| Public: April 29 - April 30, 2006 Members: April 28 - April 30, 2006 Grand Hyatt Hotel 42nd and Grand Central Station, New York, NY
All Members Day sessions will be at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, 42nd Street at Grand Central
Conference Eve Sessions
Start your conference experience early, and get a chance to learn from and brainstorm with some of ASJA's most successful members in a small, informal group. Reserve your spot in one of these before-the-conference Thursday afternoon sessions. There are only 15 reservations available for each session, so it's first come, first served. These sessions are free, but you must be registered for Members Day on Friday to attend. To sign up or for more information, please contact the session leader. 5:45 pm-7:15 pm:
1) The Agony and the Ecstasy of the Memoir Is there such a thing as nonfiction once an event has been filtered through a writer's memory? In the fine art of memoir writing, what should come first: compelling prose, or deadly accurate facts? What toll does writing a memoir take on the author, and how can a writer prepare for this grueling task? These topics, and more, will be explored in this seminar. To enroll in this engrossing session, please contact Cathy Crimmins at cecrimmins --@-- aol.com. Cathy Crimmins is the author of the ASJA Outstanding Book Award winning memoir Where Is the Mango Princess? She is currently at work on a memoir tentatively called Sick Mommy.
2) Are You Ready for Your TV Close-Up? You've got a new book coming out, and you want to be ready for that all-important, prime-time interview. Here's help with developing your vital sound bites; how and when to deliver them; answers to difficult questions, and interviewers and how to redirect the interview. This session even offers guidelines on what to wear, and your hair! An international media trainer will use video critiquing, practice interviews and in-depth Q&As to help you get confidently ready for your spotlight moment. Email moderator Sandy Lamb, LambBast --@-- Comcast.net to reserve your spot. Session leader Sandy Lamb is author of How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything You'll Ever Write.
3) Organizing Your Office Learn how to unclutter and organize your office, so that you can spend more energy and brainpower doing what you do best. Turn chaos into order by implementing simple everyday systems and electronic organizing strategies for managing paper, files, information, and ideas. The session will be conducted by ASJA member Donna Smallin, organizing strategist and author of five best-selling books on uncluttering, organizing and simplifying your life, including The One-Minute Organizer, Organizing Plain & Simple, and Cleaning Plain & Simple. To sign up, e-mail her at donna --@-- unclutter.com. Friday, April 28, 2006
Barnes & Noble Book Fair will be in the Broadway Room all day.
Registration/Coffee
Welcome and Introduction 1. From Writer to Speaker: Turning Your Words into Engaging Presentations Edison/Winter and Garden/Atkinson Would you like to learn the inside scoop on what it takes to become a sought-after speaker who gets PAID? Three ASJA members will show you what it takes to boost your speaking career and develop your platform. Learn how to a) overcome "presentation jitters," b) get comfortable promoting yourself as a speaker, and c) develop speaking programs that align with your writing career. Speakers: Leslie Levine, Moderator, ASJA, author of three nonfictions books and speaker on topics related to her books. June Leavitt, author and lecturer from Israel. Leavitt has written several books including Storm of Terror: A Hebron Mother's Diary, as well as scholarly articles and articles in U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, and others. Gwen Moran, ASJA, says her book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Business Plans, has been instrumental in helping her land speaking engagements at business groups and writer's conferences. Daylle Deanna Schwartz, ASJA, author of books on breaking into the music industry and self-empowerment / speaker for colleges, organizations and more.
2. Success is Never an Accident
Developing a career plan isn't just a good idea, it's essential for achieving long-term success. This audience participation session will examine ways to clarify goals, unleash creativity and boost your income. Writers will share insights, ideas and experiences -- but also participate in a formal self-evaluation process that identifies core objectives and provides a roadmap for the future. Session Leader: Samuel Greengard, former president, ASJA; contributor The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing, American Way, Arrive, Business Finance, Hemispheres, Industry Week, Wired.
3. Do-It-Yourself Book Publicity
The marketing section of your book proposal can make or break the deal, while how well you promote an existing book will influence the offer you get on your next one. Whether you're at the proposal stage or your book has been out for months, you need to know how to generate ongoing, never-ending publicity. Discover some of the most effective ways to publicize your book from three pros with different backgrounds and experiences who will share their tips and secrets for success. Speakers: Sandra Beckwith, recovering publicist and author of Streetwise Complete Publicity Plans: How to Create Publicity That Will Spark Media Exposure and Excitement, teaches "Book Publicity 101: How to Create Book Buzz," an online course at www.freelancesuccess.com. Gabrielle Lichterman, author of 28 Days: What Your Cycle Reveals about Your Love Life, Moods, and Potential, has single-handedly gotten her book featured in 15 major magazines, dozens of top newspapers in the U.S. and elsewhere, and many local radio and TV stations coast-to-coast. Her hands-on publicity work has also resulted in lucrative media spokesperson assignments. Steven Van Yoder, author of Get Slightly Famous: Become a Celebrity in Your Field and Attract More Business with Less Effort. His firm, Get The Word Out Communications, provides teleclasses, workshops and service packages to help solo professionals attract more business.
4. Craft of Narrative Nonfiction
What is it that separates narrative non-fiction from the usual kind of feature-writing, or the usual service or how-to book? How can you create nonfiction that readers will turn to for the pleasure of reading, and not just what they can learn? Two authors who made the transition from daily journalism share their secrets about reporting, conception, organization, and narrative. This session aims to take the mystery out of the process. Moderator: Tim Harper, ASJA, Editor, The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing, author of Moscow Madness and ASJA-award-winning License to Steal. Speakers: Samuel Freedman, professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and former New York Times reporter. Author of the memoir Who She Was: My Search for My Mother's Life, contributor to Salon, Rolling Stone and New York magazine. Mirta Ojito, professor at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, and author of Finding Mañana: A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus, Pulitzer Prize winner for her reporting at the New York Times.
5. Digital Photography for Journalists
Photos help to sell a story . . . to your readers, as well as to your editors. In this session, learn how to use photography as an extra revenue stream when sold with articles and an additional aspect to journalistic storytelling. Session will cover how to zero in on the right photos for the article, getting editors to pay for them, working with subjects to get great photos, and delivering the photos. Speakers: Erik Sherman, ASJA, writes for magazines and also takes photographs for them. His work has appeared in such publications as Newsweek, Pages, Boston Magazine, and Chief Executive. He also does portraiture, with a specialty in authors' headshots. Daniel Grotta, ASJA, author and journalist, analyst and consultant on digital photography products and processes, and president of DigitalBenchmarks, a imaging and digital photography lab. With Sally Weiner Grotta, he conducts seminars and e-seminars on digital photography and imaging. Daniel and Sally are known as "PC Magazine's Digital Photography Gurus." Sally Wiener Grotta, ASJA, profesional photographer and writer. Recent books (co-authored with Daniel) include PC Magazine Digital SLR Photography Solutions, Shooting for Dollars: Simple Photo Techniques for Greater eBay Profits and PC Magazine Guide to Digital Photography.
6. Writing Books: Making a Living?
Can you actually make a living writing books? Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, you'll need a Plan B. Several veterans of the book authoring world -- including an agent -- will tell you their stories. They'll also spell out hard-earned tips to give you better odds of surviving the book-publishing process with your own finances intact. Come share your own thoughts and dive into the debate. Moderator: David Kohn, ASJA is a co-author, ghost writer and editor. Books in which he's had a strong hand have resulted in an American Library award, a Featured Alternate sale to a national book club, and an author's landing a solo spot on the Maury Povich Show plus an interview on National Public Radio. Fox TV adapted the format of one book and turned it into several hour-long specials. Speakers: Marilyn Allen spent 25 years working for book publishers. She has been Associate Publisher and Senior Marketing VP for HarperCollins, and also held high-level jobs at Penguin, Simon & Schuster and Avon. She and her partner in the Allen O'Shea agency now represent more than 50 authors. She is most interested in nonfiction by experts in health, cooking, business, lifestyle and pop culture. Bob Bly has written more than 65 books, including How to Get Your Book Published; The Copywriter's Handbook; Selling Your Services; Write More, Sell More and The Six-Figure Consultant. One of the most highly paid independent direct mail copywriters in the country, Bly also has spoken at numerous conferences and other professional gatherings. Cec Murphey, ASJA, has been a full-time writer since 1984. He has co-authored or ghosted 100 books. One of them, 90 Minutes Made in Heaven, currently is on its way to selling a million copies. Disney is making a movie from another of his books, I Choose to Stay. Steve Weinberg, ASJA, started his career writing for daily newspapers, switched to magazines and now writes books. Book number seven, a narrative of Ida Tarbell and John D. Rockefeller, is being edited at W.W. Norton. To pay his bills between modest book advances, Weinberg sells features and arts reviews to magazines and newspapers. He also teaches from time to time at the University of Missouri Journalism School. He is widely considered to be an investigative reporting expert.
Annual Awards Luncheon
7. Blogging for Buzz
Can a blog help promote your book, your articles or your platform? Do you just write text or do you need photos, music and video blogs? Most important, how do you build buzz for your blog? This session will answer these questions and more. Moderator: Lisa Iannucci, ASJA, author of Healthy Travel: Don't Leave Home Without It and founder of the award-winning site www.youngwidowsandwidowers.com, recently been mentioned in the Wall Street Journal. Speakers: Debbie Feit, ASJA, author-in-progress of a parent's guide to speech and language disorders; contributor, Parents, Child, American Baby, Bride's, Good Housekeeping, Delta Sky; creator www.ourspecialkids.blogspot.com Kate Lee, literary agent with International Creative Management, Inc. (ICM), represents a diversity of clients including Gawker founder Elizabeth Spiers, Instapundit Glenn Reynolds and Deadspin's Will Leitch, Shape's executive editor Denise Brodey, memoirist David Matthews, New Yorker writer Cristina Henriquez, memoirist Hana Schank and the trio behind BAR MITZVAH DISCO. Annie Logue, ASJA, author of Hedge Funds for Dummies to be published the fall, 2006. She also writes about technology, and occasionally blogs for Media Bistro's Freelancer's Tool Box, www.mbtoolbox.com Jen Singer, ASJA, creator of www.MommaSaid.net, a Forbes Best of the Web winner for parenting blogs. Featured in "Blogosphere: Best of Blogs," her "Momma Blog" is one of four blogs she maintains: two written, one photo and a video blog she calls Momma-loguesTM which was featured on CBS The Early Show. Author of 14 Hours 'Til Bedtime, her humor has appeared in Family Circle, the New York Times, Nick Jr., Parenting, Parents and Woman's Day.
8. Self-Publishing: The Why's and How's from Authors Who Have Done It and Are Glad They Did
Whether you want to publish your own book to have more control over the ultimate product, keep more of the money it will earn, or to reach a niche audience too small for traditional publishers, our panelists can help you decide whether this is the route for you. Authors who have published their own books, either from start to finish or through a print-on-demand publisher will give practical information on how to succeed at self-publishing. Moderator: Sally Wendkos Olds, former president, ASJA; author, A Balcony in Nepal (ASJA Press/iUniverse) and nine traditionally published books Speakers: Fern Reiss, CEO of www.PublishingGame.com/www.Expertizing.com; author of ten award-winning and best-selling books, mostly self-published, including the popular Publishing Game series on finding a literary agent, self-publishing, and promoting your book. John Tauranac, author of three self-published books, including The View from the 86th Floor: The Empire State Building and New York City, plus several traditionally published books
9. Finding Your Voice
Ever want to step out of the bounds of service articles? Have something you want to say in your own unique way? Want to start putting your "voice" in your work, but don't know how to give yourself the permission to do it, or don't even know where to start? And when does voice work in a piece? Come to this session to find out. Speakers Andrea King Collier, ASJA, author, Still With Me: A Daughter's Journey of Love and Loss. David Masello, senior editor, Country Living and award-winning essayist. Monica Bhide, cookbook author and freelance food writer, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Food and Wine magazine, AARP The Magazine, Washingtonian, Cooking Light magazine and the Christian Science Monitor, among others. Her books include The Spice Is Right: Easy Indian Cooking for Today and the recently published The Everything Indian Cookbook: 300 Tantalizing Recipes--From Sizzling Tandoori Chicken to Fiery Lamb Vindaloo.
ASJA Business Meeting
New Member Reception Sponsored by Clemson University Join us in welcoming and celebrating our new members in the Manhattan Ballroom |
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