Ready to write YOUR book this year?

I get asked constantly for publishing advice. Constantly. (I'm convinced everyone has a book idea.) Sometimes I mind, mostly I don't. I love, love, love encouraging other writers or folks who simply have a good idea and motivation. But it's hard to find time to meet for coffee with everyone. To that end, fellow author and former publishing executive Kerry Colburn (yep, she gets her own share of queries) and I have teamed up to create a variety of talks, classes, and consultation opportunities to help you realize your publishing dream (or New Year's resolution!).

First, we've partnered with the amazing Hotel 1000 to bring you a series of talks to inspire, prepare, and help you navigate through the publishing process. Called “The Business of Books with Jen & Kerry,” this lively three-part series will illuminate each step of the publishing process from turning an idea into a book proposal to effectively distributing, marketing and selling a book once it’s been published. The schedule is as follows:

Thursday, January 13, 7-9 p.m.: Join us as we help you “Prepare to Get Published.” This talk will focus on how to find an idea and then grow it into a viable proposal. Attendees will learn what makes a good book idea; how to position themselves as a potential author; various ways a book can take shape; what publishers look for in a book proposal; how to research the marketplace and target publishers, editors and literary agents. To purchase tickets for this event, please click here.

Thursday, February 17, 7-9 p.m.: Join us in our next installment as we discuss “Secrets of a Successful Proposal.” This talk will focus on what makes publishers take notice of one book idea over another when they see hundreds of proposals each week. Attendees will learn insider tips as we draw on our decades of industry experience to share the secrets of a winning proposal—and they’ll leave with the tools they need to get their proposal under way. To purchase tickets for this event, please click here.

Thursday, March 24, 7-9 p.m.: Join us in our third installment as we discuss “Navigating the World of Publishing.” We will share our dual perspectives, drawing from our experience as in-house publishing executives and successful authors. Attendees will learn how a book goes from a proposal to finished product; hear publishing options including e-books and self-publishing; gain insight about royalties and contracts; sales and marketing; catalogs and publication dates, and more. To purchase tickets for this event, please click here.

“The Business of Books with Jen & Kerry” series will take place once a month at downtown Seattle's Hotel 1000. The ticket price is $40 per person/event or $99 for the entire 3-part series. On the evening of the event, attendees can check-in with the host at the hotel's BOKA KITCHEN + BAR to receive a free appetizer with purchase of an entrée. Make an evening of it! Links for tickets to individual events are available in the above descriptions and the complete series can be purchased here. We hope to see you at one or all three of these fun and informative evenings. We're ready to help you move your publishing dreams along!

Hands-On Workshops
We are also offering several 3-hour intensive workshops to help you develop a proposal that will demand attention from publishers. These Saturday morning workshops will be held in a private room at June restaurant in Madrona and class size is limited to 15.

Craft a Winning Proposal, 1/29/11 and 3/5/11, 9:30am–12:30pm, $109
“‘Craft a Winning Proposal’ is a great starting place in the quest to write a book. With lots of ideas, thoughts, concepts, and questions running around my brain, this session has helped me to envision a roadmap and plan to actually get going on my book!” —Cliff

“Thanks for presenting Publishing in English. For the longest time, I thought you needed to learn a special brand of industry-Greek to understand how it all works.” —Mike

This workshop was such a resounding hit that we’re bringing it back for the folks who couldn’t make the first one. During the 3-hour workshop, we detail the key elements of a non-fiction book proposal, providing handouts and sample proposals for handy reference. The interactive style and intimate venue will allow for questions and Kerry & Jen’s feedback on your specific book idea. And not to worry: whether you have an idea nailed down or are still considering the possibilities, you’ll leave this energizing morning armed with the ability to create a focused, salable proposal.

Register for the 1/29/11 session via PayPal here.
Register for the 3/5/11 session via PayPal here.

Polishing Your Proposal, 2/12/11, 9:30am–12:30pm, $109 This more advanced workshop is the place to fine-tune your proposal-in-progress and get it out the door. As former publishing executives and successful nonfiction authors, Jen & Kerry have the experience and the know-how to finesse key details and make your proposal really shine. The intimate size will allow for questions, troubleshooting your specific problems, and talking through any sticky areas that might be holding you back. We will also scrutinize your title and subtitle, talk through the elements of a kick-ass cover letter, and review how to target the right editors and publishers for your book. Attendees are invited to bring in their particular challenges to share and discuss. If your proposal is under way but you need some professional, targeted guidance to finish it, this is the workshop for you. You’ll leave ready to wrap up—and sell!—your winning proposal!

Register for the 2/12/11 workshop via PayPal here.

Two-on-One Proposal Critique, by appointment Deemed “incredibly thorough” by one of our clients, we offer a unique take on the review process. Both of us will review your proposal, making comments in the document and creating an overall assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, missing elements, and overall organization of your proposal. If you’ve got a proposal that’s almost there, we can help you get it into submission-ready shape. E-mail us for more information.

But wait, there’s more!
If you don’t have a proposal at the point of review, we are available to talk through any challenges or questions you may have. Contact us if you’d like to book us for a 90-minute in-person (and yes, you get both of us!) consultation about your project. You can find out more details about all of these talks, workshops, and consultations at our blog, The Business of Books.

(photo: creativeclass.com)