Blog

2021 Dan McGuire Blog Challenge Participants

February 8, 2021 By Natalia Corres

Updated February 9, 2021

Please feel free to visit these blogs and comment even if you aren’t actively participating!

Cyn Bermudez https://cynbauthor.blogspot.com/index.html

Julie Bonderov https://wordpress.com/page/jewellybond.wordpress.com/5

Shirley Castro www.pelicanfamily.com

Natalia Corres https://ncorres.wordpress.com

Bhargavi Gulia thebrighterpicture.blogspot.com

Manav Gulia yourdoseofspeed.blogspot.com

Sandy Moffett http://www.sandymoffett.com/

Shelby Stoner https://wordpress.com/view/sabernard0305.wordpress.com

20 February 2021 | Featured Speaker: Leslie Zampetti (Literary Agent) | “Finding the Right Agent”

January 24, 2021 By Natalia Corres

If you are a writer, you may want to consider acquiring the services of a literary agent. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, these professionals can help you to get your writing into the hands of book publishers or theater and film producers. An agent can also provide invaluable assistance representing your interests when negotiating publishing contracts.

The Writers of Kern will be offering a free online workshop on the topic on Saturday morning, February 20, 2021. Literary agent, Leslie Zampetti will be the special guest speaker at this event. A writer and also a former librarian for twenty years, she has become an expert at matching readers with writers and building relationships with publishers. Currently, Leslie is an agent with Dunham Literary, representing quality fiction and nonfiction writers, as well as some illustrators of children’s books.

Leslie’s workshop, Finding the RIGHT agent, will address some common concerns that writers have when considering representation by an agent including:

How to consider your own needs as a writer before selecting a literary agent
Why and how to target an agent for the type of writing you do
Where to find agents and helpful resources
Understanding “agentspeak” terms such as “character-driven,” “genre-bending,” and “intersectional”
How to effectively query a potential agent or switch agents

If you would like to have your work published and might be interested in seeking professional expertise, then mark your calendar for Saturday morning, February 20, 2021. This event is free of charge and open to all, but preregistration is required.

To register at Eventbrite, click HERE

You can learn more about Leslie Zampetti by checking out her website at Dunham Literary, Inc.

or on Twitter at @leslie_zampetti

7 February 2021 | Registration Deadline for the 2021 Annual Dan McGuire Blog Challenge

January 5, 2021 By Natalia Corres

by Srey Khoy

What: Our annual Blog Challenge for our writing community honoring our dear friend, and prolific blogger, Dan McGuire.

Who: Anyone can participate (membership in Writers of Kern not required)

When: Start posting Monday, Feb. 8. Final posts by Sunday, May 9.

Why: To develop a habit of regular writing and sharing it with a like-minded community of writers.

Where: Your personal blog online

The Fine Print: (Requirements to finish and be recognized at WOK Honors, our annual awards and recognition dinner. To be held this year on May 15th):

To participate, please email: events@writersofkern.com with your name and blog web address by Feb 7, 2021.
Write 26 posts in 13 weeks
- Subject/theme is up to you
- We suggest two posts per week, but there is no minimum or maximum, just so all 26 posts are completed by the end date.
Leave 2 comments/week on other participants’ blogs
- Each participant will be given a list of the other participants’ blogs for easy access
Though not required, we prefer you share a link to your blog posts on the Writers of Kern Facebook Group page (link below). It makes it easier to everyone to read and leave comments.
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/95572300558/
After publishing all 26 posts, please email events@writersofkern.com to confirm you’ve completed the challenge.
- Note: Pace yourself. While it seems simple, many will start, while not everyone will finish and that’s okay. We celebrate everyone who starts!

If you do not have a blog, now is the time to start one! This video will help: https://youtu.be/5n-ZpBo7cHI

16 January 2021 | Featured Speakers: Bill and Mia Belew | “How to Find and Engage With Readers For Your Books”

January 2, 2021 By Natalia Corres

by Susan Baker

Just as readers are hungry for the next great read, authors are always seeking an audience for their stories. Writer and content marketing specialist, Bill Belew and his 12-year-old daughter Mia understand this well. They were frustrated by what they found to be “a lack of books for preteens that challenge the young reader with new vocabulary and ideas worth thinking (about) but without diving into mature content.”

So, they decided to team up to create their own books. Together, they have coauthored three titles, The Giant Forest, The Heliuna Academy and The LoGlas Theater. which together make up the Growing up Aimi trilogy. Described as chapter books featuring realistic and thought-provoking situations that will appeal to middle school readers, these stories can also be enjoyed by their parents and grandparents.

Next, father and daughter had to find the best way to get their stories into the hands of their intended audience. With little if any expense, but with some work and determination, they built an online platform to successfully launch their book series. Through the creation of an author newsletter which they shared with only 20 friends and family members back in March 2020, the Belews started promoting their work. Since then, their newsletter subscriber base has grown to more than 3,500 subscribers and is expanding daily! The duo even reached the #1 ranking on Amazon in 3 separate categories, including Children’s Historical Action and Adventure. Their fourth title in the series, the Floating City, will soon be published.

Bill and Mia are eager to share what they know about matching your writing with eager readers. They will be the featured guests at the next Writers of Kern Monthly Meeting to be held virtually on Saturday, January 16, 2021. Their presentation titled, How to find & engage readers for your books will focus on the benefits of creating an author newsletter, and then building and growing the newsletter subscriber base

Attendees will learn:

How to get “eyeballs on your books”
How to choose an email client to help manage your mail
How to build a subscriber base
How to create an engaging newsletter all about you, your brand, and your books
How to effectively promote and sell your books

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT ON EVENTBRITE

As a sought-after expert at content marketing for multinational companies as well as aspiring authors, Bill offers a wealth of experience. Additionally, his three professional blogs, RisingSunOfNihon, PanAsianBiz, and TheBIZOfKnowledge, all found on KNOWMORE Media, has drawn millions of views!

Mia, is a busy 7^th grader at a leading edge, project-based, self-paced public charter school located in Silicon Valley. Like her father, she is also a blogger.

14 January 2021 | Writers of Kern Book Club – Virtual Meeting

January 1, 2021 By Natalia Corres

As we announced last month, Writers of Kern is starting a Book Club for members only! The first meeting is on Thursday, January 14, 2021, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. via Zoom. Books will be selected from the NPR Book List and the genres we are looking at are Creative Non-Fiction, Memoir, and Fiction.

We announced originally it would be held each month, but after discussion, it’s been changed to every other month. So, it will begin on the second Thursday in January, then March, April and so on.

If you are interested, please contact Janet Skibinski atjjskibinski@att.net or at secretary@writersofkern.com. You will be sent the Zoom link and any other pertinent information before the meeting. Hope to see you on January 14^th!