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Secrets for Success Every Writer Needs to Know! You’re Invited: How To’s, Mixers, Pitchfest, and more!

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Write Your Book Proposal Workshop with Randy Peyser
Thursday, February 13
12 – 1 PM PST
REGISTER HERE
Zoom link provided upon registration

Nonfiction writers: If you want to pitch your book to a literary agent or sell it to a publisher, then a book proposal is mandatory. A book proposal is a business plan in which you must prove the sale of your book in different categories. Randy Peyser has written book proposals that have garnered six-figure deals.
 
In this Book Proposal Workshop, she will explain what you need to include in each section, and she will share some of the ways she “tips the sale” in the favor of her authors. Come prepared to take a lot of notes because Randy is going to share how to win at the publishing game!
 

Randy Peyser sells non-fiction manuscripts in all genres and speaks nationally about how to earn book deals. She also serves as faculty for CEO Space International, where she teaches about writing book proposals. She is the author of The Write-a-Book Progra; Crappy to Happy as featured in the move Eat, Pray, Love; and The Power of Miracle Thinking.

Her clients’ books have appeared in Oprah, Time Magazine, the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, in airport bookstores, Office Max and FedEx stores, and on Hallmark TV. Her work is featured in: Healing the Heart of the World, The Marriage of Sex and Spirit, Secrets of Shameless Self-Promoters, and the national bestsellers, Networking Magic Guerilla Publicity and The Profit of Kindness.

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!
 
 

Passion Project MixerPassion-Projects Goals Mixer
Thursday, February 27
12 – 1 PM PST 
REGISTER HERE
Zoom link provided upon registration

February is also known as Heart Month! It’s the perfect opportunity to share your love of reading and writing, while spending time on those passion projects that do not get nearly enough attention.
 
Join WNBA-San Francisco for a Passion-Project “Share & Tell” Networking Mixer on February 27th at 12pm PDT. Share what you are working on and Tell what support you need and can offer.
 
Also, Pitch-O-Rama is just over a month away – April 5 – so bring any POR questions for the AMA speed round.
“Goals are a team sport,” says our networking ambassador, Debra Eckerling, author of 52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting. “Let’s help each other reach the finish line.”
 
During this virtual mixer, everyone will have a few minutes to:
  • Share: Your passion project
  • Tell: What support you need to get it done, as well as ways you can help others in our community.
It’s a MIXER, so please share this event and bring a literary friend or two to join the virtual fun! There will be a virtual guest book so you can share your contact info too.
 

About Debra: Debra Eckerling is the award-winning author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning, and Achieving Your Goals and 52 Secrets for Goal-Setting & Goal-Getting. A goal strategist and the creator of the D*E*B METHOD® for Goal-Setting Simplified, Debra  offers personal and professional planning, book proposal development, and team-building for executives, entrepreneurs, consultants, and companies. The networking ambassador for WNBA – San Francisco, Debra has spoken on stages for TEDx, Innovation Women, SCORE LA, and more. She is the founder of the Write On Online community, as well as host of the GoalChat and Taste Buds with Deb podcasts.

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!

 

Pitch-O-Rama Prep Workshop & AMA
Thursday, March 20
12 – 1 PM PST
REGISTER HERE
Zoom link provided upon registration

By popular demand, WNBA-SF will hold a Pre Pitch-O-Rama Coaching AMA [Ask Me Anything].

Registration is free for anyone already signed up for 2025 Pitch-O-Rama. If you haven’t, prices are $10 for WNBA-SF members and $25 for non-members.

We are VERY excited to hold our fifth virtual Pitch-O-Rama which is looking to be a fabulous event with new agents and editors including those from the New York publishing world. And, since it is virtual, we have many new writers joining us, hailing from all over the country and even a couple of international guests. We have received many questions and suggestions which resulted in this Pre Pitch session.

WNBA-SF stalwarts who have run Pitch-O-Rama for many years will tell you what to expect, tips and strategies for inspired pitching, and how to get the most from this mini-writers conference.

Hosted by Madame President and publisher Brenda Knight, this event will feature experts who can answer any question you have, so make your list now! She will share what editors and agents are looking for, and how to position your project so it will garner real interest from acquiring editors and literary agents.

Steeped in Pitch-O-Rama history, Kate Farrell will offer insight into effective pitches and the kind of good advice only an experienced author and pitch event coordinator can provide. 

Another Pitch-O-Rama veteran and WNBA National President, Elise Marie Collins offers techniques on how to overcome nerves and make your best impression.

Ellen McBarnette, an attendee from previous years’ virtual Pitch-O-Rama will tell you “what she wishes she knew last year and what you should know for this year.”

Goal setting expert Debra Eckerling will share tips for networking in the fast-moving, virtual space.

Every year, writers find agents, get publishing deals and get excellent feedback that advances their writing careers. This year, it can be you!

Registration is free for anyone already signed up for 2025 Pitch-O-Rama. If you haven’t, prices are $10 for WNBA-SF members and $25 for non-members.

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!

 

Virtual Pitch-O-Rama 2025
Saturday, April 5
8AM – 1 PM PST
SIGN UP HERE
Zoom link provided upon registration

Are you developing a concept for a new book? Do you have a manuscript in progress? Have you always wanted to publish that book you’ve been working on for years? If this sounds like you, we would love to invite you to Pitch-O-Rama 2025!

We are happy to announce we will be hosting the next Pitch-O-Rama as a virtual event on April 5th, 2025, where writers will be given the opportunity to pitch their works to agents and editors for publication.

Everyone is welcome to participate!

Register below to pitch your book idea to agents and publishers!

New to Pitch-O-Rama? Pitch-O-Rama is an annual event where we bring in a set of publishing professionals to share their knowledge of the publishing industry. During the event, you will be able to practice your pitch with coaches and fellow writers, and then share that pitch with an expert who will provide advice on taking your writing project to the next level.

A chance like this is an invaluable learning experience that could put you on the path to publication. We hope to see you there!

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!

 

March 20th: Pitch-O-Rama Prep Workshop & AMA

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Thursday, March 20, 2025
Noon – 1:00 pm / PST Online via Zoom
Pre-Pitch Coaching Session

By popular demand, WNBA-SF will hold a Pre Pitch-O-Rama Coaching AMA [Ask Me Anything].

Registration is free for anyone already signed up for 2025 Pitch-O-Rama. If you haven’t, prices are $10 for WNBA-SF members and $25 for non-members.

We are VERY excited to hold our fifth virtual Pitch-O-Rama which is looking to be a fabulous event with new agents and editors including those from the New York publishing world. And, since it is virtual, we have many new writers joining us, hailing from all over the country and even a couple of international guests. We have received many questions and suggestions which resulted in this Pre Pitch session.

WNBA-SF stalwarts who have run Pitch-O-Rama for many years will tell you what to expect, tips and strategies for inspired pitching, and how to get the most from this mini-writers conference.

Hosted by Madame President and publisher Brenda Knight, this event will feature experts who can answer any question you have, so make your list now! She will share what editors and agents are looking for, and how to position your project so it will garner real interest from acquiring editors and literary agents.

Steeped in Pitch-O-Rama history, Kate Farrell will offer insight into effective pitches and the kind of good advice only an experienced author and pitch event coordinator can provide. 

Another Pitch-O-Rama veteran and WNBA National President, Elise Marie Collins offers techniques on how to overcome nerves and make your best impression.

There’s the book you’ve written and the book a publisher will buy. Are they the same book? In 2024, Randy Peyser secured book deals for 16 people. The mix included: 6 business books, 2 mind-body-spirit books, 2 novels, 2 whistleblower books, a self-help book, a guide book, a memoir, and a political book. Randy will help you discern if the book you are writing is one that is positioned correctly for a book deal.

Agent Paul Levine will speak to what literary agents need to know from your pitch and what they are looking for. Offering a wide range of services to clients, Levine opened and operates the Paul S. Levine Literary Agency in Los Angeles.
 

Goal setting expert Debra Eckerling will share tips for networking in the fast-moving, virtual space.

Every year, writers find agents, get publishing deals and get excellent feedback that advances their writing careers. This year, it can be you!

Registration is free for anyone already signed up for 2025 Pitch-O-Rama. If you haven’t, prices are $10 for WNBA-SF members and $25 for non-members.

 

REGISTER HERE!

Thank you for your interest! Registration is closed.

 

Distinguished Panelists

Brenda KnightBrenda Knight, author of Women of the Beat Generation, began her publishing career at HarperCollins working with luminaries including Paolo Coehlo, Marianne Williamson, Mark Nepo, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Knight was awarded IndieFab’s Publisher of the Year at the American Library Association in 2014. She is the author of Random Acts of Kindness, Be a Good in the World, and Women of the Beat Generation which won the American Book Award. She is President of WNBA-SF Chapter.

 

 

Elise Marie Collins has consulted with small businesses, authors, and alumni associations on social media marketing and believes that a social media plan should be intuitive, fun, and seamless. Helping students and clients form healthy lifestyle patterns is Elise Collins’ passion and life purpose. She has taught yoga for the past 20 years and is the author of several books on healthy living, including her latest, Super Ager: You Can Look Younger, Have More Energy, a Better Memory, and Live a Long and Healthy Life. Elise enjoys sharing yoga wisdom and current scientific research and is President of WNBA National.

 

Kate Farrell, author, storyteller, and educator founded the Word Weaving Storytelling Project and published numerous educational materials on storytelling. She has contributed to and edited award-winning anthologies of personal narrative. Her award-winning new book is a how-to guide on the art of storytelling for adults, Story Power: Secrets to Creating, Crafting, and Telling Memorable Stories. She offers workshops on storytelling and the heroine’s journey for libraries and writing groups here.

 

Debra Eckerling is the award-winning author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning, and Achieving Your Goals and creator of the D*E*B METHOD®, for Goal-Setting Simplified. A goals strategist, corporate consultant, and workshop leader, Debra offers personal and professional planning content development, event strategy, and team-building for executives, entrepreneurs, consultants, and companies. Debra has spoken on stages for TEDx, Innovation Women, SCORE LA, and more. She is the founder of the Write On Online community, as well as host of the #GoalChatLive show aka The DEB Show and the Taste Buds with Deb podcast.

 

Randy Peyser sells non-fiction manuscripts in all genres and speaks nationally about how to earn book deals. She also serves as faculty for CEO Space International, where she teaches about writing book proposals. She is the author of The Write-a-Book Progra; Crappy to Happy as featured in the move Eat, Pray, Love; and The Power of Miracle Thinking.

Her clients’ books have appeared in Oprah, Time Magazine, the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, in airport bookstores, Office Max and FedEx stores, and on Hallmark TV. Her work is featured in: Healing the Heart of the World, The Marriage of Sex and Spirit, Secrets of Shameless Self-Promoters, and the national bestsellers, Networking Magic Guerilla Publicity and The Profit of Kindness.

 

Paul S. Levine “wears two hats:” he is a lawyer (www.paulslevine.com) and a literary agent (www.paulslevinelit.com). Mr. Levine has practiced entertainment law for more than 40 years and established his first solo practice in 1992. Seeing an underserved niche on the West Coast, he decided early on to focus on serving book authors. This naturally evolved into his work as a literary agent. Seeking to expand the range of services he could offer his clients to include the representation of books, Levine opened The Paul S. Levine Literary Agency in 1996, which he has recently expanded. Whether he is considering fiction or non-fiction, Levine will not take on a project unless he feels certain he can sell it. With a preference for politically and socially important works, he represents more than 200 book authors, the vast majority of whom are new, unpublished, or self-published writers. For Levine, the most rewarding moment is holding his client’s published book in his hands at a well-attended book signing and seeing the smile on his client’s face. Enjoying public speaking and teaching, Levine presents extensively at writers’ conferences throughout the country and at entertainment law-related classes and seminars.

 

Remember to take advantage of this unique opportunity to pitch your book idea to agents, publishers, and editors by registering for Pitch-O-Rama 2025!

 

Join us at the Gratitude & Glitz Holiday Mixer! Early Bird Price for Membership & Pitch-O-Rama 2025 Ends 12/23/24

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Book Tree

Gratitude & Glitz Holiday Mixer
Thursday, December 19th 
12 – 1pm PST
SIGN UP HERE
Zoom link provided upon registration

As we head toward 2025, it’s important to celebrate the wins and blessings of the previous year. 
 
Did you publish a book in 2024? Meet an agent or publisher at Pitch-O-Rama? Make good progress on a long-term project? Accomplish an important personal goal? Make new friends and connections?
 
Join WNBA-San Francisco for a Gratitude & Glitz “Share & Tell” Networking Mixer on December 19th at 12pm PDT.
 
Share what you are grateful for and Tell what you accomplished. Sparkle is encouraged, but not required!
 
“You can’t reach your goals on your own,” our networking ambassador, Debra Eckerling says. “You need your community of friends, resources, and champions.” Celebrate the new year – and its infinite possibilities – with the WNBA-SF community.
 
During this event, everyone will have a few minutes to:
  • Share: Express your gratitude
  • Tell: Highlight your 2024 achievements and what you plan to celebrate at the end of 2025  
It’s a HOLIDAY MIXER, so bring a festive drink or snack to enjoy! Also, please share this event and bring a literary friend or two to join the virtual fun! Be sure to sign the virtual guest book and share your contact info.
 
To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!
 

Virtual Pitch-O-Rama 2025
Saturday, April 5, 2025
8AM to 1 PM PDT
SIGN UP HERE
Zoom link provided upon registration

Are you developing a concept for a new book? Do you have a manuscript in progress? Have you always wanted to publish that book you’ve been working on for years? If this sounds like you, we would love to invite you to Pitch-O-Rama 2025!

We are happy to announce we will be hosting the next Pitch-O-Rama as a virtual event on April 5th, 2025, where writers will be given the opportunity to pitch their works to agents and editors for publication.

Everyone is welcome to participate!

Register below to pitch your book idea to agents and publishers!

New to Pitch-O-Rama? Pitch-O-Rama is an annual event where we bring in a set of publishing professionals to share their knowledge of the publishing industry. During the event, you will be able to practice your pitch with coaches and fellow writers, and then share that pitch with an expert who will provide advice on taking your writing project to the next level.

A chance like this is an invaluable learning experience that could put you on the path to publication. We hope to see you there!

**Early Bird Special: $10 OFF for both WNBA-SF Members and Non-members

$75 for WNBA-SF members, $115 for Non-members, expires on 12/31/2024

After 12/31/2024, registration is as below: 

$85 for WNBA-SF members, $125 for Non-members

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!

 

New Members & Renewals

Whether you are joining for the first time or renewing, please use this form! Membership runs between June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025 with April and May as bonus months and annual member dues include $16 for the national organization. Join or renew today to take advantage of this year’s rate!

 

2024 Rate:
$59 Active Member  
$39 Active Member, Senior/Student Rate

2025 Rate:
$65 Active Member  
$45 Active Member, Senior/Student Rate
 
To join or renew your membership today, use this form! As always, thank you for your support!
 

Join Us for the Holiday Storytelling Fest & Early Bird Special for Pitch-O-Rama 2025

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Virtual Pitch-O-Rama 2025
Saturday, April 5, 2025
8AM to 1 PM PDT
SIGN UP HERE
Zoom link provided upon registration

Are you developing a concept for a new book? Do you have a manuscript in progress? Have you always wanted to publish that book you’ve been working on for years? If this sounds like you, we would love to invite you to Pitch-O-Rama 2025!

We are happy to announce we will be hosting the next Pitch-O-Rama as a virtual event on April 5th, 2025, where writers will be given the opportunity to pitch their works to agents and editors for publication.

Everyone is welcome to participate!

Register below to pitch your book idea to agents and publishers!

New to Pitch-O-Rama? Pitch-O-Rama is an annual event where we bring in a set of publishing professionals to share their knowledge of the publishing industry. During the event, you will be able to practice your pitch with coaches and fellow writers, and then share that pitch with an expert who will provide advice on taking your writing project to the next level.

A chance like this is an invaluable learning experience that could put you on the path to publication. We hope to see you there!

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!

 

Holiday Storytelling Fest: True Stories of Grace and Gratitude
Thursday, November 21, 2024
5pm – 6pm PT
SIGN UP HERE
Zoom link provided upon registration

All are welcome to the WNBA-SF Chapter’s virtual storytelling fest to celebrate the holidays as only book women writers can! Five brilliant, talented writers will share their personal stories of grace and gratitude to bring us cheer during this wonderful season of thanksgiving and joy.

After our five presenters tell their true stories, we’ll open it up to our virtual audience—that’s you! We want to encourage the sharing of stories during the holidays with friends and family in the spirit of deep gratitude this year.

Celebrate with us in sharing joy and gratitude with stories for the holidays. Bring a glass of wine or cup of tea and gather ‘round our virtual fire. Bring a friend!

Featured storytellers include Karen Wang Diggs, Kate Farrell, Mary Mackey, Ellen McBarnette, and Sheila Smith McKoy!

To register, please visit the event page!


You’re Invited! Post-Election Call for Community with Poetry

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Social Justice Poetry
Thursday, November 14, 2024
12pm – 1pm PT
SIGN UP HERE
Zoom link provided upon registration

Poetry gets at the truth more so than any other form of the written and spoken word. And, of course, it is those poetic truth-tellers who help us see and hear what is so often hidden from us and what we must know. This event is timed and designed to be on the other side of the election, after what is likely to be a brutal political season, when we will need social justice poets and their vital truths, more than ever. Hope you can join us for this special night of community!

Featuring poetry by Zoë Flowers, Christopher Marmolejo, Granddaughter Crow (Dr. Joy Gray), and Joan Gelfand!

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!


Join Us! Early Bird Special for Pitch-O-Rama 2025 & Upcoming November Events

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Virtual Pitch-O-Rama 2025
Saturday, April 5, 2025
8AM to 1 PM PDT
SIGN UP HERE
Zoom link provided upon registration

Are you developing a concept for a new book? Do you have a manuscript in progress? Have you always wanted to publish that book you’ve been working on for years? If this sounds like you, we would love to invite you to Pitch-O-Rama 2025!

We are happy to announce we will be hosting the next Pitch-O-Rama as a virtual event on April 5th, 2025, where writers will be given the opportunity to pitch their works to agents and editors for publication.

Everyone is welcome to participate!

Register below to pitch your book idea to agents and publishers!

New to Pitch-O-Rama? Pitch-O-Rama is an annual event where we bring in a set of publishing professionals to share their knowledge of the publishing industry. During the event, you will be able to practice your pitch with coaches and fellow writers, and then share that pitch with an expert who will provide advice on taking your writing project to the next level.

A chance like this is an invaluable learning experience that could put you on the path to publication. We hope to see you there!

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!

Social Justice Poetry Event
Thursday, November 14, 2024
12pm – 1pm PT
Zoom link provided upon registration

Poetry gets at the truth more so than any other form of the written and spoken word. And, of course, it is those poetic truth-tellers who help us see and hear what is so often hidden from us and what we must know. This event is timed and designed to be on the other side of the election, after what is likely to be a brutal political season, when we will need social justice poets and their vital truths, more than ever. Hope you can join us for this special night of community!

Featuring poetry by Zoë Flowers, Christopher Marmalejo, Granddaughter Crow (Dr. Joy Gray), and Joan Gelfand!

To register, please visit the event page!

 

 

Holiday Storytelling Fest: True Stories of Grace and Gratitude
Thursday, November 21, 2024
5pm – 6pm PT
Zoom link provided upon registration

All are welcome to the WNBA-SF Chapter’s virtual storytelling fest to celebrate the holidays as only book women writers can! Five brilliant, talented writers will share their personal stories of grace and gratitude to bring us cheer during this wonderful season of thanksgiving and joy.

After our five presenters tell their true stories, we’ll open it up to our virtual audience—that’s you! We want to encourage the sharing of stories during the holidays with friends and family in the spirit of deep gratitude this year.

Celebrate with us in sharing joy and gratitude with stories for the holidays. Bring a glass of wine or cup of tea and gather ‘round our virtual fire. Bring a friend!

Featured storytellers include Karen Wang Diggs, Kate Farrell, Mary Mackey, Ellen McBarnette, and Sheila Smith McKoy!

To register, please visit the event page!


Sign Up Now for Pitch-O-Rama 2025!

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Virtual Pitch-O-Rama 2025
8AM to 1 PM PDT on Saturday, April 5, 2025
SIGN UP HERE (Zoom link provided upon registration)

Are you developing a concept for a new book? Do you have a manuscript in progress? Have you always wanted to publish that book you’ve been working on for years? If this sounds like you, we would love to invite you to Pitch-O-Rama 2025!

We are happy to announce we will be hosting the next Pitch-O-Rama as a virtual event on April 5th, 2025, where writers will be given the opportunity to pitch their works to agents and editors for publication.

Everyone is welcome to participate!

Register below to pitch your book idea to agents and publishers!

New to Pitch-O-Rama? Pitch-O-Rama is an annual event where we bring in a set of publishing professionals to share their knowledge of the publishing industry. During the event, you will be able to practice your pitch with coaches and fellow writers, and then share that pitch with an expert who will provide advice on taking your writing project to the next level.

A chance like this is an invaluable learning experience that could put you on the path to publication. We hope to see you there!

$75 for WNBA-SF members, $115 for non-members, with the Early Bird Special of $10 OFF for WNBA-SF Members and non-members using the code POR 2025, which expires 12/31/2024.

After 12/31/2024, registration is $85 for WNBA-SF members, $125 for non-members.

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!

 

Cooking & Food Writing Panel
Thursday, September 19, 2024
12 to 1 PM PDT
Zoom link provided upon registration

Join WNBA-San Francisco for an upcoming food and cookbook writing panel, where writers/podcasters/food professionals will delve into the art of blending culinary expertise with captivating storytelling. This includes articles, cookbooks, and social media.

During this Lunch N Learn, you will:

  • Explore how to craft irresistible recipes that resonate with audiences online
  • Gain valuable tips on creating engaging content that goes beyond the plate
  • Make new food-loving friends

Whether you’re an aspiring writer, seasoned chef, or food enthusiast, this virtual event is your gateway to the intersection of food, writing, and social media. Join us and our panel—Katie Chin, Dianne Jacob, Faith Kramer, and Amy Kritzer Becker.

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!

How to Get a Book Deal
Thursday, September 26, 2024
12 to 1 PM PDT
Zoom link provided upon registration

GET A BOOK DEAL WITH A PUBLISHER
There’s the book you want to write and the book a publisher – and readers – will buy: Are they the same book?

Literary agents receive 1500+ manuscripts a month. Publishers receive 10,000+ manuscripts a year. If you want to get a publishing deal and more readers, you’ve got to know what publishers (and readers) buy and how to make your book stand out from the pack.

Publishing coach, Randy Peyser, pitches books to agents and publishers after her company edits or ghostwrites them through her company, Author One Stop, Inc.
(www.AuthorOneStop.com)

Randy will tell you exactly what you need to know to get an agent or publisher to offer you a contract.

You will find out:

  • What topics are hot and what’s not.
  • The most essential sales tool you need in order to sell a manuscript to a publisher.
  • The quickest way to get an agent or publisher to stop in their tracks.
  • The 1 thing to absolutely not do if you are serious about getting a publishing contract.
  • How to get cover endorsements when you don’t know anybody who’s famous.
  • The biggest mistakes authors make.
  • The things you absolutely must do to make your book stand out.
  • Details about your writing that publishers always look for.
  • The biggest questions publishers ask before they make a buying decision.
  • How to title your book to maximize your sales potential
  • The pros and cons of traditional publishing versus self-publishing
  • Converting a book to a screenplay that actually gets considered

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!

 

You’re Invited! Early Bird Discount for Pitch-O-Rama 2025 & Other Fabulous Fall Events

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Virtual Pitch-O-Rama 2025
Saturday, April 5, 2025
8AM to 1 PM PDT
SIGN UP HERE
Zoom link provided upon registration

Are you developing a concept for a new book? Do you have a manuscript in progress? Have you always wanted to publish that book you’ve been working on for years? If this sounds like you, we would love to invite you to Pitch-O-Rama 2025!

We are happy to announce we will be hosting the next Pitch-O-Rama as a virtual event on April 5th, 2025, where writers will be given the opportunity to pitch their works to agents and editors for publication.

Everyone is welcome to participate!

Register below to pitch your book idea to agents and publishers!

New to Pitch-O-Rama? Pitch-O-Rama is an annual event where we bring in a set of publishing professionals to share their knowledge of the publishing industry. During the event, you will be able to practice your pitch with coaches and fellow writers, and then share that pitch with an expert who will provide advice on taking your writing project to the next level.

A chance like this is an invaluable learning experience that could put you on the path to publication. We hope to see you there!

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!

Mechanics Institute Library 2nd-floor

Stranger Fiction: The Art of Crafting Speculative Fiction and World-Building With Words
Thursday, September 12, 2024
6-7:30PM PDT
Mechanics’ Institute Library
57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
4th Floor, Chess Room

The Women’s National Book Association San Francisco Chapter is thrilled to present this exciting member panel at the Mechanics Institute Library! As our home planet Earth grows ever hotter, crowded and more polluted, we look to other realms for new hope and relief from our terran concerns. Thankfully, brilliant minds and bold thinkers have already created places and spaces to which we can journey in books and take armchair travels to new worlds beyond our wildest imagining. These creative writers—Ellen McBarnette, Mary Mackey, Sheila Smith McKoy, and Vanessa MacLaren-Wray—will discuss their craft and the art of world-building through fiction.

To register, please visit the event page!

Cooking & Food Writing Panel
Thursday, September 19, 2024
12 to 1 PM PDT
Zoom link provided upon registration

Join WNBA-San Francisco for an upcoming food and cookbook writing panel, where writers/podcasters/food professionals will delve into the art of blending culinary expertise with captivating storytelling. This includes articles, cookbooks, and social media.

During this Lunch N Learn, you will:

  • Explore how to craft irresistible recipes that resonate with audiences online
  • Gain valuable tips on creating engaging content that goes beyond the plate
  • Make new food-loving friends

Whether you’re an aspiring writer, seasoned chef, or food enthusiast, this virtual event is your gateway to the intersection of food, writing, and social media. Join us and our panel—Katie Chin, Dianne Jacob, Faith Kramer, and Amy Kritzer Becker.

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!

How to Get a Book Deal
Thursday, September 26, 2024
12 to 1 PM PDT
Zoom link provided upon registration

GET A BOOK DEAL WITH A PUBLISHER
There’s the book you want to write and the book a publisher – and readers – will buy: Are they the same book?

Literary agents receive 1500+ manuscripts a month. Publishers receive 10,000+ manuscripts a year. If you want to get a publishing deal and more readers, you’ve got to know what publishers (and readers) buy and how to make your book stand out from the pack.

Publishing coach, Randy Peyser, pitches books to agents and publishers after her company edits or ghostwrites them through her company, Author One Stop, Inc.
(www.AuthorOneStop.com)

Randy will tell you exactly what you need to know to get an agent or publisher to offer you a contract.

You will find out:

  • What topics are hot and what’s not.
  • The most essential sales tool you need in order to sell a manuscript to a publisher.
  • The quickest way to get an agent or publisher to stop in their tracks.
  • The 1 thing to absolutely not do if you are serious about getting a publishing contract.
  • How to get cover endorsements when you don’t know anybody who’s famous.
  • The biggest mistakes authors make.
  • The things you absolutely must do to make your book stand out.
  • Details about your writing that publishers always look for.
  • The biggest questions publishers ask before they make a buying decision.
  • How to title your book to maximize your sales potential
  • The pros and cons of traditional publishing versus self-publishing
  • Converting a book to a screenplay that actually gets considered

To register, please visit the event page and fill out the form at the bottom of the page!


The 43rd Annual Northern California Book Awards

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43rd Annual Northern California Book Awards
Saturday, September 7, 2024, at 2 PM
Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Main Library,
100 Larkin Street, Civic Center, San Francisco
Free admission

Northern California’s vibrant literary scene is celebrated annually at the Northern California Book Awards, this year honoring published works of 2023 by Northern California authors and California translators. The Awards are selected by the Northern California Book Reviewers, and presented by Poetry Flash (http://poetryflash.org), the San Francisco Public Library, and our community partners Mechanics’ Institute Library and Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter. Nominated books will be available for sale and signing. A reception at the Library’s Latino/Hispanic Community Room will follow the ceremony. 

Awards will be presented in Fiction, General Nonfiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Translation, and Children’s Literature. 

FRED CODY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT & SERVICE
Jane Hirshfield
The Asking: New and Selected Poems, Knopf
Poet, essayist, and “one of American poetry’s central spokespersons for the biosphere”

NCBA GROUNDBREAKER AWARD
Transit Books
A nonprofit publisher of international and American literature, committed to the discovery and promotion of enduring works that carry readers across borders and communities.

NCBA RECOGNITION AWARD
Dear California: The Golden State in Diaries and Letters, edited by David Kipen, Redwood Press

NOMINEES

POETRY
Light and Clay: New and Selected Poems, Maxine Chernoff, Madhat Press
In the Cities of Sleep, Elizabeth C. Herron, Fernwood Press
Eggtooth, Jesse Nathan, Unbound Edition Press
The Disordered Alphabet, Cintia Santana, Four Way Books
Leviathan, Michael Shewmaker, Louisiana State University Press
Songbirds of the Nine Rivers, Joseph Zaccardi, Sixteen Rivers Press

FICTION
North Woods, Daniel Mason, Random House
The Dog of the North, Elizabeth McKenzie, Penguin Press
Wildflowers, Beverly Parayno, PAWA Press/Philippine American Writers and Artists
Forget I Told You This, Hilary Zaid, University of Nebraska Press
Land of Milk and Honey, C Pam Zhang, Riverhead Books

CREATIVE NONFICTION
What You Don’t Know Will Make a Whole New World, Dorothy Lazard, Heyday
Secret Harvests: A Hidden Story of Separation and the Resilience of a Family Farm, David Mas Masumoto, Artwork by Patricia Wakida, Red Hen Press
Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark, Sarafina El-Badry Nance, Dutton
Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater, Peggy Orenstein, Harper
Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature’s Toxins—From Spices to Vices, Noah Whiteman, Little, Brown Spark

GENERAL NONFICTION
Inflamed: Abandonment, Heroism, and Outrage in Wine Country’s Deadliest Firestorm, Anne E. Belden, Paul Gullixson, Lauren A. Spates, Permuted Press
Immeasurable Outcomes: Teaching Shakespeare in the Age of the Algorithm, Gayle Greene, Johns Hopkins University Press
The Hungry Season: A Journey of War, Love, and Survival, Lisa M. Hamilton, Little, Brown and Company
Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon, Michael Lewis, W.W. Norton
Freedom to Win: A Cold War Story of the Courageous Hockey Team That Fought the Soviets for the Soul of Its People—And Olympic Gold, Ethan Scheiner, Pegasus Books

CALIFORNIA TRANSLATION
California Translation in Poetry
A Cha Chaan Teng That Does Not Exist, Derek Chung, translated from Chinese by May Huang, Zephyr Press
Through the Walls of Solitude, Álamo Oliveira, translated from Portuguese by Diniz Borges, Letras Lavadas Edições/Bruma Publications
Whoever Drowned Here, Max Sessner, translated from German by Francesca Bell, Red Hen Press
Columns, Nikolai Zabolotsky, translated from Russian by Dmitri Manin, ARC Publications

California Translation in Prose
The Short End of the Sonnenallee, Thomas Brussig, translated from German by Jonathan Franzen and Jenny Watson, Picador
Blue Hunger, Viola Di Grado, translated from Italian by Jamie Richards, Bloomsbury Publishing
Whale, Cheon Myeong-kwan, translated from Korean by Chi-Young Kim, Archipelago Books

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
Younger Readers
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?, Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen, Candlewick Press
To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights, Angela Dalton, illustrated by Lauren Semmer, Harper
The Shape of You, Mượn Thị Văn, illustrated by Miko Sato, Kids Can Press

Middle Grade
The Eyes and the Impossible, Dave Eggers, illustrated by Shawn Harris, published simultaneously by Knopf Books for Young Readers and McSweeney’s
Farther Than the Moon, Lindsay Lackey, Roaring Brook Press
Boomi’s Boombox, Shanthi Sekaran, Katherine Tegan Books

Young Adult
The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent, Ann Jacobus, Carolrhoda Lab
All the Yellow Suns, Malavika Kannan, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed, Dashka Slater, Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers

Northern California reviewers and editors, members of Northern California Book Reviewers, select the awards. Membership is open to all eligible Northern California reviewers and editors. All nominated books, the Recommended Reading List, will be acknowledged and celebrated at the ceremony. Juror statements will be available in the event program and on the NCBA page at https://poetryflash.org/programs/?p=ncba_2024. This event is sponsored by the Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter.

Featured Member Interview – Christina Vo

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How would you describe your writing style? Tell us about who you are as an author/writer. 

(CV): My writing style is introspective and evocative, weaving together personal narratives with broader cultural and historical contexts. I strive to create a deep connection with readers by sharing raw and honest reflections on my experiences. As an author, I am dedicated to exploring the complexities of identity, memory, and healing, often drawing from my own life to illuminate universal themes. 

What is the message/meaning behind your memoir The Veil Between Two Worlds: A Memoir of Silence, Loss, and Finding Home? Are there any personal stories you would like to share? 

(CV): The Veil Between Two Worlds delves into the profound journey of navigating silence, loss, and the search for a sense of belonging. The memoir captures a very specific period of my life — turning forty — and realizing how unhappy I was with the life that I had created in San Francisco. There’s a lot of backstory in the book and reflections about the early loss of my mother. While there isn’t one specific story I would like to share, I would recommend it to women who are at a turning point and seeking solace and healing in their lives—this is what I delve into in this memoir, the paths that I ventured down to find healing. The memoir is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of facing one’s deepest fears and wounds.  

 

I noticed you co-wrote a second book My Vietnam, Your Vietnam with your father. How was the process and experience collaborating with him?

(CV): Collaborating with my father on My Vietnam, Your Vietnam was an incredibly enriching and emotional experience. But interestingly enough, the nature of my relationship with my father is that we actually don’t speak very much, although there’s a deep bond and respect between us. Interestingly, the process didn’t involve much communication, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a lot of healing, particularly when I spoke about the book at events, mostly on the West Coast. I wove my father’s writing with my own and created a book that tells two stories of Vietnam.  

Many of the themes within your work surround loss, healing, intergenerational trauma, and the meaning of home. What inspired you to write about these themes in particular? 

(CV): These themes have been central to my life and personal journey. Growing up as a Vietnamese American, I experienced the lingering effects of war, displacement, and cultural disconnection. Writing about loss and healing became a way for me to process my own trauma and make sense of the world around me. Intergenerational trauma is a crucial aspect of my work, as it highlights the silent burdens carried by families and the importance of breaking cycles through understanding and compassion. The concept of home is also deeply personal, representing both a physical place and a state of being where one feels truly accepted and whole. 

Do you have any tips or practices in regard to writing/healing? 

(CV): Writing can be a powerful tool for healing. Here are a few tips and practices that have helped me: 

  • Journaling: Regularly writing down thoughts and feelings can help process emotions and gain clarity. 
  • Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices can ground you and create a calm space for reflection and creativity. 
  • Authenticity: Write from the heart and be true to your experiences. Authenticity resonates with readers and fosters deeper connections. 
  • Storytelling: Share your stories with others. Writing groups or workshops can provide support and different perspectives. 
  • Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself throughout the writing process. Healing takes time, and it’s okay to feel vulnerable. 

Tell us about your hobbies aside from your writing journey. 

(CV): Outside of writing, I love doing anything creative. For some time, when I wasn’t writing I delved into floral design—and that was really rewarding as well. I also love walking, which I try to do as often as possible during the week. Walking and writing go hand-in-hand to me. I find that walking helps me think through many of my ideas. I also love to explore various coffee shops and restaurants, and spending time with loved ones.  

Is there anything you would like to add or things we can look forward to in the future? 

(CV): I hope to share more personal stories and insights that can inspire and empower readers. While I am not currently working on anything right now, I honestly can’t wait to delve into the writing process again—I am truly my best self when writing!