According to research, authors who do not publish through a commercial (traditional) publisher but have one important tool receive, on average, a 200% greater return on their publishing investment. What is that tool? It's not celebrity status. It's not rich sponsors. It isn't even a large network. Although those things certainly impact a book's success, the vital tool is a basic literary marketing plan.
Anyone entering the publishing world needs to come equipped with a business suit because that's what it is –a business. Sometimes writers stumble into publishing without exploring their options, tracking expenses or with any plan to make the public aware their book exists. Some writers invest thousands of dollars to see their book in print only to find out their cover price is abnormally high, bookstores won't stock their books and the cover generated by the publisher is unattractive.
Some authors try to get an agent or a commercial publisher but because they do not understand what the publishers and agents seek, they are rejected over and over again.
Sabrina Sumsion, founder of Sumsion Publicity, has been working specifically with assisting authors and writers with marketing and publicity for the last several years. She has been researching the amounts authors are investing in publishing and the returns they see on investment. To combat the dismal numbers, she gives workshops and presentations on any subject related to marketing or publicity in the writing world.
Sumsion Publicity is proud to present "The Lost Secret to Lucrative Writing" as a worldwide teleseminar. Any writer who wants to publish and all currently published authors will gain valuable insights to promoting their book as well approaching agents and publishers. For more information and to sign up for "The Lost Secret to Lucrative Writing", please visit http://www.worldwideseminars.com/.
Monday, December 28, 2009
New Writers Retreat Offers Inspiration, Coaching in Paris this Summer 2010
If there's a writer on your holiday list, what could be more appreciated than the gift of a week filled with dedicated writing time – plus coaching and direction from a pro? Add a charming Paris location and guided exploration of the city's famed literary haunts to the mix and you've got the Left Bank Writers Retreat, a small-group writing workshop in Paris, France. Hosted by award-winning Jackson Hole-based writer Darla Worden, the workshop debuts June 20-26, 2010 and includes guided writing time in the mornings and exclusive Paris excursions in the afternoons.
"The retreat is designed for writers of all levels looking for inspiration and a change of scenery," Worden says. "Writers will explore Paris's deep literary roots while delving into their own work in a salon setting." The retreat is limited to six writers, and includes lunch each day, admission to museums and area sights, a wine tasting and literary tour.
Worden is an author who has written more than 100 magazine articles about art, architecture and travel in publications like Mountain Living, Big Sky Journal and Log & Timber Style. Author of the book club-selected novel Road Shoes and co-author of The Rusty Parrot Cookbook (Gibbs Smith, 2009), she also teaches writing classes and pens the popular blog 60,000 Mile Ticket to Paris. The cost of the six-day Left Bank Writers Retreat is $1,799 and includes morning writing sessions, coaching and one-on-one time with the instructor, daily lunch, and admission fees for the afternoon excursions. An optional Versailles tour is offered on June 26 for an additional $225. Writers arrange their own lodging and transportation to Paris, and can reserve a spot in the retreat with a $100 deposit. A personalized gift certificate is available for holiday gifts of any denomination.
For additional information, visit the Left Bank Writers website
"The retreat is designed for writers of all levels looking for inspiration and a change of scenery," Worden says. "Writers will explore Paris's deep literary roots while delving into their own work in a salon setting." The retreat is limited to six writers, and includes lunch each day, admission to museums and area sights, a wine tasting and literary tour.
Worden is an author who has written more than 100 magazine articles about art, architecture and travel in publications like Mountain Living, Big Sky Journal and Log & Timber Style. Author of the book club-selected novel Road Shoes and co-author of The Rusty Parrot Cookbook (Gibbs Smith, 2009), she also teaches writing classes and pens the popular blog 60,000 Mile Ticket to Paris. The cost of the six-day Left Bank Writers Retreat is $1,799 and includes morning writing sessions, coaching and one-on-one time with the instructor, daily lunch, and admission fees for the afternoon excursions. An optional Versailles tour is offered on June 26 for an additional $225. Writers arrange their own lodging and transportation to Paris, and can reserve a spot in the retreat with a $100 deposit. A personalized gift certificate is available for holiday gifts of any denomination.
For additional information, visit the Left Bank Writers website
Monday, December 21, 2009
Jan 15-17 2010 - The Best Way to Learn to be a Travel Journalist
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The Best Way to Learn to be a Travel Journalist - Career Savvy in Changing Times focus of SATW Institute for Travel Writing & Photography in Orlando
Now in its 15th year, the annual SATW Institute for Travel Writing & Photography offers cutting-edge instruction for both new and established travel journalists struggling to make sense of the rapid changes in today’s media landscape. To be held January 15-17, in Orlando, FL, the SATW Institute is America’s foremost program to assist aspiring travel writers and photographers launch their careers.
“These are exhilarating and terrifying times to be a writer,” says Sandra Friend, author of 12 guidebooks to Florida and the new director of the SATW Institute. “You can reach out and touch your readers like never before-but traditional markets for our work are drying up. It’s time to be innovative.”
Innovative ideas that SATW Institute attendees will learn include producing multimedia for the Internet and how to generate income from a variety of online sources, including e-books, mobile applications, and website subscriptions.
A special “Travel Journalism 101″ workshop is part of the lineup this year, where aspiring journalists can learn career basics. Led Christopher P. Baker, 2008 Lowell Thomas Journalist of the Year, the two-hour Friday afternoon session will focus on choosing markets, crafting your queries, reading contracts, fulfilling assignments, and creating engaging travel stories. It is open to all interested registrants for a $50 workshop fee.
The SATW Institute kicks off in earnest the evening of Friday January 15th with a free public presentation at the Orlando Public Library at 6 PM by Christopher P. Baker, Reflections on Cuba. As a guidebook writer and travel photographer, Christopher recounts his travels through Cuba with vivid imagery while he shares lessons learned about travel journalism along the way.
Saturday and Sunday, SATW Institute attendees are treated to a fast-paced series of tightly focused seminars and breakout discussions on topics designed to deepen your career savvy as a journalist, including personal branding, visual storytelling, breaking into new online markets, and repurposing your research as product. Instructors include some of the top names in the travel journalism field: USA Today Deputy Managing Editor for Travel Veronica Stoddart; online travel journalism pioneer Lee Foster; author and self-publishing authority M. Timothy O’Keefe; Canadian broadcast journalist and web producer Bea Broda; University Press of Florida Editor-in-Chief John W. Byram, SATW Institute founder and tourism expert Herb Hiller; and others. Generous support is provided by the Orlando Downtown Development Board and Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The Marriott Courtyard Orlando Downtown is our host hotel. Registration starts at $295 and seating is limited to assure a quality experience. For a registration form, conference schedule, and hotel information, visit our website at http://www.satwinstitute.org/
Travel Videos
eBrochures
Book Your Tour
Stock Footage
Contact Us
The Best Way to Learn to be a Travel Journalist - Career Savvy in Changing Times focus of SATW Institute for Travel Writing & Photography in Orlando
Now in its 15th year, the annual SATW Institute for Travel Writing & Photography offers cutting-edge instruction for both new and established travel journalists struggling to make sense of the rapid changes in today’s media landscape. To be held January 15-17, in Orlando, FL, the SATW Institute is America’s foremost program to assist aspiring travel writers and photographers launch their careers.
“These are exhilarating and terrifying times to be a writer,” says Sandra Friend, author of 12 guidebooks to Florida and the new director of the SATW Institute. “You can reach out and touch your readers like never before-but traditional markets for our work are drying up. It’s time to be innovative.”
Innovative ideas that SATW Institute attendees will learn include producing multimedia for the Internet and how to generate income from a variety of online sources, including e-books, mobile applications, and website subscriptions.
A special “Travel Journalism 101″ workshop is part of the lineup this year, where aspiring journalists can learn career basics. Led Christopher P. Baker, 2008 Lowell Thomas Journalist of the Year, the two-hour Friday afternoon session will focus on choosing markets, crafting your queries, reading contracts, fulfilling assignments, and creating engaging travel stories. It is open to all interested registrants for a $50 workshop fee.
The SATW Institute kicks off in earnest the evening of Friday January 15th with a free public presentation at the Orlando Public Library at 6 PM by Christopher P. Baker, Reflections on Cuba. As a guidebook writer and travel photographer, Christopher recounts his travels through Cuba with vivid imagery while he shares lessons learned about travel journalism along the way.
Saturday and Sunday, SATW Institute attendees are treated to a fast-paced series of tightly focused seminars and breakout discussions on topics designed to deepen your career savvy as a journalist, including personal branding, visual storytelling, breaking into new online markets, and repurposing your research as product. Instructors include some of the top names in the travel journalism field: USA Today Deputy Managing Editor for Travel Veronica Stoddart; online travel journalism pioneer Lee Foster; author and self-publishing authority M. Timothy O’Keefe; Canadian broadcast journalist and web producer Bea Broda; University Press of Florida Editor-in-Chief John W. Byram, SATW Institute founder and tourism expert Herb Hiller; and others. Generous support is provided by the Orlando Downtown Development Board and Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The Marriott Courtyard Orlando Downtown is our host hotel. Registration starts at $295 and seating is limited to assure a quality experience. For a registration form, conference schedule, and hotel information, visit our website at http://www.satwinstitute.org/
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Dec 16 2009 - Editorial Insiders at Widest Reaching Blogs Share Best PR Pitches and Practices
PR pros looking to Identify and build long-term relationships with the nation's top A-list bloggers should attend PR University's latest event titled "Pitching Top Worldwide Blogs: Editorial Insiders at Widest Reaching Blogs Share Best PR Pitches and Practices."
This exclusive PR University audio conference takes place on Wednesday, December 16, at 1PM EST (noon CST, 11AM MST; 10AM PST).
For more details go to conference home page
This exclusive PR University audio conference takes place on Wednesday, December 16, at 1PM EST (noon CST, 11AM MST; 10AM PST).
For more details go to conference home page
New Writing Class, Meant to Boost Writing Confidence, Begins In January
A new writing class called Jump Start Your Next Book will begin the week of January 6, 2010. The class is led by local author Stephanie Silberstein and will be available in both an online and in-person format.
Silberstein created the class in order to inspire writers’ self-confidence, learn to write quickly and easily, and develop their own writing style. “Many people believe they cannot write,” she said. “While not everybody can make a career out of writing, most people have a lot more talent than they realize.”
For this reason, Silberstein’s class is primarily writing-oriented, with an emphasis on creating new material. Participants write to a prompt as well as share excerpts from works in progress. Class members are encouraged to give positive feedback on each other’s work. The goal is to create a safe space for writers to experiment with a variety of styles and ideas. There will also be an online discussion board where writers can connect outside of class, get to know each other, get extra writing practice in, and ask for more specific feedback.
The course is 16 hours long and meets weekly for 8 weeks at a time. It is limited to 15 students and costs $160 for 8 weeks. There is also an online option, which costs $100 for 8 weeks.
Silberstein intends to inspire writers all over the globe via Jump Start Your Next Book. She sees the new class as an extension of the mission she began when she independently published her first novel in 2008. “As a Jew, I believe strongly in the ideal of repairing the world,” she said. “I want to help people be aware of how much talent they actually possess and raise their self-confidence as writers and as human beings.”
Interested people may call 919-639-3492 for more information or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jumpstartyourwriting/join. Each new student will receive a free notepad with an inspirational quote upon joining.
Silberstein created the class in order to inspire writers’ self-confidence, learn to write quickly and easily, and develop their own writing style. “Many people believe they cannot write,” she said. “While not everybody can make a career out of writing, most people have a lot more talent than they realize.”
For this reason, Silberstein’s class is primarily writing-oriented, with an emphasis on creating new material. Participants write to a prompt as well as share excerpts from works in progress. Class members are encouraged to give positive feedback on each other’s work. The goal is to create a safe space for writers to experiment with a variety of styles and ideas. There will also be an online discussion board where writers can connect outside of class, get to know each other, get extra writing practice in, and ask for more specific feedback.
The course is 16 hours long and meets weekly for 8 weeks at a time. It is limited to 15 students and costs $160 for 8 weeks. There is also an online option, which costs $100 for 8 weeks.
Silberstein intends to inspire writers all over the globe via Jump Start Your Next Book. She sees the new class as an extension of the mission she began when she independently published her first novel in 2008. “As a Jew, I believe strongly in the ideal of repairing the world,” she said. “I want to help people be aware of how much talent they actually possess and raise their self-confidence as writers and as human beings.”
Interested people may call 919-639-3492 for more information or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jumpstartyourwriting/join. Each new student will receive a free notepad with an inspirational quote upon joining.
Copyblogge Offers Copywriting Tips for Converting Contacts
The founder of Copyblogger, Brian Clark, is Swiftpage's Thought Leader for December. On December 15 at 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT we will hear from one of the most popular internet marketing strategists and authorities in the world. Participants will discover ways to fix bad writing habits, writing copy that converts, strong headline writing and how to write a clear and action driven landing page.
"With so much content seeping through the online world, copywriting correctly is crucial to producing compelling content that will drive traffic and at the end of the day create customers. We are excited to see what Brian has to share with us regarding this topic," said Bob Ogdon, CEO of Swiftpage.
Participants will walk away from this webinar with a better understanding on how to succeed in today's online world through copywriting. They will learn how to write compelling and strategic content that will drive traffic, gain subscribers, motivate contacts to link to or forward your content and ultimately converts contacts into customers.
Brian Clark describes himself to be a new media writer/producer, entrepreneur and recovering attorney. He founded Copyblogger in January of 2006. Copyblogger has reached over 75,000 subscribers and more than 200,000 unique monthly site visitors. With that, it has been ranked as a top 5 blog about marketing by Advertising Age. The Guardian has named it one of the world's 50 most powerful blogs and Technorati has seconded that by dubbing it as one of the most popular blogs in the world.
Join us for this compelling interview with Brian Clark on December 15 -
http://www.swiftpage.com/
"With so much content seeping through the online world, copywriting correctly is crucial to producing compelling content that will drive traffic and at the end of the day create customers. We are excited to see what Brian has to share with us regarding this topic," said Bob Ogdon, CEO of Swiftpage.
Participants will walk away from this webinar with a better understanding on how to succeed in today's online world through copywriting. They will learn how to write compelling and strategic content that will drive traffic, gain subscribers, motivate contacts to link to or forward your content and ultimately converts contacts into customers.
Brian Clark describes himself to be a new media writer/producer, entrepreneur and recovering attorney. He founded Copyblogger in January of 2006. Copyblogger has reached over 75,000 subscribers and more than 200,000 unique monthly site visitors. With that, it has been ranked as a top 5 blog about marketing by Advertising Age. The Guardian has named it one of the world's 50 most powerful blogs and Technorati has seconded that by dubbing it as one of the most popular blogs in the world.
Join us for this compelling interview with Brian Clark on December 15 -
http://www.swiftpage.com/
Monday, December 7, 2009
UAB Writers' Series Spring 2010 Calendar
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Writers' Series is an annual offering of the UAB Department of English Program in Creative Writing. For more information, call 205-934-4250.
Jan. 20
The UAB Writers' Series presents the novelist Erin McGraw at 4 p.m. in the UAB Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall, 950 13th St. South. The event is free and open to the public. Call 205-934-4250 for more details. McGraw is the author of five books of fiction, most recently The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard (Houghton-Mifflin, 2008). Her stories and essays have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, STORY, Allure, The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Good Housekeeping, The Gettysburg Review and other magazines and journals. She teaches at Ohio State University.
Feb. 17
The UAB Writers' Series presents the poet Wyatt Prunty, director of the Sewanee Writers' Conference, at 4 p.m. in the Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall, 950 13th St. South. The event is free and open to the public. Call 205-934-4250 for more details. Prunty has taught at the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, Louisiana State University, Washington and Lee University and Middlebury's Bread Loaf School of English and Writers' Conference. He is the author of eight collections of poetry. The Lover's Guide to Trapping (Johns Hopkins University Press), his most recent collection, was released in April 2009.
Feb. 24
The UAB Writers' Series presents the novelist Jack Pendarvis at 4 p.m. in the Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall, 950 13th St. South. The event is free and open to the public. Call 205-934-4250 for more details. Pendarvis has written four novels, Awesome, The Mysterious Secret of the Valuable Treasure, Your Body is Changing and the latest Shut Up, Ugly. He writes a bi-monthly column for The Believer and a quarterly column for Oxford American. He was the 2007-2008 John and Renee Grisham Visiting Writer-In-Residence at the University of Mississippi. This event is co-sponsored by the Birmingham Area Consortium of Higher Education.
March 24
The UAB Writers' Series presents the annual Mersmann Awards at 4 p.m. in the UAB Spencer Honors House, 1190 10th Ave. South. The event is free and open to the public. Call 205-934-4250 for more details. The Mersmann Awards are given annually for the best reading or rendition by a student of a poem written by another author and a best original poem. Traditionally, this event is an opportunity for students to read aloud from their favorite works and give voice to words they may often read though seldom hear.
April 14
The UAB Writers' Series presents a reading by UAB English professors Robert J. Collins, Ph.D., and Lawrence Wharton, Ph.D., at 4 p.m. in the UAB Spencer Honors House, 1190 10th Ave. South. The event is free and open to the public. Call 205-934-4250 for more details. Collins and Wharton will read from their works. A reception will follow. Collins specializes in poetry and American literature. His books include The Inventor Poems, Lives We Have Chosen, Greatest Hits and Occasions of Sin. He is founder and editor of the Birmingham Poetry Review. Wharton teaches American literature and writes fiction. His short stories have been published in magazines such as CutBank, Carolina Quarterly and Mundus Artium.
Jan. 20
The UAB Writers' Series presents the novelist Erin McGraw at 4 p.m. in the UAB Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall, 950 13th St. South. The event is free and open to the public. Call 205-934-4250 for more details. McGraw is the author of five books of fiction, most recently The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard (Houghton-Mifflin, 2008). Her stories and essays have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, STORY, Allure, The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Good Housekeeping, The Gettysburg Review and other magazines and journals. She teaches at Ohio State University.
Feb. 17
The UAB Writers' Series presents the poet Wyatt Prunty, director of the Sewanee Writers' Conference, at 4 p.m. in the Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall, 950 13th St. South. The event is free and open to the public. Call 205-934-4250 for more details. Prunty has taught at the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, Louisiana State University, Washington and Lee University and Middlebury's Bread Loaf School of English and Writers' Conference. He is the author of eight collections of poetry. The Lover's Guide to Trapping (Johns Hopkins University Press), his most recent collection, was released in April 2009.
Feb. 24
The UAB Writers' Series presents the novelist Jack Pendarvis at 4 p.m. in the Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall, 950 13th St. South. The event is free and open to the public. Call 205-934-4250 for more details. Pendarvis has written four novels, Awesome, The Mysterious Secret of the Valuable Treasure, Your Body is Changing and the latest Shut Up, Ugly. He writes a bi-monthly column for The Believer and a quarterly column for Oxford American. He was the 2007-2008 John and Renee Grisham Visiting Writer-In-Residence at the University of Mississippi. This event is co-sponsored by the Birmingham Area Consortium of Higher Education.
March 24
The UAB Writers' Series presents the annual Mersmann Awards at 4 p.m. in the UAB Spencer Honors House, 1190 10th Ave. South. The event is free and open to the public. Call 205-934-4250 for more details. The Mersmann Awards are given annually for the best reading or rendition by a student of a poem written by another author and a best original poem. Traditionally, this event is an opportunity for students to read aloud from their favorite works and give voice to words they may often read though seldom hear.
April 14
The UAB Writers' Series presents a reading by UAB English professors Robert J. Collins, Ph.D., and Lawrence Wharton, Ph.D., at 4 p.m. in the UAB Spencer Honors House, 1190 10th Ave. South. The event is free and open to the public. Call 205-934-4250 for more details. Collins and Wharton will read from their works. A reception will follow. Collins specializes in poetry and American literature. His books include The Inventor Poems, Lives We Have Chosen, Greatest Hits and Occasions of Sin. He is founder and editor of the Birmingham Poetry Review. Wharton teaches American literature and writes fiction. His short stories have been published in magazines such as CutBank, Carolina Quarterly and Mundus Artium.
Dec 10 2009 - Learn the Seven Secrets of Profitable Freelancing in a Recession
As a seasoned freelance writer with a background in business journalism, Maya Payne Smart knows it's a jungle out there for self-employed freelancers. Which is why she founded http://www.writingcoach.com/, an online business service designed to help freelancers make a profit, even in today's economy.
"Despite what you may be hearing, it is possible to make a healthy income as a freelance writer - even during a recession," said Smart, who worked for Crain's Cleveland Business before striking out on her own three years ago. "There are writing jobs out there that pay very well... but you need to know where to find them and how to demand the fee your work is worth."
WritingCoach.com offers a program of monthly teleclasses and webinars to help writers tackle the tough issues beyond creative ideas and good writing - how to find good clients, market your talents, pitch story ideas, negotiate contracts, manage your cash flow and more. On Dec. 10, Smart and Marcia Layton Turner of BecomeASixFigureWriter.com present "The 7 Secrets to Profitable Freelancing in a Recession," a coaching session jammed with practical info, ready-to-use skills and reliable resources with one goal in mind - to empower freelance writers and help them make more money. Teleclass details are available at http://www.writingcoach.com/success.
"Think of this as a business school for freelancers at a fraction of the price," said Smart, who keeps class prices at an affordable $29 to appeal to even beginning freelancers. "Our focus is on what it takes to be profitable," she said. "Go on any journalism listserv and you will find writers griping about more competition and smaller fees. It's true, publishing has changed - but it's our job to figure out how to tap new markets, work efficiently, and make better use of our time and resources."
Geared to freelancers of all types, from established writers looking to boost sales to recently laid-off journalists new to the freelance world, WritingCoach.com is:
-- Convenient - the site provides critical information, when and where you need it
-- Practical - simple and effective information and techniques that you can apply to your business and your life
-- Affordable - "business school for freelancers" at a fraction of the price
-- Empowering - tools and information to help you advance your career, achieve your goals, and enjoy your success
"The Dec. 10 teleclass provides tips and tactics from two writers who are thriving," said Smart. "We're ready to share what works so you can be confident and succeed as a freelance writer."
"Despite what you may be hearing, it is possible to make a healthy income as a freelance writer - even during a recession," said Smart, who worked for Crain's Cleveland Business before striking out on her own three years ago. "There are writing jobs out there that pay very well... but you need to know where to find them and how to demand the fee your work is worth."
WritingCoach.com offers a program of monthly teleclasses and webinars to help writers tackle the tough issues beyond creative ideas and good writing - how to find good clients, market your talents, pitch story ideas, negotiate contracts, manage your cash flow and more. On Dec. 10, Smart and Marcia Layton Turner of BecomeASixFigureWriter.com present "The 7 Secrets to Profitable Freelancing in a Recession," a coaching session jammed with practical info, ready-to-use skills and reliable resources with one goal in mind - to empower freelance writers and help them make more money. Teleclass details are available at http://www.writingcoach.com/success.
"Think of this as a business school for freelancers at a fraction of the price," said Smart, who keeps class prices at an affordable $29 to appeal to even beginning freelancers. "Our focus is on what it takes to be profitable," she said. "Go on any journalism listserv and you will find writers griping about more competition and smaller fees. It's true, publishing has changed - but it's our job to figure out how to tap new markets, work efficiently, and make better use of our time and resources."
Geared to freelancers of all types, from established writers looking to boost sales to recently laid-off journalists new to the freelance world, WritingCoach.com is:
-- Convenient - the site provides critical information, when and where you need it
-- Practical - simple and effective information and techniques that you can apply to your business and your life
-- Affordable - "business school for freelancers" at a fraction of the price
-- Empowering - tools and information to help you advance your career, achieve your goals, and enjoy your success
"The Dec. 10 teleclass provides tips and tactics from two writers who are thriving," said Smart. "We're ready to share what works so you can be confident and succeed as a freelance writer."
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