California Writers Club, Sacramento Branch

Dedicated to Educating Writers of all Levels

Monthly Meeting, April 15 – Pitching to Agents or Publishers

Saturday, April 15, 2023

 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Arden-Dimick Library
891 Watt Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95864

Free Meeting – Open to the Public

Zoom link

Members unable to join us will be able to access a recording of Jordan’s presentation on our website. 

Come see your fellow writers! Hear what everyone’s working on! Find new friends who share your genre!

 

with

Jordan Bernal

Author 

Craft Your Pitch to Draw Agents’ Attention

You’ve written a great book, now learn to draw an agent’s interest enough to request a sample of your writing. Bring your pitch and receive feedback on ways to hone it.

You will learn how to:

  • Learn the Key Components of a pitch
  • Be concise: short is sweet
  • Enjoy the conversation
  • Understand the ultimate goal of pitching
  • Develop other uses for your pitch

Jordan Bernal is the author of The Keepers of Éire, The Keepers of Alba, & Reluctant Paladin—dragon fantasies that encourage readers to let their imaginations take flight. Jordan publishes through Dragon Wing Publishing, her independent press. She’s been a member of CWC Tri-Valley Writers since 2010. Follow Jordan at http://www.jordanbernal.com.

 

Writers Network April 7 – Freelance Writing Tips


Friday, April 7, 2023

9 – 11 am

CH Cafe & Grill (formally Perko’s)
6215 Sunrise Blvd (just off Greenback)
Citrus Heights

or

Join with Zoom

Passcode 811481

Brina Patel

How to Pitch Your Story Ideas to Editors

As writers, we understand the importance of building an audience for our work. While networking with fellow writers, sending email newsletters, and posting updates to social media are important steps, there’s one often overlooked method — having our writing featured in the media. Why does this matter? For starters, there’s a low barrier to entry, and it’s an excellent way to build credibility. However, the biggest questions remain: Where do we send our story pitches? And how do we increase our chances of getting a story commissioned? This presentation will address these questions so that writers can pitch their ideas with confidence!

Attendees will learn:

  • The benefits of being featured in the media

  • How to hone in on story ideas for articles

  • Seven steps for crafting a compelling pitch

  • Helpful do’s and don’ts for the pitching process

  • Which publications accept story ideas from (and pay!) freelance writers

Brina Patel is a former freelance writer, whose bylines have appeared in Business Insider, Well+Good, Byrdie, Verywell Mind, Brown Girl Magazine, and various other publications. She also edited the Rituals anthology with Bell Press Books, and her creative nonfiction has been published in Heartwood Literary Magazine and LEVITATE Magazine. Brina currently works at Reframe, the #1 alcohol reduction app, where she helps with content creation and email marketing. In her free time, Brina enjoys traveling, reading, going on adventures with friends, and sharing writing tips on her blog at www.brinapatelwriter.com.

Monthly Meeting, March 18 – Build an Engaged Reader Community

Saturday, March 18, 2023

 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

(Coffee and networking begins at 11:30)

Cattlemens Restaurant
12409 Folsom Blvd.
Rancho Cordova, CA 95742

Meeting fee: $30 in advance, $35 at the door while available
Buy your advance tickets here
Luncheon Choices: Vegetarian or Regular
Deadline for advance tickets: March 14, 2023

Members unable to join us will be able to access a recording of Stephanie’s presentation on our website. Zoom attendance will not be offered.

Come see your fellow writers! Hear what everyone’s working on! Find new friends who share your genre!

with

Stephanie Chandler 

Author and Speaker

Transform Readers into Lifelong Fans
 to Increase Book Sales and Profits

Many publishers focus on selling one book at a time, which requires a tremendous amount of time and effort. But there is a better way! When you build a community of readers, you can sell MANY books at a time. In this content-rich presentation, Stephanie Chandler shares proven strategies that you can put to work right away to begin cultivating an engaged audience of readers who want to buy your books.

You will learn how to:

  • Understand the various ways publishers and influencers cultivate communities
  • Form a plan to develop your own community
  • Identify your Tribe of Influence—and it may be bigger than you think
  • Use content marketing strategies to attract new community members
  • Implement key steps to transform your readers into lifelong fans

Stop struggling to sell one book at a time and learn how you can cultivate a loyal community of readers and make your author business profitable. Whether you’ve been an author for years or you’re just getting started, these steps can dramatically improve your success.

Stephanie Chandler is the author of several books including The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan and The Nonfiction Book Marketing Plan. She is CEO of NonfictionAuthorsAssociation.com, a vibrant educational community for experienced and aspiring writers, and NonfictionWritersConference.com, events conducted entirely online since 2010. A frequent speaker at business events and on the radio, she has been featured in Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, and Wired magazine.

 

Members’ Books


CWC Members’ Published Books 

 

At the California Writers Club, we talk about books, we even write books. What do we do when we have finished writing our books? We market and sell them. How members sell their books is up to them, but the club can provide a springboard to help you.

Members’ Books

Adding your book to this list is quick and easy, all you have to do is collect the following information;

  • Book Title
  • Author
  • Publisher
  • Date published
  • ISBN
  • Genre/category
  • Blurb
  • Format (paperback/eBook/Hardback)
  • Link to where to buy (i.e. Amazon etc.)
  • Cover image – if you don’t have available, I can download from Amazon.

Send this list of information (for each published book you have) to Bernard Wozny bpwozny@gmail.com

If you don’t sell online, let me know if you use a bookstore or direct sales.

If you don’t have access to an image of the book cover, then I can pull this image from Amazon or any other online retail site.

Members’ Books.

 

Special Event for Members and the Community

Members are excited to return to our Cattlemens Restaurant meeting location, to hear speaker Stephanie Chandler, national speaker, marketing guru, and head of the Nonfiction Writers Association.

A former bookstore owner and nationally sought speaker, Stephanie knows book marketing like no one in the Sacramento area. Her conferences feature the Who’s Who of Writing! Innovator of the MasterMind concept of creative problem solving, Stephanie shares expertise on self-publishing, owning your niche, creating a business plan, and using the Internet to successfully market books. More on Stephanie’s presentation to follow on the club’s website.

Details on the event:

What: Special California Writers Club Sacramento meeting with Stephanie Chandler

When: Saturday, March 18, 12:00 – 2:00; coffee and networking begins at 11:30

Where: Cattlemens Restaurant, 12409 Folsom Blvd., Rancho Cordova

Who: Featured speaker Stephanie Chandler, members, and guests

Cost: $30 (online ticket purchase at CWCSacramentoWriters.org or SacramentoWriters.org) $35 walk-ins. Vegetarian alternative available

Click here to order tickets.

Includes all-you-can-eat buffet, pre-meeting coffee and networking, answers to all your questions from premier marketing guru Stephanie. Bring your latest project to show off

Members unable to join us will be able to access a recording of Stephanie’s presentation. Zoom attendance will not be offered.

Come see your fellow writers! Hear what everyone’s working on! Find new friends who share your genre!