Community Class: From Bookseller to Debut Author

Join debut author Elaine U. Cho (Ocean's Godori, Hillman Grad, 2024) and her agent, Amy Bishop-Wycisk, for an insightful conversation about the journey to publication. In this one-hour session featuring a live Q&A, Elaine and Amy will share the behind-the-scenes of bringing a book to life—from the first draft to securing representation, submitting to publishers, and navigating the world as a debut author.  

Elaine will also reflect on her experiences as a bookseller and how they shaped her perspective as a writer, offering a unique lens on the publishing industry. Whether you’re an aspiring author or just curious about one writer’s path to publication, this session is designed to inspire and inform.  

This class will meet for a single session on April 26, 2025, 2-3 pm Pacific. 

This class meets once for one hour in webinar format. Video/microphones are not required to participate. No advance preparation is required for this class.

About the Instructors:

Amy Bishop-Wycisk (why-zick) joined Trellis Literary Management in 2023 after eight years with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. Her authors’ books have been NYT, USA Today, and indie bestsellers, a Reese’s Book Club selection, James Beard Award and Edgar Award winners, and Book of the Month picks. Before diving into the world of publishing, she graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a degree in Creative Writing. You can find her on X at @abwycisk and Instagram at @abw.books.

Website

Elaine U. Cho is the author of Ocean’s Godori. She has an MFA in flute performance from CalArts, and is a former film critic, former bookseller at Elliott Bay Book Company, and current associate editor for Shelf Awareness.

Website 

This event will be held in Zoom. By registering for this class, you agree to follow the Clarion West Code of Conduct and Zoom policies. 

About Our Community Classes:
 

Community classes are offered at low cost and with additional sliding scale options to enable access to high-quality writing instruction, regardless of your economic circumstance. Please choose the ticketing price that best supports your circumstances.

Limited Free Seating: 

We offer a percentage of seats in every class to People of the Global Majority (Asian, Black, African, Latina/o/x, Middle Eastern, Indigenous, Pacific Islander, and/or have been racialized as 'ethnic minorities') for free, regardless of financial need. 

Eligible folks should complete this form to enter the lottery for free seats.  If a seat is available, we will email you 7-10 days before the class begins. For more information, see our equity and inclusion policies.