Writing Topics

Carmen Leal is the author of five books including, You Can Market Your Book and WriterSpeaker.com, an Internet research and Marketing Guide for Writers and Speakers. Her writings have been featured in Guideposts, Focus on the Family, Decision Magazine, the Orlando Sentinel, and numerous national and local publications. Her personal experience stories have appeared in dozens of compilation book series.

Carmen is a popular presenter at both Christian and secular writers conferences. She has taught or will be teaching at the following conferences:

• South Florida Christians and Media Conference (2001, 2002)
• Colorado Christian Writers Conference (2000, 2001, 2003)
• Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference (2000, 2001)
• Sandy Cove Communicators Conference (2001)
• Florida Christian Writers Conference (2002)
• God Uses Ink, Canada (2002)
• Montrose Christian Writers Conference (2002)
• Mid-Atlantic Writers Conference (2002)
• Write on the Sound (Secular) (2000)
• Washington Independent Writers Technology Conference (Secular) (2001)
• Washington Independent Writers Conference (Secular) (2002)
• Glorieta Christian Writers Conference (2002, 2003)
• Ottawa University Faith In Action
• Richmond Christians Who Write(2002, 2003, 2004)
• International Christian Writers -- Nairobi, Kenya
• American Christian Romance Writers (2003)
• Hawaii Christian Writers Conference (2004)

Carmen was selected as a publishing success story by Writer's Digest in 2000 and served as a judge for the Writer's Digest Self Published Book Awards in 2002 and 2003.

Since publishing her first book, Faces of Huntington's, in 1998, Carmen has spoken at conferences and workshops to over 100,000 people throughout the United States, Canada and Great Britain.

Continuing Classes

Learn to use the Internet to shift your writing and speaking career into high gear. We'll discuss the importance of a writer's Web site, research using search engines, email, discussion lists and chat rooms, online etiquette with editors, networking and other key topics.

Sometimes it feels as if writing is 20% of the job and promotion makes up the other 80%. This continuing class covers such topics as guerilla marketing for writers, online promotion, networking tips, the writer as a speaker, book promotion, becoming recognized as an expert, niche marketing, successful book signings, press kits, brochures, press releases, entering contests, finding freelance jobs, a writer's resume, and more.

Workshops

Whether you're writing books or articles, research is a must. Learn the ins and outs of doing research on the Internet. This workshop includes how to find and use an effective search engine, and doing research through mailing lists, newsgroups, forums and chat rooms.

Every writer serious about publication should have a Web page. Learn valuable Internet promotional tips to shift your writing career into high gear. This workshop discusses what to include and what to leave off your site, how to choose a Web designer, do-it-yourself tools, affordable hosting options and more.

This workshop discusses how to use the Internet to connect with other writers in a productive way. Learn to use the Internet for critique groups, support systems and discussion groups for every genre. Also learn how to target publishers, submit queries, proposals and complete manuscripts online. Save time and money and increase your chances of being published by learning to use the Internet effectively.

Learn about various forms of electronic publishing and if it's right from you. Workshop includes how to format your manuscript, what to look for in an e-book publisher, how to evaluate an e-book contract and more. If you are thinking of alternative ways to publish, this is a must.

Whether your book is published through royalty, self or electronic publishing, you still need to get out there and market. Most writers want to create the book but not market it. This workshop covers general marketing for the book industry and gives creative ideas on how to sell your book to the general public, even without a distributor. Includes online marketing as well.

Do you want to retain control and possibly make more money than you ever could with royalty publishing? Learn what types of books are best for self-publishing, how to choose a printer or book packager, how to market your book and the pros and cons of electronic and on demand publishing.

Editors don't read books they read book proposals. Only when your book proposal hooks the editor does your book idea or finished manuscript have a chance at getting published. This workshop includes what every book proposal must have including a strong section on the writer's resume and marketing components.

This workshop focuses on writing articles for magazines, newspapers and compilation books. Whether you're writing how-to, personal experience, travel or any other non-fiction article there's a way to write and sell them. Workshop includes how to find ideas, analyze a market, read guidelines and market guides and crafting the non-fiction article.