Invite Sarah to your Conference, Group, or School

I’m a literary agent who’s spent years working in the publishing industry and am a prolific author with eight books published. I love sharing my knowledge and, as a hardcore extrovert, adore meeting readers and other authors.

I’m available to speak at writers groups, libraries, and more. Below are the presentations I have prepared, but let me know if you’d like another topic and I may be able to help you out!

I’ve spoken at DragonCon, The Tampa Bay Publishing Conference, Willamette Writers Conference, the AWP Conference, SCBWI Florida, FLBlogCon, several public libraries, OASIS, the Florida Writers Association Conference, Necronomicon, Coastal Magic Convention, Left Coast Crime, Citrus Crime Writers, Tampa Writers Alliance, The St Cloud Author Symposium, the UCF Book Festival, several RWA chapters, and more!

Pitch Your Book
Whether you’re trying to sell your book to readers, agents, or publishers, a perfect pitch is a necessity. Literary Agent Sarah Fisk will teach you how to craft both an attention-grabbing elevator pitch and a compelling written book blurb.

Fine-Tune Your Submission Package to Get to Yes
If your manuscript is solid and you know how to write a query, but you’re not quite getting the responses you’d like to see, there might be small things in your initial pitch holding you back. Author, literary agent, and former publicist Sarah N. Fisk will discuss the small tweaks that often need to be made in query letters and first pages to get to that yes.

Authors Online: The Musts, The Don’ts, and The Nice-To-Haves
“Authors need to have an online presence.” We hear this all the time. But what does it actually mean? What do authors need to do, what is not worth their time, and what is optional? Author, literary agent, and former publicist Sarah N. Fisk will discuss what you should absolutely have online at a minimum, what you should avoid, and what to do if you have the time, energy, and inclination.

Choosing a Publishing Path
Changes and new opportunities in the publishing industry have made it an exciting time to be an author, but have also made it one of the most confusing times to be an author. Hybrid author Sarah Nicolas a.k.a. Aria Kane will present the different publishing paths available and openly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Podcasting for Authors
If you want to start a podcast, but don’t know where to start, learn the basics from author and podcaster Sarah N. Fisk. Learn about structuring your podcast as well as equipment, software, and distribution.

Finding a Literary Agent
A great literary agent can be an excellent business partner for your writing career. Literary Agent Sarah Fisk will discuss what an agent does and doesn’t do, plus provide a step-by-step guide to finding literary agents, including how to select the right agent for you and your work.

The Author’s Press Kit
An author’s press kit should include all the information that might be needed in order to book media appearances, event appearances, publicity opportunities, or selective marketing avenues. A press kit is not a one-size-fits-all document, but should be customized for different applications. Author, event planner, and former book publicist Sarah Nicolas will break down every item an author should have in order before contacting journalists, retailers, bloggers, event planners, publicists, or anyone who might take an interest in you as an author.

Networking for Writers
Networking is a great way to learn about the industry, stay motivated, and form connections that will enrich your career. The word may strike fear into writers’ hearts, but networking should also be fun and natural. Author Sarah Nicolas will provide tips on effective networking, both online and in-person, to help you take your writing career to the next level.

Caveat Scriptor: Avoiding Publishing Scams
Most authors start with misunderstandings about how publishing works. A huge industry has arisen to prey on writers who are unsure of the path. Author Sarah Nicolas aka literary agent Sarah Fisk. will explain how publishing scams work and how writers can avoid them. Armed with knowledge and a little healthy skepticism, you can protect yourself.

Being a Good Literary Citizen
Participating in your literary community can be a valuable and rewarding experience. Author, event planner, and literary agent Sarah N. Fisk will discuss how you can contribute to your local and online writing communities to make valuable connections and build your professional circle.

Writing a Query Letter
If you want to find an agent or a publisher for your fiction or narrative non-fiction, you will need an outstanding query letter. Literary Agent Sarah Fisk will show you how to create a query letter that will help you snag a book deal.

The Basics of Self Publishing
Self-publishing provides an amazing opportunity for authors to take control of their own publishing career. It sounds easy—write a great book and sell it directly to readers. But are you prepared to take on the role of a publisher? Author Sarah Nicolas a.k.a. Aria Kane will help authors determine if self-publishing is a viable choice for you and jump start your understanding of the publishing process.

But What Do I Write About? How to Come Up with Blog & Article Ideas
Writing blog posts and articles is a great way to increase your author platform, but many authors worry they won’t be able to come up with more than a couple topics before the ideas run dry. Author, blogger, and Book Riot contributor Sarah Nicolas will provide methods of coming up with post topics so that you’ll never be intimidated by another blank page.

How a Book is Born
To most readers and those just entering the publishing world, much of the publishing process is still a mystery. This lecture will explain both the traditional and self- publishing processes step-by-step. Sarah has published both traditionally and independently, and has also worked in the publishing industry as an editorial intern, editorial assistant, publicist, publicity director, cover artist, art director, and journalist. Note: This is for either a very entry-level audience or for a general public audience.

Write and Publish a Book
Writing and publishing a book is no easy task. But with enough dedication, education, and creativity, you can be a published author. Author Sarah Nicolas will discuss plotting, drafting, editing, and the processes of the publishing industry in this 90-minute workshop. *Please note: this is a very high-level, basic workshop for those just starting to learn about the industry.

I am willing to speak to a limited number of Orlando-area writing groups for no charge.

For groups I would have to travel to, I request travel & lodging costs and an honorarium, depending on circumstances. Due to my disabilities, I will not travel on a day I also have to speak/take pitches. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like to book me for your event or have any questions.