What is a "pitch" anyway? 

Can you tell someone what your story is about in 25 words or less? That's the Pitch. For example, "A farm girl goes on a fantastic adventure only to find out there's really no place like home" is the pitch for, you guessed it, The Wizard of Oz. Nonfiction is easier: "My book is about (fill-in-the-blank), which I am qualified to write because I am have lots of experience as a (fill-in-the-blank)."

Knowing the pitch for your book will take you that much closer to selling it.

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Registration - questions about signing up, fees, options, and refunds

I am confused by all the options this conference offers. How do I sort it all out?

Start with the basics. The conference is two days long. Do you want to attend both days, or just Saturday? Typically, "Saturday only" is for commuters. If your budget allows, the full 2-day conference offers the best experience. 

Next, there are the 3 optional events: Saturday dinner, Sunday brunch, and a Sunday afternoon tour.

• Saturday night dinner is the conference finale. The Steinbeck Center is wonderful museum.
• Sunday brunch at The Steinbeck House: you can do this on your own, but how often are you in Salinas on a Sunday morning? The docent talk is fascinating and the food is quite good.
• Sunday's Cannery Row tour: as a tourist in Monterey, you can walk by Ed Ricketts' Pacific Biological Lab, but a look inside is not available to the general public.

Do I need to preregister or sign up for the seminars and workshops?

No. Your conference registration fee allows you full access to any seminar or workshop held on the days you attend. Choose the sessions that interest you and grab a chair. Switch to a different session if you wish, just please do so quietly so as not to disrupt the workshop for others.

My friend doesn't have an Internet connection and wants to come to the conference. Can you mail her a registration form?

Happily! Send a request for a 2008 East of Eden Writers Conference registration form to:
CWC South Bay Writers
East of Eden Writers Conference
PO Box 3254
Santa Clara, CA 95055

If I need to cancel my registration, what is your refund policy?

Cancellations must be made in writing. Email your request to registrar@southbaywriters.com or send it via postal mail to:

East of Eden Writers Conference
c/o California Writers Club
PO Box 3254
Santa Clara, CA 95055

Requests must be postmarked or emailed on or before August 20, 2008. We will charge a $50 administrative fee for all refunds.

I still want to go to the conference, but I want to cancel an optional event or contest entry fee, etc. How do I get a refund for part of the original fee I paid?

Contact our registrar (see email and postal addresses above ) to request the refund. Please include your name, address, and other contact info with your request for the item(s) refund. We will mail you a check for the refunded amount.

Please note our policy (above) on refunds of partial payments.

I want to change my registration to add an optional event.  How do I do that?

Send an email to our registrar@southbaywriters.com with the information. The registrar will let you know if there is space available and tell you how to pay the extra amount.

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General questions

Who's doing this conference anyway?

The East of Eden Writers Conference is brought to you by the South Bay branch of the California Writers Club. This is the fourth East of Eden Writers  Conference. The event is held every other year, in even years.

CWC South Bay Writers is an active group of 180+ writers in the Santa Clara Valley / San Jose area. Each month we have guest speakers at a dinner meeting or other events for working and aspiring writers. For more information about our club, please visit our website. Oh, wait. You're already on our website. Okay, then go back to our main website and explore.

There are branches of CWC throughout California. Check out CWC State's website to find the branch near you.

Is there an age limit for the conference?

Not really. Most of our workshops and events are targeted to the adult writer. We have no programming specific to young writers. That said, any writer of any ability is welcome.

Will there be books for sale at the conference?

Barnes & Noble will have a table at the Community Center, selling books by conference speakers and faculty. You can have books autographed by the authors after the keynote addresses or after workshops. We recommend that you purchase any books you'd like autographed early so that you'll have them ready when the author is available.

Can I enter the writing contest if I don't attend the conference?

No. Only conference attendees are eligible. You do not have to submit your entry at the time you register, but you must register to have your entry accepted.

For the writing contests, regarding the page limits, (e.g., first 25 pages of ms.), what if the 25th page ends in the middle of a sentence? Should I edit the piece to make it come out at the end of a paragraph or on a cliff-hanger or...? 

Don't worry about where your piece ends when you're making a submission, unless the contest or critique is asking for a short story, article, or poem of a specific length (which means they want to see a beginning, middle and end). When you're submitting a portion of a longer work, it's silly to waste time worrying about where the piece ends. The judges know it's not supposed to have reached a conclusion or a cliffhanger or the end of a chapter, so they really don't care about where the page limit cuts them off.

It's much more important to work on how the piece begins--because if it doesn't begin very well, the judges will never even get to the end. Make your first five pages especially flawless, with perfect formatting and grammar and compelling prose.

Many beginning writers start their piece with a lot of narrative, to "set things up." When you're looking at your submission -- especially if you're thinking that you wish the submission could be longer because the good part is on page 23 -- consider starting right in the middle of the exciting action and filling the reader in on all that information you had up front in subtle ways, within the action.

We highly recommend Noah Lukeman's book, The First Five Pages.

 How should I dress?

As you like. We are generally a casual group, but feel free to wow us with your fabulous sense of style, if that's your thing. Dress up for dinner? You will not be the only one, especially at the National Steinbeck Center. Outside temperatures are likely to be cool, so make sure you have a jacket or sweater. 

With all the events, the workshops, the constant talking, what happens if I "hit the wall" sometime Saturday afternoon?

Some of us call it "conference lag." Others aren't sure what's wrong, but they want to run screaming from the building to find a quiet place under the trees. Writers' conferences can and do overload and overwhelm people.

To recharge, take deep breaths or a lap around the building, drink plenty of water, and pace yourself. You may also take advantage of our Quiet Room on the second floor of the Community Center where you can rest, look over your notes, or take a power nap. It's a trademark of our conference. Just for you!

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Special needs

Are your venues wheelchair accessible?

The Salinas Community Center, our main venue, has new, improved handicapped access to all areas. The National Steinbeck Center is also a modern building with excellent access. And the Laurel Inn conference center, where we have our Night Owl Sessions, is all on one level and easy to access from the parking lot.

We do not recommend some of our optional activities for people with mobility issues.
The Steinbeck House, an older building, does not have wheelchair access and has several stairs to climb. The Cannery Row Tour will also be difficult for those with motor disabilities. There are several wooden steps to climb up to Doc Rickett's lab, and the sidewalks and stores along Cannery Row are narrow, steep in places, and crowded on Sunday afternoons. If you'd like to try these activities despite mobility problems, let us know and we'll do our best to help you.

As for lodging, unfortunately, the Laurel Inn does not have sufficient facilities. For nearby wheelchair-friendly hotels, check out the Marriott or Best Western (see info below). 

What if I need a vegetarian meal, have dietary restrictions or food allergies?

Please email EoE co-chair Kelly Harrison with your special dietary requests.

Most of our meals will be buffet-style, with many delicious and healthy choices. However, if you have dietary concerns please don't hesitate to contact Kelly. The caterers at Sherwood Hall and at the National Steinbeck Center are willing to prepare a few special meals, but we need to know about them ahead of time.

The Steinbeck House, where we are offering the Optional Sunday Brunch, has a limited menu. Those with special diets may have to skip this meal. Again, check with Kelly Harrison.

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Lodging questions

What do I do if the Laurel Inn has no vacancies by the time I get around to make reservations?

There are several other hotels convenient to our conference venues. We do not have special rate agreements with hotels other than the Laurel Inn. However, Salinas hotels tend to have reasonable rates.

Past conference attendees have enjoyed their stays at these nearby (within 2 miles) hotels:

• Marriott has a Residence Inn (17215 El Rancho Way) and a Courtyard hotel (17225 El Rancho Way).  
• Best Western also has 2 properties in the area: BW Salinas Valley Inn and Suites (187 Kern Street) and BW Hanns Inn (175 Kern Street)