Imagine a consultant who has published over 100 short pieces in respected journals and magazines.
Imagine she will read a bit of YOUR memoir and give you advice on how to create a publishable excerpt.
THEN imagine she will suggest journals and magazines to which you can submit it.
That's our coming workshop THE DISTILLED MEMOIR April 25 with Pat Carr
Publishing personal stories and excerpts from your memoir will help you find a publisher for the full-length work and build a readership. Pat's excellent editor's eyes will improve your writing for sure.
Seating is limited for this workshop focused on YOUR STORY. You will be asked to submit your piece in advance to give Pat time to read it before the workshop, so register NOW.
The Village Writing School is on the map! The yard sale map for Eureka's Yards & Yards of Sales on April 24-25. Bring us your donations or let us sell a bigger item for a tax-deductible donation. S T A R T N O W ! This is THE time to clean house AND help the Village Writing School. We can provide some limited pick up. Drop your priced items off on April 23.
And don't forget to come shop!
Write Writers' Night Out
THIS Thursday, Jessie will serve a birthday meal to celebrate our April birthdays. What's a birthday meal? You'll need to attend to find out!
NEXT Thursday (April 16) we will practice our readings for the radio. If you have a piece you'd like to share on the radio, come and read it. We also need an AUDIENCE to make suggestions on our presentations.
From the Director . . .
I don't know about you, but I'm worn out with thinking about it. Social Media, I mean. That's all we hear. How we must have zillions of followers on FaceBook and Twitter, not to mention Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram, to create our "brand" and our "platform" etc. And then there's the whole blog thing.
Really?
My friend got a NY agent. The agent sold her book to a major house for a six-figure advance. It was her first adult novel. My friend is not on social media except for posting pictures of her kids on FB. She doesn't have a platform unless teaching in a university counts for anything.
The publishing house that bought her book has social media consultants. What did they tell her? Tweet. That's all. And not worry about it so much now, because they will help her.
I'm reading agents' blogs, and they're saying that platform is everything for nonfiction but for fiction, not so much.
"Publishing is changing," we hear all the time, ad nauseam. And it is. Rapidly. That's why I decided that we need another P U B L I S H !! conference. To keep us up to date on the latest advice, not only from New York, but from small presses. To keep us up on Indy publishing and the newest ideas in marketing and distribution.
For PUBLISH!! 2015, I wanted NY agents from an agency that does social media consulting. I want to know what advice they hear coming to their authors from publishers. I want to know if I only need to be on Twitter and, if so, what the heck should I tweet?
We don't need to rely on social media advice that's two years old. Because, Publishing is Changing. (sigh)
I do want to have a meaningful connection to readers. I do want to share cool things that relate to my novels. But I want my social media to run lean and mean. I want to get as much for my time as possible. I bet you do to. Hopefully, PUBLISH!! 2015 will help us achieve those goals.
Quick Tips
Pub Ops On Writing
A fun site that publishes a photo and solicits stories to go with it.
Dr. Ruth Roberts taught literature for many years in Arkansas. She is now working on her own historical novel set in the civil war in which a widower struggles to balance his roles as son, father, and Southerner. Ruth says she is "thrilled" over our Maumelle publishing series, and that it's "better than winning the lottery."
Eureka Springs Rogers/Bentonville Fayetteville Little Rock Maumelle
S P R I N G B E G I N N I N G S
The Maumelle Associate Program completed its pioneer eight-week series, with nine writers completing most or all of the sessions. Beginning April 20th, Maumelle will offer three series: Creative Writing 1, Creative Writing 2, and a new Business Writing series designed to promote career or school success. See these workshops HERE.
Likewise, our Rogers Program will repeat its five-workshop series beginning with The First Page/Character on May 2. See these workshops HERE.
In Eureka, on April 20, we begin a series of weekly classes on Monday nights from 6-8. Everything You Need to Write a Beautiful Story. This is a great opportunity for anyone who prefers a shorter workshop, not on Saturday. More on this program HERE.
P o e t r y M o n t h !
April is National Poetry Month, and Wendy Carlisle will be at the Eureka Springs Library for a free poetry workshop on April 11 from 9 - 3 p.m.
She will be joined by slam poet, Molly Scroges, to discuss writing, presenting, and appreciating poetry.
S M I L E !
Supporting the VWS is Now Painless!
Log into "smile.amazon.com" -- rather than just "Amazon.com."
Amazon will donate 1/2% of all your purchases to the Village Writing School!
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support us every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop atsmile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same prices and selection as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the price of your cart to the Village Writing School.
Sign in using your Amazon account information (or create an account if you've never purchased from Amazon).
Type in "Village Writing School" in the search bar that reads "or pick your own charitable origination".
Click the Select button next to "Village Writing School" to confirm your choice.
Start shopping!!!!
Just remember to always begin at
smile.amazon.com rather than justAmazon.com
Calendar
April 11 - Blogging - 9-4
April 12 - Poetry Roundelay - 2-4 April 17 - Fiction Writing Circle - 5:15 April 19 -Fayetteville Writing Circle - 1:00 @ Fayetteville Library April 20 - Weekly Night Classes - 6-8
April 24-25 - Yards & Yards of Yard Sales - Begins at 7 am
April 25 - Publishing Excerpts from Your Memoir - 1-4
May 2 - First Page/Character June 6 - Dialogue & Setting July 11 - The Word and the Sentence August 1 - Subtext, High Events, Closings September 5 - Self-Editing
Workshops are from 9-4 with an hour for lunch.
Fee $45 each with a 10% discount if the whole program is paid in advance.
Social Media Links The MISSION of the Village Writing School is to foster a vibrant literary community in Northwest Arkansas and to provide resources for ALL writers who seek to improve their craft.
S U P P O R T O U R M I S S I O N
THE VILLAGE WRITING SCHOOL IS A 501c3 ORGANIZATION.
