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| Roxyanne Young addresses a writing workshop group in Palm Springs. |
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WORKSHOPS FOR WRITERS
Revving Up Your Online PR Machine
By Roxyanne Young
Having a great Website is the first step, but how do you position that site to generate traffic and sales? In this workshop I talk about using online publicity tools to drive traffic to a writer's professional Website, including creating a digital presskit and an overview of Search Engine Optimization, blogging, and using streaming audio and video to maximize a site's PR potential. I'll also talk about how to set up a shopping cart and sell books and other products related to a writer's work to help generate income.
When you're ready to crank your Website into a powerful PR machine, you need to know not only what information is critical to include in your digital press kit, but how to put it all together. I will present real examples from some of the industry's top writers and explain just how to create a print-ready interview, an FAQ page, multiple images at varying resolutions (including portrait tips for truly professional-looking photos), and just what information is necessary to make a great impression on your site visitors, especially if those visitors are booking agents or people looking for speakers, book signers, or school visit presenters. This is the evolution of the very popular Online PR presentation that I have given several times in LA at the national conference of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
My own Website was chosen as one of the Top Ten Writer's Websites by Writer's Digest in October 2004. This is an award given to writers who built and maintain their own sites, so I'm very pleased with this honor. I also work closely with Kelly Milner Halls, who handles PR work for the likes of Chris Crutcher, Terry Davis, Terry Trueman, and dozens of others, including her work pioneering the whole online PR effort for Darby Creek Publishing. Her expertise in self-promotion coupled with my technical skills in site design, search engine optimization, digital image manipulation, and professional portrait photography make this a great workshop for writers who want to take charge of their own marketing efforts.
Participants will receive an action plan and a special report on how to write a press release. Also, I can give away audio CDs of an interview with Kelly on promotion.
Building Websites that Work
By Roxyanne Young
This is the presentation that has played to standing-room-only SCBWI groups in LA, Nashville, and Palm Springs. I'll explain the four critical elements of professional Websites and how writers and illustrators can present their work to its best, most professional advantage. I'll also discuss how to buy and protect a doman name and what to do if your domain name is snapped. I'll discuss how to find a good hosting company, too. (Although I'm still a silent partner in 2-Tier Software, we're not taking new clients at the moment, so this is not a sales pitch.) I have worked with over a hundred authors and illustrators in creating their professional Websites and I really enjoy giving this presentation. I'll bring examples from real writers' Websites to allow participants to draw upon a great variety of resource material as they plan their own sites.
Participants will receive a step-by-step site design action plan and a special four-page report on how to buy and protect their domain name.
Critiquing Coast to Coast
By Roxyanne Young
This is the presentation that I did with my friend and crit buddy, Candie Moonshower, a couple of years ago in Los Angeles. It's a step-by-step how-to for building and running a critique group online. Candie and I are charter members of the Story Board, which formed in February 2001 and have collectively produced many novels, picturebooks, magazine articles, puzzles, and poetry collections, many of which have been published or won writing competitions. We meet weekly on Tuesday evenings in a chat room on AOL and we participate in in-depth critiques of each other's work, plus share market news and general support and encouragement. Lately we've been doing group challenges where each member sets a goal and then reports back on a daily basis about their progress toward that goal.
Workshop participants will receive a detailed outline prescribing how they can start their own online critique group and keep it going - and growing - strong.
Writing a Non-Fiction Book Proposal
By Roxyanne Young
I interviewed Andrew Grabois at Bowker Books in Print and found out that non-fiction books make up a full two-thirds of the juvenile titles published every year, yet according to publishers, they make up roughly 25% of book submissions every year. With school and library markets required to purchase books that have curriculum tie-ins, non-fiction books are high on their wish lists. It's a great way for newer writers - myself included (my first book comes out September 1 - see note below) - to break in and get their first publishing credits, but one big hurdle stands in their way: the non-fiction book proposal.
Luckily, I had a great outline to follow that was provided by an agent friend. I've used that outline, plus interviews with other experts and my own experience to create a presentation on how to write a great non-fiction book proposal. Workshop participants will receive a detailed outline of that proposal and information on how they can adapt it to their own work.
A postscript to this is that, according to Jo Lloyd, Highlights Magazine has a chronic need for non-fiction for the very young. The workshop can easily be expanded to include proposals for non-fiction for magazines, and I'll include a market list with editorial contact information.
Game On: Entering - and Winning - Writing Competitions
By Roxyanne Young
Contests are a great way for writers to get some early recognition of their work. As administrator of the annual SmartWriters.com Write It Now! Competition, I've seen our W.I.N.NERS go on to publication, great sales, and some regional and state book awards!
I've done pretty well in some international writing competitions myself, placing third in the Writer's Digest Fiction Competition a couple of years ago with my novel, Ghosts Under 12 Stay Free, and 39th (out of thousands) last year for my picture book, Dani's Gift.
In this workshop I talk about the seven key elements of The Perfect Competition Entry, what to look for and watch out for in writing competitions, discuss fee vs. no-fee competitions, and more. I talk about what writers must do, and the critical errors that can disqualify their work before it even gets read. I presented a short version of this workshop in Palm Springs last month and it went very well.
Who, What...
My first book comes out this fall: TALES OF THE CRYPTIDS: MYSTERIOUS CREATURES WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT EXIST, as investigated by Kelly Milner Halls, Rick Spears, and Roxyanne Young (Darby Creek Publishing, September 2006). I was featured in an interview in the 2006 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market, plus I've had a few articles printed in earlier editions. I've published hundreds of interviews, articles, business profiles, and I also write training materials for Fortune 500 companies as a freelancer and regularly consult with authors and businesses about the effectiveness of their Websites.
I am Editorial Director of SmartWriters.com and SmartWritersPro.com. SmartWriters.com has been named one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer's Digest every year since we launched (2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006).
When, Where, How, etc.
I live in San Diego and am available to speak at conferences year-round to groups as small as twenty or as large as several hundred. I'm open to flying pretty much anywhere there's an interested group of writers who want to learn more about promoting themselves and their work.
I look forward to hearing from you! Please feel free to contact me using the email form on the Contact Page. Please be sure to put "Workshop" in the subject line.
Thank you!
Warmly,
Roxyanne
GROUP SIZE: 25 - 300 people
TECHNOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS: I can present using a Power Point with an LED projector and screen, or I can use an overhead projector and screen - whatever works best for your needs. Please do feel free to
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with any questions you might have.
Comments from workshop coordinators:
From Lin Oliver, co-president of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators: "The RA's can call us to sing your praises, which we're happy to do."
From Candie Moonshower, co-coordinator of SCBWI Midsouth's Annual Writing Conference: "Roxyanne's presentation was clear and easy to follow, as well as fun! Feedback from conference attendees ranked Roxy's workshop as one of the best that year for both clarity of information and the friendly tone of her presentation. Most folks were nervous about a topic that the majority knew little to nothing about. After Roxy's workshop, the consensus was unanimous--'We can do this!' I'd recommend her for any conference for her Web PR and Web design workshops."
Comments from Orange County SCBWI Editor's Day workshop attendees:
“Thanks to Roxyanne Young for a quick course in establishing a Web site and encouraging us to enter contests.”
"Your presentation was very informative and helpful. I can really use this!"
"Roxyanne is so full of information! I wish she had longer to talk."
"You make all of this technology stuff so accessible."
"I had no idea how to do any of this before your workshop. I'm taking notes back to my design guy."
The site you're viewing right now, www.RoxyanneYoung.com, was named one of the Top Ten Writer's Sites by Writer's Digest in October 2004, an award given to professional sites designed and maintained by the authors themselves to promote their work. I'm very proud of this award as I've spent the last few years working with other writers and small business owners to build and maintain their own professional Web sites.
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