We invite all Southern California writers, writers everywhere and their friends to join us at Taix French Restaurant for an afternoon with other creative souls, as we enjoy delicious French country cooking and sparkling conversation.
We’ll have a private room for our party and several hours to relax and enjoy the Old World charm of this 90-year-old, family-owned restaurant.
Panel
Thursday, November 29 , 2018
6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time (9:00 to 10:30 Eastern Time) — a different time than in-person meetings
Our webinar with Riva Hocherman is accessible to anyone with a computer, and it takes the place of our usual panel in Culver City this month. Enjoy listening in the comfort of your own home, without the hassle of driving at night, looking for a parking spot, or worrying about the weather.
Writers, meet (virtually) an A-list decision-making editor from a Top Five New York publishing house, courtesy of IWOSC!
No matter where you are in your book writing process, you’ll benefit as an author from learning what lies ahead. Our guest will give writers insight into what publishers are looking for, how to improve their book’s chance of being published, and what writers can expect after signing a contract.
This inaugural event stars the legendary RIVA HOCHERMAN, the co-founder (with Sara Bershtel) of Metropolitan Books, and senior editor at Henry Holt Publishing. Working under the greater Macmillan / St. Martin’s banner, Ms. Hocherman has published countless bestsellers and big-name authors. Her specialties are serious non-fiction: history, social sciences, culture, and politics, and she also loves graphic novels. In her capacity at Metropolitan / Henry Holt, however, she has also dealt with commercial and commercial-literary fiction.
The Q&A will be moderated by IWOSC’s own Steven Sanchez and Telly Davidson.
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Presented by:
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, October 29, 2018
Would you love to write the stories of your life and see them published?
Or is there a person you want to write about? A celebrity (famous or infamous) for whom you have a special insight or secret passion? A biography that only you can write?
IWOSC’s panel of experienced authors, memoirists, biographers, and occasional ghosts is here to help!
Where do you start?
Moderator: Telly Davidson
Douglas Segal
Ray Richmond
Herbie J Pilato
Ina Hillebrandt
[To read more, click the title!]
“Hope is Not a Book Marketing Strategy”
Prepare, Plan & Produce The Perfect Book Marketing Campaign
For the third year in a row, IWOSC is offering a premium, all-day intensive seminar on building a strategy for your book marketing:
Strategizing your publishing • Strategizing your publicity • Strategizing your platform
Helping you build a strategy for your book’s success.
What Book Marketing strategies are most effective today?
What’s changed in the past year that affects your publishing, launch, publicity and platform building?
How do your publishing decisions affect your book’s success?
What publicity works best for authors?
Why is your platform more important than ever and what pieces are essential?
Presenting new material for 2018 (and a new expert!), our three experts will take you through strategies on everything from publishing to publicity to platform-building. If you’re a seasoned author, we will help you fine-tune your approach to marketing your books. And if you’re just putting together your first book marketing plan, our full-day intensive will help you put together the right strategies for your success.
The morning will be sectioned into three sessions, with three group sessions in the afternoon.
Session 1: Book Publishing and Launch Strategies, 2018-2019 — by David Wogahn
Session 2: Publicity and Marketing Strategies, 2018-2019 — by Emanuela Cariolagian
Session 3: Platforms and Social Media Strategies, 2018-2019 — by Steven Sanchez
Session 4: Group Session — The Experts Review Your Plan
Session 5: Your Questions — Ask the Experts
Session 6: Intensive Wrap-Up — If You Only Do One Thing…
Panel
Monday, September 24, 2018
Do any of these questions give you pause:
If any of these questions stop you dead in your tracks…
Moderator: Steven Sanchez
David Wogahn
Emanuela Cariolagian
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, September 15, 2018
How’d you do meeting your 2018 writing goals?
Do you want to be better prepared for 2019?
Then set this day aside and join fellow writers of the Greater Los Angeles area and let’s start planning.
Whether you’re a “Planner” and outline and plan out every bit of your book, or you’re a “Pantser” preferring to fly by the seat of your pants, we’ve got tips and tricks that will help you set and reach realistic writing goals for next year.
Presented by: Steven Sanchez, Telly Davidson, Vickey Kalambakal
[To read more, click the title!]
Summer Party at Sagebrush Cantina! This was our 2018 party and have passed. As promised, we had a great annual summer blast full of socializing, knowledge sharing, fun and games. This year we are venturing to the Wild West and the Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas for a sit-down meal inside the air-conditioned restaurant. We’ll each be ordering for a set menu (below) upon arrival to the Sagebrush. However, you’ll be paying for the meal in full when you complete your Reservation. We also invite you to join us for a tour of the historic, interesting, — and allegedly haunted — Leonis […]
Panel
Monday, July 23, 2018
What are the most valuable websites for writers,
the best books for writers,
and the resources offering outstanding services and spot-on advice for WRITERS?
What are the EXPERTS reading and using to keep their skills sharp and their writing even sharper?
We’ll share our picks and invite you to come and share what you’re reading and using to hone your writing chops at our first Summer Share Event.
Our Panel
On Publishing: Tobi Harper
On Writing: Nancy Ellen Dodd
On Adapting Your Writing for the Screen, Screenwriting and Writing for Hollywood: Telly Davidson
On Marketing, Online & Off: Marilyn Anderson
On Social Media, Websites and All Things Technical, and the Moderator for the evening: Steven Sanchez
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Flo will go through the reasons that grammar matters to writers and readers, and review simple, often overlooked, rules to correct dozens of common errors. You’ll come away with newfound confidence including support with printed handouts.
Presented by: Flo Selfman
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, June 26, 2018
Writers can be inspired and creative, but we do not always have the best business minds. Our June panel for writers presents a panel of generous people who have actually made money within the profession of writing!
You can make significant bucks if you apply yourself – not only to the craft of writing, but also to the business of writing, and to promoting yourself and your writing wisely.
Our panelists of writers, editors, and professionals will present ideas for authors to consider: growth and marketing ideas that have demonstrated their effectiveness and are potentially available to all.
We will discuss…
Moderator: Craig O’Connor
Mark Miller
Claudia Suzanne
Colette Freedman
Flo Selfman
Zac Hug
Roberta Edgar
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Whether you as a writer are pitching your book or novel idea to a publisher or your screenplay idea to a producer, this class will help you stay on point and avoid listener tune-out.
As a writer, you never know when the chance to sell your book or screenplay may pop up. Don’t let it pass you by! Be prepared, and learn to pitch your writing with panache and excitement.
Pilar guides writers as we learn to pitch our ideas in a concise, focused, and entertaining manner – one that emphasizes the hook and eliminates “writer-babble.” Proven pitching tools for writers and a written template are provided, to help authors define the key elements of their stories.
Presented by: Pilar Alessandra
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, May 21, 2018
Join IWOSC for our annual Literary Agents Evening, with an author’s dream panel of top literary agents who are “actively looking” for new manuscripts and/or screenplays. These agents will discuss what writers need to know to navigate today’s publishing world.
We’ll cover practical pointers for writers, from what each agent on our panel is (and isn’t) specifically looking for, to general tips on how writers can get an agent’s attention.
Moderator:
Dana Newman
Jane Cowen Hamilton
Michelle Zeitlin
Steve Hutson
Oliver G. Latsch
Alex Czuleger
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, April 30, 2018
The publishing industry used to be predictable, and writers loved that. But in 2018, publishing and marketing a book is a competitive, high-pressure, and confusing business. How can an author or self-publisher navigate the publishing industry’s often-merciless tides?
Writers, IWOSC’s Trends in Publishing program guides you through what can happen to your book AFTER you type “The End” — and reveals what you as an author can do to ensure that the writing is just the beginning for your book project.
We will cover issues like…
We’ll also examine self-promotion, social media, and the “Blockbuster Mentality…
Moderator: Telly Davidson
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Herbie J Pilato
Sharon Goldinger
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, March 26, 2018
Social Media. Ugh. The single most important thing you can do to build your Platform. Double ugh.
You’re a Writer. You’ve got words to write. It’s hard enough to get the words down, put a book together and get it published. Who’s got time to be a media star or marketer?
Moderator: Steven Sanchez
Panelists:
Alaia Williams
Jennifer Brody
Michelle Grondine
[To read more, click the title!]
Phone Seminar
TUESDAY, March 13, 2018
When it comes to generating publicity for your book, don’t expect a press release do all the heavy lifting. You must have a strong “hook” or angle to get the media’s attention and use the press release as background information. Publicity expert Joan Stewart will share more than a dozen hooks that smart authors can use to promote their fiction and nonfiction books.
You will learn:
Presented by: J Joan Stewart “The Publicity Hound”
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, February 26, 2018
What author doesn’t enjoy curling up by a fire to write about the heat of love, glamour, and romance?
0ur panel of top romance writers pulls back the covers and reveals how romance writing, the most traditional of genres, stays relevant in 2018 with discussion of steamy issues and practical advice to authors on book topics like trends, controversies, book series, stand apart from the crowd, and more.
Moderator: Robin Quinn
Aviva Vaughn
Maggie Marr
Stacy Wise
Susan Berger
[To read more, click the title!]
IWOSC Reads its Own
Sunday, February 11, 2018
A spellbinding afternoon of eclectic, eccentric, and exemplary works – from poems to true stories to hilarious monologues and beyond, read aloud by distinguished IWOSC scribes.
An assortment of IWOSC’s talented member writers will read short excerpts from their work.
Location: Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena.
[To read more, click the title!]
Webinar
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
As writers, we know that writing a great piece is only part of our challenge. Along with the writing and editing, we have the challenges of publishing our work. That’s why, in February, we are hosting a special WEBINAR with IngramSpark, one of the main producers of print-on-demand and e-books.
IngramSpark offers the same products and services enjoyed by big-time publishers—superb quality and industry connections backed by decades of experience—made accessible to the indie-publishing community from one award-winning platform.
We will discuss the following topics as time permits…
Presented by: Justine Bylo — Key Account Sales Manager, IngramSpark, Ingram Content Group Inc.
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, January 29, 2018
Travel the globe, stay in top hotels, and dine at the best restaurants — get paid for that as a top travel or food writer!
Sound too good to be true? Well, someone’s getting paid to fill up the pages of Conde Nast, Sunset, and all those travel magazines! How did they break in, and is the gig really all it seems?
After celebrating its 35th anniversary as one of LA’s longest-running professional writers’ organizations, IWOSC starts off 2018 with a star-studded panel on Travel and Food Writing.
We discussed…
Moderator: Deborah Shadovitz
Travel and food writer, Michael Cervin
Travel and food writer, Bekah Wright
[To read more, click the title!]
