Writing Wednesday: Sacramento Writing Classes

We temporarily interrupt Writing Wednesday for a special announcement. Those of you living and writing in the Sacramento, California area should know about a new opportunity to sharpen your craft through the Sacramento Public Library system.

The library has started a “community writing and publishing center” offering courses for writers at all experience and interest levels. Courses run 4-8 weeks, depending on content, and are offered in the evenings at various library locations around the Sacramento area.

A complete course catalog for winter 2012 (courses starting in January) is available here.

Among the offerings: The Craft of Creative Writing (all genres), Write Your Family Cookbook, Get Blogging!, Self-Publishing – Is it the Right Choice for You? and – last but decidedly not least

Contracts Demystified: Publishing Law for Writersa 6-week course about publishing contracts and how to understand them. I mention this one specially because … I’m teaching it. The course will take a look at both traditional and self-publishing contracts, with an emphasis on teaching authors to avoid common pitfalls and understand publishing deals. Whether you have an agent or an attorney – and especially if you intend to negotiate for yourself – the course will have something for everyone.

This won’t be a dry set of lectures in boring legalese. There is no required textbook and no “homework” – though if publication is your goal, there will be plenty to think about after the classes end!

We’ll look at industry trends, traps to avoid, and the difference between traditional publishing contracts and the ones you may see if self-publishing or e-publishing is your choice.

The organizers have also asked me to mention that scholarships are available for those who qualify, but scholarship spaces are limited so contact the program now if you’re interested in applying!

Hope to see you there!