A Member educational benefit

Building Better Learning with Women Writing the West

Join WWW for exciting webinars, speaking events and classes on topics of interest to writers of the West.


Uncovering the Truth: A Journey Through the World of Journalism
With Susan Tweit

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

4:00 pm Pacific
5:00 pm Mountain

6:00 pm Central
7:00 pm Eastern

Join this free Zoom webinar to learn the different aspects of writing, including straight reporting and articles, personal journalism, and opinion essays. Plus, you will learn how to know who to send a query to, what a query is, and how to find people to interview.

Webinar will be recorded and available in the Members Only section of womenwritingthewest.org.

Inviting a non-member writer friend to join you for the webinar is a great idea, don’t you think?

WWW Educational Events are a member benefit and outreach program so invite your friends. It’s FREE!

Questions? Contact Kathy Secrist, sechristk@gmail.com

Watch the video of this webinar on the Members Only Page.

An award-winning writer, Susan J Tweit is a member of Women Writing the West. She has written 13 books of creative nonfiction, and her byline has appeared in national and regional magazines from Audubon and Popular Mechanics to Rocky Mountain Gardening, as well as newspapers including the LA Times, the Denver Post, and High Country News. She wrote a weekly column for the Las Cruces (NM) Sun-News for seven years, and for the Salida (CO) Mountain Mail for nearly a decade, and was a “Colorado Voices” editorial columnist for the Denver Post. 

Practically Painless Pitching Workshop

September 25 – 30, 2023

This online workshop is FREE to WWW Members
(Limited to the first 50 members to sign up)

Registration will open in August

The very successful author, Christina Dodd once said, ‘Submitting your work is like getting on stage, pulling down your pants, and asking for comments.’ Pitching is the same. Let’s face it; the thought of it is enough to make the strongest shudder and run.

So why do it? Because you believe in what you’ve written, and want to give it the best chance to be sold, right? RIGHT.

First, who am I to teach this class? I have fourteen books out now, as well as having won a RITA Award for Best First Book, but before that, I had 417 rejections before I sold, and I pitched a bunch.

I realized that pitching can be learned systematically and professionally, just as querying or any other aspect of submitting. I have tools to help you do this with poise and confidence.

What you will learn:

  • How to create a logline that sizzles, and turn it into an elevator pitch
  • How to create a compelling five-minute pitch
  • How to practice effectively
  • Pitch tips for the big day
  • Etiquette
  • Follow up

BONUS:
By the end of class, you’ll have the building blocks for your query. AND you’ll be able to talk about your book without rambling or sounding crazed!

How the class will work:
There will be lessons and homework to create your pitch.

You will then practice, and submit a video for critiquing, by myself and the class. Lather, rinse, repeat, until you are a star! Don’t be nervous, everyone in class will be in the same boat, rowing to the same destination: SUCCESS!

Laura Drake is a New York and self-published published author of Women’s Fiction and Romance. Her debut, The Sweet Spot, won the 2014 Romance Writers of America® RITA® award. She’s since published 13 more books. She is a founding member of Women’s Fiction Writers Assn. and Writers in the Storm blog.

Laura is a city girl who never grew out of her tomboy ways. She gave up the corporate CFO gig to write full time. She realized a lifelong dream of becoming a Texan and is currently working on her accent. She’s a wife, grandmother, and motorcycle chick in the remaining waking hours.

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Your donation to WWW supports this and other Women Writing the West programs and events, 
and is fully tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. (Federal ID#: 84-1297060)