Events

May 21: The Making of Trade Science Books: Best Practices from a Distinguished Imprint

SCIENCE WRITERS IN NEW YORK (SWINY)

cordially invites you to attend

 

The Making of Trade Science Books:

Best Practices from a Distinguished Imprint

 

Door prizes: 5 copies of Frankenstein’s Cat and 5 copies of Gravity’s Engines!

In 2010, book publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Scientific American magazine formed a book imprint – Scientific American / Farrar, Straus and Giroux – that draws on the editorial and marketing expertise of both publishers in order to produce general interest science books. Two publishers who head up this distinguished imprint – Fred Guterl, Executive Editor of Scientific American, and Amanda Moon, Senior Editor at Scientific American / Farrar, Straus and Giroux —  will discuss the strategies and trends that drive success in today’s science book market.

publishersThey will be joined by two of the imprint’s authors – Caleb Scharf, author of Gravity’s Engines: How Bubble-Blowing Black Holes Rule Galaxies, Stars, and Life in the Cosmos and The Copernicus Complex, and Emily Anthes, author of Frankenstein’s Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech’s Brave New Beasts – will share their experiences not only in developing their works but also in promoting and publicizing them. These authors each represent different arenas of the science book world (one being a journalist, and the other, a scientist).

authors

The panel will discuss:

  • strategies and trends that drive success in today’s science book market.
  • what makes a good trade science book generally
  • what today’s readers look for in a science book
  • how science books take shape, from idea to published work
  • how authors and their publishers collaborate best together to draw the interest of the target audiences

This discussion will take place during the kick-off week for North America’s largest publishing event, BookExpo America (BEA) to be held at New York City’s Jacob Javits Convention Center May 29 – June 1.

When:
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Where:
Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) Headquarters
71 West 23rd Street, 4th Floor

ADMISSION:
SWINY and EFA members attend at no cost, and nonmembers pay $15.

RSVPhttp://swiny.pandaform.com/pub/mlm0k7/new

Events

May 6: Adventures in Science Writing: How to Build a Sustainable and Sane Science Writing Career

Science Writers in New York

and The Writers of SciLance Present

Adventures in Science Writing:

How to Build a Sustainable and Sane

Science Writing Career

sciencewritershandbookWhether you’re a seasoned professional, brand new, or just curious about science writing—you’ll want to meet Adam Aston, Alison Fromme, Emily Gertz, Andreas von Bubnoff, and Sarah Webb, contributors to the brand new book, The Science Writers’ Handbook: Everything You Need To Know To Pitch, Publish And Prosper In The Digital Age. They will share personal stories from the trenches of science writing — tales of frustration, victory, danger, and more. Afterwards, the crew will address how-to questions about building a sustainable and sane science writing career. We’ll discuss topics such as finding and crafting a story, pitching to publications, understanding business structures, negotiating contracts, handling ethical matters, and dealing with emotional issues like isolation and envy, work–life balance. Come chat, share, and learn.

We’ll serve light refreshments and have books available for sale.

When:
Monday, May 6, 2013
7–9 pm

Where:
Green Spaces
394 Broadway, 5th fl (between Walker & White, just south of Canal St)

Subway: J/N/Q/R/Z/6 or A/C/E to Canal Street; 1 to Canal or Franklin Street

Admission:
Free for students and for members of SWINY, NASW and Green Spaces; all others $10

RSVP: By May 3 (space is limited) at http://swiny.pandaform.com/pub/ndnboh/new

Events

April 11: Grab Your Reader! Writing Tactics That Hook and Hold Your Audience

Science Writers in New York (SWINY) and
Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) present:

GRAB YOUR READER!
Writing Tactics That Hook and Hold Your Audience

 

keep-calm-and-grab-your-readerJoin us for on April 11 at EFA’s headquarters in Chelsea for an evening of hands-on writing and editing experiments, inspired by 10 Top Chef-inspired “quick-fire challenges” for writers*, and flavored with additional local SWINY/EFA seasonings.

Program Leaders:
From SWINY: Beth Schachter, Science Communications Consultant
From EFA: Emily Albarillo, Editor & Proofreader

Whether we’re working on books, articles, blogs, press releases, or any other type of non-fiction material, we’ve all got the same goal: get people to read what we craft. If you’re a non-fiction writer or editor, you’re invited to join a group of colleagues for a stimulating hands-on approach to prose polishing.

Participants will take away ideas and tactics for choosing livelier words, more graceful phrasing, and the most compelling bit of information from the spectrum of available facts. With an eye on both the medium and the target audience, we’ll practice fresh approaches to seizing and keeping the reader’s attention.

When:
April 11, 2013
6 PM – 8 PM (The action begins at 6:14 sharp!**)

Where:
Editorial Freelancers Association Headquarters
71 West 23rd Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10010

Admission:
Free to Members of EFA and SWINY
$10 for non-members
$5 for students

RSVP:  http://swiny.pandaform.com/pub/gsaws4/new

* (exercises are courtesy of SWINY/NASW member, Denise Graveline)
** OK, this is somewhat tongue in cheek, but seriously: we have lots of exercises planned, so please show up promptly so you can get the most out of our program!