I freely admit that I have a lot yet to learn about the publishing industry. Which is why I’m really grateful for the opportunity to attend the writer’s conference this week. For the two or three years before we left for China, I was actively working on my freelance writing, doing copywriting work for a local company, writing my novel, staying abreast of the latest books and news, and generally advancing a freelance writing career on the side while I homeschooled my kids.

Then we moved to China, where quite frankly, I cared about other things. Like negotiating the price of a garment in Chinese while three kids were tugging on my sleeve and speaking to me in English. Or keeping mold out of our belongings in mold season, and cockroaches in cockroach season–other things besides writing and publishing.

I don’t regret that. I just need to be aware of how much the publishing industry has changed while I’ve been out of the loop. So this weekend, I learned a new skill: the one-sheet. Thanks to the Writer’s Conference Survival Guide (there you go, another free ad), I figured out how to put mine together. Here it is, but since the one-sheet goes to an editor or agent, who want to know how you’ve rounded out the ending, I’ve hidden some information to prevent a spoiler.

I created it in Photoshop Elements with a stock photograph in the background from my favorite stock photography company, Pond 5.