From the first sentence, readers know if they are in confident, capable hands. The best writers establish authority immediately. By authority we mean that there is a clear sense of control, and that this confidence is earned with particular language, tone, detail, cadence, and, most importantly, by creating urgency, and answering the simple question of “why should I keep reading?” Based on 20 years of editing Tin House, where he received 20,000 submissions per year, Rob Spillman will guide you through how editors and agents read the first page of submissions, no matter the form or genre.
This ticket is for a recorded Craft Talk, which was delivered via Zoom on August 16, 2025.
This Craft Talk Will Teach You How To:
- Read like an editor and agent.
- Make every word count.
- Understand opening gambits.
- Understand how the opening choices reverberate through an entire manuscript.
- Understand the mindset of “gate-keepers” receiving your work.
About Rob Spillman: Rob Spillman was the editor of Tin House Magazine from 1999-2019, is the recipient of the PEN Nora/Magid Award for Editing, and the author of the memoir All Tomorrow’s Parties.
About The Rough Notes Craft Talks: Named after Kinderhook’s 19th century broadsheet, The Rough Notes series, created by Kinderhook Books, is a collection of classes, workshops, and events designed by writers, for writers.
