Independent Writers of Chicago - IWOC

Independent Writers of Chicago - IWOC IWOC is the largest organization of professional freelance writers in the Midwest.

6-9-26 Zoom: "Leveraging Social Media to Promote Your Book" Tired of being KO'd in your attempts to use social media to ...
06/02/2026

6-9-26 Zoom: "Leveraging Social Media to Promote Your Book" Tired of being KO'd in your attempts to use social media to promote your book? Log in to our Zoom-enabled meeting in June and let IWOC's very own K.O. -- aka, Kathryn Occhipinti -- provide you the important dos and don'ts in the fine art of social media book promotion.

Bonus: Simultaneous to her Zoom presentation, Kathryn will be hosting a members-only, in-person viewing and will even supply light snacks to accompany the program. Afterwards, Kathryn will be helping those in-person attendees set up their social media accounts on Facebook, X or Instagram. So if you're a member, bring your laptop and come on out to experience IWOC at its best -- live and in person!

Details for the Zoom / in-person program will be included in email invitations to be sent out the week of June 2.

Zoom Registration Info:

If you have not yet been emailed the Zoom registration link, you can request it by contacting [email protected].

5-20-26 Zoom: “SEO: What Content Writers Need to Know” SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a critically important con...
05/16/2026

5-20-26 Zoom: “SEO: What Content Writers Need to Know”
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a critically important concept for writers, both for the benefit of their own websites and for their clients’. Even so, many writers are mystified by the concept.

At our May meeting, Tianna Mamalick of SMB Marketing in Vancouver, British Columbia, will pull back the SEO curtain. A digital marketing specialist with more than a decade of experience, she’ll cover keyword selection and use, content strategies, metadata, how AI is affecting the ever-changing world of search, and more.

Please join us for a program that will be both educational and enlightening. Details at bit.ly/42FxSrJ

3/10 Zoom meeting: "Get Your Writing Seen in Magazines...and More"Psst: Pitching with persistence. That’s the secret sau...
03/03/2026

3/10 Zoom meeting: "Get Your Writing Seen in Magazines...and More"

Psst: Pitching with persistence. That’s the secret sauce to getting editors of magazines, news pubs and more to stand up, take notice – and publish your story. Our March speaker ought to know: Meet Misty Schwartz, CEO of Schwartz Entertainment Media Group. Misty has had phenomenal success in landing spots in leading publications from Forbes, Washington Examiner and Entrepreneur to Vogue, Vanity Fair and Inc. Magazine. Eager to share her success secrets, she’ll be covering such common sensical tips as:

• Muster up the right attitude: Be persistent, confident -- yet graceful
• Research journalists thoroughly and tailor your story accordingly with a unique angle
• Follow up politely, express gratitude, accept feedback.

That’s just a taste. It gets juicier.

Bursting with stories that deserve to be read? Take the first logical step to finally getting those stories out there and in print: Come to the Zoom meeting! Details at https://iwoc.wildapricot.org/event-6474407

1-14-26 on Zoom: "The Unconventional Path from Book Idea to Book in Hand" You know that book (or even short story) you ...
01/09/2026

1-14-26 on Zoom:
"The Unconventional Path from Book Idea to Book in Hand"

You know that book (or even short story) you feel you have in you, but you just can't seem to get started? So how do you find the time (and squash the excuses) to work on the works you feel driven to write? By seeking ways that are "off the beaten path," according to our exuberant January speaker, Michele Kelly.

Co-founder and CEO of K+L Storytellers, Michele will share the true story of how in 2025 she "accidentally" published "What War Reveals: One Family's Story About the Israel-Hamas War" -- a full-fledged book that began as a 20-page memoire. As for her unfinished manuscript of short stories? On that point, attendees are invited to share how they cross the finish line in setting down words.

A few takeaways:

• Looking for book writing opportunities in unsuspecting places
• Why the heart drives writing – when it's for someone else
• The surprising reality after you've published a book

Come Zoom along with Michele as she guides us all on discovering unexpected routes that can turn those gauzy ideas
into a real, honest-to-goodness book. Or short story. Or whatever you're destined to pen.
Details: https://iwoc.wildapricot.org/event-6474418

12-9-25 IWOC's Holiday Party 2025! It's that most wonderful time of the year! Join IWOC-ers for an evening of wonderful ...
11/28/2025

12-9-25 IWOC's Holiday Party 2025! It's that most wonderful time of the year! Join IWOC-ers for an evening of wonderful food, wonderful camaraderie, and wonderful holiday cheer (of all types) as we raise a glass to another year of IWOC-osity and look forward to the next. As always, the party will include an exchange of gently used books*.

Festivities will take place in the large-but-cozy private room on the lower level of the Star of Siam restaurant at 11 E. Illinois Street in Chicago. Details: https://iwoc.wildapricot.org/event-6401747

11-11-25 "Panel of Pros" When it comes to writing, IWOC members have a treasure trove of combined experience that can be...
11/03/2025

11-11-25 "Panel of Pros" When it comes to writing, IWOC members have a treasure trove of combined experience that can benefit your writing career. In November, IWOC convenes a panel of experts to discuss their areas of expertise. Members Betsy Storm on healthcare, Cindy Bertram on self-publishing, Joseph Wycoff on grant writing, Laura Stigler on copywriting / creative content, and Jeff Steele on journalism & personal finance will be empaneled to field your queries about their writing beats and reveal how you can follow their paths to success. Details at https://iwoc.wildapricot.org/event-6362701

Straight talk we sometimes need to hear...
10/09/2025

Straight talk we sometimes need to hear...

10-14-25 “Ask a Literary Agent” — Lissa Woodson, to be precise. Backed by a stellar record of securing deals with many ...
10/04/2025

10-14-25 “Ask a Literary Agent” — Lissa Woodson, to be precise. Backed by a stellar record of securing deals with many of the top publishing houses, Lissa will have answers to all the Q’s you’ve ever wanted to “ask a literary agent.” Details: https://iwoc.wildapricot.org/event-6305833
Chicago Writers Association Illinois Woman's Press Association

9-9-25 Join us at our ever-popular Writers’ Roundtable! Whether it's to get advice on freelance writing or the craft of ...
08/31/2025

9-9-25 Join us at our ever-popular Writers’ Roundtable! Whether it's to get advice on freelance writing or the craft of writing — or to share your own hard-earned words of wisdom, come experience why the Roundtable is a perennial favorite! Details at https://iwoc.wildapricot.org/event-6230517

8-12 It’s IWOC Fest 2025! No meeting, note-taking or learning allowed. Just lots of laughing and savoring summer at Gree...
08/04/2025

8-12 It’s IWOC Fest 2025! No meeting, note-taking or learning allowed. Just lots of laughing and savoring summer at Greektown’s Athena Restaurant! Come for the camaraderie + fab food in an airy setting that's almost as gorgeous as Greece itself. Details: https://iwoc.org/event-6230461

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Chicago, IL

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800-804-IWOC (4962)

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