Ready to take your writing to the next level? On the day after the Writing for Your Life conference we will also offer a DigDeeper Retreat, taught by Sophfronia Scott and Brian Allain. It will take place at Drew University Theological School on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 – the day after the Writing for Your Life conference.
The Retreat cost is $199 and includes refreshments (lunch and dinner are on your own). A one-hour phone consultation with Brian Allain, sometime after the conference, is also included.
Registration Now Open! Click on this link to pay now (credit card, debit card, PayPal, or PayPal Credit are accepted; all payments are processed through PayPal). After you pay, an email confirmation will be sent to the name and email address you enter into PayPal (or the one associated with your PayPal account) within 48 hours. If you need to change the name and email address please let us know.
Sneak peek at the schedule:
8:30 AM: Refreshments
9:00 AM: Introductions and Session 1 (Sophfronia Scott)
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From Idea to Book Proposal: How a Thought Grows into a Book – Part 1
You have a good idea for a book–at least you think it’s a good idea!–and you’re really excited about it. Now, what’s next? There seems to be an immense divide between your idea and a finished book and you don’t know how to cross it. We’ll make the journey in this workshop. First we’ll cover generating ideas then move on to look at how, through blogging and social media, you can cultivate an idea in a way that 1.) a publisher would notice/appreciate and 2.) allow you to test the idea to see if it has an audience. Next we’ll work on creating a book proposal by studying each section a proposal requires, why it’s important, and the nuts and bolts of how to write up what is essentially a business plan for your book.
10:30 AM: Break
11:00 AM: Session 2 (Sophfronia Scott)
- From Idea to Book Proposal: How a Thought Grows into a Book – Part 2
12:30 PM: Lunch and time for writing and reflection
2:00 PM: Session 3 (Brian Allain)
Building Your Platform
- Strategic positioning – how to find your niche and become known
- Building your platform through social media – why it matters
- How marketing is different for spiritual writers
- Social media marketing recommendations
- Tactical Facebook marketing guidelines including advertising
3:30 PM: Break
4:00 PM: Q&R and Wrap-up
The Retreat cost is $199 and includes refreshments (lunch is on your own). A one-hour phone consultation with Brian Allain, sometime after the conference, is also included.
Registration Now Open! Click on this link to pay now (credit card, debit card, PayPal, or PayPal Credit are accepted; all payments are processed through PayPal). After you pay, an email confirmation will be sent to the name and email address you enter into PayPal (or the one associated with your PayPal account) within 48 hours. If you need to change the name and email address please let us know.
Writing for Your Life is pleased to offer 0.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for pastors for this advanced writer’s retreat. Writing for Your Life is a member of the Association of Leaders in Lifelong Learning for Ministry (formerly the Society for the Advancement of Continuing Education for Ministry).
All conference participants are required to abide by our Code of Conduct.
Return to main conference page
Leader bios:
Sophfronia Scott lives in Sandy Hook, Connecticut where she continues to fight a losing battle against the weeds in her flowerbeds. She holds a BA in English from Harvard and an MFA in writing, fiction and creative nonfiction, from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her latest novel is Unforgivable Love (William Morrow/HarperCollins). She’s also recently published a spiritual memoir, This Child of Faith: Raising a Spiritual Child in a Secular World, co-written with her son Tain, from Paraclete Press, and an essay collection, Love’s Long Line, from Ohio State University Press/Mad Creek Books. Sophfronia teaches creative writing at Regis University’s Mile High MFA and Bay Path University’s MFA in Creative Nonfiction. Her website is www.Sophfronia.com.
Brian Allain leads Writing for Your Life, a resource center for spiritual writers, and provides marketing services for authors and companies through Enliven Your Tribe! His work includes the Publishing in Color conference series, which is intended to increase the number of books published by under-represented groups of spiritual writers. Previously Brian served as Founding Director of the Frederick Buechner Center where he led the launch of Mr. Buechner’s online presence and established several new programs and strategic partnerships. Brian has developed and led spiritual writers conferences at Princeton Theological Seminary, Western Theological Seminary, Belmont University, New Brunswick Seminary, and several churches. He led the self-publishing effort for the book Buchner 101: An Introduction to Frederick Buechner. For additional information please see www.enlivenyourtribe.com, www.writingforyourlife.com and www.publishingincolor.com.