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!]
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!]
Seminar
Novelists, screenwriters, essayists, non-fiction and memoir authors, songwriters, and writers of all genres: did you know you can will learn poetic techniques that you can use in all of your writing, whether it’s for articles, books, copywriting, songs, or scripts.
Writer and poet Tresha Faye Haefner, will share basic poetic principles that writers can use to improve all of your writing and enhance your creative voice.
Presented by: Tresha Faye Haefner
[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!]
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!]
Seminar
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Authors, do you fear making grammatical errors in writing or speaking?
Have you forgotten the writing rules you learned in school – and do they still apply?
As a writer, you might be preparing your book manuscript for publication, or maybe you’re crafting a query letter to a literary agent or a magazine editor. How about updating your author website? You might be writing promotional copy or composing a memoir.
Whatever you’re writing, are you just plain confused? Then this grammar class is the class for you. Publicist, copyeditor and IWOSC past president Flo Selfman will bring your prose up to speed.
Writers will gain grammar confidence with a review of simple rules to correct dozens of common writing errors.
Topics include…
Presented by: Flo Selfman
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
TUESDAY, November 14, 2017
A special telephone seminar
Steven Spatz, president of BookBaby, will share with his audience of essayists, novelists, editors, book designers, authors of all genres, and self-publishers, information on topics of vital interest to book producers and writers, including…
Presented by: Steven Spatz
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, October 21, 2017
In this seminar for writers and others in publishing and Hollywood, we will explore the dynamics of gender and racial discrimination that writers face in publishing and in show business. Whether you are a journalist, scriptwriter, copywriter, editor, songwriter, script doctor, or any other type of writer, join us as we discuss discrimination: how to spot it, how to handle it, how to “lean in” and push back against it, and how to work around it.
For a time, it appeared that sexism, homophobia, and racism directed at writers were things of the past in “tolerant, liberal” New York publishing and the world of showbiz. But it appears that change was only cosmetic. Discrimination persists, but has become more coded than it was in the days of Madmen. The same problems that writers faced back then have been lurking under the surface all along.
To get at how writers can fight back or find a way around this issue, we will be discussing topics like…
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, September 23, 2017
What do writers need to know about contracts? Or Intellectual Property? How about collaborations between authors? Turns out, there’s a lot of legal issues that writers and self-publishers should be aware of.
How can writers avoid the pitfalls of intellectual property theft, frivolous libel and plagiarism lawsuits, scam literary agents, too-good-to-be-true offers, contract loopholes, and how can authors avoid being cheated out of their money when writing a book, screenplay/play, or TV format? And what new traps are out there in cyberspace and online writing that writers need to be aware of?
Presented by:
Dan Laidman
Dana Newman
Workshop Coordinator: Telly Davidson
[To read more, click the title!]
IWOSC presents an interactive Monday Evening Meeting: Summer Reads — Who’s hot, why, and how can we all sizzle on…
Seminar
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Our panelists:
David Wogahn
Julia Drake
Steven Sanchez
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Have you been thinking about writing a book?
Wondering where to start?
Or, have you started, but feel unclear about how to organize your writing?
Looking for ideas to make your book a better read?
Now’s the time to get feedback and ideas for moving ahead!
In this workshop…
Presented by: Ina Hillebrandt
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar How to Write Query Letters & Proposals Saturday, May 20, 2017 10:30 am – 1:00 p.m. How do you…
Seminar
Thursday, April 20, 2017
For April we present a special event: a phone-in seminar in conjunction with The Publishers Association of Los Angeles (PALA) — on a THURSDAY EVENING rather than a Saturday morning. We save you a trip to Culver City, enabling you to learn with us from the comfort of your own home — and for a special lower price!
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is rolling out a new program that offers self-publishers and indie authors the opportunity to publish print on demand paperbacks through Kindle, along with publishing their eBooks.
In this telephone seminar, Daniel Slater, Principal, Independent Publishing, Kindle Global Content, will present an overview of what making your POD paperback available from KDP entails, including publishing specifics, economics. etc.
Presented by: Daniel Slater, Principal, Independent Publishing, Kindle Global Content
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, March 18, 2017
This month we’re diverging from our usual one-person seminar and hosting an intimate panel of sorts for our seminar.
Our experts will cover many aspects of writing non-fiction prose including…
Presented by: Marc Weingarten and Kelly Carlin with Greg Miller
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Finishing a draft of a book or script is an awesome accomplishment – but we all know that at least one more set of revisions will certainly follow, because you probably won’t get it totally right on the first or second draft.
Assessment of a draft and deciding what to emphasize or cut in the next draft is a very delicate stage of the process.
Now you’re not just invested in the project, you’re immersed in it.
This seminar will cover methods and principles that you can apply to books, scripts, memoir, personal essays, speeches, storytelling, etc.
Presented by: Greg Miller and Ina Hillebrandt
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Presented by: Jack and Josh Grapes
“Method Writing” is an organic approach to writing, much as method acting is an organic approach to acting, stressing inner process and deep voice. “Method Writing” consists of various concepts that take the writer through techniques designed to make the writing more compelling and more effective, publishable and productive.
Back by popular demand, Jack Grapes will present this overview of the writer’s creative process, focusing on his book “Method Writing,” a technique he’s developed and used in his writing workshops over the last 35 years.
Jack will discuss the nature of the creative process, and how that applies to “Method Writing.” So bring something to write on: paper and pen, parchment and quill, stone and chisel — whatever works.
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Again and again, writing experts agree: WordPress is THE way to publish your website to the Internet.
You might be using something else. You might have tried WordPress and found it challenging. That’s ok. Like anything new, there are a few things to learn to get up and running successfully. But given WordPress’ popularity and nearly unanimous recommendation for writers, shouldn’t you take another look?
Would you like to know:
Presented by: Steven Sanchez
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, October 15, 2016
GetPublished! announcer Bill Navarro quips that host Gerald Everett Jones has the answers – because he’s already made the mistakes himself. So, bring your questions to this recording session, step up to the mic, and challenge him on the air!
Presented by: GetPublished! host Gerald Everett Jones
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, October 10, 2009
PART 1:
When you are interviewed on radio and TV, you need to be at the top of your game, appear to be unrehearsed, concise, upbeat, easily understood through clear sound bites and short explanations, and you must do your homework and know your book. We’re at the top of our game by presenting the EMMY AWARD WINNING Barry Kibrick, who will show you the ropes.
In this part of our seminar, we will discuss, as time allows…
PART 2:
Writers conjure words and make magic in the form of poems and stories. But what happens when you speak them?
Presented by:
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Finishing a draft of a book or script is an awesome accomplishment – but we all know that at least one more set of revisions will certainly follow, because you probably won’t get it totally right on the first or second draft.
This seminar will cover methods and principles that you can apply to books, scripts, memoir, personal essays, speeches, storytelling, etc.
Presented by: Greg Miller
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Pitch quickly and pitch well! Whether you’re pitching your book idea to a publisher or your screenplay idea to a producer, this class will help you stay on point and avoid listener tune-out.
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, June 18, 2016
In the past years, IWOSC had produced a Marketing panel every spring. This year we are presenting an intense (but friendly) experience with three of the very top people in the field. We will take breaks, time for lunch, and plenty of time for questions.
The syllabus is very comprehensive and the session has been priced at a fraction of its value with a big Early Bird discount and also an IWOSC member discount. This program will include several free actionable take-aways.
We hope that you will be impressed, but more to the point, we hope this will energize you and give you new tools, a new outlook, and the comfort of the counsel of three top people.
Our panelists:
David Wogahn
Julia Drake
Steven Sanchez
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
TUESDAY, April 19, 2016
This month we’re doing something different. Rather than hold our usual seminar on a Saturday in Culver City, we are joining PALA in a non location-based seminar on a Tuesday evening.
Amazon offers many programs and opportunities for authors and publishers involving print books, e-books, and audio books as well as sales tracking tools and promotional and marketing opportunities.
[To read more, click the title!]
Seminar
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Diana Paul will be giving a few examples of flawed characters from her novel, “Things Unsaid,” and discussing their importance for the structure of the novel. In addition to examples from her novel, she will use “Olive Kitteridge” (Elizabeth Strout) and “Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant” (Anne Tyler) and their use of character flaws.
In a workshop format, Diana Paul encourages all participants to read from their own writing or from some of their favorite authors so we can open the discussion on characters we love to hate.
[To read more, click the title!]
