Ruth will present a concise and powerful overview of the self-publishing process. Whether you’re a first-time author or looking to refine your self-publishing skills, this session will arm you with essential knowledge and actionable steps to kick-start your self-publishing journey. Led by an industry expert with years of experience, you’ll gain insights into the critical aspects of turning your manuscript into a professional, market-ready book.

Topics Covered:

• Introduction to Self-Publishing: Key differences between traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, and self-publishing; Overview of the self-publishing industry and its evolution

• Essential Steps Overview: A high-level walkthrough of the self-publishing process

• Choosing Your Platform: Introduction to major self-publishing platforms

• Marketing Basics: Overview of  categories, keywords, and metadata

By the end of Ruth’s presentation, you will have a solid understanding of the self-publishing landscape, the fundamental steps to getting started, and practical tips to avoid common pitfalls. This session is designed to provide a strong foundation, empowering you to take the first steps towards successful self-publishing.

Ruth Schwartz is the founder and CEO of Wonderlady Books, helping self-publishing authors turn finished manuscripts into well-published books. Ruth brings over 50 years of book publishing, design and printing industry experience to every author's project and has worked on over 200 independently-published books since 2012 when print on demand technology enabled the current indie publishing revolution. And she is the co-founder of Respecting Our Elders, the award-winning, all-volunteer food program.

Mary Oliver said “Poetry is one of the ancient arts, and it begins as did all the fine arts, within the original wilderness of the earth”

Marianne Lyon and a collective of poets will present a reimagining of the future of poetry. We will first explore verses past and present, beginning with recitations of verses by famous poets from the past. 

Napa Valley Writers and guests will be invited to explore poetry’s future—the marriage of prose and poetry—a genre called Prosetry. Writers will also be nudged to consider a piece of art or music to inspire the birth of verses. The finale will be a fun experience where we will write some collective poems together. We hope to leave you inspired, informed and optimistic about the future of poetry.

“You can find poetry in your everyday life, your memory, in what people say on the bus, in the news, or just what’s in your heart” – Carol Ann Duffy

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Marianne Lyon has been a music teacher for 39 years. After teaching in Hong Kong she returned to the Napa Valley and has been published in various literary magazines and reviews and nominated for the Pushcart Award in 2016. She has spent time teaching in Nicaragua. She is a member of the California Writers Club, Solstice Writers, Witness Protection Program Poets. She is an Adjunct Professor at Touro University Vallejo California and 2021 Napa County Poet Laureate. .