Jan. 13 Speaker Melanie Rigney

Capital Christian Writers Presents:

Melanie Rigney

Jan. 13, 2014

“Find Your Readers Where They Live”

Looking for a home for your article, short story, devotional, or book-length work? Whether you’re going the traditional route or self/e-publishing, it’s more important than ever to know who your audience is… and where they live: Pinterest? Instagram? Flickr? Facebook? Twitter? YouTube? A website? A particular print publication? A professional organization or hobbyist group?

In this interactive session, author and former Writer’s Digest Editor Melanie Rigney will share some tips on identifying your target audience.

Then it’s your turn!

Bring a one-paragraph synopsis of the work you’re trying to sell and who you think the target audience is, and we’ll all brainstorm on where they congregate!

Learn more about Melanie at www.editorforyou.com and www.melanierigney.com. Sisterhood of the Saints, her daily devotional book, is available now. 

Meet and Greet, Monday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m.

Join fellow CCW members and friends for some fellowship on Monday, Oct. 14, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Panera Bread in the heart of Fairfax City (just a block from Truro at 3955 Chain Bridge Rd, Fairfax, VA 22030. Parking is free in the garage next to the complex, which also has the Wine House, Bollywood Bistro and Potbelly's).

Come share what you're working on, talk shop and generally have fun! We'll try to snag the long table, so if you get there first and see it empty, please reserve it for us!

Hope to see you there!

Author Ronie Kendig, November 2013 Speaker

Monday, November 11, 2013

Author Ronie Kendig

“Rapid-Fire Your Fiction”

Nothing can kill a story faster than pacing. Discover some practical tips and techniques to find a solid balance within your story to maintain reader interest and “page-turning” fervor! Kendig has won numerous writing awards, including the 2012 Christy Award, 2013 Holt Medallion, 2013 Selah Award, and 2011 Readers’ Choice Award from Christian Retailing. She loves engaging readers through her critically acclaimed Rapid-Fire Fiction novels.

Ronie can be found at www.roniekendig.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction ), Twitter (@roniekendig), and Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/RonieK).


Capital Christian Writers meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on the second Monday of odd-numbered months, year-round, in Gunnell House on the grounds of Truro Church, 10520 Main St., Fairfax, Va.

Sept. 9 Meeting--Create Your Own Blog Night

Kirk Nelson, “The Pixel Pro”

Create Your Own Blog Night!

Monday, Sep. 9

Want to add a blog to your website but weren’t sure how? Here’s your chance. Bring your laptop, use Wifi, and actually create a blog the night of our meeting, or take notes from the demonstration and follow through at home.

Kirk views his speaking engagements more like demonstrations. He involves the audience with realistic demonstrations that are friendly, casual, and fun filled. He also makes a special effort to cover a significant area of knowledge so that everyone will still learn something new whether beginner or advanced users. Join us for this hands-on night! :earn more about Kirk at http://thepixelpro.com/about/.

Capital Christian Writers meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on the second Monday of odd-numbered months, year-round, in Gunnell House on the grounds of Truro Church, 10520 Main St., Fairfax, Va.
 

E-Books Fuel Growth in Trade Publishing: BookStats

Fueled by a year of strong new releases and even more widespread popularity of e-books, BookStats reports that trade publishing (adult and juvenile fiction and nonfiction, and religion) experienced significant growth in calendar year 2012. While the US book industry remained relatively flat overall in 2012 at $27.1 billion, the trade sector grew significantly from $14.08 billion to $15.049 billion. This growth occurred despite the loss of numerous brick-and-mortar stores and a lower cost for e-books than print books, which translated to higher quantities of e-books sold. The consistent growth of e-books demonstrates that publishers have successfully evolved the technology environment for their content -- more so than other historically print-based content industries. E-books grew 45% since 2011 and now constitute 20% of the trade market.

From ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) reporting on the BookStats findings

Master Plot Outline With John Jenkins, July 8

MONDAY, July 8, 2013

John Jenkins, author

“The Master Plot Outline: A Proven Standard for Storytelling”

Interactive session!

Want to write a complete story with the knowledge that you are using a time-honored, industry standard approach? Learn how the Master Plot Outline, a storyboarding technique used by comic book and movie script writers, can help you balance plot, setting, characters and theme. John, with the assistance of attendees, will plot an entire story from start to finish using handouts and an Master Plot Outline worksheet.

John’s writing credits include Bloodlines, a novel originally published by Servant Publications, four books in his Century War Chronicles series designed for upper elementary and middle school students, and nine short stories published by Focus on the Family. John’s most current title is I Love Base Ball, published by RPressbooks and available on amazon.com in paperback and also for Kindle. John can be contacted at john@rpclasses.com or visit his website at www.rpclasses.com.

May 13 Speaker: Mary Yerkes on Magazine Writing

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

Writer

Mary Yerkes

“Writing for Magazines”

Are you trying to break into magazines? Do you have an idea for an article? Discover how writing magazine articles can be both fun and rewarding. Learn how to come up with a salable idea, build a network of credible sources, and pitch an article idea to an editor. Discover what to include in your query letter to grab an editor’s attention and what markets would be interested in your idea. Join veteran magazine writer Mary Yerkes for a tour of today’s magazine market and learn how to craft an article editors want.

Mary is an award-winning writer whose work appears in mainstream and Christian print and online magazines: Focus on the Family’s flagship website, CBN.com, Conversations Journal: A Forum for Authentic Transformation, Christian Coaching Magazine, SAVED: A Multicultural Christian Magazine, and Beliefnet.com to name a few. Visit www.maryyerkes.com to learn more.