News And Announcements

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 Specializing in development-for-screen properties in particular, Brandy is looking for books (unpublished and published) that might translate well to film or TV.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.

Featured in Writer’s Digest as one of 27 agents looking for new work (October 2010), Gordon Warnock, senior agent for Andrea Hurst Literary, will be joining us.  He’ll be accepting advance submissions in commercial fiction, young adult, pets(!) and humor, as well as narrative and practical non-fiction. Deadline for advance submissions is a mere two weeks away so you’ll want to move fast on this one. Also just confirmed, ZOVA Books publisher Molly Lewis, along with  editor-in-chief Daniel Silva, are aboard to address the topic on everybody’s mind: The Next Generation of Publishing: Where the Industry is and Where it is Going.

The PoetryCram is beginning to fill up, as is Jean Jenkins’ genre-centric “Best Foot Forward: Polishing To Impress.”  Remember, these sessions are limited in size and available only on a first-come, first-served basis. For Jeanie’s, in particular, the deadline to email requested material is Jan. 24th.

Another deadline fast approaching is the Early “Bard” Discount off full conference registration. Register by Feb. 1 and save.  There’s plenty of room.

From the Martin Literary Agency, agent Kate Folkers has just been added to the lineup.  While interested in all kinds of subjects and genres, she’s actively seeking fresh novels, mysteries/thrillers, historical fiction, women’s fiction, entertaining chick lit and urban fantasy.  Also accepting advance submissions, along with conducting workshops, award winning author/journalist Sylvia Mendoza will be with us and we’re lucky to have her.  Though the deadline for submissions isn’t until Jan. 28, readers are beginning to sell out.

Already filled up is Jill Marr and Elizabeth Winick Rubinstein, with several other agents, editors and authors close behind.  If you’re wanting vital one-on-one feedback on your work, now is the time to select an optional advance submission reader.  If you need help selecting a reader, feel free to contact Michael for guidance via email or phone (yes, our phone system is working again!).

On the good muse front, conferee Claudia Whitsitt’s first novel, The Wrong Guy, is out March in e-book form from Echelon Press.  The publisher has snapped up many SCWCers in recent years and has had quite a bit of success rolling out novels in digital form prior to print publication.  Just another interesting new strategy in this ever-evolving  digital age.

We’re still plugging in the schedule.  More soon.