Elements

How Cookbook Photography Works

Diane Morrisey — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:41:58 GMT

Current Revision posted to Elements by Diane Morrisey on 4/13/2026 3:41:58 PM

A lot goes into making a cookbook, especially the food photography. And author Diane Morrisey was surprised how much food styling conflicted with her idea of home cooking. For more on this author former caterer visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Diane-Morrisey/206493564.

www.youtube.com/watch

Tags: Cookbooks – Food – Wine, Nonfiction, video

Essays That Echo: Crafting Personal Essays That Resonate

Julie Ryan McGue — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:47:44 GMT

Current Revision posted to Elements by Julie Ryan McGue on 3/18/2026 7:47:44 PM

Discover how to transform real-life experiences into powerful, polished personal essays that resonate with readers.

In this engaging webinar, award-winning author Julie Ryan McGue breaks down the essential elements of standout nonfiction—from finding a meaningful story angle to shaping vivid scenes, weaving in reflection, and building a strong narrative arc. You’ll learn practical strategies for elevating everyday moments into artful, emotionally rich essays that connect on both personal and universal levels. Whether you’re new to creative nonfiction or looking to refine your craft, this session offers guidance and techniques to help you clarify your voice, sharpen your storytelling, and write with intention.

Watch the recording and take the next step toward writing essays that linger in the minds—and hearts—of your readers.

Here is the handout referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ALC-Handout-_2D00_-Essays-that-Echo_5F00_McGue.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../EssaysThatEchoCraftingPersonalEssaysThatResonate.mp4

About the Presenter:
Julie Ryan McGue is an American writer, a domestic adoptee, and an identical twin. Her first memoir, "Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging" (She Writes Press), released in May 2021, won multiple awards. Her work has appeared in Writers Digest, Story Circle Network Journal, Brevity Nonfiction Blog, Imprint News, Adoption.com, Adopting.com, Lifetime Adoption Adoptive Families Blog, Adoption & Beyond, and Severance Magazine. Her personal essays have appeared in several anthologies, including "Real Women Write: Seeing Through Her Eyes" (Story Circle Network), "Real Women Write: The Power of Friendship" (Story Circle Network) and "Art in the Time of Unbearable Crisis" (She Writes Press). Her collection of essays, "Belonging Matters: Conversations on Adoption, Family, and Kinship" (Muse Literary) released in November 2023. She writes a bi-weekly blog and monthly column (The Beacher Newspapers), in which she explores the topics of finding out who you are, where you belong and making sense of it. Her third book, "Twice the Family: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Sisterhood" (She Writes Press) released February 4, 2025. Julie splits her time between northwest Indiana and Sarasota, Florida.

Tags: Self-Help, Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Biographies and Memoirs

Essays That Echo: Crafting Personal Essays That Resonate

Author Learning Center — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 18:38:44 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Elements by Author Learning Center on 3/18/2026 6:38:44 PM

Discover how to transform real-life experiences into powerful, polished personal essays that resonate with readers.

Watch the recording and take the next step toward writing essays that linger in the minds—and hearts—of your readers.

Here is the handout referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ALC-Handout-_2D00_-Essays-that-Echo_5F00_McGue.pdf

Tags: Self-Help, Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Biographies and Memoirs

Crafting an Engaging Memoir

Jeanne Lyet Gassman — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:25:39 GMT

Current Revision posted to Elements by Jeanne Lyet Gassman on 2/12/2026 9:25:39 PM

If you’ve ever considered writing a memoir, you probably have an important story to tell. So, what are you waiting for? Are you wondering where to start? Or, maybe you’ve tried to write it but have struggled to push through?

In this recorded session with award-winning author Jeanne Lyet Gassman, you’ll learn everything it takes to write an engaging memoir including the basics of the genre, how to structure your story, how to tackle incomplete memories and liability concerns, and how to make your story compelling to others.

No more fear. No more procrastination. With the help of Jeanne, you’ll get the guidance and knowledge you need to finally write the personal story you’ve been wanting to tell.

Here are the handouts referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../2388.ALC-Crafting-Memoir-Handout.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../0676.ALC-Memoir-Reading-Handout.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../0537.ALC-Memoir-A_2D00_Z-Research-Handout.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../CraftinganEngagingMemoir26.mp4

About the Presenter:
Jeanne Lyet Gassman lives in the mountains of New Mexico where she writes and teaches. Her debut novel, "Blood of a Stone" (Tuscany Press), received a Bronze 2015 Independent Publisher Book Award. Her short work has been nominated for Best Small Fictions and the Pushcart Prize. Other awards include fellowships from Ragdale and the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Her short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry have been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies, including "45 Poems of Protest: The Pandemic", "Bosque7", "Dear America: Reflections on Race", "Debris & Detritus: The Lesser Greek Gods Running Amok", "The Manifest-Station", "Queen Mob's Tea House", and "Hippocampus Magazine", among many others. Jeanne recently received a New Mexico Writers Grant for her novel-in-progress, a story about a family of downwinders who were affected by the radioactive fallout from the atomic bomb tests in Nevada. You can learn more about Jeanne at her website: www.jeannelyetgassman.com or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/JeanneLyetGassman.

Tags: Self-Help, Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Biographies and Memoirs

Crafting an Engaging Memoir

Author Learning Center — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:23:41 GMT

Revision 3 posted to Elements by Author Learning Center on 2/12/2026 9:23:41 PM

Tags: Self-Help, Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Biographies and Memoirs

Using Fiction Elements to Enrich Your Non-Fiction Writing

Allie Pleiter — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:39:46 GMT

Current Revision posted to Elements by Allie Pleiter on 11/13/2025 1:39:46 PM

We all know stories have high impact. Great storytelling engages your reader and persuades your audience.

Let bestselling fiction author Allie Pleiter show you how elements of fiction—dialogue, description, and characterization—can give your non-fiction writing power, sparkle, and the ability to stick with your reader. Writers will learn:

• Where and when to use dialogue
•  How much description is too much?
•  Creating and using case-study characters
•  The power of storytelling in non-fiction

Whether you write memoir, business, how-to, essay, or any other non-fiction, your work can have new vibrancy with techniques borrowed from your favorite novel.

Here is the handout referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../8585.Using-Fiction-Elements_5F00_Pleiter-ALC-Handout.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../UsingFictionElementstoEnrichYourNonFictionWriting25.mp4

About the Presenter:
Award-winning bestselling author Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction working on as many as four books at a time. She teaches writers how to achieve the consistent, dependable productivity today’s market requires. The author of over 70 published titles, Allie has spent a decade in the publishing profession with over 1.9 million books sold worldwide. In addition to her own writing career, Allie maintains an active writing productivity coaching practice and speaks regularly on faith, the creative process, women’s issues, and her very favorite topic—The Chunky Method of time management.

Tags: Self-Help, Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Biographies and Memoirs, Education and Teaching, Business and Money, Politics &Social Sciences

Using Fiction Elements to Enrich Your Non-Fiction Writing

Author Learning Center — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:27:24 GMT

Revision 5 posted to Elements by Author Learning Center on 11/13/2025 1:27:24 PM

We all know stories have high impact. Great storytelling engages your reader and persuades your audience.

• Where and when to use dialogue
•  How much description is too much?
•  Creating and using case-study characters
•  The power of storytelling in non-fiction

Whether you write memoir, business, how-to, essay, or any other non-fiction, your work can have new vibrancy with techniques borrowed from your favorite novel.

Tags: Self-Help, Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Biographies and Memoirs, Education and Teaching, Business and Money, Politics &Social Sciences

What is the "Big Book of Bread"?

David Tamarkin — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:47:27 GMT

Current Revision posted to Elements by David Tamarkin on 12/16/2024 2:47:27 PM

King Arthur Baking Company's Editorial Director, David Tamarkin, shares a brief look at the company's new (and first!) bread book: The Big Book of Bread. For more on this cookbook and the company, visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/King-Arthur-Baking-Company/194930639.

www.youtube.com/watch

Tags: Cookbooks – Food – Wine, Nonfiction, video

Making Your Memoir Marketable: Tips for Writing and Publishing a Memoir that Will Attract Readers

Sheila Manna — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 20:21:58 GMT

Current Revision posted to Elements by Sheila Manna on 9/25/2024 8:21:58 PM

Memoir can be an excellent vehicle for writers wanting to share stories of real life experiences and struggles. Writing about a personal experience can certainly be an effective way to connect with others, but turning an idea into a full-length book that engages readers and keeps them turning the pages comes with many challenges.

In this session with ALC's Manager of Author Education, Sheila Manna, writers learn what a book's "marketability" means, why it’s so important, and 10 valuable tips to ensure you create a memoir that captures the attention of agents, publishers, and readers. This presentation includes discussions around:

• Knowing your target reader
•  Identifying your universal theme/s
•  The power of transformative storytelling
•  Building your author platform
•  Strengthening your pitch to agents and publishers
•  And more!

Sheila also reviews the major markets for memoir, and the various options for getting your personal stories and creative nonfiction published and in the hands of readers.

Here is the handout referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../Marketable-Memoirs_5F00_ALC-Handout.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../MakingYourMemoirMarketableTipsforWritingandPublishingaMemoir.mp4

About the Presenter:
Over the last eight years, Sheila has transferred her many years of product management and marketing communication experiences to the publishing industry, where she focuses on helping authors write and edit their best books, find a publishing path that works for them, and successfully build a readership through effective marketing strategies. As the Manager of Author Education for the ALC, Sheila develops and manages all of the website’s content and tools including webinar events, special programs, educational resources, and community engagement, while providing author support and guidance as needed.

Tags: Self-Help, Nonfiction, Recorded Webinar, Biographies and Memoirs, Education and Teaching

Making Your Memoir Marketable: Tips for Writing and Publishing a Memoir that Will Attract Readers

Author Learning Center — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 20:14:51 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Elements by Author Learning Center on 9/25/2024 8:14:51 PM

Sheila also reviews the major markets for memoir, and the various options for getting your personal stories and creative nonfiction published and in the hands of readers.

Tags: Self-Help, Nonfiction, Recorded Webinar, Biographies and Memoirs, Education and Teaching

Adding Characters (and Stories) to Your Nonfiction Book

Cathy Fyock — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 19:54:44 GMT

Current Revision posted to Elements by Cathy Fyock on 9/18/2024 7:54:44 PM

In this session, book coach Cathy Fyock explores the critical role that stories and characters play in engaging readers and enhancing your nonfiction narrative. Discover when and how to seamlessly integrate these elements into your work, and learn essential strategies for protecting the identities of real-life characters. Perfect for authors seeking to elevate their writing and connect more deeply with their audience, this webinar offers practical insights and actionable tips for crafting compelling nonfiction.

Here is the handout referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../Nonfiction-Charaters_5F00_Stories_5F00_ALC-Handout.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../AddingCharactersandStoriestoYourNonfictionBook.mp4
About the Presenter:
Cathy Fyock is The Business Book Strategist, and works with professionals and thought leaders who want to write nonfiction books as a business growth strategy. She is the author of 12 books, including “On Your Mark”, “Blog2Book”, “Authority”, “My New Book: The Upcoming Message that will Change the World”, and her newest book, “Writer Crisis Hotline”, co-authored with Allie Pleiter. Cathy's book, “The Speaker Author: Sell More Books and Book More Speeches”, became a #1 international bestseller in public speaking and speech writing, authorship, business consulting, publishing books and more. Since Cathy started her business in 2014, she has helped over 230 professionals become published authors. She believes that authors change the world, one word at a time.

Tags: Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar

Adding Characters (and Stories) to Your Nonfiction Book

Author Learning Center — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 18:41:03 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Elements by Author Learning Center on 9/18/2024 6:41:03 PM

Here is the handout referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../Nonfiction-Charaters_5F00_Stories_5F00_ALC-Handout.pdf

About the Presenter:
Cathy Fyock is The Business Book Strategist, and works with professionals and thought leaders who want to write nonfiction books as a business growth strategy. She is the author of 12 books, including “On Your Mark”, “Blog2Book”, “Authority”, “My New Book: The Upcoming Message that will Change the World”, and her newest book, “Writer Crisis Hotline”, co-authored with Allie Pleiter. Cathy's book, “The Speaker Author: Sell More Books and Book More Speeches”, became a #1 international bestseller in public speaking and speech writing, authorship, business consulting, publishing books and more. Since Cathy started her business in 2014, she has helped over 230 professionals become published authors. She believes that authors change the world, one word at a time.

Tags: Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar

7 Secrets to Finish Your Nonfiction Book Sooner Rather than Later

Pete Nikolai — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 23:54:04 GMT

Current Revision posted to Elements by Pete Nikolai on 7/10/2024 11:54:04 PM

Have you started writing a nonfiction book that you are struggling to finish? Do you have an idea for a book but don’t know how to get started?

Now you can start and finish your book sooner rather than later following the 7-step process that forms the foundation for the way many books are written. This webinar with Pete Nikolai of HarperCollins Christian Publishing provides abundant practical advice and clarifies the steps to take. You’ll learn how to:

• Identify your motivation
•  Find the time to write
•  Create your book proposal
•  Develop your writing plan
•  And, write your first draft

Along the way, you’ll determine when you could finish your book based on your personal writing output and the time you have available to write. You’ll discover how to transform your dreams into your vision and how to establish the goals and action steps needed to make your vision a reality.

Writing a book is similar to taking a journey. Having a plan and putting in the necessary time gets you from where you are to where you want to be. This “7 Secrets to Finish Your Nonfiction Book Sooner Rather than Later” webinar takes you step-by-step through the process of developing your plan and following through to write your book. If you’re ready to finish your book and to begin to see the impact it has in the lives of others, then watch and take the steps to make it happen!

Here is the handout referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../The-Little-Book-that-Helps-You-Write-Your-Book_5F00_ALC.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../7SecretstoFinishYourNonfictionBookSoonerRatherthanLater.mp4

About the Presenter:
Pete Nikolai is the Director of Publishing Services for HarperCollins Christian Publishing where he has helped thousands of authors write and publish their books. He has over 30 years of experience in book publishing in roles ranging from sales to division management. He helps manage WestBow Press, the self-publishing division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan.

Tags: Nonfiction, Recorded Webinar

7 Secrets to Finish Your Nonfiction Book Sooner Rather than Later

Pete Nikolai — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 20:56:49 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Elements by Pete Nikolai on 4/30/2024 8:56:49 PM

Have you started writing a nonfiction book that you are struggling to finish? Do you have an idea for a book but don’t know how to get started?

• Identify your motivation
•  Find the time to write
•  Create your book proposal
•  Develop your writing plan
•  And, write your first draft

Tags: Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar

7 Secrets to Finish Your Nonfiction Book Sooner Rather than Later

Pete Nikolai — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 20:51:39 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Elements by Pete Nikolai on 4/30/2024 8:51:39 PM

Have you started writing a nonfiction book that you are struggling to finish? Do you have an idea for a book but don’t know how to get started?

• Identify your motivation
•  Find the time to write
•  Create your book proposal
•  Develop your writing plan
•  And, write your first draft

Tags: Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar

Pete Nikolai on "7 Secrets to Writing Your Book"

Pete Nikolai — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 13:33:52 GMT

Current Revision posted to Elements by Pete Nikolai on 12/21/2023 1:33:52 PM

Pete Nikolai, Director of Publishing Services at HarperCollins Christian Publishing, has worked with a lot of authors over the years. He has seen many struggles amongst these authors, but the most common one is finishing a manuscript. Whether they have a great start on it and can't seem to finish, or they have a great idea and can't seem to get started, many authors encounter this challenge.

In response, Nikolai often thinks about how he can improve this process for authors, leading to his nonfiction book, "7 Secrets to Writing Your Book". The book opens with questions about what you are trying to accomplish with your book. What is your vision? Next, it asks about your goals and what you need to do to reach them. The book also helps authors break the writing process down into manageable chunks, and identify what's holding you back from finishing. It's important to understand your priorities, says Nikolai, and the things that can temporarily be set aside to reach your goals. In addition, the book discusses next steps once the manuscript is complete.

Nikolai's goal with the book was to make it short and easy to follow, and it's in a workbook format that allows authors to map out their plan.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../PeteNikolaion7SecretstoWritingYourBook.mp4

Tags: Nonfiction, video

Pete Nikolai on "7 Secrets to Writing Your Book"

Pete Nikolai — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 17:55:59 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Elements by Pete Nikolai on 12/20/2023 5:55:59 PM

Pete Nikolai, Director of Publishing Services at HarperCollins Christian Publishing, discusses his nonfiction book on writing, and how it can help authors.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../PeteNikolaion7SecretstoWritingYourBook.mp4

Tags: Nonfiction, video

Using Fiction Elements to Enrich Your Non-Fiction Writing

Allie Pleiter — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 21:30:24 GMT

Revision 4 posted to Elements by Allie Pleiter on 12/5/2023 9:30:24 PM

We all know stories have high impact. Great storytelling engages your reader and persuades your audience. Let bestselling fiction author Allie Pleiter show you how elements of fiction—dialogue, description, and characterization—can give your non-fiction writing power, sparkle, and the ability to stick with your reader.

Writers will learn:

• Where and when to use dialogue
•  How much description is too much?
•  Creating and using case-study characters
•  The power of storytelling in non-fiction

Whether you write memoir, business, how-to, essay, or any other non-fiction, your work can have new vibrancy with techniques borrowed from your favorite novel.

Here is the handout referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../2438.Using-Fiction-Elements_5F00_Pleiter-ALC-Handout.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../UsingFictionElementstoEnrichYourNonFictionWriting23.mp4

About the Presenter:
Award-winning bestselling author Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction working on as many as four books at a time. She teaches writers how to achieve the consistent, dependable productivity today’s market requires. The author of over 60 published titles, Allie has spent a decade in the publishing profession with over 1.6 million books sold worldwide. In addition to her own writing career, Allie maintains an active writing productivity coaching practice and speaks regularly on faith, the creative process, women’s issues, and her very favorite topic—The Chunky Method of time management.

Tags: History, Self-Help, Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Biographies and Memoirs, Education and Teaching, True Crime, Politics &Social Sciences

Crafting an Engaging Memoir

Jeanne Lyet Gassman — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 19:31:59 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Elements by Jeanne Lyet Gassman on 10/12/2023 7:31:59 PM

Here are the handouts referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ALC-Crafting-Memoir-Handout.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ALC-Memoir-Reading-Handout.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ALC-Memoir-A_2D00_Z-Research-Handout.pdf
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../CraftanEngagingMemoir.mp4

Tags: Self-Help, Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Biographies and Memoirs

Crafting an Engaging Memoir

Author Learning Center — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 19:29:19 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Elements by Author Learning Center on 10/12/2023 7:29:19 PM

Tags: Self-Help, Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Biographies and Memoirs