Atlanta Writers Conference

The spring 2026 Atlanta Writers Conference, sponsored by the Atlanta Writers Club, will be held on May 1 and May 2 at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel. The conference includes a book fair featuring attendees’ books, presentations on the craft and business of writing, agent and editor pitch sessions, query letter critiques, manuscript excerpt critiques, author coaching, and Q&A panels for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers. Virtual participation will be available for all agent and editor pitch sessions, query letter critiques, and manuscript excerpt critiques. Participating publishing professionals include acquisitions editors Adam Blackman (Cardinal Rule Press), Tiana Coven (Orbit), Char Dreyer (St. Martin’s Press), Jerome Gold (Black Heron Press), Aimee Hardy (RIZE Press), John Hartness (Falstaff Books), Amara Hoshijo (Saga Press), Holly Ingraham (Bloom & Casablanca), Mae Martinez (Ballantine Books, Bantam, and Delacorte/Dell), Emily Polson (Scribner), Melissa Rechter (Poisoned Pen), Reagan Rothe (Black Rose Writing), and Caroline Tew (Saga Press), and literary agents Lydia Caudill (Andrea Hurst & Associates), Laurie Dennison (Creative Media Agency), Amanda Elliott (Movable Type Management), Rachel Estep (D4EO Literary Agency), Jackson Keeler (InkWorks Literary), Lauren Liebow (Aevitas Creative Management), Najla Mamou (Savvy Literary Services), Helen Masvikeni and Sara Megibow (Megibow Literary Agency), Amy Nielsen (Purcell Agency), Eric Smith (Neighborhood Literary), Kelly Thomas (Serendipity Literary Agency), Erin Casey Westin (Gallt & Zacker), Michaela Whatnall (Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret), and Terrie Wolf (AKA Literary Management). The cost of the conference is $760. À la carte options to participate in events are available. Registration for a table to sell merchandise at the book fair is $40. For nonmembers of the Atlanta Writers Club, an additional $60 membership fee is required. Lodging at the conference hotel is offered at a discounted rate of $159 per night until April 9. General registration is rolling through May 2; the deadline to submit a manuscript for critique is March 30. Virtual attendees can submit a query letter for critique by April 27 and/or for pitch sessions by May 1. Visit the website for more information.

Accessibility accommodations include elevators in all multilevel event spaces; accessible sidewalks, pathways, and doorways; accessible bathrooms; reserved seating (with advance request); accessible parking; ASL interpretation (with advance request); closed captioning for virtual programming; and signage in Braille. Contact the conference director via phone or e-mail for additional accessibility details.