EFA's Fall Lineup!

I still serve as education chair on the Editorial Freelancers Association's Board of Governors, and I am happy to share that the Fall 2011 Education Program is all set — with registrations streaming in at a nice clip!

None of this season's classes are directly related to children's writing, but I know many children's authors also freelance in other areas, and I thought readers might like to at least check out the offerings. They include

• Proofreading: Online class starting 9/29
• Basics of Editing and Proofreading: NYC workshop on 10/21
• Getting Started in Editorial Freelancing: NYC workshop on 10/22
• Basics of Websites for Freelancers: NYC workshop on 10/22 (Note that those registering for all 3 NYC workshops via the combo option receive a 20 percent discount!)
• Tips & Tricks: Editing with Adobe Acrobat: Webinar on 10/26
• Rev Up Your Marketing Machine for 2012: Webinar on 12/7

Let me know if I can answer any questions about the lineup!

Plugging EFA's Fall Classes

It's that time of year again — time for me to plug the fall course lineup I put together as education chair for the Editorial Freelancers Association.

First up, starting September 21 in Seattle, is the NEW-to-EFA 12-week The Artist's Way Class based on Julia Cameron's bestselling book on creativity, The Artist's Way. This is an excellent opportunity to work through Cameron's program (and more!) in a fun and supportive group setting. The class meets Tuesday evenings through December 7 at Present Sense.

Next, we have a trio of online classes (by far our most popular format!) to suit a number of professional-development needs:

• Proofreading — starting September 23. Taught by our popular copyediting instructor, this 5-week online course is a great intro to proofreading for anyone wishing to explore the topic or expand their editorial skills.
• How to Get Freelance Writing Work — starting October 13. If you want to write great pitches, make more effective business calls, and sell higher-paying stories, this 5-week online class is for you!
• Navigating the Children's Writing Biz — starting October 29. This NEW 4-week online class demystifies the business side of children's publishing. Lessons cover the market, must-have resources, submissions processes, and networking.

Then later in the fall, we're heading East to sponsor three more in-person workshops:

• Substantive Editing I — November 6. This one-day clinic is held at EFA Headquarters in Manhattan focuses on editing for clarity. The instructor uses a mix of lecture, in-class exercises, and group discussion.
• Substantive Editing II — November 13. Picking up where the first clinic leaves off, this workshop — also held at EFA Headquarters — delves deeper into the art of substantive editing. The clinic stands alone, and you don't need to have taken SE I to register. (Note that there is a 20 percent discount for those taking both clinics.)
• Introduction to Indexing — December 4. This NEW half-day workshop in Richmond, Virginia (a new location for the education program!), gives freelancers an overview of indexing as an editorial discipline and helps them think about adding indexing to their list of services.

I am really looking forward to this season!

For full course descriptions and to use EFA's secure online registration system, visit the catalog page today. And do feel free to help spread the word!

EFA Fall Classes Start Soon!

I recently rejoined the EFA board as education chair, and I am pleased to share news of our Fall 2009 Education Program. We have an exciting season of targeted professional-development opportunities planned and hope you'll join us for some of our online offerings and/or live events in Seattle and NYC.

ONLINE CLASSES

How to Get Freelance Writing Work (starts 10/13)

Editing Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction (starts 10/15)

Dealing with Nightmare Clients (starts 10/21)

Proofreading (starts 11/2)

Turning Journal Entries into Polished Pieces (starts 11/30)

Writing from Healthy Starts (starts 12/1)

SEATTLE EVENTS

Getting Started in Editorial Freelancing (10/17)

Blogging Basics (12/5)

NYC SEMINAR

Supplementing Your Income with PR Work (11/14)

For full course descriptions, pricing information, and a link to EFA's online registration system, see EFA's main catalog page. Be sure to act now and SIGN UP for any classes you're eyeing, especially those starting just around the corner in October. Class size is limited, and some courses do sell out early.

Hope to see some of you in class! And please share this notice with any interested friends and colleagues.

EFA's New Fall Classes

Just a quickie note to promote EFA's Fall 2008 Education Program. I resigned as education chair over the summer after putting together one final lineup (my ninth). I'll miss working with EFA's membership, my fellow board members, and the course instructors, but the time was right for me to move on.

This season's offerings cover a wide variety of professional-development interests:

• Pricing Strategies for Freelancers (online)
• Copyediting Basics (online)
• Substantive Editing Clinic (NYC)
• Advanced Substantive Editing Clinic (NYC)
• How to Get Freelance Writing Work (online; NEW!)

My replacement on the Board of Governors is Jennifer Maybin. I know she'll be a great fit!

Children's Writing Workshop Starts April 18 — ONLINE

My spring Children's Writing Workshop starts next Friday, April 18, and I can't wait to get started.

I love the easy online format — the class gets its own discussion board in Yahoo! Groups, which makes it easy for participants to post writing, questions, and feedback anytime the urge strikes. This is NOT a critique group — we won't be looking at participants' previously-written material. Rather, we will use the workshop to take a closer look at the craft of writing for children, open each writer's story-idea floodgates, and fuel each writer's quest to start a new project.

What we'll do:

• easy reflection exercises
• fun journaling activities
• focused writing exercises
• informative readings
• casual group discussions

Why we'll do it:

• to explore personal writing motivations
• to foster creativity
• to facilitate the writing process (put another way: to make you START WRITING that idea you've been kicking around for months . . . or, heck, years)
• to look at published samples and read helpful biz-related info from a variety of sources
  
• to share writing insights with peers

Where and when class meets:

• online
• 6 Fridays in a row — at whatever time you feel like checking email or signing in to the course Web page

Group environment:

• fun
• friendly
• open
• supportive
• productive
• STRESS-FREE

For a workshop description, student testimonials, and registration info, surf on over to the Editorial Freelancers Association course catalog.

If you have any questions, feel free to post a comment here on the blog.

I hope to see you in class!

Missed My Own Blogoversary

How sad! I added a countdown banner on the left side of the main page about 30 days before the first anniversary of officially kicking off this blog. I noticed today that I have 355 days to go till my second blogoversary. I meant to observe the first with some sort of post, I really did. Sorry, blog. You know I love ya!

I'll have more time to regularly post once my current project wraps up. As completely happy as I am to be working on it, I am really, really, really looking forward to a change of pace. I'm especially excited to start my April Children's Writing Workshop. Interacting with other writers — and talking specifically about the children's writing biz — is always fun, and it always inspires me.

My Spring Writing Workshop Is On

I'm teaching my online Children's Writing Workshop again this year. It's part of the Editorial Freelancers Association's Spring 2008 Education Program (I'm EFA's education chair), and it runs for 6 weeks starting Friday, April 18. I can't wait — I worked with a nice big group last year, and we had a blast.

Here's the description from the course catalog:

Updated to provide participants with more of the writing time they crave, this class explores the craft of writing for children through reflection, journaling, and focused writing exercises. Fun, stress-free assignments are designed to foster creativity and facilitate the process of writing for young readers. They include readings (recommended children's books and biz resources), daily journaling activities, group discussions, and the completion of one short, polished writing sample. Come ready to share ideas, hone your writing skills, and have a good time!

Check out the catalog (see link above) for student testimonials, registration details, and information about the other terrific offerings on the schedule.

Feel free to forward this announcement!

Upcoming Events

Just a quick promotional post about a couple of upcoming events.

My next online class for the Editorial Freelancers Association starts Wednesday, March 21. It's a 5-week course called Children's Writing Workshop, and available spots are filling up. Here's the official description:

Participants will explore the craft of writing for children through reflection, journaling, and focused writing exercises designed to foster creativity and facilitate the process of writing for young readers. Assignments include readings, group discussions, and the completion of one short, polished writing sample. Come ready to share ideas, hone your writing skills, give and receive meaningful, supportive feedback — and have a good time!

This class is open to EFA members and nonmembers alike. For more information and to register, click here.

I'm also presenting a program called "The Process of Publishing a Children's Book from Concept to Market" as part of the Bellewood Author Series in Issaquah, WA, April 4 at 10:3o a.m. After my presentation, I'll hold a Q&A session and sign copies of my graphic novels Black Beauty and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It should be a fun morning — hope to see you there!