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Ask Me Anything with Bethany Hegedus: Craft. Career. Publishing. The Real Questions.
Join author, creative director, and mentor Bethany Hegedus for a live, wide-ranging Ask Me Anything open to writers across genres and age categories.
This session is designed for honest, substantive conversation about the work of writing and the realities of publishing. Whether you write picture books, middle grade, YA, adult fiction, or nonfiction, this is a space to ask thoughtful questions about craft, industry expectations, career growth, and creative sustainability.
Bethany brings decades of experience as a published author and mentor, offering insight that bridges artistic development and professional strategy.
This session is designed for honest, substantive conversation about the work of writing and the realities of publishing. Whether you write picture books, middle grade, YA, adult fiction, or nonfiction, this is a space to ask thoughtful questions about craft, industry expectations, career growth, and creative sustainability.
Bethany brings decades of experience as a published author and mentor, offering insight that bridges artistic development and professional strategy.
Who This Is For
Format
Why Attend
- Writers at any stage of the journey
- Authors preparing to query or go on submission
- Creators refining a manuscript
- Writers building a long-term career in publishing
- Anyone seeking thoughtful, experience-based perspective on the craft and business of writing
Format
- Live virtual session
- Open Q&A
- Limited enrollment to allow meaningful exchange
Why Attend
- Publishing advice can feel scattered and impersonal. This session offers something different: direct access to an experienced author and mentor who understands both the creative and professional sides of the industry.
- Bring your questions about your work, your direction, or the broader landscape of publishing. You’ll leave with clearer thinking, grounded perspective, and practical next steps tailored to where you are now.
This is a fully interactive session shaped by your questions.
Topics may include:
Topics may include:
- Craft & Revision
- Strengthening structure and narrative arc
- Deepening character and emotional resonance
- Identifying what a manuscript needs in its next draft
- Understanding voice and author identity
- Industry & Submission Strategy
- Querying agents and preparing submission materials
- Timing your submissions
- Building a body of work rather than a single project
- Understanding how editors and agents evaluate manuscripts
- Navigating rejections and revise-and-resubmits
- Career & Creative Life
- Developing a sustainable creative rhythm
- Managing multiple projects
- Knowing when to pivot or persevere
- Balancing artistic ambition with market awareness
- Long-term career thinking beyond the debut book
- Participants may submit questions in advance or ask live during the session. The conversation is guided but flexible, allowing space for depth, nuance, and practical guidance.
About Writing Barn Craft Webinars:
Industry professionals: authors, agents, editors, etc. facilitate these events. Price points are low and attendance is high, anywhere from 50-200+ attendees. Writing craft and industry engagement are explored. *REPLAYS are made available for all registrants 2 business days after the event and are available for a limited time.*
Bethany Hegedus is the founder and creative director of The Writing Barn and the visionary behind the Courage to Create and Courageous Leap programs. An award-winning author of picture books and nonfiction for young readers, Bethany has published with Candlewick, Random House, and other leading houses. Her titles include Alabama Spitfire: The Story of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird, Grandfather Gandhi (co-authored with Arun Gandhi), and the forthcoming Yours, Mine, Ours: A Celebration of Community and Service.
Bethany has worked with thousands of writers at every stage of their literary life. She brings a unique mix of empathy, entrepreneurial spirit, and industry know-how, guiding writers to clarify their Big Why, sharpen their pitches, and connect courageously with agents and editors. She is also the creator of TWB frameworks like the 3-E’s Pitch Process (Entice, Engage, Empower), the Why Buys, and Industry Engagement Days and all the Courageous Leap programs, which help writers move from idea to industry-ready.
At heart, Bethany is both a maker and a nurturer—continuing to grow her own body of work while cultivating a multifaceted literary garden where all writers can flourish.
Bethany has worked with thousands of writers at every stage of their literary life. She brings a unique mix of empathy, entrepreneurial spirit, and industry know-how, guiding writers to clarify their Big Why, sharpen their pitches, and connect courageously with agents and editors. She is also the creator of TWB frameworks like the 3-E’s Pitch Process (Entice, Engage, Empower), the Why Buys, and Industry Engagement Days and all the Courageous Leap programs, which help writers move from idea to industry-ready.
At heart, Bethany is both a maker and a nurturer—continuing to grow her own body of work while cultivating a multifaceted literary garden where all writers can flourish.
About Bethany Hegedus
