Merely two weeks after a sensational LA13 (Irvine) and we’re full-on into prepping February’s San Diego event, which will make for our 48th conference in 30 years. Wes and I and many long-term staffers reflected on that fact recently. “Whoa,” is about all we could collectively muster. That’s a lot of writers who’ve placed their trust in the SCWC; a lot of success stories, too. And we couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to being a part. Among the latest is longtime SCWCer Kelley Kaye, AKA Kelley Gusich, who wrote the cozy mystery now titled Death by Diploma: Chalkboard Outlines Book One way back when she first started attending the SCWC as Kelley Bowles. It’ll be released by Red Adept early 2016, and we’re thrilled.
As usual, tons of other good “muse” to report this time of year—more than we can squeeze into one update … Frederick Ramsay has two new novels coming out: The Vulture, Ike Schwartz Mysteries book 10, plus Danger Woman, the second in his Botswana mystery series … Gayle Carline’s dropping not one, not two, but three new titles on us for the holidays. Raising the Perfect Family and Other Tales, You’re from Where? and Holly Jolly Holidays are all available in the next few weeks.
From SD28, Yvette Hovsepian-Bearc now has The Political Ideology of Ayatollah Khamenei: Out of the Mouth of the Supreme Leader of Iran out from the UCLA Center for Middle East Development series. A fellow at the Center for the Middle East Development at the University of California, Los Angeles, Yvette earned a B.A. in Business, a Masters in Theology, and Ph.D. in Islamic Studies. In other words, she’s basically a big brain bright enough to turn to us for guidance, and we’re pleased to have given it.
Another familiar SCWCer, Jessica Therrien, is finally getting the love she deserves. Acorn Publishing is re-addressing and re-releasing her Y/A Children of the Gods series. Oppression and Uprising are out now. Redemption, for the first time, will be released November.
Still more to announce, but will have to wait until next update. We have other things to discuss…
The SCWC Principles of Publication
Unveiled at last month’s Irvine conference, possibly a work in progress. But here’s where we stand:
- Respect the reader
- Aim for excellence
- Settle only for exceptional
- Don’t denigrate other writers for failing to meet your standards
- Celebrate your success at each step of the journey
- Don’t bitch about how hard writing is
- Self-publishing is a viable option to be respected, when done responsibly
- Don’t suck
Our Facebook Community Page
Probably only those who were in Irvine would know this, but here it is: Two hours before opening the SCWC registration desk on Friday, Sept. 25, our Facebook wall was targeted, deliberately sabotaged and taken down. Well over 1400 members were tossed irretrievably into the ether, along with the voluminous links to invaluable resources, exceptionally argued opinions and perspectives that served one of the best writer walls on Facebook. Facebook has been of no help recovering our wall. Consequently, we’re starting anew. Please re-join the SCWC.community Facebook wall.
The entire ordeal speaks well to Laura Taylor’s wildly popular workshop, “Indie Excellence: Glocalization and the Key to Survival,” which will be updated and slated again for SD30. Fundamental takeaway? Rely solely on one source of outreach to the community and you just might, probably, likely get torched. Another reason why we’re now obsessively backing up so much info on our Tsu and Twitter community feeds.
That’s all for now. Much info more to deliver soon. In the meanwhile, take advantage of the Early “Bard” Discount, have a gander at this excerpt from LA13 Special Guest Speaker Aline Ohanesian and listen hard.
–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC
