J.A. JANCE, KEYNOTE SPEAKER (www.jajance.com) is the New York Times best-selling author of the J.P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series and three inter-related thrillers. She has written over 30 novels and she has more than 10 million copies of her books in print. In 1985, she published the first of sixteen novels featuring Seattle homicide detective J.P. Beaumont entitled Until Proven Guilty. In addition, she has authored ten books starring feisty Southwestern Sheriff Joanna Brady, as well as Partner in Crime in which Joanna teams with J.P. Beaumont to solve their first mystery together. She also has authored three novels of suspense featuring the Walker family: Hour of the Hunter, Kiss of the Bees and Day of the Dead. In 2000 Jance was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the University of Arizona. In her latest series, Jance introduces Ali Reynolds, a 45-year-old television anchorwoman who’s just been fired for being too old in Edge of Evil. Jance is an avid crusader for many causes including the American Cancer Society, Gilda’s Club, the Humane Society, the YWCA and the Girl Scouts. A lover of animals, Jance has two dogs, Aggie and Daphne, named for Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier. Jance splits her time between Seattle, Washington and Tucson, Arizona with her husband of twenty years. Arrangements for the appearance of J.A. Jance made through Ovation Talent Agency, Inc, Park 80 West Plaza II Suite 200, Saddle Brook, NJ.
1) Beating The Odds to Achieve Your Dreams (Friday Famous Author Banquet Speaker)
MEREDITH G. BERNSTEIN has been a literary agent for over 25 years, and celebrated her own agency’s 25th in April of ’06. Her client list includes fiction (women's and men's): mysteries; romance, literary fiction and thrillers; non-fiction on women's issues, personal memoirs, parenting, psychology, business, spirituality, science, travel, fashion, inspiration and humor. Her agency is always interested in new ideas, voices and other original projects. Currently, the agency is looking for mainstream fiction; psychological suspense; thrillers; literary fiction and romances with a fresh twist or works by those who have previously been published in the genre. In non-fiction, we seek authority written/driven works that shed new light on a given subject. We love personal memoirs that bring out heroic individualism, and are further interested in health issues; sports; psychology; spirituality; medicine; politics; biography; etc. Member: Association of Authors’ Representatives, Sisters In Crime and Author's Guild.
1) Tall Tales & True: A Day in the Life of a Literary Agent
2) Agent-Editor Idol
FAITH BLACK (www.avalonbooks.com) began as an editorial intern at New Horizon Press while she obtained her Masters in English. She then moved to Cambridge University Press as an editorial assistant before being promoted to senior editorial assistant. Faith joined Avalon Books in December 2006, as Associate Editor working on Romances, Mysteries and Westerns.
1) Writing Romance: Strategies for Success
2) Agent-Editor Idol
DORIS BOOTH is the manager of Authorlink Literary Group, which operates as a separate division of Authorlink.com. The relatively new agency represents true crime, thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, and a wide range of nonfiction. Among recent sales have been hardcover/softcover rights for The Devil’s Right Hand Man, to Berkley Books/Penguin USA (October 2008); Beyond Cruel by Stephen Michaud (June 2007, St. Martin’s Press); hardcover rights to Barnes & Noble Publishing for The Only Living Witness and Ted Bundy: Conversations With A Killer, by New York Times bestselling authors Stephen G. Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth. In her separate role as the CEO of Authorlink.com, Ms. Booth has facilitated the sale of numerous fiction and nonfiction properties. Authorlink.com is the news, information, and marketing site for editors, agents and writers, attracting nearly one million visitors per year. Authorlink Literary Group is selectively seeking new clients. She is selectively looking for new clients in the areas of nonfiction, true crime, women’s fiction, and some children’s projects.
1) Crafting a Story That Sells; Secrets of the Pros; What are the elements of a story that attract an agent or editor to a project? What do they look for when they make the decision to buy? And why do some books catapult to the bestseller lists while others sink into obscurity. Agent Doris Booth dissects several current bestsellers, stripping them down to bare story-telling essentials—raw structure, hook, theme, characters, storyline, story arch, pacing, conflict, suspense and more—to reveal why they sold to a major publisher. She shows you, from an agent’s perspective, how improving your story can enhance the chances of selling a work.
2) Your First Five Pages: Catching and Keeping An Agent’s Attention
JUDY BURKE is the managing editor at Highlights for Children magazine, where she has worked since 1995. She edits the magazine’s “Ask Arizona” stories, writes “Goofus and Gallant,” and edits the nonfiction sports articles. She also selects material and writes several monthly features for HighlightsKids.com. Judy has edited a craft book and three children’s activity journals for Boyds Mills Press.
1) Tips from an Editor: Writing for Children's Magazines; Discover the opportunities that children's magazines offer to writers of all experience levels, learn some tips about how to submit your work, and find out what types of submissions delight (and frustrate!) editors.
2) What to Write About? Tapping Your Strengths; "Write what you know." You've heard it before; now learn how to identify exactly what it is that you know . . . and how to use it. A Highlights editor shares stories about authors who tapped their strengths to break into the children's magazine market.
A.C. CRISPIN (www.accrispin.com) is the author of the bestselling Star Wars novels The Paradise Snare, The Hutt Gambit, and Rebel Dawn. She's also written four top-selling Star Trek novels: Yesterday's Son, Time for Yesterday, The Eyes of the Beholders and Sarek. Ms. Crispin's most famous genre work was writing the 1984 novelization of the television miniseries V. She went on to collaborate on two more books in the V series, East Coast Crisis with Howard Weinstein, and Death Tide with Deborah Marshall. Ms. Crispin and Victoria Strauss created SFWA's "scam watchdog" committee, Writer Beware, in 1998. Crispin still serves as the Chair. Writer Beware is the only professionally sponsored group that warns aspiring writers about the numerous scam agents and publishers that infest the internet these days. Crispin and Strauss have assisted law enforcement in bringing several infamous con artists to justice. Ms. Crispin has taught many writing workshops since becoming a full time professional in 1983.
1) How To Avoid Writing Scams
2) Marketing Your Science Fiction & Fantasy
ANNE HAWKINS (www.jhalit.com) is a senior literary agent with John Hawkins & Associates, Inc., New York. Founded in 1893 by Paul R. Reynolds, it is the oldest literary agency in the country. She works with mainstream literary and commercial fiction, including mystery and suspense, and a wide variety of non-fiction, particularly history, politics, biography, science, nature, medicine, and women’s and family issues. A number of her books have gained distinction through award nominations, book-to-film contracts, significant foreign rights sales, major book club selections, or placement on the New York Times bestseller list. Member: Association of Authors’ Representatives.
1) Anatomy of a Book Deal- What Every Author Needs To Know: Just how does a book deal come down? Most first time authors are bewildered by both the process and the unfamiliar terminology. This presentation demystifies the business of selling a book. It gives authors a toolbox for understanding the procedure step by step, from initial submissions to editors, offers to purchase, deal agreements, contract negotiations, and the ongoing sale of subsidiary rights.
2) You’ve Been Offered Literary Representation--But Is The Agent Right For You? For many authors, the process of finding a literary agent is a long, frustrating experience. When an agent finally does step up to the plate and offer representation, the author is so thrilled and relieved that she doesn’t give this prospective relationship the careful consideration it deserves. That’s a mistake, a big one. Before committing to an agent, you need to address some important issues that will define your future working relationship. This presentation will help authors identify and understand these issues and – hopefully – give them the confidence to initiate the kind of frank discussion that will lead to a rewarding, long-term professional partnership.
ROXANE HEINZE-BRADSHAW (www.samuelfrench.com) is the Managing Editor of Samuel French, Inc., one of the most prominent and well-established publishing and licensing houses for plays and musicals. The company has been in existence since 1830, and encompasses two imprints, Baker’s Plays and OnStage Press, as well as maintaining its own extensive catalogue. Ms. Heinze-Bradshaw is also currently a PhD candidate in Theatre at the Graduate Center CUNY, having already acquired a MFA in Dramaturgy & Dramatic Criticism from Brooklyn College CUNY, as well as a B.A. in Music and B.F.A. in Theatre from Millikin University in Illinois. Prior to her work at Samuel French, Ms. Heinze-Bradshaw worked as a freelance dramaturg in both New York and Chicago, most notably as the Assistant Dramaturg on Rebecca Gilman's Spinning Into Butter at the Goodman Theatre. Her New York credits include: The House of Bernarda Alba, (Dido)& Aeneas [OOBR award], and D, among others. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband.
1) How to Format & Submit Plays; Learn how to properly format play manuscripts and submit them, as well as what to expect from the submission process.
2) What Makes a Play? This talk will focus on how to know when the genre of playwriting is appropriate to your subject, and how to identify some of the traps and/or habits into which writers new to the genre tend to fall.
KATHRYN JOHNSON, (www.kathrynjensen.com) also known as Kathryn Jensen and K.M. Kimball, more than 40 of Kathryn’s novels have been published by major U.S. publishers, some hitting Waldenbooks bestseller lists. She has been a finalist for the esteemed Agatha Christie Award and her juvenile novels honored by the American Library Association as Best Books for Reluctant Readers. She is a popular conference speaker and has served as a judge on the Edgar Allan Poe Award Committee. With over 15 years of teaching experience in creative writing, she offers a writers' mentoring service, WRITE BY YOU (www.Writebyyou.com). Her clients include both novice and multi-published authors interested in breaking into print or advancing their careers. The Chameleon Writer: Thriving In Today's Publishing World, will be published in 2008 by The Writer's Institute. Member: Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Novelists Inc., Sisters in Crime, The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the Author's Guild.
1) Bare Basics For Beginners
2) Fine Tuning The Novel (Lunch) Workshop W/Powerpoint
3) One-on-One Consults (by appointment)--analyzing 1-page synopsis and first 3-5 pages of story. Send in advance--may be used as anonymous examples in lunch workshop
MARY-LANE KAMBERG is a professional writer with more than twenty years’ experience and is the author of seven books, five which she published with co-authors. Her articles have appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Marriage and Family Living, Christian Science Monitor, Healthy Kids and many others. She has presented writing workshops for writers conferences at Avila University, Johnson County Community College, Potpourri, Drexel Writers Group, and Kansas Authors Club, as well as presentations for writers and editors at HCI Publications and Vance Publishing. Mary-Lane is co-leader of the Kansas City Writers Group, a member of the Board of Directors for the Missouri Writers Guild, and serves as the affiliate representative to OWFI. She met and signed with my agent Mike Farris for The "I Don't Know How To Cook" Book at OWFI in 2002.
1) Working Together: Collaborating for Fun and Profit; Teaming up with a subject expert or fellow writer is a great way to break-in to publishing. Share the work (and the profits) on your next book or article. It’s fun – and frustrating! Mary-Lane Kamberg has published five books and hundreds of articles teamed with experts and fellow writers. You’ll learn about potential pitfalls along with the secrets of a successful collaboration: how to work together and remain friends when the job is done.
2) How To Write How-To Books and Articles; Turn your expertise into book and article sales. How-to’s are among the easiest books and articles to write and sell. Learn how to mine your mind for ideas. You’ll be amazed at what others want to know that you take for granted and how eager publishers are for your knowledge! Learn the elements of a good how-to and how to sell your work.
MOLLY LEMMONS retired from Mustang Public Schools in 2004 after 22 years. Her collection of nostalgia stories about growing up in Oklahoma City in the 1950s ran for three years in the Mustang, Oklahoma newspaper. A published collection of these stories called Kind of Heart was recommended by then-Governor Frank and First Lady Cathy Keating--and her storytelling career was launched. Molly is Secretary of Oklahoma’s state storytelling organization, Territory Tellers and a member of National Storytelling Network. She is also a member of The Oklahoma City Writer’s Club, and a member of Oklahoma Federation of Writers, Inc. Molly’s stories have appeared in several magazines and anthologies including Christian Woman, Chicken Soup Celebrates Mothers, and Heavenly Patchwork—Quilts Stitched With Love. Her column also ran in newspapers in Arkansas and Texas, as well as Oklahoma. She’s frequently taught workshops on “Writing Life’s Memories (from the heart).” She is an alumna of Oklahoma Christian University and resides in Mustang, OK with her husband of 50 years and her six cats.
1) "Writing Life’s Memories (from the heart)" . Through audience participation, lecture, and story examples, participants learn about the therapeutic value of writing life's memories from the heart. Adult students, through writing and telling their stories, relate to their beginnings and gain a sense of belonging, as memories, having lain dormant so long, begin to surface in the heart and soul. Participants learn of the necessity of writing their historical legacies, how to begin, and what steps to take to make a story one to pass down for generations to come. the class includes exercises designed to help them learn to write "From the Heart." Each student will take home a folder containing hints on how to jump-start their book of memories. Remember: "If you can THINK it, you can SAY it, and if you can SAY it, you can WRITE it!"
CJ LYONS (www.cjlyons.net) is an award-winning, medical suspense author and a physician trained in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. She has assisted police and prosecutors with cases involving child abuse, rape, homicide and Munchausen by Proxy and has worked in several trauma centers, on the Navajo reservation, as a crisis counselor, victim's advocate, as well as a flight physician for Life Flight. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. Her writing has appeared in Romantic Times BookReviews, CrimeSpree and Spinetingler. Look for her debut novel, LIFELINES, coming from Berkley in April, 2008.
1) Thrillers with Heart; This workshop that shows how character is essential to thrillers, using examples from Homer's Odyessy to Tom Clancy's Patriot Games to romantic suspense.
2) Trauma 101; Helps you write believably about injuries in your fiction. This powerpoint presentation has lots and lots of real life photos (PG-13 at most, but not for the faint of heart).
DANIELA RAPP (www.stmartins.com/) is an associate editor at St. Martin's Press where she acquires a wild mix of mysteries, thrillers, literary fiction, humor, writing, pets, food, drink, and travel books, as well as serious narrative non-fiction. She began her career in publishing on the international agenting front, but quickly crossed over into the other camp.
1) All About St. Martin's Press
2) Agent/Editor Idol
NANCY ROBINSON MASTERS (www.nancyrobinsonmasters.com) is a popular inspirational speaker for schools, businesses, organizations, and events. She has spoken to more than 200,000 students in schools across America through her visiting author programs. Nancy has been described as a combination "Minnie Pearl" and "Will Rogers." She uses her warmth, wit, and down-home style to motivate individuals to climb on course. Nancy is author of 20 books, including award-winning books for children. Her more than 3,000 feature articles have appeared in a variety of publications. Nancy's writing has taken her around the world including traveling with the National Science Foundation in Antarctica. In addition to her work with schools, Nancy also presents program and workshops for businesses, civic organizations, and religious groups.
1) D-E-V-O-T-E-D: Seven Steps For Writing Devotionals That Sell
2) Writing Non-fiction Articles That Sell, and Selling Non-Fiction Articles That You Write
BOB MAYER (www.cruisemayer.com), New York Times bestelling author, has published over 35 books ranging from military techno-thriller to political thriller to non-fiction to science fiction to romantic adventure. He has over three million books in print with four books to be published in 2007. Born in the Bronx, Bob attended the Military Academy at West Point and earned a BA in psychology with honors, and then served as an Infantry platoon leader, a battalion scout platoon leader, and a brigade reconnaissance platoon leader in the 1st Cavalry Division. He then joined Special Forces and commanded a Green Beret A Team. He also served as the operations officer for the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and with Western Command Special Operations in Hawaii. Later he taught at the Special Forces Qualification Course at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, the course designed to train new Green Berets. He also lived in Korea where he earned a Black Belt in Martial Arts and in Georgia where he earned a Masters Degree in Education from Austin Peay State University. Bob draws on all of these experiences to write his novels and his nonfiction books, including WHO DARES WINS: Special Operations Tactics for Building Your Winning A-Team, and The Novel Writer's Toolkit. But his main focus remains his novels, whichinclude the bestselling Area 51 books, and collaborations with Jennifer Crusie.
1) Plot, Outline & Pacing: The Events of Your Story: Before you begin writing your book, you should spend some time outlining and developing your story. We'll discuss types of outlines along with techniques for efficiently developing the strongest possible story based on your original idea. The creative process before the actual start of the book will be covered. From the exciting opening that grabs the reader through the escalating conflict to the climactic scene and ending with the resolution--the entire structure of the novel will be covered with emphasis on hooks, the remote control effect, building suspense, and having satisfying endings.
2) Humor in Fiction: Tips and examples of why humor included in even the most serious stories can improve the work. When, where, and how to add comic relief to a story.
SELINA McLEMORE (www.hbgusa.com), after graduating from Northwestern University, moved from Chicago to New York and began her professional career with Harlequin Books, then made the move to mainstream publishing at HarperCollins. At Harper, Selina continued to work on Romance for Avon, but also acquired and edited general women’s fiction, chick lit, mysteries, thrillers, erotica and non-fiction. Selina became interested in diversifying Avon’s list and, in addition to expanding their African American program, she acquired Avon’s first Latina author, Mary Castillo, and laid the groundwork for things to come. Selina made the move to Grand Central Publishing (at the time, still Warner Books) in order to realize a long-time goal: creating a list solely dedicated to Latino readers. A mixture of fiction and non-fiction, her list includes award-winning screenwriter of Real Woman Have Curves, Josefina Lopez; history-making sisters, Congresswomen Loretta and Linda Sanchez; and controversial debut-novelist Raul Ramos y Sanchez, whose upcoming thriller takes on racism and immigration in the United States. And as if launching this new program weren’t enough, Selina continues to acquire high-quality general fiction and non-fiction that captures her imagination. She is especially interested in fiction and non-fiction that resonates with the Latino community in the United States and also looks for romance, women's fiction and narrative non-fiction.
1) Query Letters Exposed; Think you’ve perfected the fine art of writing query letters? Well, chances are, you haven’t. In this session we will look at actual query letters from the audience and dissect them, line by line, to find out what works, what doesn’t, and why. Don’t worry—everything’s anonymous. Still, there will be no sugar-coating here; participants will hear my reactions just as they would be in the privacy of my office. At the end of the panel writers will learn how to make their query letter stand out for all the right reasons. (submit anonymous queries in advance)
2) Introducing Grand Central Publishing (or, The House Formerly Known as Warner); New name, new offices, new imprints, new editors—a lot has changed at GCP. One of the newest editors to join the team, Selina McLemore will bring you up to date on GCP and discuss her list in detail. Additionally, she’ll let you know the best way to submit to GCP and share her checklist of things authors should do before submitting work to a publisher.
JAMES MINZ (www.baen.com) is a Senior Editor with Baen Publishing Enterprises. He has worked in publishing for nearly fifteen years, on a wide variety of genres and in a number of different roles--all of them legitimate, and many of them respectable. He is looking for science fiction and fantasy, particularly military sf, alternate history, space opera, epic and heroic fantasy, as well as dark sf and fantasy (though in the end, if it's an entertaining story with some sf/f element, that's good enough to consider taking a look).
1) Welcome to the Ghetto: Getting Published in Genre; Longtime sf/f editor Jim Minz will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of genre publishing.
2) Stump the Editor; Bring your questions about any aspect of publishing, and Jim Minz will answer it. No question is too long, no answer too short. Whether you want to know more about production, distribution, marketing, electronic or some other aspect of publishing, Jim Minz will answer as many audience questions as he can.
EMILY MITCHELL (www.charlesbridge.com) has been an editor at Charlesbridge Publishing for seven years, and also serves as the company's contracts manager. Her books include the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book A Mother's Journey (2005), by Sandra Markle and Alan Marks; Vinnie And Abraham (2007), a JLG pick and Booklist star, by Dawn FitzGerald and Catherine Stock; and Trout Are Made Of Trees (2008), another JLG selection, by April Pulley Sayre and Kate Endle. Prior to Charlesbridge, Emily was the subsidiary rights manager at Sheldon Fogelman Agency in New York, a children's literary agency whose clients include Mo Willems, Jerry Pinkney, and Richard Peck. She holds a master's degree in secondary English education from Syracuse University and a bachelor's degree in English from Harvard College. In her other lives, Emily is a singer, library circulation assistant, choral foundation president, freelance proofreader, private tutor, and terrible cook. Her voracious reading habits are chronicled at http://emilyreads.blogspot.com, where she writes book reviews in bad haiku. Emily lives outside Boston with her husband, two kids, and senior beagle.
1) Getting Out Of The Slush Pile; Put away those Tyvek envelopes and close that email window! To rescue yourself from an editor's overflowing mailbin, you need the inside scoop. Editor Emily Mitchell shares true stories of manuscripts plucked from the slush pile.
2) What Are We Looking For? (Hint: Voice, Character, And Plot); It's an editor's least favorite question: what ARE we looking for, anyway? At their core, most successful children's books capture three things: voice, character, and plot. Editor Emily Mitchell delves into each key element, with examples from both contemporary and classic children's literature.
JASON PINTER (www.stmartins.com) is a former Editor with St. Martin's Press, and lives in New York City with his wife Susan and their dog Wilson. Jason is also the bestselling author of The Mark and The Guilty. He is a member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, and is a co-founder of Killer Year. His next Henry Parker novel, The Stolen, comes out in August 2008. Visit him at www.JasonPinter.com.
1) The Editor/Author Dichotomy
2) Agent-Editor Idol
DAN POYNTER (http://ParaPublishing.com) is an author of more than 120 books, has been a publisher since 1969 and is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP). Some of his books are Writing Nonfiction, The Self-Publishing Manual, The Skydiver's Handbook, The Expert Witness Handbook and The Older Cat. He is an evangelist for books, an ombudsman for authors, an advocate for publishers and the godfather to thousands of successfully-published books. His seminars have been featured on CNN, his books have been pictured in The Wall Street Journal and his story has been told in US News & World Report. His 20-year-old newsletter, Publishing Poynters has a circulation of more than 31,000. Dan shows people how to make a difference while making a living by coaching them on the writing, publishing and promoting of their books. He has turned thousands of people into successful authors. His mission is to see that people do not die with a book still inside them.
1) Book Promotion for Writers, Introverts and Other Reluctant Marketers; It doesn’t matter if you sell out to a large New York publisher or publish yourself, the author must do the promotion. Publishers do not promote books; ask any author who has a publisher. The challenge is that most writers are introverts. They assume that the only ways to publicize books is on radio, TV and with autographings—so they do nothing. Dan Poynter gives writers permission to stay home and write—and to promote remotely. He shares a number of effective, proven ways to publicize books without going out in public. Writers love this presentation. They nod their heads as they identify with the introvert personality Dan describes. They feel relieved when Dan shows them how to publicize their books from home. They feel a kinship when Dan reveals that he is an introvert. Dan speaks about book promotion for introverts from experience.
2) Getting Published (LUNCH WORKSHOP); Dan reveals the secrets to finding the right agent, locating the right publisher while simultaneously self-publishing. The New Book model has been proven to be the fastest, surest way to getting into print. Your conference attendees can show up again next year as they did this time: with a proposal, manuscript or a dream. Or, they can discover Dan's proven plan and return with a book under their arms. This simple yet revolutionary procedure will change their lives and be the talk of the conference.
MARCIA PRESTON (www.marciapreston.com) grew up on a wheat farm in central Oklahoma and still owns the land homesteaded by her grandparents. Her first two books were mysteries with an Oklahoma setting. Song of the Bones, the second title in the series, won the 2004 Mary Higgins Clark Award and the Oklahoma Book Award in fiction. She is a two-time winner of OWFI’s Best Book of Fiction award. Her recent books are mainstream fiction. The Butterfly House became a bestseller in the UK in 2006. Her newest release, Trudy’s Promise (March 2008), is set in 1963 Berlin and centers on a young mother separated from her child by the Berlin Wall.
1) How to Pitch Your Novel" (Thursday preconference workshop); Have an appointment with an agent or editor? Don't stumble through a long explanation of what your book's about. Learn how to write a two-sentence pitch that makes your book sound terrific. It's great for query letters, too. (Bring pen and paper and your story idea.)
2) Writing the Dreaded Synopsis; Most new novelists hate and fear the synopsis. What to put in? What to leave out? Why does it sound like a soap opera? But a good synopsis is your friend. Here's why -- and how to write one.
RITA ROSENKRANZ, a former editor with major New York houses, founded Rita Rosenkranz Literary Agency in 1990. Her adult non-fiction list stretches from the decorative--Flowers, White House Style: More Than 125 Arrangements by the Former White House Chief Floral Decorator by Dottie Temple and Stan Finegold (Simon & Schuster) to the dark--SAVING BEAUTY FROM THE BEAST: How To Protect Your Daughter From An Unhealthy Relationship by Vicki Crompton and Ellen Zelda Kessner (Little, Brown; Books for a Better Life Award, 2003). Other titles include FORBIDDEN FRUIT: Love Stories From The Underground Railroad by Betty DeRamus (Atria Books, essence.com bestseller); Olive Trees And Honey: A Treasury Of Vegetarian Recipes From Jewish Communities Around The World by Gil Marks (Wiley, 2005 James Beard Award winner); the forthcoming Twenty Strengths Adoptive Parents Must Discover by Sherrie Eldridge (Bantam Dell) and National Baseball Hall Of Fame & Museum by Bert Sugar with photos by Bruce Curtis (Running Press). She represents health, history, parenting, music, how-to, popular science, business, biography, popular reference, cooking, spirituality, and general interest titles. Rita works with major publishing houses, as well as regional publishers that handle niche markets. She looks for projects that present familiar subjects freshly or less-known subjects presented commercially.
1) How to Write An Irresistible Nonfiction Book Proposal
2) Agent-Editor Idol
MELISSA SHULTZ, a native of Washington, D.C., lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, Steven, and their two sons and is a literary agent with Jim Donovan Literary. She is interested in both fiction and nonfiction in the areas of chick-lit, mom-lit, health and parenting. Ms. Shultz has written for print, television, and video. Her essays, highlighting humorous aspects of everyday life, appeared in a weekly column for The Frederick News Post. Since relocating to Texas, Ms. Shultz's essays have been published by The Dallas Morning News and its media properties across the country, as well as The Washington Post. A feature article by Ms. Shultz was published in 2005 by D Magazine. Other clients have included The Chicago Tribune, Tribune Broadcasting, National Retail Federation, Food Marketing Institute, Anderson Consulting, PBS, International Dairy Foods Association and Supermarketguru.com. Prior to freelance consulting and literary representation, Ms. Shultz was Director of Creative Services for Food Marketing Institute (FMI), a trade association in Washington, D.C., and held positions with Lord and Taylor’s Advertising Division in New York, and NUS Training Corporation.
1) How to Overcome the Top Ten Submission Pitfalls
2) Agent-Editor Idol
SANDRA SOLI's poems and short fiction appear widely in literary magazines (most recently in the current issues of Ellipsis and CrossTimbers) and her work has been rewarded with many prestigious honors including LSU's Eyster Poetry Prize, a citation from Highlights for Children magazine as author of the month, nominations for poet laureate of Oklahoma, AWP's Intro Award and a Pushcart Prize. One of her most treasured awards was being named to Papier Mache' Press's "women of power" list in recognition of her dedicated mentorship of other poets and writers. A past president of Okla. City Writers' Club, she has served on OWFI's board and as contest chair for both groups. For nine years she was columnist and poetry editor for ByLine magazine. She loves to encourage all writers to work on poems because poetry strengthens all writing in areas of clarity, economy of language, and image-building. Sandy encourages other writers and offers specific tools for crafting poems that will resonate for readers. At OWFI she will bring techniques to assist in making decisions for the poems we write and tips for self evaluation, marketing, and entering writing competitions. If you are interested in working with intentionality on poetry before OWFI's contest deadline or conference, you can E-mail her for information at sandrasoli@sbcglobal.net.
1) Making Your Poetry Sing; Will focus on line work and sonic effect--not for beginners.
2) "Advice from Emily and a Few Friends" (more on poetry)
DEBRAH WILLIAMSON, a native Oklahoman, has written professionally for more than twenty years. She is the author or co-author of thirty novels, including a number of collaborative romances published under various pseudonyms. She published several solo romances before settling into a mainstream writing career, where she hopes to stay. She is the acclaimed author of Singing With The Top Down (NAL 2006) and Paper Hearts (NAL 2007). She is a frequent speaker on writing topics and has taught professional writing at the University of Oklahoma and Moore-Norman Technology Center, including screenwriting. For more information about Debrah and her work, visit her online at: www.debrahwilliamson.com
1) A Fistful of Dollars: Use Screenwriting Techniques to Boost Fiction Sales; Hollywood isn’t the only place where high concept rules. The New York commercial publishing world is quickly moving in that direction too. Fiction writers can keep pace with changing market demands by taking a page from the screenwriter’s script. Learn how loglines focus story ideas. How thematic premise lends depth. Learn five sure-fire ways to make readers relate to the protagonist. Learn how a compelling opening image sets up a satisfying closing image. From the use of irony to tapping into primal emotion, screenwriting techniques can increase fiction writers’ chances for a sale.
2) Universal Emotion in Flash Fiction: How to Say a Lot in 1000 Words or Less; Flash fiction may be the shortest form of short story, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be both compelling and memorable. Learn how to pack a lot of emotional power into a very small word package.
REBECCA YORK (www.rebeccayork.com), New York Times, USA Today best-selling novelist, aka Ruth Glick is the author of more than 100 books. Ever since she can remember, Rebecca loved making up stories full of adventure, romance and suspense. As a child she corralled her friends into acting out stories with a cast of dolls. But she never assumed she could be an author, because she couldn’t spell. Her life changed with the invention of the word processor and spelling checker--and the help of her husband, Norman Glick, who spots spelling errors from fifty paces away. She writes paranormal romantic thrillers for Berkley and romantic thrillers for Harlequin Intrigue. Her many awards include a Bronze Telly Award for the book trailer for New Moon (Berkley, March '07) and a PRISM Award for "Second Chance" in Midnight Magic (Tor, May '06). She has received two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times Magazine. Her Killing Moon was a launch book for Berkley’s Sensation Imprint and was reissued in a special edition in October, 07. Her latest releases are Beyond Fearless (Berkley, December '07) and "Huntress Moon," in Elemental Magic (Berkley, November '07). Ghost Moon will be published by Berkley in June '08. Soldier Caged is a June' 08, Harlequin Intrigue.
1) The Writer as Master of the Universe; A novel must look, sound, smell and taste real to the reader. But it’s not reality. It’s a universe the writer creates. Every detail of the story should be a conscious decision. These include the characters, plot, setting, dialogue, conflict, the resolution, the pacing. Each detail determines the shape of the story.
2) Writing “Soft” Horror and Paranormal Suspense Fiction