Maryland Writers Association - The Writer's Ally™

Point of View Is About More than Pronouns–Maryland Writers Conference, March 29-31

The Maryland Writers’ Association will hold its Annual Conference in a week and we are happy to announce that our very own Harrison Demchick will be presenting an intensive session on POV and perspective.

A story can be told from different perspectives—first-person, third-person limited, third-person omniscient, and more—but point of view is about far more than the pronouns you use. What are the pros and cons of each? How can point of view be used to focus your narrative? And what perspective best reflects the story you want to tell?

Harrison brings his unique experiences as a developmental editor, author, and filmmaker to this offbeat but informative talk on the craft of writing fiction. You can find him at the conference on the 31st of March at 9:30 am.

The conference begins March 29 and runs through the 31st for an info-packed weekend at the BWI Airport Marriott. For more details about the conference, you may contact Eileen McIntire at president@marylandwriters.org or you may register for the conference here.

Choosing the Right Editorial Service for You with MWA’s Baltimore Chapter — Feb. 28, 2019

Every year, more than a million books are published. To get an edge against these overwhelming odds, many writers hire freelance editors to review their manuscripts. How does one choose the right editorial service?

This talk will teach you everything you need to know to have a happy and successful freelance experience, including:

What types of editorial services are available, and how to determine which you need.
Where to find and how to properly evaluate service providers so you make the best choice for you and your project.
What to expect money- and contract-wise to avoid ending up disappointed or, worse, getting scammed.

Join Ally as she speaks about “Choosing the Right Editorial Service for You” with the MWA Baltimore Chapter.

This is happening on February 28, 2019 at 7:00pm at
Cockeysville Recreation Center (across from the Cockeysville Library)
9836 Greenside Drive Cockeysville, MD 21030

For more information, please contact chapter president
Flo McCahon at mwab@marylandwriters.org. To register, click here.

Get More Book Reviews, Sell More Books with Ally and MWA Carroll County–February 9, 2019

It may seem like the first step for any author is to try and sell books. But if you haven’t already gotten at least 25 4- and 5- star reviews on Amazon, anyone who lands on your sales page is unlikely to take the next step and buy your book. And that’s not the only thing that’s probably keeping you from making more sales.

Are you tired of begging your friends and family to post reviews of your book on sites like Amazon.com? Unsure how to use Goodreads to reach readers? Does getting each book sale and/or review feel like pulling teeth?

It’s all about having the right approach to listing and promoting your book in its first 30 days, a crucial window for engaging Amazon in promoting your book for you. I’ll show you how to do it.

Join Ally and the MWA Carroll County Chapter as we explore how to get more book reviews and sell more books!

This is happening on February 9, 2019 at 1:00 – 3:00 pm at the Finksburg Branch Library (2265 Old Westminster Pike Finksburg, MD 21048).

For more information, you may contact Joelle Jarvis, MWA Carroll County President, at mwacc@marylandwriters.org

Forming and Using a Book Marketing Street Team with MWA Baltimore – April 2018

Though a lot of our marketing efforts have moved online, many authors still use a “street team” to help promote their books. This collaborative effort can be a powerful way to boost your signal! Join Ally as she teams up with the Maryland Writers Association (MWA) Baltimore Chapter to present her instructional talk, “Forming and Using a Book Marketing Street Team.” This info-packed evening is coming at you on April 26, 2018, so mark your calendar.

In this presentation, you’ll learn what a street team is, how to assemble and coordinate the right team for your book, and some best practices and tips on how to leverage this tactic effectively. Some reasons you might want to use a street team?

It’s a long-term tactic that plugs in easily to your marketing strategy for enhanced results.
You can use it to cultivate and nurture a team of super fans ready to help you spread the word.
An effective street team can help you accomplish more with less effort on your part.

This event will be in Center for Creativity, Cockeysville Recreation Center at 9836 Greenside Drive, Cockeysville, MD 21030. You may contact chapter President Dr. Tapendu Basu at tkbasu@verizon.net for more information or visit their website. Hope to see you there!

Self-Publishing Success at Maryland Writers Conference – March 2018

I’ve been an active member of the Maryland Writers’ Association for several years now, and so it’s with great pleasure that I will be participating as a speaker at this year’s Maryland Writers Conference. The MWA is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with a two-day event. That means double the networking, double the fun, and double the amount of excellent information for authors of all levels.

This year’s conference features screenwriter and consultant to the stars Michael Hauge, known for his motivational writing workshops; the Poet Laureate of Maryland Stanley Plumly presenting a half-day workshop, and award-winning thriller writer John Gilstrap. Agent pitches, keynote talks at breakfast and lunch on Saturday, panels and workshops. This is one conference you won’t want to miss.

I’ll be there giving my presentation, “5 Steps to Self-Publishing Success.” With so many options, it can be difficult to navigate your way to self-publishing success. But if you want great results, you need to get real! Just copying what indie phenoms like Amanda Hocking or J.A. Konrath are doing may not work for you. You need a plan designed for your type of book and your particular situation. This presentation will give you a simple five-step roadmap while revealing crucial industry secrets to help you get past the 100-copy ceiling that disheartens so many self-publishers.

I’ll also be available for private, one-on-one consults during the event along with several other excellent editors and agents.

The Maryland Writers Conference is happening on March 23-24, 2018 at the BWI Marriott. I’m speaking in the afternoon on Saturday (check out the schedule here).

For more information, you may visit the Maryland Writers Conference website or fill out the form on the site to contact Conference Coordinator Jess Williams.

Founder of The Writer’s Ally, Ally E. Machate is a bestselling book collaborator, award-winning editor, and expert publishing consultant who loves using her insider knowledge and experience with the publishing industry to lead serious authors toward success. She and her team live to help make great books happen, whether that means showing a writer how to improve a manuscript, get an agent, or self-publish; or coaching an author on growing her platform to sell more books. Since 1999, she has supported hundreds of authors on their publishing journey and takes pride in serving as their books’ best ally.

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