Debra Eckerling is a goal strategist, author, and book proposal expert who helps writers, entrepreneurs, and consultants transform their ideas into sellable books. The founder of The DEB Method for goal-setting simplified, Debra specializes in guiding clients from concept to proposal with clarity, confidence, and direction. Debra is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals and 52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting, and hosts GoalChat, The Book Proposal Podcast, and Book Proposals Simplified on Substack. She is also a regular contributor to and speaker for WritersDigest.com. Learn more at TheBookProposalExpert.com and connect with Debra on LinkedIn.

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Registration is now closed. Visit our homepage to sign up for email notifications and never miss a WNBA-SF event!

To register, please fill out the form below: 

Registration is now closed. Visit our homepage to sign up for email notifications and never miss a WNBA-SF event!

As authors, our to-do list is never-ending. How do we make sure we are checking all the boxes we need to? That’s where an Author Audit comes in! This quick 20 question quiz will help identify crucial steps you should take when marketing your books and teach you new ways to expand your outreach, even if you are just starting out.

Have you secured endorsements or editorial reviews for your upcoming release? How about a street team? Planning an in-person signing or sprucing up your promotional materials? And don’t forget your digital presence: from author websites to optimizing your Amazon listing, there’s a lot to cover! But this audit makes it easy to hit all of the important points in one quick session.

About the Speaker

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Join the Women’s National Book Association San Francisco Chapter for our Summer Lovin’ Mixer on Thursday, July 16 at 12:00 p.m. PT, to share and celebrate the writing goals that have captured your heart this season.

Whether you’re flirting with a new book idea, committed to finishing a manuscript, rekindling a relationship with a stalled project, or looking for the perfect next step in your writing journey, this interactive networking event will help you give your writing goals the Summer Lovin’ they deserve.

Hosted by WNBA-SF Networking Ambassador Debra Eckerling, The Book Proposal Expert and author of 52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting and Your Goal Guide, come prepared to share goals, discuss challenges, celebrate possibilities, and discover ways to keep the spark alive all summer long.

It’s a mixer, so bring a literary friend or two. Also, bring your lunch, your writing dreams, and your summer spirit. You’ll leave with fresh inspiration, new connections, and a renewed commitment to your writing goals.

About the Host

Debra Eckerling is a goal strategist, author, and book proposal expert who helps writers, entrepreneurs, and consultants transform their ideas into sellable books. The founder of The DEB Method for goal-setting simplified, Debra specializes in guiding clients from concept to proposal with clarity, confidence, and direction. Debra is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals and 52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting, and hosts GoalChat, The Book Proposal Podcast, and Book Proposals Simplified on Substack. She is also a regular contributor to and speaker for WritersDigest.com. Learn more at TheBookProposalExpert.com and connect with Debra on LinkedIn.

 

 

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Join the Women’s National Book Association – San Francisco Chapter on June 25 for a Lunch N Learn focused on how authors can use podcasting to support their writing and publishing goals.

Whether you’re hosting a podcast, appearing as a guest, or both, podcasting is an essential tool for building your author platform. It offers opportunities to share your expertise, connect with readers, expand your network, and increase visibility for your brand … before, during, and after you write your book/get published! 

The panel will explore the benefits of podcasting from both sides of the microphone, including:

• Why or when to start a podcast
• What it takes to launch and sustain a podcast
• How authors can become great podcast guests
• Strategies to get the most of your podcast appearances
• And more!

Our Panel

Debra Eckerling is a goal strategist, author, and book proposal expert who helps writers, entrepreneurs, and consultants transform their ideas into sellable books. The founder of The DEB Method for goal-setting simplified, Debra specializes in guiding clients from concept to proposal with clarity, confidence, and direction. Debra is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals and 52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting, and hosts GoalChat, The Book Proposal Podcast, and Book Proposals Simplified on Substack. She is also a regular contributor to and speaker for WritersDigest.com. Learn more at TheBookProposalExpert.com and connect with Debra on LinkedIn.

 

 

Julie Migliacci is the co-owner of Revent Consulting, a hybrid and virtual event planning company. The Revent teams provides support for small to large organizations globally assisting in internal communications, webinars, conferences and online conversations. Julie has over 17 years of high touch customer service and event planning under her belt. There isn’t an event type she hasn’t planned before, from large celebrity fundraisers, virtual conferences and premier cooking shows. She is always up for a new challenge and creating unique experiences for clients and their guests. Hailing from France, Julie has lived in 4 countries and considers herself a global citizen. She currently resides in Boston, MA and is always looking for an opportunity to jump on a plane to do something new. If left on a deserted island, Julie would bring her sourdough starter (named Steve) and her cats. learn more at revent.consulting.

 

Kandas Rodarte is a veteran podcast host and digital content strategist who has been producing the Gratitude Geek podcast since 2014. With over 300 episodes published, she specializes in helping Gen X women solopreneurs build sustainable businesses through strategic podcast guesting, content repurposing, and authentic visibility strategies. As the creator of the Gratitude Geek Lab community and founder of the Creator Collab Mixer, Kandas facilitates practical, experiment-driven guidance for women navigating business growth. She also co-hosts the Sci-Fi Book Pod and brings hands-on experience with podcast production workflows, SEO optimization, and community building to every conversation about podcasting. KandasRodarte.com.

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Join award-winning queer authors for an inspiring PRIDE panel discussion on the joys, challenges, and power of being a queer writer today.

Duncan MacLeod, MBA from USC Marshall, is a writer, advocate, and founder of Jim Dandy Publishing. Through personal finance books and young adult/mental health fiction, he champions authentic storytelling and visibility.

Kathleen Archambeau, celebrated journalist and longtime LGBTQ+ rights advocate since 1992, co-founded the James Hormel LGBT wing of the San Francisco Public Library. A same-gender ballroom dancer who competed in the Gay Games, she has raised significant funds for queer mental health services and shared inspiring profiles in the SF Bay Times while teaching at the University of San Francisco.

Together, they explore identity, representation, resilience, and the transformative role of queer narratives in literature.

About the Moderator and Panelists

Jodie Anders is a multi-hyphenate artist whose work spans the mediums of acting, writing, videography, editing, and graphic design. As a Jewish bisexual creator who struggled with acceptance as a teen, Jodie focuses on connections across divides, celebrating diversity and promoting youth empowerment. She currently serves as the Publicity and Communications Director for the youth nonprofit CAIORG, where she’s spent over two decades mentoring and guiding teens in confidence and leadership. She also produced “Let’s Talk about Leadership, Service and Sisterhood,” a podcast by and for teens, and is the co-author of Queer Cheer: Activities, Advice, and Affirmations for LGBTQ+ Teens.

Duncan MacLeod received his MBA from University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. In addition to his work as a personal bookkeeper and finance coach, he’s a writer, advocate, and publisher of financial self-help books, young adult and mental health fiction. He is the owner and publisher at a new press called Jim Dandy Publishing.

Native San Franciscan, Kathleen Archambeau, is an award-winning writer and LGBTQ activist. She is author of four nonfiction works, Climbing the Corporate Ladder in High Heels (2006), “Seized,” an essay in The Other Woman (2007), edited by Victoria Zackheim, Pride & Joy (2017), and We Make It Better (2019), with gay dad, Eric Rosswood. Academy Award-winning screenwriter, Dustin Lance Black wrote the Foreword to Pride & Joy and endorsed We Make It Better. Archambeau’s work has been favorably reviewed in global and national literary publications and she has been a featured speaker at national and global Pride literary events. Her book was included as part of the Oakland Museum of California store’s Queer California Exhibit, and she is a founding member of the James Hormel LGBT wing of the SF Public Library. Most recently, she released The Book of Awesome Queer Heroes (2024).

 

Dr. Kim Makoi is a queer trans man, mind-body chiropractor, and author of Booze to Balance: A Chill 30-Day Liver Healing Program. With nearly 30 years in practice and a PhD in Pastoral Counseling, he helps people unlock the full potential of their life’s voyage — starting with the physical vessel. Dr. Kim designs personalized luxury healing retreats and delivers daily wit and wisdom through his micro-newsletter, The Daily Nugget, at drkimsf.com/dailynugget.

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So, you’ve pitched your book and received some interest — a request for the full manuscript; an offer to look at some pages; a smile and a nod and a business card; or an invitation to find them on QueryTracker. Congratulations! Whichever it is, you have been given the golden opportunity to make a follow-up pitch. If you’re anxious to leverage the precious toe-hold you’ve gained and make the most out of your one shot, this lunch and learn is for you!

 

In this presentation, we will explore:

• The four vital elements every follow-up pitch must contain
• How to customize their order and strategically structure your approach
• How to think like an agent (or editor) and present yourself as a compelling business proposition
• How to avoid common stumbling blocks, and the importance of that last polish
• And how to develop a strategy for follow-up; what to do next, and when

About the Speaker

Shirin Yim Leos is an award-winning author, editor, and ex-publisher. She has taught writing and publishing around the world, at the NSW Writers’ Center in Australia, the AFCC in Singapore, the Writing Salons in San Francisco and Berkeley, for eight American universities including Stanford Continuing Studies, and for writing conferences such as the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference, Write On The Sound, the Writing-Day Workshops, the Australian Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators National Conference, and the Book Passage Children’s Writers and Illustrators Conference. Her novel OF WIND AND DUST was acquired at auction by the Dial Press in a Publishers Weekly Deal of the Week and will be released in February 2027. Learn more at shirinyimleos.com.

 

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About the Speakers

Brenda 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.

Debra Eckerling is The Book Proposal Expert, a book proposal specialist who helps authors clarify their message, develop their content, and craft proposals that get noticed. She is the author of Your Goal Guide and 52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting, host of GoalChat and the Book Proposal Podcast, and the creator of The DEB Method for goal-setting simplified. Debra has spent years helping writers, entrepreneurs, and experts turn their ideas into compelling book plans that get noticed by agents and publishers. Learn more at TheBookProposalExpert.com and connect with Debra on LinkedIn.

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A strong author platform is a key component of securing a book deal — and an essential part of a successful pitch. Join the Women’s National Book Association – San Francisco Chapter for a Lunch N Learn focused on how to build, position, and communicate your platform in ways that resonate with agents and publishers.

In our final ramp up to our virtual Pitch-O-Rama, this session will explore how platform factors into pitching your book and why publishing professionals are looking beyond the idea to the audience behind it. Featuring Debra Eckerling, Dr. Judith Briles, Kat Neff, and Kim Stewart, the discussion will cover what platform really means, how to demonstrate your reach and authority, and how to present it effectively in both proposals and live pitches.

Whether you are preparing for Pitch-o-Rama, querying agents, or refining your proposal, this session offers practical, industry-informed guidance to strengthen your position.

About the Speakers

Debra Eckerling is The Book Proposal Expert, a book proposal specialist who helps authors clarify their message, develop their content, and craft proposals that get noticed. She is the author of Your Goal Guide and 52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting, host of GoalChat and the Book Proposal Podcast, and the creator of The DEB Method for goal-setting simplified. Debra has spent years helping writers, entrepreneurs, and experts turn their ideas into compelling book plans that get noticed by agents and publishers. Learn more at TheBookProposalExpert.com and connect with Debra on LinkedIn.

Dr. Judith Briles is the award-winning and best-selling author of 48 books earning over 60 book awards and recently awarded the Author Laureate honor. To date, her books have been translated into 17 countries with over 1,000,000 copies sold! Judith’s books, and work, have been featured in over 1,500 radio and TV shows. She is the host of the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast that has received over 21 million downloads, posts less than three minute “how to publish and market” videos daily on her YouTube channel Dr. Judith Briles-The Book Shepherd and is the founder of the Colorado’s Authors’ Hall of Fame. Today, she will explore the wide, wide world of book marketing that leads to author success … that is, if you do it.

With more than 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, Kat Neff has built a career spanning sales, marketing, and publicity. She has served on educational panels, contributed to industry programming, and held leadership roles within organizations such as the Minnesota Book Publishing Roundtable, bringing a wealth of knowledge in book promotion and media relations. Kat offers a practical, insider perspective on how authors can successfully position themselves and their work in today’s competitive publishing landscape.

Kim Stewart is a book marketing strategist for nonfiction authors and host of the Book Marketing Mania podcast. She helps you reach more readers as a podcast host and guest. When she’s not strategizing with clients or binge listening to podcasts, you’ll find her enjoying family time and indulging in coffee, caramel and Friends reruns. kimstewartmarketing.com

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On March 26, join the Women’s National Book Association – San Francisco Chapter for a LinkedIn for Authors Lunch N Learn — a strategic conversation about using LinkedIn to grow your visibility, authority, and publishing opportunities.

Featuring Debra Eckerling, Jim Lauria, and Randy Peyser, this session will explore how LinkedIn can help you:

• Demonstrate expertise in your subject area
• Grow a professional audience aligned with your book
• Create momentum that supports proposals, pitches, and platform
• Build credibility before your book launches
• Attract agents, editors, podcasters, and collaborators

LinkedIn is one of the most powerful visibility tools available to nonfiction authors and thought leaders. When used intentionally, it becomes a relationship-building engine that supports your long-term publishing goals.

No matter what your stage in the publishing process, you’ll leave with practical strategies you can implement immediately.

If you are not using LinkedIn, you are missing out. Discover why and how to leverage LinkedIn!

 

About the Panelists: 

Debra Eckerling is a goal strategist, author, and book proposal expert who helps writers transform their ideas into sellable book proposals. The founder of The DEB Method for goal-setting simplified, Debra specializes in guiding clients from concept to proposal with clarity, confidence, and direction.  Debra is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals and 52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting, and hosts The Book Proposal Podcast and Book Proposals Simplified on Substack. She is also a regular contributor to and speaker for WritersDigest.com. Learn more at TheBookProposalExpert.com and connect with Debra on LinkedIn.

 

Jim Lauria is an international business executive, author, and water industry thought leader who has been an active LinkedIn member since 2004, building a community of over 12,000 followers and 4,500 subscribers to his LinkedIn newsletter To Know Water Is to Love Water. A chemical engineer by training, Jim has leveraged LinkedIn to establish himself as a leading voice in the water space publishing feature and cover articles for top industry publications, co-hosting the podcast Water We Talking About?, reviewing 75+ water books, and posting a daily water quote for over 500 consecutive days. He is also the author of How to Get Your Money Back From Big Companies and has used LinkedIn strategically to attract consulting clients, speaking engagements, and collaborations across the global water sector. Jim lives in Napa, California, and looks forward to sharing the practical LinkedIn strategies that have fueled his publishing and professional journey. Connect with him at linkedin.com/in/jimlauria.

 

Randy Peyser edits and ghostwrites books and gets authors book deals with literary agents and publishers. Her clients have been featured on Hallmark TV and Daily Mail TV, in Oprah, Cosmo and TIME Magazines, on the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller Lists, in airport bookstores and FedEx/Office and Office Max stores. She is the author of Crappy to Happy as featured in the movie, “Eat Pray Love”; The Power of Miracle Thinking; and The Write-a-Book Program. www.AuthorOneStop.com.

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Registration is now closed. Visit our homepage to sign up for email notifications and never miss a WNBA-SF event!