Teresa Jade LeYung's BLOG

Posts Tagged ‘readers’

In the summer of 1999, I took 2 three-week leaves-of-absence from my full time day job to plunge into what I knew would be the final rewrite of my novel Love Made of Heart (the story inspired by my mother–a beautiful woman who suffered mental illness all her life).  Three writers (Luisa Adams, Martha Alderson, Susan Canale) read that draft and gave me the most helpful criticism.  I made the improvements.  That summer I queried about 60 agents. By autumn, four agents asked for an exclusive read… I followed protocol.

In December that year, Stacey Glick of Dystel Literary Management (now Dystel & Goderich Literary Management) gifted me with these words: “Teresa, you’re a talented writer.  I would like to represent you.”

An agent’s advocacy doesn’t guarantee landing a publisher.  After receiving 22 rejections from all the acquisition editors she pitched to, and another seven months had passed, Stacey had incredible news.  It’s now April 2001, editorial director John Scognamiglio of Kensington Publishing NY had called Stacey Glick; Kensington wanted to make me an offer–to buy the publishing rights of my novel.  Laurie Perkin was the publisher; Debbie Tobias was Sales Director; Lou Malcangi for lovely book cover; Libba Bray (who is now an author of young adult books) for book jacket copy; Jacquie Edwards for copy editing; everyone who helped in the publishing process. I’ll show my “Acknowledgments”  in Love Made of Heart as another blog post.

Fast forward (I had to deliver more rewrites) . . . eighteen months later on October 1, 2002 the hardcover edition of Love Made of Heart made its debut.  I had so many people to thank. And so many presentations to deliver.

In October 2003 the trade paperback edition of  Love Made of Heart was released.

The trade paperback edition has the same striking book cover as the hardcover.  The trade paperback has my Author’s Note to Reader that the hardcover edition doesn’t have.

Author’s Note to Reader

Thank you for letting me share Ruby Lin’s story with you.  Many readers have asked me what the characters in the novel have done for me.  My answer is this: I’ve learned that behind every face is a compelling story.

Please remember me as a writer who says YES! to compassion for mental illness and NO! to domestic violence and child abuse.

Who is Mrs. Nussbaum?  She lives in all our hearts.  Just as we have the “child within,” we also have the “wise elder within.”  May you always embrace your compelling story and allow your Mrs. Nussbaum to embrace you.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com

http://www.dystel.com/client-list/#r

http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/finditem.cfm?itemid=6274

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Since 2007 I’ve been a writing career coach.  Since January 2010 I’ve been known as “22-Day Coach Teresa”   The new edition of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW is available through Amazon.  I created the fun workbook to help fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge.  Whether you want to be your own publisher or sell rights to another publisher, attract readers and more readers now!  http://writingcoachteresa.com

Thanks to Teresa’s book I learned to contact a star. The famous Carol Channing wrote a review for my latest book YOU and THE ARTS–Why Art Matters. Teresa’s book is a wonderful help in learing how to get good publicity.

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This book taught me a lot. It’s packed with information, and the presentations and exercises build upon what came before. It’s direct and clear and has plenty of instructive examples that plainly show the way, and how to get there. It’s like having your very own writing career coach with you at every step. This extremely helpful workbook has given me great preparation for building a platform. I enthusiastically recommend it.

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This book is written as a set of specific tasks. And I think that is what is so great about it. The author doesn’t spend 200 pages waffling and trying to convince you of something you’re already dying to do, but just don’t know how to execute. All you have to do is follow the directions. No analyzing too many options, no trying to out-think the huge behemoth that is publishing industry. It’s like having a friend take you by the hand, set you down on the right path, and then walk right along side you. The added benefit is that on the way, you’ll find out some pretty interesting things about yourself and what your platform (so essential these days for getting published) is really all about.

For me, having clear cut steps and directions is invaluable when it comes figuring out what I really want to communicate to potential readers and how to get my platform established.

I know. I’m a writer, newly finished my first work (okay, here I’m going to plug it) “Over the Edge,” a fictionalized memoir, told in nine episodes, which tells what it’s really like to live, run, and be a part of the street life.

Kudos and Thanks, Teresa

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Much has been written in the past year or two about the importance to writers of having a “platform.” Writers without a platform, we are told, find it difficult if not impossible to be taken seriously by agents and publishers. This ambitious book takes a new approach to building a platform. Instead of the usual pep talks, it consists of a series of exercises–22 minutes for 22 days– to build the reader’s self-knowledge and skill. The exercises are often thought-provoking, and always fun. For all writers who find themselves “stuck” when it comes to building a platform, this is a most worthwhile tool.
Margaret Davis, author of Straight Down the Middle

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Although I had already published my novel, “Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever,” and set up my website when I purchased this playbook, I found lots of information and tips I hadn’t known. I especially liked the exercises which helped me identify where to spend my time and energy. A great road map to building your writer platform.

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Ms. Ryan gives us a huge building block toward getting our gems into print. I tried her original draft of this book, doing the exercises, and being amazed how much i could put into a platform. Now she has expanded this workbook richly. She is a whiz in the ways a writer can get noticed.
in all the confusing technology around these days, this book takes a novice carefully through the process to this end.

It is quite a bargain at $22.

Lynn Scott, Memorist,  A Joyous Encounter: My Mother, My Alzheimer Clients, and Me

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Is There a Book to Help Writers Build Platform and Fanbase?

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW available through Amazon

Sincerely,

22-Day Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan
http://writingcoachteresa.com

Getting to talk to an agent or an acquisition editor is a valuable experience.

What does an agent do?  What does an acquisition editor do?

An agent represents the author.  Agent earns his/her commission when he/she lands a publisher for the author.  An acquisition editor buy authors’ works for the publisher he/she works for; publisher offers the author a contract (publisher buys/author sells the rights to publish); agent gets his/her 15% commission.

“Meet the Agents and Acquisition Editors” a signature event of Women’s National Book Association (WNBA-SF Chapter)

Saturday, March 26^th, 2011  9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Space is limited (we sold out last year) – register by March 15^th, 2011

Sinbad’s Restaurant, Pier 2, San Francisco

$50 WNBA member, $65 non-member, or $75 at the door

8:00 to 9:00 am Bonus:  Coffee and “How to Pitch Training” included from 8:00 to 9:00 am.

Coaches Teresa LeYung Ryan, Mary E. Knippel and Tanya Egan Gibson will help you with your pitches.

Coach Teresa’s examples of pitches from last year’s event: http://wnba-sfchapter.org/2-more-examples-on-how-to-pitch-to-agents-acquisition-editors-publishers-at-wnbas-signature-event/

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Saturday March 26, 2011 You’ll get a chance to meet:

Amy Burkhardt of Kimberley Cameron & Associates

Andy Ross

Brooke Warner is Senior Editor at Seal Press

Elizabeth Pomada is a partner in Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents

Georgia Hughes is editorial director at New World Library

Gordon Warnock is a Senior Agent with Andrea Hurst Literary Management

Jeanette Perez, Senior Editor, acquires for the HarperOne imprint based in San Francisco after six years at Harper Perennial.

Jennifer Joseph publisher and editor of Manic D Press

Laurie McLean is an agent at Larsen-Pomada Literary 

Michael Larsen is a partner in Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents

Peter Beren

Bios, more info, registration: http://wnba-sfchapter.org/

New this year!

Keynote Luncheon – 12:30 – $30.00 – Menu selections on WNBA website.

WNBA author Zoe FitzGerald Carter will share her journey to the publication of her memoir, Imperfect Endings, recently optioned for film. Join us for lunch and rub elbows with agents and acquisition editors.

Note:  Must be registered to attend
See you there!  Tell your writer-friends.

Sincerely,

22-Day Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan
http://writingcoachteresa.com

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW Available through Amazon.com   Check out the reviews on Amazon!

This post is dedicated to the writers who have completed all the exercises in Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW.  My heart feels light and joy for you. I celebrate you. 

I invite you to sign in the “Build MY Platform Hall of Fame” [click on the title of this post to get the comment box] with your acceptance speech by:

1. Introducing yourself with your newest mission statement.
2. Giving us a glimpse into your hopes and dreams for your illustrious writing career.

After you sign in the Hall of Fame, do your writer-friends a favor; tell them about the 22 minutes for 22-day program.

You’re on your way to other endeavors, and, because you’ve developed a new wonderful habit, every project you touch will benefit from your new energy.

Sincerely,

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan

“Make your name synonymous with the themes/subject matters/issues you write about.  Your platform is not something you stand on, but something you stand for.”

I am available for individual coaching and group coaching. To E-mail me, type  “  Teresa@ ”   then type  ” LoveMadeOfHeart.com ” In the subject line–show your full name and purpose of your e-mail. I cheer for you!

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Coach Teresa’s YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/teresaleyung

Cheers to fiction and nonfiction writers!

Happy platform & fanbase building!

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

paperback edition of workbook  http://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Writers-Platform-Fanbase/dp/0983010005/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306181835&sr=1-1

Kindle ebook edition  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005J9ZEIA/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

Enter the 80th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition today

Compete to Win in 10 Categories:
1. Inspirational Writing (Spiritual/Religious)
2. Memoirs/Personal Essay
3. Magazine Feature Article
4. Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
5. Mainstream/Literary Short Story
6. Rhyming Poetry
7. Non-Rhyming Poetry
8. Stage Play
9. Television/Movie Script
10. Children’s/Young Adult Fiction
GRAND PRIZE: $3,000 cash and a trip to the
Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City!

Submit your manuscript by May 2, 2011 for a chance to win a trip to the WD Conference in the publishing capital of the world. While you’re there, a Writer’s Digest editor will arrange for you to share your work with four editors or agents.

Check out http://www.writersdigest.com/annual

Sincerely,

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan

To see my website for all my books, go to:  http://writingcoachteresa.com

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

Available through Amazon.com   Check out the reviews on Amazon!

Writer Advice’s Sixth Annual Flash Prose Contest is particularly suited for memoir as well as fiction.

Mesmerize us with your best short fiction or memoir up to 750 words. Deadline: April 15, 2011. First prize: $150. Fee: $10 for processing only or $20 for detailed evaluation. US dollars please. Visit www.writeradvice.com for complete guidelines.

B. Lynn Goodwin
Writer Advice Managing Editor, www.writeradvice.com, author of YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT? Journaling for Caregivers

Lynn, thank you for telling me about this contest!

Sincerely,

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan

To see my website for all my books, go to:  http://writingcoachteresa.com

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

Available through Amazon.com   Check out the reviews on Amazon!

Is There an Anthology Accepting Prose & Poetry Submissions?

Thank you, Poet Laureate Deborah Grossman, for telling me about this:

The Las Positas College Anthology is an excellent place to publish! Richard Dry at the college sends this info:

The Las Positas College Anthology is still accepting prose and poetry submissions through March 1st, 2011.
Submissions should be sent to LPCAnthololgy@yahoo.com

Also, artwork and photography can be submitted at http://www.laspositascollege.edu/eng/anthology.php

There will be a publication and awards ceremony on Saturday, May 14th, 2011 at 2 p.m. All submissions are automatically considered for the awards.

Info at: http://www.laspositascollege.edu/eng/anthology.php
rdry@laspositascollege.edu

~~~
Poet Laureate
City of Pleasanton, Calif.
www.facebook.com/PleasantonPoetry

http://www.firehousearts.org/programs/literary-arts

Save the Dates:

Pleasanton Poetry, Prose & the Arts Festival

March 26th and 27th, 2011 at the Firehouse Arts Center

Poetry and Prose Contests *** Workshops on poetry, prose & screenwriting *** Linked Art and Poetry exhibit   *** Literary Row*** Youth and teen programs  *** *** Fine Art Exhibit http://pleasantonarts.org/ppa_overview.html

A Special Poetry Evening with Connie Post and Katherine Hastings Tues. Mar. 29th, 2011 6:30-7:00 pm Social hour & free refreshments; Reading, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Towne Center Books, 555 Main St. Free event.

A “Poets Braided Reading” where Connie and Katherine will take turns and integrate poems from both of these chapbooks and more! Connie is Poet Laureate Emerita of Livermore and leader of the Valona Second Sunday Poetry Series in Crockett; Katherine is founder of the WordTemple Poetry Series in Sebastopol.

Coach Teresa here to remind all writers to consider entering your work to reputable contests and contributing your work to anthologies.

To see my website for all my books, go to:  http://writingcoachteresa.com

Reach out, not stress out!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

Did you know that the new edition of Teresa's workbook is available through Amazon?

To comment on this blog post or any of my posts or to contact me, just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”

What Is a Talking Tagline for Writers of Fiction and Nonfiction?

Every year at the exciting San Francisco Writers Conference, Talking-Tagline Teacher Elisa Southard and Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan (yours truly) show writers of all genres how to hook attention–in person, in emails & voicemail, on their websites, blogs, facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other social-media forums.  Hook attention with your talking-tagline!

When someone asks: “Elisa, what do you do?”  Elisa responds with: “Through my book Break Through the Noise, I help professionals power up their marketing messages.” (she doesn’t say “I’m a writer” because… what if the other person doesn’t ask her more questions. )

When someone asks: “Teresa, what do you do?” Teresa responds with: “Through my book, I help writers build their platforms and fanbase in 22 days.”

As a novelist and memoirist, Teresa says: “Through my book Love Made of Heart, I inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas.” (When I was newbie, my playwright friend Kim McMillon would invite me to parties.  Someone would come up to me and ask “So, Teresa, what do you do?”  I would answer “I write novels.” Then the other person would ask “Are you published?” and I would shyly say “Not yet.” Where did that conversation take me? Nowhere.  Many times, the other person would corner me and tell me what he/she writes (a monologue).

Here are other examples of  how to engage with the talking-tagline:

As a travel writer, Elisa says: “I help people turn curiosity into confidence when they travel.”

As a guest speaker to schools, Teresa uses: “Through my book, I help survivors of family violence find their own voices.”

Elisa Southard says: "Break through the noise" and Teresa LeYung Ryan says: "Build your writer's platform & fanbase in 22 days."

*** This year our interactive presentation at SFWC was publicized as: Get a Grip: Be Your Own Best Promoter ***

Writers who:

• were in our session
• received one-on-one coaching from us
• bought the CD or MP3 of our session http://www.vwtapes.com
• learned Talking-Tagline from us at other conferences or workshops . . .

… here’s your chance to tell tens of thousands of my fans what your Talking-Tagline is. Click on the title bar of this post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”

Also, Elisa and I are both on facebook.  Request

to be “Friends” and remind us where you met us.

Elisa loves Twitter, so, connect with her that way too.

More resources to help you and your writer-friends gain a competitive edge in the publishing industry:

http://breakthroughthenoise.com Watch Elisa’s interview on television–how to deliver your talking-tagline for any profession. Helping you create your talking-tagline is Elisa Southard’s unique talent. Get Elisa’s book Break Through the Noise, 9 Tools to Propel Your Marketing Message

http://writingcoachteresa.com You will giggle when you see how fun it is to build your platform and attract more fans while you’re writing your project. Order my workbook from Amazon  Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW . Why 22 days? When you stick to a program, you develop new habits. Look at the reviews from writers who have used the program.

I say:  Reach out, not stress out!  Help your fans find you!

Let’s hear your talking-tagline.  Click on the blue title bar of this post to get the comment box, fill in all the boxes and press “submit.”

To read other posts in my blog (about writing contests, publishing opportunities, more tips on platform-building), click on [ Home ] and scroll down  OR key in words in the search box to find specific posts. Example: if you key in the words: poetry anthology 2011 into my blog’s search box and click [search], you will see my post containing info about the  Las Positas College Anthology and other contests for other genres (Thank you, Poet Laureate Deborah Grossman!) To read the entire version of a post, click on the title bar of that post.

To see my website for all my books, go to:  http://writingcoachteresa.com

http://sfwriters.org — future San Francisco Writers Conference, San Francisco Writers University, contests, scholarships, recordings of past conferences.

http://www.sfwritingforchange.org – for authors of non-fiction – Writing for Change Conference.

Saturday March 26, 2011 in San Francisco  “Meet the Agents & Acquisition Editors!”
Teresa LeYung Ryan, Mary E. Knippel and Tanya Egan Gibson will coach writers before they pitch at this event. http://www.wnba-sfchapter.org/

Reach out, not stress out!

Sincerely,

Build-Your-Writer’s-Platform Coach Teresa

What's Teresa's talking tagline for her novel Love Made of Heart?

To comment on any of my columns (blog posts) or to contact me, just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”

What to do before hiring an editor for your manuscript?

My advice for narrative non-fiction writers is the same for fiction writers.

“Look at Your Manuscript with an Editor’s Lens”

by Teresa LeYung Ryan–Developmental Editor/Manuscript Consultant/Writing Career Coach

Since writing a story with the intent to engage the reader is so much like meeting a stranger and wanting him/her to be interested in us, I will focus on “how to make the first quarter of your story a compelling read.”

I love working with diligent writers who want to transform their manuscripts into page-turners. However, there are things you can do before you give your work to an editor. Let me show you how you can help yourself.

Does your manuscript pass these tests?

• Planting hook(s) or story-question(s);
• Grounding the reader with the three Ws and the big C (Who?  When?  Where? Circumstances);
• Showing (not telling) what the protagonist wants;
• Paying attention to language and rules

Let’s learn from the pros.

Planting Hook or Story-Question:

In The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, Maxine Hong Kingston hooks us with the first line: “You must not tell anyone,” my mother said, “what I am about to tell you…”   Then, Ms. Kingston transitions into her story with:  “Whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one . . .”

Grounding the Reader with the Three Ws and the big C:

In Woven of Water, while the story timeline spans from 1957 to 2005, Californian author Luisa Adams brilliantly shows us who she was as a girl (not with a year-by-year narrative, but with a single exquisite chapter).  Because she grounded us with “who, when, where” and the “circumstances” as to why she had left her love affair with water, we eagerly follow as she takes us into her enchanted world of a “cottage in the forest.”  Another device to ground the reader is the employment of sensory details (not long descriptions).  Sensory details put the reader in the scene/story world.  Re-read one of your favorite author’s books. Study from the masters.

Showing What the Protagonist Wants:

In The Other Mother, young Carol Schaefer wants to ask questions:  “Was there any way to keep my baby?  Was there anyone who would help me find a way to do that?”

In Eat, Pray, Love, Elisabeth Gilbert says: I wish Giovanni would kiss me.

In Love Made of Heart, my protagonist Ruby Lin prays: Please don’t end up like Grandmother (while witnessing police officers escorting her own mother out of her apartment).

Paying Attention to Language and Rules:

Read the first five pages of Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt and you will see how this wordsmith plays with language and rules. (You can “bend” the rules to create flow, but you must not ignore them.)

In Bastard Out of Carolina, Dorothy Allison’s protagonist Bone is a girl.  Bone’s voice is convincing in dialogue and in internal monologue. Brilliant use of dialect.

Sentences Deserve Your Attention:

Remember Groucho Marx’s line “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas…”? That sentence got a lot of laughs.  But, what if you didn’t want to be funny (ambiguous in this case)?

How would you rewrite these sentences?  See the misplaced modifiers?

• He likes to fish near the Farallon Islands, they jump when they’re hungry at dawn or dusk. (the islands jump?)
• She insists on knowing when I come home and leave, not to be nosy, but for safety reasons. (who is not nosy?)
• Being cautious as not to step on the dog’s tail, the children tip-toed away from him while sleeping. (who’s sleeping?)

To improve your sentence structure and other skills, I recommend these books:

• The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White
• Woe is I: Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’Conner

More Advice:

• In all the stories I referenced above, the authors present memorable experiences by employing authentic details, unusual story-worlds though real, and poetic language. You want to do the same for your story.
• Also, these stories have another vital component–all the plotlines have what Martha Alderson, author of Blockbuster Plots Pure and Simple, calls “Cause and Effect” linked scenes.  Another must-read blog:  http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/search?q=first+quarter
• When you’re writing non-fiction and you do not have the luxury of rearranging the sequence of events to create a page-turning plotline, you can engage the reader by using concise expositions to leap over blocks of time in order to focus on the core themes and fast-forward to the next scene.  A helpful website for memoir writers: http://www.memoriesandmemoirs.com
• You the author must show the reader what the protagonist wants, even if the protagonist doesn’t know at first.
• We don’t have to “like” a protagonist, but, we do need to connect with him/her on an emotional level. Perhaps what he/she wants is also what we want.
• Story-telling is a skill learned, practiced, and mastered. May you practice with joy.

In the fiercely competitive arena of the publishing world, how does one stand out in a crowd?  Building relationships is one key to success in this business. Another key is to know how to translate the themes from your life to your writing and articulate those themes as community concerns.  I want to see all hardworking writers realize their dreams. My best wishes to you!

To read other posts in my blog (about writing contests, publishing opportunities, more tips on platform-building), click on [ Home ] and scroll down  OR key in words in the search box to find specific posts. Example: if you key in the words: poetry anthology 2011 into my blog’s search box and click [search], you will see my post containing info about the  Las Positas College Anthology and other contests for other genres (Thank you, Poet Laureate Deborah Grossman!) To read the entire version of a post, click on the title bar of that post.

To see my website for all my books, go to:  http://writingcoachteresa.com

Reach out, not stress out!

Sincerely,

Build-Your-Writer’s-Platform Coach Teresa

Teresa LeYung Ryan–Developmental Editor/Manuscript Consultant, Writing Career Coach, Author, Publisher

Teresa specializes in editing fiction and narrative non-fiction with themes on the human condition.

She likes spunky protagonists in thrillers, women’s novels, memoirs, and children’s literature.

Love Made of Heart is:
• recommended by the California School Library Association and the California Reading Association

• read by students at Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, CCSF, and many other colleges and high schools.

• used in Advanced Composition English-as-a-Second-Language classes
• archived at the San Francisco History Center

Teresa says: “The more you read, the more your own writing will flow.”  
Please click here for my blog’s home page  http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

My fun workbook is now available through Amazon!

BUILD YOUR WRITER’S PLATFORM & FANBASE IN 22 DAYS: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

http://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Writers-Platform-Fanbase/dp/0983010005/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297630400&sr=1-1

http://lovemadeofheart.com/BUILD-YOUR-WRITER%27S-PLATFORM-&-FANBASE-IN-22-DAYS.html

What’s Happening February 17 – 21, 2011 For Writers and Readers?

Thursday, Feb. 17th, 2011, 6 to 9 pm- $149
Presented by Literary Agent Katharine Sands, author of Making the Perfect Pitch. Learn how to effectively pitch your project to the agents and editors at the SFWC…or anywhere!  http://www.sfwriters.org/pages.cfm?ID=206

Friday February 18, 2011 While Talking Tagline Mentor Elisa Southard author of  Break Through the Noise, 9 Tools to Propel Your Marketing Message & I (Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW) will be presenting “Get a Grip: Be Your Own Best Promoter” at the exciting San Francisco Writers Conference . . .

February 18, 2011, 11:00am PST / noon Mountain Time Author Judith Marshall (Judith & I were in a critique group with Lynn Scott and Marcia Naomi Berger!)  will be interviewed on BlogTalkRadio show Page Readers.  If you miss the live broadcast on Feb. 18th, you can listen to Judith Marshall (she’s delightful!) when the show is archived.  Go, Girlfriend Judith!!!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/show.aspx?userurl=page-readers&year=2011&month=02&day=18&url=judith-marshall-on-page-readers

Judith Marshall is a third generation native Californian, born in St. Helena and raised in Concord. After leaving a successful career as a human resources executive, her lifelong dream of writing fiction was realized with the completion of Husbands May Come and Go But Friends Are Forever, winner of the Jack London Prize awarded by the California Writers Club and recently optioned for the big screen. She is an active member of the California Writers Club and a regular participant in writing classes and workshops. She continues to hone her craft and is currently working on her second novel, Staying Afloat, the story of a devoted stay-at-home wife and mother who morphs into a sex-starved adulteress. She lives in Northern California with her husband. For more information, go to www.judithmarshall.net

MONDAY, February 21, 2011  FULL-DAY AND HALF-DAY WRITING INTENSIVES

Sponsored by San Francisco Writers University and the San Francisco Writers Conference  http://www.sfwriters.org/pages.cfm?ID=206

These classes will be held at the Mark Hopkins InterContinental Hotel on Nob Hill in San Francisco.

Each of these intensive workshops takes one subject and breaks it down
into parts to give attendees a deep understanding of the topic. Each
workshop is taught by an expert on the subject who is also a good
teacher.

Full Day Classes (9 am to noon, break for no-host lunch, 2 -5 pm) — $297 for either class

1. Social Media for Authors with social media gurus Tee Morris and Linda Lee
By the end of this nuts and bolts workshop, authors will know how to effectively use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Linked-In, how to create a website and blog and how to podcast your writing. And you’ll also know how to select which of these tools is right for you. A must have for writers in today’s online world.

2. Self-Publishing Boot Camp with Carla King, Alan Rinzler, Joel Friedlander, Mark Coker, Tammy Nam, Alexis Masters, Karen Leland and many more
Listen up, soldiers! Today is the best time ever to be a writer. With eBooks and self-publishing options never before available to get your book in front of a reading audience, you need to understand the whys, whats and hows of self-publishing. Taught by the creator of the Self-Publishing Bootcamp and a whole host of experts in every aspect of self-publishing. Go to Carla King’s Self-Publishing Boot Camp web site.

Morning Half-Day Classes (9 am to noon) –$149 for each class

1. Micro-Tension: The Secret of the Best Sellers with Superstar Literary Agent Donald Maass
This workshop has been given to rave reviews throughout North America by the man who wrote the book (and workbook) on writing the novel that will break you out of the pack. In the course of two decades Mr. Maass has arrived at a number of definite and highly perceptive conclusions on just what the differences are between an ordinary, pedestrian but enjoyable novel and an ostensibly similar work that catapults the book and its author into an entirely new plane of literary success.

2. Writing Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror
With best selling author Katharine Kerr, editor/assoc. publisher Gabrielle Harbowy and rising star fantasy author Philippa Ballantine

3. Writing Romance and Women’s Fiction
With literary agent Christine Witthohn and romance author Elizabeth Jennings

4. Writing Mysteries, Suspense and Thrillers
With NYT best-selling mystery and thriller authors Bob Dugoni and Sheldon Siegel

Afternoon Half-Day Classes (2 pm to 5 pm)–$149 each

1. How to Write a Book Proposal (non-fiction)
With the man who wrote How to Write a Book Proposal. literary agent Michael Larsen and Consulting Editor Alan Rinzler

2. Making Your Memoir Bigger Than The Story of Your Life
With writing teacher and memoirist Adair Lara, author of Naked, Drunk and Writing: Shed Your Inhibitions and Craft a Compelling Memoir or Personal Essay

3. How To Make Money in the Hot Young Adult Market
With author Doug Rees and Annette Pollert from Simon and Schuster