Vol. XXI, No. 4 http://www.calwriterssfv.com December 2007

Local Agent Lands Writers on Oprah

By Stephany Spencer

Look out December! Our guest presenter will be literary agent, Sharlene Martin, of “Considerate literary management for the 21st Century.”

The importance of a pre-query game plan will be stressed, as will an outline of the essential elements of effective queries that will generate positive responses.

This event is bound to be barrels of fun, while still offering sound advice. You’ll walk out equipped to generate query letters that truly invite interest. And you’ll find that the sense of knowing how to do it is a sure confidence-booster for the “pitch fest” to follow this session.

Since founding Martin Literary Management in 2003, Sharlene has mounted spectacular successes for her clients, including over 60 non-fiction sales to such major publishers as Crown, Penguin, Putnam, Rodale, St. Martin’s, McGraw Hill, Ballantine, Harper Collins, – and many boutique and independent publishers. She’s boosted clients in Readers Digest, People Mag and the London Times.

Examples of her success in the industry are her client’s book, “You’ll Never Nanny in This Town Again.” It hit the New York and LA Times Best Seller lists in 2006 and was recently optioned to E!- Entertainment for development as a sitcom. And Brad Cohen’s book, “Front of the Class,” is now in development with Hallmark for a television movie.

In the past year alone, her clients have made appearances on The Today Show, Oprah, The View, Good Morning America, Martha Stewart, The Apprentice, 20/20, Discovery Channel, Inside Edition, Donny Deutsch and Fox News.

So come touch base and break bread with the Agent who might be your lucky star. And let’s all look forward to this December. □□

She will share secrets for big-time connections that could make you a star. And she really knows; one of her clients was a guest on Oprah.

Says Martin, “Crazy Queries” is sure to be the best advice you’ll ever get on what NOT to do with your writing career.” Get ready to laugh while you learn from first-hand accounts of misguided queries.

You’re guaranteed to chuckle at queries that make truth stranger than fiction. Says Martin, “Some will seem as if the writer can’t possibly be serious, and some will make you wince to think any poor soul ever thought their letter would get them an agent.”

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FAST FORWARD

By: Stephany Spencer

Coming In January…

Anthony Flacco: True Crime and Crime Fiction…

“True crime” is all about getting the story rights; choices of action and character are secondary. Crime fiction is all about getting the story right; choices of genre and style are secondary.”

Anthony, an award-winning author, orator, and actor, with a screenwriting background, frequently gives seminars on crime writing. He is a featured speaker on writing for writers’ conferences and clubs. Look for an interactive seminar, answering many commonly asked questions such as:

1- How does one handle legal matters and agreements with the person one is writing about?
2-  Do you always need to cut in the person you are writing about?
3-  Just what is a sellable idea?
4-  How do we find common ground in the True Crime/Non-Fiction market?

COMING IN FEBRUARY...

Kitty Dill: Award-winning Journalism Editor

This will be an exciting interactive seminar wherein Kitty will not only answer your questions about writing Press Releases, getting your pieces on “The Hub,” or in the Ventura County Star newspaper but will also expound on what to do when “60 Minutes” shows up at your door.

These upcoming seminars are sure hits, with something for everyone — so come enjoy, and help make our afternoon a real hit, yourself, by your own presence there.
Ciao till next time!

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California Writers Club – SFV “Serving the writers of Greater Los Angeles”