SPJ West Coast Multicultural Writer-Editor Conference
July 9 and 10, 2004
Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 Ninth St., Ste. 290, Oakland

Workshop Schedule (Updated July 7, 2004)
FRIDAY, JULY 9
2 p.m. -
5 p.m.		 Pre-conference Workshop For Matched Writers
   
SATURDAY, JULY 10
9:30 a.m. Editor Orientation
9:15 a.m. -
10:45 a.m.		 WRITE A WINNING QUERY EVERY TIME
Don’t write another query that lands in the circular file or that dusty “look at later” pile. Don’t blow it on the follow up, leaving editors to wonder if you’re really interested. Here’s how to write queries that will kick open to the doors to editors’ hearts and minds, then how to follow up and get the assignment.
MODERATOR: Lucia Hwang
PANELISTS: Tram Nguyen, editor of ColorLines; Andi Zeisler, co-founder and editorial/creative director of Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture; Martin Lasden, senior editor at California Lawyer
 
  WINNING SUPPORT: GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
Grants and fellowships are great vehicles to delve deeper into a subject or boost education and training, while cash awards offer recognition and help fund your next story. Writers and sponsors give you a tour of opportunities and techniques for success.
MODERATOR: Pueng Vongs, editor, New California Media
PANELISTS: Yumi Wilson, assistant professor at San Francisco State University; Andrew Lam, editor at Pacific News Service; Dawn Garcia, deputy director of the John S. Knight Fellowships at Stanford University; Laurie A. Stevens, student advisor and corporate programs manager, Institute of International Education/West Coast Center; Rose Arrieta, fellow for the Independent Press Association’s George Washington Williams Fellowship for Journalists of Color
   
9:45 a.m. -
4:45 p.m.		 Editor one-on-ones run every half hour for 10 sessions from 9:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., with the breaks at the same time as the panel breaks.
10:45 a.m. -
11 a.m.		 Break
11 a.m. -
12:30 p.m.		 FREELANCE FINANCIAL SURVIVAL STRATEGIES
Beyond the challenge of making a living as a freelancer are all of those other pesky details of feeling financially secure: managing billing and expenses, health insurance, and retirement planning. A mixed panel of freelancers and financial-planning experts share their experiences and knowledge and answer your questions about making freelancing work for you.
MODERATOR: Suneel Ratan
PANELISTS: J.B. Brainerd, tax attorney; Eric Ball, financial planner
 
  INSIDER'S GUIDE TO EDITORS
You may be a brilliant reporter and writer, but you can’t do it alone. Maintaining lasting relationships with editors is the bottom line in the freelance business. Editors tell the inside story on how to keep them happy and the work coming in; writers share their secret editor-management techniques.
MODERATOR: Linda Jue, director, New Voices in Independent Publishing, Independent Press Association
PANELISTS: Reese Erlich, freelance journalist; Julia Bencomo Lobaco, deputy editor of AARP Segunda Juventud, AARP's bilingual publication for 50+ Hispanics; Pam Feinsilber, senior editor for San Francisco magazine; Chiori Santiago, freelance writer
12:30 p.m. -
2 p.m.		 Lunch
2 p.m. -
3:30 p.m.		 BOOK STORIES
Is your story worth a book? Turn that riveting piece into a great American bestseller. Authors, book agents and publishers share the ins and outs of developing a story into a book, finding an agent that's right for you and getting your best story onto the bookshelves.
MODERATOR: Venise Wagner
PANELISTS: Pat Holt, author of Holt Uncensored and former book review editor and critic for The San Francisco Chronicle; Helen Zia , author and contributing editor, Ms. Magazine; and Christine Carswell, associate publisher of the adult trade division of San Francisco's Chronicle Books.
 
  KNOW YOUR MARKET
Understand trends in the magazine industry and how they affect you as a writer. Editors and successful writers discuss which magazines are succeeding and why, which ones have gone out of style, and what you need to write in order to sell stories in today’s market.
MODERATOR: Jason Johnson
PANELISTS: Nell Bernstein, freelance writer for Glamour, Health, Mother Jones, the Industry Standard and others; Jane Goldman, founder of Chow magazine; David Weir, Stanford professor and formerly senior editor at 7x7, Salon.com, Wired Digital, KQED, California magazine, and Mother Jones
3:30 p.m. -
3:45 p.m.		 Break
3:45 p.m. -
5:15 p.m.		 WRITE A WINNING QUERY EVERY TIME
Don’t write another query that lands in the circular file or that dusty “look at later” pile. Don’t blow it on the follow up, leaving editors to wonder if you’re really interested. Here’s how to write queries that will kick open to the doors to editors’ hearts and minds, then how to follow up and get the assignment. (Second session)
MODERATOR: Paul Lee Cannon
PANELISTS: Kathleen Wong, senior editor, California Wild; Josh Wilson is the editor of Newsdesk.org; Gretchen Lee, managing editor, Curve magazine
 
  GET PAID MORE!
Learn how to keep your rights and bump up your pay rate. Do your editors seem to think you ought to pay them to get published? Feel in the dark about the going rate? Negotiating and contract experts teach you how to negotiate a top rate and keep your copyright, too.
MODERATOR: Todd Pitock, National Writers Union national periodicals contracts advisor
5:15 p.m. -
6:30 p.m.		 Reception
6:30 p.m. -
8 p.m.		 Keynote Angelo Figueroa, editor-at-large, Time Inc. magazines