These writing events are 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 events. All questions about the events regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2026 Carolina Writing Workshops! 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 these are in-person events. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next CWW events are in-person event happening in Charlotte on Friday, March 13, 2026; and Raleigh on Saturday, March 14, 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 Carolina event.
WHAT ARE THE EVENTS?
These are a pair of special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshops on Friday, March 13, 2026 (Charlotte) at the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark; and Saturday, March 14, 2026 (Raleigh), at the The McKimmon Conference and Training Center at NC State. In other words, the workshops are both 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 Kaitlyn Katsoupis (Belcastro Agency) – CHARLOTTE
- literary agent Marisa Zeppieri-Caruana (Strachan Literary Agency) – CHARLOTTE
- literary agent Kelly Dyksterhouse (Tobias Literary) – CHARLOTTE
- literary agent Sarah Fisk (The Tobias Agency) – BOTH CHARLOTTE & RALEIGH
- literary agent Vicky Weber (Creative Media Agency) – BOTH CHARLOTTE & RALEIGH
- literary agent Erica Bauman (Aevitas Creative Management) – BOTH CHARLOTTE & RALEIGH
- literary agent Sorche Fairbank (Fairbank Literary) – BOTH CHARLOTTE & RALEIGH
- literary agent Andrea Hurst (Andrea Hurst Literary) – RALEIGH
- literary agent Shelly Romero (Azantian Literary) – RALEIGH
- literary agent Melissa Jeglinski (Knight Agency) – RALEIGH
- literary agent Jamie Chambliss (Folio Literary) – RALEIGH
- literary agent Lydia Caudill (Andrea Hurst Literary) – RALEIGH
- 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.
To register, click the button above, or email Chuck at WritingDayWorkshops@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Carolina event.
EVENT LOCATIONS & DETAILS:
(Please note that these are in-person events. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next CWW events are in-person event happening in Charlotte on Friday, March 13, 2026; and Raleigh on Saturday, March 14, 2026. See you there.)
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2026: Charlotte Marriott SouthPark, 2200 Rexford Road, Charlotte, NC, 28211.
SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2026: The McKimmon Conference and Training Center at NC State, 1101 Gorman St, Raleigh, NC 27606.
CHARLOTTE CLASSES (FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2026):
What you see below is a quick layout of the days’ events (Charlotte first, then Raleigh). The topics below are subject to change. You can see a more detailed layout of the day’s classes on the Schedule Page here. There will be 1-3 classes/workshops going at all times during the day, so sometimes you may have your choice of what class you attend.
8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.
BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30
1. How to Write an Amazing Query Letter.
2. Understanding Your Readers: Writing Novels That Resonate.
BLOCK TWO: 10:45 – 11:50
1. 15 Evergreen Publishing Tips — How to Control Your Writing Journey.
2. Open Doors: How to Make Your Manuscript Stand Out.
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.
2. How to Sell a Nonfiction Book Proposal.
BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45
1. Open Agent Q&A Panel.
2. Characters That Drive the Plot.
BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00
1. Rejection: Why It’s Happening to You, and How to Avoid It.
2. Let’s Talk Structure and Craft.
SESSIONS END: 5:00
(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.)
Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.
RALEIGH CLASSES (SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2026):
The topics below are mostly set, but subject to change. You can see a more detailed layout of the day’s classes on the Schedule Page here. There will be 1-3 classes/workshops going at all times during the day, so sometimes you may have your choice of what class you attend.
8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.
BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30
1. How to Write an Amazing Query Letter.
2. Pacing and Structuring Your Fiction.
BLOCK TWO: 10:45 – 11:50
1. Understanding the Publishing Industry in 2026 — From Hybrid Publishing to Diverse Books and Everything in Between.
2. Revise Like a Pro.
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.
2. Nonfiction Intense: Book Proposal Tips.
BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45
1. Open Agent Q&A Panel.
2. Rewriting Your Relationship with Social Media: Learn to Love Making Connections Online.
BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00
1. Are Your First Pages Helping or Hurting Your Submission?
2. 15 Evergreen Publishing Tips — Ways to Control Over Your Writing Journey.
SESSIONS END: 5:00
(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.)
Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.
PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR:
Erica Bauman [HAS OPENINGS FOR CHARLOTTE; SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS FOR RALEIGH] is a literary agent with Aevitas Creative Management. Erica represents a wide variety of authors across middle grade, young adult, and commercial adult fiction. She is most interested in commercial novels that feature an exciting premise and lyrical, atmospheric writing; imaginative, genre-blending tales; speculative worlds filled with haunting, quietly wondrous magic; fresh retellings of mythology, ballet, opera, and classic literature; sharply funny rom-coms; graphic novels for all ages; fearless storytellers that tackle big ideas and contemporary issues; and working with and supporting marginalized authors and stories that represent the wide range of humanity. Learn more about Erica here.
Sarah N. Fisk [STILL HAS OPENINGS IN CHARLOTTE; SOLD OUT OF PITCH APPOINTMENTS FOR RALEIGH] is a literary agent with The Tobias Literary Agency, and is open to pitches for young adult of all genres, middle grade of all genres, adult romance, science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, and select nonfiction (see wishlist for more specifics). They also take pitches for mysteries and thrillers via conferences only. Sarah especially loves fiction that is compulsively readable and social justice issues woven into commercial plots. Particular areas of interest include atmospheric fantasies, speculative mysteries, books that challenge societal norms, especially gender norms. Learn more about Sarah here.
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ADDED ONLINE PITCHING: To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2026 Carolina Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at a specific Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2026 CWWs on our calendar.
That event is the 2026 (Online) Ohio Writing Workshop, April 10-11, 2026, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.
This means that 2026 CWW attendees (both cities) can have access to pitching all those online Ohio agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online April 2026 OWW. (That said, if you want to formally register for the April 10-11 Ohio Writing Workshop and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Carolina attendees.)
If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for Carolina (either Charlotte or Raleigh or both). Following the conferences on March 13-14, 2026, we will be in touch with all Carolina attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2026 OWW (April 10-11). 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:
$189 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to either 2026 CWW event and access to all workshops, all day. Pricing is the same for both workshops. As of fall 2025, registration is now OPEN. The $189 price is the same for both separate events: Charlotte (March 13, 2026) and Raleigh (March 14, 2026).
To register, click the button above, or email Chuck at WritingDayWorkshops@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Carolina event.
$309 — EARLY BIRD discounted base price for registration to BOTH the March 13 Charlotte event and the March 14 Raleigh event. To register, email coordinator Chuck Sambuchino at WritingDayWorkshops@gmail.com and tell him you’re interested in the Carolina events.
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 former instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Carolina 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 types of middle grade; all types of young adult; and adult fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction (no horror or thriller) (virtual critiques): Faculty member Jillian Boehme, 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.
- Fantasy, historical fiction, horror, literary fiction, magical realism, mystery, romance, sci-fi, thriller, upmarket, women’s fiction, memoir, and young adult (virtual critiques): Faculty member Victoria Griffin, 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.
- Children’s picture books (virtual critiques): Faculty member Rosie Pova, a published author, will get your work in advance, critique your book, 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).
- 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.
- 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 CWW 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 Carolina workshop specifically.
REGISTRATION:
Because of limited space at the venues, each one-day workshop can only allow 150 registrants. For this reason, we encourage you to book sooner rather than later.
(Please note that these are in-person events. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next CWW events are in-person event happening in Charlotte on Friday, March 13, 2026; and Raleigh on Saturday, March 14, 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 CWW 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 Carolina 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 Carolina Writing Workshops.