Publish Your Memoir Now! Expert Advice to get Your Book into the World
National Association of Memoir Writers Spring Telesummit
A Conference by Telephone
May 3, 2019
9 AM PDT | 12 PM EDT to 1 PM PDT | 4 PM EDT
All signups receive the recording afterward
Join this telesummit conference by clicking on the cart links below. If you are currently a member of the NAMW, click on the button to login and you will find the discounted cart link in the members area.
Many memoir writers say to me, “I want to publish my memoir,” adding “I don’t care how, I just want my work in the world.” People also tell me they want a traditional publishing deal, but they have received so many rejections from agents and publishers. Should I really self-publish. Does that mean I’m not good enough?
The answer is yes—self-publishing is now one of the best choices for many authors. And no—it does not mean you are not good enough for a traditional deal. In fact, many writers are now choosing to self-publish instead of going traditional.
In the book marketplace in 2019, being in charge of choosing to self-publish your book, with professional help and input, is not only an excellent way to get your book into the world, but often it’s the best choice. You need to become informed and educated about the publishing business. To learn about what services are out there, and how you can best choose what you need for your book and your budget. You need to understand how the book publishing business works, and wear your professional hat when making decisions about your creation: a beautiful book that conveys the message you want to share with the world.
The focus of Publish Your Memoir Now! is to offer information that you’ll need to make informed decisions about your book. It’s important that you understand book design, how professionals like reviewers and book store owners will view your design and your cover, and how you can be an informed participant in the choices you need to make.
You need to learn how books are published in the traditional publishing industry. Agents can help writers get connected with publishers, but they also offer other important services, including guidance about the book industry and where your book will fit in. Many agents are now helping writers get their book published in a variety of ways: self-publishing, hybrid, small publishers, and traditional.
Being informed early on in your writing process is essential to making the best choices when you are finished with editing and revisions. And remember, any work that you submit for any kind of publishing consideration needs to be edited professionally. That’s the best advice I can offer for all writers, whatever their publishing dreams.
If you want your book to reach readers, you also need to understand that you are a big part of making your book a success. Publicity and marketing—many writers groan at these words—but they are your book’s friend. You need to learn to enjoy the idea that you are helping get your book into the world and into the hands of your readers.
I’m pleased to feature experts in the publishing field—April Eberhardt, Brooke Warner, Carla King, Joel Friedlander, and Sandra Beckwith.
Your story matters. Be brave. Persist.
Become a member of the National Association of Memoir Writers today and benefit from a community of fellow authors.
9 AM PDT | 12 PM EDT
April Eberhardt
THE CHANGING FACE OF PUBLISHING: WHAT ALL AUTHORS NEED TO KNOW
In this illuminating workshop, Literary Change Agent April Eberhardt examines the state of publishing today along with the implications and opportunities for authors. She presents five different paths to publication, including a candid discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach from an author’s perspective.
Discover what hybrid publishing is, along with collaborative (also known as cooperative) publishing, and how those approaches compare to traditional and self-publishing. Learn how to choose the right path for you and your work, how to set and maintain realistic expectations, and how to develop a publishing strategy and approach that meets your goals, dreams, timetable and budget.
Participants will learn:
- Five questions to ask yourself before embarking on your publishing career
- Key steps in evaluating your publishing options project by project
- Vetting publishers and freelance service providers
- Budgeting essentials
- Mistakes to avoid
April Eberhardt is a literary change agent and author advocate passionate about helping authors be published in the most effective and satisfying way. After 25 years as a corporate strategist and consultant, April joined the literary world. She advises and assists authors worldwide, as they choose the best pathway to publication for their work, be it indie or traditional, digital or print, and serves as a consultant to new publishing startups. April divides her time between San Francisco, New York, and Paris. She also is a reader for the Best American Short Stories series published annually by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Join this telesummit conference by clicking on the cart links below. If you are currently a member of the NAMW, click on the button to login and you will find the discounted cart link in the members area.
Carla King
COOL TECH TOOLS TO HELP YOU WRITE, MARKET, AND PUBLISH YOUR BOOK
Tune in for a review of easy-to-use tech tools that improve your writing, save you money, make publishing easier, and even help you market your books. Here are the kinds of tools you’ll learn about.
- Distraction-free writing tools to help you set goals, get down to work and finish your book one chunk at a time
- Productivity tools to help you be more efficient and clear your mind of the clutter that creates frustration and writers block
- Magical tools that analyze your story, writing style, and word use, including artificial intelligence to suggest improvements on your narrative and character arc
- Formatting tools to help you create and share early reader copies, ARCs, and distribute your final files for publication
- Tools to help you engage your audience and gather advance reviews
These tools are affordable or even free and provide tangible value when you’re writing your book, marketing your book, and publishing your book. You’ll save money on editing because you won’t be paying someone to fix the easy stuff. You won’t pay for formatting, either, because it’s already done.
Most of these tools were created by authors who needed to solve their own problems with writing, editing, formatting, marketing, and publishing. These are the best in a crowded field of tools available to you, and have been tested, evaluated, and approved by an industry expert you can trust.
Carla King is Founder of the Self-Publishing Boot Camp educational series of books, workshops, online courses, and coaching programs. Her Self-Publishing Boot Camp Guide for Authors is in its 4th edition and her free Consumer’s Guide for Self-Publishers is available on her website. Carla is also a travel memoirist and author of American Borders: Breakdowns in Small Towns All Around the USA and Stories from Elsewhere: Travels on Two and Three Wheels. She self-published her first book in 1995. Find her travel writing at www.carlaking.com and her self-publishing services at www.selfpubbootcamp.com.
Travel writing: www.carlaking.com
Blog, books, and services: www.selfpubbootcamp.com
Courses: www.selfpubbootcampcourses.com
Free Consumer’s Guide www.selfpubbootcamp.com/consumersguide
We help writers become Memoirists
Become a member of the National Association of Memoir Writers today and benefit from a community of fellow authors.
Brooke Warner
How Writers and Authors Can Benefit from the Independent Book Publishers Association
Brooke Warner, Publisher of She Writes Press and co-teacher of the Write Your Memoir in Six Months program with Linda Joy, is also the current Chairperson of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). She will be joining the Summit to discuss IBPA, its role in the publishing industry and value to authors, as well as the kinds of publishers and authors that IBPA supports. Writers and authors benefit inordinately from understanding the ins and outs of the publishing industry, and IBPA supports education and advocacy in its efforts to promote professional book standards and a level playing field for all independent publishers.
Join Brooke to learn:
- What IBPA is and how it supports authors and publishers
- Why IBPA’s primary mission is to educate authors and publishers about professional book standards
- Why authors should know about IBPA and the value of being part of a professional association
- Advocacy initiatives and how those help writers and authors everywhere
- Why Brooke is so proud to be the Chairperson of IBPA and what her primary role there entails
Brooke Warner is publisher of She Writes Press and SparkPress, president of Warner Coaching Inc., and author of Green-light Your Book, What’s Your Book?, and three books on memoir. Brooke is a TEDx speaker, weekly podcaster (Write-minded with co-host Grant Faulkner of NaNoWriMo), and the former Executive Editor of Seal Press. She currently sits on the boards of the Independent Book Publishers Association, the Bay Area Book Festival, and the National Association of Memoir Writers. She writes a monthly column for Publishers Weekly
Join this telesummit conference by clicking on the cart links below. If you are currently a member of the NAMW, click on the button to login and you will find the discounted cart link in the members area.
Joel Friedlander
Book Design & Construction for Authors
f you’re writing a memoir and are considering self-publishing, you need to understand the basics of book publishing as you continue your journey to having a book in the world! And readers who need your book.
Whether you are using print-on-demand or offset printing, print books have specific demands—and hundreds of years of conventions—that you need to address when designing your book and creating your production and marketing plans.
Joel Friedlander, an award-winning designer with over 20,000 books published based on his work, wants to make sure you succeed with your print books by understanding how design and construction impact your overall publishing plan.
What you will learn:
- How to pick fonts for your book interiors and covers, including free options
- What do we mean by “industry-standard”?
- Dealing with short-run offset book printers
- Making the decision between print-on-demand and offset printing
- Tips on design details like running heads, text breaks, and indexes
If you’re planning to see your book on bookshelves in bookstores, you’ll find the advice and tips you need in Joel’s book and in this conference we are here to inform you and answer your publishing questions.
Joel Friedlander is an award-winning book designer, blogger, and writer. He speaks regularly at industry events and is the author of A Self-Publisher’s Companion and The Book Blueprint. The blogger behind TheBookDesigner.com, Joel is a columnist for Publishers Weekly, and was named by Writer’s Digest as one of the 10 people to follow in book publishing. Joel also operates BookDesignTemplates.com, where he provides predesigned interior book templates for Word and InDesign as well as pre-designed and custom book covers; AuthorToolkits.com, where authors find digital products to help in their marketing and business activities; and BookPlanner.com, the only project planning tool specifically designed for indie authors.
Book Design Templates (directly related to this topic)
https://www.bookdesigntemplates.com
NAMW provides the tools and support needed for each individual’s unique memoir writing journey.
Become a member of the National Association of Memoir Writers today and benefit from a community of fellow authors.
1 PM PDT | 4PM EDT
Sandra Beckwith
Take Charge! Be Your Own Book Publicist
There’s no way around it: Authors need to promote their books. In-house publicists are too busy to do much more than send out review copies; self-published authors don’t have any support at all. Learn how to snag priceless online and offline media attention for your book, whether it’s been in stores for one week or 101 weeks. Take control of the conversation about your book while saving money on pricey consultants by learning how to be your own book publicist.
Participants will learn:
- The difference between advertising and publicity
- The most common mistake memoirists make with publicity
- How to overcome obstacles holding you back
- The secret weapon publicists don’t want you to know about
- 2 easy-to-create publicity tools that will take you to the top
Sandra Beckwith is an author and national award-winning former publicist who now teaches authors how to save thousands of dollars by doing their own publicity, promotion, and marketing. You might have seen her on “The Montel Williams Show,” or “CBS This Morning,” or read about her in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, or USA Today. Feedspot has ranked her website, Build Book Buzz, as # 7 among thousands of book marketing blogs; it has also been named a top website for authors and writers four other times.
Website: https://buildbookbuzz.com
Get the “Top 5 Free Book Promotion Resources” when you subscribe to the free Build Book Buzz newsletter at https://buildbookbuzz.com/gift
Join this telesummit conference by clicking on the cart links below. If you are currently a member of the NAMW, click on the button to login and you will find the discounted cart link in the members area.
