“Two years ago, I discovered songwriting. Now I’ve written over 100 songs. It’s easy. You can too.” – Al Zagofsky

Al Zagofsky is a former engineer who turned to writing, publishing and journalism several years ago.  He wrote for a Pennsylvania newspaper for 15 years and concurrently published an online magazine, California Update — to which about a half dozen members of the California Writers Club have contributed articles. More recently, he took a class in Protest Music at the CSUS Renaissance Society and began writing his own songs.

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Passcode: 399681

Now is the best time ever to be a writer. But the pandemic is accelerating the transition to a digital culture. This changes how you write, get feedback, build the communities you need to succeed, and how you publish and promote your work. You have to make yourself indispensable online by continuing to add value to your readers’ lives through your work and your relationship with them.

 Author coach and former agent Mike Larsen will discuss the three C’s for building a career online: Creativity, Communication, and Commerce. He will also cover query letters and proposals. He will describe why technology makes you one of the luckiest writers who ever lived. He is eager to answer your questions.

Get Feedback on Your Work

Mike will review one-page query letters or the first page of a novel or memoir written by Sacramento club members only. He will select submissions to discuss during the presentation. Please send a 250-word attachment in Word as well as your name, the title, your phone number, and the genre (if a novel or a memoir) to Mike at larsenpoma@aol.com by Wednesday, January 6^th. If Mike doesn’t discuss your submission during the meeting, he will contact you afterward. Mike’s advice on how to write a query letter and a book proposal are posted on our website under the Meeting Archive tab.

Mike Larsen co-founded Michael Larsen-Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents, one of the first literary agencies in San Francisco. The firm sold books to more than a hundred publishers and imprints. Mike’s books include How to Write a Book Proposal, now in its fifth edition, co-authored by New York agent Jody Rein; How to Get a Literary Agent; and Guerrilla Marketing for Writers (coauthor). His next book: Writing Success Guaranteed: How to Build a Career Online. Mike is co-founder of the San Francisco Writers Conference and the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference, www.michaellarsenauthorcoaching.com.

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Passcode: 573192

During her presentation, we will learn:

• How to establish submission criteria
• How to create a timeline from anthology conception to publication
• How to find independent judges
• How to set judging criteria
• Pricing suggestions, contest incentives, and more.

Writing under the name J Margotta Ferrara, Jenny is the author or co-author of four books, the latest being The Woman in Room 23, a memoir of her mother’s 12-year losing battle with Alzheimer’s. She has edited over 125 full-length manuscripts in a wide variety of genres and designed over 40 book covers for authors across the country. She also assists her authors in all aspects of setting up accounts with various self-publishing companies, and she formats both print books and ebooks. She holds a BA in English/Language Arts and has been writing since childhood.

As the CWC High Desert Branch’s anthology committee chairperson, she has been responsible for the production of three of the branch’s five anthologies, all three of the branch’s Dorothy C. Blakeley Memoir Project anthologies, and most recently, the statewide pandemic anthology, SURVIVAL: Tales of Pandemic. She handled all aspects of production from establishing submission guidelines, setting production timelines, determining the printed order of submissions, and designing the actual books.

For more information, contact Jenny at editorjennymargotta@mail.com.

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Passcode: 964995

When you want to print a few copies of your book before you’re completely ready to publish, the I Street Press at the Sacramento Public Library is here to help.  Books printed at I Street are library-quality, perfectly bound paperbacks, indistinguishable from books produced by major publishing houses.  There is no minimum number of copies, and you retain all rights to your printed book.

Gerald Ward will talk about the logistics of printing your book at I Street Press, as well as some of the reasons you might want to do so.

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Passcode: 283720

What do you do after you’ve screamed in the shower and punched your pillow? When you’re a writer, you sit down and write. While we are all going through the same pandemic, our experience is personal and unique. At the October 2, First Friday Forum on Zoom, we will have an opportunity to share our pandemic experiences. It doesn’t have to be your best writing or ready for publication, just what you are willing to share.

Bring (if you choose) something to read aloud: 500 word limit.  We are a kind audience of your peers.

Passcode: 043907