For those attendees who live across the country…get your writing group together and come by Amtrak!  What a way to get to the Reno station. 

If you want to combine your family vacation and still attend the conference, why not bring the family and let them plan their own agenda while you are at the conference during the day.  There are so many wonderful places to stay, things to do, to see, outdoor sports, great restaurants and gasp…even gambling on the Nevada side and at lake level.

I’m still working on a list of hotels near the conference site.  However, if you don’t have a travel agent try www.orbitz.com, www.expedia.com, www.BookingBuddy.com, www.tripadvisor.com, www.hotwire.com or any other .com that will help you plan a vacation. 

The Lake Tahoe Writers Conference has joined the North Shore Chamber of Commerce.  An organization that helps promote businesses on the north shore.  www.GoTahoeNorth.com.  In the next newsletters I’m hoping to focus on some of these businesses.

If you haven’t had a chance to read Tahoe Quarterly visit the magazine on line at www.tahoequarterly.com.  Tahoe Quarterly is more than a lifestyle magazine.  Tahoe Quarterly is also a sponsor of the Lake Tahoe Writers Conference. Visit their sister sites…www.festivalsoftahoe.com, wwwlhomeseekerstahoe.com, www.LTtraveler.com and www.tqtv.tv.  All of these will give you a glimpse into the Tahoe area.

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As I mentioned in the last newsletter, even if you sell your project to a top-notch publisher you will still have to get out there and sell that book, and usually at your own expense.  The first step to getting published is to learn to write…not for yourself, but for a reader.  If you are a self published author or plan to be one, you will have to do it all.  And believe me there are vultures just waiting to get their claws into unsuspecting novice writers.  Everything from “let me do the marketing for you”…at a whopping price.  Or, the latest I’ve seen is a person guaranteeing to get your name and book out in a newsletter…for a nice fee of course.  My first question would be who does this newsletter go to? The two above mentioned are just the beginning.  And guess what?  You can do all this on your own without spending the family savings.  The key here, just as it is in marketing your project…is to know who your readers are.  How can you reach them?  How do you even start?

Meet the Niche Marketing panel:

www.dallasdoc.net

David Carlton, D.V.M, holds a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M University.  He has owned and operated veterinary hospitals for both large and small animals since 1976 and currently practices in Dallas, Texas at the Bent Trail Animal Clinic.  He has competed in many equine events with champion Arabians and Quarter Horses.

David’s non-fiction books include, Dallas Doc, All the City & Country Critters in the Life of a Texas-style Vet, Texas Doc, More Critter Stories in the Life of a Town ‘n Country Vet, Hey, Doc, The Wonder of Animals from the Life-Stories of a Texas Vet. 

David Carlton and Karen Newcomb have 2 novels, Texas Pride and Home Again to Texas Roots, with a third in the works.

Here is a true niche marketing specialist.  David has his vet practice, gives speeches and entertains, but has still established himself at specialized venues where his books sell out.  David will have his books for sale at the conference.  You can pre-order his books by going to his web site.  Be sure to let him know you will be at the conference.

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www.kennethramirez.biz

Kenneth Ramirez started writing YA fantasy for his children.  “My YA novels have become a means for me to time capsule the personalities of my children, their friends, and my students.”

Ken has been a high school science teacher for twenty five years, which has provided him with a wide array of colorful characters, but has also allowed him to see through the eyes of the child where he has been able to view their interests, hopes and fears concerning themselves and the world around them.

Ken has a very interesting background himself!  You’ll have to ask him about his degree in Abalone farming.  Even though Ken is self published, he has the personality to draw people to his table or booth where ever he signs books.  His trip through the publishing world and back again never deterred him from believing in his books.  Today, his sales continue to climb.  One tip…he scheduled a book signing at a local Barnes & Noble the night Harry Potter came out.  Wow, hundreds of kids wanting the Harry Potter book!  That night they came out with Harry Potter and Naida’s Quest.

Ken will have his books at the conference.  You can pre-order by going to his web site.  Be sure to tell him you are attending the conference. 

Ken’s books are:  Valley of the Raven, The Naida’s Quest Trilogy, Naida’s Quest, Gift of the Ancient Grove, Beyond the Red Mountains, The Hidden forest

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www.chrisenss.com

Chris Enss is an award-winning screen writer who has written for television, short subject and feature films, and worked as a standup comedian, and stunt woman in the movies.  After writing fill-ins for dead air time on a small Sierra Nevada foothill community radio station, she and her air partner had enough material to write a book.  At first they focused on woman of the old west.  Chris has since gone on to write numerous books by herself.  She co-authored with film producer Howard Kazanjian to write The Cowboy and The Senorita, Happy Trails, books about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and The Young Duke, the story of the young John Wayne.

Chris’ video An Ounce Short, examines the career of the old west’s worst entertainer, and is the funniest thing I’ve seen. 

Her books are with a mainstream publisher, but even Chris admits that without going out and selling her books herself, there may never have been a second or third book.  Chris found sources to place her books that even surprised her.

Chris’ books will be available at the conference.

Her books are:  A Beautiful Mine, Women Prospectors of the Old West, Alice Wilde: The Raftsman’s Daughter, a reprint of the Classic Beadle Dime novel, Buffalo Gals, Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, Gilded Girls, Women entertainers of the old west, Happy Trails, A pictorial celebration of the life and times of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Hearts West, True stories of mail-order brides on the frontier, How the West Was Worn, Bustles and buckskins on the wild frontier, Love Untamed, Romances of the old west, Myra, The Child of Adoption, a reprint of the Classic Beadie Dime novel, Outlaw Tales of California, True stories of the Golden State’s most infamous crooks, culprits, and cutthroats, Pistol Packin’ Madams, True stories of notorious women of the old west, Playing for Time, The death row all stars, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, women soldiers and patriots of the western frontier, Tales Behind the tombstones, The deaths and burials of the old west’s most nefarious outlaws, notorious women and celebrated lawmen, The Cowboy and the Senorita, a biography of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, The Doctor Wore Petticoats, Women physicians of the old west, The Lady Was a Gambler, True stories of notorious women of the old west, The Prairie Bride; or, the Squatter’s Truimph, A reprint of the Classic Beadle Dime novel, The Young Duke, The early life of John Wayne, and With Great Hope, Women of the California Gold Rush. 

You can bet that by conference time there will be more books to Chris’ credit!

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Bob Tanem (no photo available) is another great promoter of his garden books.  He has his own radio show at KSFO radio in San Francisco, Tanem in the Garden is in its eleventh year.  His garden show has won the Garden Writers Association of America award of excellence nationwide for “on air talent”.  He has been honored with this award three times in the past five years.  You can listen to his show live on the web at www.ksfo560.com Sunday mornings from 7-10am, PST. 

Bob had been in the nursery business for 40 years and has logged over 20 years of air time as a broadcaster.

Bob has written 5 gardening books, Annuals for Northern California, Perennials for Northern California, Trees and Shrubs for Northern California and Gardening Month by Month in Northern California.  The first two books are now in their 2^nd printing.  His 1993 Deer Resistant Planting was self published but is still a hot seller.  Anyone living in deer country can use Bob’s advice. 

Currently Bob and his wife Bev are researching for a book on the historical gardens of the California missions.  He also writes a quarterly garden newsletter called Garden Previews.  Bob and Bev live in Novato, California.

Bob’s web site has a lot more to offer than just his garden books:  www.bobtanem.com

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Screenwriting

 
www.Cre8ascript.com

Madeline DiMaggio will be heading two workshops, Writing Screenplays and Pitching.  Madeline has sold over forty hours of television and film.  Her scripts include prime-time sitcoms, one hour dramas, TV pilots (both half-hour and one-hour), soaps, animation, Movie of the Week, cable movies and feature films.  She co-wrote the feature film If the Shoe Fits starring Rob Lowe and Jennifer Grey with Pamela Wallace (Academy Award Witness),  they also co-wrote, the M.O.W. Alibi, starring Tori Spelling, the book to film feature, Catherine Called Birdy, and the screenplay Murder with Privilege, a true crime, to Showtime. 

Currently at Honest Engine films, Madeline produced the feature Surviving Eden, starring Peter Dinklage, Jayne Lynch, Sheri Oteri, and Michael Payne, and the documentaries Stir it Up and Humble Beauty.  Honest Engine currently has numerous projects in development.

Madeline presents workshops throughout the U.S., in Europe and Singapore.  She was voted the members Choice Award for Best Screenwriting Seminar and the members Choice Award for Best Script Consultant by the National Screenwriters Forum.

Madeline doesn’t stop with screenwriting.  She has two books, Writing for Television, Simon and Schuster, 2008 and Everything Screenwriting Book, Adams Media, 2007.

Madeline is available for script consulting and can be contacted at www.Cre8ascript.com.  Be sure to tell her if you have signed up for the conference.

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Next month you’ll meet the authors from the panel Is There a Book From Your Professional Career?

☼☼☼

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