Winding Up for the Pitch

Heather Cashman

You’ve finished your manuscript, and you’re ready to look for an agent. How do you find an agent and then how do you make your pitch?

You can check out the Write Stuff Pitch Workshop and Pitch Session next month. This is a pre-event for the 2022 Write Stuff Conference.

Part 1 is October 2, a virtual session with agent Heather Cashman of Storm Literary Agency. She’ll lead you through a day-long workshop on finding and querying an agent, and developing and critiquing a pitch.

You’ll then have a week to practice your pitch. Part 2 is October 9, a virtual pitch session with one of four agents: Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group; Carrie Howland of Howland Literary; Lawrence Knorr of Sunbury Press, and Paul S. Levine of Paul S. Levine Literary Agency.

Register for the workshop and pitch session here: https://greaterlehighvalleywritersgroup.wildapricot.org/event-4316841

A Virtual Write Stuff: How It Works

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

This year’s Write Stuff writers conference is entirely virtual, which means the sessions you’ve signed up for will be delivered via the Zoom platform. If you haven’t attended a virtual conference, let’s go over what you can expect.

Some virtual conferences use a platform that displays only the presenter or presenters. Those attending aren’t on camera at all, nor can they be heard. Any questions or comments from attendees are handled only through the chat function.

The Write Stuff is using Zoom, which means the presenter and all attendees will be visible. If your computer doesn’t have a built-in or add-on camera, then obviously, you won’t be seen during the session. If you do have a camera, you can choose to turn it on or off. You’ll want to check this feature ahead of the conference if you haven’t used it before. It’s also a good idea to check your audio quality as well. Most people use their laptop’s built-in microphone for audio, but others use a headset. Use whatever you’re comfortable with. 

During the sessions, the presenters will have the option to mute all attendees until it’s time for Q&A. The chat feature will be available if you have a question you want to post ahead of the Q&A. During the Q&A, best practice is to keep yourself on mute until it’s your turn to ask a question. That way extraneous noises like a barking dog won’t be a distraction. 

Each session will have a moderator, who will go over the specifics during the introduction, so try to be on time to hear that information.

Our goal is to make this conference run as seamlessly as possible. With your help, we’ll get there!

Registration closes on March 20, so don’t delay. You can register here: https://greaterlehighvalleywritersgroup.wildapricot.org/page-1859773.

J.D. Barker: The Featured Presenter at the Write Stuff 2021

J.D. Barker, a New York Times best-selling author and book doctor, will lead several sessions at this year’s Write Stuff conference. 

J.D. (for Jonathan Dylan) is a master of suspense with a number of novels in print. His debut novel, Forsaken, was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award. Other novels include Dracul, The Fourth Monkey, and She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be. He is currently collaborating with another best-selling author, James Patterson. 

J.D.’s books have been translated into two dozen languages and have been optioned for both film and TV.

He also worked as “book doctor” for more than 20 years. 

At the Write Stuff conference, he is leading a full-day book development workshop on Friday, March 26. Don’t miss it!

On Sunday, March 28, he will lead two sessions:

• Crossing Genres: From Indie to Traditional: Every Dirty Little Secret You Need to Know!
• An interview session: Taking questions from attendees

Learn more details about J.D. in this interview by publicity chair Kelly Shamblee: 

It’s on the Write Stuff YouTube channel.

Register for the conference here: https://greaterlehighvalleywritersgroup.wildapricot.org/page-1859773.

Harrision Demchick: A Featured Presenter at the Write Stuff 2021

Harrison Demchick, an author, musician, filmmaker, and editor, is one of the featured presenters at this year’s Write Stuff conference.  

Harrison is a developmental editor of fiction and memoir. He’s also a multi-optioned filmmaker, with his first film now in production.

At the conference, Harrison is leading three sessions on Saturday, March 27:

• It’s the End of the World as We Know It and I Feel Fine: Why character consequence and reaction are necessary for conflict and tension.
• Bad Math, or How Right and Left Brain Work Together: Why logic is so important to the magic of creative invention.
• The Blueprint, or Building the Perfect Draft: How a well-constructed outline helps craft a stronger story.

Learn more details about Harrison in this interview by publicity chair Kelly Shamblee: 

It’s on the Write Stuff YouTube channel.

Register for the conference here: https://greaterlehighvalleywritersgroup.wildapricot.org/page-1859773.

Tim Esaias: A Featured Presenter at the Write Stuff 2021

Tim Esaias

Timons “Tim” Esaias, a satirist, writer and poet, is one of the featured presenters at this year’s Write Stuff conference.  

Tim writes satire, speculative fiction, poetry, and the occasional essay. His work has appeared in over a dozen different countries, and fifteen languages.

At the conference he’ll be leading two half-day seminars on Thursday, March 25: 

• What to Put In & What to Take Out: How to remove meaningless stuff from your prose and put content back in.
• Selected Elements of Style: Style makes or breaks your chance of a sale.
  Tim shows how to make it your servant.

On Saturday, March 27, Tim will lead three sessions:

• Getting Combat on the Page: Putting military theory into practice.
• Don’t be a Bobble-Head: Avoiding those story-killing cliche reactions.
• Those First Few Lines: Four ways to start your story.

You can take a deeper dive with Tim in this interview by GLVWG publicity chair Kelly Shamblee: https://youtu.be/Gm5HvFGRgW8. It’s on the new Write Stuff YouTube channel.

Register for the conference here: https://greaterlehighvalleywritersgroup.wildapricot.org/page-1859773.

2021 Write Stuff Is Virtual

This year’s Write Stuff writers conference will be entirely virtual. We’ll have J.D. Barker, Tim Esaias, and Harrison Demchick as our presenters. All workshops will be recorded, so wherever you live–in whatever time zone–you’ll be able to attend. Learn more about this year’s conference here: https://greaterlehighvalleywritersgroup.wildapricot.org/page-1859773.

The GLVWG Write Stuff Conference, March 12 – 14 has been postponed

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE GLVWG CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

After much consideration and input from health professionals and some of our presenters, the Write Stuff Conference for March 12-14 has been postponed due to the growing concern over the Corona virus. We have never canceled before and did not do so lightly. Our first priority is to get the word out; we will then proceed as quickly as we can in keeping you updated on the resulting consequences of our decision as well as a future date.

 

Thank you for your understanding.

An Interview with Danielle Modafferi of Firefly Hill Press.

Tags

Firefly Hill Press, Publisher, Romance, Writing, Young Adult

Article by Susan Monroe: 

 

Danielle Modafferi, CEO of Firefly Hill Press – LLC, a small independent publishing house who strives to find, publish, and market exceptional works of novel-length fiction, specifically in the Young Adult and Romance genres. Danielle will be attending the GLVWG Write Stuff Conference™ March 23, 2019.

Firefly Hill Press specializes in stories that feature heroines who are not afraid to save themselves – no damsels need apply! Our stories feature love and obstacles that enhance our protagonists’ journeys but in no way defines them. We like to believe that we reclaim the term “happily ever after” and illustrate how it is a unique pursuit and triumph to each character and her goals.

Susan Monroe had the chance to ask Danielle a few questions.

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If we were to meet at a conference, without using anything from the bio, what would you tell me about yourself that would be intriguing?

I have a pretty inexhaustible travel bug and have trouble staying in one place for too long! I started Firefly Hill Press as way to build a digital on-the-go company and pair it with my LOVE of books and writing. I have had the privilege of living all over the United States, in Paris, and in London and am always keeping my eyes peeled for my next destination and inspirational publishing location! If anyone has any good suggestions of what should be next on my list, come find me and let me know!

As an agent, you work with writers, hopefully, long-term, but who are strangers to you at first. Do you look at more than the work submitted to determine that relationship?

Absolutely! Since my company is small by design, I only take on authors with whom I hope to build a career and a future. Of course, it has to be an author whose work I believe in and am enthusiastic about, but more than that, I hope to foster a professional and working friendship with my team. Writing is hard and sometimes requires brutal honesty from both parties. I need my authors to know that those critiques come from a place of love and desire to make their work the best that it can be and the only way that happens is if trust is fostered between us. It is a pretty integral part of a successful working relationship, in my opinion.

Writers often say they became writers because they have to write. What drew you to becoming an agent?

Actually, I too started as a writer. I wrote and published a Young Adult Dark Fantasy novel titled The Girl in the Glass Box back in 2016, which is a fairy tale reimagination based on the Grimm’s version of Snow White. I earned my MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in 2014 and during my time there learned how exciting the publishing side of the industry is. Additionally, I come from a background as an English teacher, so I feel like publishing is an awesome opportunity for me to fuse teaching, coaching, and my love of writing with my interest in the ever-changing landscape of publishing.

When you get a submission, how far into it do you get before you know this one is not for you?

Truthfully, it’s pretty early on – within the first page or so. But out of respect for the writer and the submission, I generally read through most of what is sent to me, even if I know it’s not for us. There are so many things to be told from the first paragraphs: writing style, tone, craft, content themes, and so on. So, I always tell writers that if they are continuously submitting and they are not receiving any promising responses, to consider revising their beginning and perhaps starting the manuscript at a more active point in the story. I see so many manuscripts that just begin in the wrong place. Not to say that the stories are bad or deficient, just that they begin before the “real beginning” of their story should start.

What are your personal peeves when it comes to submissions?

Ooh, when writers clearly have not done their research and are just blanket canvasing their manuscripts to anyone and everyone regardless of genre or submission guidelines. It shows a total disregard for the process and for my time as someone considering this manuscript. For instance, if you are sending me a horror, sci-fi, erotica manuscript, clearly you do not know much about our backlist and what we currently represent. It is just time consuming and a bit inconsiderate.

What trends in the publishing marketplace attract your attention? (Such as, what genres are hot? Where is electronic publishing going?)

Wow – I am LOVE-LOVE-LOVING the resurgence of chick lit and the Rom Com. As a fan of these types of stories myself, I love the hopefulness of these stories and even more so, I am loving the trend that these stories are becoming more female-story-centric. Life is hard and stressful and difficult. Watching the news is NOT FUN (understatement of the year!) and people are becoming bogged down with the heaviness of everyday struggles, which is why light, fun, uplifting literature is really making its way back into the publishing arena.

In terms of what’s coming for e-publishing? Hmm… the hot topic on everyone’s lips for the past few years has been a skyrocketing in popularity in audiobooks. I am really eager to see the technological innovations in this area and am looking forward to more texts becoming more accessible in an audio format. For me personally, audiobooks (and podcasts!) make commuting so much more tolerable. I would love to see maybe even more authors reading their own work? I know it sounds crazy because, of course, the narration needs to be well done, but a big trend in marketing and publishing has been an increased accessibility to authors through social media and live streaming video feeds. No longer are authors these creatures who are holed up in their dark cabins in the woods pumping out pages in their solitude – they are interactive with their communities and readers have become increasingly responsive to it! That aspect of publishing has been really exciting to watch and to be a part of.

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Danielle Modafferi earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Since then, she incorporated Firefly Hill Press in 2014 and has been passionate about discovering and sharing incredible fiction through publishing ever since! She is a: Professor of Writing, Practicer of Random Acts of Kindness, Connoisseur of Cheese, Petter of Puppies, Professional Napper, and Lover of all things Harry Potter. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @danimod115

You can also follow Firefly Hill Press on Facebook.

 

 

What I Learned at the BookBaby Independent Writers Conference

Tags

Book Marketing, BookBaby, EBook Services, Indie Publishing, Self-Publishing

 

 

GLVWG’s Idelle Kursman shares lessons learned when she attended the BookBaby Independent Writers Conference this past November.

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I came home from attending the second annual BookBaby Independent Authors Conference in Philadelphia. I met wonderful fellow writers, listened to practical book marketing tips from successful authors and entrepreneurs, and took away many ideas I am anxious to try.  In this post, I would like to share some of the great ideas I learned at the conference.

Eva Lesko Natiello is an author, speaker and book marketing consultant. She wrote and self-published The Memory Box, a bestseller on The New York Times and USA Today. Her website is evanatiello.com. Eva gave the following marketing tips for self-published authors:

• Fill out your Amazon Author Page completely and link it to your website and blog.
• Run a discounted price promotion and advertise it widely.
• Be a guest for a book blogger. To find book bloggers, simply google “(Your genre”) book bloggers”
• Study the competition. Make a list of all the current books similar to yours in the last three years and find out their book prices, format, and number of pages. How are authors of your genre promoting their books?
• Show gratitude to readers who have taken the time to review your book.

 Tieshena Davis is the CEO and Senior Publisher of the award-winning Purposely Created Publishing Group. She is a speaker and the author of Think Like a Bookpreneur (www.thinklikeabookpreneur.com). Tieshena encouraged authors to begin selling their books with pre-sales, which is a strategy to establish audience interest, connect with fans, and secure advance sales before a book is publicly released.

• Authors need to meticulously plan during the pre-sales process (6-8 weeks before book is released) to achieve results. Set a goal of how much money you the author would like to make. Remember to calculate all expenses (costs of the printing, transaction, shipping, packaging, etc.), and review the profit margin.
• Authors need tools to drive sales such as an email notification list, creating a promotion team, alerting social media followers to spread the word, and exploring targeted events where your readers gather.
• Notify target buyers on an email notification list that the book is available for pre-order.
• Build an audience connection by sharing quotes, tips, or resources; host weekly virtual events; email teaser content; offer special bulk book packages; and send out snippets of the book.
• Run ad campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon Author-sponsored ads.
• Discount and cross promote. An example is if readers pre-order author’s second book, they will get the first book at 50% off.
• Run weekly contests and giveaways.

 Joanna Penn was the keynote speaker of the BookBaby conference. She is an author, international speaker, and entrepreneur. Joanna writes fiction and nonfiction. Thousands of authors go to her website www.TheCreativePenn.com for marketing and promotion. The following are her tips:

• Change your mindset– don’t think of yourself as a struggling author. Write down positive affirmations and refer to them daily.
• Authors must focus on the customer. It’s not about you, it’s about the reader. What do they want to pay for? Find the intersection between what you love and what you can sell.
• Amazon is a search engine for people “who buy stuff.” Use it for research to find out what people are buying.
• Sell your book in multiple countries in English. Joanna’s books have sold in English in 86 countries through Kobo (a Canadian company that sells e-books, audiobooks, e-readers, and tablet computers).
• Write three shorter books rather than one 80,000-word book. This works well in fiction.
• Build multiple streams of income. Most writers make money from other sources like speaking, freelancing, and blogging.
• Attract an audience that works best with your personality, your book, and your lifestyle. What can you do consistently over the long term?
• Take action.
• You get what you focus on. Make the time.
• Write the best book you can. Don’t rush it!

As one can see, being a successful author involves hard work; there are no shortcuts. Research, computer savvy, and knowledge of various marketing strategies are imperative. Writing the best book you possibly can is simply not enough.  The experts advise doing around twenty minutes of marketing a day along with writing. If one marketing strategy doesn’t work, try another. Don’t give up.

The BookBaby Writers Conference boosted my motivation to market my first novel, True Mercy. It was great meeting so many like-minded people. Rather than being competitive, participants were eager to help fellow authors succeed. Networking opportunities abounded.

 

Article originally published on Idelle Kursman’s website blog at Idellekursman.com.

 

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Idelle Kursman was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Boston College and her Master’s from William Paterson University. She has a loved one with autism and after watching the movie Taken five years ago, she felt compelled to write a novel about human trafficking. Since she loves thrillers, especially if it is a book she cannot put down, she sought to give readers this experience in her debut novel. At the same time, Idelle seeks to raise awareness for autism and the international human trafficking crisis. She lives with her family in New Jersey.

 You can find Idelle on her website: https://idellekursman.com/, and social media links.

facebook.com/luckcanchange

twitter.com/IdelleKursman

linkedin.com/in/idelle-kursman

Networking for Introverts

Tags

Introverts, Networking, Writing Conferences

Can you believe it’s almost Halloween already.  The next GLVWG WriteStuff Conference™ is just five months away on March 22 – 24, 2019.

GLVWG author and blogger, Idelle Kursman, recently wrote an article for introvert writers who struggle to connect at conferences.  A timely subject from someone who knows, Idelle offers advice on “Networking for Authors“, and how to step out of the comfort zone with editors, agents, speakers, and other writers.

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Most writers are introverts. Networking can be particularly difficult for them. But they can still network successfully to find jobs and to market their writing. Dana Kaye, the owner of Kaye Publicity (https://kayepublicity.com), recently released the helpful video “Networking for Introverts.” This video is helpful not only to writers but also for anyone who is introverted and could use some help. Kaye explained the fundamental difference between introverts and extroverts: while both enjoy socializing, introverts find doing too much drains their energy. They require time alone in order to recharge. Extroverts, on the other hand, are the opposite: they feel drained when they spend too much time alone and renew their energy by socializing. Kaye offers practical suggestions for introverts while they are networking in a room full of people: If you find a person to chat with in a crowd:

• Introduce yourself
• Wait for their introduction
• Shake hands with eye contact
• Ask a question and listen to the answer.

Let the other person talk! (People love talking about themselves and the pressure is off of you to be charming and engaging.)

If you go to a group of people talking:

• Apologize for interrupting.
• Introduce yourself with eye contact.
• Listen to their responses and introductions.
• If they resume the conversation, listen and respond. If they don’t, ask questions and start another conversation.
• Ask meaningful questions.
• Listen!

As mentioned earlier, too much socializing can drain an introvert’s energy, so here is how to make a GRACEFUL EXIT when you meet someone new:

• Shake hands, make eye contact, and say “It was nice to meet you.”
• Swap business cards and provide a reason to follow up.
• If needed, make an excuse such as you must make a phone call or use the restroom. Then leave the room temporarily so they see you are credible and not just want to get away from them.

Don’t forget to mingle! You’re there to make connections. At the same time, take breaks so you can recharge. Before you know it, you’ll be making connections!

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Idelle Kursman was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Boston College and her Master’s from William Paterson University. She has a loved one with autism and after watching the movie Taken five years ago, she felt compelled to write a novel about human trafficking. Since she loves thrillers, especially if it is a book she cannot put down, she sought to give readers this experience in her debut novel. At the same time, Idelle seeks to raise awareness for autism and the international human trafficking crisis. She lives with her family in New Jersey.

You can fine Idelle on her website: https://idellekursman.com/, and social media links.

facebook.com/luckcanchange

twitter.com/IdelleKursman

linkedin.com/in/idelle-kursman