Workshop Sneak Peek: Debra Brown, Social Media Trainer

Debra Brown will be leading three sessions about Social Media for Writers during the Southeastern Writers Workshop week, June 13-17, 2014.  Debra is SWA's Social Media Coordinator, a past-president of SWA and a marketing professional with over 30 years experience in such fields as banking, business and education as well as her award-winning writer career. Her list of published credits include the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Chocolate for a Woman's Soul series, Guideposts, Woman's World, Total Business Lifestyles, and others.

Debra's Social Media sessions are designed "to give the basics to new users but also to offer tips that I've learned in the process that advanced users can use" and to "to show options for writers/authors to use for branding and sales so that they can find one to focus on in the beginning ... and to have fun using ... social media ... to engage with peers, readers."  She will focus on three types of Social Media but will be available to meet with attendees individually to answer other questions.  Her classes are:

• Mastering the @BCs of Twitter for Writers
• Putting the "Book" in Facebook: Branding & Sales
• Pinning with Purpose: Pinterest for Writers

Register Today!

Free Manuscript Evaluations!

Contests with Cash Prizes!

News from the Twitterverse

Items for writers gleaned from Twitter....

Contests

Hope Clark ‏(@hopeclark) posted on April 20
Creative nonfiction contest - no entry fee - $125 first place - 500-1500 words - deadline May 31 - https://renegadeword.submittable.com/submit/28175 

Boston Review ‏(@BostonReview) posted on April 6
The BR Poetry Contest is now accepting submissions! Judge is Major Jackson, 1st Prize is $1,500, deadline is June 2: http://bit.ly/1frZq26 

Writing Competitions ‏(@WritingCompt) posted on April 14
Jeff Sharlet Award http://bit.ly/1ep3few 

Prize Reporter ‏(@pwprizereporter) posted on April 21
Read more about Claudia Rankine & the $50,000 Jackson Poetry Prize, given annually by @poetswritersinc: http://www.pw.org/about-us/jackson_poetry_prize  #JacksonPrize

Tips About Contests

Hope Clark ‏(@hopeclark) posted on April 20
10 things to do to win a writing contest - http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/2014/04/ten-things-to-do-to-win-a-writing-contest/ …

YA Authors Opportunity

Amy Trueblood ‏(@atrueblood5) posted on April 19
Write Contemp #YA? Have you checked out this amazing opportunity from @SHContemp & @brendadrake? http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/04/got-ya-contemporary-announcing-pitch-event-spencer-hill-contemporary/ …


Follow SWA on Twitter: @SWAwriters

~~ Amy Munnell

Amy is the Editor of The Purple Pros, and has been an SWA member since 1990, serving on the Board of Directors from 1993-2007 and again from 2011 to the present.  She has been a freelance writer and editor for 25 years with her work appearing in various publications including the Chocolate for a Woman's Soul series, Saying Goodbye, From the Heart, Points North, ByLine, Athens Magazine and Georgia Magazine. Find Amy on Twitter: @amunnell

Workshop Sneak Peek: Carlie Webber, Literary Agent

Agent in Residence Carlie Webber will be with us throughout the Southeastern Writers Workshop week, June 13-17, 2014.  She is the founder of CK Webber Associates based in San Francisco, but began her book-centric career as a Young Adult librarian.  As such she often reviewed YA books for Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), Kirkus Reviews and others.  After completing the Columbia Publishing Course, Carlie interned at Writers House then worked for the Publish or Perish Agency/New England Publishing Associates, and later at the Jane Rotrosen Agency.  She launched CK Webber Associates in early 2013 and currently seeks manuscripts in various genres, including Young Adult, Middle Grade,  New Adult, women's fiction, literary and general fiction, memoir and others.

Carlie will meet one-on-one with interested workshop attendees throughout the week, participate in our Ask The Experts Q&A panel discussion, and give a State of the Industry lecture Sunday. In addition, she'll teach two classes:

Dissecting The Query Letter

A great query can be your key to snagging the right agent. In this workshop, Carlie Webber will take you through the ins and outs of constructing the perfect query letter, from the opening (hint: “Dear Agent” is not a great opening) to the book description (no spoilers!) to the close. She’ll answer some of the most common questions about query writing, including length of the letter, how much information to reveal about the plot, what information to put in your author bio, and what details will make an agent want to read more. 

☆ ☆ ☆ Submit Your Query Letter for Critique! ☆ ☆ ☆

Email for details.

Dissecting The Synopsis

After writing a 100,000-word novel, writing a 500-word synopsis of the novel seems easy. In fact, writing a synopsis might be one of the hardest things a writer has to do. Carlie Webber will teach you what information should (and should not) go in a synopsis, why a great synopsis can help sell and market your book, and why it’s important to be able to clearly and concisely summarize your book in just a few words. Examples of good synopsis writing will be shown throughout the presentation.

Still undecided?

Check out the Southeastern Writers Workshop  page 

to learn more.

And to REGISTER!

A Round of Applause: Member News

C. Hope Clark's Tidewater Murder won Best Mystery in the 2014 EPIC (Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition) ebook Awards! She also won 2013 EPIC award for Lowcountry Bribe.

SWA vice president, Buzz Bernard, has also won a 2014 EPIC eBook Award -- in the suspense/thriller category for his novel Plague.  Buzz is currently at work on his fourth novel, Blizzard.

Janet Sheppard Kelleher has been honored to open the first annual Listen To Your Mother show in Charleston, SC on May 4, 2014 with her nonfiction story, "I Don't Know Nothin' 'Bout Birthin' Babies." Her creative nonfiction has been published in various edition editions of Not Your Mother's Book, including … On Being a Woman - "Sitting Room Only," and … On Family - "Telltale Possessions" (Coming June 10, 2014).  It's no surprise she won the Carrie McCray Memorial award for Nonfiction in 2013. 

Sheila Hudson signed a contract with Dancing With Bear Publishing company for her book 13 Decisions that will Change Your Life, the first in a series.

Judith Barban has added two books to her resume in 2014. Her YA novel Meredith's Wolf is a sequel to her award-winning Poplar River, which garnered the ThomasMax You Are Published award at the SWA Workshop a few years ago. Judith has also penned Crown Jewels, a collection of her poetry. (Crown Jewels will be released this month.)

Peggy Mercer gospel song THE OAR hit No. 7 on Southern gospel countdown on elite CASHBOX magazine charts and is climbing.

Holly McClure signed a contract with Mercer for her book Conjuror.  She also participated this month in the Daddy's Girl Writers Conference.

Patrick Hempfing had moMENts columns published in April issues of About Families, Idaho Family, Mendo Lake Family Life, Palmetto Parent, Sonoma Family Life, Suburban Parent, and Western New York Family magazines. 

We invite members to share news about their successes and activities so we can all join the celebration!

SPECIAL STORY CALL-OUT! - MAY 5 DEADLINE

From Publishing Syndicate

Not Your Mother's Book...On Holidays has moved up on the production schedule. The slated release date will be in September, which means we must finalize this book  quickly. There are a dozen or so story slots open, but we need specific stories. Would love to see any funny,  different, daring and smart stories on these topics:

• Cinco de Mayo
• Day of the Dead 
• Easter
• Father's Day
• Jewish holidays
• Kwanzaa
• Labor Day
• Memorial Day
• Mother's Day
• New Year's Eve
• St. Patrick's Day
• Veteran's Day 

We have plenty of stories for those holidays not listed.   

The deadline is Monday, May 5th. 

Reminder...

Manuscript submissions to the SWA Writers Workshop contests & evaluations are due May 15th.  Find more info here.