October 2011 Speaker: Leanna Ellis

Get Your Manuscript Ready for Its Big Audition

 

Like auditioning for a musical, your manuscript has a short amount of time to make a big impression on the director, er…editor. You want that impression to be the best it can be. Leanna Ellis will share her secrets to polishing that manuscript and editing it for the big audition of submission.

 

Winner of the National Readers Choice Award, Leanna Ellis writes women’s fiction. After nineteen books published, Ellis is known for her quirky characters and wacky plots. But don’t let the quirkiness fool you as Ellis probes deep in the heart and plucks at the heartstrings. She lives deep in the heart of Texas with her husband and children and an assortment of dogs and cat.

Join us Saturday, October 8 at 11:00am.  See you there!

September 2011 Speaker: Marika Flatt

Publicity, Promotion and Panache: Understanding and Implementing Media Relations

Do you have a book that needs media attention? Can you see your story on the morning shows? If so, this workshop is for you. Learn from a seasoned literary PR pro how to position your story, how to contact the media and get the most bang for your buck with each and every media placement. You will receive hands-on advice.

Award-winning book publicist Marika Flatt is the owner of PR by the Book and has worked with hundreds of national and regional media contacts on dozens of publicity campaigns since 1997. Flatt is a regular speaker at conferences around the country on topics related to publicity and promotion. See www.prbythebook.com for more details.

Marika launched PR by the Book, LLC in 2002, combining her love of the media and public relations. After garnering experience as the host of two cable television shows (The Teen Report & The College Report) in San Antonio, reporting for her college newspaper, producing for her college TV station, and working with the NBC affiliate in Dallas, Marika spent seven years leading the publicists of an Austin-based book publicity firm. While there, she was the director of the publisher services division, handling the company’s key publicity campaigns and serving as the company’s spokesperson.

Marika was awarded a Gold Bulldog Award for a publicity campaign, which resulted in exposure in over 700 media outlets. Marika is also the recipient of an Austin Public Relations Society of America Outstanding Mentor Award, an Anne D. Robinson Creative Initiative Award, and is a three-time nominee for the “Profiles in Power” Award.

In 2003-2004, Marika served as the president of the Austin chapter of the Association for Women in Communications. In 2009, she served as the Advanced Publicity track leader for IBPA’s Publishing University. Marika is a regular speaker at conferences around the country, educating audiences on topics related to publicity and overall promotion tactics. A cum laude graduate of Texas A&M University, Marika is the proud parent of three kids (with husband, Doug, who is Managing Partner).

Join us Saturday, September 10 at 11am. We look forward to seeing you!

August 2011 Speaker: Lena Nelson Dooley

You have a good story, but something's missing. How can you know what that something is?

Lena Nelson Dooley will be teaching a workshop on "The Magic of Layering" at the DFW Ready Writers meeting on Saturday, August 13. Learn how to add new depth and other essentials to your own story. Come prepared to do some writing.

 

Award-winning author, Lena Nelson Dooley, has more than 675,000 books in print. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (http://www.acfw.com/) and president of the local chapter, DFW Ready Writers. She’s also a member of Christian Authors Network, CROWN Fiction Marketing, and Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas.

Lena loves James, her children, grandchildren, and great grandson. She loves chocolate, cherries, chocolate-covered cherries, and spending time with friends. Travel is always on her horizon. Cruising, Galveston, the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, Mexico. One day it will be Hawaii and Australia, but probably not the same year. Helping other authors become published really floats her boat, with fifteen signing their first book contract after her mentoring. Three of her books have been awarded the Carol Award silver pins from American Christian Fiction Writers and she has received the ACFW Mentor of the Year award at their national conference. The high point of her day is receiving feedback from her readers, especially people whose lives have been changed by her books. And she loves chocolate, especially dark chocolate.

Her latest release is Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico, from Summerside Press which recently won the Will Rogers Medallion Award for excellence in publishing Western literature. Lena is currently under two 3-book contracts with Charisma House/Realms.

In addition to her writing, Lena is a frequent speaker at women’s groups, writers groups, and at both regional and national conferences. She has spoken in six states and internationally.

Lena has an active web presence on Shoutlife, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and with her internationally connected blog where she interviews other authors and promotes their books. You can check out her books and find out more about her on her blog by clicking the tabs across the top.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

DFW Ready Writers meets the second Saturday of every month.  Visitors welcome!  We are a local chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. Visit ACFW's website to learn more at www.acfw.com.