Hoffman Center Blog » publishing

Venue Change for April 17 Poetry Workshop

Vera — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 20:27:11 +0000

Sage Cohen’s two-part workshop on Saturday, April 17, has been moved to the Center for the Contemplative Arts in Manzanita, which is located at the Underhill Plaza on the corner of Manzanita Avenue and Division. The workshop will cover the creativity and the business of poetry.

Poetry: From Pen to Page to Published, will run from 1pm to 3:30pm.

Have you always wanted to write a poem, but don’t know how to begin? Are you already writing poetry and want to connect with your muse more often? Spend the first half of this lively workshop to get your poetic juices flowing with a mix of inspiration, craft tips, and exercises.

After a break, get down to the business of poetry. Participants will learn to develop the skills, tools and systems they need to publish their poetry:
How to identify the right publications, contests, prizes and residencies for your poetry.
How to establish a submissions tracking system that keeps you moving forward.
How an online presence can help you get in the public eye, and stay there.
Sage is the author of Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry (Writers Digest Books, 2009), The Productive Writer: Tips & Tools for Writing More, Stressing Less and Creating Success(Writer’s Digest Books, forthcoming in 2010) and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World.
Sage won first prize in the Ghost Road Press poetry contest, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and was awarded a Soapstone residency. She is a columnist for Read Write Poem and publisher of the Writing the Life Poetic Zine.
Sage holds an MFA in creative writing from New York University and a BA in comparative literature from Brown University. She teaches, lectures and reads widely at writing conferences, libraries, universities, bookstores, as well as the popular online class “Poetry for the People”. Learn more about Sage and her books at www.sagesaidso.com <http://www.sagesaidso.com> .

The workshop is a program of the Hoffman Center. Admission fee is $25, $25 for students. Download a registration form at http://hoffmanblog.org/manzanita-writers-series/workshops or contact Kathie Hightower, 503-739-1505; kathie@jumpintolife.net.

Workshop: How to Find and Approach a Literary Agent

Vera — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:05:43 +0000

Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary

Chip MacGregor, president of MacGregor Literary, will present a workshop from 1 to 3pm on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita, titled “How to Find and Approach a Literary Agent.” This workshop is one in a series of writing workshops presented by the Manzanita Writers’ Series.

In this two-hour seminar you’ll learn exactly what a literary agent does and why they are a crucial part of today’s publishing process. Find out how to research and identify an agent, how to approach and pitch them, and how to create eye-catching proposals. Chip will cover the keys for successfully working with an agent once you have one, plus how current trends in publishing are changing the author/agent relationship.

Attendees are invited to bring a proposal to the workshop, for a short in-class evaluation of each entitled, “Will I read on?”

The registration fee is $25. Click here for a registration form.

Chip MacGregor has been in the publishing business for more than two decades, first as author/collaborator on two dozen titles himself. As a literary agent he’s represented more than 1,000 books, including many award winners. He’s negotiated deals with some 40 publishers, including all the major US publishing houses and had books on all the bestseller lists, including one at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. Prior to being an agent, Chip worked at several publishers including Time Warner Book Group. He offers a well-rounded perspective on the publishing business.

Options in Self-Publishing

Vera — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:31:18 +0000

Local writers Garry Gitzen, Judy Crandall, and Marko Smith at the Self-Publishing Workshop

Local writers got an in-depth look at all the options available for publishing their work. Print-on-demand technology has opened the door for a lot of writers who might otherwise not get their work in print. According to Helen Gallagher, author of Release Your Writing, there are many writing projects that lend themselves very well to the self-publishing model. If you have a very specialized topic that’s aimed at a narrow audience, need the book to establish your professional credentials, have a collection of essays or articles, or want to release a book that has gone out of print, you’ll be well-served to explore your options.

In the past, self-publishing meant you had to contract with a printer on your own and then ended up with a garage full of books to sell. That’s still an option–especially for books where the paper quality or images are especially important. However, now you can upload your book to a variety of print-on-demand publishers and order books just as they’re needed. Several will also make your book available at online retailers and in the databases regular retailers use to order books.

Just because you can easily get your book into print, though, doesn’t mean you can forego important key elements. The cover has to be well-designed and compelling, and solid editing is mandatory. And once your book is available online, it’s all the more important to focus on marketing it.

For more information and resources, go to Helen’s web site www.releaseyourwriting.com, or pick up her book at Ekahni Books in Manzanita.

Publishing Workshop Well-Received

Vera — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:41:57 +0000

Thirty-one writers gathered on Saturday, August 22, for a day-long workshop on the publishing process, presented by Lauren Kessler and Tom Hager. Participants came from all along the North Oregon coast, as well as from Portland and as far away as Medford, Oregon and Rosburg, Washington.

Held at the Contemplative Arts Center (because there was a Cassie the Crab performance going on at the Hoffman Center at the same time), the workshop was the first full-day writing workshop sponsored by the Manzanita Writers’ Series and the Hoffman Center.

The veteran authors and husband/wife team spelled out some of the harsh realties of today’s publishing business. They also covered specifics on the steps to getting your book published, from book proposal to approaching an agent.

The presenters have 17 books and many book awards between them. Hager has worked as a publisher with the Oregon University Press. Kessler teaches a class at the University of Oregon on writing narrative nonfiction. These seasoned and lively presenters provided a fast-paced day full of useful information and handouts.

Hager shared that between 150,000 to 300,000 titles come out each year, and publishers only make a profit on 80% of the books they publish. Publishing houses are counting on — and looking for – the books with blockbuster potential.

Although numbers like that could be overwhelming, participants left the workshop with new knowledge, practical next steps — and resolve.

“I’ve just rewritten the first four pages of my book proposal based on what Tom and Lauren said at the workshop,” reported Phyllis Mannen, local author and volunteer for the Manzanita Writers’ Series. And that was just two days after the workshop ended.

The next workshops in the Manzanita Writers/Hoffman Center writing workshop series will take place on the weekend of November 7th and 8th. The first annual Dark and Stormy Book Weekend in Manzanita will include a workshop on self-publishing book options and one on the writing craft, along with author readings and open mic opportunities for writers. In January, Jennie Shortridge will offer a workshop on book marketing techniques. (To be included on a direct email list for writing workshop announcements, email Vera Wildauer at vwildauer@gmail.com.)