Thank you for your honest and poignant writing. You have a gift of writing from the heart with a sincerity that is far-reaching. Heart-felt, heart-warming and perfect. Just what I needed to hear right now.

Marlene Cullen

Please click here for “Transforming Depression Into My Writer’s Muse” by Teresa LeYung-Ryan (on Marlene Cullen’s blog)

Love Made of Heart (a mother-daughter love story) by Teresa LeYung-Ryan

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Please click  here for Writing Teacher Marlene Cullen’s Book Review of Teresa LeYung-Ryan’s Love Made of Heart

Love Made of Heart by Teresa LeYung Ryan is excellent. I read it in two sittings. Dinner could wait. I had to find out what would happen to Ruby Lin. Teresa uses her novel to advocate compassion for mental illness and to help survivors of family violence find their own voices. Teresa’s writing is evocative and from the heart. . . she reaches deep and succeeds with her genuine and authentic voice. I want to read Love Made of Heart again. Yes, it’s that good.

Teresa LeYung-Ryan is an advocate for mental health.   Advocacy For Mental Health — Resources for Women, Girls, Boys, Teens, Men, Families

Love Made of Heart Gift Shop

Marlene Cullen

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Thank you, Writing Teacher Marlene Cullen, for reviewing my book Love Made of Heart on your blog, facebook, and Goodreads. Being the author of the book gives me strength to encourage other adult children of mentally ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas. Also, thank you again for letting me guest blog to talk about “Transforming Depression Into My Writer’s Muse”  You have my deep gratitude.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan

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For more information about Marlene Cullen’s blog, writing workshops and Writers’ Forum of Petaluma, please click here.

Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Teresa’s novel Love Made of Heart: a Mother’s Mental Illness Forges Forgiveness in Daughter Ruby is used in college courses and archived at the San Francisco History Center.

As author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW, Coach Teresa helps clients identify their themes and archetypes.

http://writingcoachTeresa.com   Subscribe to  “Coach Teresa’s blog”

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Picture this:  San Francisco Public Library-Main Branch, 50+ writers in the audience and a panel sharing what they know about the publishing industry.

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

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What did I learn today from the panelists?

• Publisher Jennifer Joseph advised us to take advantage of the FaceBook phenomenon; to be true to ourselves and work on the craft.
• Literary Agent & Publishing Consultant Peter Beren advised us to research websites that help authors promote our books (including Redroom, GoodReads, Library Thing); to really know our market; also, he reminded us that usually “noise/excitement around the event is better than the event itself.”
• Bridget Kinsella advised us to understand that even when a book is selling well, there’s no guarantee that the publisher of that book will commit to additional print-runs.
• Georgia Hughes advised us to conduct marketing research for our book proposals and that “a good book title goes a long way.”

Thank you, panelists!

Two dozen WNBA members were present and a dozen members (those who had arrived early and signed up) introduced their books/writings to the audience.

Thank you, Michelle Jeffers-Public Relations Officer, Daniel, Leon Veal, and everyone at San Francisco Public Library who helped us publicized today’s event.  It’s a joy working with fellow board and committee members from WNBA-SF Chapter (the sponsors of the event).  Lynn Henriksen, Kate Britton, Mary Knippel, Sarbjit Rai, Leon Veal, Leigh Anne Lindsey & yours truly, Teresa LeYung Ryan, were happy to see so many WNBA members and guests showing up for the literary community.

If you were there today, please submit your comment by clicking on the title of this blog post; tell us who you are, what you gained today from the panelists and WNBA members, and what steps you’ll be taking to enrich your writing-life.  We thank you for being there.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan, author, writing-career coach, founder of GraceArt Publishing

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.”

Member-at-Large, WNBA-SF Chapter

To join WNBA-SF Chapter – http://wnba-sfchapter.org/Join-WNBA-or-Renew.html

WNBA authors Lynn Henriksen (how to write memoirs), Sarbjit Rai (children's books), Teresa LeYung Ryan (how to build writer's platform; women's fiction) welcome everyone at Publishing Panel