The whole point is to be read.
2nd Annual
TBR Writing and Publishing Conference
January 16-17, 2027
on the Lesley University Campus
1815 Mass. Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
“This is what a conference should be on so many levels.”
—Eson Kim, 2026 Conference Participant
TBR is for writers at two distinct stages of their careers: those gearing up to publish their first book, and those writing and selling their second, third, fourth, fifth books and beyond.
What’s happening at TBR 2027…
30+ panel sessions and presentations, organized into tracks based on where you’re at with your project(s)
75+ presenters, featuring renowned authors and leading publishing professionals
Innovative "Publishing Matchmaker" 1-on-1 appointments with literary agents and editors who are seeking new work
Productive opportunities for networking throughout the day
Meaningful volunteer opportunities during the conference
“One For the Books” Saturday night party and literary celebration at American Flatbread in Davis Square
Publishing Matchmaker: Matching you with agents you want to meet who also want to meet you.
Sessions that dive deep into elements of craft that writers will find useful throughout their careers, not just beginner stuff you’ve heard a million times before.
Are chatbots going to take my job? How do I get my work done when the world is falling apart? We’ll address the most pressing issues of the day, in ways that are engaging, provocative, and most of all: useful.
We’ll match you with agents you want to meet who also want to meet you. We keep describing it as “Tinder for Writers” because nothing else explains it quite as succinctly.
TBR Presents
One For the Books
The kind of party you want to write about afterward
Doors open at 8pm
Bowling, merriment, shenanigans
American Flatbread, Davis Square, Somerville
Praise for TBR
“Everyone was absolutely floored by every detail: how great the sessions were, how there was just enough time to schmooze, how seamlessly everything went. OMG. I can write a story and I can build a bookcase...but this...was just magic.”
“My Publishing Matchmaker sessions were AMAZING. Just outstandingly beneficial to me as a debut author.”
“TBR was f***ing amazing! I had such a great time and so many of the sessions were either informative or reassuring. Seriously, the best non-genre conference I’ve ever attended.”
“Everyone I spoke to was elated and floating on clouds. The sense of community, connection, and the quality of the event were top rate.”
About us
Co-founders of TBR, Sonya Larson and Whitney Scharer have been friends for over twenty years, which feels impossible, since they’re both twenty-six. Equally impossible is that they bring a combined thirty years of experience to planning literary events, from 1000-person conferences to intimate book clubs and everything in between. In addition to working on this conference together, they are first readers of each other’s writing, dear friends, and women who can and will bust a move on the dance floor if the right song comes on.
TBR is a labor of love. Whitney and Sonya missed getting together in person with other writers, and kept hearing that other people missed it too. They sent out a survey to their networks, and instead of the twenty responses they thought they’d get (they are nothing if not masters of low expectations), they got three hundred. Buoyed by that energy and enthusiasm from the community, they’ve spent the past year planning TBR. They’ve enjoyed every minute of it.