2014 FWA CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS IN PICTURES

Saturday Night, October 25, 2014 the Florida Writers Association held it's 13th annual Royal Palm Literary Awards banquet at the Orlando Marriott in Lake Mary, Florida. Nearly 450 authors, agents and producers from throughout our nation attended to honor the best-of-the-best of Florida's writing talent. We are pleased to announce that "Begotten With Love: Every Family Has Its Story" received First Place in Biography - Published. Congratulations to all award winners! Great conference. Beautiful venue. Top-notch presenters. Well organized and welcoming .

Beautifully presented and easy-to-find displays
in the FWA bookstore. Shelves were
 arranged according to genre. Lots of traffic.

The days were long and began at 6am! WOW, were they packed with information. More than once, I heard attendees say they wished they could clone themselves. It was hard to select which workshop to attend.

I would suggest using the "buddy" system (if you have a friend(s) who can go to sessions that conflict with the ones you're involved in.

No matter where you are in your goal of publishing; beginner, non-published, published, there is something here for everyone.

Delicious food.
Began to think we were on a cruise ship!

It was interesting how lively the discussion became
when the topic turned to outlining. Writers are definitely
divided into two camps and both presented plausible arguments.

A lot of insight was offered by professionals in the field of cinematography during a panel discussion on transitioning from the printed word to film or television

Kudos to the FWA for beginning a Youth Writers program for 11-17 year old students. They have access to training materials and professionals as well as access to networking outlets. If you're interested in learning more about this or any of the Florida Writers Association programs, please visit their web site at www.FloridaWriters.net.











The highlight of the conference was the Saturday night Stars of Florida Writers banquet and awards ceremony. The room was packed!






FINALISTS and their guests were encouraged to wear the top hats, bow ties and tiaras. Bill and I were happy to dress the part.









What an honor and thrill it was to receive this award. Thank you to all who made this possible.

Jo Ann V. Glim is a seasoned veteran of freelance writing and author of the award winning book,  "Begotten With Love: Every Family Has Its Story."  

To learn more:
VISIT: www.BEGOTTENtheBook.com
FOLLOW/Like: on Facebook or
AVAILABLE ON: Amazon.com/author/joannglim
BOOK TRAILER on YouTube

5 WAYS TO "FIT A PITCH"

AT A WRITERS CONFERENCE

You've planned for this day . . . waited for this day; a day when you can pitch your book to a New York agent and/or a California producer. You've got ten minutes. TEN MINUTES! Are you truly prepared?

The questions you need answered depend on where you are in your writing journey. Are you pitching an idea? Is your manuscript complete? Is the book published? Do you have a marketing plan? Do you know who your audience is? This is not the time to shuffle your feet . . . know who you are! Know what you need. Know how to research to optimize your ten minutes.

You've spent a lot of time preparing your packet: synopsis, bio, platform, press release, etc., but what do you know about the person you're about to meet? I'm talking about getting to know the person, not just their client list. A little research will provide a wealth of information and help to make the most of their time and yours.

• )     VISIT THEIR WEB SITE - If their penchant is sci-fi and yours 1890 cookbooks, keep looking for a better connection. This should be a positive experience for both of you. 

• )     CHECK WHAT THEY POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA - Do you have other interests in common? Mutual acquaintences?

• )     READ THEIR BLOG - This may help you gain insight as to what they expect from the people they counsel. It may help you prepare a packet of information for them in the format they want and need. You may also find some of the questions you'd planned on asking are answered in their blog posts. What a plus to raise your level of questioning a notch. Let them know that what they wrote was a help.

• )     STUDY INTERVIEWS AND ARTICLES FROM OTHER SOURCES - This is a fly on the wall moment. You may find connections you never knew you had. Maybe attended the same school? Lived in a neighboring town. Have a passion for yoga. Your potential mentor may have also shared pet peeves with the interviewer. What a plus to know not to chew gum or wear the color purple.

• )     THE BIG TEN MOMENT - Have your packet prepared to offer (at the end of your meeting). In your mind, have the list of questions you'd like answered (in order of importance). No more than five -- but only present three. Begin with a smile and a sentence that begins something like this . . . "Say, I read in your blog that you . . ." And end with, "Me, too!" Isn't it nice to connect as kindred spirits and let the conversation flow from there?

Enjoy this experience and best wishes for a positive outcome!

Jo Ann V. Glim is a seasoned veteran of freelance writing and author of the book "Begotten With Love."  

To learn more:
VISIT: www.BEGOTTENtheBook.com
FOLLOW/Like: on Facebook or
AVAILABLE ON: Amazon.com/author/joannglim
BOOK TRAILER on YouTube

SEMINARS / CONFERENCES -- PLAN AHEAD

Whether you're a seasoned pro or newbie when it comes to attending conferences, there's an element of excitement and trepidation. Surroundings are unfamiliar and living out of a suitcase is not easy but the prospect of meeting new people and learning new techniques or just plain brain storming is a heady elixir.

Eric Sheridan Wyatt host of the podcast "More Stories" www.WordsMatteresw.com/podcast offers sound advice in the nearly thirty minute show, Conquering the Conference with Confidence. If you'd like to listen to the program, click the link above and under "search" type in episode 6.

Listening to this episode made me evaluate the importance of planning ahead . . . especially for a writers conference. How often do you have an opportunity to meet people who can help you promote your career? The podcast covers the conference itself but I'd like to add 5 points for preparation before you leave home:

#5 - Prepare your elevator speech. If you're new to pitching your idea or manuscript or book, consider how you would describe your story in 15 seconds. Give those listening some meat, give them some flavor, and leave them hungry for more. If you've used your spiel for a while, tape record it, practice it in front of a mirror and make sure it doesn't sound tired and trite. Enthusiasm begins with the storyteller.

#4 - If you've not already printed business cards, this is the time to do it. Make sure it has all your contact information including your social media and web site addresses. Choose fonts that are easy to read and don't place information too close to the bottom edge. People who use a Rolodex will lose part of your information when they file it away.

#3 - If you'll be displaying your book, ask if a skirt will accompany the table. Bring your own, just in case. Ask how many other writers will be sharing the same table. Space is limited so make your presentation count. Prepare a table top poster to attract readers to take a closer look. Think through what else will make your book "Pop." Do you have a marketing budget? Consider giveaways for those stopping to visit you. Sales begin with merchandising.

#2 - Consciously think about what you're going to wear. You want to be comfortable. You want to be warm (bring a sweater or jacket). You want to look professional. If you plan to dress in costume, make sure it represents your story. This is your chance to shine.

#1 - As Eric says in his podcast, plan ahead. Choose two courses of action for the breakout sessions. Leave plenty of time to network. Enjoy the meals and entertainment. I would add to it: Take a minute before going to bed to review what you did during the day and organize for the following day. Also, take plenty of pictures. Be sure to document who is in them. If they are new friends, be sure to get the proper spelling of their names. I always consider it a nice thank you when someone sends a picture through facebook and mentions where we were and what we were doing.

Speaking of doing . . . I'll be at the Florida Writers Association Conference in Orlando October 23rd to the 26th at the Lake Mary Marriott. I have a book signing on Saturday, October 25th at 10:30am (Table 2). You still have time to sign up and attend! I hope to see you there.

Jo Ann V. Glim is a seasoned veteran of freelance writing and author of the book "Begotten With Love."  

To learn more:

VISIT: www.BEGOTTENtheBook.com
FOLLOW/Like: on Facebook or
AVAILABLE ON: Amazon.com/author/joannglim
BOOK TRAILER on You

FACING SELF DOUBT

For the past couple of weeks, I feel like I've been standing in the eye of a hurricane; calm and clear-eyed while the world swirls around me. I have no reason for a sense of malaise. No illness. No drama. No lurking doom. With the exception of never-ending rain in Florida, it's actually been (metaphorically speaking) nothing but clear skies and beautiful sunsets.

Wonderful things are happening in regards to the book, such as being a featured author in both www.bookreadermagazine.com and www.bookworks.com (if you'd like to read the items, just type in my name and it should call up the articles).

A couple more weeks and we'll be at the Florida Writers Conference in Orlando and we'll find out if Begotten With Love moved further up in the standings. Even if it doesn't advance any further than it is right now, being a FINALIST in the Royal Palm Literary Awards is exciting and something to crow about.

I'm looking forward to the conference: excellent topics Thursday through Sunday, individual book signing Saturday morning, and awards dinner Saturday night. But I can't seem to allow myself to enjoy the possibility that I may have won . . . !

Which makes me wonder aloud: As writers, do we become so used to rejection slips that we do not know how to enjoy the dream of being a winner? Are we so used to hawking our wares at 99 cent sales or trumpeting free days that we forget all the years of work and dollars spent to offer a quality product for the reader? Do we begin to equate these pennies with our self worth? It's not only possible but probable . . . and fortunately, for most of us, a fleeting moment of self doubt.

Am I excited to be a FINALIST? You betcha! Do I think I will win? As with all the finalists, I have a chance. Will I win? I don't know. But until the day it's announced, I can dream.

I hope all of you will dream big as you finish your novel or shop it around. Work hard and reach for your goals. Set them high. Celebrate when you accomplish even a portion of what you've planned and as our GPS tells us when we take a wrong turn (if need be) -- recalculate.

Jo Ann V. Glim is a seasoned veteran of freelance writing and author of the book "Begotten With Love."  To learn more:

VISIT: www.BEGOTTENtheBook.com
FOLLOW/Like: on Facebook or
AVAILABLE ON: Amazon.com/author/joannglim
BOOK TRAILER on YouTube