Category: Events

Seminar: Self-Publishing

Posted on by Mark Davis

Please join me for my upcoming seminar on self-publishing. The seminar is Saturday, June 25th from 2-4 PM at Good Samaritan Village, Building E, 3045 Buena Vida Circle. I will also stream the seminar via Zoom (invitation will go out to members email list a day before).

This class is designed for writers of all skill levels who have an interest self-publishing their books. The goal will be to discuss why a writer self-publishes and the skills that are be needed to do so. Next, I will survey different levels of self-publishing, from assisted services to full do-it-yourself. The primary focus of the seminar, however, will be self-publishing a book from soup to nuts, including obtaining ISBN codes, formatting a manuscript, creating cover art, ordering a sample, and sitting back and enjoying the small pleasure of success.

Topics to be covered:

  • Self-publishing versus publishing
  • Getting ready to self-publish
  • Skills and options
    • Software needs
    • Self-publishing assistance
    • Hiring and coordinating
  • Let’s self-publish
    • First steps
    • Bowker and ISBNs
    • Kindle KDP setup
      • Tax information
    • Softcover, hardcover, and digital only
    • Formatting the manuscript
    • Covers, art, templates, and finishing touches
    • Ordering a sample
  • Discussion and Q/A
  • Wrap-up
…
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LCW Meeting, June 9th 2022

Posted on by Mark Davis

Agenda for the 9 June 2022 Las Cruces Writers membership meeting

1:30 to 3:30 pm at the Creative Arts Room at Good Sam  at 3011 Buena Vida Circle.

Call to order by Bob Worthington, Acting Chair

Treasurer report: Judy Cicero

Membership report: Mark Davis

Web site/media report: Mark Davis

Education report: Bob Worthington

Need volunteer for Vice President position  Elections during July meeting

July book signing at the Mall: Charmayne Samuelson

Executive Board report: Bob Worthington

          Revised brochure/membership application

          Farmer’s Market report

          Membership in Dona Ana Arts Council

          Writing seminars for the public

          Future of LCW

Writers’ critique breakout session (for July meeting)

Other new business

Breakout session   LCW brainstorming

In July the current LCW administration will end.  On 1 August a new management team will take over.  This brainstorming session will attempt to elicit from the members what you want from LCW and what you want it to do for you.

Currently we have the executive board meet, once a month, a week before the membership meeting.  The membership meets once a month to hold a business meeting and to hold two breakout sessions (writing and marketing) and once a month we have a two-hour writing seminar.  We also host two book signings at the Mall.  Some of our writers have agreed to read any member’s work and provide feedback.  So we have a system for writers helping writers.

The brainstorming will try to assess what the members like and what they do not like.  Basically the board members want to …

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Seminar: Online Marketing and Digital Platforms

Posted on by Mark Davis

I (Mark Davis) will host a seminar on Saturday, May 28th from 2-4 PM at Good Samaritan Village, Building E, 3045 Buena Vida Circle. I will also stream the seminar via Zoom (invitation will go out to members email list a day before).

Reaching audiences and selling books online is very 21st century, but don’t expect that if you build it they will come! In this seminar, I will give an overview of online marketing approaches and the idea of a “digital platform” that is designed to assemble an audience using a variety of tools.

This class is designed for writers of all skill levels who have an interest in marketing and promoting their books online. The goal will be to survey the available channels for reaching your audience and do a few deep dives on the technical aspects of those online systems. While some of the details may be technical, the presentation will provide both a primer for those hoping to do-it-yourself and options for those looking for assistance.

This seminar dovetails with George Pintar’s planned July seminar, Branding Your Business.

Topics to be covered:

  • The idea of a “digital platform”
    • Examples of platforms
    • Hybrid models: marketing online and in person
    • Goals of platforms
    • A zoo of possibilities: Twitter, websites, Goodreads, Instagram, Facebook, oh my!
    • Models:
      • No-cost
      • Low-cost
      • High-cost
    • Measuring stuff: conversions
  • Hiring a Service vs. Do-It-Yourself
    • Trade-offs: Costs vs. Learning Curve
  • Deep dives:
    • WordPress website creation
      • Registrars and URLs
      • Services
      • Creation and editing
    • The Facebook/Instagram ecosystem
    • Twitter
…
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LCW May 12th Meeting

Posted on by Mark Davis

Thursday 12 May 2022 at Good Sam 1:30 to 3:30

Call to order by acting chair Bob Worthington

Nominating committee report by David Osterhout

Treasurer report by Judy Cicero

Education report by Bob Worthington

Membership/social media/next writing seminar report by Mark Davis

Membership awards by Bob Worthington

New Business???

Breakout sessions:

Marketing: George Pintar

Your branding voice and matching your brand to your content. Developing a brand voice for your book.

Writing: Bob Worthington and Efrem Carrasco

Those pesky little details that can ruin a book. First a writing exercise then an open discussion by Bob and Efrem on how to avoid incorrect details in your book. Details that can turn a reader off because he or she knows they are wrong. As the writer you must come across as an expert.

Meeting adjourned…

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2022 Writers’ Education Seminars

Posted on by Mark Davis

Here is the complete list of 2022 seminars. Seminars are open to all members of LCW and take place on the fourth Saturday of the month. We look forward to seeing you there!

DatePresenterTopic
JanBob WorthingtonWriting as a business
FebSusan BontlyUsing computers for research
MarBob WorthingtonHow to craft a story
AprEfrem CarrascoSelf-editing
MayMark DavisOnline marketing and digital platforms
JunMark DavisHow to self-publish
JulGeorge PintarHow to market your book
AugKaren RayHow to write a memoir
SepEfrem CarrascoHow to develop characters
OctEfrem CarrascoTips for authors
NovNo seminar (Thanksgiving)
DevNo seminar (Christmas and book signing)
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LCW Meeting, April 14th

Posted on by Mark Davis

AGENDA FOR LCW 

April 14, 2022 MEETING

MEETING START TIME 1:30

AT GOOD SAMS

REMINDER: MASKS ARE STILL REQUIRED, AND NAME TAGS PREFERRED

► Administrator Worthington will call the meeting to order.

► Membership vote on adopting By-Laws

► Tanya Dawson will present her experience of the Tucson Book Festival

► Two members will present their verbal Bio to the membership.

► Two Outstanding Service Awards will be presented.

► Bob Worthington’s Seminar Report and update.

► A call for a willingness to share expertise

► Mark Davis will provide a Website Update

► Breakout Session “Writing Tips: How writing articles sells books” led by Bob Worthington

► Breakout Session “Marketing Ideas” directed by George Pintar

► Reconvening Art Room for any additional announcements.

THE NEXT MEMBERSHIP MEETING WILL BE ON May 12, 2022, AT 1:30 AT GOOD SAMS.…

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Self-Editing for Writers Seminar

Posted on by Mark Davis

LCW’s own Efrem Carrasco will host a seminar on Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 2:00 pm – 4:00pm.

The goal of all writers is to continuously improve their writing

Before you submit your manuscript to the publisher, you want to make sure your work is concise, tight, structurally and grammatically correct, and meets the three criteria—Flow, Clarity, and Understandability.
This class is designed for writers of all skill levels who wish to advance to the next level.
Who Should Take This Class?

  • Unpublished novices who desire to become good fiction/nonfiction writers.
  • Published writers who desire to improve their writing craftsmanship.

You Will Learn:

  • The Concepts and Misconceptions of Editing and Writing
  • Proper Manuscript Format
  • Proper Formats of Writing
  • How to Write Stronger Sentences
  • Choosing the Right Words
  • Dos and Don’ts of Writing
  • Common Writer Mistakes—and how to avoid them.
  • Editing Marks

Efrem Carrasco, Instructor

Only 15 seats available.
This is a stress-free class. It’s neither a Workshop nor an English Grammar class.

REQUIREMENTS: Bring Paper and Pen—for notes and practice writing.

LOCATION: Good Sam, Building E, 3045 Buena Vida Circle

…

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