Getting Published Format: MP3 Download or USB Flash Drive These lectures were audio recorded at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshops between 2010 and 2018. Download the MP3 files today or have them shipped to you on a USB flash drive. Listen to these wonderful speakers recorded live.   THIS PACKAGE INCLUDES ALL OF THESE PRESENTATIONS: It’s a Brand New Brand YOU World: Why Authors MUST Treat Themselves and Their Books as Brands - Even Before Publication Cindy Ratzlaff You are the brand and every book you write is a brand extension. Developing a personal author brand will save you time, money and frustration as you move from the writing phase to the marketing phase of your book — and help you attract a large following of passionate readers who are truly interested in your books. Cindy Ratzlaff will share the exact tips, tools and strategies she has used to help best-selling authors create their own personal brands, promote their books through a set of massive, branded social platforms and drive sales — all without compromising their privacy or engaging in hardcore selling. You’ll come away from this workshop with a step-by-step guide to developing your own personal author brand and a checklist of action items you can take immediately to build your own brand and position your social influence for rapid growth. Landing a Book Deal: Creative Ways to Grow Your Brand Jessica Murnane Erma Bombeck quipped, “I have always felt cookbooks were fiction, and the most beautiful words in the English language were ‘room service.’” Jessica Murname landed a cookbook deal because food helped her heal — and she had a story to tell. She’ll share how she went from “landing page to finding a publisher.” Her workshop will cover the importance of a “hook” and a sharable concept when pitching, proposing and writing a book; positioning yourself as an expert (even if you’re still technically a beginner; meeting your audience where they are; and growing your brand before and after getting the deal. What’s the Real Deal? Uncovering the Best Publishing Options for Your Book Panel moderated by Dr. Nancy Berk, featuring David Braughler, Donna Cavanagh and Cindy Ratzlaff It’s ready and waiting — all your amazing book needs is a great publisher. But in the ever-changing writing world with many publishing and promotional options, do you know how to identify your best match? This panel will cover the pros and cons of traditional and independent publishing, the fascinating overlaps and gaps, and strategies, tips and tricks to maximize your publishing success. Secrets to Getting Published in Magazines That Editors Won’t Tell You (But I Will!) Zachary Petit In this candid, brutally honest and genuinely funny session, author and editor-in-chief Zachary Petit breaks down the many critical ins-and-outs of writing for magazines, including the ways in which magazine editors can be divas, how to get their attention, get published and begin a successful freelance career. How to Get Published Successfully Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry It is the greatest time in history to be a writer. The barriers have been torn down, and now anyone can get published. But to get published successfully is a whole other matter. Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry take you through the entire publishing process. This step-by-step, soup-to-nuts workshop will remove the smoke and mirrors from the murky world of publishing and give writers a compass and map to a successfully published book. Topics include: • Choosing the right idea • Creating a blockbuster title • Crafting an attention-getting pitch • Putting together a proposal/manuscript • Finding the right agent/publisher • Self-publishing effectively with e-books, print-on-demand or traditional printing • Developing sales, marketing and publicity savvy • Producing a video book trailer and helping it go viral • Building a following through social media From Misfit with Blog to Author With Deal Jenny Lawson Jenny Lawson (aka “the Bloggess”) is an Internet rock star, with millions of readers — women and men — clicking on her every irreverent, hilarious thought. Her blog is consistently rated as one of the top blogs in the country. How do you create a social media persona, draw the attention of readers and build a community? Discover how to improve your blog, promote your writing — and maybe even land a book deal. Ask the Agents Panel Brian Klems, Rachel Ekstrom Courage, Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank and Rachelle Gardner Moderated by Brian Klems, online editor of Writer’s Digest, this Q&A with a panel of agents provides you with an opportunity to find out what agents look for in sample chapters, what makes them stop reading, what they can do for self-published authors, what they want to hear during a live pitch, and much more. You’ll get the chance to ask the agents about any topic, from platform and marketing to self-publishing and series writing. Whether you’re writing for children or adults, fiction or nonfiction, these agents can answer your questions. Evaluating your Book Idea and Prepping for Success Nina Amir Improve your odds of becoming a successful author by producing a business plan for your book before you write a word. In this session, you’ll learn what acquisitions editors are looking for and to see your ideas through their eyes. You’ll learn the process for determining whether your idea is marketable to agents, publishers or readers — and if you are ready to become an author. This is not a session on writing book proposals. But you will learn how to use parts of a book proposal as a process to train yourself to see both the creative and business aspects of writing and publishing a book and creating a business plan for a book. This is the foundation for creating books that sell to publishers and to readers, to become the business partner that a publisher seeks or to become a savvy and successful indie publisher. How to Get Published Successfully Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry It is the greatest time in history to be a writer. The barriers have been torn down, and now anyone can get published. But to get published successfully is a whole other matter. Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry take you through the entire publishing process. This step-by-step, soup-to-nuts workshop will remove the smoke and mirrors from the murky world of publishing and give writers a compass and map to a successfully published book. Topics include: * Choosing the right idea * Creating a blockbuster title * Crafting an attention-getting pitch * Putting together a proposal/manuscript * Finding the right agent/publisher * Self-publishing effectively with e-books, print-on-demand or traditional printing * Developing sales, marketing and publicity savvy * Producing a video book trailer and helping it go viral * Building a following through social media How to Blog Your Way to a Book Deal Nina Amir If you can write, you can blog. Blogging a book is the easiest and quickest way to write a book and promote it at the same time. Nina Amir, a nonfiction editor and book coach, proposal consultant, blog-to-book coach with more than three decades of experience in the publishing field and author of How to Blog a Book and The Author Training Manual, will show you how to turn your blog into one that attracts readers, agents and publishers, how to produce books as you blog and how to produce a book from previously blogged material. A blog with an established readership represents a successfully test-marketed book idea. A blogger with a large readership is an attractive publishing partner. Self-Publishing is the New Black David Braughler and Robin O'Bryant No longer do self-published authors have to hang their heads in shame when asked the dreaded question, “Who published your book?” Learn from two Indie book vets: David Braughler, publishing adviser with Greyden Press, who works with independent authors, organizations, coaches and executives to help them take their stories and expertise into published books. And Robin O’Bryant, a stay-at home mom, turned blogger, who leveraged a small-town newspaper column to begin building a platform for her self-published book, Ketchup is a Vegetable & Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves. Ketchup reached #12 on the Amazon Bestseller list, hit #3 on the New York Times list and was subsequently purchased to be republished by St Martin’s Press. Let David and Robin give you an overview of the self-publishing process, and you’ll leave convinced that self publishing is the “new black.” The E-Book Revolution and How Self-Publishing Affects You Robert Levine Since 2000, the digital revolution has turned the publishing business upside down and any writer who does not understand its implications does so at peril. This workshop focuses on the E-book revolution and the rise of self-publishing as a viable alternative to traditional publishing. We will look at the seismic changes taking place in publishing and their implications for writers hoping to be published. Robert Levine’s entertainment law firm, Levine Plotkin and Menin, is an active player in the New York publishing industry. The firm serves as literary agents for a number of high-profile authors and represents a major e-book publisher and many literary agencies and publishing executives. Editors Read Proposals Not Manuscripts Terry Whalin How do you write a book proposal? What makes an excellent proposal and what makes a terrible one? Publishers receive thousands of these proposals. How do you determine which publishers are interested in your particular proposal? Terry Whalin has reviewed thousands of proposals from fiction and nonfiction writers. As a former acquisitions editor and former literary agent, Terry knows exactly what he needs to secure a book contract for the writer—but often these proposals don't include the critical elements. This session includes practical how-to information about proposal writing from the editor's perspective. Terry has written many book proposals and his proposals have had great success in the Christian and general marketplace. Five Steps to (Successfully) Get Your Book Self-Published Dave Braughler Perfect for the expectant author, this session will help you find your way from a stack of papers on your desk to a book in your reader's hands. We'll break self-publishing down into 5 bite-sized pieces. Whether it's a perfect-bound book, a case-bound book or an eBook, five steps is all it takes. Understand the importance of your author platform and how to calculate the real cost of producing your book. Interspersed with references to self-published books and authors, you'll leave knowing you're in control of your manuscript and with ideas on what your next steps are. How to Get Published the Backward Way Deb Amlen There are strict rules and pathways to becoming a published humor writer, gosh darn it, and Deb Amlen has trashed every single one of them. Even so, she's managed to get two books published without having to write a single proposal or elevator pitch, and she entertains and challenges a large and loyal following of people daily as the writer of the New York Times's official crossword blog "Wordplay." How did she do it? Frankly, she hasn't the foggiest idea how all this came about, but she's more than willing to encourage you to create your own path to success and happiness as a humorist. Tips and tricks will be in abundance, but attendees are encouraged to provide their own helmet. Publish, Don't Perish: How to Successfully Self-Publish, Distribute and Market Your Book Mark Levine Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams Terry Whalin Paths to Publication Katrina Kittle How to Get Your First Book Written and Published in as Little as Six Months (Really) Sophfronia Scott