Sep 5

Todd Jay Leonard to speak on textbook publishing at the Japan Writers Conference

Posted by Tom Baker

Textbook author Todd Jay is one of the JET alumni writers who will be giving presentations at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference, held on Oct. 15-16 at the Shonan Campus of Tokai University in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. For details, see http://japanwritersconference.org. Here’s the official description of his presentation:

Todd Jay Leonard
Publishing in the EFL Market in Japan: Four Perspectives on How to Make Your Proposal Count
Short Lecture with Q&A
Instructional


This presentation will outline the current publishing market in Japan for EFL/ESL textbooks by reviewing the various points of view of the publishing industry. The presenter, Todd Jay Leonard, has published extensively within the ESL/EFL market in Japan and will offer helpful advice to budding authors who wish to pursue projects geared to Japan’s domestic market.

Most likely, every language teacher in Japan has (at some point during his/her tenure) contemplated writing a textbook to fill a void in the market…in that constant search for the perfect, all-encompassing textbook.

In today’s competitive publishing world, getting the proverbial “foot in the door” can seem daunting and nearly impossible. What are publishers looking for in the current market? What appeals to editors who ultimately decide which titles go to production and which ones do not? What are the salespeople on the front lines hearing from their market base? What must an author do in order to get his/her book published?

This presentation focuses on these very questions, offering inside insights from all the various points of view that must be considered when writing a proposal to publish a textbook–the publisher, the editor, the salesperson, and the author. Professor Leonard explains the realities within the publishing industry and addresses some common myths associated with EFL publishing.

Todd Jay Leonard has been actively involved in book publishing for 30 years and has published 26 books. He has published books with a number of different Japanese publishing companies and this experience has given him a unique perspective in offering advice to potential authors on what the market is looking for currently and what the publishing industry is searching for in new titles.

He lives, writes, and teaches on the southern island of Kyushu, where he is a university professor at University of Teacher Education Fukuoka and is the department head for the English Department for the graduate faculty. He has published extensively in academic journals, magazines, and newspapers on cross-cultural, historical, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) themes.


May 10

Posted by Tom Baker

JET alum Tom Baker, a “Jeopardy!” champion and regular participant in the Tokyo pub quiz scene, gave a talk at the most recent Japan Writers Conference about “How to Write Pub Quiz.”
You can watch his presentation below, and find more JWC presentations — including several by former JETs — at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.
Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


May 10

Japan Writers Conference: Karen Hill Anton on memoir

Posted by Tom Baker

Longtime Japan resident Karen Hill Anton talked about how to turn an interesting life into a readable book in ” It’s all in the writing – you get no credit for living,” a presentation that she gave at the most recent Japan Writers Conference.
If you have a Japan memoir inside you, watch her presentation below for inspiration and ideas. You can find more JWC presentations at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.
Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


May 10

Japan Writers Conference: Melinda Taliancich Falgoust on self-publishing

Posted by Tom Baker

International award-winning author Melinda Taliancich Falgoust gave a presentation titled “Self-Publishing on a Shoestring: Quality Independent Publishing on a Zero or Low Budget” at the most recent Japan Writers Conference.
You can watch her presentation below, and find more JWC presentations at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.
Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


May 7

Japan Writers Conference: Iain Maloney on “autocomposting”

Posted by Tom Baker

Gifu-based Scottish author Iain Maloney says, “My latest book, a novella, was written in two days, but was the result of nearly ten years of thinking and planning.” He describes how he did it in a presentation titled “The Writing Process, Autocomposting and Writer’s Block,” which he gave at the Japan Writers Conference.
You can watch his presentation below, and find more JWC presentations — including several by former JETs — at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.
Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


May 6

JET alum writers: Joyce Jarman Walsh on interviewing

Posted by Tom Baker

JET alum Joyce Jarman Walsh, who runs a livestream talkshow called #SeekingSustainability, gave a presentation titled “Live + Engaging Networking via Interviews with Japan Insiders” at the most recent Japan Writers Conference.
You can watch a video of her talk below, and find more JWC presentations — including several by former JETs — at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.
Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


Apr 28

Posted by Tom Baker

JET alum and novelist Joanne Anderton gave a presentation titled “Speculative Fiction Autobiography” at the most recent Japan Writers Conference.

You can watch her presentation below, and find more JWC presentations — including several by former JETs — at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.

Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


Apr 21

Posted by Tom Baker

Novelist and JET alum Suzanne Kamata hosted a panel discussion on “Writing Identity” at the most recent Japan Writers Conference. Joining her were Tokyo-based writer Clara Kiyoko Kumagai; Kyoto-based fantasy writer and translator Kristin Osani; Indonesian-born Singaporean writer Clarissa Goenawan; and award-winning young adult author Sara Fujimura.

You can watch their discussion below, and find more JWC presentations — including several by former JETs — at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.

Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


Apr 19

Japan Writers Conference: Hans Brinckmann on memoirs

Posted by Tom Baker

Longtime Japan resident Hans Brinckmann talked about turning his life into a book in “Making a Memoir from a Journal,” a talk that he gave at the most recent Japan Writers Conference.

If you have a Japan memoir inside you, watch his presentation below for inspiration and ideas. You can find more JWC presentations at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.

Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


Apr 16

Posted by Tom Baker

Japan Times columnist Melinda Joe gave a presentation titled “So You Want to be a Food Writer” at the most recent Japan Writers Conference.

You can watch her presentation below, and find more JWC presentations at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.

Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


Apr 3

Posted by Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91)


Poet and JET alum Michael Frazier gave a presentation titled “A Poem is a Thing that Moves: Contemporary Lyric Poems” at the most recent Japan Writers Conference.
You can watch his presentation below, and find more JWC presentations — including several by former JETs — at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.
Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


Mar 30

Japan Writers Conference: Michael Dylan Welch on haiku

Posted by Tom Baker


Michael Dylan Welch, a leading figure in the English-language haiku world, gave a talk titled “Even in Kyoto: Place Names in Haiku” at the Japan Writers Conference.
You can watch his presentation below, and find more JWC presentations — including several by former JETs — at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.
Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


Mar 29

Posted by Tom Baker


Novelist and JET alum Percival Constantine gave a talk at the most recent Japan Writers Conference about “Successful Self-Publishing.”
You can watch his presentation below, and find more JWC presentations — including several by former JETs — at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.
Also, if you would like to give your own presentation at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal here. The deadline is June 1.


Mar 26

Posted by Tom Baker


Hollywood screenwriter Steven Wolfson gave a talk on “Cinematic Storytelling” at the Japan Writers Conference.
You can watch his presentation below, and find more JWC presentations — including several by former JETs — at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.
Also, if you are a writer who would like to give a presentation of your own at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal at here. The deadline is June 1.


Mar 23

Japan Writers Conference: Barry Eisler gave a talk on “How to Write a Killer Opening”

Posted by Tom Baker
Best-selling thriller author Barry Eisler, who has lived in Japan and set some of his novels there, gave a talk on “How to Write a Killer Opening” at Japan Writers Conference.
You can watch his presentation below, and find more JWC presentations — including several by former JETs — at the Japan Writers Conference YouTube Channel.
Also, if you are a writer who would like to give a presentation of your own at the 2022 Japan Writers Conference this October, you can submit a proposal at http://japanwritersconference.org/submit-proposal/. The deadline is June 1.


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