Working Titlez

Most writers workshops involve hundreds of people. Which is a good thing — many people to meet, connect with, network with, and learn from. But what if you could enjoy a different kind of experience? A handful of writers and a couple of pros. Three days of personal interaction focusing on you and your writing? Throw in a magnificent fall in a lovely Vermont inn. Sound good? It sure does to me. I’ll be there. Come and join us! Downloade a PDF of the workshop details and schedule here. Maralys Wills, writing teacher extraordinaire, and yours truly, will be leading a small group of writers over three days, from October 11 to October 13. We’ll cover everything from the essential great first page to the current climate in the publishing landscape. Plus there will be plenty of one-on-one opportunities and instruction tailored to the student’s needs.

The days flip past, faster and faster. (Image by flowers&machinery CC)

August came and went in a blur, and with it, my first anniversary as a blogger. Keeping my intended audience in mind — authors, our own authors, other publisher’s authors, wannabe authors — I’ve posted on a wide variety of book-related subjects. Everything from agents to book design, editing, marketing, and lots of tips. News, of course, about Stephens Press authors, books, awards, events and publicity. A few personal stories too, like learning to read, my first typewriter, collecting old books and the joys of presenting the first copy of a book to a new author. Blogsite #1, www.CarolynHayesUber.com morphed into blogsite #2, www.WorkingTitlez.com. Both having many of the same posts, but CHU includes more personal items while WT is more business-oriented. I love WordPress because it allows you to create “pages” so I’m building a repository of downloadable reports, interviews and papers that are useful to writers. If you know of someone who’d benefit from news and advice about the publishing world, please refer them. The easiest is to click on the Subscribe By Email link on the right, which will put each new post in your mail box. Q&A articles are popular, so questions from my readers are welcome.

Back by popular demand, we’re reprising our Nuts & Bolts Workshop for Authors.

Saturday, from 1:00 – 5:30 PM, we’ll cover publishing basics from submissions to industry trends, followed by manuscript polishing and what to expect from the editing process.

Sunday, from 1:00 – 5:30 PM, we’ll present a new workshop, specifically for memoir writers.

Presenters include Author and Writing Teacher Maralys Wills, Book Editor Jami Carpenter and Publisher Carolyn Hayes Uber. This is the perfect opportunity to get the lay of the land and ask questions. Location: Clark County Library on East Flamingo in the Main Theater.

P Moss, well-known Las Vegas cultural figure, pens dynamic short story collection.

CityLife Books, the new imprint of Stephens Press, has signed its first author, P Moss, a fiction writer and owner of the famous Double Down Saloon. His short story collection, Blue Vegas, will be released this fall.

PHOTO BY BILL HUGHES P Moss in his office. Okay, it's actually the Double Down bathroom.

“Blue Vegas is the perfect book to launch the CityLife Books imprint,” says Geoff Schumacher, editor of CityLife Books and publisher of the Las Vegas CityLife newspaper. “Moss has produced an incredible collection exploring the dark, human stories lurking in the shadows of the neon sheen of Las Vegas.”

The stories, Schumacher says, represent the work of a writer who knows Las Vegas and is a keen observer of its diverse population.

“Moss’ stories are a visceral exploration of the clash between old and new Las Vegas,” Schumacher says. “They shine a light on the hard luck and lingering anguish faced by Las Vegans who’ve been trampled by this single-minded city.”

After working as a screenwriter in Los Angeles, Moss came to Las Vegas in 1992 and opened the Double Down Saloon on Paradise Road. Dubbed a “clubhouse
for the lunatic fringe,” the Double Down soon became internationally famous, drawing a lively mix of tourists and locals. A second Double Down opened in New York’s East Village in 2006, and Moss recently opened a new Las Vegas establishment, Frankie’s Tiki Room, on West Charleston Boulevard.

Despite his success in the bar business, Moss has always envisioned a second career as a writer. “No quality Las Vegas fiction has ever been written,” Moss says. “The soul of the city has never been captured on the printed page. This can be attributed in large part to the fact that writers try to sensationalize the obvious, rather than focusing on the raw human emotions unique to the people who live and work in this unique place. I believe I have done a good job of reversing this trend.”

CityLife Books plans to publish up to four titles per year in a trade paperback format. The books will be available directly to CityLife newspaper readers and at area bookstores and online retailers.

Stephens Press is a division of Stephens Media LLC, and a sister company to CityLife and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Established in 2003, the press publishes primarily regional nonfiction.

“The imprint provides a vehicle to publish quality Vegas-centric fiction with a unique CityLife vibe,” says Carolyn Hayes Uber, president of Stephens Press, “and we’re especially excited to have P Moss’ stories set a high bar for our fiction offerings.”

CityLife Books accepts nonfiction and fiction proposals and manuscripts that speak to regular readers of the alternative weekly newspaper. For submission guidelines and more information, check out the imprint’s website at www.lvcitylifebooks.com.

Exciting news! From the press release . . .

CityLife partners with

Stephens Press to publish books

Stephens Press, the book publishing division of Stephens Media, has launched a new imprint called CityLife Books.

CityLife Books will publish up to four titles per year in a trade paperback format. The books will be available directly to CityLife newspaper readers and at area bookstores and online retailers.

CityLife Publisher Geoff Schumacher, the imprint’s editor, said he is looking for nonfiction and fiction proposals and manuscripts that speak to regular readers of the alternative weekly newspaper. “This imprint aims to create a new outlet for local writers who have something provocative or important to say about Southern Nevada,” Schumacher says. “We want to publish books that question the conventional wisdom and offer new ways of looking at this region and its people. Great writing will be paramount.”

Schumacher, who has written two books published by Stephens Press and edited several others, says he expects to receive a great many manuscripts. “I will look at them all, but of course we can publish only a tiny fraction of what we receive,” he says. “Quality comes first, but we also will focus on books that we believe a large number of readers will want to buy.”

Stephens Press President Carolyn Hayes Uber says she is excited to help talented writers share their voice and vision. “CityLife readers are outspoken and passionate about popular culture, politics and causes,” Uber says. “CityLife Books, whether fiction or nonfiction, will reflect and embrace this perspective the newspaper has fostered.”

Submissions to CityLife Books should follow the guidelines set forth on the Stephens Press website (www.stephenspress.com).

Writing can be a lonely vocation. Writers’ conferences and workshops can be invigorating, inspiring and an investment in your career as an author. There’s a multitude opportunities for writers to engage with other authors, meet agents, learn the ropes and network. I’ll be using this space, periodically, to alert you to recommended writer’s events.

Bruce McAllister Workshops
Writing coach Bruce McAllister is a master at helping authors find their voice, polish their work, and navigate the path to publication. His workshops, held in Southern California, are highly regarded.

Saturday, March 14, 2009
GETTING YOUR NOVEL WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED IN 2009
A Workshop in Choosing the Novel That’s Right for You, Getting It Written, and Using the Guerilla Tactics the New Book-Publishing Marketplace Demands
Saturday, May 2, 2009
MEMOIR, BIOGRAPHY, SELF-HELP, TRAVEL, NATURE, BUSINESS AND EVERY OTHER KIND: WRITING AND PUBLISHING YOUR NON-FICTION BOOK IN 2009
A Workshop for Writers of Non-Fiction Books of All Kinds
More info  >>>Bruce McAllister

Nuts & Bolts Author’s Workshop
Join me and my colleagues, author Maralys Wills and editor Jami Carpenter for a practical workshop full of tips, tricks and “lay of the land” advice on writing, editing and getting published. Best, it’s free! Download a workshop flyer here.

April 4th, 11 AM to 3 PM
Clark County Library
1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas

Publishing Basics – How It All Works
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Las Vegas publisher Carolyn Hayes Uber will explain the basics of the publishing industry from the big New York publishing houses to smaller independent presses to the scary world of self-publishing. Find out how to evaluate your options, whether you need an agent, and what to expect during the publishing process. More info >>>Carolyn Uber

Polish Up That Manuscript!
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM
Veteran author Maralys Wills incorporates both solid tips and a fresh sense of humor in her advice to writers. Sparkling manuscripts are the result of self-editing and careful polishing. She will share tricks of the trade to elevate your manuscript from good to publishable. More info >>>DamnTheRejections

The Mechanics of Editing
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Professional editor Jami Carpenter explains why every author needs an editor. How do you find the right editor, what are the different types of editing? Should your manuscript be edited before submission to agents and publishers? Learn how to ensure a happy and productive author/editor relationship and more. More info >>>RedPenGirl

Las Vegas Writers Conference
April 16-18
Sam’s Town, Las Vegas
Join writing professionals, agents, industry experts and your colleagues for three days in Las Vegas, Nevada, as they share their knowledge on all aspects of the writer’s craft. This popular conference offers great opportunities to meet (and pitch) agents and publishers as well as hone your craft with an outstanding faculty.
More info >>>Las Vegas Writers Conference

The "Rock Star" of Writing, author Neil Gaiman (photo by Andrew Taylor)

The annual Vegas Valley Book Festival just concluded. Held for the first time at the Historic Fifth Street School, the new venue helped contribute to the “best yet” festival. What a whirlwind of activities devoted to the celebration of reading and writing! There was something for everyone from the Target Children’s Book Fest to a plethora of programming for aficionados of graphic novels and comic books. The craft of writing was furthered with workshops on everything from character development and point of view to authenticating crime stories. Over eighty individual authors had sales tables and poets performed in the courtyard. Stephens Press was well represented with our own sales area and several of our authors gave presentations in the auditorium. Las Vegas Review-Journal entertainment columnist Mike Weatherford interviewed celebrity columnist Norm Clarke, whose newest book, Vegas Confidential: Sinsational Celebrity Tales debuted at the festival, and Norm didn’t disappoint, shaing some “scoops” with the audience that hadn’t hit the media yet. Next up, author and editor Geoff Schumacher (Howard Hughes: Politics, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue) interviewed Laraine Russo Harper, author of Legal Tender: True Tales of a Brothel Madam. Laraine shared her experiences running a legal brothel with plenty of wit and funny stories. Damn the Rejections, Full Speed Ahead: The Bumpy Road to Getting Published author Maralys Wills took the stage along with yours truly. The audience asked many questions following the tips presented for improving manuscripts and seeking publication. The festival was “bookended” by a pair of star authors. The opening keynote, Neil Gaiman drew a capacity crowd of fans for his body of work (Mirrormask, Stardust, American Gods, and more). The Brit-born author gave a long and rambling talk about modern culture, authors who’ve influenced him and his writing, and read from The Graveyard, his newest title. Pulizer Prize winner (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, The Yiddish Policeman’s Union) Michael Chabon gave the closing keynote address. His essay-like talk covered a lot of territory from Legos to the uber-insulated life our children live today. Interestingly, both Gaiman and Chabon talked about the “crap” their children read — or that they read as children — and observed that while it may not have been literature, it added to their perceptions and body of knowledge. Or, as Neil put it, “great stuff can be grown in crap”. Key sponsors incude the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the City of Las Vegas, the Clark County Library, and Nevada Humanities. It takes a lot of people and a lot of support to pull off such a successful event. I’m heartened and encouraged to see this annual event really come into its own.