The 2026 Writing Workshop of South Florida was a lot of fun — thank you to all who attended and those who participated as faculty.
We are unsure when the next WWSF will happen, so check this page for updates.
In the meantime:
Connect with us (Writing Day Workshops) on social media. We are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, BlueSky, and Threads. We share lots of info for writers — new agent alerts, contests, advice, and more.
Note we are planning many writers conferences throughout 2026 — both in-person and online — and you can see the full list of events here. Join us at one! All of them have literary agents attending who meet with writers, as well as instructional classes. We are extremely proud of our 150+ success stories.
After successful previous events in SE Florida and around the country, Writing Day Workshops is excited to announce The 2025 Writing Workshop of South Florida — a full-day in-person “How to Get Published” writing event in the Fort Lauderdale / Pompano area on Saturday, March 15, 2025
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 2025 Writing Workshop of South Florida! 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 WWSF is an in-person event happening in the Fort Lauderdale / Pompano area on Saturday, March 15, 2025. See you there.)
WHAT IS IT?
This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at the Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port. 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 Claire Romine (Trident Media Group)
literary agent Sophia Ramos (New Leaf Literary Management)
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.
To register, click the button above, or E-mail Chuck to register for the event at WritingDayWorkshops@gmail.com and say you’re interested in the Fort Lauderdale event specifically.
EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:
9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, March 15, 2025: Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port, 400 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, FL 33004.
(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 WWSF is an in-person event happening in the Fort Lauderdale / Pompano area on Saturday, March 15, 2025. See you there.)
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE & INSTRUCTORS (MARCH 15, 2025)
8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.
9:30 – 10:30: Understanding the Publishing Industry in 2025 — From Hybrid Publishing to Artificial Intelligence and Everything in Between. Writers today have lots of choices and options, but that doesn’t mean your publishing journey is an easy path to navigate. How are traditional publishing and self-publishing changing? What kind of writer is attractive to an agent currently? What is hybrid publishing? How will A.I. (artificial intelligence) help or hurt writers in the years to come? Which social media sites and publishing resources are worth the time and effort in 2025? All these questions, and more, will be addressed during the speech.
10:30 – 11:45: Everything You Need to Know About Literary Agents and Writing an Awesome Query Letter. This workshop is a thorough crash course in dealing with literary agents. After quickly going over what an agent is and what they do for writers, we will discuss resources for finding agents, how to ID the best agents for you, query letter writing, as well as the most important things to do and not to do when dealing with representatives.
11:45 – 1:15: Lunch on your own. There are several restaurants within quick driving distance.
1:15 – 2:30: “Writers’ Got Talent: A First Page Critique-Fest.” 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 our attending agents commenting on what was liked or not liked about the submission. Get expert feedback on your incredibly important first page, and know if your writing has what it needs to keep readers’ attention. (All attendees are welcome to bring pages to the event for this session, and we will choose pages at random for the workshop for as long as time lasts.)
2:45 – 3:45: How to Market Yourself and Your Books: Talking Author Social Media, Blogging, and Platform. Whether you’re traditionally published or self-published, everyone could use some helpful guidance on how to effectively market themselves and sell more books. This session includes easy-to-understand advice on social media (Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, more), blogging, and other simple ways you can market your work online cheaply and easily.
4:00 – 5:00: 10 Evergreen Keys to Writing Success. Learn 10 things you can be doing right now that will help get your book(s) published and have more control over your writing destiny. This is a general course that addresses commonsense things any writer can do to give their work the best shot at getting published, such as writing the best thing they can, stealing from themselves to generate more content, and why writing for love and money is a good idea.
All throughout the day: Agent & Editor Pitching.
PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR!
Sheila Fernley is a literary agent with Storm Literary Agency. Storm is a boutique agency representing quality literature for all age ranges from talented authors and illustrators. “I am currently seeking submissions from kidlit authors and author/illustrators (picture books fiction/nonfiction, middle grade novels, and selective young adult projects. As a former special education teacher, Latino author and agent, I support diverse and underrepresented authors, but a great story always comes first. I enjoy lyrical writing, but I’m not the agent for rhyming picture books, horror, dragons, or science fiction.” Learn more about Sheila here.
Claire Romine is a literary agent with Trident Media Group. Claire is open to submissions and excited to continue to work closely with authors. In the fiction space, she is looking for upmarket and book club fiction, particularly with an element of suspense and/or romance. She’d also love a true romantic comedy à la Emily Henry, and is especially partial to enemies-to-lovers, fake relationships, and anything inspired by the wise words of Taylor Swift. Though Claire is primarily interested in fiction, she’s also open to select nonfiction memoirs or essay collections, either focusing on the personal or pop culture (or a blend of the two, in the vein of STRIP TEES BY Kate Flannery). Learn more about Claire here.
Sophia M. Ramos is a literary agent with New Leaf Literary + Media. Sophia is a Cuban-American literary associate based in South Florida. She represents commercial to upmarket genre-blending fiction for adult, YA and select middle-grade projects. Sophia loves intentional, lush prose combined with propulsive plots and thoughtfully complex family dynamics. She gravitates toward speculative (sci-fi and fantasy) books rooted in history or culture that have elements of romance, mystery, and horror. She strives to build a list that speaks to traditionally underrepresented voices and intersectional identities. Learn more aboyt Sophia here.
Joyce Sweeney is a literary agent with The Seymour Agency. She represents children’s picture books as well as middle grade. In Picture Books: Joyce seeks: fiction or nonfiction. I am drawn to lyrical voices, fun syntax and offbeat concepts. I like unusual characters, and plots that make me cry or laugh out loud. Illustrator/authors welcome and rhyme (if you really know how to do it) is fine. Diversity, please. Most of all, be unique. In Middle Grade: I am especially drawn to humor, fantasy and sci-fi, but a realistic novel that makes me cry will work too. Advocate of books for boys. Would love to see more LGBTQ as well. Learn more about Joyce here.
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ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2025 Writing Workshop of South Florida attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at a specific Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2025 WWSF on our calendar.
This means that 2025 South Florida attendees can have access to pitching all those online Pittsburgh agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online May 2025 PWW. (That said, if you want to formally register for the May 9-10 Pittsburgh Writing Workshop and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed South Florida attendees.)
If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for South Florida. Following the conference on March 15, 2025, we will be in touch with all South Florida attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2025 PWW (May 9-10). At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.
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More agents may be added at any time.
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.)
PRICING:
$169 — EARLY BIRD pricing for 2025.
To register, click the button above, or reach out to workshop organizer Chuck Sambuchino via email: WritingDayWorkshops@gmail.com, and he will provide specific instructions for payment and registration to get you a reserved seat at the event. Payment is by credit card, PayPal, or check. Because Chuck plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Fort Lauderdale workshop specifically.
Add $29 — to secure a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with any of our literary agents 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 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 can 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 instructor Chuck Sambuchino, who previously taught at this SE FL workshop. (This rate is a special event value for Writing Workshop of South Florida 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 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.
Middle grade, young adult; adult fiction in the areas of low fantasy, literary fiction, romance, contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, historical fiction, and mainstream fiction (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.
Children’s picture books and middle grade (virtual critiques): Faculty member Brittany Thurman, a published 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. If you submit a picture book, it must be 1,000 words or fewer (can have illustrations or not).
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 (virtual critiques): Faculty member Kimiko Nakamura, a literary agent and writing coach, 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.
More critique options possibly forthcoming
REGISTRATION:
Because of limited space at the Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port, 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 WWSF is an in-person event happening in the Fort Lauderdale / Pompano area on Saturday, March 15, 2025. 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: The easy first step is simply to click the button below:
Or reach out to workshop organizer Chuck Sambuchino via email: WritingDayWorkshops@gmail.com. Chuck 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 WWSF 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 Fort Lauderdale workshop specifically.
Refunds: If you sign up for the event and have to cancel for any reason, 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 are completely non-refundable if the instructor has already edited your letter.)
Thank you for your interest in the Writing Workshop of South Florida.
Claire joined the agency as assistant to Dan Strone. Prior to TMG, Claire attended Agnes Scott College and earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Political Science, with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. After graduating, she completed the Columbia Publishing Course and worked for the Storyline Group and Platypus Media before coming to TMG.
Claire is open to submissions and excited to continue to work closely with authors. In the fiction space, she is looking for upmarket and book club fiction, particularly with an element of suspense and/or romance. She’d also love a true romantic comedy à la Emily Henry, and is especially partial to enemies-to-lovers, fake relationships, and anything inspired by the wise words of Taylor Swift.
She is an excellent advocate for books with commercial appeal that explore the complexities of growing up and growing out, dynamic female relationships, and our ever-evolving political landscape. She adores multi-POV novels in the vein of Lianne Moriarty, Chandler Baker, and Meg Mitchell Moore. A native Floridian, Claire is especially drawn to summer reads that feature the ocean as a primary character. At this time, Claire is not looking for children’s or young adult books.
Though Claire is primarily interested in fiction, she’s also open to select nonfiction memoirs or essay collections, either focusing on the personal or pop culture (or a blend of the two, in the vein of STRIP TEES BY Kate Flannery).
Sophia is a Cuban-American literary associate based in South Florida. She represents commercial to upmarket genre-blending fiction for adult, YA and select middle-grade projects. Sophia loves intentional, lush prose combined with propulsive plots and thoughtfully complex family dynamics. She gravitates toward speculative (sci-fi and fantasy) books rooted in history or culture that have elements of romance, mystery, and horror. She strives to build a list that speaks to traditionally underrepresented voices and intersectional identities.
Prior to joining New Leaf, Sophia graduated from New York University with a Masters of Science in Publishing. Her career began in the international sphere, where she worked as a literary scout as well as in foreign rights and international sales. She continues her work at New Leaf with top author brands and has a wide-open list she’s ready to fill. She is a Diet Coke enthusiast and champion axe-thrower, but mostly enjoys hanging out with her dachshund, Sunny.
Joyce Sweeney is a literary agent with The Seymour Agency. She represents children’s picture books as well as middle grade,
In Picture Books: Joyce seeks: fiction or nonfiction. I am drawn to lyrical voices, fun syntax and offbeat concepts. I like unusual characters, and plots that make me cry or laugh out loud. Illustrator/authors welcome and rhyme (if you REALLY know how to do it) is fine. Diversity, please. Most of all, be unique.
In Middle Grade: I am especially drawn to humor, fantasy and sci-fi, but a realistic novel that makes me cry will work too. Advocate of books for boys. Would love to see more LGBTQ as well.
Joyce has been working in the Kidlit industry for four decades. First as an award-winning novelist, and soon after, leading invitation-only workshops for aspiring writers. Within the first two years, seven of Joyce’s students had obtained traditional publishing contracts and a second career was born. Joyce and her students decided that everyone who could secure a contract should get a special “Magic Bean” to mark the achievement.
Continuing to publish her own work, Joyce expanded into weekend writing retreats, conducted with Jamie Morris, under name NEXT LEVEL WORKHOPS. That led to ten years of online classes, taught by Joyce and produced by Cathy Castelli and CAFÉ CLASSES conducted in Fort Lauderdale.
Using her contacts as an active SCBWI volunteer, Joyce continued to promote her students and help them find agents. The Magic Bean count continued to rise.
By 2020, Nicole Resciniti, who is also Joyce’s agent, offered them the chance to take this lifetime of mentoring to the next level and become a literary agent. Joyce finally found their dream job as a kidlit agent and the Magic Bean count is currently 83 and hoping for 100! At the agency, Joyce began to help and coach other agents who wanted to move into the kidlit space, and continues to represent authors and illustrators of picture books, middle grades and graphic novels.
Former e-learning developer and editor for LRP Publications. Before becoming an Associate Literary Agent at Storm Literary Agency, I interned at Belcastro Agency. Critiquing, formatting, and editing manuscripts, I’ve helped many kidlit writers on their journey to publication. I’m excited to represent published and debut authors to build their literary careers.
Storm Literary Agency is a boutique agency representing quality literature for all age ranges from talented authors and illustrators.
“I am currently seeking submissions from kidlit authors and author/illustrators (picture books fiction/nonfiction, middle grade novels, and selective young adult projects.
“Draw me into the story from the first few lines and hold me captive to the end. I love stories that have unique and even quirky characters with real and district voices. I want strong story and character arcs, where I feel the characters’ emotions. As a former special education teacher, Latino author and agent, I support diverse and underrepresented authors, but a great story always comes first. I enjoy lyrical writing, but I’m not the agent for rhyming picture books, horror, dragons, or science fiction.”
The 2025 Writing Workshop of South Florida 