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 (225 total). All questions about the event regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2026 Philadelphia 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 PWW is an in-person event happening in Philadelphia on April 25, 2026. See you there.)
To register, click the button above, or email Chuck at WritingDayWorkshops@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Philadelphia event.
WHAT IS IT?
This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Drexel University. 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 Ismita Hussain (Great Dog Literary)
- literary agent Kelsey Evans (Rosecliff Literary)
- literary agent Alyssa Maltese (Root Literary)
- literary agent Eric Smith (Neighborhood Literary)
- literary agent Amy Giuffrida (Belcastro Agency)
- editor Sean deLone (Atria / Simon & Schuster)
- literary agent Veronica Goldstein (Dunow, Carlson, and Lerner)
- literary agent Emily Williamson (Williamson Literary)
- literary agent Caitlin McDonald (Donald Maass Literary)
- literary agent Jennifer Herrera (David Black Literary)
- literary agent Amanda Elliott (Movable Type Literary)
- literary agent Lindsay Guzzardo (Keystone Literary)
- literary agent Donovan Levine (Neighborhood Literary)
- literary agent Kelly Bergh (Lucinda Literary)
- literary agent Marie Lamba (Jennifer De Chiara Literary)
- literary agent Dave Fessenden (Wordwise Media Services)
- 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 Chuck Sambuchino of Writing Day Workshops, with regional assistance from the local Philly chapter of Pennwriters.
To register, click the button above, or email Chuck at WritingDayWorkshops@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Philadelphia event.
EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:
9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, April 25, 2026 — at Drexel University (inside the LeBow College of Business), 3220 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
(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 PWW is an in-person event happening in Philadelphia on April 25, 2026. See you there.)
THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (APRIL 25, 2026):
What you see below is a quick layout of the day’s events. The topics below are subject to change. You can see a more detailed layout of the day’s classes on the Schedule Page here.
Please Note: There will be 2-3 classes/workshops going at all times during the day, so you will have your choice of what class you attend at any time. The final schedule of topics is subject to change, but here is the current layout:
8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.
BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30
1. How to Get a Literary Agent and Write a Query Letter. This workshop is a thorough crash course in dealing with literary agents.
2. Respectful Representation. Now more than ever, it’s imperative for writers to understand how to develop respectful and authentic stories reflective of diverse readership.
1. The Value of Thinking “High Concept” and Writing For the Market. This class will examine what “high concept” means, how to create your own high concept idea, how authors can really “game” the marketplace.
2. Make Your First Impression Count: Crafting Amazing First Pages. Learn what an agent is looking for in the first pages of your novel and what elements of story must be present to make your submission stand out — including tips on how to create tension, atmosphere, and immediacy across all types of genres.
(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here.)
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN: 11:50 – 1:15
Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.
BLOCK THREE: 1:15 – 2:30
1. “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest (room). 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. How to Sell a Nonfiction Book Proposal. This session focuses on effective strategies for writing a nonfiction book proposal on any subject.
BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45
1. Open Agent Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from PWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.
2. How to Market Your Book. Intended to be helpful to authors who are both traditionally published and self-published, this class will go through all of the things writers can do to be good promoters of their own book and stand out against all of the noise in the marketplace.
(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here.)
BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00
1. The First Year of Publication. Want to understand what happens after you get a book deal? This session will give an overview of the editorial process when you work for a publisher, how to advertise yourself leading up to publication date, and promotion activities afterward.
2. Story Beats and Why They Matter. From the inciting incident to the finale, story beats are the foundation that makes your story work.
SESSIONS END: 5:00
At 5 p.m., the day is done. Speakers will make themselves available by the workshop’s bookstore for a short while to sign any books for attendees.
Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.
PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR:
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ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2026 Philadelphia Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at the Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2026 PWW on our calendar.
That event is the Online New England Writing Workshop, in July 2026, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.
This means that 2026 PWW attendees can have access to pitching all those online NEWW agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online July 2026 event. (That said, if you want to formally register for the New England conference and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Philadelphia attendees.)
If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Philadelphia. Following the PWW conference on April 25, 2026, we will be in touch with all Philadelphia attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2026 NEWW (July 2026). 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:
$199 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the 2026 PWW and access to all workshops, all day. As of fall 2025, registration is now OPEN.
To register, click the button above, or email Chuck at WritingDayWorkshops@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Philadelphia 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.)
and sold her manuscript to Simon & Schuster for six figures.”
– literary agent Carly Watters of P.S. Literary Agency
and we recently sold her book to Orbit/Redhook.”
– literary agent Pam Gruber of Highline Literary Collective
her best-selling crime novel to Lake Union / Amazon.”
– literary agent Gordon Warnock of Fuse Literary
Dana signed a new three-book contract with Harlequin Romantic Suspense.”
– literary agent Rachel Beck of Liza Dawson Associates
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 Chuck Sambuchino, one of the day’s instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Philadelphia 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 15-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 adult fiction genres and categories (except for sci-fi) (virtual critiques): Faculty member Tayler Hill, an author and publishing house assistant, 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.
- Romance, women’s fiction, domestic suspense, and young adult fiction (virtual critiques): Faculty member Swati Hegde, an author and freelance 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.
- Memoir, as well as children’s picture books (virtual critiques): Faculty member Eve Porinchak, a published author and former agent, will get your work in advance, critique your picture book (or 10 pages if memoir), 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).
- All adult fiction, all young adult fiction, and all middle grade fiction (with the exception of thriller/mystery) (virtual critiques): Faculty member Joel Brigham, a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, talk with you virtually (Zoom/phone) for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes.
- Science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, young adult SFF, urban fantasy (virtual critiques): Faculty member Wesley Chu, 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.
- 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 Chuck Sambuchino via email: WritingDayWorkshops@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 PWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Chuck plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Philadelphia workshop specifically.
REGISTRATION:
Because of limited space at the venue (Drexel University), the workshop can only allow 225 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 PWW is an in-person event happening in Philadelphia on April 25, 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, click the button above. Or reach out to workshop organizer Chuck Sambuchino via email: WritingDayWorkshops@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 PWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Chuck plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia Writing Workshop.