Publishers & Writers of San Diego


Publishers and Writers of San Diego
2010 Schedule

All meetings are on Saturdays.

Doors open — 10:00 AM
Networking — 10:00 to 10:30 AM
Meeting and presentation — 10:30 to Noon
More networking — Noon to 12:30 PM

January 30
Everything You Need to Know about Book Distribution
Jennifer Redmond
Sunbelt Books

February 27
Social Media and Marketing for Books
Becky Carroll
Petra Consulting/Customers Rock!

March 27
21st Century Book Marketing
Arielle Ford
Independent Publicist

April 24
Driving Traffic to Your Website
Schelly Gallimore

May 29
Group Open Discussion and Q&A

June 26
Branding: How to Create and Sustain Your Image in the Marketplace
Tony Vianna

July 31
The Power of Book Design
Tamara Dever and Erin Stark
TLC Graphics

August 28
Group Open Discussion and Q&A

September 25
The Latest and Greatest on Digital and Offset Printing
Doug Strickland
CPS Printing

October 30
Turn Your Book into a Screenplay!
Pilar Alessandra

November/December
Year-End Holiday Party!


January 30, 2010

Everything You Need to Know about Book Distribution

Jennifer Silva Redmond, Sunbelt Books

Just what is a book distributor, and why do I need one? How is a book dstributor different than a wholesaler, and how do they work together? How do I find the best distributor for my book, and how can I make sure my book gets picked up by the best distributor? How can the relationship be successful for both of us? Oh, and what about the money. . . how does that work? Jennifer Redmond, editorial director for Sunbelt Books and Distribution, will answer all these questions and many, many more.

About the speaker: Jennifer Silva Redmond is Editor-in-Chief of Sunbelt Publications, an award-winning small press. Co-founder and editor of the critically acclaimed Sea of Cortez Review (1998-2001), Redmond joined Sunbelt, an independent publisher, as Acquisitions Editor in 2000, and was named Editor-in-Chief in 2004. Also an author, she has sold stories, poetry, and essays to many publications and was featured in Latinos in Lotusland: An Anthology of Contemporary Southern California Literature. Redmond is prose editor for the San Diego Writer’s Ink 2009 Anthology, and is on the staff of the Southern California Writers conference.

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February 27, 2010

Deciphering Social Media—What You Need to Know to Market Your Book and Yourself

Becky Carroll, Petra Consulting/Customers Rock!

There is a lot of talk (and hype) about social media; everyone seems to be on Twitter and Facebook. Should you be using these tools? If so, what is the best way to use them? Through real-world examples and case studies of corporations and small businesses, Becky will help you cut through the techno-babble and learn how to use these tools effectively to manage your contacts, your career, and maybe even your personal brand.

About the speaker: Becky Carroll is founder of Customers Rock!/Petra Consulting Group, a consultancy focused on engaging customers through conversation, social media, and WOW customer experiences. She is the author of the business blog Customers Rock! (http://customersrock.net), listed in the top 5 of the Top 50 Customer Service blogs and among the Top 25 Marketing blogs. She also writes the blog Teaching Social Media (found at http://teachingsocialmedia.blogspot.com). Becky teaches the “Marketing via New Media” class at UC San Diego Extension and sits on the Network Solutions Social Web Advisory Board. She also has her own internet radio show, Customers Rock! Radio, heard on wsRadio.com and via iTunes.

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March 27, 2010

21st Century Book Marketing

Arielle Ford

21st Century Book Marketing—or how the book launch has changed from 1998 to present day—what works, what no longer works, and how the internet has changed the game.

This will include a detailed look at how I launched my latest book The Soulmate Secret to bestseller status, traits of bestselling authors, creating a conversation thru the internet, how to make friends with the media, and why you say yes to every interview opportunity.

About the speaker: Arielle Ford has mastered the art of making things happen. A nationally recognized publicist and marketing expert, producer, author and consultant she has catapulted many authors and celebrities to stardom and enormously facilitated the rapid growth of the self-help and human potential movement in the US. As the former president and founder of The Ford Group, a successful public relations and marketing firm, she helped launch the careers of Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen (creators of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series) and Neale Donald Walsch (author of Conversations With God). She has also handled publicity for myriad best-selling authors including: Wayne Dyer, Dean Ornish, Debbie Ford, Gary Zukav, Marianne Williamson, Louise Hay, don Miguel Ruiz, Kenny Loggins and many other notable authors, 11 of whom became #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

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April 24, 2010

Driving Traffic to Your Website

Schelly Gallimore

There are no road maps on the Information Superhighway, so how can you help people find their way to your website? In the session titled Driving Traffic to Your Website, you will receive step-by-step instructions on seven easy, common-sense techniques that will help people find your website.The seven techniques are:

  1. Award to the Wise
  2. Give It Away
  3. Start the Press!
  4. To Link or Not to Link
  5. You Tease!
  6. Your Words Are Key
  7. The Care and Feeding of Spiders.
 

About the speaker: Schelly Gallimore has been developing, installing, supporting, documents, and training users on new and emerging web and network technologies for the past 30 years. She has worked in corporate America, public K-12 schools, and the non-profit sector, where her ability to deliver technical information to non-technical audiences has been instrumental in helping professionals survive the technology boom.

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May 29, 2010

Open Group Discussion and Q&A

This is the time to ask any and all burning or simmering questions you have about any part of publishing, for anyone in the room to answer. There are usually some folks in attendance who have a ton of publishing experience. It is typically one of the most popular meetings of the year.

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June 26, 2010

Branding: How to Create and Sustain Your Image in the Marketplace

Tony Vianna

Brand Image is the complete bundle of attributes you want your customer to have in mind about you, your book/service. It is the sum of all these thoughts that signals to your reader and buyer your credibility, relevance, uniqueness, and sustainability. It is, in a way, a short-cut to get them to want to know more about you and your book/service in order to make an informed buying decision. Developing your brand image starts well before you write your book ... it starts with your Marketing Plan. This presentation identifies the main elements of a Marketing Plan, the main drivers of a brand image along with a specific example of the branding process. The 4 P's of Marketing are discussed along with greater details to help you create your own brand image. Lastly, there is a discussion of specific strategic marketing questions along with suggested examples for putting your brand image into practice. As a result of this presentation you will:

  1. have a better understanding of branding and its importance to your business success;
  2. be better able to analyze your target market in order to create your brand image;
  3. be better able to break down the parts of your marketing plan in order to capitalize on your target market; and
  4. be able to put better put together specific growth tactics to expand your target market.

About the speaker: Tony Vianna has been professionally writing since 2003. To date he has published 17 books (fiction and non-fiction). While not always a writer, the enjoyment of listening to and sharing stories helped propel him from a Human Resources career. He is a member of Publishers and Writers of San Diego, Read Local San Diego, and Military Writers of America. He conducts workshops on how to write a book and get published as well as how to re-career at any age. Vianna teaches business courses at several San Diego universities and is often on television and radio offering tips to advance your career. Go to www.viannabooks4u.com.

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July 31, 2010

The Power of Book Design

Tamara Dever and Erin Stark, TLC Graphics

Learn why some cover and interior designs allow books to sell, while others drive buyers to the competition. Learn what makes design so important to a book’s sales and how to do it right the first time and every time. Tips, tricks, and pitfalls will be discussed, whether you’re designing it yourself or hiring a professional. Get your books noticed for the right reasons and into the hands of sellers, distributors, and reviewers! Includes Q&A, a slide show of sample covers including before-and-after samples, and critiques of attendees’ books.

About the speaker: Tamara Dever is the owner and founder of TLC Graphics, a book design firm providing full service support to small publishers and their clients. Begun in 1997, the business has grown from design studio to a complete publishing development firm, winning numerous national and regional awards including two ForeWord Magazine's Top Ten Book of the Year awards. She has a BFA in Graphic Communications from UW Oshkosh and began her career designing magazines and books for several publishing companies.

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August 28, 2010

Open Group Discussion and Q&A

Our popular open forum meetings are always interesting and informative. Get your questions answered by your publishing peers, share your best publishing and marketing ideas, ask for advice. With a special presentation by Publishing University attendee, John O'Melveny Woods.

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September 25, 2010

The Latest and Greatest on Digital and Offset Printing

Doug Strickland, CPS Printing

Doug Strickland of CPS Printing in Carlsbad will discuss key things you need to know about successful printing, as well the newest technologies and options for digital printing. More details to come.

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October 30, 2010

Turn Your Book into a Screenplay!

Pilar Alessandra

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November/December, 2010

Our Annual Year-End Celebration and Social

Details to be announced.

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