Update on the California Dreamin’ Conference
January 2, 2017 by A Slice of Orange in category Writing Conferences tagged as Orange County, Writing conference
Happy New Year!
The Twelve Days of Christmas have almost passed, but there’s still time for you to register for the California Dreamin’ Conference, at the regular rate, before prices go up on January 15, 2017.
Your California Dreamin’ Committee is working hard to make this year’s conference the best ever. We’ve lost some presenters for business and personal reasons, including OCC member Kitty Bucholtz who is now residing in a beach front home in Wellington, New Zealand (tough life, right?!).
But, we’re excited to announce we’ve added a new speaker, Robin Blakely, a top business coach, who’ll present a workshop STORYography Cards: From Big Idea to Marketing Success.
Here’s part of the blurb for her workshop:
Writers, you CAN make a solid living from your talent. But first, you have to write or re-write the storyline for the success of your talent-driven brand. Top business coach Robin Blakely, CEO of Creative Center of America and a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, shows you how to bring structure–and a sense of peace–to the common chaos of your creative career.
And there are still spots available for Debra Dixon’s Book Camp on Friday, March 24, 2017.
This pre-conference add-on provides valuable tools a writer needs to pull a book together. The intensive workshop covers the three most important elements of popular fiction-goal, motivation and conflict (GMC), and how those elements work with the mythic structure of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey to help writers conceive and create strong plots and compelling characters.
Book Camp is available as a single purchase for those not attending the conference. Writers from any genre will benefit and are most welcome.
If you have questions, check out the conference FAQ page, or come speak to me or Jann Audiss at the January OCC meeting.
Alina K. Field
Giving InstaFreebie a Try by Kitty Bucholtz
December 9, 2016 by Kitty Bucholtz in category It's Worth It by Kitty Bucholtz, Writing: It's a Business tagged as It's Worth It, Kitty Bucholtz
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| My new writing desk complete with inspiring view! |
Hello from sunny New Zealand!
Yes, if you haven’t heard, my husband got his dream job and we moved to New Zealand last month! Woohooo!!! The earthquake thing is a little weird, but we have loved pretty much every aspect of our transition.
The people are fabulously friendly and laid back, and the weather is gorgeous. Having lived in Southern California for many of the last fifteen years, I’m excited to have weather! It actually reminds us of Michigan, where we grew up. Don’t like the weather – give it an hour. LOL!
In addition to all the changes in my personal life, I’m trying something new in my marketing as well. My friend Jennifer very kindly invited me to participate in my first InstaFreebie promotion. I know several friends who rave about their InstaFreebie results (especially Tracy Reed), but I haven’t gotten around to looking into it.
Then I got this invitation to join a group of folks who write humorous paranormal or urban fantasy. Our promotion will run starting tomorrow, December 10 through Friday the 16th. I’m posting the link here so you can see it, even though it’s a day early.
If you don’t know anything about InstaFreebie, let me tell you what I know. Readers click over to the book they’re interested in downloading, choose the format (mobi, epub, pdf), and enter their email address. Authors have the option of forcing the reader to signup for their newsletter in order to get the book or allowing that to be optional. Then the reader gets an email with the book file. Easy!
I’m told that the best way to get the most value from your InstaFreebie giveway is to make the newsletter signup mandatory. The friend who invited me got about a thousand newsletter signups from her very first InstaFreebie giveaway a few months ago!
I don’t know what will happen for me, but I’ll let you know next month. Meanwhile, check out all the free books you can get this next week! They look super fun!
Kitty Bucholtz decided to combine her undergraduate degree in business, her years of experience in accounting and finance, and her graduate degree in creative writing to become a writer-turned-independent-publisher. Her novels, Little Miss Lovesick, A Very Merry Superhero Wedding, and Unexpected Superhero are currently available on Amazon . The free short story Superhero in Disguise and the new short story Welcome to Loon Lake are available wherever ebooks are sold. You can find out about her courses on self-publishing, marketing, and time management for writers at her website Writer Entrepreneur Guides.
0 0 Read moreThe Latest on the California Dreamin’ Writers Conference
December 2, 2016 by A Slice of Orange in category Writing Conferences tagged as Orange County, Writing conferenceAt the last OCCRWA meeting, Jann Audiss and I updated everyone on the latest plans for the California Dreamin’ Writers Conference.
Ready for your Headshot?
Even putting aside holiday distractions (who has time to bake cookies?) committee members are working away, ironing out details for the upcoming conference. As we announced, in November, Jann and I met with VJ Dunraven of Period Images and her two top designers, and we’re happy to announce that they’ll be providing custom head shot services on Saturday of the conference. They’ll even bring along makeup and hair experts to give clients the best camera-ready look possible.
Calling all Readers
I also want to mention that reader signups have opened for California Readin’, the Barbara Vey Event for Readers. Do you know an avid romance reader? Invite her to sign up for this event here. Tickets are $5, and each attendee will receive a bag of author sponsored swag and a $5 coupon to spend at the book signing that follows the event. Also, everyone is welcome to participate in the weekly Facebook parties at the California Readin’ Facebook page for a chance to party with authors and score some giveaways.
Saturday Night Parties
Some of our special presenters will be holding special Saturday night events for the lucky winners of our opportunity drawing. Here’s the lineup:
- Deb Dixon will host “Through the Looking Glass”, a frank Q&A with someone who’s been on the front lines an in the trenches over the years
- Sarah MacLean and Tessa Dare will host a tea, and chat about the Regency
- Laura Drake will talk about “Bikers and Cowboys after Dark”
- M.A. Taylor is back with “Cop Tales”
Workshop Lineup
All of this is on top of our lineup of workshops, running from Friday night through Sunday morning. Get a peek at our workshop lineup here.
Questions?
If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Jann Audiss or me, or better yet, submit your questsion to http://caldreaminwriters.com/contact-us/ and a committee member will get back to you.
There’s still time to register before the price goes up on January 15th, so why not put this conference on your holiday wish list!
Wishing all of you a wonderful December and the happiest of holidays!
Alina K. Field
0 0 Read moreCalifornia Dreamin’
November 10, 2016 by A Slice of Orange in category Writing Conferences tagged as Orange County, Writing conferences
Have you registered yet for the 2017 California Dreamin’ Writers’ Conference?
When the conference committee held its first meeting in the summer of 2015, March of 2017 seemed a long way off. But time gets away from us, and the conference is only a little over four months from now!
From Friday’s Book Camp, presented by Debra Dixon, through our Sunday afternoon keynote speaker, Sarah MacLean, the conference offers something for writers at all stages of their careers.
Jann Audiss and I will be at the November 12th OCCRWA meeting and will be happy to answer your questions. Or, you can always submit questions via the California Dreamin’ website, https://caldreaminwriters.com/contact-us/ and a committee member will get back to you.
Hotel rooms are filling up quickly, and registration discounts for RWA and chapter members end January 15, 2017. If you’ve been thinking about registering, why not add the conference to your holiday wish list? You don’t want to miss it!
Alina K. Field
0 0 Read moreMaking Ads and Amazon Rankings Work for You
August 17, 2016 by Marianne H. Donley in category Writing: It's a Business tagged as Amazon Marketing, Amazon Rankings, Book Ads, historical romance, LOUELLA NELSON, Montana Sky Seriesby Louella Nelson
o seeing your new book hit #7 is about as good as eating homemade blueberry ice cream made with blueberries you picked on the hill behind your house just that morning.
