MUSE & THE MARKETPLACE 2024

The Muse and The Marketplace returns to a fully in-person, three-day conference this spring!

That’s right: Mark your calendar for May 10-12, 2024, at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

We can't wait to host you for a joyful writing weekend packed with a diverse range of craft-focused and publishing keynotes, discussions, and guided writing sessions; manuscript mart sessions; networking opportunities with your writing peers and industry experts; and that sense of community and just plain fun you won’t find anywhere else. Register today.

THE GIST

Our three-day literary conference educates aspiring and emerging writers on the craft of fiction and nonfiction, prepares them for the ever-changing world of publishing and promotion, and creates opportunities for meaningful networking.

Established and emerging authors lead 100+ interactive sessions on the craft of writing—the “muse” side of things—while editors, literary agents and other industry professionals tackle the business side—the “marketplace.” Though 600+ presenters, participants, volunteers, and special guests will attend, GrubStreet creates an intimate atmosphere designed to give everyone access to the wealth of talent on both sides of the classroom.

Additionally, The Muse features special events, which have included keynote addresses, evening receptions, full breakfasts, Literary Idol, a competition for self-published authors, and many more, with differing options each year.

The Muse and the Marketplace is one of the few conferences that offers a concrete and candid assessment of your fiction and/or nonfiction manuscript. For an additional fee, attendees meet one-on-one in our Manuscript Mart with an established literary agent, an acquiring editor at a publishing house, and/or a literary journal editor. These consultants will evaluate FIVE (5) pages of your manuscript and an optional query letter and/or synopsis in advance of the conference and provide in-person feedback.

At the Shop Talk Happy Hour, attendees network and socialize with invited agents, editors, authors and/or other presenters. Shop Talk tables, which require an additional fee, are reserved in advance so you’ll know exactly which publishing professionals you’ll be sitting with.

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT

The cost of the Muse and the Marketplace varies depending on your membership status, the number of days you attend, when you're registering, and your optional participation in the Manuscript Mart and/or Shop Talk Happy Hour. Register today.

2024 Muse & The Marketplace Pricing:

Full Weekend Pass -- GrubStreet Members: $745
Full Weekend Pass -- non-members: $795
One Day Pass -- GrubStreet Members :$620
One Day Pass -- non-members $650

Extras:

Manuscript Mart, per meeting: $250
Shop Talk Happy Hour Ticket: $125

Scholarships for tuition and Manuscript Mart meetings are available - with more funding than ever before to subsidize attendance, don't hesitate to apply. Learn more about scholarships here.

Early Bird Discounts:

We're offering a limited number of $75 discounts on a first come, first served basis to writers under 35 and visiting writers (attending the conference from outside MA)! If you fall into either of these categories, use the following discount codes at registration. Please note that this offer is valid while supplies last, and the Early Bird Discount will expire by January 15. Please reach out to muse@grubstreet.org with any questions.

Visiting Writers: Use code VISITING24

Under 35: Use code UNDER3524

 


As a non-profit, GrubStreet seeks to be an affordable and accessible organization, and to produce a Muse conference that is budget-neutral. The cost of producing the Muse (which includes venue rentals, materials, attendee meals, presenter fees, staffing, etc.) is covered partially by attendee fees, with the remaining portion covered by generous sponsorships and donations.

We understand that the cost of this conference is high for many of our community, and to that end we annually increase our available scholarship dollars. We’ve worked hard to keep Muse prices as low as possible, conducting a thorough review of our budget needs and evaluating other nationwide conference offerings. After completing this process, we can assuredly say that Muse 2024 will be one of the highest-value writing conferences in the country. 

Please know that in accordance with the AAR Canon of Ethics, we do not pay agents and editors to read and evaluate samples at the Manuscript Mart. Instead, they receive a small honoraria to help cover their weekend expenses.

THE MUSE & THE MARKETPLACE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

JONATHAN ESCOFFERY, 2024

EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL, 2024

VIET THANH NGUYEN, 2020

LUÍS ALBERTO URREA, 2019

STACEY D'ERASMO, 2019

MIN JIN LEE, 2018

PETER HO DAVIES, 2018

ISABEL WILKERSON, 2017

COLUM MCCANN, 2016

AMINATTA FORNA, 2015

REGINA BROOKS, 2015

WALTER MOSLEY, 2014

JANE FRIEDMAN, 2014

JAMES WOOD, 2013

AMANDA PALMER, 2013

JULIA ALVAREZ, 2012

RICHARD NASH, 2012

RON CARLSON, 2011

CHUCK PALAHNIUK, 2010

ANN PATCHETT, 2009

JONATHAN FRANZEN, 2008

CHARLES BAXTER, 2007

GRACE PALEY, 2007

ETHAN CANIN, 2005

JENNIFER HAIGH, 2005

LAN SAMANTHA CHANG, 2005

MATTHEW PEARL, 2005

DENNIS LEHANE, 2004

JULIA GLASS, 2004

ARTHUR GOLDEN, 2003

MARGOT LIVESEY, 2003