Announcement: Self-Publishing and Boutique Publishers Workshop Coming Aug. 10

Have you been wondering what the right publishing choice is for your book? We've assembled an expert panel on the topics of boutique publishing and independent publishing to help you understand your ever-changing publishing options.

Check out our panelists:

• Shawn E. Bell,  author, screenwriter, publisher, naturalist, and media god. Shawn walks authors through every phase of the independent publishing process. 
• Calee M. Lee, CEO of Xist Publishing, the largest children's book, digital-first publishing start-up. Calee began as a self-published author before creating her own company. 
• Sonia Marsh, award-winning author who knows how to market books online and in person. She offers "gutsy" book coaching to authors, as well as webinars and workshops on the topic of branding, platform building, getting your book into Costco, and more. 
• Gayle Carline, columnist and author of seven books. One was released with a traditional publisher, and she has released the others herself. Gayle regularly teaches a workshop titled "Self-Publishing: Is it for you?"

 
Cost: FREE, but reservations are required because seating is limited. RSVP at the Meetup site (http://www.meetup.com/OC-Writers/events/190858682)
Date: Sunday, Aug. 10
Time: 1:30 to 3 p.m. 
Location: El Toro Library Community Room, 24672 Raymond Way, Lake Forest, CA, 92630 

We would love to have as many questions as possible in advance so our panelist can prepare. Please see our Facebook Group page, or you can email Workshop Coordinator Greta Boris at greta@gretaboris.com.

Scenes from the Synopsis Workshop

More than 25 O.C. Writers came to hear sage advice on writing a synopsis from New York Times bestselling author Susan Squires on March 23 at El Toro Library in Lake Forest.

Before we let her speak, O.C. Writers Workshop Coordinator Greta Boris and I grabbed Susan for a photo. See how tolerant she is? The mark of a true professional.

If you were there, I hope you came away with helpful information. The raves on the Meetup group indicate you probably did. 

If you weren't there, I do hope you'll join us next time.

Happy writing!

DeAnna

Synopsis Workshop with NYT Best-selling Author Susan Squires on March 23*

The dreaded synopsis. Agents and publishers demand them, yet we hate writing them, don't we? Here's your chance to learn some tricks and tips from New York Times-bestselling author Susan Squires.

I'll get her bio up soon, but in the meantime you can check her out in all her awesomeness here: http://www.susansquires.com.

Susan's synopsis workshop will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the El Toro Library in Lake Forest. Since she is generously offering to provide handouts to those present, we're asking that only people who are serious about attending sign up (which you can do here: http://www.meetup.com/OC-Writers/events/165779042/. Also, RSVPs will be cut off 3 days before the event to allow her sufficient time to produce the handouts. This workshop is FREE!

(If you do not have a Meetup account and prefer not to create one -- or if you have any questions about the event -- contact me at deanna@deannacameron.com.

* As a bonus -- After the synopsis workshop, anyone who is interested is invited to stick around for an impromptu story brainstorming session. Be prepared to describe your story to the group in a minute or two, and what you want feedback on. If you're stuck on something like plot points or character motivation, this is a great way to hear other ideas that might open up new possibilities in your story for you.

The time we have to devote to each brainstormer will depend on the time remaining after the workshop and the number of brainstormers present. Also, it will help us plan if you could leave a note in the comments section below to let us know if you're planning to stick around for the brainstorming session. There's no pressure at all, so don't feel bad if you aren't interested in staying. If we have a really big group, we might just need to break off into 2 or 3 groups instead of one.