Workshops

Workshops for the 2022 Between the Pages Writers Conference

Steven James is the critically-acclaimed author of seventeen novels. He has served as a contributing editor to Writer’s Digest Magazine and is the author of the groundbreaking book Story Trumps Structure as well as the guidebook used by thousands of novelists, Troubleshooting Your Novel, both from Writer’s Digest Books. Publishers Weekly calls him “[a] master storyteller at the peak of his game.” When he’s not working on his next novel, Steven teaches Novel Writing Intensive retreats across the country with New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

In his podcast “The Story Blender,” he interviews leading storytellers in film, print, and web. Listen now to any of the dozens of archived podcasts for free by visiting his website www.thestoryblender.com.

Keynote: The Untouched Moment
Workshop: Pulling The Rug Out: How To Craft Twists Your Readers Will Never See Coming

PITCHING TO AN AGENT 101

These are things that will be covered.

Learn: The tricks of brevity and breath and how to confidently pitch to any agent.
Practice: Get time to practice your pitch with hands on instruction and help.
Pitch: Take this opportunity to pitch an agent with the help of a class critique.

PUBLISHING PATHS AND SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

There is a wide variety of publishing paths to take. The important thing is to find the best one for you. Be sure to research each path and fully consider your options. Another thing to think about are your subsidiary rights. Depending on the path you choose, who will hold subsidiary rights and what can be done with them?

Traditional publishing (major, mid, or small), Hybrid publishing, and Self publishing
Audio Rights, Foreign Translation Rights, Gaming App Rights, Film, etc.

STEPHANIE’S SECOND WORKSHOP

WHY INCLUDING DIVERSE VOICES IS SO IMPORTANT AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP

The fabric of humanity is rich and beautiful but when you begin removing threads it becomes diluted and weak. There are a multitude of reasons why some voices weren’t heard as regularly in the past but I’d like to focus on what can be done to close that gap. Publishers can acquire these books. Readers can buy and share them. And authors can open up about their own diversity.

The deaf and HOH community
LGBTQ spectrum
and more

HOOK YOUR READERS—OR EDITOR—IN YOUR OPENING PAGES

What to include/What to leave out in your opening
How important is the first line of your story?
Examples of good and bad openings
On the spot feedback

ALLY’S SECOND WORKSHOP

KICK YOUR (WRITING) HABIT…INTO HIGH GEAR

Tips to increase your productivity
How to form a daily writing habit
Ways to overcome ‘writer’s block’
During the workshop, do a 5 minute sprint for your current WIP

THE INS AND OUTS OF
CO-AUTHORING

Choosing to work with another author is a brave choice. We are storytellers and people who speak of our characters as if they are friends. Or enemies depending on the character. To complete a novel or a short story or novella with another such person can be a rewarding experience, but just like any business relationship, proceed with caution—and choose with care.

Ways a coauthor can help
Selecting a coauthor
How to share responsibilities
What to do when conflict arises

NEWSLETTERS AND BUILDING YOUR AUTHOR PLATFORM

We’ll discuss the components of an attention grabbing newsletter and why it’s your most important promotional piece. In this interactive workshop, we’ll discuss ways to create a newsletter people actually read. Topics include

Reader “Capture”
Captivate, Capture, Cultivate, Control – The 4 Cs of newsletter sales
Building an effective newsletter
How often is too often
Ways to ensure that email gets opened

HEATHER’S SECOND WORKSHOP

WRITING THE HIGH CONCEPT NOVEL:
HOW TO CAPTURE THE ATTENTION OF HOLLYWOOD

Would you love to see you book as a feature film? The one thing Hollywood looks for in a potential project is a high concept idea. This workshop dives deep into what is a true high concept novel and how to take your writing from midlist to bestseller.

What is a high concept novel?
Tips and tricks for finding high concept ideas to launch your story above the competition.
Understand why high concept is so important in today’s crowded market.
Tips and tricks for one liners that can grab the attention of Hollywood.
Get ready. You’re about to take your novel to the next level!

INDIE AUTHOR MARKETING 101

Learn to market yourself and make real money. (presentation will be done twice for your convenience)

Developing an online presence
Gathering followers
Quit wasting time with promotions and ads that don’t work
Amazon and Bookbub paid ads
An Author’s best asset for promoting and marketing (yourself).

GOING AUDIO: THE RISE OF THE AUDIOBOOK FOR INDIE AUTHORS

J.C. Fields

Key Benefits Of Publishing Audiobooks For Indie Authors
- Publishing trends for Indie Authors
- Audiobook Trends
- How to get your book to Audible.com

Paul McSorley

Audiobooks from the Narrators Perspective (Paul)
- 90 plus titles to his credit
- The Narrator – Author connection
- It should be a performance, not a reading.

Nikki McSorley

How to get the Audiobook Industry’s Ear (Nikki)
- Adding a Creative Edge To Your Audiobook
- Marketing Strategies in the Video Age

EDITING & INDIE-PUBLISHING

While the indie world has paved the way for many successful authors, many readers and authors still view self-publishing as the writer’s last resort. If you ask around, the most common reason a reader will cite for avoiding self-published authors is quality. Quality books demand quality editing. Topics include:

You wrote The End! Now what?
Different Types of Editing
Finding the Right Editor
Show Me the Money
Expectations vs. Reality

ELEMENTS OF ROMANCE

The formula for writing a romance novel is different than any other genre. We’ll discuss:

Romance Driven Plot
Lovable Characters
Emotional Tension
Sexual Tension
Optimistic Ending