UPCOMING SPEAKING EVENTS
May 21, 2023: Junior High Los Angeles
603 S Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204 @ 7:30PM
$10 donation per person. Refreshments served.
To request for event moderation or participation in a reading, please email melissaximena@gmail.com
PAST SPEAKING EVENTS
August 2nd, 2018: Women's Center for Creative Work Reading Series
Featuring readings and performances based on the theme "Control" by Bridgette Bianca, Shacole Hamlet, Melissa Ximena Golebiowski, and B.A. Williams.
2425 Grover Place, Los Angeles, CA @ 7:30PM
Free with limited space.
October 26th, 2016: PEN CENTER USA presents The Literary Dating Game for Lit Crawl LA
Kahuna Tiki | 8-9pm
One creative nonfiction bachelorette meets three possible literary matches. Throw in a stellar host, a stunning mistress of ceremonies, literary questions, some audience participation, and a Mai Tai or two, and you’ve got the recipe for love!
September 11th, 2016: Slice Literary Writers' Conference
Beyond Writing | 4-5pm
It’s a writer’s dream, finally landing a book deal. But what happens next? A group of authors discuss their journeys from a signed contract to a recent debut. Certainly, in every new writer’s career there are challenges. Perhaps their book cover wasn’t what they expected. Or maybe they had to change the title they had fallen in love with years ago! But there are also unforgettable, pinch-me moments, like reading from a newly printed book to a packed house. You’ll hear all about the trials and tribulations of being new to the scene, in addition to what’s next on the horizon for these debut authors.
Panelists include: Kaitlyn Greenidge, Gabriel Packard, Jung Yun, and Sari Wilson.
Moderator: Melissa X. Golebiowski
February 8-11, 2017: Association of Writers & Writing Programs 2017
To The Finish Line: Completing and Promoting the Novel
From the first fifty pages to the last, the first novel, for most writers, takes years. What is the real process and faith it actually takes to complete and sell a novel? What are the tools that writers need years into the process of writing a novel? What can a writer do to make sure a book delivers on its promise? What contacts make a difference when it is time to tour, sell, and promote it ? Three first time novelists and two publicists explore the different ways to get to “the end.”
Panelists include: Cynthia Bond, J. Ryan Stradal, Natashia Deon, and Katie Freeman.
Moderator: Melissa X. Golebiowski
April 28th-30th, 2016: Las Vegas Writers Conference
"Author Alternatives to Social Media"
"How to Best Navigate the New York Literary Scene"
September 13th, 2015: Slice Literary Writers' Conference
Please Don’t Tell Me to Start a Blog: Building a Platform Your Way
Nonfiction writers often hear that they need to “build a platform” to make themselves appealing to publishers. “People need to know who you are!” they say. “Start a blog! Get on Twitter!” Then your stomach churns. Fair enough, they don’t want a “nobody,” but are blogging and social media really the only ways to a publisher’s heart? Hear what agents and editors really care about when considering a nonfiction author’s platform, where to focus your energy when building your visibility, and how to create a meaningful presence if blogging or tweeting just aren’t for you.
Panelists: Lisa DiMona, Agent, Writers House; Jeff Kleinman, Agent, Folio Literary Management; Richard Nash, Publisher, Red Lemonade; Jessica Sindler, Editor, Spiegel & Grau; Courtney Young, Editor, Riverhead
Moderator: Melissa X. Golebiowski