MONDAY - OCTOBER 8, 2007

WORKSHOP LOUNGE 1 

7PM EST - CHRISTINA BARBER

MODERATED BY KRISTIN JOHNSON

Vampires - Still HOT in publishing after all these years! History, myths and why do vampire stories and novels still sell across the globe?

We'll take an in depth look at these blood suckers and explain why we are so captivated by them and love to read about these creatures of the night.

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 TUESDAY - OCTOBER 9, 2007

Workshop Lounge1

1PM EST - EARL STAGGS

Writing Mystery That Sells

 MODERATED BY LISA JACKSON

All the world loves a good mystery!  Whether it's books, movies, TV shows, or magazines, the public has an insatiable hunger for a good mystery yarn.  Count the number of mystery and crime shows in the top TV listings:  Law and Order, CSI, NCIS, Bones and more.  Look at the number of Mystery, Thriller and Suspense movie blockbusters.  It's the good guys trying to figure out who did the evil deed, or stop them from doing it.  Either way, we buy our tickets and root for justice to win out in the end.

In this session, we'll talk about what it takes to come up with a 

mystery story that will make yours stand out above the rest.

>What are Editors and Publishers (and by extension, their

readers) looking for?

>What are the components of a good mystery tale?

>How do you make your story different

and better than everyone else's? 

>What should you NOT include in your mystery story?

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Workshop Lounge1

8pm EST: Vickie Kennedy--Publisher

http://www.etreasurespublishing.com

 MODERATED BY JENNIFER PAYTON

How to Format Your Manuscript and

How to Write a Proper Query Letter

Learn from a professional, how to format a manuscript, and how to properly submit a query letter via e-mail. 

Learn what to do, and what NOT to do!  

Publisher of www.etreasurespublishing.com Vickie Kennedy

will be hosting a one hour chat, covering these topics so that writers stand a better chance of getting their manuscript in the door and get read. 

Please stay on topic as time is limited, and please allow time to get a full response before another question is asked.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10,2007

Workshop Lounge1

12PM EST - DIANE J. NEWTON, J.D. WEBB, PEPPER SMITH

Building a 'Can't Put it Down' Suspense Novel. 

MODERATED BY KATIE HINES

Learn the skills you'll need and tested ways to hone them. We'll provide a How To road map for writing a page-turner with invaluable tips you can put to use right away. Attain the author's dream; a dedicated fan base. Hard work can get you there. Provocative exercises are included and forum discussions are encouraged.

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 Workshop Lounge1

6PM EST - K. L. NAPPIER

MODERATED BY Sharon Schafer

PROTECTING YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK

There are horror stories of intellectual property theft that freeze both a writer’s blood and momentum. But just as there are ways for parents to protect their children as they make their way into the world, there are ways for writers to protect their "paper babies" when sending them off to agents, editors and publishers. Learn how to protect your work and ease your anxieties by understanding which concerns are real and which are literary urban legends. This workshop is lead by K.L. Nappier, a critically acclaimed, award winning author with twenty years experience. Participant Q&A will be strongly encouraged, so this lecture should prove to be lively and informative.

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 Workshop Lounge1

8PM EST - LYNDA S. BURCH

MODERATED BY KATIE HINES

Writing for Kids and how to make the stories soar!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to write a children's book?

Do you have the skills to put together a compact, tightly written mss of a story for kids?

This workshop will give you some insights and strategies to help you do just that.

*We will explore the hot buttons, the emotions and the potentials of what makes a submission into a book. 

*We will consider the pros and cons of poetry in kids books.

*We will see what components add to the story.

By the time you've completed the workshop you should have

a mss ready to submit.  As a thank you to our participants,

I will offer to each one a free evaluation of one children's book manuscript that is submitted in a certain time frame, whether it is a picture book, storybook or chapter book.

(I do not publish so will not evaluate Y/A.)

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THURSDAY - OCTOBER 11, 2007

Workshop Lounge1

4PM EST (1PM PACIFIC) - PENNY SANSEVIERI

Red Hot Internet Publicity

 MODERATED BY JOYCE A. ANTHONY

If you think you have your Internet marketing covered with

just a web site you might be missing out on a bucket of

Internet gold. This class is packed with information with

everything from creating the perfect web site to demystifying keywords and how to create a great blog.

We'll also discuss how to turn web site visitors into customers and how to maximize your internet promotional efforts through blogs, internet articles, chat groups, and ezines.

.           The secret to getting thousands of hits on your web site

and then converting them into sales!

.           Top internet promotion techniques that won't cost you

a dime!

.           The Virtual Author TourT, how you can "tour" yourself on

the net

.           How to get print media from your Internet campaign

.           Learn how to expand your platform and sell more books!

.           How to create a campaign that will last for months, not days

.           How to create a web site that sells your book

.           Podcasting and blogging demystified!

BONUS: We'll even include some hints on how to market

yourself on Craig's list!

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Workshop Lounge1

7PM EST - PAULINA BAIRD JONES

Made-up Mayhem

MODERATED BY LISA JACKSON

Learn the art and craft of creating fictional mayhem.

Learn how to blow past boundaries, brainstorm your way out of corners and have a whopping good time pushing your characters to the limit and beyond.

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Workshop Lounge1

9PM EST - AMY WOLFF SORTER

Going Beyond the Book Review: Getting Your Name --

and Book -- in The Media

 MODERATED BY JOYCE A. ANTHONY

When most writers think about using the media for their books, they think of book reviews. But there are other ways

to get mention of you and your book in the media eye and before the public. Join journalist, editor and novelist Amy Wolff Sorter as she offers ways that you can:

       Turn your book into a newsworthy story

       Develop pitches that editors and producers will

read and consider

       Methods in which you can establish solid relationships with the media

       Generate your own publicity

       Find niche-specific media to promote you and your book

       Use electronic media to bolster your presence on the Internet

... and more!

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FRIDAY - OCTOBER 12, 2007

Workshop Lounge1

7PM EST - CAROL J. AMATO

Starting and Running a Writer’s Critique Group

MODERATED BY LISA JACKSON

A writers' critique group multiplies the success of beginning, intermediate, and expert writers by providing the non-judgmental support system they need to grow and hone their craft. Writers in a critique group share their knowledge to help each other refine the subtleties of plot and characterization, ensure that characters are believable, cut dead wood, and punch up slow beginnings, sagging middles, and weak endings. The interaction of talented minds jumpstarts imaginations, to everyone's benefit.  Learn from Carol J. Amato, author of How to Start & Run a Writer’s Critique Group, how you can establish a writer’s critique group in your area; how to solicit and screen members and choose the right type of structure; and developing rules that will help the group to function in a positive, helpful manner.

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Workshop Lounge1

9PM EST - LARRY MONIZ

 SELF-PROMOTION FOR AUTHORS

MODERATED BY PAULINE B. JONES

Maximizing your efforts is what successful book promotion is all about.  Learn some of the techniques from an experienced book publicist.

Larry Moniz handled publicity for several authors and publishing houses, including nearly half a decade as PR agency counsel for Harlequin Books.  He also was a journalist on the receiving end of promotion techniques by other professional book industry publicists and feels he has some meaningful insights to share. 

Novels typically have a shelf life of only two or three months in most bookstores. An author must promote his or her name rather than a particular title.

When he decided to start writing books, Larry began encountering some other authors who had invaluable information to impart, but it was not reaching newbie authors in a cohesive fashion. There would be a forum comment here or there, a website posting of tips in another location. Essentially new authors were in a hit/miss situation.

Additionally, there is a massive amount of misinformation being advanced as gospel by people who have never worked as publicists nor, in some cases, even had writing published.  There’s a lot of advocacy for blogging and one-on-one networking via the internet. 

Moniz has done the numbers and includes them in his book: Self-Promotion for Authors in which he says: “In the frantic months before and after your book hits the streets, how many people do you think you can directly reach with a one-on-one message?  A hundred? 1,000 or perhaps 10,000?  Any good salesperson will tell you that a successful results percentage in selling is 1.5 to 2 percent.  So, if you knock yourself out and reach 10,000 people with your message you’ll sell 200 books, maybe.”  

If you want to do better than that, Larry can tell you how professional publicists maximize promotional efforts. 

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SATURDAY - OCTOBER 13, 2007

 Workshop Lounge1

1PM EST - TERRY WHALIN

Book Proposals that Sell

MODERATED BY LEA SCHIZAS

Writers and agents only get one chance to make a good first impression. In nonfiction, 80% of books are contracted on the basis of a book proposal and a sample chapter or two. This proposal may be harder to write than the actual book and contains information which never appears in your manuscript. In fiction, the story will be key but also the additional information such as your practical marketing ideas and your own visibility in the marketplace. For the last five years, Terry Whalin has been a book acquisitions editor (or the author's champion) in a room full of jaded publishing executives. His workshop will give you the insider's scoop of what not to do and what to do to make your submission stand out.

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SUNDAY - OCTOBER 14, 2007

 Workshop Lounge1

3PM - EST - KIM RICHARDS

MODERATED BY DONNA AMATO

WORLD BUILDING

Dragon Moon Press follows its highly successful Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy series with a comprehensive writer's guide on science fiction. The book leads the writer from the pitfalls and clichés of a first story to selling and promoting a novel, and the writing life beyond. Topics in this guide range from alien creation, space travel, world building to writing humor, fan fiction, graphic novels and for younger readers - a perfect reference and writing guide for someone wishing to write science fiction. The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction is written by established professionals and up-and-coming talents: Jeanne Allen, Piers Anthony, Michele Acker,

Milena Benini, Orson Scott Card, Carol Hightshoe, Ian Irvine, Dave A. Law, Wil McCarthy, Michael McRae, Tina Morgan, Bob Nailor, Darin Park, Simon Rose, Kim Richards and Bud Sparhawk.

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