Our Past Events of 2008
Wonder what IWOSC has to offer you? Wonder what type of people come speak with us?
Here are some of our most recent meetings and events.
Past 2008 General Meetings
From Books to Film – Romance or Nightmare?
Monday, November 24
7:30 to 9 p.m. (networking follows the program)
Look what they've done to my book, Ma!
The Independent Writers of Southern California presents a special program on what getting "The Hollywood Treatment" means for writers—and how a writer can best position his or her work for a screen option. What can a novelist expect when your book gets an offer to be adapted into a movie? For that matter, what storytelling qualities help make a novel, biography/memoir, or news article a must-see for the screen? And likewise, how has the lightning pace of movies and TV changed what Larry McMurtry calls "the Culture of the Book"?
Those are some of the main questions IWOSC's November panel, produced and moderated by Telly Davidson, will deal with, featuring an "A-List" lineup of Hollywood experts from both sides of the industry: top writers who have had their material adapted for the screen (or who have worked on adaptations of other people's work), and the literary agents and executives who help decide WHICH books and articles garner a movie deal. Students, entertainment writers, and (aspiring) writers of either books or screenplays will find much to learn, a Q&A, plus networking with the panelists following the discussion.
The Panelists:
- BARBARA SCHIFFMAN brings three decades' experience to her role as a script supervisor, consultant, and acquisitions executive in film and television. Her long list of script consulting clients includes studio, network and indie producers plus writers and directors. Her current clients include HBO Films, Picturehouse and Miramax. She's also a published journalist/author, a featured speaker at many film/publishing industry events and pitchfests, and co-founded Toastmasters 4 Writers. In addition, she has coached private clients and people working in all areas of film, TV, music, new media and writing/publishing over the past 12 years as a coach/ trainer for Flash Forward Institute. She also currently hosts/produces the weekly Internet radio show "Living in Balance," and, as a Life Balance Coach, teaches tools to help people fulfill their life/career visions.
- PETER LEFCOURT is the best-selling author of the satirical novels “The Dreyfus Affair” (about a gay baseball player, and a possible inspiration for Broadway's recent hit "Take Me Out"), “Di and I”,”Eleven Karens,” “Abbreviating Ernie,” “The Woody,” and “The Deal”—which was recently made into a motion picture starring William H. Macy, Meg Ryan, and LL Cool Jay, and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2005, he published a sequel to the novel version of “The Deal,” called “The Manhattan Beach Project.” In addition to his own book-to-film deals, his other film and TV credits include the Emmy-winning landmark “Cagney & Lacey” and the critically acclaimed Showtime satire of Hollywood, “Beggars & Choosers,” which ran from 1999 to 2001. Lefcourt recently edited the nonfiction compilation “The First Time I Got Paid For It,” a collection of real-life stories of writers' "first times" selling their scripts in movies and TV.
- MARVIN J. WOLF is one of the founding fathers of IWOSC, and has served four terms as president of the organization. Wolf is the recipient of numerous awards from the Los Angeles Press Club, the US Marine Corps Combat Correspondents' Association, and also received the 1994 Lifetime Achievement winner from the American Society of Journalists and Authors. He has written as a professional since 1965, and his byline has appeared in periodicals and bookstores in at least 132 nations. After a decade of military service, he has been the author, co-author or ghost writer of a dozen books and hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles, including the bestsellers “Where White Men Fear to Tread” and “Fallen Angels.” His screen credits include 1993's “Bloodlines: Murder in the Family” and the 2005 USA Network movie “Ladies Night,” which he adapted for the screen from his short story. He recently completed his memoir, “The Best Outhouse in Vietnam (and Other War Stories I Never Told Mom),” which is awaiting publication.
- BRIAN LIPSON is a Senior Literary Agent at the prestigious Endeavor Agency in Beverly Hills. He has enjoyed a stellar career as a literary agent on both sides of the book world, selling books for top advances to New York publishers and also optioning them and others for the screen in Hollywood. Prior to his job at Endeavor, Lipson was a top agent with Joel Gotler and Allan Nevins' Renaissance Literary Management. His long client list has included writers and celebrities including the likes of Dean Koontz, Harlan Coben, Sharon Osbourne, Stephen Ambrose, Brad Meltzer, and Joyce Carol Oates.
Moderator:
IWOSC's own Telly Davidson, who last helmed January's panel, “Trends in the Book Biz.” Davidson is a film and TV critic with FilmStew.com, Yahoo Movies, and Hollywood Master Storytellers. He has written for “Entertainment Today,” “TV-Now,” “H” magazine, “Guitar Player,” The213.Net, and the American Film Institute. He has worked on TV's “Pioneers of Primetime” and “Most Outrageous Game Show Moments,” and his book on classic television, “TV's Grooviest Variety Shows,” was published to top reviews in 2006. He is currently working on other media tie-in projects and has just completed a novel, which has attracted the interest of several major agents. A member of PEN, he is working on founding a program to promote and interview young/emerging novelists, poets, and screenwriters.
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Everything Graphic!
Monday, October 27
Thinking of tackling a graphic novel, pictorial essay, or articles that require a photo or a drawing? You name it, we'll discuss it. Our panel explains how to collaborate with a photographer or an illustrator to get your project realized or how to do it yourself.
The Panelists include:
HELEN K. GARBER is known for her black and white night urban landscape photographs seen in permanent museum, corporate, and private art collections. Her work, “A Night View of Los Angeles,” is a 40-foot-long, 360-degree view of LA on silk. She is preparing a live installation called “LA Noir” that incorporates image projections with text derived from pulp fiction (spoken word), and jazz composed in mid-century Los Angeles.
NAT GERTLER, is publisher of the About Comics line and the co-writer of “The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel.” A two-time Eisner Award nominee, Gertler has been writing comics for about 20 years, with credits at literally dozens of publishers including DC Comics, Image, and Archie.
BRAD RADER has worked as a layout and storyboard artist on TV series “Rainbow Brite,” “The Littles,” “The Real Ghostbusters,” “Alf,” “Alftails,” “Batman,” “Gargoyles,” and “Stripperella.” He directed “Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys,” “Spawn” (Emmy Award winner in 1999), and “The Roswell Conspiracies.” He illustrated comic books “Batman Adventures” and “Catwoman” for DC Comics among others. His graphic novel, “Fogtown,” will be published by DC/Vertigo Comics in 2009. SAM SATURDAY is the creator, writer and artist of all things from Load World Comics, most notably the comic strips “Load” and “Satan Funnies.” He has also self-published the comic books “Pope & Pig” and “Two Goats Bathing In Milk.” Sam's most recent book is the Load collection “Why Do You Cry When I'm On Top?” Check out Sam's work at LoadWorldComics.com.
ROBERT SCHMIDT is a freelance writer on business, gaming, and multicultural subjects. He has authored one book, “The National Jobline Directory,” and publishes “Peace Party,” the multicultural comic book featuring Native Americans. He is presently developing various comic book projects and his website, BlueCornComics.com.
Moderator ERIKA FABIAN is a photography instructor at UCLA. Fabian’s work has been published in 23 books and nearly 200 photo-illustrated articles. Her career includes many years of on-assignment travel and work with her late husband Albert Moldvay, for “National Geographic” magazine, “Westways,” and the “Los Angeles Times.”
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Magazine Editors' Summit
Monday, September 22
Top magazine editors reveal the inside track on getting your work published. Find out how to get the attention of an editor with a winning story pitch or query. Learn about the most recent trends in the magazine publishing world and where to direct your focus to generate assignments.
The Panelists:
Among those joining us will be JEAN-NOEL BASSIOR from AARP magazine; AURELIA D'ANDREA, editor for VegNews and two other magazines; DAVID WURTH, co-founder and editor of CSQ magazine, and others.
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WRITERS' MARKETING ROUND TABLE: Delivering your Message
Monday, July 28
A gathering of marketing professionals looks at the process of delivering persuasive communications to target audiences with techniques and hints that offer greater financial rewards.
The Panelists:
- MARILYN ANDERSON is an award-winning television and film writer and author of “Never Kiss a Frog: A Girl's Guide to Creatures from the Dating Swamp.” After publication of her first book, Anderson was interviewed on over 150 radio and TV shows and became the Dating, Flirting & Kissing Coach on ABC's "Extreme Makeover." Scores of articles touting the book have appeared in newspapers and magazines nationwide, including the Los Angeles Times. Anderson teaches seminars on "How to Do Your Own Publicity & Promotion."
- TERESA FOGARTY, marketing and publicity manager for the Independent Book
Publishers Association (IBPA), formerly the Publishers Marketing Association (PMA), started her publishing career with Bethany House Publishers, in Bloomington, Minn., as a publicity manager, a position she held for four years. Fogarty launched Casarsa Public Relations in 2005 and worked with self-published authors as a consultant, project manager, and publicist before joining IBPA.
- LILLI CLOUD develops persuasive communications that generates results with target audiences. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, and small and mid-size businesses in a variety of industries. As an independent consultant, she provides strategic communications, organizational positioning and messaging for her clients, and teaches people how to refine and deliver their messages electronically, in print and through verbal communication.
- Publisher/owner SUSAN LEVIN is also a speaker, seminar leader, and marketing
consultant for speakers and authors. In 1992, she began publishing the print edition of "Speakers For Free and Fee Directory." After eight years, she discontinued the print publication and devoted her energy to producing the web edition: SpeakerServices.com. Her mission is supporting professionals interested in growing their business through speaking.
- IRWIN ZUCKER of Promotion in Motion is a veteran book publicist with more than 50 years in the literary jungle. He's promoted thousands of titles, including those by clients Norman Vincent Peale, Helen Gurley Brown and, of course, his wife Devra Hill & twin daughters Judi and Shari Zucker (latest book, "The Double Energy Diet"). He's been the head of his own PR firm since 1955, as well as the founder of the Book Publicists of Southern California and is now the group's president emeritus. All the while, he still works around the clock at age 80.
- JOHN SEELEY, moderator, is president/CEO of Blue Moon Wonders and Heart
Fire Seminars, specializing in educational and personal growth workshops and products. His books, "Get Unstuck! The Simple Guide to Restart your Life" and "Get Unstuck! The Companion Workbook" show people how to get their lives moving and create the lives they really want. He has a bachelor's degree in business and a master's degree in psychology and believes in the value of having a clear marketing plan and the energy to implement it. He serves as IWOSC's marketing director.
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WRITING FOR NONPROFITS: A Wealth of Work
Monday, June 30
The world of nonprofits offers a variety of writing opportunities. Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC) has assembled panelists who write grants, direct mail, publications, and PR. They'll discuss the challenges faced working either as a freelancer or on staff.
NOTE: Our Bylaws dictate that a list of Board candidates is presented to the membership at the June meeting. Nominations from the floor will also be accepted at that time since we are still looking to fill a few slots. Members can also participate on a smaller scale, lending a hand for parties or at event reservation check-in. Nominating committee information will appear in the June e-newsletter.
The Panelists:
- STEVE KIRK is a resourceful communications professional and editor. Kirk has experience in healthcare, telecommunications, and nonprofit environments. Experienced in internal and external communications management, publications and video production, and media relations, he currently is employed with City of Hope as a publications and video manager, and oversees production of the medical center's flagship publication.
- KAREN ROSA has been the director of the Film & TV Unit at American Humane since 1992. The organization monitors the safety of animal actors on film sets. Throughout the years, she has worked as an on-set safety representative and in pre-production outreach, production scheduling, and as the head of the Communications/Post Production department.
- When CHERYL POSNER's position as a proposal writer for a government contractor was eliminated after September 11, she decided to explore grant writing for nonprofit organizations. In mid 2002, she was hired as a grant writer with a nonprofit human services organization in northern Wisconsin. Since January 2007, she is the only full-time staff member at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, in Orange, Calif., with responsibility for program development and implementation, fundraising, community relations and PR, and website development.
- NOEL DE LEON started at City of Hope (COH) as assistant director of Direct Response in 1989. He has been involved with annual giving and direct marketing; served as the physician relations director, working with the Communications Department; handled events and clinical marketing requirements with COH physicians; coordinated physician-related events such as the monthly community lectures and the annual cancer survivor day. Currently, he is the director of Annual Giving, supervising direct mail.
- ELIZABETH ALLEN is the assistant director of communications of the Caltech Alumni Association in Pasadena, Calif. She directs strategies for online and print communications for Caltech alumni worldwide. Allen has served on the faculty of several Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) district and national conferences. She is a recipient of the CASE Faculty Star Award.
Moderator DEBBI SWANSON PATRICK has extensive experience in corporate and nonprofit communications, entertainment and nonprofit public relations, photography and advertising. As an award-winning writer and editor, she is part of IWOSC's Professional Development Committee and organized the June slate of programs.
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Kid Lit: More than the ABCs of Writing for Children
Monday, May 19
Journey through the exciting world of writing children’s literature and getting it published with a distinguished group of seven children’s book authors. Panelists will discuss developing characters, back stories, weaving compelling plots and story lines, use of age-specific language, and other tools Kid Lit writers need and what publishers are looking for.
The Panelists:
- SONYA SONES’s first book "Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy" won a Christopher Award, the Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry, and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
Sones’s third book "One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies" (Simon and Schuster, 2004) was chosen a Best Book and a Quick Pick. It was voted Best Book of the Year by teens from Rhode Island, Tennessee, Iowa and New Hampshire. It received a Cuffie Award from Publisher’s Weekly for the Best Book Title of 2004. The American Library Association voted it a Popular Paperback.
Her latest book "What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know" was chosen by Booklist as a Top Ten Romance of 2007. Her website is SonyaSones.com.
- LISA DUNN-DERN is a children’s lifestyle expert, writer, author, and television and radio personality. Her two books are "Dr. Duncan Dog on Duty!" and "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow." For Ethiopian Television (ETV), she produces and hosts “The Lisa and Winston Show,” a series of educational spots where she and her bird-puppet sidekick, Winston teach Ethiopian children about letters, numbers, and the planets in the solar system. In addition, she and her teenage daughter co-host an Internet radio show. The show is in its second season. Her website is DernGoodBooks.com.
- MICHELLE MARKEL has penned "Gracias, Rosa" (nonfiction); "Cornhusk, Silk and Wishbones: A book of Dolls from Around the World" (nonfiction); "Dream Town" (creative non-fiction); and "Dreamer from the Village: The Story of Marc Chagall" (biography). Her book on Chagall was a 2005 New York Public Library Best Title for Reading and Sharing and was recognized as a 2006 Notable Children’s Book of Jewish Content from the Association of Jewish Librarians. Her website is MichelleMarkel.com.
- ANN WHITFORD PAUL has written nearly a score of books including "Little Monkey Says Good Night" and "All by Herself: 14 Girls Who Made a Difference." It took Paul five years of submitting 18 different stories a total of 180 times before she made her first sale.
Her second book "Eight Hands Round: A Patchwork Alphabet" was distinguished as one of the outstanding social studies books of 1991 and was selected as a New York Times Notable Children’s Book.. Several of Paul's books have won awards including "Shadows Are About" (Outstanding Science Trade Book Citation) and "The Seasons Sewn" (Carl Sandburg Award for Children’s Literature, and The New York Times Best Illustrated Books selection). Her website is AnnWhitfordPaul.com.
- APRIL HALPRIN WAYLAND has written several award-winning books including "Girls Coming in for a Landing: A Novel in Poems." It won the Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry, the Children’s Literature Council of Southern California Award, and was named a Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor Book for Children’s Poetry. The book is also a Junior Library Guild Selection, made the American Library Association's Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers list and was nominated as ALA's Best Book of the Year for Young Adults.
Her website is AprilWayland.com.
- GRETCHEN WOELFLE’s books include "Katje the Windmill Cat" (picture book), "The Wind at Work: An Activity Guide to Windmills" (nonfiction book, which won the Children’s Literature Top Choice List of 1998), "Jeanette Rankin: Political Pioneer"(biography); “Stories from Where We Live” (literary anthology series), and "Animal Families, Animal Friends." Her website is GretchenWoelfle.com.
- BARNEY SALTZBERG is an award-winning writer and songwriter whose books for very young children include "Crazy Hair Day," "The Soccer Mom From Outer Space" (Parents Choice Award), and "Mrs. Morgan’s Lawn." He is a composer and performer of music for children whose compositions have been featured on several children TV programs, including "Arthur." His website is BarneySaltzberg.com.
Moderator
ANNE MOSBERGEN writes promotional materials and manages presentations for businesses. Previously, she was a manager of employee communications at Ticor, a real estate and financial services corporation, and a sales communication manager at Nestle. She is an IWOSC Board member, part of its Professional Development Committee and organized the May slate of programs. She also serves as the IWOSC Jobline Coordinator.
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LITERARY AGENTS' MARKETPLACE: The Inside Track on Finding and Working with Representation
Monday, April 28
As every savvy writer knows, getting the words down on the page is half the battle.
The right literary agent can open crucial doors for a writer in the publishing industry. The challenge is convincing the agent that your work is right for them! The agents on this panel will share their writer success stories to illustrate what it takes to make it as a literary or non-fiction writer and how to market yourself and your work. Also, the evening would not be complete without examining some of the pitfalls that could be avoided through shared tales from the dark side of publishing. In addition, the role of the agent and the pros and cons of dealing with an attorney versus an agent will be explored.
The Panelists:
CHARLOTTE GUSAY founded and ran the prestigious bookshop George Sand Books on Melrose in West Hollywood for many years. After the birth of her daughter, she closed the bookshop and started her literary agency. With the help of a powerful Rolodex filled with names from her bookshop patrons, she found immediate success selling books and film options to books. She has come to be known as the "Diane Keaton" of agents - eclectic, in search of quality, and very careful in choosing projects to represent. Her client, Alexis Stamatis, an eight-time novelist based in Greece, was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts International Literature Award in February 2007.The Charlotte Gusay Literary Agency represents both fiction and nonfiction books, selected children's books with movie potential, entertainment rights, books to film, selected screenplays and screenwriters. She's interested in fiction with genres such as: adventure, feminism, history, humor, the military, and mystery and suspense. With nonfiction, she seeks out areas of interest such as health and medicine, politics and government, house and home, music and dance, the environment, psychology, sports and travel.
MIKE HAMILBURG has been a literary agent representing authors, screenplays, and projects such as "Taxi Driver"(Paul Schrader); 'Helter Skelter" (Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry); columnist Jack Anderson; former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell; former White House Press Secretary George Reedy, and baseball great Jackie Robinson. He has co-produced Sydney Pollack’s "The Yakuza," starring Robert Mitchum, and "White Mile" starring Alan Alda for HBO.
Moderator PAUL LEVINE of Paul S. Levine Literary Agency is a lawyer in addition to being an agent. He has represented both nonfiction and fiction authors since his agency was established inVenice, Calif., in 1998. He has sold over 80 projects to at least 30 different publishers. Levine looks for commercial nonfiction (self-help, memoir, pop culture, business) and commercial fiction (thrillers, mysteries, romance, Danielle Steele-ish novels). Sold projects include "All I Need to Know in Life I Learned from Romance Novels" and "Dangerous Deceptions." He also handles book to film deals.
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CONSUMER REPORTING: What Consumers Need and Writers can Deliver!
Monday, March 31
As long as Americans have buying power, the need for consumer writing won't go away. Our distinguished panel of writers from various media has applied their writing talents to helping consumers with their purchases. While consumer reporting has been underfunded compared to other journalism beats in recent years, these writers have worked diligently to bring the best information to the public. They will discuss the state of consumer reporting today, the litigious environment some reporting has come up against, and what bright spots appear on the horizon for this area of reportage.
Our panelists:
DOUG KRIEGEL is a general assignment (GA) reporter and a familiar face on NBC4's "Channel 4 News." As Money Editor, Kriegel did a nightly segment at 6 p.m. beginning in 1985 that covered breaking economic news, money tips, consumer fraud, the California real estate market, restaurant reports and entertainment industry stories.
As a GA reporter, Kriegel has garnered several awards. In 1983, his series "Whatever Happened to Real Men" was honored with a Los Angeles area Emmy Award. The series also landed an Associated Press Award for television reporting, best feature in California and the Los Angeles Press Club Award for excellence in television reporting.
Kriegel joined KNBC in 1978 as state capital correspondent and Sacramento Bureau Chief. His special series on "Lobbyists in Sacramento" was the first behind-the-scenes look that any television station had done on lobbying in the state capitol. Before he became a television news reporter, Kriegel was an economist and stock market analyst at Lord Abbett and Company on Wall Street.
SUSAN KARLIN is an award-winning, internationally published journalist who primarily covers science, technology, entertainment and business. She has written for such publications as Newsweek, Forbes, Esquire and The New York Times; garnered more than two dozen writing awards; and appeared on numerous TV and radio shows, including "Good Morning America," CNN, NPR and BBC. She has also traveled to every continent, reporting from such diverse areas as Vietnam, the Arctic and the West Bank.
GERRI MILLER is an entertainment and lifestyle writer, editor and reporter who regularly contributes to an eclectic variety of outlets: Hollywood.com, Men's Fitness, Glamour, Estylo and Estylo.com, scholasticnews.com, Howstuffworks.com, Nickelodeon, TV Week, Redbook, Maxim, American Jewish Life, JVibe, Lupus Now, M, Show Magazine, ELDR and ELDR.com, Southern California Life50+, and CosmoGirl, and recently completed a part-time temp writing gig with People.com. She has been freelance since 1998, following 17 years as a Sterling's Magazines' editor on titles including Movie Mirror and Metal Edge. Her other credits include More, iVillage.com, Parents.com. Everydayhealth.com, The Detroit Jewish News, Satellite Direct, Muscle & Fitness, Life & Style Weekly, and TV Guide. She has also written band biographies, liner notes and trivia questions for games and the TV game show "Hollywood Showdown."
MODERATOR LILLI CLOUD has more than 20 years of experience in developing and delivering persuasive communications to generate results with target audiences. She works with companies to develop strategic communications, organizational positioning and messaging, and teaches people how to refine and deliver their messages electronically, in print, and through verbal communication. Last year, Lilli started Blue Feet (YourBlueFeet.com), which takes the tools used to brand and market companies and applies them to executives changing careers or entrepreneurs launching their own businesses.
Lilli has worked as vice president for PainePR, and she was formerly a vice president with the international public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard, where she handled corporate and public affairs accounts.
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MAKING YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES IN WRITING
Monday, February 25
Writing is a business. Yet, if you can keep your mind open to creative possibilities, you can make the business work for you. Keeping flexible to various options can be the key to discovering alternative ways to enjoy success.
This eclectic panel has used a combination of talent, tenacity and tricks to earn their writing success. They'll share how they did it, how they figured it out, where they found it, and what’s next. New and stimulating ideas are out there, waiting to be tapped. Unchain yourself from your computer and take a few hours to discover what may be holding you back from getting to the next level in your writing career.
The Panelists:
GINA NAHAI, professor of creative writing at USC, and multi-award winning fiction writer, who has been translated into 18 languages with bestsellers in most of those.
ROCHELLE KRICH, Orthodox Jewish mystery writer, who has two mystery series as well as many stand-alone books.
PETER COLLEY, who is one of the most produced playwrights in the country.
COLLEEN DUNN BATES, editor, author, and freelance magazine journalist, is the owner of Prospect Park Books, with a catalog of five books, including the just published "Hometown Santa Monica: The Bay Cities Book" and "At Home Pasadena," featured in the Los Angeles Times recently.
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PUBLISHING 101: Trends in the Book Biz
Monday, January 28, 2008
The meeting:
"When did the rules change?" Many writers and journalists have pondered this question over and over about book publishing, which has completely undergone a metamorphosis in the past decade. The Internet, media consolidation, big-box vs. independent bookstores, the boom in self-publishing, online "e-books" and blogs, and Hollywood-style demographics, age discrimination, and target-audience issues have transformed what was once the most stable and reliable of media industries into a completely new -- and relatively uncharted -- landscape.
IWOSC kicks off 2008 with a panel created to untangle some of these knotty career issues. It includes experts from every checkpoint of modern publishing -- an agent for one of Hollywood's A-list literary and talent agencies and a top book publicist. Plus, two of LA's most prominent booksellers -- one anchored in the independent bookseller world, while the other is from one of the nation's premiere chain bookstores. Â
A sampling of issues to be addressed:
The boom in non-fiction publishing over the last 25 years.
Why it is more difficult to acquire an agent and a major publishing house.
What carries more weight?-- a fiction author's career, platform, and education or how well an author writes?
The trend toward specific markets such as gay/lesbian, black or Latino, chick or lad lit, etc.
What booksellers are looking for in new books and new authors.
What types of books are considered hot for the foreseeable future and which ones are so last year.
TELLY DAVIDSON (moderator): Davidson is an entertainment columnist and writer, and the author of "TV's Grooviest Variety Shows" (Cumberland House, 2006), which was chosen as a Book of the Year for Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.. He writes regularly for FilmStew.com and YahooMovies. Â He's also a contributor to LA Daily News, Guitar Player, Create Magazine, RottenTomatoes.com, and the American Film Institute. He has recently completed a novel, which has generated interest from several top agents.
ANDREA "Andy" BARZVIÂ is a literary and acquisitions agent for ICM talent agency in Century City. Â Prior to joining ICM in Los Angeles, she worked at their New York headquarters, where she started in 2001 after graduating from the prestigious Cardozo Law School in New York City. Â She has sold fiction and nonfiction books to most of New York's biggest houses including talk-show host Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo's No. 1 N.Y. Times bestseller "He's Just Not That Into You" and the new "How to Be Single."
TYSON CORNELL is the Publicity and Special Events Manager of the famed Book Soup in West Hollywood, and maintains one of the most sought-after booking lists in Southern California's literary world. Â He's coordinated signings for everyone from Hunter S. Thompson's last book tour, to the likes of Gore Vidal, Dominick Dunne, Tom Wolfe, Diane Keaton, P.J. O'Roarke, Gary Owens, Janet Fitch, David Ulin, Joan Didion, and Carolyn See, as well as a scheduled January signing for Davidson's own "TV's Grooviest."
KIM DOWER runs Kim-from-LA Literary and Media Services, founded in 1985. She offers media training and PR for authors and broadcast and print journalists. Her client list is like a Who's Who of authors and screenwriters in Southern California, including best-selling authors Carolyn See, Robert Crais, T. Jefferson Parker, and the "queen" of KNBC News from 1971 to 2000, Kelly Lange. Â Her writer clients have been profiled on "Entertainment Tonight" and in the Los Angeles and New York Times. She is the author of the top media-training guide, "Life is a Series of Presentations."Â Visit kimfromla.com. Â
Plus a top representative from the Borders or B&N store chain in Southern California, and another top agent or book critic.
~~~~~~~ Past 2008 Seminars ~~~~~~~
Saturday, November 15
10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Seminar:
GET YOUR PROJECT SEEN—BY THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Michele Wallerstein, the Writer’s Consultant, and former literary agent, will guide you through the ways to move your projects into the world of motion picture studios, agents, publishers, and the television markets. Learn the secrets of successful networking and follow-up, as well as who to contact and how to do it.
Michele Wallerstein is a screenplay consultant, whose work includes helping writers get their work into marketable shape for the Hollywood community. A guest speaker at numerous film festivals, pitch fests, and writers’ groups around the country, Wallerstein teaches the business of your writing career, as well as how to get the most out of your material. Prior to becoming a consultant, she was a Hollywood literary agent who represented writers, directors, and producers in motion pictures, movies for television, and television series. Michele served as executive vice-president of Women In Film and was on the WIF board of directors for many years. As owner of The Wallerstein Company, she guided the careers of writers such as Larry Hertzog, Christopher Lofton, Peter Bellwood, Ronnie Christensen, Carol Mendelsohn, and Randall Wallace. Known as a very nurturing agent, with a vast knowledge of literature and movies, Wallerstein was responsible for selling million-dollar screenplays and elevating her clients up the ladder of success. Her web site is NovelConsultant.com.
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Saturday, October 18
10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The Seminar:
YOUR CAPSULE BIO: WHY YOU NEED IT; HOW TO CRAFT IT
Whether you need a book-jacket blurb or a resume opening, these few words make the reader want more. Your capsule bio can be a sleek torpedo or bloated blimp. The best writers don't always know which they've launched, as Alice Romano discovered when compiling IWOSC's own directory. Follow the journalism creed of brevity and clarity to create your tasty intro.
Alice Romano, IWOSC past president and Intensive Writing Workshop facilitator, leads this seminar on how to create a succinct biography that is a quick read and plays to your strengths.
Seminar will include handouts, in-class exercises, and positive feedback on your current blurbs.
Optional, but recommended: e-mail your 50 word bio(s)
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Saturday, September 20
The Seminar:
CRAFTING THE EXCEPTIONAL MAGAZINE PITCH
Our speaker explains the dynamics behind creating a winning story pitch or query that will get the attention of editors around the country. Learn the fundamentals of a well-written story, one that will impress an editor every time. Tips and techniques are available for those writers who want to polish their skills.
Karlin is an award-winning, internationally published journalist who primarily covers science, technology, entertainment and business. She has written for such publications as Newsweek, Forbes, Esquire and The New York Times; garnered more than two dozen writing awards; and appeared on numerous TV and radio shows, including Good Morning America, CNN, NPR and BBC. She has also traveled to every continent, reporting from such diverse areas as Vietnam, the Arctic and the West Bank.
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THE ART AND CRAFT OF THE PRESS RELEASE: What the Pros Know
Saturday, July 19
A few years ago we didn’t know what a blog was; now everyone needs one. A few weeks ago, no one heard of Twitter; now if you don’t “twitter,” you’re behind the times. Minute-by-minute changes in technology are dramatically changing the focus of the all-purpose press release.
The Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC) presents veteran publicist and consultant Flo Selfman – aided by many of her colleagues’ results-getting techniques – who will help you craft the best press release for your message, and provide pointers for getting your word out to the right places.
You will learn:
- how to decide on your message
- different types of press releases
- how to incorporate your talking points into your press release
- the most important element of the press release
- what to include; what to leave out
- one way to be sure your press release gets used
- one way to be sure your press release never gets used
- how to emphasize “the copper bottom”
- when and how to tell the truth
- when and how to use graphics
Once you’ve written your release, what do you do with it?
- types of outlets
- where to get media and mailing lists
- timing and deadlines
- follow-up
- handling a crisis
Whether you’ve never written a press release before, or are looking for ways to improve the existing releases, don’t miss this information-packed seminar.
Flo Selfman is a public relations consultant specializing in books, authors, and arts events. She also proofreads and copyedits scripts, manuscripts, newsletters, web copy, and other written material. A longtime member of Book Publicists of Southern California (and winner of the IRWIN Award for Best Book Tie-In Campaign 2005) and Entertainment Publicists Professional Society, she’s on the home stretch of her fourth year as IWOSC president.
This topic will be continued at IWOSC’s July 28 Marketing panel, so plan to attend both events.
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THE PR PLATFORM: What It Is, and How to Get It
Saturday, June 21
How can you create a publicity buzz with your own books, blogs, and videos? Dr. Tina Tessina, Ph.D., aka Dr. Romance, tells how she did it and still does it! She'll discuss her psychotherapy practice as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and how she's published 11 books in many languages to help couples find happiness.
Tessina lectures and conducts workshops, helping people to get motivated and organized, make better decisions, and make their relationships run smoothly, at work, and in their personal lives.
She also writes the Dr. Romance column on Yahoo! Personals.
Join Tessina, author of 11 books, the latest being "Money, Sex and Kids" and "The Commuter Marriage" both with Adams Press, as she shares her energetic tips on successfully generating your own PR.
Her published books include:"It Ends With You: Grow Up and Out of Dysfunction," "How To Be a Couple and Still Be Free," "The Unofficial Guide to Dating Again," "Gay Relationships," "The REAL 13th Step," "The Ten Smartest Decisions a Woman Can Make After Forty," and "The 10 Smartest Decisions A Woman Can Make Before 40."
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Once Upon A Time: Writing Children's Literature
Saturday, May 17
To write for kids, you have to think like a kid. There are nuances and approaches that children’s authors use frequently. It is not just the words, but also the images that the words create, which draw children into reading a story.
Join two award-winning children’s book authors and illustrators Kathryn Hewitt and Deborah Nourse Lattimore as they present practical tips and guidance on how to turn your kernel of a book idea into one ready to sell to a children’s book publisher.
Between them, Hewitt and Nourse Lattimore have written and illustrated nearly 50 children’s books, many of them award-winners and library picks. They will examine the making of books and inspirational writing from words and drawings. For those who don’t draw, don’t worry. Publishers supply illustrators and collaboration between writers and artists is common.
During the seminar, the two authors will focus on story structure, plot, character development, research, and dialogue. They will discuss editing, building drama and tension, “show-don’t-tell,” what to write and what to expect an artist to illustrate. Query letters, marketing and resources for children’s book writers will also be covered. Hewitt and Nourse Lattimore will provide pointers about what authors can do to help a book sell well.
HEWITT''S titles include the award-winning “Lives of …” series (Musicians, Writers, Artists, Athletes, Presidents, and Extraordinary Women), "Sunflower House," and "Flower Garden." Hewitt’s musician series has been awarded The American Booksellers Association Pick of the Lists, International Reading Association Teachers’ Choice, New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, and Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People Award.
Her series on writers was awarded School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, International Reading Association Teachers’ Choice, and American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. Hewitt also won the Association of American Publishers award in Excellence in Design for the J. P. Getty Museum publication "Marguerite Makes a Book."
LATTIMORE enjoys creating picture books that take young people on amazing journeys back through time. Her works re-tell myths and fairytales from ancient civilizations. Her titles include "The Winged Cat: And Other Tales of Ancient Civilizations," "Arabian Nights: Three Tales," and "The Sailor Who Captured the Sea: And Other Celtic Tales." Both presenters will have some of their books available for sale.
If you have a kid lit work-in-progress, bring it to the seminar for an interactive discussion on how to hone it for your target audience. Due to time constraints, not all works-in-progress may be critiqued.
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A PROPOSAL AND QUERY WORKSHOP FOR THE LITERARY MARKETPLACE
Saturday, April 12
Once the final few sentences of that great American novel have been penned or a non-fiction tale that no one else could scribe, it's time to get your manuscript in front of an agent. Agents have the contacts to get your work seen and read by editors in publishing houses, looking for the newest acquisition. But where does one begin? Powerhouse author and screenwriter Marvin J. Wolf offers practical advice and savvy tips on how to turn your work into an attractive product ripe for picking by the book-publishing establishment.
MARVIN J. WOLF has written professionally since 1965. In addition to authoring or co-authoring a dozen nonfiction books, his articles have appeared in magazines and newspapers in 132 nations around the world. Wolf's honed his storytelling talents while serving as a U.S. Army infantryman, Ranger School instructor, basic training drill instructor, combat photographer, public affairs officer, communications-electronics officer and company commander. Later, he worked extensively in creative advertising positions for Foot Cone, Wells Rich Greene, Northrop, Transamerica, and Avco before becoming an independent writer in 1978.
In partnership with veteran screenwriter Larry Mintz, Wolf took up screenwriting in 2001. Their script "Ladies Night," based on a chapter of Wolf 's 1988 book "Platinum Crime," aired in February 2005 on the USA Cable Network, as did "The Pierre Heist," based on another Wolf book. Wolf's books include "Buddha's Child" (St. Martin's, 2002) the wartime memoirs of former South Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky, and "Where White Men Fear To Tread "(St. Martin's, 1995), the autobiography of Native American activist and film actor Russell Means. His "Beating The Odds" (Scribner's, 1991) recounts the life story of ABC Television founder Leonard Goldenson. In addition, he's written several true-crime anthologies, including "Fallen Angels, Chronicles of Los Angeles Crime and Mystery "(Ballantine, 1986), long considered a minor classic of its genre. Wolf is a charter member of IWOSC and has served four terms as president.
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GETTING AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Making your Writing, Product, Service or Yourself Stand Out from the Crowd.
Saturday, March 15
What can you do to make your writing stand out in a crowded field? According
to Lilli Cloud, communications trainer and owner of Blue Feet, you need to "write for differentiation." In this seminar on business writing, Cloud will provide you with worthwhile tips and guidance on how to effectively differentiate a product, service or even yourself. The workshop will also include hands-on exercises.
THIS WORKSHOP COVERS:
- Connecting with your target audience – something that seems obvious, but is often completely overlooked.
- Developing key messages – the most important things you want to say about your product, service or yourself, in strong, effective language.
- Hooking your audience – with a subject line, headline or powerful opening.
- Putting it all together – in a way that matters to the reader, and generates the response you want.
Whether you’re promoting a product or service, making a stronger impact in selling your own talents, or just want to develop more persuasive, effective communication skills, this workshop is for you.
LILLI CLOUD has more than 20 years of experience in developing and delivering persuasive communications to generate results with target audiences. She works with companies to develop strategic communications, organizational positioning and messaging, and teaches people how to refine and deliver their messages electronically, in print, and through verbal communication. Last year, Lilli started Blue Feet — YourBlueFeet.com, which takes the tools used to brand and market companies and applies them to executives changing careers or entrepreneurs launching their own businesses.
Prior to becoming an independent consultant and trainer, Lilli worked as vice president at the highly respected, mid-size firm PainePR, where she led teams on consumer, business-to-business, technology, and healthcare accounts. Also, she was formerly a vice president with the international public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard, where she handled corporate and public affairs accounts.
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Why Editing and Proofreading Matter
Saturday, February 16
Whether you’re writing to impress an editor, agent or publisher, your finished product should reflect the highest standards of professionalism. Whether you're turning out autobiographies, corporate newsletters, or other writing projects, every professional endeavor requires editing and proofreading. Our two accomplished experts, editor and publishing consultant Monica Faulkner, and IWOSC President, PR consultant and proofreader-copyeditor Flo Selfman demystify the editing process, as well as the nuts and bolts of proofreading and copyediting.
A SAMPLING OF EDITING QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED:
How do you find the right editor for you? What qualities should you look for?
How much will it cost? What are considered typical business arrangements between an
editor and an author?
Is editing a one-step or an ongoing process? Do editors help writers to find agents and publishers?
Should I be my own editor? Will my agent edit my work? Or an editor at the publishing
company?
Can I trust an editor to retain my “voice,” yet still shape my material?
Why should I work with an editor if I’m planning to self-publish?
What’s the difference between an independent editor and one who works for a publisher? Between an editor and a ghostwriter?
PROOFREADING/COPYEDITING:
• Does the editor include proofreading and copyediting in their services?
• How important is proofreading? What kinds of errors should I be looking for?
• Are a computer’s spell check and grammar check enough?
• What kinds of errors should I be looking for? What are the most common errors
writers make?
• What are the best reference materials?
You’ll get answers to these questions and more from:
MONICA FAULKNER'S goal is to help writers solve every problem that may prevent their fiction, nonfiction, proposals, scripts, or other writing projects from reaching their greatest creative and commercial potential. She has been offering a complete range of editing services for a wide variety of specialties through her company, Faulkner Editorial Services, since 1995. A published writer with a journalism background, she co-authored "The Ideal Entrepreneurial Business for You" (Wiley). One recent editing project, author Stephen Altschuler’s "The Mindful Hiker: On the Trail to Find the Path," was named best biography/self-help and book of 2005 by the Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR). Visit her at LAEditorsAndWritersGroup.com/Monica_Faulkner.html and at PublishersMarketPlace.com/members/MonicaFaulkner.
FLO SELFMAN has been a public relations consultant for authors, entertainers, and arts events for more than 20 years. A self-proclaimed “professional nit-picker,” she also proofreads and copyedits scripts, manuscripts, and other written material. Selfman is the recipient of the 2005 IRWIN Award for Best Book Tie-In Campaign 2005 from the Book Publicists of Southern California, and has produced award-winning press kits. She is on the board of Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS) and is currently serving her fourth term as president of IWOSC.
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BLOGGING: Come Blow Your Horn
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Guest speakers Gerald Everett Jones and Helen Jupiter have each found a way to expound on the universe through blogs. If you're a writer, blogging can be a powerful tool for promoting your ideas, expertise, book or platform both on purpose and accidentally in a "viral" form. With the right positioning, a blog can show up in Internet searches all over the world, compounding your media exposure exponentially. Let our experts explain why, where, when, and how to blog on a budget.
GERALD EVERETT JONES is a media whirlwind, having sold more than 50,000 copies of his business and computer books worldwide. Many of his titles have been translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Korean, Thai and mandarin. Jones's entertaining blog, Boychiklit.com, examines the growing genre of male-centric comedy in fiction and film. According to Jones, there's a place for lad lit although it's appeal may never surpass chick lit or flicks.
By day, he heads a book development company that packages business and technical books, as well as companion DVDs and reader-support websites. Visit his company La Puerta Productions, lapuerta.tv, on the web.
He's served as a business consultant to such clients as Atari, Epson America, Suzuki, Beckman Industrial, and Ortel. He's also logged considerable hours as an accomplished screenwriter.
HELEN JUPITER is a Los Angeles-based writer. She regularly contributes to Gridskipper, Metroblogging Los Angeles, and the SuicideGirls Newswire. Her work has been featured on "400 Words," and she keeps her own blog, earthtoJupiter.blogspot.com, which focuses on "armchair do-gooding."
~~~~~~~ Past 2008 Parties ~~~~~~~
Annual IWOSC Winter Party — IWOSC Holiday Bash at the Biltmore!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
5:45 p.m to 10 p.m.
5:45: No-host cocktails or library tour
7:30: Dinner and program
Kick off the season in style at IWOSC's annual Holiday Bash at the Biltmore! Follow the tradition of presidents, celebrities, dignitaries – and IWOSC writers – by celebrating history, architectural splendor, and creativity at the beautiful downtown Biltmore Hotel!
Join your fellow scribes and guests on Thursday, December 4,
at one of L.A.'s most beautiful locations: the historic, elegant, architecturally awesome Millenium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
We'll meet for no-host cocktails in the gorgeous Rendezvous Court, or take an escorted tour of the hotel, including the Presidential Suite.
We'll dine at the Biltmore's Smeraldi's Restaurant, on their famous custom pasta bar with all the trimmings, salad, non-alcoholic beverages and dessert. There will also be a no-host bar.
Awards and prizes follow.
We'll have drawings for some terrific door prizes.
No-host cocktails and library tour begin at 5:45 p.m.
Dinner is at 7:30, followed by program.
Location:
Millenium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles
506 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071-2607
Annual IWOSC Summer Party
Saturday, August 16
5 to 8 p.m.
Don't miss the opportunity to rub elbows with some of Southern California's most interesting writers while enjoying a light repast and quenching drinks in a unique historic setting — the Heritage Square Museum in Highland Park. We will also toast IWOSC's 25th Anniversary with champagne and a special celebration cake.
Heritage Square is a unique collection of eight historic structures, all constructed during the Victorian Era, and all saved from demolition and moved to this site to create a living history museum reflecting the settlement and development of Southern California. Today, the Heritage Square Museum offers visitors a look into the everyday lives of Southern Californians at the close of the 19th Century.
- Docent-led tours of several Heritage Square buildings
- Appetizers
- A light dinner repast (including vegetarian options)
- Program followed by dessert and champagne
- The party concludes at dusk — there are no electric lights at Heritage Square.
