News And Announcements

With the Big Six flummoxed following the Hollywood model with increasing commitment to only tentpole titles rich in star power but often absent soulfully satisfying, original content, authors everywhere are now embracing the economic advantages of bucking the old path to publication by going straight to ebook. And with Amazon now having become a publisher with five imprints, and ramifications yet to unfold, things have gotten pretty interesting in today’s publishing world. For a lot of writers, however, both new and accomplished, things have just gotten confusing. Do the risks outweigh the rewards? Is the real cost of author empowerment sacrificing time to actually write? When is the traditional route to release no longer relevant? Why?

Though we addressed a lot of these issues at SD25, over the past three months a lot’s gone down in the industry. The tides require parting in effort to navigate these turbulent seas successfully. While it’s safe to say that this is the best of times for writers, it’s also the mess of times for many. The future of publishing is here. Chase it or reign it in and ride it–that’s what we’ll devote a good amount of attention to in Newport Beach. (Excuse the messed up metaphor, sorry.) In the meantime, Gayle Carline has a new book out on Kindle this week, Hit or Missus (A Peri Minneopa Mystery). With the tagline, “A friend will help you move–a good friend will help you move a body,” you know that, as usual, Gayle’s gonna give you a refreshingly fun read.

Literary rep. Dana Newman’s aboard for LA9. Dana joined us for the first time at last September’s LA8 and snagged first time conferee Marsha Aizumi’s memoir Two Spirits, One Heart. Just last week Marsha signed the deal with Magnus Books for publication next spring. Good job both!

Longtime hardcore workshoppers Maralys Wills and Matthew J. Pallamary are back, as are others yet to be announced, including more agents, editors, authors and naughty people (you know who you are). Also have our final guest speakers to announce, one of which I failed to make clear last update: Darlene Quinn.

That’s all for now. The $75 Early “Bard” Discount expires June 1. Take advantage of it, if for no other reason, to keep somebody else from getting it!

Quite the past couple of weeks for several SCWC*LAers. Author Darlene Quinn’s Twisted Webs, the sequel to her 2009 National Indie Excellence Award-winning Webs of Power, just won the 2011 International Book Award for General Fiction. The prequel to the series, Webs of Fate (Greenleaf), isn’t out ’til October but Darlene’s going to be with us at LA9 so we’re just going have to throw a launch party for the highly anticipated new release–a bit of a deviation from the first two titles, actually, in that it ramps up the suspense by opening with a murder.  Or is it?  And look at who all else is getting deserved recognition:

That incomparable author/writing provocateur Judy Reeves just got word that her fully revised, 10th year anniversary edition of A Writers Book of Days: A Spirited Companion & Lively Muse for the Writing Life (New World Library) is a finalist a 2011 San Diego Book Award, Nonfiction (be sure to watch & share the 1-min. trailer with all your writerly friends). On the Contemporary Fiction front, NovelCram immersion track leader Drusilla Campbell’s The Good Sister (Grand Central) is a finalist, as is LA8 special guest Ellen Bryson’s The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno (Henry Holt and Co.), up for Best Historical. Many other of our favorite SCWC author/workshop leaders have been nominated. Be sure to check out the San Diego side of the site to learn who, because right now we’re all about Newport Beach!

The latest additions confirmed include Nancy Ellen Dodd, author of the very cool The Writer’s Compass: From Story Map to Finished Draft in 7 Stages, out June from Writers Digest Books. Former Harcourt Children’s Books editor, now fulltime YA author Deborah Halverson is aboard. Her latest, Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies, is out July. Prolific award-winning contributor to Mars and Venus in Love and Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and numerous print and online publications, B.J. Taylor is with us. Andy Ross Literary Agency’s own Andy Ross will be at the conference, as will others to be announced.

Once the bulk of the remaining LA9 staff is confirmed we’ll open up the advance submission readers list in the registration cart and print form. That’ll happen early June. We’ll start filling out the schedule then, too. In the meantime, the $75 Early “Bard” Discount expires at month’s end. Save your spot by saving today and join us in September.  You’ve earned it!

Among those joining us September is John Vorhaus, author of The Albuquerque Turkey, his wildly readable sequel to The California Roll. Chronicling the capers of grifters Radar Hoverlander and Allie Quinn, Kirkus calls his latest, “Pleasantly preposterous.” Booklist raves, “Clever and glib and fine entertainment.” Even Publishers Weekly assures that “Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen fans should be pleased.” Also a screenwriter, John’s The Comic Toolbox: How to be Funny Even if You’re Not remains the seminal book on writing comedy for TV and film, and his numerous titles on poker, including the six-volume Killer Poker series, remain ridiculously popular. Along with being Friday evening’s special guest speaker, as is befitting, John will be conducting a rather unique workshop.

Andrew Peterson, whose breakout novel First to Kill evolved from our PS2 event, is back.  His latest to feature former Marine sniper Nathan McBride, Forced to Kill, is out tomorrow on Audible.com read by none other than the voice of Jack Reacher, Dick Hill. Following a far too long hiatus, author and award-winning filmmaker Pamela Jaye Smith returns. Her latest, Symbols * Images * Codes: The Secret Language of Meaning in Film, TV, Games and Visual Media, should prove especially useful for book writers in this Age of the Entrepreneurial Author.

Joining us for the first time is playwright, television and screenwriter Kat Smith. Named one of the “25 New Indie Faces to Watch” by Filmmaker magazine, Kat’s scripted for ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox/FX, Starz/Encore, Warner Brothers, Universal and others, is an alumnus of AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women and Film Independent’s Directors lab.  Kat will debut a severe character building workshop culled from her 20 years of professional experience, as well as her studies with renowned acting teacher William Esper and lifetime fascination with psychology.

Plenty of familiar friends will be with us in Newport Beach, including such popular workshop leaders as Judy Reeves, Laura Taylor and Robert Yehling.  Behler Publications editorial director Lynn Price will be there.  And, of course, Drusilla Campbell will be conducting yet another round of her total immersion NovelCram: Building the Better Book.  On the agents front, Gordon Warnock of Andrea Hurst & Associates and van Haitsma Literary’s Sally van Haitsma are committed, with plenty others yet to be announced.

Lots more updates comin’ up.  Remember that the Newport Beach conference is more limited in size than San Diego.  Reserve your spot by taking advantage of the $75 Early “Bard” Discount today.

Six months ’til LA9, only one month out of SD25, and we got mucho good “muse” to report.  ZOVA Books has signed Jessica Therrien for her debut novel The Descendants after discovering her in workshop at our February event.  A boutique publisher representing such acclaimed authors as Dances With Wolves novelist and Academy Award winning screenwriter Michael Blake, as well as Pulitzer nominated bestselling author of Sacagawea, Anna Lee Waldo, the deal with Jessica marks a significant expansion of their catalog into the young adult readership.  Release is slated for February, 2012.

Also just in, SD21 Outstanding Fiction Award winning conferee Laurence O’Brien — who traveled from Dublin, Ireland to join us — reports, “Just thought you would like to know that I have been offered a 3-book publishing contract with Harper Collins UK with world rights to follow and a January 2012 launch of my first book, The Istanbul Puzzle, to be followed in January 2013 by The Jerusalem Puzzle.”  Workshop leader and freelance editor Jean Jenkins can take a lot of the credit for that.

Overall, been a great many months for past SCWC conferees.  Among the most recently published: Raul Ramos y Sanchez (House Divided), Claudia Whitsitt (The Wrong Guy), John Rosenberg (The Healthy Edit), Jenny Hilborne (Madness and Murder), T.B. Smith (The Sticking Place), Julie Ann Weinstein (Flashes from the Other World), E. Scott Menter and Kelly Thacker (Hummingbird Review), and Pam Goldstein (Chicken Soup for the Empty Nester, along with her first play, The Interview, which premieres April).

We’ll begin rolling out staff announcements for our September event over the next several weeks.  As with the San Diego conference, we’re keeping up to speed on digital innovations impacting the industry, and all that every writer needs to know to flourish in this new Age of the Entrepreneurial Author.  In the meantime, register before June 1st to take advantage of the $75 Early “Bard” Discount.  You’ve earned it!

Newport Beach rocked on every level — literally so Saturday evening!  From the agents to the editors to even the most curmudgeonly veteran workshop leader, consensus is that the quality of material presented by conferees at LA8 possibly hit a new high.  As with every SCWC event, however, only a chosen few can be singled out for award recognition.

SCWC*LA 8 Award Recipients:

OUTSTANDING FICTION
Ceremony by Indy Quillen
of San Diego, CA

OUTSTANDING NON-FICTION
How to Raise a Husband by Tonilyn Hornung
from Granada Hills, CA

OUTSTANDING TOPIC
Debacle’s Muse (read here) by Tracy Neis
from Placentia, CA

Congratulations to the honorees.  And congratulations to all the writers who joined our community this past weekend.  As you now know, you’re an essential part of it and you are not alone.  If you haven’t already, join the SCWC Facebook group and keep us informed of all your writerly success.  Our 25th annual San Diego event is only five months away.  Now go forth and write well!