We invite all writers in Southern California, writers everywhere and their interested 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.
Webinar
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
This month we present this online Webinar as our monthly Seminar.
In this WEBINAR, Daniel Slater, Principal, Independent Publishing, Kindle Global Content, will present an overview of what making your eBook and POD paperback available from KDP entails, including publishing specifics, economics, and the tools, services, and resources to help you every step of the way.
Presented by: Daniel Slater,
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, November 4, 2019
It’s time to tell the world about your book. The writing and publishing are done, or nearly so, and now your thinking is shifting towards publicity. What should you start doing? Is your vision 2020 for the coming year?
Moderator: Steven Sanchez
Emanuela Cariolagian
Kathleen Kaiser
Lee Wind
Desireé Duffy
[To read more, click the title!]
Monday, September 23, 2019
Jonathan Kirsch, a publishing and intellectual property attorney based in Los Angeles, updates LA publishers on the profound changes that are taking place in the publishing industry and what they mean for your publishing business.
[To read more, click the title!]
Summer Party 2019 at Whiskey Red’s ! Join us for a fun bash with good food, lots of chuckles, some nice door prizes, and direct contact with your fellow writers and publishers. Sorry, but this event has passed. Socializing and conversation is the call of the day. Our writers and publishers have a lot to say, and our summer party, is an opportunity to compare notes. Nestled within the picturesque setting of Marina del Rey, Whiskey Red’s is a staple of the community. Enjoy the setting, the food, and especially the brilliant company of your compatriots. Enjoy an afternoon/evening in […]
Members-only Brainstorming Session
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
YOUR questions can be answered at the next Brainstorming meeting.
Bring your books, cover design drafts, marketing ideas, requests for referrals, and anything else related to publishing and get answers from the other members in our group. Take advantage of the collective wisdom of your fellow publishers and publishing colleagues.
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, July 29, 2019
Public radio veteran Kitty Felde will moderate and join a panel of professionals talk about writing for young audiences — picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and Young Adult (YA)
Moderator: Kitty Felde
Sherri L. Smith
[To read more, click the title!]
Webinar
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
This July we present this online Webinar as our monthly Seminar.
Are you a screenwriter or thinking about writing a movie or TV script?
Our popular seminar leader, Pilar Alessandra, author of “The Coffee Break Screenwriter,” answers your questions about the craft. Her tips and techniques are well known for getting writers On the Page, and helping them finish their scripts fast! Anything goes in this 90-minute video-conference Q&A. So, bring your questions about brainstorming, outlining, character work, dialogue and page-writing.
Writers can ask about:
Presented by: Pilar Alessandra
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, June 24, 2019
What to know about creating an audiobook version of your book?
Have you wondered about the viability or value of creating an audio version of your book? Does your book lend itself to an audio version? Could it?
Whether you’ve already written and published your book or are still writing it, whether your words are fiction or nonfiction, the insights from our panel of professional voice actors can be of great benefit as you contemplate the possibility of turning it into an audio book.
Our panel, composed of professional and experienced voice actors and producers, will discuss
And, top voice actors will read some of your words so you can hear how gender, age and style can affect your written words
Bring your books and your questions so our great panel can provide information and answers that you need to know.
Moderator: Andre Stojka
Diane Michelle
Brenny Bravos
Marc Graue
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, May 20, 2019
In today’s lighting-paced marketplace, it’s more important than ever to have an advocate to fight for you if you choose the route of traditional publishing.
The Independent Writers of Southern California — that’s us — is again presenting a panel of stellar Southern California agents (for both books and film/TV) that will tell you what you need to know…
Moderator: Telly Davidson
WordWise Media Services
Ken Sherman
Holly Root
Sherry Robb
Steve Hutson
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, April 29, 2019
For writers who wonder how to write a book that can be adapted to film, we bring you a panel of four experienced women to help you out.
What storytelling qualities help make a novel, biography/memoir, or news article a must-see for the screen, and how do you “boil down” your book to something movie-appropriate?
How a writer can best position his or her work for a screen option and get it read by Hollywood gatekeepers and decision makers?
Do self-published and small press authors carry professional credibility — and if not, how do they establish it?
Our panel:
Nancy Ellen DoddWendy Kram
Wendy Kram
Sam Shaw
Tinker Lindsay
[To read more, click the title!]
Telephone Seminar
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
How to craft effective queries and proposals
Presented by: Michelle Zeitlin and Jane Cowen Hamilton
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, March 25, 2019
Everybody loves a mystery — but NOT everybody knows how to write one. That’s not a surprise since there are almost as many kinds of mystery novels as there are novels themselves.
From plot pacing to story structure to the eternal choice between plot-driven and character-driven fiction, our next panel for writers will address mystery novels.
Looking for clues on how to get started writing mysteries? Have a who-done-it in the trunk eager to escape?
Some of the topics our psychological autopsy will be focusing on…
Moderator: For now we’ll leave that as a mystery for you
April Smith
Patricia Smiley
David Putnam
Betty Hechtman
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Writing Memoirs that People WANT to Read!
Writing Tips and Techniques to Bring Your Story to Life
IWOSC kicks off the New Year with a memoir-writing workshop intensive led by our own Ina Hillebrandt. Using her special provocative techniques in this hands-on writing seminar, you’ll be writing a short tale to immediately get the hang of this new style!
You’ll experience for yourself how fun and cathartic it can be to write stories from your own life.
You’ll get creative practical feedback and writing tips to write memoirs that people will want to read — even those who are not your mother or child.
You’ll see why internationally celebrated storyteller and new author Michael D. McCarty wrote about Ina’s workshops, “My inner critic disappeared. He’s somewhere in the Bahamas.”
Presented by: Ina Hillebrandt
[To read more, click the title!]
Panel
Monday, February 25, 2019
Health & Wellness titles, like Come as You Are, Chris Beat Cancer and The Fast Metabolism Diet, continue to be among the top sellers in books on and off line.
What can you do to make your book stand out among all the competition?
How can you get your book done?
Do you have to be a health expert to publish in this arena?
How do you find gigs to write books for the experts in this field?
What are the latest and greatest marketing strategies?
How can you best manage your time as an author, whether you went the traditional route or self-published?
Moderator: Robin Quinn
Jerri Sher
Emily Dwass
Derek Doepker
Steve Hutson
[To read more, click the title!]
Webinar
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Learn all about HARO, directly from the East Coast headquarters.
HARO is a service in which reporters, bloggers, and authors submit queries seeking experts who can lend credibility and breadth to their stories. Experts respond in hopes of gaining some publicity for themselves, their brand or their client. It’s that simple!
What we’ll go over:…
Presented by: Kristen Sala and Allison Richard of Cision.
[To read more, click the title!]
Twice a year, a dozen or so members get together at a local book store and regal fellow writers and the public with some of their writing.
Readers this time:
IWOSC Reads Its Own is proud to present its line-up of February 2019 star readers:
Roselyn Teukolsky
Roberta Edgar
(Margaret) Peggy York
Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin
Rosalind Barden
William Anthony
Dennis Moran
Bo Kyung Kim
Gloria Garvin
Barbara Hodgson
Bert Wouters
Flo Selfman
Panel
Monday, January 28, 2019
Our writers’ group kicks off 2019 with a program designed specifically to help writers determine which path is the best (and the most profitable) for them in today’s world of traditional publishing, self-publishing, small presses, and online and E-books.
There will be plenty of lively discussion, questions taken from the audience, and a chance to network and connect after the program.
Moderator: Ina Hillebrandt
Colleen Dunn Bates
Sharon Goldinger
[To read more, click the title!]
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Want some feedback on potential titles for your next book?
Need help with finding a distributor?
Have an opinion about a potential cover design?
Not sure if you should spend money on exhibiting at an upcoming trade show?
YOUR questions can be answered.
