There is an observation made in The Writers' Conference that there are no words more beguiling than "Let me tell you a story." Let me tell you the story of what happened at a writers' conference called The Clymer Workshop.The novel is first and foremost what I believe a novel should be, which is an entertainment. It has a diverse set of characters whose lives intersect in unexpected ways. Over two hundred people attend the The Clymer Workshop, many of them with the same idea: to find the key to getting published. Day after day the hopeful writers attend workshops, most of them busy taking notes, no one questioning what is told to them except for tall manic-depressive on a high who is irrepressible. The writers on the staff have their own concerns, some of which aren't far apart from the people they have been hired to teach. As the conference draws to a close, the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense with desperation. Then, for one aspiring writer, the unexpected literally does happen.
The Writers' Conference is the first novel that I am aware of that looks at the world of publishing and the frustrations of aspiring writers. I was told by a well-respected New York agent that I couldn't say the things in print that I say about publishing in The Writers' Conference. I believe you can say anything in print as long you say it responsibly and it isn't offensive.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Writers-Conference-ebook/dp/B0094WL64O