Bouchercon 2014

MURDER AT THE BEACH

BOUCHERCON 2014

           NOVEMBER 13-16

            LONG BEACH, CA

            HYATT RENGENCY

 

 Welcome!

 

Are you joining us for Murder at the Beach, Bouchercon 2014? We hope so! If you haven't registered yet, there's still time. If you've registered, but you haven't made travel, hotel, or (optional) tour arrangements, we encourage you to do so today.

Stay tuned to this site for more schedule details, available tours and other fun extras, special memories, and other announcements on our Bouchercon blog below.

See you in November!

Ingrid Willis

CHAIR, Bouchercon 2014, Murder at the Beach

Ingrid@bouchercon2014.com

 

Are you attending?

Mt Sac Sixth Annual Writer's Weekend

Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California
 

April 25 - April 27 Starts at 9:00am · Ends at 2:00pm
	1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut, California 91789

                                                                (909) 274-7500

April 25-27, 2014, Mount San Antonio College will host its sixth annual Writers’ Weekend for aspiring writers from our college, other California colleges, and the surrounding community. Fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction writers: this is your chance to network, workshop, and create.

Manuscript Preparation

If you have aspirations for publishing your work but don't know a lot about how, learn about preparing manuscripts for publication, submitting manuscripts to publishers, and other important information from writers who have published their writing professionally across the country and beyond.

Panels

Our guest speakers will discuss the issues most relevant and significant in the writing community today, such as recent and popular trends in literature and creative writing, topics, and themes writers are currently exploring, the challenges writers face, and where literature may be headed in the future.

Open Mic

Open microphone readings are a great way to celebrate and show appreciation for the work all writers do, and, best of all, there's never any pressure to take the microphone yourself. You can just sit back and enjoy the readings and performances with like-minded souls.

Writers' Day Prizes

Join us in congratulating our Writers' Day Award winners. This is an annual prize open to all Mt. SAC students for work in fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and critical essays.

What You Will Need

We encourage you to bring the following materials with you to Writers' Weekend:

·        A notebook, laptop, iPad, etc.

·        Pens and pencils

·        10 copies of any work you wish to share during our writing workshops

·        Your work on a flash drive or disc

·        Pocket money

Featured speakers: Bonnie Bearn Hill, Christopher Scott Coe, John Brantingham, Jo Scott Coe

Workshops will be run by Sunny Frazier, Syd Barton, Scott Creeley, Michelle Doughtery, John Brantingham, etc.

Time is running out.

Please sign up by contacting jbrantingham@mtsac.edu or laquino@mtsac.edu

Pizza will be provided for Friday and Saturday. Please bring anything else you would like to eat.

Blogs Worth Following

By Jerry D. Simmons | September 17th, 2012 http://writersreaders.com/marketing-message  

Every writer must have the ability to describe their writing in a short, concise and profound manner. This is often called the hook, or elevator pitch, but I describe it as the marketing message. This is an important component of your overall plan in both written and oral language that mandates the writer’s ability to recite instantly and effectively.

The marketing message should be designed to capture the attention of the reader or listener in the first couple of sentences or statements and create curiosity, intrigue, and of course the need for more information. Here are some relevant points about the marketing message:

(1) Avoid clichés,

(2) Should be provocative,

(3) Start the pitch with an impact,

(4) Must be short and to the point,

(5) Express your voice loud and clear,

(6) Make sure your passion is on display,

(7) Who is writing what you are writing?

(8) Answer: why would anyone want your writing?

(9) The key is your niche or position in the market,

(10)  Do not compare to a title that is hugely successful,

(11) Gives the reader or listener a positive feeling about your work,

(12) Rewrite and revise to perfection.

Bookstores are your laboratories, visit on a regular basis and observe, especially in the genre in which you are writing. Read competitive titles by authors that are not bestsellers, get an understanding of why the titles are on store shelves. The more you know competitively, the better your ability to create a strong marketing message.  Read jacket and flap copy, it will help you understand the importance of the marketing message.  Continue to improve upon what you have because this is one place where rewriting and revising will pay dividends.

The Marketing Message Tips for Writers™

Publishing & Book Marketing Newsletter

Jerry D. Simmons is a former publishing executive in New York, who over the years has worked
on hundreds of New York Times bestselling titles and with numerous bestselling authors.

 

I have been following Jerry's blog for over a year. I have gained much use of his work in my daily writing.  augie