The end of a wet and wild March is upon us, which means it’s time to celebrate the hardworking Women Who Submit members who have published their work.
The WWS members included in this post published their work during the month of March. I’ve included an excerpt from published pieces (if available) or a blurb (if available) if the publication is a book, along with a link (if available) to where the pieces can be purchased and/or read in their entirety.
Please join me in celebrating our members who published in March!
It’s never too early to think about creating a marketing plan, but how to begin? Although learning about marketing can initially feel overwhelming, this blog will empower you to set your literary career up for success by creating a simple marketing plan in three easy steps using no and low-cost strategies and tools. In light of the historical and ongoing racial and gender disparities in publishing, it is more important than ever to create your own system of success.
Identify your writer goals and values.
What are your short and long-term writer goals? Which genre(s) do you write? Which literary venues do you want to publish your work in? Are you planning on writing a book or multiple books? Do you want to self-publish or go with an indie or traditional press? What are your dream fellowships, grants, and residencies? Also, consider how your values (such as community-building, social justice, feminism, anti-racism, etc) inform your writer goals.
Identifying your writer goals and values is an empowering process because you will gain clarity on how YOU define success for yourself versus basing your worth as a writer solely on external forms of validation. And, knowing your writer goals and values will also determine your specific marketing strategy.
Create SMART marketing goals and track your progress.
SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. If this is your first time creating SMART marketing goals, I recommend setting very small goals. In fact, the smaller, the better!
An example of a SMART marketing goal can be posting about your writing twice per week on social media. Additional examples of SMART marketing goals can include creating or updating your author website by a certain deadline or aiming to do writer podcasts/interviews once per month.
Tracking your progress also helps you to determine whether or not you are achieving your goals. And if you find that you’re not meeting your goals, there is no need to shame or criticize yourself. Instead, you can give yourself credit for learning a new skill. ANd then, whenever you are ready, you can take action by modifying your SMART goals. For example, instead of posting about your writing twice per week, perhaps posting once a week works better for you.
Start an author newsletter.
I encourage every writer to start an author newsletter. Although social media can be a wonderful tool to build relationships in the literary community, we do not own our social media accounts. This means that social media accounts can suddenly be deactivated without notice.
Alternatively, an author newsletter gives you 100% ownership of your email list and it is the most direct way to communicate with your supporters outside of social media. There are both free and paid newsletter providers to choose from, such as Mailchimp, Substack, ConvertKit, and more. And, with consistent action over time, more and more folks will naturally join your newsletter.
Beginner writer, remember, it’s courageous to show yourself and your art to the world. Take risks, don’t be afraid to fail, and try again. I strongly believe that writers should be celebrated for their art, and marketing is just another tool that can help us achieve that goal. I’m rooting for you!
With love,
Cecilia
Based in LA, Cecilia Caballero, PhD, is a poet, creative nonfiction writer, teaching artist, and co-editor of The Chicana Motherwork Anthology. She is an alum of Tin House, Macondo, and Roots. Wounds. Words. Cecilia is a 2023 Aspen Words Emerging Writer Fellow and she is finishing a memoir. Twitter: @la_sangre_llama.
It’s been three years since I attended my first AWP in Portland where I had the most incredible experience due to following Women Who Submit member, Bonnie Kaplan’s suggestion, “It all happens at the off-site events.” I took my new friend’s advice and attended every evening reading that resonated, starting in a cool, dark bar where I did my first open mic and drank a Moscow Mule mocktail named after Stalin; plus, I met new writer friends.
Then, I jumped in with Cave Canum, VONA, and attended the Freya Project reading in a high-ceilinged concrete-filled jewelry gallery where I spotted T. Kira Madden and thought she was someone I knew from Oakland. Yeah, I did that, but I got to meet, hug, and listen to Madden read from Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Daughters. I was embraced as a new Women Who Submit member when nervously showing up to their social hour where I ate cheese and mingled with writers whose work speaks to me. I mapped out discussions and panels and got teary-eyed when Maxine Hong Kingston took the main stage.
It was tough when I canceled San Antonio, went virtual for Kansas City, and skipped Philadelphia. This break has provided nonprofit AWP time to sort out how to host a conference, historically built on networking and personal connections, where literally thousands attend, and attempt to recreate a reasonably safe pre-pandemic experience. This year, AWP is hybrid, meaning one may attend in person or virtually. Since my writing partner and I are hosting a panel, we’re attending with precautions including masking (see recent AWP communication regarding health precautions).
How to choose? What to do? Noriko Nakada, WWS Leadership, suggests avoiding FOMO and narrowing in on personal experiences, “I attend only panels and lectures that feed me and my writing.” Kate Maruyama, WWS Board Member notes, “Whoever you are with at AWP is correct. Once you hit panels and readings you want to go to, the rest of your time is to go where the day takes you.” I echo both women’s advice, and add Yelping favorite restaurants ahead of time because it can be difficult to settle on sustenance when the feet are hollering from being on a concrete floor all day.
From WWS Director, Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, “If you’re like me and get nervous about being around a bunch of new people or saying something dumb in front of literati, I suggest using your hours at the convention to support the people you already know. I did this at AWP Portland, and it made a world of difference. I was at events with people I genuinely enjoy and admire.” Xochitl wrote about her experience on the Women Who Submit blog, Transforming AWP Through Our Collective Power.
How to organize your schedule: Like most nonprofits, AWP has a small, core staff, but they try to make technology user-friendly. Here’s how I do it. First, I downloaded the conference program on my laptop, and carefully reviewed and selected events by marking them before saving them on my AWP account. Then, I downloaded the app on my smartphone and did the same. I give this process a 3.5 in functionality, because the app and computer are unable to sync, which means I had to choose all the workshops again on the app, schedule, and set reminder alarms. On the floor, I find the app intuitive, and easily accessible, as I can toggle between the entire conference schedule and what I’ve pre-set for myself.
Where is the Conference? I suggest checking out the Seattle Convention Center layout prior to arrival, understanding the parking and public transport systems, as this makes for more time enjoying the conference and saves feet (aww, packing compression socks), and identifying specific locations where one can get away from the hustle and noise. For more, visit, https://seattleconventioncenter.com.
If one does not need elevators, please use stairs and escalators, so attendees using mobility scooters, or wheelchairs, or who have other mobility challenges can easily navigate and get to events on time.
Is the book fair a thing? Yes, the book fair is huge, loud (earplugs are helpful), and feels like a trade show floor filled with Red Bull on steroids. Noriko pre-plans and sets goals, “I limit my time walking around the book fair to visiting and meeting in person presses who published my work or tabling for presses/organizations where I want to connect. I still spend more time than I want there, but when presses show me who they are (not friendly to women/BIPOC), this is confirmed in that book room!” Alyss Dixon, Women Who Submit co-founder/advisor, suggests buying indie press books early because they sell out fast. Alyss also suggests doing one final book fair lap on the last day, “Bring a piece of luggage with wheels so you can scoop all the freebies and books.” AWP board member, Rachelle Yousuf did this in Portland, and she scored big time.
Got questions? Phoning AWP is tough closer to the conference launch, so email, call, and wait 24-48 hours for a response before communicating again. They’re literally drowning in emails and voice mail; plus, at some point, they’re traveling and on location.
Trained people, including locals hired for the conference, are stationed as guides. If arriving on Wednesday, a big tip is to pick up registration at the SCC from 12 noon until 7 pm. Thursday and Friday will look like the opening day of Harry’s House on La Cienega without sunshine and good vibes.
Self-care? A resounding YES! AWP offers quiet places (Wellness Rooms for private quiet time; keys available at AWP help desk) and the (Emily) Dickinson Quiet Space (8 am-5 pm each day) to give over-stimulated brains and souls a break. Morning offerings include AWP’s 9 am writers’ yoga sessions, and the Sober AWP, 12-step meeting, (7:30-8:45 am each day). There are also nursing mothers’ rooms (8 am-5 pm each day). All details are provided in AWP’s full schedule, which is now living on my phone.
Alyss reminds attendees to pack high-protein snacks (bars and nuts are perfect), hydrate, stay hydrated, and hydrate some more. This is especially critical during the day when traversing literally miles and finishing off the evening with libations.
Bring a reusable water bottle, because the SCC has filling stations throughout. Tip: Avoid buying anything, including coffee, inside the SCC to save money and time. Lines get really long, but if the caffeine or munchy cravings are a must, and one is stuck in a snaky line, make a friend. We’re all there to talk words, books, and writing.
I end with long-timer Kate’s sage advice, “if you’re a seasoned pro, find the newer, overwhelmed writer and introduce them to a few folks, take them to tables to meet people, give them a head start on the networking.” This, my writerly friends, is what Women Who Submit are all about!
Following are past WWS blog posts related to attending AWP:
Sakae Manning’s (they/them) fiction lives in The Tahoma Literary Review (Pushcart nod), Carve Magazine, Dryland Lit, and Blood Orange Review. As writer-in-residence at The Annenberg Community Beach House, Manning produced programs amplifying BIWOC writers. They are on the leadership team for Women Who Submit, an alum of the AWP Writer-to-Writer Program, and an Anaphora Arts fellow.
The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference is just days away. People may have even started packing and scrolling Yelp for the best Seattle eats. Whether you go to the AWP Conference to promote your latest title, to catch up with friends, or to fangirl on your favorite author, between the panels, bookfair, and evening events there is enough for everyone. And if you’re like us and get overwhelmed by too many options, let WWS help you narrow down where to spend your time and money. Below is a list of events where you can find WWS members and some of our allies. Stop by one of these places and say hi!
THURSDAY, MARCH 9
PANEL: Too Small to Fail: The Indie Press Prerogative in Advancing Diverse Voices
10:35 AM – 11:50 AM
Rooms 431-432, Summit Building, Seattle Convention Center, Level 4
Panelists: Krishna Narayanamurti, Marcus Clayton, Viva Padilla, AJ Urquidi, Amanda Orozco
Description: The Western US is one of the world’s most diverse regions, but the literary scene remains a “mainly white room.” In what ways is it the duty of West Coast indie journals and micro presses to find and publish writing that upends the norms of institutional gatekeeping? LA-based editors from sin cesar (formerly Dryland) and Indicia discuss their experiments with equity, intersectionality, and digital collaboration to publish crucial work that challenges hidden biases of audiences and the editors themselves.
Description: Have you ever applied for a fellowship, residency, or grant and wondered if your application has what it takes to be a top contender? This is a rare chance to hear from a diverse group of authors who’ve served on selection committees for state and national grants as well as fellowships and residencies. You will gain a better understanding of what judges are looking for, what goes into the selection process and how you might identify which fellowships, residencies, and grants are the best fit.
Rooms 343-344, Summit Building, Seattle Convention Center, Level 3
Panelists: Toni Ann Johnson, Ramona Reeves, Rion Amilcar Scott, Leslie Pietryzk
Descrition: Linked short story collections have become more popular, perhaps in part because of their hybrid nature. They can employ recurring themes, characters, and settings to situate readers in worlds that move beyond the borders of many short stories while stopping short of the breadth and propulsion of a novel. Minding the gaps, or the spaces, is key in writing linked story collections. How does space function between and within linked collections, and what stories does one choose to tell and why?
READING: WWS Happy Hour & Community Mic Hosted by Noriko Nakada
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Clock-Out Lounge: 4864 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108
Features: Suhasini Yeeda, Carla Sameth, Elizabeth Galoozis, Jamie Asaye Fitzgerald, Sakae Manning, Alixen Pham, Maria Caponi, Michelle Otero, Amy Shimhon-Santo, Jane Muschenetz.
READING: Storyknife AWP Reading & Gathering
5-7 pm
Vermillion Gallery & Bar, 1508 11th Ave
Features: Rowena Alegria, Jasmin An, Sandra Beasley, Jan Beatty, Kim Blaeser, Ching-in Chen, Lydia Conklin, Rebeca Flores, Minda Honey, Amanda Galvan Huynh, Casandra Lopez, Zenique Gardner Perry and others.
READING: #AWPSeattle Off-site Reading
6 pm
Seattle Public Library
Description: Join Veliz Books, Noemi Press, and BOA Editions at the beautiful Seattle Public Library for an in-person reading featuring 10 writers.
READING: Queerly Beloved: An Evening with Foglifter Press
7:00 PM
Corvus and Company, 601 Broadway E, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
ASL interpretation and live-streaming provided
Features: Michal ‘MJ’ Jones, author of HOOD VACATIONS, Joy Priest, author of HORSEPOWER, Miah Jeffra, author of American Gospel, Kazim Ali, author of Inquisition, Dior Stephens, author of CRUEL/CRUEL, Xan Phillips, author of Hull
READING: Nightboat Books Reading
9:00 PM
The Rendezvous Theatre: 2322 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
Features: Allison Cobb, Andrew Abi-Karam, Dior J. Stephens, Douglas A. Martin, Emily Lee Luan, Gillian Conoley, Gillian Osborne, imogen xtian smith, Janice Lobo Sapigao, Joyelle McSweeney, Kay Gabrial, Kevin Holden, Lindsay Turner, Ronaldo V. Wilson, Rosie Stockton, Samiya Bashir, Tiff Dressen, Wo Chan
FRIDAY, MARCH 10
Panel: Inlandia social justice literature reading
10:35 AM – 11:45 AM
Bookfair Stage, Sponsored by the Dramatists Guild, Exhibit Hall 1 & 2, Summit Building
Panelists: Nikia Chaney, James Coats, Stephanie Barbé Hammer, Juanita E. Mantz, & Cati Porter
Description: Inland Southern California, aka Inlandia, is a sprawling geographic region, the logistics capital of the west, and one of the few majority-minority regions. As writers, we have a responsibility to take an active role in addressing the most pressing social justice issues of our time. Listen to works confronting issues of LBTQ rights, racial inequities, the criminal injustice system, mental health discrimination, and more.
BOOK SIGNING: Imagine Us, The Swarm with Muriel Leung
12 PM PST
Nightboat Books Table: 1024
PANEL: Languages of Belonging: Transcending Borders in Life and on the Page
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
443-444, Summit Building, Seattle Convention Center, Level 4
Description: Five women writers of color incorporate personal and global histories—of India, Pakistan, and the Netherlands, and within the U.S., California, Louisiana, and the Texas-Mexico border—into their prose, poetry, and hybrid texts. Each writer will discuss her process of transcending literal and figurative borders separating nations, generations, and identities. How do we resolve the conflicts that arise from having histories in multiple places? Where are we traveling from and to in our writing?
Description: What if you were paired with a conserved land for a year to visit and create three poems inspired by place and preservation? In this panel, five diverse, emerging, and established poets from east, central, and northwest regions will share their writing process and poems. Their protected lands ranged from protected habitats, sanctuaries, farms, and ranches, to ecosystems and wilderness preserves. Their poetry and the methodologies used to create their poems will challenge and inspire you.
Description: Panelists share modes and methods towards creating safe space through considering intention as liberatory groundwork for BIPOC women and nonbinary writers, creating intersectional spaces beyond physical boundaries, identifying and becoming part of a writing community, and understanding how intergenerational racial and gender-based trauma impacts amplifying our own work. Join Janaka Bowman-Lewis, PhD, LaCoya Katoe Gessesse, and Mahtem Shiferraw, as we navigate writing and sustaining writing communities.
READING: Feminist Press Presents: Readings by Louise Meriwether First Book Prize Winners
3:20 PM – 4:35 PM
Room 430, Summit Building, Seattle Convention Center, Level 4
Panelists: YZ Chin, Cassandra Lane, Claudia D. Hernández, Melissa Valentine, Annell Lopez
Description: The Louise Meriwether First Book Prize seeks to honor the groundbreaking legacy of Meriwether’s Daddy Was a Number Runner by creating debut publication opportunities for women and nonbinary authors of color. The 2022 winner of the prize will be joined by past winners YZ Chin, Claudia D. Hernández, Melissa Valentine, and Cassandra Lane to read from their work, including a reading from the 2022 Prize winner’s manuscript in progress.
READING: Macondo Writers Meetup & Readings
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Anxestral Gallery, 1302 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
READING: Antioch’s MFA: A Night of Reading Hosted by Tim Cummings
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Graduate Hotel: 4507 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105
Features: Jazmine Aluma, Andrea Auten, Semaj Saint Garbutt, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Diana Hardy, Scott LaMascus, Malia Márquez, Ari Rosenschein, Kim Sabin, Mireya Vela
READING: Anaphora Arts & Pacific University Oregon Reading
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Little Saigon Creative, 1227 S. Weller St, Suite A, Seattle, WA 98144
Reading: Sundress Publications Reading
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Old Stove Brewing Co 600 W. Nickerson St. Queen Anne Seattle, WA 98119
Features: Barbara Fant, Kimberly Ann Priest, Stacey Balkun, Atena Nassar, jason b. Crawford, Sunni Wilkinson, Nicole Arocho Hernández, Amanda Galvan Huynh, Cynthia Guardado, Dani Putney, Donna Vorreyer
READING: Texas Review/DIAGRAM/Apogee Reading
7:30 PM
Alley Mic: 1922 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101
Features: Katie Jean Shinkle, Ginger Ko, PJ Carlisle, Ander Monson featuring Ananda Lima, Bryan Byrdlong, Angela Penaredondo, Mihee Kim, Tim Jones-Yelvington, Caridad Moro-Gronlier, Kanika Agrawal, Elizabeth Gonzales James, Danielle Pafunda, Jennifer Sperry Steinorth, Dao Strom, Eric Burger, and more.
Structure Cellars 3861 1st Avenue South Seattle, WA 98134
$14.88 – $23.45
Features: Courtney Faye Taylor (CONCENTRATE), Eleni Sikelianos (YOUR KINGDOM, WHAT I KNEW, MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY), Joe Vallese (IT CAME FROM THE CLOSET), Marcelo Hernandez Castillo (CHILDREN OF THE LAND, CENZONTLE, DULCE), Tom Comitta (THE NATURE BOOK, 〇, AIRPORT NOVELLA), YZ Chin (THE AGE OF GOODBYES, EDGE CASE, THOUGH I GET HOME)
SATURDAY, MARCH 11
PANEL: Beyond Writing Well: Making Space for Professional Development in the Workshop
12:10 PM – 1:25 PM
Room 447-448, Summit Building, Seattle Convention Center, Level 4
Panelists: Kathie Bergquist, Sheree L. Greer, & Sarah Browning
Description: While developing writing skills is justifiably central to workshop practice, students often emerge from the workshop with little practical knowledge of the praxis and processes necessary for establishing a viable writing career. Professional development can and should be an important component of creative writing workshops. This discussion will feature strategies and exercises you can easily integrate into your workshop to better prepare your students for the professional life of a writer.
Rooms 431-432, Summit Building, Seattle Convention Center, Level 4
Panelists: Melissa Hart, Juanita Mantz Pelaez, George Estreich, Tanya Ward Goodman, Andrea Ross
Description: What if we told you that instead of spending thousands on a publicist, you could promote your books and find your ideal readers while building your writing portfolio and earning a paycheck? In this panel, we’ll talk about how we’ve perfected the art of identifying key themes and topics in our published books and writing about them for newspapers, magazines, and literary journals. We’ll teach you how to do the same with personal essays, book reviews, profiles, how-to pieces, and feature articles.
BOOK SIGNING: Light Skin Gone to Waste with Toni Ann Johnson
Rooms 431-432, Summit Building, Seattle Convention Center, Level 4
Panelists: Jennifer Berney, Robin Silbergleid, Carla Sameth, Cheryl Klein, Krys Malcolm Belc
Description: How do infertility memoirs rewrite the dominant family narrative? How do they grapple with issues of gender, sexuality, race, and the body? Reading from published memoirs about infertility, miscarriage, reproductive choice, and queer family building, panelists explore the emotional, practical, and legal complexities of infertility and family building outside cisgender and heteronuclear families, such as in vitro fertilization, third party reproduction, blended families, and adoption.
TABLES
Antioch University Los Angeles – 807
Apogee Press – T1203
CALYX, Inc. – T128
Cave Canem Foundation, Inc. – 929
Feminist Press – T405
Kaya Press – 1309
Kundiman – 728
Lambda Literary – 908
Mouthfeel Press – T1122
Nightboat Books – 1024
Santa Fe Writers Project (SFWP) – 1202 (Monica Prince will be selling advanced copies of her next book, Roadmap: A Choreopoem, along with other authors. Come say hi!)
This year, February flew by so quickly that I only just realized it ended. Our amazing Women Who Submit members, however, have been working hard, as always, and their efforts have paid off with more amazing publications.
The WWS members included in this post published their work during the month of February. I’ve included an excerpt from published pieces (if available) or a blurb (if available) if the publication is a book, along with a link (if available) to where the pieces can be purchased and/or read in their entirety.
Please join me in celebrating our members who published in February!
