22-Day Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan helps authors with their pitches at "Speed Dating with Agents & Acquisition Editors" at WNBA's signature event

Andria Wagner
Barbara Brunetti
Belinda “Bee” Hylinski
Brittany Pettibone
Nicole Pettibone
Danny Garon
Diana Franco
Jennifer Hewitt
Joan Steidinger
Kimber Simpkins
Rasa Gustaitis
Ronnie Lovler

How to Pitch a Novel, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, or How-To Book to Agents and Acquisition Editors

Saturday March 26, 2011

This morning colleague Jane Glendinning and I had a chance to catch up since October last year when I met the delightful writers (and saw Sarah Clark!) at California Writers Club Berkeley Branch.

Jane and I had shared  an adventure when Oakland public libraries were in danger of severe budget cuts.  This morning 7:40am our walk from BART Embarcadero station to Sinbad’s Restaurant was another adventure in San Francisco.  Rain. Puddles.  We were on our way to help authors pitch their projects at the WNBA signature event “Meet the Agents & Acquisition Editors”

The reward was working with fellow members at Women’s National Book Association. Jane Glendinning and Birgit Soyka helped Meet-the-Agents Event Chair Judith Marshall and  Chapter President Lynn Henriksen set up while Treasurer Christopher Payne and beloved Vicki Weiland greeted attendees at registration.  VP Kate Britton had worked miracles pulling online registration data.  Mary Jo McConahay took photos (We are so happy for Mary Jo. Two years ago at this same event, Mary Jo met agent Andy Ross.  Her book, Maya Roads, will be published on August 1, 2011.)

Tanya Egan Gibson, Mary E. Knippel and yours truly Teresa LeYung Ryan helped authors fine-tune their pitches.

Karen Folger Jacobs & Diane LeBow I always get a kick seeing you two power-women.

Talking Tagline Coach Elisa Southard couldn’t be there because she was at the Bay Area Travel Writing planning retreat. Diane LeBow also headed to that meeting after the pitch fest.

Mathilde Schmidt and Carla Danziger – great seeing you both.   I met new member Janine Kovac.  Welcome aboard!

Valerie Mihalache, it was wonderful seeing you.

The 11 agents/acquisition editors/publishers included WNBA members Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen (who are co-founders of San Francisco Writers Conference and Writing for Change Conference), Laurie McLean, Jennifer Joseph, Amy Burkhardt, Andy Ross, Brooke Warner, Georgia Hughes, Gordon Warnock, Jeanette Perez, and Peter Beren!

Zoe Fitzgerald Carter, author of Imperfect Endings, gifted us with a candid talk about her publishing journal, the folks who helped her share her remarkable story with readers, and what she’s working on now.

Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan and Agent Laurie McLean

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW is available through Amazon.  Read success stories (on Amazon) from writers who have finished the 22-day workbook I created 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

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/is-there-a-book-to-help-a-writer-build-platform-and-fanbase/

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?

As Writing Career Coach

I presented “Build My Name, Beat the Game” to delightful writers at the Redwood Writers Conference.  Writers in my session, please scroll down until you see my post/column entitled “Redwood Writers Conference Pure Joy” and follow instructions please to build your names.

There’s post-conference work for me.  I’ll email colleagues and follow up on our conversations; I’ll email writers in my session some coaching notes; I’ll pitch my workshop to other organizations.

Do you know a non-fiction writer who wants to go to a writers’  conference but can’t afford it? Encourage her/him to ask family and  friends to chip in (what better Christmas gift or birthday gift!).   Check out Writing for Change Conference.

As Author

I’m writing down “gems” as they pop into my head.  Gems in the form of dialogue, metaphors, descriptions, hooks, and story-questions.

I had a chance to chat with Martha Engber at the Redwood Writers Conference and read the jacket copy of her novel  The Wind Thief.  I started reading it when I got home Saturday night and have been reading a little everyday.  What lovely prose and sensory details! What a gifted writer.  Tanya Egan Gibson is another gifted writer; I’m also reading her novel How to Buy a Love of Reading. My reading well-written books can only make me a better writer.

As Publisher

I’m updating Build My Name, Beat the Game: 22 Days to Identify & Develop My Writer’s Platform to Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention so that I can take the next step in publishing the next edition–and that is letting Nancy Mulvany create the index.

This evening I attended a Business and Leadership program at the Commonwealth Club on “iPad Revolution and the Future of Digital Magazines” with Matthew Davis of Zinio and Matt Carlson of Hot Studio, two pioneers in this emerging field.  Kevin O’Malley, President, TechTalk/Studio was Moderator (Thank you, Kevin, for inviting me.  The program was enlightening).

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Coach Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name/platform.”  

To comment on any of my columns (blog posts), just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”  Please click here http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/ for Home Page of my blog.

]]> http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/a-week-of-wearing-3-hats-author-publisher-writing-career-coach/feed/ 2 http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/september-october-2010-events-i-recommend-to-writers-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area/ http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/september-october-2010-events-i-recommend-to-writers-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area/#comments Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:30:46 +0000 admin http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/?p=1407 September is Library Card Sign-Up Month!
September is National Literacy Month!
October is National Reading Group Month!
Third week of October is California Writers Week!

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September & October & November 2010 events I recommend to writers in the San Francisco Bay Area

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“Poetry on Main” meets 2nd Thursday in Pleasanton, CA
Next meeting: Thurs., September 9, 2010 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Little Valley Winery, 739 Main St., Pleasanton, CA
Calling all Poets! Free event. For more info (what to bring): http://www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/community/arts/civic-arts-literary.html

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Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010, 2:00-5:00pm
FREE TO THE PUBLIC
Women’s National Book Association presents:
Publishing Panel: Zen and the Art of the Book Deal
At San Francisco Public Library—Main Branch– Latino Hispanic Community Room, Lower Level, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102.
Jennifer Joseph – publisher and editor of Manic D Press
Peter Beren – literary agent and publishing consultant
Bridget Kinsella – Breaking Books & navigating the publishing landscape
Georgia Hughes – editorial director of New World Library
Moderator: Mary Knippel, immediate past president, WNBA-SF Chapter
Participate in our Great Book Give Away. See you there!
Visit http://wnba-sfchapter.org/for more info.

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September meetings at California Writers Club
http://calwriters.org/ Find a branch near you

October meetings at California Writers Club
http://calwriters.org/ Find a branch near you

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Thursday October 14, 2010, starts at noon
WNBA-SF Chapter & Book Passage in Corte Madera host:
Literary Luncheon with Celebrated Author Joyce Maynard
Call Book Passage, Corte Madera (415) 927-0960 ext.1  to reserve. The ticket price of $55 includes an outstanding lunch catered by Insalata’s Restaurant & an autographed copy of Joyce Maynard’s book The Good Daughters.

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October 17, 2010 California Writers Club Berkeley Branch http://calwritersclub.wordpress.com/
General Meeting & Program
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Oakland’s Main Library
West Auditorium
Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan will lead “Major League Tryouts with Coach Teresa to Build Your Writer’s Name”
understand the need to build one’s name/fame in today’s publishing arena.
identify advocates, endorsers and fans.
gain recognition through your words and your community.

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Saturday October 30, 2010 7:30 am – 6:30 pm Redwood Writers Conference

http://redwoodwriters.org/redwood-conference/

Writing Career Coach & Author Teresa LeYung Ryan says: “Go to this conference. You deserve to celebrate and grow your writing career!” 9:30-10:30am Teresa will present: “Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published”

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November 13 – 14, 2010  Writing for Change Conference

For non-fiction writers/authors

http://www.sfwritingforchange.org/

The theme of the conference is “Changing the World One Book at a Time,” and the goal is to encompass business, politics, technology, spirituality, personal development, health, social issues, the environment, culture, the law, international relations.

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If you have events for writers that you wish to recommend, please submit a comment to this post. To comment on any of my blog posts, just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan

Build My Writer’s Name and Platform: Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention
is the 22 minutes for 22 days workbook.
“Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name.” http://WritingCoachTeresa.com