Session One
10 AM PST 11 AM MST 12 PM CST 1 PM EST
Mike O’Mary
Mike O’Mary started Dream of Things in 2009, focusing on memoirs and anthologies of creative nonfiction. During this session, Mike will tell you what he looks for when he’s reading a new manuscript, including the three things that a memoir MUST have before he will offer you a publishing contract.
You’ll also learn about libel and invasion of privacy concerns in memoirs – and steps you can take to avoid such lawsuits down the road.
Mike will discuss the many options that are available to authors today when it comes to getting published. He will even tell you step-by-step how to self-publish your memoir. At the same time, he will tell you that self-publishing is not for everybody. He’ll advise you how to determine whether you should go ahead with self-publishing or seek a publisher.
Finally, Mike will discuss the role of the publisher in today’s environment, and share some of his secrets about promoting and marketing books, including which strategies and tactics to avoid, and which ones have been proven to have the most impact. (Hint: The most expensive tactics are not necessarily the most effective. He’ll tell you how you can get thousands of readers – maybe even TENS of thousands – with one $29 advertisement to promote your book.)
During this discussion, listeners will learn:
- How to get a publisher’s attention with your memoir.
- What your options are when it comes to getting published. (I don’t think there’s ever been a better time to be an author because there are so many opportunities today to get your work out there.)
- The pros and cons of self-publishing – including when to do it, and when NOT to do it.
- The role of the publisher in the book industry today – ask not what you can do for your publisher; ask instead what your publisher can do for YOU.
- Steps you can (and SHOULD) take to avoid libel and invasion of privacy in your memoir.
- How to promote your memoir on a shoe-string budget – including a variety of PROVEN low-cost and no-cost strategies to promote your book, PLUS a list of strategies/tactics to avoid.
Mike O’Mary is founder of Dream of Things, a book publisher and online book store. Dream of Things focuses on memoirs, anthologies of creative nonfiction, and other books. Recent books from Dream of Things include:
- Everything I Never Wanted to Be by Dina Kucera, which has been ranked among the top memoirs by women in Amazon’s Kindle store for 15 consecutive months, and has been optioned for development by an independent filmmaker.
- Leaving the Hall Light On by Madeline Sharples, a memoir about her son’s bipolar disorder and suicide, and the impact on Madeline and her family.
- Saying Goodbye, an anthology of true stories about how we say goodbye to the people, places, and things in our lives.
- MFA in a Box by John Rember, an award-winning book about creative writing that is part memoir, part craft talk, and part philosophical tome.
Mike is also a writer who studied at Knox College, the University of Montana creative writing program, and the Second City Comedy Writing Program. He is author of The Note, a book about the power of appreciation, and Wise Men and Other Stories, a collection of holiday-related essays. In addition, his stories and essays have appeared in the Sunday magazines of the Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Baltimore Sun, and Cleveland Plain Dealer, and he has written and produced sketch comedy in Chicago. He was also a commentator on Northern Illinois Public Radio for many years, doing commentaries as part of the local segment of National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” program.
Twitter and FB Dream of Things on Twitter: @dreamofthings
Dream of Things on FB: www.facebook.com/dreamofthings
Mike O’Mary personal FB page: www.facebook.com/mikeomary
