Posts Tagged ‘fiction and nonfiction authors’

“Coach Teresa, why is it important to show up to network? I don’t like mixers or meet-ups.”

screenwriter Terri Bertini, author Birgit Soyka, creativity mentor Mary E. Knippel and writing career coach Teresa LeYung Ryan at WNBA-SF Chapter Meet Up at San Francisco Public Library

June 2, 2011

Here’s my response:  Take care of yourself; take care of your career. I don’t even like the word “network” so I get creative. Speaking of getting creative, tonight was an example of how to network and have fun.

Leon Veal, a WNBA member and outreach coordinator for Project Read San Francisco, calendared meeting space at the San Francisco Public Library main branch for us once a month.  I asked fellow member and Creativity Mentor Mary E. Knippel to co-lead a WNBA Meet Up with me.

Members Birgit Soyka and Janine Kovac RSVPed.

Mary and I showed up early.  I helped Mary re-configure her business card to read: You’ve been thinking about writing your book? Let me (Mary E. Knippel) help you. Mary showed me her Google Voice phone number. I want to create a YouTube channel for WNBA-SF Chapter–I provided the format and Mary came up with great idea–”Let’s create a how-to video tutorial for our members!”  Mary is indeed the Creativity Mentor.

Birgit Soyka arrived, looking vibrant.  She and I will be showcasing our books later this month:

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Tuesday, June 28, 2011, 7:00-9:00pm

BookShop West Portal, 80 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 415-564-8080

Women’s National Book Association (WNBA) members celebrate June’s “Rebuild Your Life Month” featuring books by members Birgit Soyka and Teresa LeYung-Ryan. Join us for a fun evening— reception; authors’ presentations; meet the new board and members of the San Francisco Chapter. Please RSVP by emailing  BookShopRSVP@wnba-sfchapter.org

Birgit Soyka (author of To Drink the Wild Air: One Woman’s Quest to Touch the Horizon)

and

Teresa LeYung-Ryan (author of Love Made of Heart and Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days)

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Mary and I were telling Birgit about using YouTube to promote our work and Birgit was telling us about her wanting to identify her biggest target audience. Would that be readers of spiritual growth, world travels, women’s issues or motorcycle racing?

Then Terri Bertini (screenwriter, producer and director) showed up!  I had met Terri at the Asian Heritage Street Celebration last month.  When Birgit showed her book to Terri and started talking about her motorcycle racing and world travel . . . Terri said she remembers meeting Birgit in Los Angeles fifteen years ago at a race and that it seems like just yesterday. Voila!  Birgit (in her motorcycle gear) is memorable and attracts attention.

I asked Terri if she has a blog and she told us the blog name she is considering. When her blog name is official I will broadcast on my blog.

Birgit is interested in showcasing her book at more venues.  Mary and I will be at the Literary Arts/Fine Arts Department at the San Mateo County Fair on Friday 17, 2011 (please see http://www.lovemadeofheart.com/Teresa-LeYung-Ryan%27s-Events.html for details) but we cannot be at the fair the following day for Bardi Rosman Koodrin’s Author Book Day June 18, 2011, 2:00-4:00pm because Mary is giving a workshop in Half Moon Bay and I had promised to take photos and film her.

Here’s an idea:  I would email Bardi and pitch Birgit. Mary suggested to Birgit that if she gets table space on the 18th to showcase her books that she might also showcase my books.

Aah, helping each other, helping ourselves and having fun at the same time! This is why it is important to show up to network.

Janine Kovac, we missed you. Check out Janine’s blog. See you real soon.

Terri Bertini, thank you for joining us at the library.

Cheering for all hardworking writers!

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Hope to see you on June 17, 2011!  at the Literary Arts Dept. Stage at the San Mateo County Fair in California

4:00-6:00pm Mary E. Knippel presents “Coaxing Creativity” workshop

6:30-8:00pm readings by California Writers Club–San Francisco Peninsula Branch members including contributing authors in the anthology Fault Zone: Words from the Edge.

8:00-9:00pm Author Teresa LeYung-Ryan uses Love Made of Heart to inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and gain resources for their families. As Writing Career Coach Teresa, she helps fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge before and after publication with her workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days.

Do Antagonists Have To Be People?

Coach Teresa here to answer the question with a question.  Colleague Mary E. Knippel and her husband rented the new movie The King’s Speech (starring Colin Firth) and I watched it with them.

Who can tell me what/who is the most frightening antagonist to the protagonist (main character) in this story?

Mary’s husband says: “The microphone!”  What do you think?  What does the microphone represent?

Sincerely,

Cheers from Writing Coach Teresa!

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!   Coach Teresa 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!   After you order Coach Teresa’s workbook, email her to receive an exclusive bonus on platform-building. Teresa’s email address is on her website WritingCoachTeresa.com

May is Personal History Month

AMY GORMAN – Guided Autobiography class

Saturday May 22, 2010
PORTLAND, OREGON
Elders in Action and the Geezer gallery presents:
Grand Works Northwest Art Festival
~celebrating creativity in aging~
Amy Gorman offers:
Workshop in Creative Aging with the film, “Still Kicking”
The Mark Building, 1119 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR
www.eldersinaction.org
CONTACT: Brenda Morgan

Go to Amy Gorman’s website for other programs. She is the author of book Aging Artfully — about the twelve women aged 85-105 who inspired her work. It’s also about promoting positive healthy aging for the general public, and for advocating involvement with the creative arts in retirement years.

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Do you know about NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MEMOIR WRITERS?

Post your comment to NAMW founder Linda Joy Myers’s question: Why should I write my memoir?

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Saturday May 21, 2011 Asian Heritage Street Celebration in San Francisco, CA

Teresa LeYung Ryan will be with fellow authors Margie Yee Webb, Dr. Patricia Tsang, Lloyd Lofthouse at the California Writers Club booth at Asian Heritage Street Celebration “AHSC” on May 21, 2011.  Teresa uses her book Love Made of Heart to honor the Chinese immigrant experience and to inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and gain resources for their families.

As a writing career coach, Teresa uses her workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days to help fiction and nonfiction authors attract agents, publishers, readers, and media attention before and after publication.

Teresa LeYung is the sponsor of “THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE: NOVEL, MEMOIR, OR SHORT STORY” Writing Contest—entries must be received by 7:00 pm, Friday, April 29, 2011 or postmarked by April 25th, 2011. Winners’ names will be displayed at the June 11-19, 2011 San Mateo County Fair Literary Arts Department.

Cheers from Writing Career Coach Teresa

Introduce yourself and tell me about your writing project by submitting a comment to this post. To do that, click on the blue title bar of this post, fill in the boxes, then press the [ submit comment ] button.  See my examples below.

I cheer for you.

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan

http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

author / manuscript consultant / writing career coach

author of Love Made of Heart (the story that inspires adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and to gain resources for their families)

author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (the workbook that helps fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge)

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