News And Announcements

Talk about a book that has legs–or in this case, wings! New York Times bestselling author Stacey O’Brien returns to the SCWC in September. If you’ll remember, her enchanting memoir, Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl, first came to the attention of agent Sally van Haitsma at our LA6 event. First out in hardcover, now paperback, the book has garnered fans the world over, has been published in German, Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese), Korean, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Japanese, a special U.K. edition, and, most recently, in Hungarian. Stacey’s going to conduct two sessions, “Memoir: Structuring Your Story and the Stories Within” and “Re-Entry: Editing Nonfiction for Dramatic Impact.”

Also returning to Newport Beach is that maestro of the midnight flame, author Matthew J. Pallamary. Matt will be conducting late-night Rogue workshops and accepting a limited number of advance submissions for one-on-one consultation.

From Martin Literary, agent Brianne Ogden is aboard. The agency fared well at San Diego 25, having signed on to rep conferee Christa Yelich-Koth and her novel Illusion. Writes Christa, “I know that I’ve already said thanks once before, but I wanted to pass on that I have just signed a contract this week with an agent who I met at your conference this past February–Kate Folkers from Martin Literary Management. I am so grateful that you and your colleagues put so much effort into these conferences and work hard to have writers get opportunities and chances they would never be able to otherwise.”

Thank you, Christa. Congratulations!

Heads up to all those noodling whether or not to sign up for Drusilla Campbell’s NovelCram Immersion Track. The last four times we’ve ran the Cram it’s been filled to capacity. With the $50 Early “Bard” Registration Discount ending Aug. 1, now might be the time to decide which way you want to roll.

We’re less than two months away from LA(ish)9. Plenty more to announce as we continue shaping the schedule. If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our SCWC RSS feed to automatically be alerted to late-breaking good “muse” here on the site, or join our Facebook group and let the community know of your latest writing success.

Summer. The time of year many will agree that very little gets done in the publishing world. But times have changed. Summer is now the new Spring. Or the old Fall. Or maybe from here on out it’s simply the season of “E,” as has every other season necessarily become because of the inestimable impact of the internet, and the interminable beck & call of cell phone bondage and instant text messages which, arguably, enable nearly everyone to facilitate action from almost anywhere at anytime. Decisions get made and things get done rather quickly in the World of E. In fact, we are the e-World. The odds of your book getting into the hands of that cherished, anonymous reader on the other side of the page are almost utterly dependent on some aspect of the “E” — author website, blog, social media, SEO strategies, book trailers, podcast, you name it.

An overwhelming majority of writers have requested we help filter through the noise, histrionics, disinformation and plain nonsense about e-books, self-publishing, DIY, the end of the Big Six, boutique presses, and all the other distraction being hyped by so many who generally aren’t qualified to proclaim anything definitively for any one author.

Bottom line is that there is no single right route to successful publication, only an infinite number or wrong ones. While the tools available to bolster a book’s potential success have greatly expanded, those same tools are only as effective as those plying them.

What, genuinely, can one author do to leverage her odds for success in the World of E? Recognizing what she can’t, or is ill-prepared or unwilling to do, is where we’ll start in Newport Beach. Identifying and determining legitimate, real-world solutions is where we’ll finish, with a number of sessions devoted to just that.

Speaking of the real world — brick & mortar and all that “so yester-year” reality — LA8/SD25 conferee Jennifer Word posted on the SCWC Facebook page only yesterday this most exceptional bit of good muse: “I learned SO MUCH from you. The workshops, the fellow writers, the guest speakers, the shared dreams. Today I received news that my trilogy will be picked up by Stony Meadow Publishing, book one to be tentatively released November/December 2011. This book is better than it was, because I attended the SCWC, and made changes and improvements based on the incredible workshops I attended. Anyone who hasn’t attended an SCWC should do so. SCWC played a part in helping me achieve my dreams.”

Dreams. The stuff reality is made of. Thank you and congratulations, Jennifer. (Now, how cool would it have been if your parents named you “Paige!”)

Been a lot of schedule-fussing going on, as well as staff additions. Remember that the $50 Early “Bard” Discount expires August 1st. Register today to keep somebody else from doing so.

And remember… Spite. Perhaps the best reason to write!

More soon.

Fresh off her winning a San Diego Book Award for Best Historical Fiction, Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman, author of the rousing Civil War novel Broken Promises, will be Sunday’s special guest speaker. Originally self-published, then picked up by Random House, Kirkus Discoveries hails that, “Hoffman intertwines history, romance, intrigue and fun in a novel that draws readers into her fresh take on the American Civil War.” While Pulitzer Prize winning author David Kennedy (Freedom from Fear) calls it simply, “[A] compelling read and masterful history.” Given Lisa’s road to publication success with her breakout novel is one being trodden by so many today, it’ll be fascinating to learn where the inevitable fork for her lay.

The preliminary schedule is now available for perusal. Don’t marry yourself to it, as there are holes to be filled, sessions to be swapped, drinks to be drank. The schedule will change over the next several weeks. It always does when we’re factoring in what truly are the pressing issues writers need to be dealing with at this particular time. Lots of writers have contacted us expressing big interest in all things “E” (both capital and small case), which we addressed pretty thoroughly at SD25. But that was four months back and times have changed. Don’t fret, we’re on it again with all the latest for LA9.

Among the latest staff confirmed, freelance editor Jean Jenkins returns with her wildly popular “Best Foot Forward: Polishing to Impress” genre-fiction workshops. Author Kathy Porter will debut a vitally needed session on getting you and your book into bookstores — and all the essential must-dos and how-tos an author needs to know to put on a successful book signing. Author/editor Mike Sirota is back, of course.  So is author/editor Marla Miller and Sunbelt Publications Editor Jennifer Silva Redmond. They’re putting together a pitch session that you’ll definitely want to sink your teeth into, else risk losing a foot!

Still got a lot of stuff to announce. Please don’t hesitate to let Michael know what topics you’d like addressed in September. Things are moving fast out there. The more current information we all have, the mo’ better prepared we all are to make informed decisions.

With her latest thriller out this week, White Shotgun (Knopf), April Smith delivers her fourth pulse-pounding installment of the life of FBI Special Agent Ana Grey. Booklist’s starred review calls her, “[A] credible, fascinating heroine, both worldly and rueful about her unsettled life. Tight suspense and fascinating background.”  And People Magazine gives the novel three stars, proclaiming that “the adrenaline is nicely balanced by the heroine’s grappling with loyalties to both blood and Bureau.”  Also a television writer and producer, having worked in espisodics and longform, April has done adaptations for Stephen King, Anna Quindlen, and Nora Roberts. She’ll be joining us as Saturday evening’s special guest speaker to tell all about it.

More workshop leaders and advance submission readers to announce as we’re still piecing the working schedule together. Before that, however, is this bit of extremely good “muse” that’s just come in: longtime SCWC director Wes Albers has signed with ZOVA Books for the publication of his debut novel, Black & White.

“We are honored to have Wes Albers join ZOVA Books,” says ZOVA Partner and CEO Matthew J. Pizzo. “Wes has been helping the entire Southern California literary community as the director of the Southern California Writers’ Conference and we have seen Wes’ proactive and positive impact on writers for years. His novel, Black & White, is gritty, raw and will set the standard for modern noir. Black & White isn’t just any police story–it is written with the real world knowledge that only someone of Wes’ caliber can create. To have this powerful voice in our house is a tremendous honor for ZOVA Books and solidifies our sustained partnership with the Southern California Writers’ Conference.”

Couldn’t agree more. Congratulations, Wes. You’ve earned it!

More soon.

In yet another testament to author empowerment, less than three months after the disastrous earthquake in Japan 19 authors joined the efforts to assist those afflicted. Shaken: Stories for Japan, a new collection of original Japan-themed short stories available only in e-book format, features two longtime SCWC staffers among its contributors, mystery writers Gary Phillips and Ken Kuhlken. “One hundred percent of the writers’ royalties from the purchase go directly to the 2011 Japan Relief Fund administrated by Japan America Society of Southern California, which has already sent $750,000 to organizations working on the scene,” affirms Edgar nominated crime novelist Tim Hallinan, who spearheaded the project. Great reads for a great cause.

Still confirming staff for LA9. The latest aboard include Marsal Lyon Literary Agency co-founder Jill Lyon. Jill’s looking for a wide variety of material, so you’ll want to check out her bio on the staff page if you’re thinking of advance submissions to an agent.  Zova Books, the boutique publisher that could and is proving it well after signing SD25 conferee Jessica Therrien for her debut novel, The Descendants (read more here), returns in September. Very shortly we’ll be announcing yet another SCWCer who they just signed.

The San Diego Book Awards winners were announced at the annual ceremony this past Saturday. Staffers from both the L.A. and San Diego conferences did quite well, including NovelCram track leader Drusilla Campbell (Theodor S. Geisel Award “Best of the Best” and Contempory Fiction for The Good Sister), Judy Reeves (General Nonfiction for A Writer’s Book of Days), Ken Kuhlken (Mystery Fiction for The Biggest Liar in Los Angeles), Laurel Corona (Historical Fiction for Penelope’s Daughter), and Ellen Bryson (Historical Fiction for The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno). Longtime conferee Douglas P. Lathrop took the prize for Best Unpublished Novel, Adult for Reconquista. A hearty congratulations to all as all are richly deserved.

Much more soon.