Self-Publishing 101

An extensive workshop on what writers and non-writers need to know to successfully take their book projects from an idea to a finished book.

In this workshop, self-published author, Jeffrey J. Antonucci, will take participants through the entire self-publishing process and help writers discover their options when taking this popular publishing route. Author Antonucci will share his self-publishing story and provide practical advice on how to navigate this publishing path based on his experience writing his novel Deep Within a Blueberry Sky.

Freelance publishing professional Lindsey N. Mach will also offer insight into the self-publishing process, strategies for how writers can build an author platform, and marketing and publicity tips for self-published authors. This workshop is intended for writers of all experience levels and genres and will include time for Q&A. 

1.5 hours/Tickets $40.

Writing with the Senses

Just as in life, the five senses are our window into the world of our narrative and key to creating visceral experiences on the page.  In this interactive workshop, you will learn to go beyond simple physical description and explore how to apply all five senses – sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste – to your writing. No matter your literary genre, this workshop will teach you to open up your sensory awareness to lend texture, color, vibrance, and dimension to your writing.

Taught by Judith Lindbergh, founder/director of The Writers Circle (www.writerscircleworkshops.com) and author of historical novels including The Thrall's Tale, about women in Viking Age Greenland.

1.5 hours/Tickets $40. 

The Book Doctors – Locating, Luring & Landing the Right Agent For You (and/or when to forgo an agent altogether)

It’s harder to find a great agent than it is to write a great book.  With the publishing world turned upside down, unless your name is Michelle Obama, the odds of getting an agent are against you. David Henry Sterry & Arielle Eckstut, a professional agent hunter and an agent that has been hunted, will give you the insider skinny from both writer and agent perspectives. This nuts-and-bolts master class will teach you:

• How to research and put together the right agent list 
• How to write a query letter that will get a response
• How to approach and pitch agents in person
• How to gently but persistently follow up 
• How to get multiple agents fighting to represent you
• What questions to ask a prospective agent
• How to choose which agent is the right one for you
• When to abandon (or not even start) your agent search and go straight to publishers or self-publish

3 hours/Tickets $100, including a copy of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published.

Arielle Eckstut has been a literary agent for over 25 years at The  Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency. She is the author of ten books and the co-founder of the iconic brand, LittleMissMatched. David Henry Sterry is the best-selling author of 16 books.

Next For Takeoff: Turn Your Love of Travel into Unforgettable Stories 

Want to learn the secret to memorable travel writing? Whether your last trip was to South Jersey or South Africa, this workshop will help you to turn your personal travels into fascinating, and marketable, tales. Learn to deep dive into a destination to uncover the most interesting angles, get off the beaten path to discover golden writing moments, and even turn your family vacation memories into sellable stories.

Taught by travel expert and writer Melissa Klurman, a former book editor at both Fodor’s and Frommer’s travel guides, a Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Award Winner for her work on Fodor’s Caribbean guidebook, and the editor of Frommer's 2020 Orlando/Walt Disney World Guidebook. 

1.5 hours/Tickets $40. 

The Ultimate Book Marketing Workshop: Get Your Books Noticed & Increase Sales in 90 minutes  

When authors ask, "Do I really need to market my book?" There's only one answer: "Only if you want to sell it."

This workshop is designed for all authors, indie or trade, introvert or extrovert, fiction or non-fiction. Learn actionable marketing strategies you can execute the minute the workshop is over. We will cover what to do and how to do it. There's nothing more empowering than becoming a savvy book marketer and having a hand in increasing your books' sales. Instead of thinking of marketing as a negative, grab ahold of the power you have, and get your book noticed!

Taught by Eva Natiello, an NJ author and self-publishing and book marketing consultant, whose self-published psychological thriller, The Memory Box, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller and has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide. 

1.5 hours/Tickets $40.

Structuring the Novel

For those actively engaged in working on a novel, as well as for those who have not yet begun writing, this workshop will cover ways of outlining and structuring a novel-length manuscript. Items to be addressed will include:

Basic structures—including the Aristotelian model; Beginnings, Middles, and Ends; Other more experimental structures: circular, flatline (horizontal), reverse, etc.; Using character as the basis for plot. What does the main character want? What are the obstacles? How does he/she change?; Use of subplots; Use of Point of View: single, multiple, experimental; Use of Time and how to frame the narrative; Progressing scene by scene and arranging the arc of the narrative; and Editing and revising.

Taught by Philip Cioffari, a novelist, short story writer, filmmaker, playwright and Professor of English at William Paterson University. 

1.5 hours/Tickets $40. 

Sex and the Memoir: How To Write About Sexual Intimacy Without Making Your Reader Cringe and/or Horrifying Friends and Family

The strongest memoirs are those that bring the reader in close, creating a sense of intimacy with personal disclosure that can range from the good to the embarrassing to the horrific. And this includes what happens beneath the sheets. With the stigma that remains attached to conversations around sexuality, it can be scary to approach sex in our memoirs. In this session, Steph Auteri shares her own experience writing about sex, talks about the stigma surrounding it, explores how it can serve the narrative (or not), and lays out some rules for good and bad sex writing.

Taught by Steph Auteri, a writer and editor who has written about women's health and sexuality for the Atlantic, VICE, Pacific Standard, the Washington Post, Rewire.News, and other publications. 

1.5 hours/Tickets $40.

Closing Event: Bill Moyers in Conversation with Paul Krugman

For our final event of 2020, we are thrilled to welcome New York Times columnist, best-selling author, and Nobel prize–winning economist Paul Krugman to Montclair to discuss his latest book. In Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future, Krugman tackles many of the misunderstandings of basic economics, or 'zombie economics', taking stock of where the United States has come from and where it’s headed.

The book puts Krugman at the front of the debate in the 2020 election year and is an indispensable guide to two decades’ worth of political and economic discourse in the United States and around the globe. Join Paul Krugman for a guided tour of the greatest economic policy issues of our time, moderated by renowned journalist, political commentator, and former White House Press Secretary, Bill Moyers. 

Tickets: $40, including a copy of Arguing with Zombies. 

Venue: The Sanctuary at First Congregational Church