News And Announcements

San Diego 26 doesn’t take place for another nine months, but that doesn’t mean Wes and I don’t pour our coffee and drink it, too. In other words, it’s dawn on a dim day and we don’t know what that means. Still, even though work is now well underway on our LA9 conference there are still important things to keep an eye on with regards to happenings that touch upon San Diego staffers and conferees. Things like the notable recognition for their work. Things like awards.

The San Diego Book Awards finalists have been announced. The annual ceremony where the winners are announced takes place June 11, 2011 (details here).  Among the nominees that extend from the esteemed SCWC staff roster and alumni: Ellen Bryson, Drusilla Campbell, Laurel Corona, Lois Joy Hofmann, Ken Kuhlken, Douglas P. Lathrop, Richard Lederer, Helen McKenna, John Mullen, Blaine C. Readler, Judy Reeves, Christine Renhard Stenstrom, and Julie Ann Weinstein. Congratulations to all.

Jim Hitt, former conferee who joined us as a workshop leader for the first time this past February, got awarded Best Novel Under 80,000 Words from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards for his recent release Carny. If that wasn’t cool enough, he just learned that he also won the Grand Prize for Fiction and will be attending the reception banquet on May 24 in NYC!

Finally, Darlene Quinn, author of the 2009 National Indie Excellence Award-winning Webs of Power, just won the 2011 International Book Award for General Fiction for its sequel, Twisted Webs, also recipient of the National USA Best Book Finalist Award for General Fiction. The prequel to the two books is out October and we expect equally just accolades.

That’s all for now. The San Diego side of the site will begin updating for our 2012 event beginning July, when ultra-Early Bard Registration discount begins. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you September in L.A.ish (Newport Beach, actually).  Between now and then, write well!

Fabulous, frantic, frenetic and deliriously informative is how this past weekend’s SD25 has been described. Indeed, it was every bit all that and more. With so many great writers, agents, and editors in attendance, all delving headlong into the fresh waters of today’s empowerment possibilities–from smart, smaller and indie press alternatives to N.Y.’s flailing corporate houses, to the growing prospects of digital vindication every author must now embrace–this year a virtual pot o’gold awaited writers in San Diego: information = opportunity. And as you can see in the photo, the rainbow that planted in the golf course directly outside our hotel Sunday afternoon affirmed it. The informed writer is the writer most likely to succeed. And at SD25, we reveled naughtily in that promise. Now onto the awards…

SCWC*SD 25 Award Recipients:

OUTSTANDING FICTION
Stormfront
by Doug Elerath of Albuquerque, NM

OUTSTANDING FICTION
(title to be announced)
by Greg Haas of Columbus, OH

OUTSTANDING FICTION
(title to be announced)
by Megan McGee & Daniel McNeil of Moab, UT

OUTSTANDING TOPIC
The Bath (read here)
by Lloyd Williams of West Hollywood, CA

OUTSTANDING TOPIC
I Don’t Want to Know (read here)
by Jennifer Silva Redmond of San Diego, CA

TOPIC (HONORABLE MENTION)
Wes Knows Best (read here)
by Gayle Carline of Placentia, CA

Congratulations to the honorees, and to all the writers who helped make SD25 such a memorable event.  Dates for SD26 are Presidents’ Day Weekend, Feb. 17-20, 2012.  Between now and then, join us for LA9, Sept. 23-25, 2011, in Newport Beach, as well as on our SCWC Facebook Page.  Now go forth and write well!

It’s conference weekend!  Walk-in registration opens Noon today (Friday), 7AM Saturday and 7:30AM Sunday.  There’s plenty of room for writers, so be there or be…where?  Crowne Plaza San Diego, 2270 Hotel Circle North San Diego, CA 92108.  Also, UC San Diego Extension is offering SCWCers a chance to win a free creative writing course.  Email them at ahl@ucsd.edu on or before Feb. 28, 2011, with the phrase “Sign me up for the Writing Newsletter” in the subject line and get added to the drawing list. The winner will be chosen and notified on March 1, 2011.

Author & editorial director of Behler Publications Lynn Price has been added to the schedule, along with Magnet Management rep & producer Brandy Rivers. Both will be accepting a limited number of optional advance submissions through Monday, February 14. Specializing in development-for-screen properties in particular, Brandy is looking for books (unpublished and published) that might translate well to film or TV. A few other readers are also available.

For screenplays, producer/writer Adam Coplan is open for submission; for non-fiction books, agent Dana Newman is caught up and willing to accept more material; and on the fiction front, Jean Jenkins, Laura Taylor and Sylvia Mendoza remain open at this time.

The working schedule has been posted and will continue to be tweaked over the next several days. Do keep in mind that it is not the final schedule, which you’ll receive when you check in at the conference.  It is close, however.  And a quick FYI to all those who’ve signed up for Jean Jenkins’ “Best Foot Forward: Polishing To Impress” sessions. Though it’s not listed on the online schedule, the second workshop will take place on Sunday morning.

We’re less than two weeks away. If you haven’t already, register today and get ready for another great conference. It’s February in San Diego. Where would you rather be?

Now, another Writer Replay: “Agent Walks Into A Bar”…

Last September’s LA8 bestowed conferee Tonilyn Hornung’s manuscript, How to Raise a Husband, with the Outstanding Non-fiction Award. Now agent Sally van Haitsma reports she’s signed Tonilyn on as a client and is revving to get her book sold. Given Sally’s record for discovering exceptional talent at the SCWC — including Stacy O’Brien (Wesley the Owl), Raul Ramos (America Libre) and Mark L. Thompkins (Illuminations) — it shouldn’t be too long ’til she finds yet another priceless baby a home.  This makes Wes happy!

While we sort out the massive number of advance submissions that came in at the last minute (you know how writers are with deadlines), word is in that a few readers are already caught up and will accept a limited number more over the next couple of weeks, among them is agent Dana Newman. We’ll provide a list of who exactly will be doing so in the next couple of days, but before arbitrarily selecting any reader, first be sure to email Michael to confirm availability.

In response to many requests to address the issue of how to build a slick, professional author’s website that enhances one’s platform and — in the words of one conferee — “doesn’t suck and cost a fortune,” we’ve added a hardcore hands-on workshop to the schedule.  Jeremy Lee James, internet developer, marketing strategist, and SCWC site guru, will conduct “From Zero to Rockin’ Writer Website In One Workshop,” enabling participants to test drive for free his Word(slinger)Press Writer’s Website + Web Hosting package, which he developed specifically for writers.  In this session, literally, participants will be able to launch a secure, expandable and easy-to-maintain ultra-cool website in a matter of minutes.

Now, a Writer Replay about the challenges all modern authors face…

Her first time attending a writers’ conference was last February’s SD24. Net result, three agents requesting her memoir, Drop Dead Life: A Pregnant Widow’s Heartfelt and Often Comic Journey through Death, Birth, and Rebirth. Then a funny thing happened. Hyla discovered the social reading and publishing website Scribd.com and amassed 80,000 reads prompting two of New York’s Big Six to contact her directly requesting the manuscript. Numerous speaking requests and interviews followed.  Just how she built such a singular, massive platform — and you can too — is what she’ll be addressing in February.

Another former conferee joins us for SD25.  Karen Ronney, author of almost countless awards-winning Proud Parents’ Guide to Raising Athletic, Balanced, and Coordinated Kids: A Lifetime of Benefit in Just 10 Minutes a Day, the original proposal which was snapped up at SD21 and sold in a high-figure deal, is back. This time with a muchly needed workshop on crafting the non-fiction proposal that will sell the book before you actually write it.

Deadline for discounted hotel lodging is Jan. 28.  Got a call today from the hotel and it appears they’re filling up a bit earlier than usual. If you’re planning to stay at the Crowne Plaza during the conference — who isn’t? — and you haven’t booked your room, do it now.

Deadline for advance submissions is Jan. 28. We absolutely must receive your material by no later than Jan. 28.  Jan. 28 is the day to get your advance submission material to us. Remember, if you’re submitting to multiple readers you can stuff all your submissions into a single envelope addressed to the SCWC to save postage. So long as we receive it before — you guessed it — Jan. 28, you’re good.

Finally, agent Gordon Warnock, announced to be a last-minute addition to SD25 last update, will not be in San Diego, but in fact attending September’s LA9 conference in Newport Beach. Call it crossed wires or just plain doofusness, I take full responsibility for the error and will be in touch with all conferees that submitted to him based on my inexcusable oversight. I suck.

More soon.