Sunriver Writers' Summit Comes to Oregon This Weekend

The Sunriver Writers' Summit debuts this weekend, June 7-8, 2014. Seeking writers prepared to settle only for exceptional in their pursuit of publication success, the Summit is an extension of the renowned Southern California Writers' Conference (SCWC), which has facilitated over $4 million worth of first-time authors' book and screen deals over the past 28 years. The Summit's focus is on elevating the quality of storytelling-from craft and execution through completed book presentation-to a level that immediately distinguishes itself in an ever-expanding marketplace, already saturated with lackluster titles.

In a departure from larger SCWC events, held annually in San Diego and Newport Beach, CA, the Sunriver Writers' Summit is a two-day program consisting of three exclusive tracks, strictly limited in attendance, to be held in the resort community of Sunriver, Oregon.

SCWC Executive Director Michael Steven Gregory, himself an accomplished writer and filmmaker, and Sunriver resident, sees the Summit as vital to increasing the odds for a writer's chance of success. "Writers need to break the cycle of rejection, whether it be from agents, publishers or, most importantly, book buying readers," he says. "And with the ease of publication what it is today, far too many writers are giving up on the traditional path to publication, altogether, and simply skipping straight to self-publication. But just because you can, doesn't mean you should. The overwhelming majority of titles-especially those that are self-published-fail to find a readership for a reason: they're not ready for public consumption."

With an estimated 300,000 books now being published each year, Gregory argues that the likelihood of an author achieving success extends beyond writing a good story. He explains, "Regardless of which genre you're working in, and especially if you're going to self-publish, there's infinite obstacles an author must overcome to get readers to invest both time and money to buy her book, even if she's written a great book. Our aim with the Summit is to not only educate writers on crafting a quality, commercial story, but on the absolute necessity to strive for excellence, settle only for exceptional, at every stage of producing a book worthy of publication."

For its initial outing, the Sunriver Writers' Summit will feature three 12-hour workshop tracks.

1. "Achieving Indie Excellence for Authors," with best-selling author/editor and Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Laura Taylor

2. "NovelCram: Building the Better Book," with NY Times best-selling author Drusilla Campbell

3. "Your Legacy in Print: Writing and Publishing Your Life Story," with author/acquisitions editor/freelance editor Jennifer Silva Redmond

The cost of the weekend Sunriver Writers' Summit, including three 12-hour workshop tracks and special guest speaker, is $350. For additional information on the Sunriver Writers' Summit, to be held at the Sunriver Resort, 17600 Center Drive, Sunriver, OR, contact Michael Steven Gregory at (619) 303-8185 or email him at msg (at) WritersConference (dot) com. Or visit the SWS online at http://www.SunriverWritersSummit.com.

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