Everything You Love About Conferences, From Home.

We're reinventing the writing conference.

The Manuscript Academy, LLC is brought to you by literary agent Jessica Sinsheimer (Context Literary Agency), conference organizer and media professional Julie Kingsley, and Manuscript Wish List®.

Here’s our story….

In 2016, agent Jessica Sinsheimer (co-creator of #MSWL and ManuscriptWishList.com) and writing professor and SCBWI organizer Julie Kingsley met after a small mishap on the bus to Book Expo (agent Katharine Sands saved her and invited her to an agent happy hour–she went and met Jessica!).

Together, they discussed the expense, inconvenience, and hassle of in-person conferences (especially the food–Jessica needs her daily coffee and cheese) and wondered–why can’t we offer the best elements of writing conferences online?

And what about people who can’t drop everything (work, family responsibilities) and pay huge amounts of money for a conference?

Eight years, 20,000+ consultations, and countless success stories later, The

Jessica and Julie on the first Manuscript Academy filming day in 2016. Yes, Jessica is very short.

Manuscript Academy, LLC, is a conference, meeting portal, written critique marketplace, workshop hub, event space, and podcast designed to treat you, the writer, as a real person–not one of thousands in the slushpile.

Our goal is to be the happiest place in publishing. We hope you can join us. 😀

Unlike traditional conferences, you simply need a computer, a tablet, or even your smartphone to log in and enjoy the very best instruction from some of the top minds in the literary community. The Manuscript Academy gives you the full educational and networking value of a traditional writing conference, but without the hassle of travel, paying for meals out, or arranging childcare.

Membership is as little as $49 a month. Learn more about our membership options here. 

Happy writing!

-The Manuscript Academy Team

Manuscript Academy Membership

It’s our goal to create the happiest place in publishing. To that end, we offer: 

Access to an entire conference (30+ hours) of edited classes and live panels, designed to help you learn everything from how to write a query letter, to how to interact with agents, to how to be your own book publicist–from home, in your pajamas. We have classes on craft, business, children’s books, adult genre fiction, nonfiction, social media, and behind-the-scenes publishing secrets. Everything in our member library is available 24/7—so you can pause, rewind, and take notes at your convenience. See the full list of classes here.

Consultations with agents and editors, face-to-face, from home. We’ve selected some of the smartest, kindest, most successful agents and editors in the business. Meet with them on your schedule, have real conversations, ask questions, and receive insightful feedback on your query and/or pages. Select video chat or phone–and yes, this works internationally. (Meetings are optional. You can sign up for as many as you like.)

Critique opportunities for your work. If you want a professional written critique of your work, then The Manuscript Academy has plenty of opportunities for you. Our faculty of agents, editors, and published authors offer detailed critiques of manuscript pages, query letters, synopses, and nonfiction book proposals. If you’ve ever wondered why you keep receiving form rejections, this is a great place to start.

Live events with our experts. Each month we host at least one live-streamed event to learn together in an introvert-friendly environment. Many are first page or query panels–submit your work, hang out with fellow members, and listen for feedback. Some are live classes, where you can interact with the agent or editor in real time. All are designed to inform, entertain, and build your community in a fun setting.

Support along the way. We’re here to guide you toward the most helpful classes, faculty members, and experiences for your unique situation. Each month we offer members-only office hours, feedback panels, and more. It makes us genuinely happy to help our members. So, please reach out.

Ready to get started?

Writing is a craft, publishing is a business, and we’re here to help you with both. We’d love to have you join us at The Manuscript Academy, and take that important next step on your journey to publication.

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