Biggest thanks of all, of course, goes to this year's conferees. What a fine bunch of writers you turned out to be. Now let's get on to the awards...

SCWC*SD 27 Award Recipients:

OUTSTANDING FICTION

The Silent Deal

by Levi Stack of Jamul, CA

OUTSTANDING NON-FICTION

Postcards from Home

by Shelly Miller of San Diego, CA

OUTSTANDING MEMOIR

Revival

by Mark Koopmans of Honolulu, HI

OUTSTANDING TOPIC

The Sanctuary (coming)

by Melissa Fisher of Venice, CA

Congratulations to the honorees and to all the staff who helped make SD27 such a fabulous event. Dates for SD28 are Presidents' Day Weekend, Feb. 14-17, 2014. Between now and then, join us in Newport Beach for LA11, Sept. 20-22, 2013, and virtually anytime on the SCWC Facebook Page where there's always a vibrant discussion going on with like-minded members of our vast and ever-growing writing community.

And for those who couldn't make it to Sunday afternoon Special Guest Speaker Andrew E. Kaufman's keynote, do yourself a favor and sit back, relax, and have a watch:

Pre-registsration for LA11 (in Newport Beach) opens March 1, 2013. Be there or be... where?

Read Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 news update

Do Yourself Independence Sessions

Speaking of Michele Scott and Andrew E. Kaufman, the pair are also conducting separate workshops individually, as well as one together for our Do Your Independence track, "DYI: Amazon and Beyond: The Take of Two Authors." As both caught the attention of Amazon's recently unveiled traditional publishing arm and have signed muliple-book contracts with its imprints, what insight they bring to the e-paradigm table oughta prove interesting.

For all those either wrestling with or already going indie with your book(s), here's the complete list of sessions devoted to just that at SD27:

DYI: "Amazon and Beyond: The Take of Two Authors" with Andrew Kaufman and Michele Scott

DYI: "Author as Entrepreneur" with Lois Joy Hofman

DYI: "Indie Excellence: Legitimacy & Editing" with Laura Taylor and guests

DYI: "Leaving a Virtual Footprint" with Mary Vensel White

DYI: "Producing Book Trailers that Don’t Suck" with Michael Steven Gregory (maybe)

DYI: "Publishing & Marketing Strategies from an International Best-selling Indie Author" with Sheri Fink

DYI: "Self-Publishing Savvy: Why, How, Where, What You Need to Know" with Gayle Carline

DYI: "Stop the Presses—NOT! Publishing Printed Books In The Digital Age" with Margaux Hession and Matthew J. Pallamary

DYI: "Up Close and Visual: Breaking Down Author/Reader Barriers" with Valerie Wicks

DYI: "Your Author Bio, Media Copy and PR Package" with Marla Miller (or, in other words, "Learn How to Write a Professional Author's Bio, for Chrissake!")

DYI: "Your Book As a Business: Make YOUR Book the Next Big Thing!" with Charmaine Hammond

More Workshops Added

Joining us for the first time, paranormal fictionalist and short story sensation Lisa Kessler will be conducting two workshops. Her debut novel, Night Walker, won a San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror as well as the Romance Through the Ages Award for Best Paranormal and Best First Book. Christine Cody, author of the Bloodlands series, calls it, “A soulful, timeless love story and an engrossing new take on immortal mythology." Lisa will conduct "Wtg. Short Stories that Pack a Punch" and "Happily Ever After: Make Them Earn It." Welcome aboard, Lisa!

We're finalizing the schedule over the next week, then plan to make a print-friendly version available online.

Check back for more soon. And don't forget to join the writerly conversation on our SCWC Facebook page.

Read Monday, Jan 14, 2013 news update

Working Schedule Up

Still lots of massaging to be done to February's schedule, but plenty of workshops are now plugged in to specifically address the most crucial concerns of writers today. Among some of the newer, necessary sessions added are former globe-trotting federal agent Michael R. Shevock's "Going Foreign: Wtg. the Reality of Diplomatic Service," which, as he's proven in the past, will no doubt make your head explode. Novelist Janis Thomas introduces "What's Driving You? Plot vs. Character in Writing Fiction"--an especially important one because too many allow their books to derail simply by not understanding the difference.

Given the massive explosion in popularity of all things paranormal romance, Linda Thomas-Sundstrom's dubuting "Romancing the Monster and Keeping It Real." And on the "Do Yourself Independence" front, Marla Miller's "Your Author Bio, Media Copy and PR Package" will be a must-attend as I can't even begin to tell you how authors, regardless of how they're published, undermine their credibility and opportunities by not bothering or not knowing how to do this.

Good Muse and More

Quick round up of recent SCWC success... ZOVA Books reports that SCWC director Wes Albers' debut novel, Black & White, is the house's first bestseller on iTunes in the police procedurals category. Guess that kind've make Wes a rockstar... After a too-long of break, Alan Russell's latest, Burning Man, has broken through the Amazon Author Bestseller List (top 100 Kindle sales) and climbed to number eight... Stacey O'Brien reports that her wonderfully engaging, international sensation, Wesley The Owl (discovered at our LA4 event), is now officially a longterm "superstar backlister" for publisher Free Press. Talk about the little book that could... And, finally, NY Times bestseller and NovelCram instructor Drusilla Campbell just signed yet another multi-book deal with Grand Central. Good job, everybody!

Some Essential Pre-conference Reads

Still lots to do with whipping SD27 into maximum muscle.  Over recent weeks, however, many have expressed interest to point out the following resources in the conference run-up:

• Successful query letter example 1
• Successful query letter example 2
• How to write a synopsis article
• Synopsis example 1
• Synopsis example 2
• What To Look For (and Require) From Your Book Editor by Robert Yehling
• Notable Shift In Writers Conference Workshops by Marla Miller

More soon!

Read Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 news update

E-publication: First, Last or Best Choice?

With the further consolidation of the Big Six legacy houses reliant on tent pole franchise titles, celebrity non-fiction and political provocateurs who can all but guarantee sales through super PAC purchase-giveaways, the growth of legitimate, though often brick and mortar distribution deprived indie presses and proliferation of self-published e-book authors, the publishing paradigm we grew up understanding has fundamentally changed. Perhaps forever.

As there's no single right way to write a great book--only an infinite number of wrong ways--the same can also be said of choosing which path to take to publication. It so often seems that achieving publishing success today is as utterly dependent on being an entrepreneurial dynamo as much as, if not more so, being a good writer that many buy into the ease and speed with which they can self-publish an e-book and do just that. But just because you can doesn't mean you should. At least not until your book is ready. And being ready starts with story, craft and execution. What myriad other crucial factors those considering self-publication must take into account, even for only screen reads, is where "The End" marks a pivotal new start. In particular, with novels and narrative non-fiction.

While our "Do Yourself Independence" track will address many crucial considerations come February (possibly including a session we're calling, "Cutting Through the Considerable Crap: How to Legitimize the Self-published E-book Author") we're still sticking with the fundamental principals on which the SCWC was founded: Story matters. Craft matters. Voice matters. Feedback matters. Writers matter.

Despite the lowered expectations of forgiving consumers accustomed to lackluster, poorly edited and ultimately unrewarding e-books, fact remains that word-of-mouth advocacy is the No. 1 means of books coming to the attention of and being bought by strangers. The discerning reader recognizes a smart, rewarding, quality read. That reader then becomes the writer's most important, passionate advocate. Why? Because a good story well told trumps all the social media and advertising hype.

Poorly written books that breakout big and become international blockbuster sensations are the unexpected exception, not the rule. The writer who aims for mediocrity and settles for suck, let alone e-"publishes" it then elects to dump its availability on social media feeds without having the courtesy to wipe afterward, is a writer destined to failure.

Agent Additions and Pressing Deadlines

Literary agents Angelina Rinaldi and Marisa Corvisiero have been added to the slate. Both will be accepting advance submissions from those interested. Those electing to go with optional Advance Submission Readers need to get their material to the SCWC by no later than Jan. 12, 2013. As usual, there'll be some readers that get caught up and accept material after that date. Too early to tell right now.

For those planning to stay at the home of the conference--and given that we often have workshops going into the very wee hours of the morning, it's recommended--the wonderful Crowne Plaza San Diego resort hotel is providing SCWCers discounted lodging through Jan. 15, 2013. Book your room before the deadline else risk getting hit with the full rate.

More SCWC Success

Since last update, a bunch of SCWCers have book announcements. Workshop leader Darlene Quinn's fourth title in her award-winning "Webs" series is out May, 2013. Author C.E. Lawrence (the "Silent" thrillers) blurbs, "From cocky cougars to perceptive private eyes, Unpredictable Webs is filled with enough vivid characters and plot twists to keep any lover of the genre happily turning the pages into the wee hours of the night. If you enjoyed Darlene Quinn's previous books, you won't want to miss this juicy journey of intrigue, drama and suspense!" (Check out the jacket up top.)

Author/workshop leader Janis Thomas, whose spirited debut novel Something New came out from Berkley last month, just got the jacket art for its follow up, Sweet Nothings, due July, 2013. As a former Nordstrom ladies shoes dog of the Seventies, I must say, "Like!"

Author, travel writer and serial entrepreneur Lois Joy Hofmann, who'll be conducting the appropriately titled DYI workshop, "Author as Entrepreneur," has released the second in her lavishly produced "In Search of Adventure and Moments of Bliss" trilogy chronicling she and her husband's 8-year, 62-country sailing circumnavigation. Sailing the South Pacific is available now from PIP.

Finally, conferee August McLaughlin's debut thriller is just out. Pulitzer Prize-Winning journalist and author David Freed calls In Her Shadow, "A dark, crackingly good psychological thriller that grabs you by the throat on page one and never lets up."

Congratulations, all!

The working schedule is being updated almost daily, but do make a point to join the WritersConference.COMmunity confab on our SCWC Facebook page for stuff not necessarily on the site.

Read Monday, Dec 17, 2012 news update

Among the many staff additions to SD27, best-selling non-fictionalist Charmaine Hammond returns to the SCWC. Her latest, GPS Your Best Life: Charting Your Destination and Getting There in Style, written with Debra Kasowski, is just out. Mary Vensel White is back with a new session and some good "muse." You'll remember, of course, that her The Qualities of Wood was the first ebook published by HarperCollins Publishers digital imprint, Authonomy. The debut novel has done so well in digital form that HarperCollins will be publishing the hardcopy next year.

Amazon's #1 best-selling children's author Sheri Fink, whose precious The Little Rose and The Little Gnome are still going gangbusters, is back with yet another overwhelmingly informative workshop on successfully navigating the digital/hardcopy divide. And in her debut appearance at the SCWC as a workshop leader, Valerie Wicks, an LA10 conferee and debut YA fantasy indie author who recently organized a very successful book signing event for both her and Sheri at L.A.'s biggest Barnes & Noble, will be conducting "Up Close and Visual: Breaking Down Author/Reader Barriers." The first in a 7-part series, be sure to check out the trailer for Seven Spectral: Into the Red World at the bottom of this update.

Do Yourself Independence

Speaking of the LA10 event, given the success of our "Do Yourself Independence" track this past September we'll be devoting a tier of sessions to the SD27 schedule that can further allow those pursuing such to dig in deeper. As we introduced it back in August:

"Do Yourself Independence" (DYI) is a practice, or attitude, that most emerging authors must possess in order to rise above the hype and distinguish their work. It speaks to the need that, regardless of how you choose to be published, you, the author, are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of your career.

With particular emphasis on those electing to go it alone, whether via e-books, micro-press, POD, service-assisted self-publishing, or some combination, we're introducing a number of DYI sessions that explore the options, strategies and tools writers can utilize to bolster the ability of their books to thrive.

What we'll not be advocating is spamming every Twitter feed, Facebook wall or other social media outlet with, "Hey, my e-book is available!" For those who haven't figured it out, if you want people to buy your book, you don't sell your book!

We're putting together some very cool, new DYI workshops for you and look forward to rolling them out over the next few weeks.

Good Muse

Longtime and lauded SCWCer Claudia Whitsitt's Identity Issues is just out from Blue Jay Media, who've contracted the first two of five proposed titles in her Samantha Series mysteries. Pretty cool jacket, don't you think?... And check out the jacket for LA10 Outstanding Non-Fiction award-winner Sharon L. Hicks' How Do You Grab a Naked Lady?: A Memoir.

Advance Submission Readers

Many more Advance Submission Readers have been added to the schedule are now available for selection, including agents, editors and authors, with still a few more yet to come. If you've already registered and selected readers "to be announced," email Michael or Chrissie directly the name of the reader(s) you'd like to go with, and also include a backup reader.  Should you need guidance selecting the appropriate reader for your material, please let us know.

Another update coming soon. Don't forget to join the WritersConference.COMmunity confab on our SCWC Facebook page.

Read Tuesday, Nov 06, 2012 news update

Along with our formidable slate of craft, execution and troubleshooting workshops, as with our fall conference, at SD27 we'll be dealing head-on with many of the latest and most vexing challenges writers face today. Whether to wait out legacy publishing odds, go with a boutique house, trust one of the predatory pay-as-you-print outfits that claim to have "standards" and are selective about who they'll publish, or just assume full control of your book and do it all yourself--no matter which way you go at the end of the day your book's success will ultimately come down to one individual. You.

To that end, as always, the SCWC community is here to inform and assist you in accomplishing your publishing goals. Extending on our LA10 "Do Yourself Independence" sessions, we'll again be dealing extensively with issues of ePublishing too soon, social media self-sabotage, marketing myths and a whole lot more. It will be work. It will be fun.

Good Muse

While we still have plenty more staffers yet to announce, several already aboard for San Diego have new books in time for the holidays. From Janis Thomas, her debut novel Something New is out today. Next week, Matthew J. Pallamary's latest, The Infinity Zone: A Transcendent Approach to Peak Performance, will be released. And come December, the latest Peri Minneopa Mystery from Gayle Carline, The Hot Mess, and a long-awaited new one from none other than Alan Russell, Burning Man. Congratulations to all.

Glitch Fixed

It's been brought to our attention that well over a dozen online registrations were never actually processed (nor their credit cards charged) since late-October. The glitch is now fixed. If you registered online for the conference over the past three weeks and are unsure of whether or not your registration was processed successfully, please contact either Michael or Chrissie for confirmation.

We apologize for the inconvenience and have extended the $75 Early "Bard" Discount to until Nov. 15th.

More to Come

Advance Submission Readers selection will open up in the next week or so. As there's plenty more to announce while we begin working on the schedule, lining up the Special Guest Speakers, and adding more workshop leaders, be sure to check back often or join us on the SCWC Community Facebook Wall to keep up to speed.

In the meantime, enjoy the trailer we just finished for another friend of the conference's new book.

Read Tuesday, Aug 28, 2012 news update

Another multiple award-winning author and SCWC workshop leader, Alan Russell, is back for our winter conference, as is historical fictionalist Laurel Corona, multi-genre dynamo Michele Scott, Andrew E. Kaufman, author of such psychological thrillers as The Lion, The Lamb, The Hunted and While the Savage Sleeps, Linda Thomas-Sundstrom, Drusilla Campbell and many other friends both familiar and new.

Early "Bard" Registration is now open. Do so by Sept. 15 and save a whopping $100 on Full Conference or NovelCram immersion track participation.

Read Tuesday, Feb 21, 2012 news update

Another pre-book launch from ZOVA, Jessica Therrien's Oppression arrived one year after they discovered her at our SD25 event. How cool is that?  Now onto the awards...

SCWC*SD 26 Award Recipients:

OUTSTANDING FICTION

(title to be announced)

by Annoushka Lyvers of Yorba Linda, CA

OUTSTANDING LIFE STORY

Into The Night (read here)

by Joanne Wright Schulte of Santa Ana, CA

OUTSTANDING TOPIC

The Sanctuary (read here)

by Lacey Impellizeri of San Diego, CA

Congratulations to the honorees and to all the staff who helped make SD26 such a great ride. Dates for SD27 are Presidents' Day Weekend, Feb. 15-18, 2013. Between now and then, join us in Newport Beach for LA10, Sept. 21-23, 2012, as well as anytime on our SCWC Facebook Page where you can share your good "muse" with like-minded members of our ever-growing writing community.

Read Wednesday, Feb 15, 2012 news update

And for you listening pleasure, check out the music video we just finished--totally rife with no less than two stories told.

Read Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 news update

In fact, we've got a number of SD26 workshops devoted to understanding and managing the varying online tools available to authors who, as addressed in our Jan. 3rd "Latest News" update, should really be focused on writing.

Though the advance submission deadline has passed, several readers are caught up and remain open for at least another week. This includes ZOVA Books Editor-in-Chief Daniel J. Silva--just added to the schedule--Maralys Wills, Andrew Wetzel, Marla Miller and Mike Sirota. For all others, please email Michael to ensure availability.

Another staff addition, joining us for the first time, attorney Martin S. Rudoy, who's handling the estate of the woman found hanged, naked, bound and gagged in the famed Spreckels Mansion in Coronado last year. Marty is also a screenwriter and will address working with lawyers and using the law to bolster the believability of legal-based scenes and stories.

Good "Muse"

On the good "muse" front, a couple of things to report. Author/workshop leader Mike Sirota, who'll be conducting the "To Outline Your Story or Not?" workshop, has his latest coming out this month. The Burning Ground (jacket above), "a chilling novel of vengeful spirits," launches from ZOVA Books with a party starting 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16th at Mysterious Galaxy bookstore in San Diego . . . And NovelCram track leader Drusilla Campbell's latest, Little Girl Lost (Grand Central Publishing) is now out to stellar reviews. Among them, today's San Diego Union-Tribune. Good job, Mike and Dru.

The online schedule has been updated as of today. There'll continue to be tweaks, as usual, but be assured it's getting close.

More soon.

Read Tuesday, Jan 10, 2012 news update

From Martin Literary Management, agent Andrew Wetzel will be joining us. Looking to expand his list, he's seeking quality male-centric fiction and non-fiction in a variety of genres... Agent Babette Sparr's bio page is now up-to-date. She's interested in a pretty broad swath of genres as well, spanning literary and upmarket commercial fiction to women's fiction, mystery and narrative non-fiction.

Good "muse" from two more veteran SCWC conferees. SD21 Best Fiction Award winner Laurence O'Bryan's The Istanbul Puzzle (Harper Collins UK) launches with a big release party in Dublin on Jan. 18th, coinciding with worldwide participation on Twitter. And SCWCer Marci Nault reports that she has signed with Simon & Schuster. Her novel, retitled "The Lake House," will be out Spring of 2013. Congratulations to you both!

Deadlines Looming

Fast approaching crunch time, writers. Deadlines to keep in mind are as follows:

• $50 Early "Bard" Discount on Full Conference registration expires Sunday, Jan. 15.
• Discounted lodging at the Crowne Plaza Hanalei San Diego (the site of the conference) cut off date is Thursday, Jan. 26.
• Advance submission manuscripts must be received by the SCWC by no later than Thursday, Jan. 26. (Remember, those submitting to more than reader can include all submissions in a single envelope to save on postage costs.)
• The SCWC "Life Story" contest deadline has been extended to 4 p.m. Sunday. Feb. 19, 2012. If you have submitted your story to the conference and have not received confirmation of receipt, please re-submit.

The schedule currently posted on the site is only a working draft. As usual a month out from the conference, much tweaking will take place over the next few weeks. The nearer we get to SD26, the closer to the final schedule it will resemble.

Much more soon.

Read Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 news update

A Writer's Reality Check

Writers write. Writers finish what they write then rewrite it until it's really finished. And once what they've written is really, really finished they go write something else to finish. Somewhere in the middle of all this is the hardest work: selling what you've written. On Jan. 3, 2011, I posted the following in this space, electing to re-post it here today because it remains true and I don't like re-wording a post just to conceal having already addressed the issue:

[O]ne thing we can all agree on is that the Internet has come of age in such a way as to fundamentally change the way publishers, agents, authors and readers relate to one another. The old days of doing book-business are done, this the modern author knows. Thing is, how to fully exploit the potential afforded by all the social media buzzwords being bandied about to truly maximize (and monetize) the modern author's work?

A turning point has occurred, a sea change if you will, a sweeping, virtual tsunami of such immutable fury that the modalities of traditional publishing have suffered a full-on fiscal wedgie the likes of which it's never known.

The Era of the Modern Author has arrived.  Today is the writer's day. Today is your time. And the modern author doesn't have time to waste. Yet, wasting time on ineffectual marketing efforts that do not translate directly into book sales is what far too many authors today are doing.

While the prospects for launching a book by a new author successfully are now perhaps greater than at any other time, the challenges of doing so are many; the decision to go Big Six, indie press, self-publish, e-book, then wrestle the various aspects uniquely inherent to each, are myriad.

Unfortunately, today publishers expect you to do the work for them. For the most part they print the book while relying on you, the writer, to sell the book. Will you?  Can you? Should you?

Online, it's about eyeballs. From provocative book trailers and author profile videos to dynamic personal websites and global social networks, readers everywhere plant their eyes on the Internet to discover new authors, mingle with up-and-coming authors, or simply stay informed about the progress of a cherished author’s next book.

Landing those eyeballs on your book can make all the  difference between breakout success or a swift dip in the remainders bin. For the modern author, falling victim to much of the hype surrounding "platform" building and "branding" can result in a time-suck of such magnitude that finishing a next book, let alone successfully launching the current one, may seem impossible.

In February, we're going to drill through a lot of the noise out there in effort to clearly identify and understand the options available to the modern author, the risks involved in choosing one manner of publication over another, what truly matters in establishing a platform and the building blocks to do so, the reality of e-books, and, ultimately, how to better utilize your time in order to get back to what's most important: writing.

While in February, yes, we're drilling in deep again to address these issues, with particular emphasis on revealing ways authors can strategize more smartly and implement winning, time-conservation tactics for building their online profile & viability, Wes and I and many on staff are getting back to where we belong. That is being quality storytellers, storytellers whose work warrants being paid for, storytellers whose work that readers invest in doesn't piss their readers off so much by sucking that they actually end up losing readers.  

Word gets around. The $1.99 price point won't save you (especially if your book jacket blows, but we'll let a workshop deal with that issue).

A quality writer aspires to being the best, most rewarding writer for a reader that one can possibly be. A quality writer is not one who spews unpolished, poorly edited, uninspired prose that time and again fail to deliver on expectations roused in the reader. The most sly, clever marketing, "branding," can't conceal a story that sucks. Even at $1.99, fail to rise to the level of professional storytelling that I expect from you as a reader, and you'll likely never get another penny out of me. Also, it's quite likely I will "unfriend" and "ignore" you.

Additions, Extensions, Experiments

Evolution. Exciting times in the book world, as we all well know. Rolling with the changes, especially for the debut authors, can be particularly rollicksome. Authors long established--cutting their bones, say, in the early '90s or before, are seldom up to speed on the realities authors trying to break in today must deal with. What's cool is those that are making it happen and can report from the trenches on how they did so. Cathy Lubenski, former career journalist and author of Trashy Chic, her debut novel (check the jacket out up top), will be joining us as a Special Guest Speaker... Also on the forward thinking, evolutionary front is Beattie B. Youngs. The author of some 36 books translated into 28 languages, a Pulitzer Prize nominee and all-around, genuinely human being, empowered by a profound faith in and admiration of writing that matters, Bettie became a publisher a few years ago and has been going gangbusters. With high-profile clients and authors anew in her house, she'll be joining us as a Special Guest Speaker, as well as conducting a workshop... Frederick Ramsay returns, this time as a workshop leader and Special Guest Speaker. Fred's success as a novelist began as a conferee at one of our first SCWC*LA events. That manuscript became his debut novel Artscape, the first in his popular Ike Schwartz mystery series which debuted in 2006. In February The Eighth Veil: A Jerusalem Mystery, his 10th book in five years, is out from Perfect Niche. He'll tell us all about how he writes so much, so well, so fast, at the conference.

Lots of staff added to the schedule these past few weeks, so be sure to check 'em out. Given the typical lapse in December updates, the Early "Bard" Discount has been extended to Jan. 15.  Also, the "Write Your Life Story in 150 Words" contest has been extended until Sunday afternoon of the conference. Apparently, word's not getting out on that, so total fail on our part. My fault. Will make it up.

Much more soon.

Read Tuesday, Nov 22, 2011 news update

Advance Submission Readers are now available for selection.  If you've already registered and selected readers "to be announced," email Michael or Chrissie directly the name of the reader(s) you'd like to go with, and also include a backup reader.  Should you need guidance selecting the appropriate reader for your material, please let us know.

More staff has been added to the schedule since last update, including author Orna Ross (Lover's Hallow, A Dance in Time), who'll joining us for the first time all the way from London.  Having worked for 25 years in journalism and publishing, Orna will conduct a session called "Creative Intelligence for the Creative Age," in which she'll discuss how now is a time of unprecedented opportunity for writers to reach readers by contrasting the writing world pre- and post- digital.  And in particular, what creative qualities writers need to develop in themselves so they are well equipped to meet the challenges of our time.  Sounds like a session no entrepreneurial author will want to miss.

Don't forget about the previous update at the bottom of the page if you missed it as the "Life Story" writing contest is in full swing.  Special Guest Speakers and more still to be announced, so check back soon.

Read Saturday, Nov 05, 2011 news update

Longtime SCWC staffer Drusilla Campbell's Honor and Glory, in which a female Marine resumes her life after returning from Iraq with PTSD, just sold to Grand Central in a two-book deal, for publication in 2012. Drusilla, of course, will again be conducting her popular NovelCram track in February. Other workshop leaders now slated for SD26 include authors Mark Clements, Deborah Halverson, Lois Joy Hofmann, Ken Kuhlken, Sylvia Mendoza, Matthew J. Pallamary, Judy Reeves, Mike Sirota, and Laura Taylor. Web developer and online marketing strategist Jeremy Lee James returns, along with entertainment attorney Mark I. Reichenthal and N.S. Bienstock literary agent, Paul Fedorko.

Advance Submission Readers selection will open up in the next week or so.  As there's plenty more to announce while we begin working on the schedule, lining up the Special Guest Speakers, and adding more workshop leaders, be sure to check back often or join us on the SCWC .COMmunity Facebook page to stay up to speed.

And while submission to the Reader's Digest "Write Your Life Story in 150 Words" contest on Facebook is now closed, the SCWC's contest remains open. Write your life story, or some pivotal aspect of your life, as a self-contained story in 150 words or less and you'll be in the running to win a Kindle eBook reader or Full Conference registration package (your choice of San Diego or Newport Beach). Use the Contact Us form on the right and be sure to put "Life Story Contest" in the subject line. Paste your name in the body along with your story and story's title. The SCWC contest deadline for submission is December 31, 2011.

More soon.

Read Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 news update

Historical fictionalist Laurel Corona returns. Finding Emilie (Gallery Books), set in 1749 France, is her latest. Of it, Publishers Weekly raves, "Corona brings a changing world, peopled with fascinating historical figures like Diderot and Voltaire, to vibrant life." While Catherine Delors (For the King) calls it simply, "A remarkable novel" ... Ernessa T. Carter, whose wonderfully entertaining 32 Candles evolved from her SCWC*LA6-award winning manuscript for Outstanding Fiction, will be with us (be sure to watch the excerpt of her keynote appearance at LA8 below) ...

Author/artist/journalist Gregg Gutierrez joins us for the first time. Now in its ninth printing, his collection of short stories, Zen and the Art of Surfing, was called by Writer's Digest, "infectious...spellbinding." "His work is mythological," proclaimed the San Diego Union Tribune ... After a couple-conference hiatus, Frederick Ramsay is back. The seventh book in his popular, critically acclaimed Ike Schwartz mystery series, Rogue, is now out from Poisoned Pen Press ... Due to a scheduling conflict, Andrew Peterson (Forced to Kill), has been rotated from our LA9 event to SD26. (Wherever we get him, we're just glad we got him.)

Agents wise, those coming to SD26 include Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero of L. Perkins Agency, Kristin Miller of D4EO Literary, Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary and Jon Sternfeld, from Irene Goodman Literary. More, of course, to be announced.

While we hope to see you next month in Newport Beach, remember that the place to be come winter is San Diego. Follow us on Twitter (@SCWriters) or friend us on Facebook to keep up to speed on issues of writerly interest, including free eBook notifications, pertinent publishing news, overall good "muse," and .COMmunity submissions to the Reader's Digest "Your Life..." writing contest. You or a writer you vote for could get published and win up to $25,000. If you post your own story, be sure to email Michael or Chrissie the link so we can post it.

More soon.

Read Tuesday, Aug 02, 2011 news update

What we've done is create an SCWC Twitter account @SCWriters to feed publishing/transmedia-related items of value to writers, but are maybe super-timely or not posted on the SCWC Facebook group. For the contest, writers are invited to post an entire, original story in any genre in a single tweet at hashtag #TwitFiction. Writers may submit as many stories as they wish between now and December 31, 2011. So long as your story is complete and contained in no more than the length of a single tweet, your story will be in the running for one of several prizes, including two Kindles and two SCWC Full Conference packages for either San Diego 2012 or L.A. 2012. Other awards will be announced. Awards will be handed out at SD26. And only attending conferees are eligible to receive an award.

Early "Bard" Registration is now open for SD26. Do so by September 1 and knock a whopping $100 off Full Conference or NovelCram Immersion Track registration. As usual, San Diego in Winter is a place to see, and the SCWC is definitely where you'll want to be.

Read Wednesday, May 11, 2011 news update

The San Diego Book Awards finalists have been announced. The annual ceremony where the winners are announced takes place June 11, 2011 (details here).  Among the nominees that extend from the esteemed SCWC staff roster and alumni: Ellen Bryson, Drusilla Campbell, Laurel Corona, Lois Joy Hofmann, Ken Kuhlken, Douglas P. Lathrop, Richard Lederer, Helen McKenna, John Mullen, Blaine C. Readler, Judy Reeves, Christine Renhard Stenstrom, and Julie Ann Weinstein. Congratulations to all.

Jim Hitt, former conferee who joined us as a workshop leader for the first time this past February, got awarded Best Novel Under 80,000 Words from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards for his recent release Carny. If that wasn't cool enough, he just learned that he also won the Grand Prize for Fiction and will be attending the reception banquet on May 24 in NYC!

Finally, Darlene Quinn, author of the 2009 National Indie Excellence Award-winning Webs of Power, just won the 2011 International Book Award for General Fiction for its sequel, Twisted Webs, also recipient of the National USA Best Book Finalist Award for General Fiction. The prequel to the two books is out October and we expect equally just accolades.

That's all for now. The San Diego side of the site will begin updating for our 2012 event beginning July, when ultra-Early Bard Registration discount begins. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you September in L.A.ish (Newport Beach, actually).  Between now and then, write well!

SCWC*SD 25 Award Recipients:

OUTSTANDING FICTION

Stormfront

by Doug Elerath of Albuquerque, NM

OUTSTANDING FICTION

(title to be announced)

by Greg Haas of Columbus, OH

OUTSTANDING FICTION

(title to be announced)

by Megan McGee & Daniel McNeil of Moab, UT

OUTSTANDING TOPIC

The Bath (read here)

by Lloyd Williams of West Hollywood, CA

OUTSTANDING TOPIC

I Don't Want to Know (read here)

by Jennifer Silva Redmond of San Diego, CA

TOPIC (HONORABLE MENTION)

Wes Knows Best (read here)

by Gayle Carline of Placentia, CA

Congratulations to the honorees, and to all the writers who helped make SD25 such a memorable event.  Dates for SD26 are Presidents' Day Weekend, Feb. 17-20, 2012.  Between now and then, join us for LA9, Sept. 23-25, 2011, in Newport Beach, as well as on our SCWC Facebook Page.  Now go forth and write well!

Read Friday, Feb 18, 2011 news update

For screenplays, producer/writer Adam Coplan is open for submission; for non-fiction books, agent Dana Newman is caught up and willing to accept more material; and on the fiction front, Jean Jenkins, Laura Taylor and Sylvia Mendoza remain open at this time.

The working schedule has been posted and will continue to be tweaked over the next several days. Do keep in mind that it is not the final schedule, which you'll receive when you check in at the conference.  It is close, however.  And a quick FYI to all those who've signed up for Jean Jenkins' "Best Foot Forward: Polishing To Impress" sessions. Though it's not listed on the online schedule, the second workshop will take place on Sunday morning.

We're less than two weeks away. If you haven't already, register today and get ready for another great conference. It's February in San Diego. Where would you rather be?

Now, another Writer Replay: "Agent Walks Into A Bar"...

Read Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011 news update

While we sort out the massive number of advance submissions that came in at the last minute (you know how writers are with deadlines), word is in that a few readers are already caught up and will accept a limited number more over the next couple of weeks, among them is agent Dana Newman. We'll provide a list of who exactly will be doing so in the next couple of days, but before arbitrarily selecting any reader, first be sure to email Michael to confirm availability.

In response to many requests to address the issue of how to build a slick, professional author's website that enhances one's platform and -- in the words of one conferee -- "doesn't suck and cost a fortune," we've added a hardcore hands-on workshop to the schedule.  Jeremy Lee James, internet developer, marketing strategist, and SCWC site guru, will conduct "From Zero to Rockin’ Writer Website In One Workshop," enabling participants to test drive for free his Word(slinger)Press Writer's Website + Web Hosting package, which he developed specifically for writers.  In this session, literally, participants will be able to launch a secure, expandable and easy-to-maintain ultra-cool website in a matter of minutes.  Details here.

Now, a Writer Replay about the challenges all modern authors face...

Read Thursday, Jan 20, 2011 news update

Another former conferee joins us for SD25.  Karen Ronney, author of almost countless awards-winning Proud Parents' Guide to Raising Athletic, Balanced, and Coordinated Kids: A Lifetime of Benefit in Just 10 Minutes a Day, the original proposal which was snapped up at SD21 and sold in a high-figure deal, is back.  This time with a muchly needed workshop on crafting the non-fiction proposal that will sell the book before you actually write it.

Deadline for discounted hotel lodging is Jan. 28.  Got a call today from the hotel and it appears they're filling up a bit earlier than usual.  If you're planning to stay at the Crowne Plaza during the conference -- who isn't? -- and you haven't booked your room, do it now.

Deadline for advance submissions is Jan. 28.  We absolutely must receive your material by no later than Jan. 28.  Jan. 28 is the day to get your advance submission material to us.  Remember, if you're submitting to multiple readers you can stuff all your submissions into a single envelope addressed to the SCWC to save postage.  So long as we receive it before -- you guessed it -- Jan. 28, you're good.

Finally, agent Gordon Warnock, announced to be a last-minute addition to SD25 last update, will not be in San Diego, but in fact attending September's LA9 conference in Newport Beach.  Call it crossed wires or just plain doofusness, I take full responsibility for the error and will be in touch with all conferees that submitted to him based on my inexcusable oversight.  I suck.

More soon.

--msg

Read Sunday, Jan 16, 2011 news update

The PoetryCram is beginning to fill up, as is Jean Jenkins' genre-centric "Best Foot Forward: Polishing To Impress."  Remember, these sessions are limited in size and available only on a first-come, first-served basis.  For Jeanie's, in particular, the deadline to email requested material is Jan. 24th.  Check here for details.

Another deadline fast approaching is the Early "Bard" Discount off full conference registration.  Register by Feb. 1 and save.  There's plenty of room.

Read Monday, Jan 10, 2011 news update

Already filled up is Jill Marr and Elizabeth Winick Rubinstein, with several other agents, editors and authors close behind.  If you're wanting vital one-on-one feedback on your work, now is the time to select an optional advance submission reader.  If you need help selecting a reader, feel free to contact Michael for guidance via email or phone (yes, our phone system is working again!).

On the good muse front, conferee Claudia Whitsitt's first novel, The Wrong Guy, is out March in e-book form from Echelon Press.  The publisher has snapped up many SCWCers in recent years and has had quite a bit of success rolling out novels in digital form prior to print publication.  Just another interesting new strategy in this ever-evolving  digital age.

We're still plugging in the schedule.  More soon.

Read Monday, Jan 3, 2011 news update

A turning point has occurred, a sea change if you will, a sweeping, virtual tsunami of such immutable fury that the modalities of traditional publishing have suffered a full-on fiscal wedgie the likes of which it's never known.

The Era of the Modern Author has arrived.  Today is the writer's day.  Today is your time.  And the modern author doesn't have time to waste.  Yet, wasting time on ineffectual marketing efforts that do not translate directly into book sales is what far too many authors today are doing.

While the prospects for launching a book by a new author successfully are now perhaps greater than at any other time, the challenges of doing so are many; the decision to go Big Six, indie press, self-publish, e-book, then wrestle the various aspects uniquely inherent to each, are myriad.

Unfortunately, today publishers expect you to do the work for them.  For the most part they print the book while relying on you, the writer, to sell the book.  Will you?  Can you?  Should you?

Online, it's about eyeballs.  From provocative book trailers and author profile videos to dynamic personal websites and global social networks, readers everywhere plant their eyes on the Internet to discover new authors, mingle with up-and-coming authors, or simply stay informed about the progress of a cherished author’s next book.

Landing those eyeballs on your book can make all the  difference between breakout success or a swift dip in the remainders bin.  For the modern author, falling victim to much of the hype surrounding "platform" building and "branding" can result in a time-suck of such magnitude that finishing a next book, let alone successfully launching the current one, may seem impossible.

In February, we're going to drill through a lot of the noise out there in effort to clearly identify and understand the options available to the modern author, the risks involved in choosing one manner of publication over another, what truly matters in establishing a platform and the building blocks to do so, the reality of e-books, and, ultimately, how to better utilize your time in order to get back to what's most important: writing.

The Schedule, Administration and More

Due to some lingering technical issues the preliminary schedule has not yet been posted, but you can still see the growing variety of sessions slated for SD25 by clicking on individual staff bios.  Should have the glitch fixed by week's end.  The phone answering system issue, too. 

On the additions front, longtime SCWC workshop leader and genre author/editor Mike Sirota will be with us in a fresh capacity come February: special guest speaker.  (That's the cover of his new book up top.)  Only 17 years after the publication of his last sci-fi novel, Mike returns to the genre with his latest, Fire Dance, out February from Zova.  Of it Publishers Weekly declares, "Horror fans will enjoy this updated take on the western ghost town."  Good job, Mike!

Making his sophomore appearance at the SCWC, provocative author/poet/nonfictionalist Linton Robinson will be with us.  Early on forward, Lin's had great success seizing author opportunities in the digital age from the DIY perspective.  Along with the guys from Behind the Book, web developer & marketing strategist Jeremy Lee James, and many others plying the ether, much will be covered on the digital front.

Registrations are unusually high at this time.  What this affirms to us is that you, the writer, understand that now is the time to make time for your work.  Whether a matter of validation of purposeful being, or simply to tell a good story, 2011 is the year in which your work must be the top priority.  Your story matters.  Together, this year, let's let you shine.

House Cleaning

Couple of final things.  We have a female conferee looking for a roommate to split hotel lodging costs from Friday through Monday checkout.  Please email Michael if you're interested.  She's a good gal and a pretty accomplished writer in her own right . . . Also, we need to determine the interest level in both the PoetryCram and Jean Jenkins' "Best Foot Forward" sessions.  Both are limited in size, so please email us if you're intent on participating in either.

That's it for now.  Advance readers will begin selling out this week, so check back regularly for updates or subscribe the SCWC RSS feed.  Also, join us on Facebook (but not in Farmville!)  More soon.

Read Saturday, Nov 27, 2010 news update

The Hummingbird Review has announced a winner of the LA8 "What if?" writing contest. E. Scott Menter of Irvine, CA, will see his short story, "Dolphinarium," published in the literary quarterly. Another submission, a non-fiction piece by Kelly Thacker of Murray, UT, also struck the attention of publisher Charles Redner and managing editor Robert Yehling, so much so they're publishing it as well. Both stories will appear in the next issue, out February.  Congratulations Scott and Kelly!

Lots of additions to the SD25 staff, including Stephens Press editor-in-chief Carolyn Hayes Uber, who'll be joining us for the first time. Still a few more to announce, including our final special guest speaker, but do check out the staff page to see who all are presently confirmed. While we now begin filling out the schedule with actual workshops, new to the SCWC is the PoetryCram alluded to last update. Limited to 12 participants, this 1-day intensive is dedicated to those wanting to publish a collection of poetry in professional chapbook form. Get the full details here.

Another seriously hands-on session limited to 12 participants is Jean Jenkins' Best Foot Forward: Polishing To Impress 1 & 2. Quite the success when it debuted in September, Jeanie's made some slight tweaks to make it even better than before. If you're a genre writer and feel your work's ready to go, get full details here.

That's all for now. If you're in town December 10th, don't forget to join us and San Diego Writers, Ink for Mark A. Clements Appreciation Night. Details here.

More soon.

Read Thursday, Nov 11, 2010 news update

Plenty other familiar friends added to the staff as of late, so be sure to check it out. More to come, of course, including agents, editors, authors, and -- hopefully -- one especially guest speaker many of us know. What's on our collective mind at the moment, however, are two things:

1. The 3/10 Power Pen immersion track debut. Intended to be a stand-alone track in which participants write the first 10 chapters of a novel over the course of the conference weekend, what we'd like to know is whether anybody's particularly interested in participating in it. There's only so much space to conduct things at the hotel, so we need to be certain that devoting space to such an experiment is practical. It's YOUR conference, so please fill out the poll and let us know.

2. Mark A. Clements Appreciation Night. For 21 consecutive years horror writer Mark Clements has led some of the most die-hard Rogue Read & Critique workshops for the SCWC in San Diego. Recently, and quite unexpectedly, he lost his health insurance. Shortly thereafter he was diagnosed with a tumor. A hideously ruinous tumor he affectionately named Vlad. Vlad proved itself unlovable, so Vlad was smited by a rather remarkably expensive medical exorcism. On December 10, in San Diego, a victory benefit celebration of Mark, and his contributions to the writing community, in effort to offset his medical costs is being held. You don't have to be in town to help out, and every little donation will go to the fund. Full details: http://writelivelihood.net

Turns out we're going to have a 1-day Poetry Cram at SD25 -- woo-hoo!  Details soon.

Read Tuesday, Nov 02, 2010 news update

It seems everything today is about writers needing to have an online platform to be taken seriously in the publishing world.  Thing is, most writers would much rather be writing than devoting incalculable hours to social networking that may not result in a single book sale.  Writers must manage their time efficiently.  What works, what doesn't, and how to win not just "friends" online, but book buyers, is what SCWC webmaster and popular workshop leader Jeremy Lee James addresses at JeremyLeeJames.com.  Resulting greatly from  feedback gleaned from his multiple appearances at the conference, there's plenty of great information there, including this new series of articles, "A Workflow For Writers To (Mostly) Automate Their Social Media Strategy."

By the way, many who attended LA8 expressed interest in Jeremy's new service for writers who want a super-simple, affordable way to launch and maintain a high quality website.  It's now up and running at Write Click Hosting.

More SD25 staffers to announce.  The first of the agents confirmed include Sandra Dijkstra Literary's Jill Marr, Sally van Haitsma (van Haitsma Literary), and Elizabeth Winick Rubinstein (senior agent, McIntosh & Otis).  Authors Judy Reeves, Laura Taylor and Robert Yehling are back, as is freelance editor and genre guru Jean Jenkins.  Still plenty more to announce as we start rounding out the schedule.  Don't forget to email us any specific topic suggestions you'd like to see addressed in February.

Finally, on the good "muse" front: Indy Quillen, recipient of the SCWC*LA8 Award for Outstanding Fiction, only a month after September's conference has signed with Paul Fedorko of powerhouse agency N.S. Bienstock.  Paul had requested the full manuscript (as did two other agents) after review of its initial pages during advance submission critique.  Way to go, Indy!  Only a matter of time now.

Read Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 news update

Following a couple-year hiatus due to his hectic journalistic obligations schedule, Thomas Larson is back.  Author of The Memoir and the Memoirist -- a must-read for all writers crafting a "modern memoir" --  The Saddest Music Ever Written: The Story of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" (Pegasus Books) is his latest.  A finalist for the Barnes & Noble Fall "Discover" Award, the book provides an in-depth study of one of the most iconic, deeply resonant nine minutes of music ever written, and the young genius behind them.

Jim Hitt, noted film & literature monographer, essayist, short story writer, novelist, educator, and former conferee, is aboard to conduct read & critique workshops and a much-needed "Merging Style and Substance" session.  His latest is Carny, A Novel in Stories (Aberdeen Bay Press).

As versatile as ever, genre-skipping novelist Michele Scott returns.  From her popular Wine Lover's Mystery and Equine Mystery series to young adult adventure such as Zamora's Ultimate Challenge, and her latest, the sweeping narco-family epic El Patron, the exceptionally entrepreneurial Michele plies the craft and works the trade equally well at every level.

Still much, much more to announce, including additional workshop leaders, agents, editors, special guest speakers, advance submission readers and more.  For those who register early and select optional advance submission readers, select "TBA" (to be announced), the list of readers will be up early November.  Once posted, simply email the conference with your specific choice(s).

As we begin building out the schedule over the next few weeks, updates will appear frequently to reflect where we're at (subscribe to our RSS feed to not miss one).  Where you are at next Presidents' Day Weekend is what matters now.  Though it might be tough to picture this far out, that's in the winter.  And where better to be a writer in winter than in San Diego?  Imagine what little will you could wear!

Until next update, here's some timeless advice from author Ernessa T. Carter (32 Candles), one of our special guest speakers at last month's LA8:

Read Friday, Oct 01, 2010 news update

Also aboard for SD25, Laurel Corona will be conducting select read & critique workshops over the extra-long weekend. Her latest historical novel, Penelope's Daughter (Berkley Trade), revisits Homer's The Odyssey from an utterly fresh perspective, chronicling the tale of Odysseus' queen and daughter, both abandoned by the warlord in Ithaca for some 19 years . . . Author/artist Christine Renhad Stenstrom will be with us. The recent release of her exquisitely produced coffee table book, Cherry Blossom Trees: Literary Writings and Artworks, will allow us to  address a huge market not really dealt with much in the past.

In her first appearance at the SCWC, Lisa Fugard, author of the evocative and wonderfully rich Skinner's Drift, set in her native South Africa, will be conducting workshops.  So too will Alexandra Sokoloff, whom we lost in Newport Beach due to unforeseen circumstances that left her stranded on the east coast.

Still many, many other authors, agents and editors to announce as we begin the run-up to February's event.  Drusilla Campbell's NovelCram immersion track is a go, as is our new 3/10 Power Pen track (details on that later), and some particular attention we're going to pay to all things eBooks.

Check back often or subscribe to our RSS feed.  There's much more coming soon.

Read Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 news update

Also a celebrated screenwriter, Derek's screenwriting partner on such hit films as Wanted, 2 Fast 2 Furious and 3:10 to Yuma, writer/director Michael Brandt will be joining us to conduct a workshop or two.  Their latest, The Double, starring Richard Gere and Stephen Moyer, is out 2011. 

Another solid rep on the screenwriting front, writer/producer/story editor and former VP of Production for Davis Entertainment, Adam Coplan is aboard.  His work spans dozens of movies, including The Matrix, The Truman Show and Wonder Boys to I, Robot, Alien vs. Predator and The Express, starring Dennis Quaid and Rob Brown.

Of course many other friends of the SCWC will be joining us for our 25th annual San Diego event. We've got more special guests to announce soon, more authors, agents, editors and other publishing professionals. The $100 Early "Bard" Discount for full conference registration expires September 1 so take advantage and register today!

Now here's your latest Writer Replay, in which an accomplished author is reminded what truly matters in today's ever-changing publishing world.

Read Sunday, Aug 08, 2010 news update

What that says about those of us privy to the sincere efforts of other writers soberly imbibing upon their craft at the time need not be mentioned.  Thing is, as we’ll be celebrating our 25^th anniversary come February, no doubt we’ll do so again.

Already we’ve brought a lot of new flock into the fold, author-, agent- and editor-wise, to address the issues today impacting writers of all ilk.  Many familiar friends will also join us in February.  What’s cool now to announce -- before starting our regular updates in October -- is that we’re debuting a brand new immersion track as a result of several regulars’ input.

The “3/10 Power Pen” debuts at SD25.  This is a stand-alone track in which participants are expected to write – from scratch -- the first 10 chapters of their book over the course of the conference weekend.  With individual sessions prompted by leaders, the idea behind this is that an SCWC weekend is YOUR weekend.  It’s your weekend to get work done, work that you can print and wag in some skeptical non-writer’s face as tangible evidence of your creative efforts.  It’s geared for you to write.  Now.  You.

Regular updates begin in October, following our LA8 event.  Meanwhile, register really early (by Sept. 1) and take advantage of our $100 Early “Bard” Registration discount to secure your deserved spot in the .COMmunity extending into all things SCWC.

As usual, discounted pre-registration for next year’s extra-long weekend event will open mid-July.  Please bare with us as we start building out the San Diego side of the revamped website to reflect such.  Certain pages aren’t quite working yet, but we’re aware and are on it. 

Speaking of the new site design, check out the Frequently Asked Questions page and tell us what you think on the SCWC Facebook group. Meanwhile, to tide you over 'til the next update, watch the second episode of our SCWC re-enactment series, Writers Recap, called "Rejection Exception."

The first of our special guest speakers to be announced is Ellen Bryson, whose highly anticipated debut novel The Transformation of Bartholomew Furtuno, described as Water for Elephants meets Geek Love, is out June in hardcover from Henry Holt and Co.  And a few of the other authorial types presently confirmed include award-winning writer/producer Erik Bork (HBO’s From Earth to the Moon, Band of Brothers, Rome), New York Times bestselling NovelCram: Building the Better Book queen Drusilla Campbell, acclaimed horror novelist Mark Clements, and writing provocateur Judy Reeves – celebrating the 10th Anniversary Edition of her Writer’s Book of Days.  Among the agents & editors joining us: Paul Fedorko (N.S. Bienstock), Mollie Glick (Foundry Literary & Media Agency), Matt Hudson (William Morris Endeavor Agency), Georgia Hughes (New World Books), and Sally van Haitsma, who only last month ventured out on her own after years of repping at Castiglia Literary (Best of success, Sally!) . . .

Some especially “good muse” to announce: Conferee Jane Howatt has signed a deal for her book, The Cop, The Killer, and Me, with Behler Publications editorial director Lynn Price, whom she submitted to at this past February’s SD24 conference.  Congratulations, Jane!  And no doubt Lynn will be back with us at LA8 . . .

Registration is now open for our September event.  Do so by June 1 and save $75.  Regular updates will continue from here forward as there’s plenty more staff to tell you about, along with the preliminary schedule.  For those who already know they’ll be signing up for optional advance submission critique, followed by one-on-one consultation with your reader(s), select “To Be Determined” on the registration form and we’ll email you when the full list becomes available in June . . .

Finally, as we endeavor to get the kinks out of the new site, please feel free to let Michael know what you think of the interface, any suggestions you have or problems encountered.  Check back often as there’s lots more coming.

Finally, be sure to check back and let us know what you think. And if you like to plan way, way ahead, know now that dates for San Diego 25 will be Presidents' Day Weekend, Feb. 18-21, 2011, so whether it be in Newport Beach or San Diego — or both — we hope to see you there.

"The weekend was one of the most enlightening experiences in my life."

"Outstanding...inspiring."

"I learned a lot and enjoyed the conference."

"I totally enjoyed the conference and took away new knowledge, tips and great advice. The NOVELCRAM workshop was FABULOUS." 

"A ton of fun."

"Thanks again for another great conference!"

"This was my first writer's conference and I had a fabulous time. Exhausted by Monday but so much better informed."

"The big advantage you have over other conferences is the wonderful feeling of "community" that happens during your events… The atmosphere is relaxed, yet everyone is very serious about learning and growing as a writer."

"The best I've experienced."

"The input I received from meeting the agents was priceless." 

"A fabulous experience…I made some new friends, learned so much about the craft, and above all it turns out I don't suck as much as I thought I did." 

"Excellent...I had a blast."

"I look forward to the September event in Newport Beach."