By Madeleine Goldman, Director of Public Relations, SFWA
I am lucky enough to be organizing the conference, along with the most talented committee comprised of SFWA board members and regular members.
What’s Great About Being a Board Member?
I’ve been a member of South Florida Writers Association (SFWA) for the past six years and became a board member around November of 2019.
I sought out the SFWA due to its amazing Fiction Critique Group led by Don Daniels, who is on the board of directors. If I had not joined this group, I would never have met the mentors and fellow writers who influenced my craft. I salute them all for helping me write four novels and a collection of Short Stories. When an opportunity came up for board membership, I happily took it, knowing that it was the one thing I could do to give back for all I have received.
If you have skills and enthusiasm for our organization, I urge you to look into the open positions on the board slate for the coming year.
What Does This Have to do with the Mango Conference?
It’s all about giving back. When my colleagues and I set up this year’s conference, we took a deep dive into what our members really are looking to accomplish. We wanted to create something that would benefit everyone. Many of us are just starting our writing careers; many have already published and are looking to market our books; some have legal questions; and some of us want to explore what happens after our manuscript is finished, polished and ready for the world.
Who’s Who of Publishing and Entertainment:
We booked four experts – all in different areas of the publishing funnel. No matter which publishing path you are on or what phase you’re in, you’ll find our presenters have valuable information to impart.
Ann Leslie Tuttle is a literary agent from Dystel Goderich and Bourrett in New York. She will be teaching us “How To Target the Right Literary Agent for You.” Ann Leslie said she is looking forward to meeting our wonderful writers so she may find more to represent. If you’re looking to traditionally publish, this is a fantastic opportunity to network with a pro!
Mark Dunn has a long and distinguished career working in Intellectual Property Law. He is currently EVP and General Counsel for Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, Bahamas. He has dealt with just about every type of contract in the entertainment industry and will help us with questions regarding our writing and publishing – how to protect our brands, etc.
Christopher Jenkin is founder, CEO, CTO, and chief designer at gotcha! a digital design and technology company out of Dallas, Texas. He is at the forefront of technology and is a leading expert on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and understands the digital landscape. As authors, we all know how important online marketing is to sell our books, and Christopher will give us the basics of how to market ourselves online without a budget.
Mitchell Kaplan is our keynote speaker. He is owner of five locations of Books & Books and co-founder of the Miami Book Fair. Mitchell, along with his partner Paula Mazur, established the Mazur Kaplan Company to bring books to the screen, both film and television. His most recent release is Let Him Go, starring Diane Lane and Kevin Costner. He will be discussing this fascinating process at our conference and taking questions from you!
I’ve personally seen Mitchell discuss this topic. Believe me, you’re in for a treat – especially if you’ve ever envisioned your own work as a film or television series.
What are you Waiting For?
If you have not yet registered, I urge you to do so – this year will be our first virtual conference and we will be giving away $500 worth of gift cards via an online raffle. You are automatically entered when you register. You will also receive access to the recording of the Webinar, so you may watch it at your leisure for six months following May 15. We will also be doing Twitter socials before, during and after the conference, so we can talk to each other about all things writing and publishing.
Register by visiting https://southfloridawriters.org/conference.
See you there!
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