, OH 44135. 216-252-5333.
(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next CWW is an in-person event happening on November 21, 2026. See you there.)
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THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (NOV. 21, 2026):
8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.
9:30 – 10:30: How Do Writers Find a Literary Agent? This workshop is a thorough crash course in dealing with literary agents.
10:45 – 11:50: Plotting Your Novel in an Hour. This class is fast, practical blueprint to map your story, focusing on the important elements to determine before you start writing.
11:50 – 1:15: Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.
1:15 – 2:30: “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest, with participating literary agents and editors. In the vein of “American Idol” or “America’s Got Talent,” this is a chance to get your first page read (anonymously — no bylines given) with attending agents commenting on what was liked or not liked about the submission.
2:45 – 3:45: 15 Reasons Why Your Book is Getting Rejected. At this session, you’ll hear fifteen of the most common reasons an agent rejects your book, from length to audience to query letters that don’t do what they need to.
4:00 – 5:00: Tips for Developing Your Author Voice. We’ll deconstruct the elements of voice, assessing what agents and editors look for in different genres, and will work through exercises designed to help develop and strengthen your narrative voice.
PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR:
Rachel Beck is a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates. In fiction, she seeks upmarket/book club women’s fiction; smart contemporary romance and romcoms; historical fiction this side of World War II (dual timeline welcome); nongenre fiction; speculative fiction/magical realism; gripping thrillers/psychological or domestic suspense; and contemporary young adult. For selection nonfiction, she seeks narrative nonfiction, though always open to prescriptive as well. She also enjoys gifty pop culture books; cultural criticism books/essays, social justice issues, advocacy, politics, feminist material, etc.; narrative nonfiction by BIPOC writers, non-cishet authors, immigrants; career/personal growth/self-help books with new focus points; extreme underdog, survival, accomplishment or rising-from-poverty type stories; select health and wellness books (particularly rare or underrepresented conditions); books about athletes, particularly football players (or anything examining the NFL) and endurance athletes such as marathoners; select parenting books that bring something new to the conversation; books that explore cult life or extreme religion; 9/11 survival stories; anything about Anne Frank. Learn more about Rachel here.
Jacqui Lipton is a literary agent with The Tobias Agency. Jacqui represents authors of fiction and nonfiction from middle grade through to adult, as well as selected projects for younger readers (picture books, chapter books etc.) She is currently focusing on developing her adult fiction and nonfiction lists and particularly enjoys mystery/crime, romance, how-to books, and compelling contemporary novels. She is not currently seeking high fantasy, and only considers science fiction selectively. Learn more about Jacqui here.
Malaga Baldi is a literary agent with Baldi Agency. Her fiction interests include: general fiction, literary fiction, and LGBTQIA+ fiction. Her nonfiction interests include mind/body/spirit, cultural history, reference, travel, biography, lifestyle, narrative/creative nonfiction, computers/tech, cookbooks, memoir, business, science, and finance. She does not represent any genre fiction nor any kind of books for children/teens. Learn more about Malaga here.
Chelsea Moyer is a literary agent with Raven Quill Literary. She seeks some adult fiction, young adult fiction, and middle grade fiction. “Universally, I love genre fiction and speculative fiction, but some of my absolute favorite titles are contemporary, so I usually leave that door open, too. More than anything, I’m seeking big feelings, yearning (romantic and not), interesting characters who make compelling, human decisions, pacy stories that keep me turning pages, and worlds and scenarios that set my imagination on fire.” Learn more about Chelsea here.
Maureen Wise is a literary scout at the Linda S. Glaz Literary Agency. On behalf of herself and the agency, she seeks: “Wise has worked in the sustainability field her entire career and is most interested in supporting authors’ novels with an environmental message. She is also looking to represent mysteries (especially cozy), contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, and Christian devotionals. She is not interested in horror or children’s books.” Learn more about Maureen here.
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ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2026 Cleveland Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at an Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2026 CWW on our calendar.
That event is the 2026 Online Writing Workshop of Chicago, December 4-5, 2026, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.
This means that 2026 CWW attendees can have access to pitching all those online Chicago agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online December 2026 WWOC. (That said, if you want to formally register for the December 4-5 WWOC and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Cleveland attendees.)
If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Cleveland. Following the CWW conference on November 21, 2026, we will be in touch with all Pittsburgh attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2026 WWOC (Dec. 4-5). At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.
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More 2026 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.
These one-on-one meetings are an amazing chance to pitch your book face-to-face with an agent, and get personal, individual feedback on your pitch/concept. If the agent likes your pitch, they’ll request to see part/all of your book — sending you straight past the slush pile. It also gives you an intimate chance to meet with an agent and pick their brain with any questions on your mind.
(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings, and pricing/detail is explained below.)
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PRICING:
$169 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the 2026 CWW and access to all workshops, all day. As of summer 2026, registration is now OPEN.
To register, click the button above, or email Brian at WDWconference@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Cleveland event.
Add $29 — to secure a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with any of our literary agents or editors in attendance. Use this special meeting as a chance to pitch your work and get professional feedback on your pitch. (Spaces limited.) If they wish, attendees are free to sign up for multiple 10-minute pitch sessions at $29/session — pitching multiple individuals, or securing 20 minutes to pitch one person rather than the usual 10. Here are four quick testimonials regarding writers who have signed with literary agents after pitching them at prior Writing Day Workshops events. (Our bigger, growing list of success stories an be seen here.)
“I met Mai Nguyen at the Toronto Writing Workshop
and sold her manuscript to Simon & Schuster for six figures.”
– literary agent Carly Watters of P.S. Literary Agency
“I signed Sarah G. Pierce from the Seattle Writing Workshop,
and we recently sold her book to Orbit/Redhook.”
– literary agent Pam Gruber of Highline Literary Collective
“I met Amber Cowie at a Writing Day Workshops conference. We sold
her best-selling crime novel to Lake Union / Amazon.”
– literary agent Gordon Warnock of Fuse Literary
“I met my client, Dana Corbit Nussio, at the Michigan Writing Workshop.
Dana signed a new three-book contract with Harlequin Romantic Suspense.”
– literary agent Rachel Beck of Liza Dawson Associates
“I signed Nedda Lewers from a Writing Day Workshops event. Her debut
novel from Putnam Children’s was an Indie’s Introduce Best Book of 2024.”
– literary agent Kelly Dyksterhouse of Tobias Literary Agency
Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Brian Klems, one of the day’s instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Cleveland Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?
Add $89 — for an in-depth personal critique of the first 10 pages of your novel. Spaces with faculty for these critiques are very limited, and participating attendees will either 1) get an in-person meeting at the workshop, if the faculty member is attending the live event, or 2) get a 10-minute phone call with the faculty member, and have notes passed along via email, if the critiquer is not attending the live event. Options:
- All types & genres of fiction for adults, young adults, and middle grade readers (virtual critiques): Faculty member Lorin Oberweger, a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
- Horror, fantasy, sci-fi, urban fantasy (virtual critiques): Faculty member Bob McGough, a published novelist, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
- General fiction, contemporary, suspense, thriller, horror, romance, fantasy, young adult, cross-genre (e.g. horror romance or young adult fantasy), and memoir (virtual critiques): Faculty member Aimee Hardy, an author and editor, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
- Women’s, mainstream, science fiction, fantasy, romance, crime, thriller, mystery (virtual critiques): Faculty member Michelle McGill-Vargas, a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
- Children’s picture books (virtual critiques): Faculty member Rosie Pova, a published author, will get your work in advance, critique your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
- More critique options possibly forthcoming.
How to pay/register — Registration is now open.
To register, click the button above. Or reach out to workshop organizer Brian Klems via email: WDWconference@gmail.com. He will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by credit card, PayPal, or check. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The CWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Brian plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Cleveland workshop specifically.
REGISTRATION:
Because of limited space at the venue (Wyndham Cleveland Airport), the workshop can only allow 150 registrants, unless spacing issues change. For this reason, we encourage you to book sooner rather than later.
(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next CWW is an in-person event happening on November 21, 2026. See you there.)
Are spaces still available? Yes, we still have spaces available. We will announce RIGHT HERE, at this point on this web page, when all spaces are taken. If you do not see a note right here saying how all spaces are booked, then yes, we still have room, and you are encouraged to register.
How to Register: To register, reach out to workshop organizer Brian Klems via email: WDWconference@gmail.com. He will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by credit card, PayPal, or check. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The CWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Brian plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Cleveland workshop specifically.
Refunds: If you sign up for the event and have to cancel for any reason at any time, you will receive 50% of your total payment back [sent by check or PayPal]. The other 50% is nonrefundable and will not be returned, and helps the workshop ensure that only those truly interested in the limited spacing sign up for the event. (Please note that query editing payments and manuscript editing payments are completely non-refundable if the instructor has already edited your work.)
Thank you for your interest in the 2026 Cleveland Writing Workshop.
The 2026 Cleveland Writing Workshop 