Our Past Events of 2009

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 2009 General Meeting/Panel Discussions

Editors – Don't Let The Books You Write Leave Home without One!

Our Panel of Expert Editors Tell You How to Make Your Work Stronger, More Saleable -- to Publishers and Readers -- and Potentially Prizeworthy

Monday, November 23
7:30 to 9 p.m. (networking follows the program)

In this tight economy, it's harder and harder to compete for a publisher's attention. And once you've got a book deal, harder and harder to get good editorial help from the publishing house. Having a well edited book prior to submission will greatly increase your chances to stand out from the crowd -- for sale, and possible award winning status. Our panel of expert editors will share tips on:

• Common mistakes writers make and how to correct them
• How editors work with you to help you structure your book
• What to look for in an editor
• How to work with an editor, and
• Examples of editing/positioning ideas that have helped authors create award-winning books

Moderator: Ina Hillebrandt, author, publisher, writing coach, and editor. Known for her memoir classes and guide, How to Write Your Memoirs, Hillebrandt's first book, Pawprints, received the excellent editor Hannah Liebman's fine touch prior to publication, a step the author has been grateful she took ever since. Launched at the L.A. Zoo, Pawprints led the author to TV and a literacy program, Pawprints Literacy Plus. The book, along with Hillebrandt's memoir students' Stories From The Heart, v. 2, were both named best sellers on Amazon.com. Her website is InasPawprints.com.

Our panel of experts on editing include:

Ron Kenner, author, former metro staff writer of The Los Angeles Times and widely published freelancer, has been a newspaper, magazine, and book editor. Since founding RKedi, he has edited more than seventy-five published books. He is the editor of Orléans Embrace with The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré, which won 2007 Ben Franklin gold medals for “Best First Book nonfiction” and “Best New Voice nonfiction,” the editor of Ruins of Grandeur, 2009 IPPY Silver medal winner, tie for Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, and editor of the 2009 Hollywood Book Festival winner (Unpublished category) for the just published novel Depth of Deceit. He provided editing for the 2009 Eric Hoffer finalist (Business) Billion Dollar Solution… and edited Derek Parra, Reflections in the Ice: Inside the Heart and Mind of an Olympic Champion, 2004 Ben Franklin Gold medal winner, Autobiography/Memoir. Books edited by Ron have also received Nautilus, National Best Book, Next Generation Indie, DIY, and other honors. He collaborated on two nonfiction books scheduled for 2010.

Flo Selfman. As owner of Selfman & Others PR, Flo has handled celebrities, theatre and arts events, and book and author tours for more than twenty years. A self-proclaimed “professional nit-picker,” Flo gets the bugs out of scripts, manuscripts, and other business and professional documents. It’s all part of her “quest to save the wandering apostrophe.” A certified teacher, she also conducts lively grammar and punctuation review classes for adults. This is her sixth year as president of Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC), a nonprofit organization of freelance writers. Her website, with Roberta Edgar, is wordsalamode.com.

Roberta Edgar is co-author of Think Yourself Smokeless and co-founder and writer/editor of Sixty is Sexy Now, Inc., an online community for baby boomers and beyond. For over 20 years, in addition to writing screenplays and treatments, Roberta has been ghostwriting and editing nonfiction books, particularly memoirs and autobiographies. She blogs on journaling and memoir, and writes articles, web content, biographical profiles, query letters, and a wide range of business material. A graduate of UCLA's Department of English, she is current Vice President of IWOSC. Her website, with Flo Selfman, is wordsalamode.com.

Robin Quinn is an Editor of over 250 books including the best-selling The Detox Solution, the award-winning Soul-Full Eating, and the newly released Celebrity Leverage. She has more than two decades of experience in book publishing. A highly successful editor of health, nutrition, spirituality, self-help, memoirs and novels. Work spans from book development to the final polish. “Great attitude, amazing talent!” says Patricia Fitzgerald, author of The Detox Solution.

Monica Faulkner, PhD, author and editor, has more than two decades of experience guiding fiction and nonfiction authors to maximize the potential of their publishing projects, both creatively and commercially, in today’s rapidly evolving publishing marketplace. She works with clients to help them plan and create long-term careers, and is proactive about linking her clients with agents and publishers. Editor of the award-winning The Mindful Hiker, she offers every level of editorial guidance, from developmental editing to proofreading. A sought-after speaker at writers groups and conferences, she also offers consulting services to authors who wish to self-publish and are seeking one-stop editorial, project management, marketing, and speaking-career guidance for their publishing projects.
You can learn about her at laeditorsandwritersgroup.com/monica_faulkner.html or publishersmarketplace.com/members/MonicaFaulkner.

Lisa Marguerite Mora is a freelance editor, prize winning poet and writing teacher. Some of her credits include poetry and prose published in Rattle, ONTHEBUS, and Literary Mama. In 2008 she was the second place poetry prize winner for Blue Mountain Arts. Lisa has taught creative writing in workshops at California State University Los Angeles, West Los Angeles College Creative Writers Club, and the Los Angeles Public Library. She is an instructor at Santa Monica College Community Services and also teaches private workshops on writing and editing at the Electric Lodge in Venice. Her website is BarringtonEditorial.com.

-----------------------

Ghost Stories, Ghostwriters Emerge To Discuss Their Craft

Monday, October 26
7:30 to 9 p.m. (networking follows the program)

Have you ever considered ghostwriting? For our October program, professional “ghosts” will come out from the shadows to discuss why they sometimes trade visibility as a writer for the projects they receive. In addition, a co-author with a new book will share why she choose that path. We’ll cover tips as well as a look at the pitfalls you’ll want to avoid. How does a writer collaborate with the client to gather the best material? How do you capture their voice? Can your ego handle the discreet role of the ghostwriter? The panel will also explore how a ghost or collaborator can help support a client in the publishing process.

Panelists:

Michael Levin: A New York Times best-selling author, Michael has written, co-written or authored more than 80 books. A highly successful ghostwriter of numerous titles, including biography, business, sports and celebrity books.
 
Claudia Suzanne: Author of This Business of Books and Secrets of a Ghostwriter; Founder of the Ghostwriter Certification Training program; ghost of over 100 titles including a New York Times best-selling nonfiction and two award-winning novels.
 
Idelle Davidson: Co-author of the ground-breaking Your Brain after Chemo, written with UCLA’s Daniel Silverman, MD. Jane Brody, health columnist for the New York Times, calls it “an excellent new book.”
 
Ellen Violette: Known as the eBook Coach, Ellen will discuss how a ghostwriter could incorporate ebooks as a part of their approach to developing projects for their clients.
 
Moderator: 
Robin Quinn: Editor of over 250 books including the award-winning Soul-Full Eating, ghostwriter of 8 titles including a health niche best-seller and a classic men’s health title.

-----------------------

Magazine Editors Summit

Monday, Sept 21 — (date change from regular pattern due to Yom Kippur)

In this annual IWOSC panel discussion, 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.

-----------------------

Biographies & Memoirs: Every Life Tells a Story!

Monday, July 27

Every life tells a story!
Whether you're thinking of putting the story of your own life down on paper, or writing a profile of a historical or celebrity figure you've long admired — or just one of the millions of readers who devour books on history or Hollywood — this panel is for you.

Our moderated panel discussion will feature both those who have found the courage to tell their own life stories — warts and all — plus top industry "names" who have written about celebrity and political figures.

What secrets do they share? What qualities do editors, literary agents, and book-buyers look for in a biography or memoir? What kinds of techniques make a true-life story as interesting and relevant as a good novel or movie? And what about the "hoax memoir" scandals of recent years — James Frey, "JT LeRoy," Margaret Seltzer, Herman Rosenblatt, and Stephen Glass — how have they affected the landscape for biographies and memoirs in today's publishing world?

This July's panel promises a lively discussion on all these topics, plus plenty of time for questions and networking. It's also our last panel before the IWOSC Summer Party, so come on by!

Panelists:

Moderator: Telly Davidson
Telly is the author of the award-winning book TV's Grooviest Variety Shows and is completing a novel titled Pop Culture. His entertainment and culture articles have appeared in Guitar Player, Entertainment Today, and other publications and websites. He has worked on NBC's Most Outrageous Game Show Moments and PBS's Pioneers of Primetime, and is an active member of IWOSC and PEN.

-----------------------

Getting the Buzz On: Marketing Your Book

Monday, June 29

What’s the best way to get a buzz on about your work of art?
Using some of the latest marketing vehicles like social networking sites can help. So can being savvy, creative, and energetic. But you need to know how, you need to know where, you need to know what's new, and you need to know how to do it inexpensively and time-efficiently.

Learn from our experienced panel and resolve to put some buzz into your marketing mix!

Panelists:

-----------------------

CRAFTING HUMOR -- Spinning Funny into Money!

Monday, May 18

Today's news and newsflashes sound like Chicken Little — dire and depressing.  IWOSC believes laughter will alleviate stress and bring what's happening into perspective.  The sky's not falling.

After all, Mark Twain, Will Rogers, Dave Barry, Erma Bombeck, Chuck Lorre and others take what is considered imminent Chicken Little danger and spin the circumstances into funny story-telling with more than a twist of truth.  Why do we find their humor timeless today?  How may today's writers yearning for infinite celebrity write funny material that editors, producers and publishers want to buy?  What is the potential of humor writing on New Media platforms?  Where will we find the myriad avenues to lucrative humorous writing?

Humorous writing is not just one-line jokes or comedy lines.  It is also satire, parody, farce, TV sit-com situations and comedic movies. Robert McKee states that if the audience laughs, it works.  If the audience doesn't laugh, it doesn't work.  End of story.

Panelists:

-----------------------

Agents Panel: What Writers Must Know About Finding and Working with Representation

Monday, April 27

As every savvy writer eventually learns, getting the words down on the page is just half the battle. To get the right exposure and desirable compensation for these efforts, writers need to develop marketing intelligence. It can also help tremendously to work with someone who has been down this road many times before – the literary agent. The April program will present a stellar panel of agents and a literary attorney. Panelists will cover how to select the right agent, how to get their attention, common missteps and the role of an agent in the writer’s life. In addition, learn about new trends, how to protect yourself in the current marketplace, as well as when to work with a literary attorney.

Panelists:

A Writer’s Platform: The Jumping-off Place for Success

IWOSC panelists will discuss creative techniques to help you sell books, be paid to speak and be an expert the media calls upon. This applies to any subject, whether it’s spoon collecting, motivational speaking, or counseling. There is an audience for you; learn how to build the platform to reach it.

Panelists:

• INA HILLEBRANDT is an Amazon.com top selling author, nationally known speaker, publisher, writing and publishing coach. She is proud of her clients’ image and sales-building through platforms. She stresses the role that personal and professional links play in her own life to boost book sales and appearances on TV, radio and print/online.
  
  
• DEE DEE PHELPS, a veteran rock and roll performer and author of “Vinyl Highway, Singing as Dick and Dee Dee,” has conducted over 100 recent radio interviews on AM, FM, satellite and internet radio. She knows how to create a platform and will speak about what works and what doesn’t.
  
  
• LOIS ROSE ROSE has honed her powers of observation with years of designing, collecting, and teaching. Her books and shows are filled with ornament, legends, and lore. Author of “Seeing Solomon's Knot,” “Spoon, Please!,” “Gifted Hands,” and “Fringe Designs from Around the World,” Rose has marketed her books in tandem with themed beaded jewelry, imaged cards and magnets, salons, fashion shows, and museum exhibitions.
  
  
• BRENDA AVADIAN, MA, was a caregiver to her father during his battle with Alzheimer's before her book "Where’s my shoes? My Father's Walk through Alzheimer's,” propelled her onto the national stage. Author of eight books and 17-year owner of North Star Books, Avadian writes weekly and monthly columns at TheCaregiversVoice.com and TADWU.us. She and her husband live on five homesteaded acres in the Angeles National Forest.

Moderator:
JOHN SEELEY, IWOSC board member, is a best-selling author of the book “Get Unstuck! The Simple Guide to Restart Your Life,” and a motivational speaker with a difference. Seeley has a way of cutting through the complexities of the human condition in a very compassionate and caring way, helping people to find their answers to their problems; and allowing them to choose a new life of joy and satisfaction. He's been called Dr. Phil with soul.

-----------------------

The End of the Music World As We Know It (and what to do about it!)

Monday, January 26

The death of the music industry has been widely reported, but what’s the truth for writers? With the cutbacks at newspapers and other paper-based publications, both music writers and promoters have had to look for new venues for their work—on the internet and elsewhere.

Moderated by James E. Fowler, panel members will discuss what's out there, what's not, what works, and what doesn't. Early confirmed participants include CASEY DOLAN, former pop music writer at the “Los Angeles Times” and current contributor to the blog "International Review of Music;" SCOTT YANOW, jazz writer and the author of several books, who now writes his own blog; DENISE SULLIVAN, a pop music journalist and the author of several books, contributor to “Crawdaddy,” “Spinner,” and other sites; and MARGARET WAPPLER, editor-writer of the “Pop and Hiss” pop music blog at latimes.com.

Moderator JAMES E. FOWLER, also known to his music fans as “Sleepy James,” was a professional musician for more than 20 years. He quit performing music gigs in 1984 and returned to college for a journalism degree. While in school, he started his own video production company. After he graduated in 1987, he also worked at KCET-TV as the producer of a local daily newscast, "7:30." In 1990, he began at the Los Angeles Times and stayed there until the "Great Downsizing of 2008." Fowler wrote a weekly pop music column in the paper's Valley Edition from 1995-98, and contributed more than 700 articles and columns in total over the years.

-----------------------

Writing Short Stories: Crafting and Publishing

Saturday, March 21
Newsletters: The Good, the Bad, and the Creative

Monday, February 23

February is the shortest month of the year, so IWOSC is dedicating it to short stories!

Name your favorite short story.
Is it “The Gift of the Magi,” in which the wife cuts and sells her long hair to buy her husband a watch fob, while, unbeknownst to her, he sells the watch to buy her a beautiful comb for her hair? How did O. Henry create a short story of such lasting beauty? How did Edgar Allen Poe, Washington Irving, Saki, Kipling, Mark Twain, Bret Harte and many others create stories that we still read today?
More to the point, how can today’s aspiring O. Henry' write stories that editors will want to buy? And where do we find these editors, magazines, and anthologies?

To answer these questions our panelists or moderator will discuss how to determine the elements and narrative arc of short story writing and how to get short stories published.

Panelists:

• Dr. Steve Heller — Creative Writing Program Chair, Antioch University Los Angeles
  Dr. Steve Heller is an award-winning novelist, essayist and short story writer. He is best known for his novel "The Automotive History of Lucky Kellerman," a selection for Book-of-the-Month Club and Quality Paperback Book Club and winner of the Friends of American Writers First Prize. Heller's short stories have appeared in numerous magazines and national anthologies and twice received O. Henry Awards. Many of his short stories are set in Hawaii, where he lived for several periods, including in 1995 when he served as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Hawaii.
  
  Heller made his mark as editor, helping establish two national literary journals, Hawaii Review, which recently published its 25th anniversary issue, and Mid-American Review, which he conceived and designed in 1980. He has since served on the staffs of Kansas Quarterly and Laurel Review. In 1990 he received the Kansas Literary Artists Fellowship in Fiction and in 1996 the Kansas Governor's Arts Award, the state's highest literary honor.
  
  
  
• Christopher Meeks — lecturer, creative writing, University of Southern California
  Christopher Meeks, Creative Writing Lecturer, University of Southern California, writes fiction, non-fiction children's books and articles. Some of his articles appeared in The New York Times, “Cinefantastique,” “Writer's Digest,” “Smart Computing,” and “Chic.” He’s produced several plays and was a theatre critic for Daily Variety for eight years. His short fiction has appeared in many journals and his collected works are published by White Whisker Books as "The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea."
  
  Meeks teaches creative writing at CalArts, UCLA Extension, the Art Center College of Design and Santa Monica College (SMC). He teaches because "what I didn't learn in college English classes was criminal; I want to give the kind of enthusiasm and insight that I wish had been given to me." He also believes his students are "often geniuses when it comes to their own insights and I don't want to de-genius them." Meeks' passion in writing short fiction can be read on web page links via SMC's website. Here you will find his stories "Green River," "Academy Award Evening and Afternoon," "Carriers," and "Dear Ma."
  
  
  
• Mark D'anna — co-publisher, Ex Machina Press
  Mark D'anna is the author of the award winning short-story collection, “Big Brown Bag,” and he is the co-founder of the annual short story anthology, “Silent Voices.” Mark's short fiction has appeared in a number of journals and anthologies, both in print and online. He is currently at work on his first novel.
  
  
  
• Bernadette Murphy — author, critic and essayist
  Bernadette Murphy has published three creative nonfiction books: “The Tao Girls' Guide to Real Estate” (with LA novelist Michelle Huneven); “The Knitter's Gift” (a nonfiction, poetry and fiction anthology); and the bestselling “Zen and the Art of Knitting.”  Her personal narratives and essays have appeared in BOOK Magazine, Ms. Magazine, LA Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, LA Times Magazine and elsewhere. A contributing book critic for the LA Times, her fiction work, "Venice Street," was a finalist in the Heekin Group Foundation's James Jones Novel-In-Progress Award.  She has taught at UCLA Extension Writers Program, National University's M.F.A. Program, and is on the faculty of Antioch University's Creative Writing M.F.A. Program. Currently she is at work on a novel about music, motherhood and madness tentatively titled "Grace Notes."

Moderator:
Peter A. Balaskas is managing editor, Ex Machina Press, an award-winning publisher of short fiction anthologies.
Founded in 2004, the award-winning Ex Machina Press specializes in fiction anthologies and collections. Its short fiction anthology, "Silent Voices: A Creative Mosaic of Fiction" (Volumes One through Four) has won international awards for Best Anthology at the London and Beach Book Festivals and awarded two years in a row by the DIY Book Convention in Los Angeles, resulting in Ex Machina Press being named Publisher of the Year in 2007.

~~~~~~~ Past 2009 Seminars ~~~~~~~

Saturday, November 21
The Seminar:
DON'T GET SCAMMED!" -- A Writer's Survival Guide and Free Legal Clinic

"Don't trust anyone," goes the longtime maxim of Hollywood and New York publishing. Yet today, writers have to trust their material and ideas to dozens of people -- agents, acquisitions editors, and development professionals. And over the past decade, scam literary agents and agencies and disreputable "editing services" have cost writers tens of thousands of dollars. "Idea theft" lawsuits have become more common than ever, in today's online, new-media age. And how can writers who choose to go the self-publishing route best protect their books -- and their pocketbooks? How can a writer tell "the wheat from the chaff?" How can we be sure that we won't get ripped off?

Author and published film/TV critic (and IWOSC member) TELLY DAVIDSON will be interviewing top Hollywood entertainment lawyers CHRISTINE VALADA and (IWOSC's own legal counsel) MICHAEL S. KLEIN on how to navigate these issues, including:
** Bad literary agents -- how to tell incompetent / scam agents from good ones
** Editing Services -- The Good and the Bad
** Legitimate POD (print-on-demand) and self-publishing businesses versus fraudulent "vanity publishing" houses
** How to Protect Your Ideas -- and Avoid Idea Theft!

And while we cannot offer extensively tailoired "free legal advice" on individual cases, there WILL also be plenty of time set aside for Q&A with these experienced attorneys on the issues that you want to find out more about.

CHRISTINE VALADA is an experienced entertainment and intellectual-property attorney in Los Angeles. She has served on IWOSC's annual Agents' Day panels in the past, and is Legal Counsel for the Science Fiction Writers of America's (www.sfwa.org) and an active contributor to their "Writer Beware" service (www.writerbeware.com). An avid photographer, she has taught photography at the college level, and is actively involved along with her husband Len Wein, in the comic-book world. She has conducted and served on numerous legal clinics and panels on subjects relating to intellectual property and fraud/abuse cases in Hollywood and publishing.

MICHAEL S. KLEIN is Legal Counsel for IWOSC, and a senior partner in the Los Angeles law firm of Klein & Weisz. After graduating Summa Cum Laude and elected to Phi Beta Kappa from Indiana University, he received his law degree at Yale, and has served as a Board Member for both the Beverly Hills Bar Associaton, the State Bar of California, and the First Amendment commission of the ACLU. He has spoken on the subject of civil liberties and the First Amendment on CNN, PBS, Pepperdine University, Loyola University Law School, and Southwestern University Law School. He has been an IWOSC member since its founding in 1982 and has offered special prices and reduced rates for IWOSC members' legal work and consultation.

  

The Seminar:
Mastering Radio/TV interviews and Book Readings

PART 1:
When you are interviewed on radio and TV, you need to be at the top of your game, appear to be unrehearsed, concise, upbeat, easily understood through clear sound bites and short explanations, and you must do your homework and know your book. We're at the top of our game by presenting the EMMY AWARD WINNING Barry Kibrick, who will show you the ropes.

In this part of our seminar, we will discuss, as time allows:

• How to talk on the radio and TV and not sound boring, stupid, unprepared.
• How to dodge inappropriate questions, and get back on topic without making the host look silly.
• What makes a good guest and what makes a bad one.
• Tips for people who may one day want to be a host for their own show, internet or broadcast.
• The mechanics of "phoners."
• The ways to find radio and TV talk programs, and what to expect, or not to expect in terms of sales, as well as the mechanics of same.
• The "Oprah Effect" and sound bites.

PART 2:
Writers conjure words and make magic in the form of poems and stories. But what happens when you speak them? Is your spoken work listless...or alive? Deborah Edler Brown's How to TELL a Poem & Other Solo Acts teaches you to release the piece from the page. It is not about memorizing and microphones; it is about using your words, your voice and your imagination to enter the world of the work. It is about getting out of the way so that the poem, song, or story can speak for itself.

Barry Kibrick is the host and producer for the EMMY award-winning series Between the Lines with Barry Kibrick seen on PBS stations around the country. Between the Lines features in-depth interviews with distinguished authors, celebrity writers, top screenwriters, directors and award winning columnists and journalists.

Barry's guests have included such luminaries as: Anne Rice, Mario Puzo, Ray Bradbury, Queen Noor of Jordan, Sir Ridley Scott, Ron Howard, Kirk Douglas, Jackie Collins, Sidney Sheldon, Joseph Wambaugh, Richie Havens, Chaka Khan, Erica Jong, Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, John Wooden, Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich and hundreds of others.

Deborah Edler Brown is an award-winning poet and journalist, performer and storyteller, author and teacher. She was the 1997 Head-to-Head Haiku Champion and a member of the 1998 Los Angeles National Slam Team.

Deborah's poetry has appeared in various anthologies and journals. She has told poems and stories in theaters, libraries, bars and bookstores across the country. She holds a degree in Creative Writing from Brown University and was the 2005 recipient of the Sue Saniel Elkind Poetry Prize. Her website is DeborahEdlerBrown.com.

The Seminar:
High Concept - How to Create Slam Dunk Scripts
with Steve Kaire
Saturday, Sept 12

There is no shortage of screenplays in Los Angeles.  But what does it take to get your project noticed? A High Concept film is a great way to spark the attention of important people.

You'll learn:
• The definition of a High Concept film
• What the 5 requirements are
• The advantages of High Concept
• Easiest genres to sell
• Examples of High Concept films
• Brainstorming techniques

Find out from someone who has done it – numerous times.  
Seminar presenter Steve Kaire has the answers.

STEVE KAIRE is a screenwriter/pitchman who has sold and/or optioned eight projects to major studios including Columbia, Warner Brothers, United Artists and Interscope.  All were sold on spec without representation. He is co-producing the last project he sold, for Walden Media.  A screenwriter for over 30 years, he holds a Master’s in Dramatic Writing and has taught writing classes at the American Film Institute. Steve is a sought-after speaker on the lecture circuit and was featured on the Tonight Show’s “Pitching to America.” He was voted a Star Speaker at Screenwriters Expo three times. His unique CD, “High Concept - How to Create, Pitch & Sell to Hollywood,” is a bestseller.

------------------

The Seminar:
Your Brand in a Bite or a Byte - Your Elevator Speech
Saturday, July 18

------------------

The Seminar:
Self Publishing: Making Your Mark
Saturday, June 20

The Seminar:
Saturday, May 16
WRITING HUMOR -- All the way to the Bank!

-----------------------

Saturday, April 18

The Seminar:
Red Hot Internet Publicity 2.0

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 Tour™, how you can “tour” yourself on the net.
How to use sites like Facebook and Squidoo to build your customer base.
What is Twitter? We’ll talk about Twitter and how to use it to drive more sales to your web site.
How to create a web site that sells your book.
Simple steps to blogging effectively!
BONUS: Time-saving hints to maximize your online efforts without spending HOURS online!

-----------------------

Saturday, February 21

The Seminar:
What Editors Look for in Short Story Writing

• Ron Vazzano — yes, our program coordinator will also be reading)
• Susan Carrier
• Gary Young
• Alice Romano
• Gerald Jones
• Jennifer Sky Band
• Stephen Wolcott
• Adolphus Ward
• Telly Davidson
• Flo Selfman
• Dana Ellingwood
• Dianne de la Vega
• Lisa-Catherine Cohen
• Linda Lichtman

IWOSC Annual Summer Party!

Saturday, August 1
5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Rub elbows with some of Southern California's most interesting writers while you dine and drink lavishly in a unique historic setting.

This year’s party is at the historic Zane Grey Estate on “Millionaire’s Row” in Altadena.

The 10,000-square-foot Mediterranean-Mission/Spanish Revival-style mansion was designed by Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey (no relation to Zane). Built in 1907 of reinforced concrete, it is said to be the first fireproof house in Altadena. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

We’ll have docents to show us around the house.

Menu will include appetizers, salads, main dishes, including vegetarian, delicious desserts, and beverages, including wine and beer.

Advance reservations AND advance payment are required.

Admission:

Location:
Zane Grey Estate
396 E. Mariposa Ave., Altadena, CA 91001 (Google map in new window)
It's easy to find and there is plenty of street parking.