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Get the Word Out About Yourself, Your Book or Your Organization


Build Your Platform and Social Your Media
 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm  
Two-Part Webinar Series $75

Your platform is your recognition, your following and your brand.  To sell yourself, your book, or your organization, you need a platform.  Social media is the foundation on which a platform is stands.

Find out...
  • What you need to do to have a platform.  
  • Why you need a platform in the first place.  
  • The essential ingredients of a successful platform.
  • The dos and don'ts of platforming.  
  • Why social media is important.  
  • How to get started with social media. 
Wednesday, June 16th and 23rd
from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Click below to register for the series
 or call The Writing Loft
at (530) 877-2292
to register for one night only.


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     Query Letters, Book Proposals and 
       and the Art of Pitching   

Agents take queries seriously, and yes, they really do read them.  A query letter is a single-page cover letter meant to elicit an invitation from an agent or publisher to send a sample of your work or even the whole manuscript.  A book proposal--a 20-40 page document that pitches the book's content and marketability, and is supplemented by sample chapers --often comes after the query letter. Both documents contain important information that saves you, the agent and the publisher time. They enable an agent  or publisher to determine whether you . . .
  • Can write effectively
  • Have a coherent, well-thought-out idea that fits the publication's content
  • Have a basic grasp of grammar and spelling
  • Are familiar with the publishers work or the agents literary focus
  • Have the credentials, experience, knowledge or expertise to write the material
  • Are professional in your approach to writing
In this class you will earn how to leave an impression on an agent with both the written word and during a one-on-one pitch session. First impressions are vital.  Learn how to make yours count. Writers need to understand that agents have the same high hopes we do.  Agents want to find clients that have a book they can get excited about. Learn the elements of a good pitch, the importance of a one-liner, how to prepare for the meeting and how to develop effective practice techniques. take this class and become the newest member of The Writing Loft's elite group of successful, published authors.
Wed.  7/7 6:30pm - 8:00pm  $35
Paradise Office or Live Conference Call


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Beginning Screenwriting

Using a balance of lecture, exercise and feedback on work for the instructor and classmates, this course gives you a firm grounding in all the basics of screenwriting. Everything is presented in a clear, accessible manner. By the end of the class, you will begin a feature-length screenplay, learn the basics of the screenwriting craft and go through extensive writing exercises that you will resent for critique. Fee includes packet.


    New Class Date TBA   6:30pm - 8:00pm  $67
Paradise Office
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Write Articles for Magazines and Newspapers

Anyone, including you, can write articles for magazines and newspapers.  There are literally hundreds of publication for which editors need new and interesting content to fill their pages--content for which they would gladly pay. The average person can earn an excellent first or second income writing about their favorite subjects.  

This class will teach you the steps necessary for writing, researching and submitting articles to publishers and by the end of the class, you will produce your first article and query letter.

 
         Wed. 7/23 - 8/4   6:30pm - 8:00pm  $67
                    Paradise Office
            or Live Phone Conference
This class is also offered online.  Choose your own start date!


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Write Your Novel

This class shows you how to lay the proper foundation for writing a great work of fiction. You'll learn what questions you need to answer before you start to write. You'll learn which point of view to choose, what story telling options suit your story, and how traditional novels are structured.

You'll also learn how to craft memorable characters, how to create an intriguing plot, and what elements you need in order to hold a reader's interest.  

Wed.   3/31  -  4/14   6:30pm - 8:00pm   $67
Paradise Office

This class is also offered online.  Choose your own start date!
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Writing Well: The Fundamentals of Good Writing
This class goes beyond grammar to highlight those errors agents and publishers identify as poor writing.  You'll learn how to improve your writing skills by learning to recognize and avoid the most common writing mistakes novice writers make.

             This class...

a.   will teach you how to identify the error under discussion in your own work.

b.    will show you how to cure it.

c.    will provide examples and exercises to give you experience identifying errors and correcting your own work.

Each week you will be given an assignment that will help to integrate what you’ve learned into your own writing.  Assignments are corrected with suggestions and writing advice, and then returned.

Wed.     3/10 - 3/24     6:30pm - 8:00pm       $67
Paradise Office


This class is also offered online.  Choose your own start date!
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Nuts & Bolts of Publishing

This class is geared to giving you an overall look at the publishing industry and what you can expect when your book is ready to be published. 

You'll become familiar with how editors and publishers think,  how they make publishing decisions, and what kinds of books they want. 

 

You'll learn about self publishing, traditional publishing, small publishers, and  publishing technologies such as print-on-demand, e-publishing and e-zines.  If you've been wondering whether you need an agent, what agents do, or how to get one, you'll learn about it in this class.  
New Class Date  TBA   6:30pm - 8:00pm      $49
Paradise Office
This class is also offered online.  Choose your own start date!

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Write Children's Books

There is magic that happens between children and the books they read.  Children's books teach, entertain, foster imagination and often become a treasured part of their childhood.  Whatever type of children's book you want to write--picture books, EZ readers, chapter books, middle grade or young adult--you will discover how to balance youthful imagination with adult professionalism.  Gain awarenessof the various book forms and age ranges.  Fee includes information packet.
Thurs.    3/18     6:30pm - 8:00pm      $49
Paradise Office


Publishing and Marketing in 2010

The publishing industry is experiencing seismic changes brought on by advancing technology and the digital revolution.  The industry will never be the same and it's time for writers to jump in and learn how to use these changes to their advantage.  Learn how to market yourself even before your manuscript is finished using social media techniques to promote online, find key contacts and future readers.  You will learn how to maneuver in this new world and maneuver like a pro.

2010 is the year of opportunity--the year to market you and your book!

New Class Date   TBA    6:30pm - 8:00pm     $35
Paradise Office