Our First Agent Conference a Success!

With 10 attendees serious about moving their books forward to traditional publishing, agent Jeanie Loiacono interviewed most of the participants and explained how to work with an agent. 

Dr Tom Hutton explained how one pursues publishing with a University Press.

Eva Pohler laid out a path for successful self-promotion of your book.

This program was organized and driven from beginning to end by Mara Fox Moretti.  Thanks to Sally Clark, Linda Blalock, Andy Ybarra, Rick Moretti, Tom and Trudy Hutton, and Robert Deming for their hard work in making this happen. Also, the seed money for this event was provided by the Pedernales Creative Arts Alliance, who bring us Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg each year.

Conference Meets March 1st 6-8 PM

We will meet at the Hill Country University Center from 6-8 PM on Thursday, March 1st, to have a panel discussion about writing a weekly column or blog.  Lead on the panel will be the inimitable Phil Houseal, columnist for the Fredericksburg Standard Radio Post.  Find out about paid writing opportunities available locally as well as how to make your personal blog better.

We have plans for an Agent's Conference in the Fall, and we will update you on the program we are putting together.  We have also created a for-real organization on paper for this purpose.

Mara Fox Moretti

Meeting Set for September 28, 2017, 6 PM

We have a meeting set for 6 to 7:30 PM on Thursday, September 28 at the Hill Country University Center.  Our speaker will be Walter Gragg, whose thriller The Red Line has just been published by Berkley.

Walter will have copies of his novel for sale, and encourages you to read a copy in advance.  The book is available on Amazon and Kindle, and as an audiobook.

Editors

. Someone at the FBG Writers Group’s last meeting asked for editor resources. I was looking for something else today and found this: 

http://www.the-efa.org/

It looks like a good place for someone to search for an editor. There is a place for a a writer to list a job. 

There is also PEN—Professional Editors Network, where writers can find editors: 

http://www.pensite.org/find_editor.html

Finally, there is a directory published by Elizabeth Lyon titled National Directory of Editors & Writers for Hire, available in paperback and e-book. It was originally published in 2005, and I used to have a copy but cannot find it. I think I must have given it away. People can still buy it, however. 

Maybe you could put this on the blog for people who want to start their search? 

Thanks!

Barbara

Writers League of Texas Agent and Editor Conference Registration Opens

Conference members:

We just opened Early Members-Only Registration at our lowest of low rate: $ 379.00 (includes full conference registration and  a one-on-one consultation with a literary agent or editor). This early registration is open until January 2 and the deal is that you have to be a member of the Writers League.

That means  that your constituents would have time to (1) join the Writers League of Texas for $45 and then (2) register for the June A&E Conference at the Early Rate.

Join the Writers League at  http://www.writersleague.org/Join

Then register for the Conference at http://www.writersleague.org/calendar/2017ConferenceEarlyBird

~ Marc Hess

New Short Story Contest and Other News

Old Oak at Fort Martin Scott

I wanted to announce our 2017 Short Story Contest at the last Conference meeting, but we were having such a good time that I forgot.

Our Spring Contest will look much like the last one - maximum of 1200 words, previously unpublished, suitable for publication in a community newspaper. The theme is "New Beginnings; Spring in the Texas Hill Country."  The entry fee will be $20, every penny of which will go into our cash box, which we are building up to hold our own agent/editor conference.

Submissions can be electronic this year, preferably in a Word or PDF document.  Instead of putting your name on the story itself, as we want the judging to be blind, lets come up with a number - I am thinking that the last four numbers of your SSN would work, or the month/day of your birth (0515 for me).  Any other ideas?  I will put the stories into a dropbox for the judges to access.  You can pay the entry fee by mail or bringing it to a meeting or to us at PO Box 2402, Fredericksburg, TX 78624.  Submit entries to fbgwriters@gmail.com with that number in the subject line.  Hold off on sending your stories until we get these details worked out, and I look forward to hearing your opinion on how to track these.

Judging will be done by a panel yet to be selected.  If you would like to judge, let us know.  Some of last year's judges want to submit stories so they won't be judges.

If you have program ideas send them my way!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, our own Victoria Rust has published another novel, just in time for Christmas: The Taste of Fear, a sequel to The Feel of Silk, "Please consider this novel or with its companion for your friends who enjoy suspense and romance. Claudia and Joe are in trouble once again. This will be a five book series. So I will soon begin on the third, The Sound of Silence.  If you enjoy the novel, please write a comment on line suggesting it to others. Thanks for all your support." Victoria.

I am writing (and getting paid for it!) for a blog/Facebook page "Texas Hill Country.com". The story on the front page about Fredericksburg street signs is one of mine; the others can be seen by clicking on my name on the byline. I was thinking this would be an interesting part of one of our short programs and would like to know if anyone else in our group is doing something like this.  I know many of us blog - send me a link and I'll pass it to our membership.  If we did a program on blogging, who would be a good presenter?  The Fbg Convention and Visitors Bureau has professionals who do Facebook and blog for them, perhaps one of them would be a good program.

Johnnie Bernhard at KACC - Now's Your Chance