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Events
Announcing our upcoming
September 2026 Writers Panel
In-person monthly gathering. Come experience our new panel discussions and member-to-member knowledge sharing!
Everybody and Their Granny Has a Podcast (why not you?)
Description:
From radio to podcasts, audio storytelling has never gone out of style. Podcasting has become one of the most powerful ways for writers to share their stories, build an audience, and connect with readers. Join local podcast host Matthew Landis (The VIP Suite) and The Desert Sun's Sam Morgen to discover whether podcasting is the right next step for your writing career. Learn how to find your niche, cut through the noise, and create a show people will want to hear.
Moderator: Eduardo Santiago Panelist: Matthew Landis Sam Morgen
The meeting begins at 11:00 a.m. and ends at noon.
This event is free for all members. Registration not necessary.
We may take photos and/or videos at any of our events for promotional purposes. Ready to become a member of the Palm Springs Writers Guild? Please click here.
Event Contact: Eduardo Santiagosantiagogo@aol.com
Announcing our upcoming In-Person Workshop
Dodging the Info Dump: Exposition & Its Perils
Mischa Livingstone is an award-winning filmmaker whose films have been showcased at festivals worldwide and included in the Smithsonian permanent collection. Notable festival screening include the Berlin International Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival and Cinequest, where he won the Viewer's Voice Award.
He is the co-author of “No-Nonsense Filmmaking”, an OER textbook that demystifies the filmmaking process and which was a Pressbooks Book of the Month.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Mischa immigrated to Israel as a child. He studied theatre at the Thelma Yellin School of the Arts and later moved to the United States. At UCLA, he earned a BA in Film Production (summa cum laude) and an MFA in Screenwriting. He is also an alumnus of the Berlinale Talent Campus.
Mischa shares his expertise in film production by teaching at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where he is an Assistant Professor.
Presentation Overview:
Attendees, bring the first page/scene of something you are working on to the workshop.
Takeaways:
REGISTER
To receive a full refund minus a $25 cancellation processing fee, attendees must cancel their registration 5 days before the event. No refunds will be given after that time. To cancel your registration, go to palmspringswritersguild.org and click on the blue icon at the top right of any page. Enter user name and password and click "LOG IN". On the next screen click "My event registrations". Select event and cancel registration.
We may take photos and/or videos at any of our events for promotional purposes.
Meeting begins at 12:30 p.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m.
Ready to become a member of the Palm Springs Writers Guild? Please click here.
Event Contact: Brian Rouley
Email:Brian@Rouley.com
Camaraderie, Creativity & Cocktails
Free Write and Mingle
TUESDAYS! HOST: Eduardo Santiago
Join fellow members to write and socialize! We will have writing prompts to spark our imagination, then transition to happy hour! Registration is not required for this free event, and please feel free to bring a guest!
Location:Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort 45000 Indian Wells Lane Indian Wells, CA 92210 (442) 305-4500
Registration is not required for this free event, but we'd appreciate it if you did.
Members only. Feel free to bring a guest.
Free Write begins at 3:30 p.m. Mingle begins at 5:00 p.m. and ends at 7:00 p.m. Attend either or both.
Event Contact: Eduardo Santiago (323) 377-9730 (323) 377-9730 santiagogo@aol.com
Announcing our next Online Lab
Substack for Writers: Build Your Audience One Subscriber at a Time
Brian Rouley is a writer, speaker, technology consultant, and Director of Programs for the Palm Springs Writers Guild. He has spent years experimenting with blogging, social media, online publishing, and digital tools that help writers reach readers. In July 2022, while living in Florida, he launched his Substack newsletter, Damn Near Perfect, beginning a four-year exploration of how writers can use the platform to publish their work, connect with readers, and build an audience. A longtime Toastmaster, Brian particularly enjoys taking technology that initially appears complicated and breaking it into practical, understandable steps. His current writing projects combine memoir, personal discovery, and artificial intelligence.
You have something to write. But how do you find people who want to read it?
Substack combines several things writers once had to manage separately: a blog, an email newsletter, a subscriber list, social networking, and, if you choose, the ability to offer paid subscriptions.
In this hands-on Online Lab, Brian Rouley will introduce Substack from a writer’s point of view. We’ll look at what the platform can do, how to get started, how writers are using it, and how to begin attracting subscribers without turning yourself into a full-time marketer.
Participants will be able to follow along as we explore the platform and begin creating or improving their own Substack presence.
Five Key Points to Take Away
Understand what Substack is and how it differs from a traditional blog, email newsletter, and social media.
Set up the essential pieces of your own Substack publication.
Learn how posts, Notes, subscribers, recommendations, and the Substack network work together.
Discover practical ways to find your first subscribers and steadily build an audience.
Leave with a simple plan for what to publish next and how to keep your Substack growing.
Location: Zoom Online Meeting
Unable to attend, no problem, all paid registrants will receive a video replay.
You will receive an invitation to the Zoom online meeting after you have registered and payment is complete.
Event Contact: Ariella Moon authorariellamoon@gmail.com
Description: Why do you really want publicity for your book? Is it to sell books or to be read? Or maybe something else? Coverage from something like “The Today Show” may sound great, but sometimes being in the local paper can sell more copies. PR — like any form of marketing — should come down to goals. So what’s yours? For self-published or small press authors, sometimes publicity needs to attract an agent for the next book. Everybody’s reasons are different, so their approaches to PR should be too. Together we’ll help you articulate the reasons you want to promote your title and pinpoint easy steps to take accordingly.
Key Points to Take Away
Announcing our next In-Person Workshop
Jeniffer Thompson is an author branding coach, book marketing strategist, and publishing consultant. She co-founded Monkey C Media in 2004, an award-winning book cover and website design studio, hosts The Premise podcast, and is co-founder of the San Diego Writers Festival.
Jeniffer is passionate about helping authors establish highly visible brands. She and her husband, Chad, co-founded Monkey C Media in 2004 and have been creating award-winning book cover designs and author websites ever since. They specialize in author services that integrate digital marketing strategies and engage readers all over the world.
She is a co-founder of the San Diego Writers Festival, serves on the board of the San Diego Memoir Writers Association, and is currently writing her own coming of age memoir.
www.JenifferThompson.com
Build a sustainable author brand that grows with you.
Book marketing isn’t just about selling books—it’s about building an audience of loyal readers and being known. In this workshop, Jeniffer shows you how to elevate your authority, design your personal brand, and increase your online visibility. You’ll leave with practical tools to build your three-year roadmap and guide your publishing career to new heights.
Event Contact: Dak Kopec
Email: DakKopec@mac.com
