NEW BACKLIST SEMINAR FOR ASPIRING AUTHORS
SO YOU WANT TO BE PUBLISHED?
Conducted by Felicia Pride, Author, Speaker, and Founder of BackList, LLC
Date: Saturday, June 21, 2008
Time: 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Location:
Crowne Plaza
2004 Greenspring Drive
Timonium, MD 21093
Registration:
Early Bird Special: $85.00 before May 30, 2008. $95.00 after May 30, 2008.
Limited seating. Register today!
To register, visit www.wherewordslive.net. For more information, email
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
or call 443.759.4360.
TESTIMONIALS
“I've been meaning to write you a note thanking you for such a wonderful class last week! I feel so empowered and knowledgeable now. My dream of writing books can actually become a reality!”— Jessica Leshnoff, freelance writer
“I loved last night's class! It was very informative and left me with lots to think about!”—Kitiya Mischo King, beauty writer, Mischobeauty.com
“It was great attending your seminar yesterday! I learned a lot about the publishing industry. And even though the process seems a bit scary, I want to give it a try.”—G. Askar, seminar attendee
SEMINAR DESCRIPTION
If you are a writer, you are not only in the business of writing; you are also in the business of publishing! The most successful writers understand how book publishing works and know how to navigate the complex waters of the industry. Education is power. By understanding the realities of publishing you’ll be able to maintain a successful writing career.
In this seminar, you will learn:
PUBLISHING BASICS
>>How the industry works.
>>How publishing houses are structured and what each department does.
>>The differences between publishing houses (big/small/independent) and their “personalities.”
>>The major players--literary agents, editors, and publishers--and their roles in the industry. BOOK PUBLISHING REALITIES
>>The realities of advances and book sales.
>>What really goes on in an editorial meeting and how decisions are made about what books are published.
>>The truth about your marketing budget. EMPOWER YOURSELF
>>How to create and maintain your publishing network.
>>What questions to ask.
>>How to develop a publishing plan and use it to get published!
Felicia Pride is a writer, speaker, and welcomed voice of her generation. She’s the author of The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop’s Greatest Songs (Running Press, October 2007), coauthor of the young adult anthology Hallway Diaries (Harlequin/Kimani Tru, September 2007) and author of Everybody Hates First Girlfriends (Simon & Schuster, September 2007), and Everybody Hates School Politics, chapter books in the series based on the award-winning television show Everybody Hates Chris. In 2004, she founded BackList (www.thebacklist.net), an organization dedicated to harnessing the power of words to uplift individuals and their communities. What began as a newsletter in 2004 to one hundred people, has transformed into an innovative website with thousands of visitors and a media, consulting, workshop development, and event planning firm. BackList has worked with bestselling and award-winning authors, major and independent publishers, creative artists and community organizations.
Felicia is also the book blogger for AOL Black Voices’ book blog, More than Words, and the managing editor of Mosaic literary magazine. She’s a regular contributor to Publishers Weekly, and her writing about books, publishing, and pop culture has appeared in various publications including VIBE, the Baltimore Sun, PopMatters, and the Baltimore City Paper.
Felicia has been featured by USA Today and NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” and has been an invited speaker for venues around the country including, Bennett College, George Mason University, New York University, Philander Smith College, and the United Nations Association.
She currently serves on the board for the Literary Freedom Project, has taught at the College of New Rochelle and holds an M.A. in writing and publishing from Emerson College.
Note: Unfortunately, we are unable to offer refunds.
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I had the opportunity to interview New York Times bestselling author Carl Weber for the second time. Check out what he had to say:
Author and bookstore owner Carl Weber says the idea for his latest book, Something on the Side, came from watching an episode of HBO's Sex and the City.
"I decided to write a plus-sized version of the show," says Weber, 41, who recently appeared at a book signing at the Catonsville Wal-Mart. His primary readership of black women enjoys his humorous drama-filled spins on everyday life.
Read the entire article in the Baltimore Sun.
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Check out a profile of editor Karen Thomas that I wrote for Publishers Weekly.
When Karen Thomas, executive editor at Grand Central Publishing, started in the book industry 16 years ago as an editorial assistant at Berkley, publishing was very different. “Editors had a lot more time to sit and edit, work with authors, shape and formulate ideas,” she admits. “When you used to see an editor with a door closed, it meant they were editing. Now, it's usually a meeting.” Thomas, like other editors who acquire big-budget books and celebrity-driven titles, finds herself in endless meetings with personalities, managers and handlers—not to mention marketing and promotional staff. “Marketing and publicity is such a bigger part of book publishing than it used to be,” says Thomas, who recently edited new titles by street-lit pioneer Teri Woods and Video Vixen author Karrine Steffans. “When I first began in the industry, you knew if you put out a great book, readers would find it. Now when you acquire a title, you immediately think about how it's going to be promoted.” Thomas isn't complaining, though. “Readers have so many distractions and things fighting for their attention. It's our job to break through that noise,” she says.
Read the entire article.
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During my book publishing seminars (I have one approaching on April 1st in DC), I tell aspiring authors that a great way to get noticed by agents/editors is to start a great topical blog.
Don't believe me? See this from Publishers Lunch:
Blogger Christian Lander's STUFF WHITE PEOPLE LIKE, a 'study' of upper-middle-class white people, satirically exposing a culture that prides itself on individuality and diversity, yet manages to express these beliefs in exactly the same way (white people: Whole Foods, Wes Anderson, Starbucks, graduate school, kitchen gadgets, Barack Obama, Apple products, the movie Juno, expensive sandwiches, etc.), promising two-thirds new material, to Jane von Mehren at Random House Trade Paperbacks, with Jill Schwartzman editing, by Erin Malone at the William Morris Agency (NA).
Check out the blog at http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/.
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