You are here: Home / Archives for WNBA-Writers

Featured Member Interview – Joanne Rodrigues

By

Joanne Rodrigues is an experienced data scientist and enterprise manager with a master’s degree in Mathematics, Demography, and Political Science, and a bachelor’s degree in International Political Economy from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. While in Washington D.C., she was a research assistant at the Center for Population and Health and the White House Counsel of Economic Advisors. She pioneered new techniques at Sony PlayStation, led all of MeYou Health’s data science efforts, and founded a company ClinicPriceCheck.com, featured on TechCrunch Battlefield SF 2020. She has experience authoring technical books. Her latest book, Product Analytics: Applied Data Science Techniques for Actionable Consumer Insights, was part of Addison-Wesley’s Data and Analytics Series. She’s recently joined as the Membership & Tech Manager for the Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter.

Let’s start by talking a bit about your writing process. What inspires you as a reader and a writer?

(JR): What inspires me most is exploring the world through a new perspective (while also acknowledging it’s probably not fresh, given the approx.12 billion people who have lived throughout human history). 

Additionally, I enjoy uncovering connections that defy wisdom, challenging prevalent narratives and tropes that lack truth. As someone who identifies as neurodivergent and has a profound curiosity about people and society, particularly about social order and how society functions, writing and reading is a perfect medium to explore humanity.

What do you tend to read in your free time, and can you share a recent book or piece that impacted you?

(JR): I have a passion for thrillers and technical books. At the moment, I’m engrossed in “When Justice Sleeps” by Stacey Abrams. What captivates me most is Abrams’ skillful integration of real-world political elements concerning the Supreme Court and judiciary within the fictional narrative. 

Could you tell me a little more about your latest book, Product Analytics: Applied Data Science Techniques for Actionable Consumer Insights? What encouraged you to write it, and how do you think it could help readers hoping to understand and grow their customer base?

(JR): The reason that I wanted to write this book is simple: when I started working as a data scientist on a web product, there were very few books available on how to work with consumer data. My managers were demanding insights on how to improve the business, to increase revenue and lower costs, but my training in algorithms and machine learning really didn’t provide the tools needed to do the job. I met lots of people like me ranging from marketers to executives that really didn’t know what to do with all this newfound data. Many made million dollars plus mistakes because they misunderstood why customers were doing what they were doing. The goal of the book is to fill that gap — provide the appropriate steps and application examples of how to apply statistical inference in drawing insights from consumer behavior. While not focused solely on growing a user base, the book explores how to generate actionable business insights related to consumer behavior from applied statistics and machine learning techniques. 

You have an extensive academic and professional background in data science, mathematics, demography, and political science. When did you first realize that you’d like to work with data at a deeper level?

(JR): I’ve always been fascinated by society and human behavior. Data is a way to learn about human behavior in the aggregate. In the early 2010s, during the explosion of clickstream data representing vast amounts of aggregated human behavior, I found myself drawn into data science. This flood of information was exciting, offering opportunities to explore the nuances of social behavior through millions of online interactions and decisions.

Do you have any tips for new writers, non-fiction or otherwise?

(JR): Living with dyslexia and an auditory processing disorder has presented formidable challenges in reading and writing. Precise auditory processing plays a pivotal role in comprehending both written and spoken communication. However, due to my poor processing, I miss the subtle nuances in speech, such as transitions in conversations. For this reason, I struggled for years to add those transitions to my speech and writing.

As you can imagine, I had to develop coping mechanisms for my hearing, reading, and writing deficiencies. It taught me life is all about developing coping mechanisms for your weaknesses and forging forward on your strengths. To this day, I am a slow reader, but that has never stopped me from writing prolifically and learning how to mimic other writers’ use of transitions.

Books are a beautiful medium of human expression – and one that lasts the tests of time – unlike social media. Don’t give up on books. 

The universe is constantly changing and you have no idea where it will be next, so get a day job and then follow your dreams! 

Finally, I hear that you’re currently working on a few other writing projects, a thriller and a memoir. Is there anything that you can share about these upcoming books?

(JR): Nope, I want to keep those under wraps until I finish them. 

May 16th- How to Write a Winning Book Proposal with Deb Eckerling

By

How to Write a Winning Book Proposal- A Lunch ‘N Learn with Debra Eckerling

 

A FREE Virtual Event
Thursday, May 16, 2024
Noon – 1:00 pm / PDT

 

 

On the heels of Pitch-O-Rama, WNBA-San Francisco is offering a series of Lunch N Learns, designed to help with your book publishing journey. 

Did you know that most non-fiction books are sold with a book proposal?

Join goal strategist Debra Eckerling, author of Your Goal Guide, on May 16 at 12pm PT, for a Lunch ‘N Learn on How to Write a Winning Book Proposal. 

Whether you plan to e-publish/self-publish, go hybrid or traditional, a book proposal keeps you organized and focused, while setting you up for success. The creator of the D*E*B METHOD® for goal-setting simplified, Debra will share how to craft the perfect roadmap to reach your non-fiction book-writing goals.

During this session, you will discover what a book proposal is and why it’s important, along with the different elements. This includes the overview, book specs, author platform, detailed outline, audience, and comprehensive titles.

Crafting a winning book proposal requires planning, research, and passion. When you understand the key components, you’ll be better equipped to write a book proposal that not only stands out, but sells. 

This workshop is interactive, so there will be opportunities to meet your writing peers, ask questions, and gain solutions and support.

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. Debra helps busy professionals get their book ideas out of their head and onto the page … with less stress. She also helps them craft book proposals that keep them organized, focused, and positioned for success.

A goals strategist, consultant, and workshop leader, Debra also offers personal and professional planning, event strategy, and team-building for executives, entrepreneurs, consultants, and companies. Debra, who is networking ambassador for WNBA – San Francisco, 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 live show/podcast and Taste Buds with Deb.

 

To register, please fill out the form below: 

Sorry. This form is no longer available.

WNBA- SF Chapter 2024-2026 Slate of Officers

By

Please elect this new slate of officers–fill out the form below! 
Deadline: May 25, 2024

We welcome the opportunity for ongoing and new WNBA-SF leadership! Please fill out this form to vote for our incoming WNBA-SF Chapter Executive Board. (Please note that in accordance with WNBA-SF bylaws, there are two Vice President positions) If you wish, you may also nominate an active, qualified WNBA-SF Chapter member as an alternative to this slate with their prior, written consent, no later than May 25th, 2024.

Thank you, Debra Eckerling, Board Development/Nomination Chair.  

The 2024-2026 online presentation of the Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter (WNBA-SF) Slate of Officers as recommended by the Board Development/Nomination Chair:

SF Chapter Bylaws: Officers and Board appointees shall take office on June 1 following the election or appointment to office. The officers shall serve a term of two years. They may serve two consecutive terms, except for the Treasurer, who may continue to succeed her/him self.

 

President- Brenda Knight 

Brenda Knight began her career at HarperCollins, working with luminaries Paolo Coelho, Marianne Williamson and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Knight was awarded IndieFab’s Publisher of the Year in 2015 at the ALA, American Library Association. Knight is the author of Random Acts of Kindness, The Grateful Table and Women of the Beat Generation, which won an American Book Award. Her recent book, Badass Affirmations, has sold 350,000 copies. She is Publisher at Mango Publishing Group and has served as long-time board member of the Women’s’ National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter and resides in the SF Bay Area. 

 

Co-Vice President – Anniqua Rana

Anniqua Rana is a writer and educator committed to eliminating inequities around her.  She has done this in collaboration with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office providing professional development and training to colleges in the Bay Area. She co-founded Aalimocracy.com a volunteer organization providing professional development to educational institutions in Pakistan. She has taught English, ESL, EFL, International Education, and Creative Writing at San Mateo Community Colleges, DeAnza College, University of San Francisco, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan, and Stanford University. Her debut novel, Wild Boar in the Cane Field was shortlisted for Pakistan’s UBL Literary Award 2020. To create a platform for writers she co-founded the blog Tillism.

 

Co-Vice President –  Christina Vo

Christina Vo is a writer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work reflects her commitment to understanding and sharing the complexities of the human experience. Christina’s debut memoir, The Veil Between Two Worlds: A Memoir of Silence, Loss, and Finding Home, demonstrates her ability to weave personal experiences into broader narratives about identity, home, and belonging. Her second book, My Vietnam, Your Vietnam, an intergenerational memoir co-written with her father, will be published in April 2024 and was recently selected for the Ms. Magazine Most Anticipated Feminist Books of 2024. She has worked internationally for UNICEF in Vietnam, the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, as well as served as a consultant for nonprofits.

 

Secretary –  Karen Wang Diggs 

Karen Wang Diggs is a certified nutritionist, chef, and entrepreneur by day. By night, she reads, writes, and dreams. She is also a history hound keenly interested in the never-ending struggles of girls, women, and anyone who identifies as female. With a keen awareness of history’s patriarchal dominance and the suppression of female voices and achievements, Karen is on a mission. Her sincere hope is that her writing serves as a source of inspiration and enrichment for everyone, contributing to greater gender equality, social justice, and harmony in these challenging times.

 

Treasurer  – Duncan MacLeod

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.

Please elect this new slate of officers–fill out the form below! 

Deadline: May 25, 2024

Voting stops as of midnight, April 20th, 2022

WNBA, San Francisco Showcase at Hayward Lit Hop

By

 
A full schedule of the event can be found here.
 

When: 4pm, Saturday April 27 at Odd Fellows Lodge 950 B Street at Mission and Main, Hayward 

with WNBA-SF presenters:

Concha Delgado Gaitan

Concha Delgado Gaitan works emphasize social justice issues of unrepresented communities.  In her capacity as a professor, she lectured on her books and has worked with communities including Latino, Russian Refugees, Alaskans, Native students, Hmong, and transnational populations in Mexico, Canada, and Spain. She’s written 10 nonfiction books. her latest being Wings of a Firebird: The Power of Relationships in Our Later Years–This book marks the beginning of a new direction in her writing, a focus on issues of older adults in our society.  In her book Prickly Cactus: Finding Sacred Meaning in Chronic Illness she turns the lenses inward and describes the role of family and community in healing her life and health. 

Maxine Rose Schur

Maxine Rose Schur is an award-winning children’s book author and travel essayist. She’s twice won the Lowell Thomas Award from the Society of American Travel Writers for excellence in travel writing. Her travel memoir, Places in Time was named Best Travel Book of the Year by the North American Travel Journalists Association and was awarded the Gold (First Place) for Travel Literature by the Society of American Travel Writers.

 
 
 
Sheila Smith-McCoy is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, and filmmaker. Her full-length poetry collection, The Bones Beneath is a haunting new work from Black Lawrence Press. In addition to her poetry and fiction, Smith McKoy has authored and edited numerous scholarly works. Her books include the seminal text in understanding white race riots, When Whites Riot: Writing Race and Violence in American and South African Cultures. She is co-editor of Recovering the African Feminine Divine in Literature, the Arts, and Performing Arts: Yemonja Awakening (2020), and editor of The Elizabeth Keckley Reader: Writing Self, Writing Nation (2016) and The Elizabeth Keckley Reader: Artistry, Culture and Commerce (2017). Smith McKoy has also written, produced, directed or served as executive producer for four documentary films.
 
Geri Spieler
 
Geri Spieler, the author of Housewife Assassin, is a journalist and investigator reporter who wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Westways, and Forbes. She received praise and three awards, including the Smart-Writ Best Non-fiction award at the 2010 Mensa Annual Conference for her book, which uncovered the truth behind the life of Sara Jane Moore, the woman who attempted assassination of Gerald Ford, the President of the United States, in January 2009, Palgrave Macmillan, NY.
 
The panel will be moderated by WNBA-SF president, Elise Marie Collins.
 
A full schedule of the event can be found here.
 
Ellen McBarnette will be presenting as part of

Afrosurreal Writers Workshop of Oakland

Dirty Bird Lounge – 926 B Street (Mission & Main) – Outside in Rear

Maria Ochoa will be presenting as part of

Women Who Submit Lit: 

The Pizza House – 943 B Street (Mission & Main)

Empowering women and nonbinary writers by helping prepare to submit works for publication.

 

PITCH-O-RAMA 2024! A VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITY

By

 

 

 
 

March 7th: The Power and Progress of Women’s Voices — Mechanics’ Institute Library

By

Thursday, March 7th at 6 P.M. at The Mechanics’ Institute

The Power and Progress of Women’s Voices:

International Women’s Day Event 

In Conversation with authors Jia Ling Wang, Salumeh Eslamieh, Sheila Smith McKoy, and Christina Vo, Joan Gelfand, and moderated by Elise Marie Collins 

 A co-sponsored in-person event with our friends at the Mechanics’ Institute. Sign up on Eventbrite HERE. Use the code WNBA, free for members of our Meetup!

We welcome authors Jia Ling Wang, Salumeh Eslamieh, Sheila Smith McKoy, Christina Vo, and Joan Gelfand in conversation with WNBA-SF president Elise Marie Collins, in a celebration of women writers, artists, and changemakers for International Women’s Day.

By centering women’s lives – socially, politically, and historically – in their work, these authors faithfully capture the diverse spectrum of women’s stories and perspectives. The panelists will also speak to their own experiences in the field of writing and publishing.

About the authors:

Jia Ling Wang (Karen Wang Diggs) is a certified nutritionist, chef, and entrepreneur by day. By night, she reads, writes, and dreams. She is also a history hound keenly interested in the never-ending struggles of girls, women, and anyone who identifies as female. With a keen awareness of history’s patriarchal dominance and the suppression of female voices and achievements, Jia Ling is on a mission. Her sincere hope is that her writing serves as a source of inspiration and enrichment for everyone, contributing to greater gender equality, social justice, and harmony in these challenging times.

Salumeh Eslamieh received her MA in literature and has been a professor of English since 2005 and most recently, Creative Writing. Always inspired to write based on the world around her, a girl on the bus became the subject of one of her short stories, and that short story turned into the first chapter of her novel, Children of a Revolution, a multigenerational family saga that brings together her study of Postcolonial literature with stories she grew up with about the Iranian Revolution. Publication of her short story about the girl on the bus, A Pair of Candelabras, is forthcoming in the 3rd edition of the Women’s National Book Association Anthology.

Sheila Smith McKoy, Ph.D. is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, and filmmaker. Her full-length poetry collection, The Bones Beneath is a haunting new work from Black Lawrence Press. In addition to her poetry and fiction, Smith McKoy has authored and edited numerous scholarly works. Her books include the seminal text in understanding white race riots, When Whites Riot: Writing Race and Violence in American and South African Cultures. She is co-editor of Recovering the African Feminine Divine in Literature, the Arts, and Performing Arts: Yemonja Awakening (2020), and editor of The Elizabeth Keckley Reader: Writing Self, Writing Nation (2016) and The Elizabeth Keckley Reader: Artistry, Culture and Commerce (2017). Smith McKoy has also written, produced, directed or served as executive producer for four documentary films.

Christina Vo is a writer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work reflects her commitment to understanding and sharing the complexities of the human experience. Christina’s debut memoir, The Veil Between Two Worlds: A Memoir of Silence, Loss, and Finding Home, demonstrates her ability to weave personal experiences into broader narratives about identity, home, and belonging. Her second book, My Vietnam, Your Vietnam, an intergenerational memoir co-written with her father, will be published in April 2024 and was recently selected for the Ms. Magazine Most Anticipated Feminist Books of 2024. She has worked internationally for UNICEF in Vietnam, the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, as well as served as a consultant for nonprofits.

 

Joan Gelfand‘s debut memoir, Outside Voices: A Memoir of the Berkeley Revolution, was published in January 2024 (Post Hill Press). The book chronicles second wave feminism as it grew into a national movement. Berkeley, where Joan lived amongst a community of writers, artists, and musicians was ground zero for some of the movements we are focused on today-Black Lives Matter and metoo. Joan is the author of three volumes of poetry, an award-winning chapbook of short fiction, and a novel, Extreme, which was a finalist in the International Book Awards. Her poem about Lawrence Ferlinghetti was the basis for a film, The Ferlinghetti School of Poetics, which was featured in over twenty international film festivals. A beloved teacher and mentor, Joan is President Emeritus of the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA) and a member of the National Book Critics Circle. Her guide You Can Be a Winning Writer: The 4 C’s Approach to Author Success is an Amazon #1 bestseller. Joan holds a BA from San Francisco State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, Adam Hertz.

Sign up on Eventbrite HERE.  Use the code WNBA, free for members of our Meetup!

May 12th – Confident Communication for Authors: How To Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety As An Introvert

By

Thursday, May 12th, 2022

Confident Communications for Authors: How to Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety As An Introvert w/ Julia Beauchamp Kraft

12 pm PST

 

In this talk, you’ll learn…

  • The 3 mistakes authors make when they want to overcome nervousness and why you keep spinning in anxiety no matter how much you prepare
  • The secrets to always having the perfect words at your fingertips and never blanking out again!
  • The 4 step framework for comfort and confidence in your skin when the stakes are high without anxiety or fear of the audience’s judgment
  • How to calm and relax your nervous system for instant confidence

 

Bio:

Julia Beauchamp Kraft is an authentic expression mentor and public speaking coach who specializes in helping introverted women overcome public speaking nerves. Through her signature program, “Fully Expressed”, Julia teaches quiet, shy women how to cultivate authentic confidence in the spotlight.

Over the past 8 years Julia has trained 1000’s of professionals and entrepreneurs about public speaking best practices and skills including companies like LinkedIn, Twitter and Salesforce. But, it wasn’t until the start of the pandemic that she created The Fully Expressed program as the world of public speaking completely changed. Through her years of experience, she saw that some people were able to implement public speaking skills right away and others really struggled and even seemed traumatized by the public speaking workshop itself. She realized that most of the people struggling were women and all of them had a long history of performance anxiety, public speaking nerves and an intense fear of the audience’s judgment.

Being an introverted woman herself she understood these challenges and created a program designed specifically for the more sensitive, empathic woman who has a desire to be heard but is struggling with public speaking PTSD. This work empowers introverted women to get out of overwhelm and burnout, unpack old conditioning that’s keeping them stuck and discover their full range of expression as confident communicators.

 

Sign up for the event here:

Sorry! Registration is closed, so we can manage the list of attendees.

WNBA-SF 2022-2024 ELECTION

By

It’s that time again! Please elect this new slate of officers down below to continue to guide our chapter through the next two years (2022-2024).

We welcome the opportunity for ongoing and new WNBA-SF leadership! (Please note that in accordance with WNBA-SF Bylaws, there are two Vice President positions). The WNBA-SF Bylaws also provide brief descriptions of the officer positions and are attached here for your review:

https://wnba-books.org/members-only/

 

VOTING DEADLINE – APRIL 20, 2022

 

If you wish, you may also nominate an active, qualified WNBA-SF Chapter member as an alternative to this slate with their prior, written consent not later than April 11, 2022.

Many thanks,

Elise Marie Collins, President WNBA-SF Chapter

 

2022-2024 WNBA-SF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTION SLATE

 

PRESIDENT

ELISE MARIE COLLINS

Current WNBA-SF Chapter President, Elise Marie Collins has played major roles in the overall direction and strategy development of the chapter, leading teams to accomplish successful Pitch-O-Ramas, membership drives and mixers, and educational literary presentations. A yoga instructor, health coach, and author with a master’s degree in gerontology from USC, Elise became more in touch with how food and lifestyle affects us spiritually. This knowledge led her to author “An A-Z Guide to Healing Foods, A Shoppers Companion,” and “Chakra Tonics. Essential Elixirs for Mind, Body and Spirit,” published by Conari Press. As a gerontologist, she writes about how to be well and live a long life. Her latest book is “Super Ager: You Can Look Younger, Have More Energy, A Better Memory, and Live a Long and Healthy Life.”

 

CO-VICE PRESIDENT

JOAN GELFAND

Author of three poetry collections and a chapbook of short fiction, Joan Gelfand’s reviews, stories, essays, and poetry have appeared in national and international literary journals and magazines. Winner of twenty writing awards, Joan teaches for The Writing Salon. “You Can Be a Winning Writer,” a book for writers is an Amazon #1 best seller. “Extreme,” Joan’s debut novel (Blue Light Press) is set in a Silicon Valley gaming startup and received praise from Katie Hafner of the NYT and Ransom Stephens. A member of the National Book Critics Circle and a Juror for the Northern California Book Awards, Joan lives in San Francisco with her husband Adam Hertz and two beatnik kitties – Jack Kerouac and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.  www.joangelfand.com

 

CO-VICE PRESIDENT

ANNIQUA RANA

Anniqua Rana is a writer and educator committed to eliminating inequities around her.  She has done this in collaboration with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office providing professional development and training to colleges in the Bay Area. She co-founded Aalimocracy.com a volunteer organization providing professional development to educational institutions in Pakistan. She has taught English, ESL, EFL, International Education, and Creative Writing at San Mateo Community Colleges, DeAnza College, University of San Francisco, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan, and Stanford University. Her debut novel, Wild Boar in the Cane Field was shortlisted for Pakistan’s UBL Literary Award 2020. To create a platform for writers she co-founded the blog Tillism.

 

TREASURER

BRENDA KNIGHT

Brenda Knight began her career at HarperCollins, working with luminaries Paolo Coelho, Marianne Williamson, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Knight was awarded IndieFab’s Publisher of the Year in 2014 at the ALA, American Library Association. She is the author of Wild Women and Books, Random Acts of Kindness, The Grateful Table, Be a Good in the World, and Women of the Beat Generation, which won an American Book Award. Brenda is Associate Publisher and Director of Editorial Acquisition at Mango Publishing and has served the immediate past President of the Women’s National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter, as well an instructor at the annual San Francisco Writers Conference.

 

SECRETARY

KATHLEEN ARCHAMBEAU

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. Currently, she is on a final draft of her novel, Liberty Street, about a gay presidential candidate and his Quixotic campaign for equal protection.

 

Vote here:

Voting stops as of midnight, April 20th, 2022

April 14th – Looking Back, Looking Forward: A Reading with Jan Beatty and Dana Levin

By

Thursday, April 14th, 2022
Looking Back, Looking Forward:
A Reading with Jan Beatty and Dana Levin
5pm-6pm / PT

 

Poets Jan Beatty and Dana Levin will join us for an evening that will celebrate their award winning poetry and celebrate the foremothers who inspired them.  Each poet will begin the evening by introducing the foremother poet who influenced her work.  Then, Beatty and Levin will share their own new work.

 

Participants: 

Jan Beatty is the winner of the Red Hen Nonfiction Award for her memoir, American Bastard (2021). Her sixth book, The Body Wars (2020), was published by the University of Pittsburgh Press. In the New York Times, Naomi Shihab Nye said: Jan Beatty’s new poems in “The Body Wars” shimmer with luminous connection, travel a big life and grand map of encounters. Books include Jackknife: New and Collected Poems (2018 Paterson Prize) named by Sandra Cisneros on LitHub as her favorite book of 2019. Beatty worked as a waitress, a welfare caseworker, an abortion counselor, and in maximum-security prisons.

 

Dana Levin’s fifth book is Now Do You Know Where You Are (Copper Canyon, Spring 2022), a Lannan Literary Selection. Recent books include Banana Palace (2016) and Sky Burial (2011), which The New Yorker called “utterly her own and utterly riveting.” She is a grateful recipient of honors, including those from the National Endowment for the Arts, PEN, and the Library of Congress, as well as from the Rona Jaffe, Whiting, and Guggenheim Foundations. Levin teaches in the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, and serves as Distinguished Writer in Residence at Maryville University in St. Louis.

 

 

Jan Beatty and Dana Levin will share their most recent work. Audience members will not only learn about these current poets, they will also discover writers from the past.  

 

Sign up for the event below:

Meet the Agents & Editors: Virtual Pitch-O-Rama 2022

By

Saturday, April 30, 2022
8:00 am – 1:00 pm 

 

Another year, another round of Pitch-O-Rama! We’ve learned a lot from the last two events, and we are ready to do our utmost to make this year’s Pitch-O-Rama the best one yet. Also, we are adding even MORE agents, so keep checking back in here for the latest updates.

 

Sign up for 2022 Pitch-O-Rama with the link below as registration is filling up quickly:
https://wnba-sfchapter.org/april-30th-virtual-pitch-o-rama-2022/

 

Includes pre-pitch coaching.


$65 WNBA-SF members, $95 Non-members


EVERYONE Welcome!

 

Meet the Agents and Editors for Pitch-O-Rama 2022!

 

These impressive publishing professionals bring years of experience and will provide advice, direction, and next steps for your literary project! 

 

Jim Azevedo is the marketing director at Smashwords, the largest distributor of self-published ebooks, serving over 130,000 independent authors, publishers, and literary agents. Since 2008, Smashwords has helped authors around the world release more than 470,000 titles and distribute their work globally to top ebook retailers, subscription services and public libraries. Prior to joining Smashwords in 2011, Jim built his career in marketing & PR for high-tech companies. Although Smashwords is a self-publishing platform, Jim loves helping authors sharpen their pitches and book descriptions. He credits his journalism education when it comes to guiding authors, and himself, to “get to the point” with messaging. Jim is open to discussing all genres.

 

 

Peter Beren, formerly Vice President, Insight Editions, Publisher of Sierra Club Books, Publisher of VIA Books and an Acquisitions Editor for Jeremy Tarcher. Peter Beren is a literary agent and a book publishing consultant to authors and independent publishers. He is the founder of The Peter Beren Agency, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is also author or co-author of eight books, including The Writers Legal Companion (Basic Books), California the Beautiful (Rizzoli) and The Golden Gate (Insight Editions). As a publishing consultant, Peter works with independent publishers, self-publishers, and authors to help them make the most of their publishing opportunities. He represents selected nonfiction projects as a literary agent to help authors obtain publishing contracts. https://peterberen.com/

 

Associate Agent Karly Caserza was born in the Phillipines and immigrated to Northern California as a child. She obtained her Business Marketing degree and has been a Freelance Graphic Designer for over 10 years. In addition to designing a wide range of print and web promotional material for clients. Karly creates book covers for Short Fuse and promotional graphics for Fuse authors. Professionally, Karly began her career in the publishing industry as a reader for Tricia Skinner at Fuse Literary, a role that also included a spot on the production team of Short Fuse. Karly is also the Marketing Coordinator of the San Francisco Writer’s Conference. In her spare time, Karly has a deep love for characters with a strong voice and seeks out stories she can get lost in. Diversity in genre fiction is a major bonus. She specializes in middle grade and young adult genre fiction (fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary.)

 

Leland Cheuk is a MacDowell and Hawthornden Castle Fellow and award-winning author of three books of fiction, most recently the novel NO GOOD VERY BAD ASIAN (2019). Cheuk’s work has been covered in Buzzfeed, The Paris Review, VICE, San Francisco Chronicle, and elsewhere, and has appeared or is forthcoming in publications such as NPR, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Salon, among other outlets. He is the founder of the indie press 7.13 Books, which publishes debut book-length fiction. He is looking for quality works of fiction and short story collections, favoring literary comedies and genre-bending submissions as well as work from the queer and/or POC writing community.

 

M.J. Fievre, B.S. Ed, is a longtime educator whose publishing career began as a teenager in her native Haiti. At nineteen years old, she signed her first book contract with Hachette-Deschamps for the publication of a YA book titled La Statuette Maléfique. Since then, M.J. has released nine YA books in French that are widely read in Europe and the French Antilles, and she is the author of the award-winning Badass Black Girl book series for tweens and teens (in English). As the ReadCaribbean program coordinator for the prestigious Miami Book Fair, M.J. directs and produces the children’s cultural show Taptap Krik? Krak! In addition, M.J. serves as the managing editor of DragonFruit, which publishes high quality children’s books, which connect with readers by paving the way to lifelong learning.

 

Georgia Hughes is editorial director at New World Library, publisher of the Joseph Campbell Library and The Power of Now. She acquires and edits nonfiction books in the areas of spirituality, sustainability, animals, business, women’s issues, and personal growth. Recent acquisitions include Spiritual Envy by Michael Krasny, Dreaming the Soul Back Home by Robert Moss, Dogs and the Women Who Love Them by Allen and Linda Anderson, Right-Brain Business Plan by Jennifer Lee, and The Practicing Mind by Thomas Sterner. 

 

Jane Kinney Denning is a freelance agent and editor and former president of the WNBA. With over 30 years of experience in writing, editing, and educating, she has worked as an adjunct professor in publishing at Pace University, and has editing books with HarperCollins, Little Brown, CRC Press, and Van Nostrand Reinhold. Jane has also worked as the Acquisitions Editor for Mango Publishing, acquiring notable books such as The Fearless Women’s Guide to Starting a Business, Plan and Organize Your Life, Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book, and the first three titles of the Baseball Hall of Fame Imprint.

 

Brenda Knight began her career at HarperCollins, working with luminaries Paolo Coelho, Marianne Williamson and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Knight was awarded IndieFab’s Publisher of the Year in 2014 at the ALA, American Library Association. Knight is the author of Wild Women and Books, The Grateful Table, Be a Good in the World, and Women of the Beat Generation, which won an American Book Award. Knight is Editorial Director at Mango Publishing and acquires for all genres in fiction and nonfiction, LGBTQ as well as children and photography books. She is the immediate past President of the Women’s National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter, and an instructor at the annual San Francisco Writers Conference.

 

Michael LarsenMichael Larsen co-founded Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents in 1972. Over four decades, the agency sold hundreds of books to more than 100 publishers and imprints. The agency has stopped accepting new writers, but Mike loves helping all writers. He gives talks about writing and publishing, and does author coaching. He wrote How to Write a Book Proposal and How to Get a Literary Agent, and coauthored Guerrilla Marketing for Writers. Mike is co-director of the San Francisco Writers Conference and the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference.

 

Michele Martin is an editor and literary agent specializing in non-fiction and children’s books. Previous experience includes acting as VP for North Star Way (imprint for Simon & Schuster) where she acquired award-winning actress Keke Palmer’s book I Don’t Belong to You in 2017, as well as finding MDM Management, specializing in topics such as business, health & wellness, and self-help.

 

 

Kristen Moeller, MS, is an agent at Waterside Productions, the literary home of Eckhart Tolle, Neale Donald Walsch, Jean Houston and other luminaries. Previously, she was an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing and the executive publisher for Persona Publishing, a self-publishing imprint. With close to 30 years of training and experience in psychology and personal growth, she craves discovering new (mostly female) authors with real and gritty memoir or literary fiction about walking through the fires of life – exploring depths and darkness while maintaining a strong psychological base. A published author and a three time TEDx speaker, she has been featured on NPR, ABC, NBC, Fox News, the New York Times, Huffington Post and Tiny House Nation.

 

Stefanie Molina is an agent and editor who specializes in titles written by authors and for communities of color. Since 2013, she has helped edit various fiction and non-fiction from children’s books to memoirs in order to help authors reach the highest caliber to develop their creative work. Some of her previous experience includes over 5 years as Senior Editor at Brink Literacy Project, whose mission is to share storytelling that empowers underserved communities, and is currently an agent at Ladderbird Literary Agency.  Outside of agenting, she enjoys hiking, swimming, baking, and playing the piano. Her favorite place in the world is Yosemite National Park! You can find her on Twitter @fiction_tech. Stefanie is primarily looking for BIPOC stories inclusive of intersectional identities (LGBTQ+, disability, mental illness, neurodiversity…). She particularly relates to stories centering mixed protagonists. In all genres, she adores stories that incorporate food, animals, the outdoors, and intergenerational relationships. She also loves when stories explore “messy” feelings like rage, fear, guilt, grief, etc. in empowering ways. Please don’t send her books that revolve around abuse (though it can be in a character’s past) or books where the protagonist dies at the end. In picture books, she’s looking for heartfelt stories about family, facing your fears, and/or finding your place in the world. She especially loves brave, quirky heroines. In middle grade and YA, she likes contemporary and urban fantasy and coming-of-age stories. She loves a touch of mystery and is also open to the right high fantasy or romcom. In adult, she’s looking for romcoms, mysteries, thrillers, and urban or contemporary fantasy. She’s also open to high fantasy or historical fiction that empowers BIPOC individuals and communities. Two of her specific wishes are for a mystery or thriller helmed by a BIPOC woman, and for historical fiction centering a BIPOC cowgirl.

 https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/stefanie-molina/

 

Liz Nealon is the founder and president of Great Dog Literary, a publishing company specializing in sharing unique voices for both adults and children. In her previous life, she was an award-winning executive producer and children’s media industry leader who played an integral role in shaping the indelible youth brands Sesame Street, Kidz Bop, and MTV, as well as being the former Publisher of StarWalk Kids Media, an award-winning digital publishing company that she co-founded with author Seymour Simon (2012-2016). Liz has unique and specific experience in children’s digital publishing, with extensive knowledge of the US Schools & Libraries sector. She is a big reader of both non-fiction and literary fiction, and is particularly looking for Modern Women’s Fiction (no fantasy or Regency); True Crime with a strong, literary voice; memorable Narrative Non-Fiction; Art/Illustrated titles for adults; Illustrated Middle Grade (both fiction and non-fiction). She is committed to representing diverse voices and would be over the moon if she could acquire a captivating LGBTQ RomCom for YA readers.

 

Becky Parker Geist is CEO of Pro Audio Voices and has been in the audiobook industry since 1981. As an audiobook publisher and producer, Becky has produced and/or narrated hundreds of titles, helping authors leverage their content through audio – even if it is the first or only format of their book to get publishedTypically working with authors and publishers who are challenged in reaching their widest audience, the Pro Audio Voices team provides audiobook production, including complex and unusual projects, and the Audiobook Marketing Program™ to help authors increase their impact. Committed to leadership, Becky serves as President of Bay Area Independent Publishers Assoc. and a Chapter Leader of Nonfiction Authors Association. proaudiovoices.com

 

Randy Peyser sells non-fiction manuscripts in all genres and speaks nationally about how to get book deals. She also serves on faculty for CEO Space International where she teaches about writing book proposals. She is the author of: The Write-a-Book Program; Crappy to Happy as featured in the movie, Eat Pray Love; and The Power of Miracle Thinking. Her clients’ books have been in Oprah and Time Magazines, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller Lists, in airport bookstores, Office Max and FedEx/Office 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, Guerrilla Publicity, and The Profit of Kindness. AuthorOneStop.com.

 

Leah Pierre is a literary agent and production manager who loves diverse and unique work that is fast paced and has a complex cast of diverse characters. After graduating from Rosemont College with her B.A. in English and History and currently finishing her Master’s in Publishing, she has moved back to the South to begin her next adventure. In addition to searching for the next commercial YA or Adult project that will hook her (or make her cry), Leah is looking for YA/Crossover/Adult fiction across speculative, contemporary, romance, mystery/thriller, and fairytale reimaginings and retellings. She currently works at Ladderbird Literary Agency and is the Production Project Manager at Greenleaf Book Group: https://www.ladderbird.com/leah-pierre.html

 

Marthine Satris is the Acquisitions Editor for Heyday, a nonprofit publisher located in Berkeley, CA. Having worked as an editor and writer for Stanford University Press, Callisto Media, and the Center of the Art of Translation, Marthine’s main goal is to help shape a title with an eye on the fine detail. At Heyday, some of the books she has edited include Charles Hood, Marni Fylling, Mary Clare and Gary Ferguson, John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren, Alex Harris, Jack Gedney, and David Harris, with more to come. Marthine is acquiring prescriptive books, reference books, narrative nonfiction, literary essays, and, for Heyday, quirky books on Californian history, our natural world, and social justice.

 

Brooke Warner is a writing coaching, professional publishing consultant, and WNBA-SF member. She has worked as an acquiring editor in the publishing industry for the past sixteen years, most recently as the Executive Editor at Seal Press. Brooke left Seal Press in May 2012 to pursue the coaching practice and to co-found She Writes Press with Kamy Wicoff. Also, she launched Write-Minded: Weekly Inspiration for Writers in 2018, teaches and facilitates memoir courses through Write Your Memoir in Six Months, co-founded with Linda Joy Myers, President of the National Association of Memoir Writers, and has published three books on writing and publishing. Some genres Brooke is looking for are memoirs, self-help, entrepreneur, and other business-like titles.

 

Viveca Shearin is a co-publisher of Not a Pipe Publishing, an indie publishing house based in Oregon (though she lives and works in NYC). An avid reader since childhood, her tastes in books have changed throughout the years. However, she is still a lover of fantasy, magic, and all things dark and mysterious. As she searches for her new talent, Viveca is looking for YA and Adult fiction projects in these genres: fantasy, speculative, paranormal, supernatural, mystery and thriller, science fiction, and retellings of fairy tales and mythology (Greek and Japanese). Viveca is especially interested in BIPOC representation and acquiring BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices. She’s drawn to stories that feature strong female characters (lead and secondary), stories with a diverse and eclectic cast of characters that all shine in their own ways, stories that feature found families, and stories that stay with her long after the last page is turned. She will not read stories that feature Black trauma, abuse, or anything of that vein. So please do not send these to her. Aside from working for Not a Pipe, Viveca also works as a sensitivity reader.

 

Leticia Gomez is a prominent literary/film/television agent who specializes in bringing culturally diverse voices to the forefront. She has helped her clients secure deals with the largest publishers in the world and has seen several of her projects successfully optioned for TV and film rights. In January of 2007, Leticia launched Savvy Literary Services, becoming one of a highly select group of agencies in the world that specializes in the Latino book market. Savvy Literary is now an industry leader specializing in Self-help, Narrative Non-fiction, Memoir, True Crime, Spiritual/Inspirational, Political/Current Affairs, Suspense/Thriller, Family Drama, and the Young Adult market. Blending her experience as an author, literary/film/television agent and acquisition editor, she is now truly excited to spearhead her very own Hispanic book imprint Café con Leche Books. At the present time, Savvy Literary Agency is interested in reviewing compelling and commercially viable book proposals and manuscripts written in English or Spanish. Fiction areas of interest: adventure, chick lit, fantasy, historical, humor, multicultural, mystery, paranormal, romance, young adult, and middle grade. Nonfiction areas of interest: advice/relationships, biography, cooking, diet, health, history/politics/current affairs, how-to, humor, lifestyle, memoir, parenting, religion/spirituality and true crime. 

 

Tips for Pitching 2022, CLICK HERE!

 

Sign up for 2022 Pitch-O-Rama now!

April 30th – Virtual Pitch-O-Rama 2022