The Willamette Writers Conference basic registration is NOW OPEN! You can save your seat for this year’s conference, online and in-person at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Portland, Oregon, August 2-6, 2023! Our Saturday Evening Keynote is New York Times Bestselling Author Cheryl Strayed. Critiques and pitches will be online, August 2-3, and the workshops, keynotes, and events will be August 4-6, in-person and online. It is going to be a wonderful event, with opportunities for you to make connections, learn the craft, and launch your career. Workshops, critiques and pitches will be available in the coming months, but now is the time to grab your seat and get ready to DREAM BIG! See you at #wilwrite23!
We are proud to welcome our first round of agents, publishers, and editors to this year’s Willamette Writers Conference.
We expect to add more producers and film managers on May 15th.
Katie Reed (Andrea Hurst Literary Management): Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction, Suspense/Thriller, Fantastic Fiction, Retellings, Young Adult
Jenna Lettice (Penguin Random House): Comics/Graphic Novels, Chapter Books (ages 6-10)
Juliana A. McBride (Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency): Mystery, Suspense, Young Adult, Middle Grade
Brenna English-Loeb (Transatlantic Agency): Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Non-Fiction, Comics/Graphic Novels
Kat Kerr (Donald Maass Literary Agency): Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction, Memoir
Anjanette Barr (Dunham Literary, Inc): Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade
Annie Bomke (Annie Bomke Literary Agency): Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction, Horror, Literary
Greg Gerding (University of Hell Press and Limit Zero): Non-Fiction, Memoir, Anthologies, Poetry, Creative Non-Fiction; Oral History
Remember, pitches are ALL ONLINE. If you cannot find a pitch with one of these professionals, they may have already sold out, so choose your time slot fast!
Our Meetings are Free and Open to the Public!
Our mission is to help writers find their community, develop their craft, and expand their careers. We do that through meetings, workshops, critiques, and conversations. You can find out what’s happening at our events calendar. You are welcome to drop in on any online or in-person meeting or workshop. We would love to join our community.
What did you think of #wilwrite22?
“Had such an amazing time talking about being a debut author, kidlit, and moving through writers block at the #wilwrite22 conference. What a wonderful place to get inspired and build your writing community! Already looking forward to next year!”
– Sonja Thomas, author & presenter
“The Willamette Writers Conference is one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of speaking at. The sense of community and support among the attendees and staff made the experience enjoyable from beginning to end.”
– Vinnie Kinsella; publisher, author & presenter
“This is the friendliest, more supportive conference I know.”
– Melissa Hart, author & presenter
“Willamette Writers is such a terrific resource for writers at all levels of their career. From the big summer conference to the regular meetings, the organization provides such a safe and welcoming community. We all need a place to belong that will encourage us to grow and thrive as creators — I’m so glad Willamette Writers is here to be that place!”
– Wendy N. Wagner, author & presenter
Want to be more involved? Become a member!
Willamette Writers is a community of writers supporting and learning from each other. We strive to provide members with everything they need to thrive – community support, networking opportunities, continuing education, inspiration, publicity, and much more.
Willamette Writers Membership benefits:
Weekly Chapter Meetings: with talks and inspirational, educational presentations on the craft and business of writing from leaders in the writing world
Online Coffee Hours: socialize with other writers twice a week
The Write Place: weekly productivity meeting, an opportunity for mutual support and accountability towards achieving your writing goals
The Timberline Review literary journal: free submissions and discounted subscriptions or copies
WilWrite Conference: early registration and discount on our acclaimed yearly writers conference
Kay Snow Writing Awards: Discounted submissions to our writing contest
FilmLab Contest: discounted submissions to our filmmaking contest Critique groups: We help connect members to critique groups for various genres.
Post your writing news free: on our website, in our weekly Dispatch email, in our quarterly Newsletter, and on our social media. We want to celebrate YOU!