Donald Maass, author and literary agent, will give a presentation titled “Taking Your Fiction Back To Its Source” at Seton Hill College on Saturday June 29th at 7:00 p.m. on campus in Cecilian Hall. A book signing will immediately follow the presentation. This event is free and open to the public.

Maass is a New York literary agent with eighteen years of experience. He is the president of the Donald Maass Literary Agency, which represents over 100 novelists, including Anne Perry, Christopher Priest, Chris Browne (Hägar the Horrible), and MacKinlay Kantor (Andersonville). Maass’ agency sells over 100 novels a year worldwide, and has recently obtained six- and seven- figure advances from publishers such as Warner, Ballantine, Penguin, Putnam and others.

Maass is the author of The Career Novelist, Writing the Breakout Novel, and fourteen pseudonymous novels, including four Nancy Drew mysteries. Maass is a member of: The Author’s Guild, Mystery Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Horror Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and Vice-President of the literary branch of the Association of Authors’ Representatives.

Dr. Albert Wendland, associate professor of English and acting director of the Writing Popular Fiction graduate degree program at Seton Hill, is delighted to welcome Donald Maass and commented, “Maass will bring the practical side of publishing to his audience. Writers deal with dreams while publishers deal with reality—his remarks will be extremely valuable. I am particularly pleased that our students will benefit from his insights.”

The Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill is one of the only programs in the country that teaches writers to produce the fiction that sells, that reaches a wide audience. Knowing that students who apply to graduate programs have many obligations, Seton Hill has designed a flexible, intensive-residency format that allows a student to earn a Master's Degree while working full-time or caring for a family. One-on-one mentoring by established writers enables each student to develop a writing project in an area of choice. On-line contact with other participants ensures that students become part of a writing community and that they receive varied commentary on their work-in-progress. Week-long residencies, twice each year, inform and enliven the writing experience, bringing students together on Seton Hill's campus to learn the basics and complexities of popular fiction. Guest writers of regional and national fame add extra impact to this residency experience. For more information on this degree program, please contact Dr. Albert Wendland, associate professor of English, by e-mail, wendland@setonhill.edu or by phone, 724-830-1019.