Julie Alvarez, MLS Youth Services Librarian

Midlothian Public Library, Midlothian, TX


We enjoyed hosting Madeline, and our patrons loved her Path to Publication presentation. If you have anyone who has a passion for writing, Madeline offers honest, relatable stories and advice to getting published. She took time to answer questions and offered genuine feedback about publishing and her writing journey.

Thank you, Madeline, for sharing your thoughts about writing and what you learned about life along the way!

I absolutely adore getting to talk to anyone who wants to listen about writing, publishing, creativity, and all kinds of things to do with being an author. If you are a teacher, librarian, book club leader or member, writing group coordinator, or anything else that might put you in a position to enjoy hosting author events from time to time, I would love to hear from you! Please use my contact form to discuss setting up an author visit.

Free Events!

Q&A Visits (Book Clubs, Classrooms, Libraries, etc.): Schedule permitting, I would be delighted to drop in for a free 30 minute virtual Q&A visit if you’ve recently read The Wilderness of Girls for your book club or in class. Or if you’re local (WNY area), I would love to come in person!

Bookstore & Book Fair/Festival Events – Panels, Discussions, Book Signings: I’m generally happy to participate in these kinds of events if given enough advance notice. If you are an author, bookstore, or festival leader putting together an event and have me or my work in mind, feel free to reach out! Please note: While I don’t charge for my time for these kinds of events, if travel outside of 30 minutes is involved I will have to charge the cost of travel including room and board if applicable.

Paid Events!

All paid presentation events include:

  • The main offering
  • Q&A session
  • A post-event book signing if desired (please purchase books ahead of time through your normal distributor)
  • If desired, an additional “cozy chat” (over a meal or coffee/tea provided by host) for a smaller number of people

Additionally, I am always happy to work with teachers, librarians, and administrators to craft a custom presentation to fit your needs.

Please use my contact form if you are interested in working with me for any of these events.

The Path to Publication

A 45 minute presentation that demystifies the steps one must take to become a traditionally published novelist, explained against the backdrop of my own personal story about how I went from writing The Last Unicorn fanfiction to publishing my debut novel in 2024. This talk will offer practical information about the publication process, action items for pursuing publication, and it will encourage students/audience members to pursue the things they are passionate about even if they don’t find immediate success. You do not need to have read The Wilderness of Girls in order to appreciate this presentation.

Inspiration, Curiosity, and the Real Pursuit of Happiness

A 45 minute presentation on inspiration: where to find it, how to use it, what blocks it, and why you don’t always need it to get the work done (in fact, in order to be a successful creator, you must learn to work whether you’re inspired or not). This presentation is melded with my personal philosophy that inspiration, much like happiness, is an impermanent and often misunderstood state, but one that can be cultivated with the right tools.

Storycraft

A 45 minute presentation on the craft of creative writing and how you can learn to become a better writer through reading, playing, and critical analysis. With enough advance notice, this presentation can be customized to a particular mentor text or element of craft.

Creative Writing Workshops!

If you are looking for a professional author to run a creative writing workshop, I’m your gal! I offer a full day, and potentially multi-day, event, depending on how many participants you would like to include. Workshops usually require an average of 45 minutes per participant, plus “warm up” time. I will bring the skills acquired through 20+ years of writing groups, workshops, the editorial process, and my own MFA program to create a robust and engaging workshop that will:

  • Aid participants in revising their work
  • Teach participants how to give and receive constructive criticism
  • Teach participants about the craft of creative writing
  • Offer participants a chance to ask a published author (me!) any questions they might have about the path to publication

Polished work is not required (or even encouraged—the rougher the draft the better!), but participants will be required to come prepared to discuss their peers’ work in a respectful, constructive manner.

A written, in-depth, personalized feedback letter from me to individual participants is also available for an additional fee per person.

Please use my contact form to discuss setting up an author visit or workshop.

FAQ

How much does it cost to hire you for a presentation/workshop/event?

There are a lot of factors that go into determining what I charge, especially whether or not I will have to travel. The best way to get an accurate quote from me is to contact me and provide the following information:

  • Where you are located?
  • What specific services you are looking for?
  • How many participants do you anticipate?
  • When would you want the event to take place?
  • If you like, you can also send me the budget you have to work with

From that information, I will be able to send you a quote for my services, and we can go from there. I am open to negotiating price, especially for underserved communities.

How far are you willing to travel?

I will drive up to 45 minutes (both ways—so 90 minutes total) for no extra charge. After that, if the host is willing to pay for travel expenses in addition to my daily fee, I’m happy to travel anywhere it is safe for me to travel to.

How far in advance do we need to book?

The sooner the better! For presentations or any events that require travel over 45 minutes, a three month minimum advance booking is preferred, but if you’re really desperate I can see what I can do. For virtual Q&A’s 30 days notice is preferred.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!