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Success
Stories
After attending my first writers’
conference at Cuesta a couple of years ago, I
decided to get serious about a book I had been working
on for 11 years and
placed on a back burner. The conference assisted me with
such basic
information as being able to determine the genre of the
material I was writing.
Over the years I had my share of refusals but after the
Central Coast Writers’
Conference, I sat down and reviewed what I was working
on, changed the focus
of the manuscript, and am delighted that O Books (www.o-books.net)
read the
revised manuscript and offered me a contract which I
signed in October last
year—in fact, exactly at the time of last year's
Conference. My website is
www.dancinginthefootstepsofeve.com.
My sincere thanks to all the Central
Coast Writers’ Conference and its influence on my
determination to try once
more to make my dream a reality.
- Heather Mendel, author of "Dancing In the
Footsteps of Eve"
I used Steve Mettee’s advice on writing
a nonfiction book proposal and received
a response from a publisher three days after I sent it
out. A month later, I signed
the contract. The book came out with Book Publishing a
year later.
- Cathe Olson, author of "Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan
Ice Creams Your
Mouth Will Love"
A workshop with
Dennis Palumbo provided ideas regarding mystery writing,
which helped me complete Drop Dead Art.
Dennis also said that publishers were unlikely to take a
mystery that was not part of a series. So I decided to
publish Drop Dead Art through
print-on-demand and then begin the second in the series,
which I am working on now.
-
Andy Greensfelder, author of "Drop Dead Art"
The Central Coast
Writers' Conference was helpful in the successful
publication of my book How Great Decisions Get
Made (AMACOM 2004). I gained value from the
sessions about how to develop query letters and book
proposals, write engaging non-fiction, and use op-eds
and other tools to publicize the ideas and boost sales.
I'm working on my next book: Building Great Talent.
- Don Maruska, author of "How Great Decisions Get Made"
and "Building Great Talent"
I attended the
poetry classes, found them encouraging. Applied to and
got accepted at a new local online journal,
Slocoastjournal.com.
- Jeanie
Greensfelder
I had two stories published by the
Chicken Soup for the Soul series, because of one of your
attendees, Anna Unkovich, who was a co-editor of the
book--Chicken Soup for the Soul in the Classroom.
Because of this publication, I have been contacted by
teachers from Texas and Florida, asking me questions
about my stories, and permission for them to use my
story(s) in their projects. My two stories are titled, "My
First Kiss, and Then Some..." and , "Wearing
9/11". Also, because of this publication, I was
asked to do a live reading of "My First Kiss.."
at the Cohan Center for the Performing Arts, but did not
happen because of scheduling difficulties.
- Mary Jane West-Delgado,
author of "My First Kiss, and Then Some..."
and "Wearing 9/11"
I attended the Central
Coast Writers' Conference in 2005, when I was seventeen
years old and a senior in high school. Last year,
Eraserhead Press -- an independent publisher based out
of Portland, Oregon -- published my first book,
Shark Hunting in Paradise Garden. They will be
releasing my second later this year. Since attending
the conference, I have also had stories and poems
published in Sein und Werden, Bare Bone, The Dream
People, Bust Down the Door and Eat All the Chickens,
and The Horror Library Vol. II, among
other print and web publications. Although many people
in literary communities hold the belief that writing
fiction without a secondary income is neither possible
or sustainable in this socioeconomic climate, I am hardset on proving that it is a realistic, achievable
goal. When harvesting a dream and a passion, no
sacrifice can be considered too costly.
- Cameron Pierce,
author of "Shark Hunting in Paradise Garden"
The title of my book is, This is a Good Day to
Live. I self-published it in 2004 and used a
local printer, Poor Richards Press. My first run was
500 copies, of which I've sold 375. Writing the book is
one of the hardest things I have ever done. Marketing
the finished product almost as hard. Proceeds from the
book go to the Amber Carter Memorial Scholarship Fund at
Arroyo Grande High School. As of this year, we have
given 31 scholarships in Amber's name. I have
the conference to thank for keeping me on task during
the years of writing, selecting a title, self-publishing
options, and support of writing in general. The
information I gleaned from all the teachers has
been instrumental in the completion and goals I set
leading up to the actual printing and finished product.
- Janine
Carter, author of "This is a
Good Day to Live"
My first
mystery novel, Murder in Los Lobos,
published by Fithian Press, won second place in the
Novel category of the 2007 Lillian Dean First Pages
Contest. (It also won third place in the Dark Oak
contest, sponsored by Oak Tree Press
in Taylorville, IL.) I met John Daniel at the Central Coast Writer's
Conference several years ago and the connection made
then paid off when I submitted the manuscript to him
shortly after the 2007 conference ended.
- Sue
McGinty, author of "Murder in Los Lobos,"
Coordinator of Lillian
Dean 1st Page Writing Competition for the Writers'
Conference
My newly published
book, Parenting Solutions: Encouragement for
Everyday Parenting Concerns, newly released by
Paragon House Publishers, would not have been published
without the help of the Central Coast Writer's
Conference. When I first attended the Writer's
Conference I had no idea how to begin the process of
getting a book published. I had the book written but I
needed to know what to do next. I was inspired by the
speakers and the workshop leaders to help me think that
it may be possible. I received valuable guidelines on
how to write a proposal (which to me turned out to be
more difficult than writing the book!). I was directed
to the Writer's Market Book in the Library to find the
specific nonfiction publishers that might be interested
in publishing a parenting book. I focused my efforts on
these publishers and was finally successful after two
years of sending proposals until one expressed interest.
- Joan Rice, author "Parenting Solutions:
Encouragement for Everyday Parenting Concerns"
I was fortunate to win the Lillian Dean Award in 2006.
The prestige of that award, I believe, helped me win a
$10,000 dollar award from Jerry Jenkins Christian Guild
in 2009.
Thank you for all you and your conference does for
writers.
-
Mal King,
Recipient 2006 Lillian
Dean Award for first page of a novel
I attended the Central Coast Writers Conference in 2007
and was thrilled when my novel The Lost Saints of
Tennessee won first place in the Lillian Dean
Competition--my trophy maintains a place of honor on my
bookshelf--it's just gorgeous :) The happy news I'm
writing to share is that the same novel-The Lost
Saints of Tennessee--will be published by
Grove/Atlantic in 2011. My editor is Grove's VP &
Executive Editor Elisabeth Schmitz, who might be best
known in the industry for another Tennessee book she
edited--Cold Mountain. I am just
thrilled! If you could be so kind as to let Cathe Olson
know, I would appreciate it. When I attended CCWC in
2007, I had my youngest daughter--9 months old at the
time--in tow with me and my mother, who cared for the
baby while I was in classes. I felt so proud to have my
Lillian Dean trophy to carry home to my two older
daughters who were none too pleased to have mom taking
off for the coast while they stayed home in the Bay
Area!
- Amy Franklin-Willis, author of
"The Lost Saints of Tennessee",
Recipient 2007 Lillian
Dean Award for first page of a novel
I don't know if this will fit the
success story criteria you are looking
for, but thought I would pass it along.
At this time last year I was looking
forward to attending the Cuesta Writers'
Conference with my friend, Gloria Getman.
My health took a sudden downward spiral
and I was diagnosed with stage four
breast cancer. (I had been cancer free
for eighteen years.) I left my home in
the Central Valley and moved in with my
daughter in Palm Desert to take
advantage of the excellent care
available there. A rigid regime of chemo
treatments began. Anyone undergoing
chemo is aware of how low ones' spirit
can sink. On the last day of the
conference, and on one of my bad
days, Gloria called me and gave me the
news that I was the recipient of the
Lillian Dean Award for first page of a
novel. The novel is a Western: "Winds
of Time." She accepted on my behalf
and was as surprised and proud of the
award as I was. I didn't know who to
thank, or where to write, and as things
happen, time slips by. I would like to
take the time now to thank whoever it
was who chose me for this award and let
them know how much it meant to me and
how much it lifted my very soul. In
March of this year my cancer was
declared in remission. That same month
I received a letter from Avalon Books in
New York accepting my manuscript,
"Winds of Time," if I would agree
to make some changes. I agreed, made the
changes, and sent it back. Yesterday I
received a signed contract from them and
a nice advance. Needless to say I'm on
cloud nine! I don't have a release date
as yet.
Miracles do happen and I'm looking
forward to attending this years'
Conference.
- Mary
Benton,
Author: "Winds of Time",
Recipient 2009 Lillian
Dean Award for first page of a novel
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mrybntn@aol.com
I have attended the Central Coast
Writers Conference regularly for twelve
years. I published my first mystery
novel, “Murder in Los Lobos,”
with John and Susan Daniels in 2008,
several years after meeting John at the
Conference. The newest Bella Kowalski
mystery, “Murder at Cuyamaca
Beach,” is due out in September
2010 from Aberdeen Bay Press, a small,
traditional publisher. I first made
contact with Aberdeen at the 2010 Left
Coast Crime Conference in Los Angeles.
In my experience, good things,
publishing-wise, come from attending
conferences and meeting face-to-face
with agents and publishers.
- Sue
McGinty, author of "Murder in Los Lobos"
and "Murder at Cuyamaca Beach,"
Coordinator of Lillian
Dean 1st Page Writing Competition for the Writers'
Conference
* * * * * *
If you have been published as a result of
attending the Central Coast Writers' Conference, we want
to hear about it! Email
Judy Salamacha with the details.
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