Series continues with “Craft Compelling Copy” on Feb. 15

Two talks in, we are thrilled to see that our attendees are doing the homework and assembling smart and focused book proposals that will soon be ready to send out into the world of publishing. The room is chock-a-block with enthusiasm, savvy, and creativity; we are truly inspired by the abundance of great, viable ideas these folks bring to the table. And we expect to continue to be impressed next week, when we get into the meaty, juicy part of the proposal, such as the sample text.

On Feb. 15, we’ll be discussing how to “Craft Compelling Copy.” Learn to focus your proposal with a great title and introduction, and reel in editors and agents with compelling text. This talk will help you to pique interest with a strong opening pitch, and to knock it out of the park with a complete, detailed outline and on-point sample text. Single tickets are still available here, so join us and move your project closer to publication.

Next Up: Sell Your Book–and Yourself

We had a blast on Feb. 1, when we kicked off our series, 30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal. The room was positively buzzing with creative energy, and we loved hearing all those intriguing, marketable book ideas from our attendees! As always, we left feeling inspired–and excited for next week’s class.

Sell Your Book–and Yourself is our topic for Feb. 8′s talk, and we’ll be covering the vital topics of author platform and marketing. There’s still time to join us! Click here to purchase single tickets and make this the year you write your winning book proposal.

New Series Begins Feb. 1!

Imagine having your polished, marketable book proposal out in the world by the end of February! Yes, the launch of  30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal is almost upon us…and there are a few spaces left if you’d like to join. We are so excited about these new seminars, which will be more results-oriented and hands-on than ever before. Plus, we’ve gone from 0 to 60 on our classroom materials; offering a 100-plus page Publishing Toolkit to our series subscribers. Packed full of insider information from honing your idea to negotiating a royalty, this is a great resource for your entire publishing journey. You can check out full descriptions of the talks and purchase your ticket here. Or, drop us a line if you have any questions on whether the series is right for you. Make 2012 the year you get published!

Introducing our Publishing Toolkit

We’ve been teasing you for months with talk of a massive Publishing Toolkit that will be a one-stop shop when it comes to developing your idea, writing a compelling proposal, and submitting it to a targeted group of publishers or agents (or self-publishing if that’s your preferred route). We’ve included 5-minute challenges, worksheets, and two actual proposals, not to mention more information than you can shake a stick at. We just signed off on the corrected pages today and frankly, we’re feeling pretty good about ourselves. It, in a word, rocks! We are including the Toolkit as part of our new 4-week series, 30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal, and plan on rolling it out as a stand-alone resource in the next few weeks.

In the mean time, here are a few images from the interior. Sweet, right? And have you gotten a load of our amazing new logo? We have Eliza Mayo Bullock of Lush Design to thank for the gorgeousness.

Seattle Mag picks our series for its Essentials Must List

Seattle Magazine features us on its Essentials Must List in the February issue. Along with the Rat City Roller Girls and vitamin-enriched chocolates by Vibrant Chocolate, our new series, 30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal, is a must for Seattlites looking to get published. Check out the issue (on stands now!) and check out our series, which kicks off Wednesday, Feb. 1: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/214575

What makes a Biz of Books event so great?

What can you expect when you attend one of our talks or workshops? Good question. While the experience obviously differs for each aspiring author, we love how Todd Rendleman put it: “Jen and Kerry are invaluable resources. Their publishing workshops feel more like late-night conversations with trustworthy friends who are rooting for your success. Their detailed feedback, packed with wisdom and wit, will demystify the publishing process. It certainly did for me.”

Todd is a SPU film studies professor who was our first attendee to get a book contract. He is writing a nonfiction book on Roger Ebert and his influence on film, due out this Spring.

Join the conversation with our new series, 30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal, which kicks off Feb. 1. Pajamas and popcorn optional.

(photo: heartofthematteronline.com)

A new series for our one-year anniversary

Are you wondering whether our book proposal talks are right for you? Debating whether you’re ready to take the plunge and really get that book idea out into the world? You might find some answers in this Seattle Times column that Nicole Brodeur wrote one year ago this week, about our very first series. That series was a great success, and The Business of Books was born. Since then, we’ve had terrific feedback (and celebrated several book deals!) from our attendees. Still, over the past months we’ve retooled our talks to make them more hands-on and more results-oriented.

One year after our debut, we’re excited to launch a brand-new, four-part series called 30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal, which includes an extensive Publishing Toolkit full of insider information and worksheets to guide you to success. Join us starting Feb. 1 and you WILL have a finished book proposal by month’s end! Descriptions of the talks are below, and the link to purchase is here. Whether you’re brand-new to our offerings, are a previous consultation client, or joined us for talks in the past, we hope to see you for some fresh information and inspiration.

A book proposal in 30 days? Now that’s a New Year’s resolution!

With the holidays fast approaching, what’s the best gift to give yourself? A chance to be a published author, of course! Give your book idea its best possible shot by joining us starting February 1 for our brand-new, intensive four-part series, 30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal. By month’s end you’ll have a polished proposal that’s ready to submit–and sell. What a way to kick off 2012!

As part of this results-oriented series, we’re excited to include our new Publishing Toolkit: A Hands-on Resource for Burgeoning Authors. This binder is filled with all the notes and materials to develop your successful proposal from start to finish—including step-by-step advice, helpful exercises and worksheets, and real sample proposals that have sold to publishers.

Here’s the schedule. All talks are Wednesday evenings from 7-9pm at the Hotel 1000 in downtown Seattle.

Wed, Feb 1: Research & Refine Your Idea

Develop a winning book idea that will rise out of the slush pile. This week, focus on finding and honing a viable nonfiction or fiction idea. You’ll learn how to research the marketplace and competition, brainstorm formats, and develop a publisher and agent wish list.

Wed, Feb 8: Sell Your Book—and Yourself

Create a killer author platform and marketing plan that demand attention. Week 2 has you uncovering the many strengths and attributes that you can bring to the table as an author, participating in social media and other venues to build your platform, and brainstorming a robust and creative marketing plan for your title.

Wed, Feb 15: Craft Compelling Copy

Focus your proposal with a great title and introduction, and reel in editors and agents with compelling text. This week’s talk will help you to pique interest with a strong opening pitch, and to knock it out of the park with a complete, detailed outline and on-point sample text.

Wed, Feb 22: Submit Your Proposal

Create a savvy final package and target the right publisher during the final talk in the series. You’ll learn how to draft an arresting query letter, develop your submission list for agents or publishers, discover the pros and cons of self-publishing, get a basic grasp of advances and royalties, and put the final touches on your proposal submission.

We are committed to getting that book idea out of your head and into the bookstores. Attendees are encouraged to attend the entire series, but single sessions are also available. The four-part series price is $299, which includes the toolkit. Single sessions are $79. Tickets are available from Brown Paper Tickets, click here to purchase.

What’s Brewing with the Biz of Books?

We’re hard at work in the Biz of Books laboratory this month, creating a brand-new series of talks to get you on the path to publication–fast. We’re launching a 30-day system that will get your book proposal finished in the month of  February. How’s that for a new year’s resolution? Stay tuned here for details!

We’re also knee-deep in another exciting project: we’re creating an author toolkit, which is chock-full of our insider information on writing a winning book proposal, including handy worksheets and actual sample proposals (ones that sold, of course!). The toolkit will be your own personal roadmap to get from point A, a good idea, to point B, a book deal. It’s all part of our continued goal: to keep you supported and motivated every step of the way.

The new year marks the one-year anniversary of The Business of Books, and it’s going to kick off with a bang, thanks to these brand-new offerings and some other surprises we have up our collective sleeves. In the meantime, do email us or leave a comment if you’re interested in an individual proposal review. We’ve read some great ones lately!

Hear us at Editors Guild conference!

Ever wonder how to get your book proposal off the ground? Interested in a career writing and editing video and board games? Can’t figure out how to market and brand yourself? Well, the Northwest Independent Editors Guild is sponsoring the Red Pencil in the Woods conference on September 24 to address all these questions and more. The lineup of speakers is fantastic and the daylong event kicks off with a keynote from Carol Fisher Saller, who headed up the copyediting team of the new edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. If talk of the CMS and sharp red pencils makes you a bit giddy, this is the event for you. Held at Bastyr University in Kenmore, the festivities get under way at 8:30am.

Find out more at the Editors Guild site.