Speaking and Events – Literary Agent Undercover

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Mark Malatesta is a popular literary agent speaker who’s given keynote addresses and delivered seminars throughout the United States and abroad. Not only at writers’ conferences and to writers’ groups… but also to mainstream audiences where the attendees might be interested in publishing a book. Mark has spoken to hundreds of people at national events, but he also likes the intimacy of smaller groups. Please see the partial list of events below where Mark has made presentations.

C-Span TV * First Novel Fest Conference * Santa Barbara Writers Conference * Missouri Writers Conference * Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference * Writing the Region Conference * London Book Fair * Florida First Coast Festival * Pike’s Peak Writers Conference * Authors Venue * Surrey Writers Conference * Gardenia Press Conference * Book Expo America (BEA) * Willamette Writers Conference * Sleuth Fest * Amarillo Writers Conference * Marjorie Kinnans Rawlings Workshop * Wild Acres Writers Conference and Retreat  * Wrangling With Writing * Southwest Florida Writers Conference * Panama City Storytellers * Golden Triangle Writers Conference * Costco International * Detroit Writers Guild Annual Conference * Columbus Writer’s Conference * Georgia Writers Conference * Houston Writers Conference * Space Coast Writers Conference * Intl Symposium on Religion & Art * Utah Writers Conference * Minneapolis Writers Workshop * Eugene Writers Group * National Writers Assoc South Florida Writers Conference * Born Celebrity Red Carpet Networking & Training Event * Miami Book Fair * The Book Platform Radio Show * The Busyness TV Show *JV Alert * Frankfurt Book Fair

Mark is passionate about empowering aspiring authors, but also inspiring and entertaining them. If you’d like to invite Mark to speak at your event, please call toll-free (800) 928-5028 or use the email form at the bottom of this page.

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Popular Speaking Topics

Sell Your Book (or Book Idea) to a Major Publisher:
Insider Secrets from a Writer Who Went “Undercover”
and Became a NY Times Bestselling Literary Agent

This presentation is for mainstream audiences, writers’ conferences, and/or writers’ groups

Everyone has at least one book (or book idea) inside them with bestseller or high commercial potential. But most of them will never know what it’s like to get a six-figure advance, because they’re outsiders. After you hear this presentation, you’ll be an insider. During this talk you’ll discover the important differences between traditional publishing and self-publishing, what literary agents are and how they really work, important misconceptions about the publishing process, the latest publishing trends, why it’s a great time to be an aspiring author, and the only 2 reasons that talented authors don’t get published.

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Make an Agent Fall in Love with You:
Insider Secrets to Help You Win the Hearts
of the World’s Most Eligible Literary Agents

This presentation is for writers’ conferences and writers’ groups only

You probably already know… finding the perfect literary agent can be as difficult as finding your soul mate. But it doesn’t have to be that way. During this presentation you’ll discover where to find the most eligible literary agents, that are going to be interested in you; how to make yourself more attractive; the best way to make your approach; irresistible “pickup lines” that will get any agent’s attention; how to keep an agent’s attention once you have it; literary agent “turn-ons” and “turn-offs”, strategies to make your dream agent “propose” quickly, and the single best way to avoid rejection.

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Why 95% of Query Letters Get Rejected in the First
8 Seconds… and Most of the Information You’ve
Read About Them is Completely Wrong

This presentation is for writers’ conferences and writers’ groups only

The only thing standing between you a book contract with a major publisher is a piece of paper… a query letter. But how can you write a pitch that will sweep the most eligible literary agents in the world off their feet, and get them fighting over the chance to represent you? It doesn’t matter if you’re about to write your first query letter, or you’ve already gotten hundreds of rejections… this presentation will explain the four critical parts of an irresistible query letter, the best opening and closing lines, 10 things that you should never say, and insider secrets to help you make simultaneous submissions.

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The Dark Side of Publishing: 9 Writer Scams
that Every Author Needs to Be Aware Of

This presentation is for writers’ conferences and writers’ groups only

Unfortunately, you don’t need to look far to find a writing scam. They’re everywhere, like weeds on the literary landscape: fakes, frauds, scams, flim-flams, wannabes, cheats, and thieves. You’ll even find them in the back of well-known writer magazines. Yes, this presentation is going to make you want to stab something with your fountain pen. But it’s also going to give you the information you need to recognize a scam when you see one, and protect yourself. Avoid the traps that can cost you thousands of dollars, years of your life, and quite possibly… your writing career.

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Turn Your Book into a Business:
Leverage Your Expertise As An Author
to Create New Streams of Income 

This presentation is for mainstream audiences, writers’ conferences, and/or writers’ groups

Whether you’re unpublished, self-published, or working with a traditional publisher (like Random House), it’s important to know that book royalties should only be one of your many streams of income. But how do you leverage your expertise as a fiction or nonfiction author, to make six-figures or more… and still have time to write? During this presentation you’ll discover the life-changing meaning of the phrase “Win-Win Writing,” 12 additional streams of income for authors, how to choose the best income streams for you, and the easiest way to make 6-figures as an author (without selling any books).

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Special Presentations

3 Hollywood Secrets to Help You
Create a “Celebrity Author Platform”
and Make Yourself Irresistible

This presentation by Ingrid Elfver (for writers’ conferences and writers’ groups only)

You probably know that “who you are” is just as important as your book when it comes to getting a book deal. But how do you create an impressive “author platform” without hiring a private publicist? This presentation will reveal three little-known strategies behind every celebrity’s success. These tactics have been used in Hollywood, but also throughout history, to help leaders in every niche become superstars, keep reinventing themselves, and stay relevant (while so many others struggle). These secrets will make you stand out from the thousands of other authors trying to get published.

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Social Media Superstar: Find Out How to Get More than 100,000
People on Social Media (and Manage that Huge Following)
in Less Than 30 Minutes a Day

This presentation by Ingrid Elfver (for writers’ conferences and writers’ groups only)

Getting a big following on social media is one of the easiest ways to impress agents and publishers, and it’s a lot simpler than most authors realize. During this presentation you’ll discover the only proven process in the world guaranteed to get you tens of thousands of followers; tips and tools to help you automate most of the process; and case-studies of other successful authors that you can model. You don’t have to be technical or an extrovert to do this. And it doesn’t matter if you’re writing fiction, nonfiction, or children’s books. You can be a Social Media Superstar.

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Speaking Testimonials

“You were absolutely crackerjack… straightforward, professional, positive, energetic, knowledgeable, honest, bright, encouraging, quick-witted… and I didn’t see a single hole in your presentation. All-in-all, you are a conference organizer’s dream.”

– Chris Rodgers, Coordinator, Space Coast Writers’ Conference

“You made the other agents on the agent panel seem picky and uncooperative in comparison. You’d better watch out, you might give agents a good name.”

– Stephanie, Writers Conference Attendee

“You are truly inspiring! This has been the best session of the conference for me. I don’t know how a session could be any better. You are awesome!”

– Dorothea, Writers Conference Attendee

“I had the pleasure of attending your lecture… was surprised to hear a talk from an agent that presented useful information that was well prepared. Your straightforward approach to the business is refreshing and your honest description of your methodology was sobering, but important to new writers.”

– Bill, Writers Conference Attendee

“You were one of our most popular speakers… my only regret is that we didn’t find a longer time slot for you.”

– Virginia Blanchard, President, Space Coast Writers’ Guild

“Our heartfelt thanks for your twinkling eyes, warming smile, and fabulous talk to the group. Thank you too for all those one-on-ones and for feeling so at home with our family… Your vision, passion, and compassion should take your agenting as far as you dream for it to go.”

– Gail Provost-Stockwell, Coordinator, WRW Conference

“I enjoyed having lunch with you and your two foster sons on Saturday at the Space Coast Authors Conference in Melbourne. You certainly made a good impression, both personally and professionally.”

– Ethel, Writers Conference Attendee

“While reviewing our conference evaluation forms, your name came up quite a few times as one of the most helpful agents ever met, and – now, don’t let this go to your head! – a human being agent.”

– Lisa Mason, Coordinator Surrey Writers’ Conference

“Your presentation affected me the way a sub-par round of golf might affect a 25 handicap golfer; it gave me hope! Thank you for your humor, honesty, and passion; and for conveying to the flocks that courage is at the core of success. I wish you and your partners enormous success.”

– Diane, Writers Conference Attendee

“Your presentation was excellent… and thanks for your ‘approachability.’ It’s a ray of encouragement in an otherwise intimidating process.”

– Lee, Writers Conference Attendee

“You have successfully integrated ministry, agenting, and motivational speaking. It was intimate and delightful. This is definitely your calling.”

– Bo Sebastian, Writers Conference Attendee

“It’s nice to cross paths with an agent who actually has the time and inclination to chat… not everyone has the patience and energy to smile for three days straight while under constant assault.”

– Tricia, Writers Conference Attendee

“I had the pleasure of listening to your talk at the SCWG conference. I was one of those old ladies out there hanging on your every word.”

– Helen, Writers Conference Attendee

“Thank you for taking the time with me on the phone. I incorporated your suggestions into my letter. I especially want you to know that what you said at the writers’ conference in Gainesville made it possible for me to see myself as a writer. Apparently, when I took myself seriously I was taken seriously by a publisher. I have now stopped calling my book my dumb little dog book.”

– Claire, Writers Conference Attendee

“You are a very gentle human being, in other words, superb, and it’s a great inspiration to know that there is somebody out there in the publishing world that is willing to celebrate the beauty of things, in whatever way there is to celebrate.”

– Beate, Writers Conference Attendee

“It was truly refreshing to meet you and your warm, gentle wife. You have given me a glimmer of hope that there are agents out there that can be trusted.”

– Phyllis, Writers Conference Attendee

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Invite Mark and/or Ingrid to speak at your event

Use the contact button below or call toll-free (800) 928-5028.