Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
january 21 - Get Ready To Publish: Selecting The Right Editor for Your Writing Project
Lila LaBine & Eva Barrows
Your independent editor partner can provide the invaluable feedback needed to revise and put the final polish on your manuscript. Whether taking the traditional publishing route or striking out on your own self-publishing journey, working with a professional editor is essential. In this presentation, you’ll learn about the different types of editing professionals, how to determine which type suits your needs, and what an ideal editor/author partnership entails.
Lila LaBine is a novel and screenplay editor. She started her editorial business, LaBine Editorial (lilalabine.com), in 2020 and earned a Specialized Certificate in Copyediting from UC San Diego’s Extended Studies program in 2021. Lila specializes in paragraph- and sentence level editing of upmarket and commercial fiction, especially women’s fiction, romance, suspense, and thrillers. She also edits and proofreads screenplays and creates courses for newer writers. She’s dedicated to helping writers feel confident in their work and providing a safe space for them to get feedback and encouragement.
Eva Barrows (evabarrows.com) is a developmental editor and book writing coach based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has edited a variety of non fiction and fiction book projects spanning self-development, memoirs, and historical fiction. Eva enjoys mapping the story arc, identifying plot holes, coming up with solutions, suggesting character development fixes, and filling in sensory details. In 2007, she founded Imitation Fruit Literary Journal (imitationfruit.com) as a way to work with short story writers, poets, and artists on fun and upbeat content. She holds a BA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and is writing a historical fiction novel set during the dawn of silent film Westerns in Niles, California.
february 18 - What Writers Need to know about traditional publishing and working with agents and in-house editors
Georgia Hughes
Long-time publishing professional Georgia Hughes, editorial director at New World Library, will talk about the pros of working with traditional agents and publishers, and what is different now that self-publishing is easier than ever. She will offer guidance and tips on contacting agents and editors, and how to present your work to them. We'll discuss the trends and patterns we're seeing in publishing, including what publishers are looking for; what will be expected of you as an author; contracts; how editing, production, and marketing work in today’s publishing world, and answer questions you have about the process.
Georgia A. Hughes is editorial director at New World Library, where she acquires and edits nonfiction books in the areas of spirituality, personal growth, sustainable business, relationships, health and well-being, animals, and women’s issues. New World Library, publisher of the bestselling The Power of Now and other award-winning books, strives to publish books that help readers change their lives and the world, and aims for diversity and inclusion. Georgia has also worked as a bookseller, freelance editor, and for Harper Collins. Recent acquisitions include Writing That Gets Noticed by Estelle Erasmus, Talking on Eggshells by Sam Horn, Hagitude by Sharon Blackie, The Autistic’s Guide to Self-Discovery by Sol Smith, Career Wounds by Mandy Tang, and Stories Sell by Matthew Dicks. www.newworldlibrary.com
March 18 - topic to be announced
John Straley is the author of thirteen previous crime novels, including the Cecil Younger Investigations and the Cold Storage novels, two series both set in Alaska. John has won a Shamus Award and a Spotted Owl. His books have been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and on Fresh Air with Terry Gross. He has worked professionally as a wilderness guide, a horseshoer, and for thirty years as a private investigator in Alaska.
John Straley graduated from the Browning School for Boys in New York City in 1971. On his way to earning degrees in literature from the University of Washington, John worked summers in the wilderness of north central Washington State as a wrangler, horseshoer, mill worker and trail crew foreman.
John married Janice (Morrison) Straley - now a prominent marine biologist - and her work took them to Sitka, Alaska where John became a private investigator and wrote The Woman Who Married a Bear, the first in the Cecil Younger series, published in 1992. In the years since, John continued the Cecil Younger series, has written four books in the Cold Storage, Alaska series, and has published five books of poetry. He won the best first mystery Shamus award and the Spotted Owl award for the best northwest mystery, was appointed Writer Laureate of Alaska in 2006, and was awarded an honorary PhD from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.
In 2017, John retired from the Alaska Public Defender Agency. In October 2022, he and Jan moved to Carmel, California, to be closer to family. After more than 40 years in Sitka, John remains an Alaskan at heart.
april 15 - he said, she said
Wendelin Van Draanen and Mark Parsons
Married writers Wendelin Van Draanen and Mark Parsons will discuss and take questions on the writing process; how to stay creative while dealing with real life (jobs, children, dogs, drums…); the revison process; dealing with agents, editors, and Big-5 publishers; foreign rights; the book-to-movie experience, and how to share an office without (too much) bloodshed! Come with questions! Expect arguments!
Wendelin Van Draanen is the international-award-winning, bestselling author of over 30 books (all with Knopf/Random House) including Flipped (which was made into a Warner Bros. feature film, directed by Rob Reiner), The Running Dream, the Sammy Keyes mystery series, and her nonfiction book for writers, Hope In The Mail—Reflections on Writing and Life. Her new novel, The Peach Rebellion, is historical fiction set in California’s Central Valley circa 1947 and is becoming a popular women’s book club selection.
Mark Parsons is a longtime nonfiction writer who’d authored over 200 articles for national publications and a pair of nonfiction books when he transitioned to writing fiction. His first YA novel, Road Rash (Knopf/Random House) was named to the ALA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list, and his new novel, The 9:09 Project (Delacorte/Random House) has received critical acclaim, including a starred review from Kirkus which calls it “…wryly funny, extremely intelligent, and sweetly romantic.”
eVENT vENUE
cENTRAL COAST WRITERS Monthly meeting
We meet in the evening on the third Tuesday of the month at the Center for Spiritual Awakening located at
522 Central Ave., Pacific Grove, CA (next to the PG Library). Doors open at 5:30 PM, and the meeting starts at 6:15 PM.
522 Central Avenue, Pacific Grove, California 93950, United States
