26th Washington Writers Conference Schedule
Preconference Workshops
Friday, May 13, 2005
8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Registration
Third Floor, Lobby
9–10:15 a.m.
Super Savvy Self-Promotion
Marketing a book doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task.
It just takes some time, careful planning and a dash of creative thinking.
Learn about savvy ideas and cost-effective strategies to garner attention
for your book, and free marketing opportunities! Discover what marketing
options offer the biggest payoffs in sales and what traditional methods
are best to avoid.
Speaker: Penny C. Sansevieri is the founder
of Author Marketing Experts Inc. and author of the Amazon.com bestseller TheCliffhanger. Her
most recent books include: From Book to Bestseller and No
More Rejections. Get Published Today! She began her career in literary
publicity and marketing 10 years ago.
10:30–11:45 a.m.
How to Write a Speech
Would you like to earn $5,000 to $10,000 for each speech you
write? Practical speechwriting advice for allwriting levels will help
you crack the premier speechwriting market.
Speaker: Joan Detz, author of How to Write
and Give a Speech and It’s Not What You Say, It’s
How You Say It, has taught the Joan Detz Speechwriting Seminars
since 1992.
12–1:15 p.m.
What They Don’t Tell You About
Freelancing
Learn to deal with the most common and perplexing
problems of media consolidation—actually, the
global technology/media/telecommunications cartel—facing
freelancers today. Learn about protecting electronic
rights, when outlets have only paid for print rights.
Analyze key issues related to setting rates and negotiating
contracts with consolidated organizations. Examine
marketing routes and business planning strategies.
Moderator: Clyde Linsley, former WIW president
and author of the Josiah Beede mysteries series, has been a successful
freelancer since 1986.
Kate Colgan is a lawyer, freelance writer and past
vice president of the National Writers Union (NWU), and speaks about
writers’ rights and the business of writing.
Emory Hackman has 30 years of legal experience and
is a frequent speaker on estate planning issues. He and co-author Linda
Adams recently completed the manuscript of their civil war military
thriller.
*Lunch is not provided on site. Attendees should bring their own
meals to the12–1:15 p.m. “brown bag” session.
1:30–2:45 p.m.
Web Sites for Writers 101: No HTML
Required
Promoting your book and freelance writing on a Web site is 24/7
advertising. Discover the three things that build successful Web sites
and learn the design tricks used by professional webmasters.
Speaker: Linda Adams is an information systems
specialist for Ultra-Tech, a provider of IT and management services,
who designs and operates Web sites. She is co-authoring an action-adventure
thriller for women.
3–4:15 p.m.
Making Sense of the Dollars and Cents Side of Publishing
Whether you write novels, cookbooks or textbooks, you must understand
the economics of publishing. Master the skills required to succeed in
this business.
Speaker: James McGrath Morris is a Washington,
D.C., author and a former book publisher and editor. He is currently
at work on a biography of Joseph Pulitzer, to be published
by HarperCollins.
4:30–5:45 p.m.
Write the Perfect Book Proposal
A veteran of more than 500 book deals offers an in-depth A-to-Z
description of how to write book proposals that will achieve top-notch
book contract offers.
Speaker: Jeff Herman, literary agent, co-author
of Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 Proposals That Sold and Why! and
author of Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Editors, Publishers and
Literary Agents.
4–5 p.m.
New this Year: Johns Hopkins University Speed Edits
Special
“Speed Edits” give you instant feedback on one page
of prose from a 10-minute session with a faculty member of the Washington,
D.C., Johns Hopkins University Master of Arts in Writing program.
Washington Writers Conference
Saturday, May 14, 2005
7–9 a.m.
Registration
Third Floor, Lobby
7:30–9 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
Third Floor, Grand Ballroom
7:30–8:30 a.m.
Group Breakfast with Agents
Third Floor, Continental Ballroom
Advance Registration Required
9–10 a.m.
Plenary Speech: John Gilstrap
Third Floor, Grand Ballroom
John Gilstrap is the best-selling author of Nathan’s
Run, Scott Free, Even Steven and At All Costs, and
the screenwriter of several screen plays, including Red Dragon, Word
of Honor and Young Men and Fire. With a master’s
degree in safety engineering from the University of Southern California,
Gilstrap is also a firefighter and expert on explosives safety and hazardous
waste.
10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Johns Hopkins University Manuscript Critique Meetings
Advance Registration Required
10:15 a.m. –1 p.m. and 2:30–4 p.m.
Agents’ One-on-One 10-Minute Meetings
Advance Registration Required
Check-In, Fourth Floor
10:10–11:25 a.m.
Breakout Session One
Track 1
The Truth about Self-Publishing
Explore the pros and cons of self-publishing. Is it for you?
How does it work? What does it cost, in time and money? For whom is it
worth it? Will the books sell briskly or pile up in your garage?
Moderator: Joseph Barbato is president of
WIW, an author and a journalist who has written on self-publishing and
other topics as a contributing editor for Publishers Weekly.
Dan Poynter, author of The Self-Publishing Manual,
has been a publisher since 1969. He opened his own firm, Para Publishing,
with his successful self-published book on parachutes.
Judith Applebaum is the author of How to Get Happily
Published, which Money magazine calls, “the best
of many books of advice for writers.” She runs Sensible Solutions
Inc., a book marketing company.
Ed Barks is a trainer, author and speaker who teaches
leaders in business and government how to deliver dynamic presentations
and how to work effectively with the media. He is the author of the self-published The
Truth about Public Speaking: The Three Keys to Great Presentations.
Track 2
Building a Health-Writing Career
Discuss health writing—from breaking into this area of
writing to maintaining a successful business. Identify key issues, interested
audiences and work available. Hear examples of diverse topics and methods
to establish credibility and demonstrate expertise.
Moderator: Mel Greberman is a physician with
extensive experience writing for government and health professional publications.
He represents Federal health, speaks on diverse health topics and has
served as a peer reviewer for scientific publications. Greberman has
graduate degrees in physics and public health as well as residencies
in preventive medicine and radiology.
Christopher Gearon has written and reported on health
care, aging, insurance and personal finance for 17 years. He has established
his own successful freelance writing business and has written for U.S.
News and World Report, the Washington Post, AARP Bulletin,
Reuters Health, the Discovery Channel, Kiplinger’s Retirement
Report (as contributing editor) and for several health care trade
magazines.
Janet Lowenbach has covered health care since the 70s,
as a reporter and photographer for a public health magazine, which featured
migrant health, shellfish sanitation, kidney dialysis and open-heart
surgery. She was public information officer for a major national insurance
company, has written and edited diverse publications, has received recognition
for her award-winning story on kidney transplant surgery and has created
a kidney transplant Web site.
Sharyn Bowman Greberman is a research scientist who
consults on public health and clinical issues for government and industry.
Much of her published work is in the areas of mental health, substance
abuse and criminology. She earned an M.H.S. in Mental Illness Epidemiology
and a Sc.D. in Health Policy and Management from Johns Hopkins University.
Jeff Herman is the founder of The Jeff Herman Literary
Agency and an established leader in adult nonfiction, including business,
general reference, commercial self-help, recovery/healing and spiritual
subjects. He speaks throughout the country about how to get published
and be a successful author. He has been written about in many publications
and is a successful author himself.
Track 3
From Novel to Screen: How to Get Your Novel Produced
for Television or Film
Do you hope to see your novel made into a feature film or a
TV movie? Do you yearn to see your characters live and breathe on screen
and to have your suspenseful scenes recreated in visual detail? If so,
join the experts and learn the behind-the-scenes process.
Moderator: Kevin Cheng, a senior engineer
at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, writes routinely
about the results of his technical research. He also loves writing fiction
and is currently working on a novel and a screenplay.
Peter Miller heads PMA Literary and Film Management
in New York City and is a 30-year literary and film manager who has represented
more than 900 books, including 11 New York Times bestsellers.
He has managed or executive produced 11 films and has two dozen film
and TV projects in active development.
Adam Meyer is a novelist (The Last Domino will
be published by Putnam in May), independent screenwriter and director
(“Flesh Remembers” and “Two Fireflies” will be
seen at festivals this summer) and has written and produced more than
50 hours of TV for Fox, CBS, Discovery and National Geographic.
Khris Baxter teaches screenwriting at Gettysburg College
and at the Low-Residency MFA Creative Writing at Queens University in
Charlotte, N.C. He is a member of the Virginia Film Commission and has
sold and optioned screenplays to major Hollywood studios, including “Voyage,” produced
by USA Pictures and “Outsider,” which begins production this
year.
Track 4
Self-Promoting Your Nonfiction Book
Learn how to sell your writings by utilizing online and networking
approaches that make the latest technology and ideas work for you.
Moderator: Emory Hackman is a frequent speaker
on networking, marketing, estate planning and tax accounting, with 30
years entrepreneurial experience. He is co-writing an action-adventure
pursuit thriller.
Joy Tutela is an experienced literary agent with close
ties to the Washington, D.C., and New York City journalism communities.
Regina Ryan brings her experience as a literary agent
who coaches her clients on marketing nonfiction on the Internet.
Track 5
Johns Hopkins University Craft Session
From Topic to Story: Finding the Narrative Spine in
Your Material
Perhaps you can write a good paragraph or two and even a clever
first-person essay. However, as soon as you add some research to the
mix, your head begins to spin. How do you move from a general subject
area into a focused angle that shapes your material and provides the
reader with fresh perspective? Collins will review basic techniques that
can help writers winnow their research and find the clearest, most effective
thread.
Speaker: Mary Collins is an award-winning
teacher, author and journalist. She has taught writing at Johns Hopkins’ Washington,
D.C., graduate writing program and has done a variety of writing and
editing work for National Geographic and the Smithsonian. Her recent
books include The Essential Daughter: Changing Expectations for Girls
at Home (Praeger) and Airborne: A Photobiography of Wilbur and
Orville Wright (National Geographic Books).
11:35–12:50 p.m.
Breakout Session Two
Track 1
Finding a Needle in a Haystack
Writing an article or a book is a task in itself. Researching
that article or book is another animal altogether. Discover how online
resources and library collections can simplify this process.
Moderator: Paul Dickson is a former WIW president
and the author of the recently-released bookThe Bonus Army: An American
Epic, written with Thomas Allen. He has also written
more than 45 nonfiction books, including The Joy of Keeping Score:
How Scoring the Game has Influenced and Enhanced the History of Baseball.
Jim Srodes is an author and journalist. He held bureau
chief positions with Business Week and Forbes magazines.
His published works include Franklin: The Essential Founding Father;Dream
Maker: The Rise and Fall of John Z. DeLorean; and Allen Dulles:
Master of Spies.
Thomas Mann, formerly a private investigator, has been
a reference librarian in the main reading room of the Library of Congress
for the past 24 years. He is the author of three books published by the
Oxford University Press, including Library Research Models and The
Oxford Guide to Library Research.
Track 2
Where the Money Is: Commercial Writing
If novels, poetry and magazine features are the just desserts
for freelancers, then commercial writing is the bread and butter. Explore
the ins and outs of writing materials such as direct mail promotions,
fundraising pieces and annual reports.
Moderator: Lisa Daniel, a WIW board member
and longtime freelance journalist turned commercial writer.
Joseph Barbato is president of Barbato Associates,
an editorial firm specializing in fundraising writing for major nonprofit
institutions. His clients have included M.I.T., The United Nations Foundation,
The Nature Conservancy, The Special Olympics and numerous universities,
medical centers and conservation groups. His books include Writing
for a Good Cause.
Michael Causey is a freelance editor, reporter and
communications consultant who produces newsletters in health care, energy
technology and management. He also provides public relations writing
and counsel and is a former executive at Hill & Knowlton, Ruder Finn
and Powell Tate.
Mike Long is an essayist, editorialist and speechwriter.
As a director of the White House Writers Group, he writes for elected
officials and corporate executives. He has written for The Weekly
Standard and National Review Online. He is contributing
editor for culture for the Washington Examiner.
Track 3
Chicklit 101: New Directions In Women’s Fiction
If you’ve walked into a bookstore lately, you know about “chicklit”—those
brightly colored paperbacks with a fashionable woman on the front covers.
We’ll explain what makes chicklit different from traditional romance
and help you determine if there’s a home for your book in this
exploding new market.
Moderator: Alexa Hackbarth is a research assistant
and photo technician at the Washington Post. She also works
part-time as a medical editor and writer and is earning her Master of
Library Science degree. She has been freelancing since 1999.
Ellen Byerrum is a Washington, D.C., reporter, playwright
and novelist, and is also registered as a private investigator in Virginia.
Her “Crime of Fashion” series stars Lacey Smithsonian, a
savvy sleuth with a keen sense of style. She also writes plays as Eliot
Byerrum, two of which were published by Samuel French and have been produced
multiple times.
Julie Culver is an associate agent and foreign rights
director at the literary agency Lowenstein-Yost Associates. She is building
her own list of clients and is particularly drawn to fresh voices in
mysteries and women’s fiction, including romance and romantic suspense.Donna
Kauffman has published 26 national bestselling contemporary
romance novels and four novellas, winning numerous awards. Publishers
Weekly said, “Kauffman continues to mix fantasy, sex and touchy-feely
wisdom . . . she anchors her readers with sensuality, humor and compassion.”
Track 4
Speechifying for Fun and Profit: How to Crack the Code
and Break Into the Lucrative World of Speechwriting
Washington insiders who craft speeches for politicians, executives and
other movers and shakers, share trade secrets and proven methods that
will help launch a successful speechwriting career.
Moderator: Eileen Murdock, a speaker and writer,
is vice president of communications for CK Marketing Solutions Inc. She
has launched comprehensive promotion campaigns for NBC News and BOMA
International.
Dave Buckler is a longtime member of Toastmasters International
and an accomplished speaker. He is a lead operations research analyst
and teaches a simulation modeling course several times each year. Buckler
is active in regional film and television production.
Ed Vilade, a principal in Vilade Communications, has
35 years in professional communications, including positions as director
of media relations and chief speechwriter for the Department of Energy.
He has written speeches for Presidents Ford and Carter and Vice Presidents
Bush and Mondale.
Pete Weissman is a national political speechwriter
in Washington, D.C. and a board member of the Washington Speechwriters
roundtable. His experience included three years in the West Wing
of the White House and five years on Capital Hill with the Senate. His
work has been published in Vital Speeches of the Day, Executive Speaker and A
Pocket Guide to Public Speaking.
Track 5
Johns Hopkins University Craft Session
Character Development: Put Some Flesh on Those Bones! How to Add Muscles,
Nerves and Drama to Your Skeleton Crew!
How do you make believable three-dimensional characters leap from the
one-dimensional page of your writing? Learn how to develop characters
who grow and change and who affect or are affected by the world around
them. Discuss sustaining characters over the length of a novel and, in
particular, the oft-used term “character arc.” Examine dialogue,
backstory, scene building and other aspects of craft that affect the
way characters are revealed and perceived.
Speaker: Mary Kay Zuravleff is the author
of The Bowl Already Broken and The Frequency of Souls,
which won the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters
and the James Jones First Novel Award. She frequently teaches fiction
at Johns Hopkins University.
1:10–2:20 p.m.
Luncheon
Keynote Speech: Kojo Nnamdi
Kojo Nnamdi has been called “maybe the
best interviewer in town” by the Washington Post. He is
the popular host of “The Kojo Nnamdi Show,” which airs on
WAMU-FM 88.5, and the “Evening Exchange,” which is broadcasted
by WHUT-TV. A native of Guyana, he immigrated to the United States in
1968 and began his broadcast career in 1973 at WHUR-FM, as news editor
and news editor. In 1993 Nnamdi received the National Academy of Television
Arts and Sciences Excellence in Broadcasting Award.
2:35–3:50 p.m.
Breakout Session Three
Track 1
Copyright and Publishing Law: What Every Writer Needs
to Know
Expert lawyers specializing in the world of literary practice
discuss what copyright is and what it isn’t, along with sub rights,
registration, fair use, the Internet and protecting ideas (which is not
done by copyright).
Moderator: John Lowe was a trial lawyer in
general practice in Charlottesville before joining the intellectual property
law firm of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.,
in Washington, D.C., in 1992, where he was a partner specializing in
patent, trademark and copyright cases.
Nina Graybill is a founding partner of Graybill and
English and acts as both an attorney and literary agent. She is general
counsel to WIW, serves on the Washington, D.C., Bar’s publications
committee and is the co-author of six cookbooks
Carl Settlemyer is a specialist in copyright and trademark
law and partner in the firm of Lutzker, Lutzker and Settlemyer. He is
also president of Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts (WALA).
Track 2
Nonfiction Agents Roundtable
What is the latest new and exciting trend in narrative nonfiction?
How can you really know what’s selling and what’s not? Obtain “real
deal” answers to your questions from top agents.
Moderator: Ted Weinstein represents a broad
range of journalists, academics and other expert authors, and has a particular
interest in popular science, biography and history, business, contemporary
culture, current affairs and politics, environment and nature, food and
cooking and health and medicine.
Andrea Pedolsky is co-founder, with Nicholas
Smith, of Altair Literary Agency, in Washington, D.C., and
has spent 20 years developing and acquiring business and serious nonfiction.
Previously she was executive editor at Pacesetter Books imprint of
Peterson’s in Princeton, N.J., and Amacom in New York City.
Track 3
Adventures in the Murder Business
When a book is accepted by a publisher, the writer’s job
is just beginning. Three published authors—members of the Mid-Atlantic
chapter of Mystery Writers of America—will discuss what happens
next and how the new author can prepare for the process.
Moderator: Clyde Linsley, former WIW president
and author of the Josiah Beede mysteries series, has been a successful
freelancer since 1986.
Donna Andrews writes two mystery series. You’ve
Got Murder, first in her series from Berkley, which features artificial
intelligence personality Turing Hopper, won the Agatha for best mystery
of 2002 and was followed by Click Here for Murder. We’ll
Always Have Parrots is the fifth in her Agatha and Anthony award-winning
series from St. Martin’s, featuring blacksmith Meg Langslow.
Dan Stashower is the author of two mystery novels and Teller
of Tales: The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle. He was awarded the Raymond
Chandler Fulbright Fellowship in Detective and Crime Fiction Writing.
Track 4
Marketing Your Writing
Imagine your book release party and then work in reverse. Identify
the writing and marketing needed to get you to your ideal party.
Moderator: Howard Yoon is a literary agent
and the creative director of Gail Ross Literary Agency in Washington,
D.C. He has more than 13 years experience as an agent, editor and writer.
He also was president of AuthorsOnline, a Web marketing startup for established
authors.
Michael Larsen is a San Francisco literary agent who
specializes in nonfiction. He searches for books that will change the
world—business books, how-to’s, quote books, humor, health,
science and new ideas.
Penny C. Sansevieri is the founder of Author Marketing
Experts Inc. and author of the Amazon.com bestseller TheCliffhanger. Her
most recent books include: From Book to Bestseller and No
More Rejections. Get Published Today! She began her career in literary
publicity and marketing 10 years ago.
Track 5
Johns Hopkins University Craft Session
Hypertext: Writing in the Age of Computers
Writing in the age of computers involves far more than word
processing. Examine Hypertext’s role in Internet publishing.
Explore the Web, visit sites that publish fiction and allow readers to
make choices about what directions to take the narratives. Should the
main character leave his wife or stay and have an affair? Click
on A or B and continue . . .
Speaker: David Everett has reported from 23
states and 11 foreign nations, winning many local, state and national
awards, including honors from the National Press Club, the National Society
of Professional Journalists and the Overseas Press Club. His freelance
journalism, humor and fiction appear in newspapers and magazines. Everett
now directs and teaches at Johns Hopkins University’s Washington,
D.C., graduate writing program.
4–5:15 p.m.
Breakout Session Four
Track 1
Managing Your Writing Business
What business basics are required to successfully run a freelance
writer’s career? Learn how to manage time and effort more effectively
and how to understand contracts and letters of agreement. Review tax
and accounting responsibilities.
Moderator: Al Portner, a writer and 30-year
newspaper executive, is proprietor of The Assignment Desk, a consultancy
that answers the marketing and business concerns of independent writers
and brings them together with the people who need their services.
Ken Ackerman is the author of Boss Tweed: The Rise
and Fall of the Corrupt Pol Who Conceived the Soul of Modern New York;
The Dark Horse: The Surprise Electionand Political Murder of President
James A. Garfield; and The Gold Ring: Jim Fisk, Jay Gould
and Black Friday 1869. He practices law in Washington, D.C., after
serving more than 25 years in senior posts on Capitol Hill and in the
Executive Branch.
Christopher Gearon has written and reported on health
care, aging, insurance and personal finance for 17 years. He has established
his own successful freelance writing business and has written for U.S.
News and World Report, the Washington Post, AARP Bulletin, Reuters
Health the Discovery Channel, Kiplinger’s Retirement Report (as
contributing editor) and for several health care trade magazines.
Susan Kousak helps people organize papers, computers,
businesses and lives. Since 1990 her company, Balanced Spaces, has applied
a unique blend of training experience and technical know-how to a variety
of clients in the private and public sectors.
Track 2
Whose Life is it Anyhow?
Biography: Possibilities, Complaints and Markets
Biography is one of today’s strongest markets for nonfiction
books and a creative challenge for writers. Learn how to capture a life
on paper—the art, the craft and the business—from the venerable
Washington Biography Group and a leading New York agent.
Moderator: Marc Pachter is the leader of the
Washington Biography Group and director of the National Portrait Gallery.
Barbara Burkhardt is the author of William Maxwell:
A Literary Life.
Nancy Thorndike Greenspan is the author of The
End of the Certain World: The Life and Science of Max Born.
Kristie Miller is the author of Isabella Greenway:
An Enterprising Life.
Joy Tutela has been with the David Black Agency since
1998. Previously she was in the editorial department of the Harvard
Business School Press.
Track 3
Fiction Agents Roundtable
What are the hot-button topics in the fiction universe? Is your
pet project right for the market of 2005? Several top agents will explore
these and many other fiction-related issues.
Moderator: Jeff Gerecke worked as an agent
with JCA Literary Agency from 1987 through early 2005, when he went out
on his own. He has been a foreign scout for publishers such as Hodder & Stoughton,
Rizzoli and Heyne, and a publicist for the University of California Press.
Mollie Glick is an agent with the Jean V. Naggar Literary
Agency. She started her career as a literary scout for foreign publishers
interested in the rights to American books. She was also an editor
at Random House’s Crown imprint before going to “the other
side” and becoming an agent in 2003.
Track 4
How to Sell Yourself as an Expert
Turn your passion into your writing specialty. Whether your
first love is sailing, snowboarding or wildlife conservation, get practical,
step-by-step advice for breaking into a niche market.
Moderator: Alexa Hackbarth is a research assistant
and photo technician at the Washington Post. She also works
part-time as a medical editor and writer. She is earning her Master of
Library Science degree and has been freelancing since 1999.
Ron David’s passion for flight is evident in
his essays on his personal flight experiences and in his technical aviation
articles. He is currently narrating a series for the National Geographic
Channel and just finished writing a show for the Federal Aviation Administration.
Star Lawrence started as a marketing copywriter and
then moved to magazine writing. She became a contributing editor to Managed
Care magazine, while receiving assignments from CBS HealthWatch.
She writes for WebMD and contributes to Newsweek’s health
supplements.
Ellen Hoffman is a freelancer specializing in personal
finance and retirement. She is the author of two books on retirement,
is a retirement columnist for Business Week Online and frequent
contributor to other publications.
Track 5
Johns Hopkins University Craft Session
The Art of Responding to Rejection
How important is our reaction to rejection? Rejection is a reality
in the creative world. When faced with it, there are three choices: Retreat,
give away every bit of your insight in hopes of fitting in or try to
find a few people who will respond favorably to your work and what you
have to offer. The third way is the best and toughest to follow.
Speaker: Tim Wendel is an award-winning novelist
and journalist. His books include Castro’s Curveball and The
New Face of Baseball. His work has appeared in the New York
Times, G.Q., Esquire and other national magazines. He teaches writing
at Johns Hopkins’ Washington, D.C., campus.
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Awards Reception
Grand Ballroom
Presenter of Awards:Beryl Lieff Benderly,
founder of the WIW Washington Writing Prizes contest, has published eight
trade books and numerous articles in major newspapers, magazines and
Web sites. |