Northern Virginia Writers Club

Barnes & Noble Gainesville: Book Signing with Carolyn McBride
2025-06-28 | Barnes and Noble Gainesville, 8139 Stonewall Shops Square Suite 405-B, Gainesville, VA, 20155, United States
Stop in for signed books from NVWC member Carolyn McBride.

Barnes & Noble One Loudoun: Book Signing with Kathleen Goggin
2025-06-28 | Barnes and Noble One Loudoun, 20427 Exchange St., Ashburn, VA, 20147, United States
Stop in for signed books from NVWC member Kathleen Goggin.

Barnes & Noble Manassas: Book Signing with Ricky Ginsberg
2025-06-28 | Barnes and Noble Manassas, 8117 Sudley Rd, Manassas, VA, 20109, United States
Stop in for signed books from NVWC member Ricky Ginsberg.

June 2025 Meeting: Mary Catherine Jones on Audiobooks from Microphone to Marketplace
2025-06-21 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 7426 Idylwood Road, Falls Church, VA, 22043, United States
Audiobooks have enjoyed double-digit growth for the last 12 years with no sign of slowing down. Many independently published authors don’t know where to begin when it comes to creating an audiobook. Members will learn the basics of audiobook production, including:

Narration: Author Voice or Professional Narrator?
Recording Options
Distribution Options
Using Your Audiobook Assets

Mary Catherine Jones will also include options for those wanting to bootstrap the process! Finally, she’ll touch on adapting your book for audio (how to handle quotes, charts, graphs, footnotes, and dialogue), plus plenty of time for questions.
Mary Catherine Jones is the owner and executive producer of The Audiobook Experience at Voice Over Vermont, an award-winning boutique audiobook recording and production studio. She delights in working with authors to bring their stories into the world, either using their voices or finding the perfect narrator for their audiobook. A speaker at the 2025 Women in Publishing Summit, her company has produced many award-winning titles, including club president Carolyn McBride’s audiobooks.

Barnes & Noble Gainesville: Book Signing with AJ George
2025-06-21 | Barnes and Noble Gainesville, 8139 Stonewall Shops Square Suite 405-B, Gainesville, VA, 20155, United States
Stop in for signed books from NVWC member AJ George.

Barnes & Noble One Loudoun: Book Signing with Patricia DiVeccio
2025-06-21 | Barnes and Noble One Loudoun, 20427 Exchange St., Ashburn, VA, 20147, United States
Stop in for signed books from NVWC member Patricia DiVeccio.

Barnes & Noble Gainesville: Book Signing with Paula Weiss
2025-06-14 | Barnes and Noble Gainesville, 8139 Stonewall Shops Square Suite 405-B, Gainesville, VA, 20155, United States
Stop in for signed books from NVWC member Paula Weiss.

Barnes & Noble Gainesville: Book Signing with Turner Grant
2025-06-07 | Barnes and Noble Gainesville, 8139 Stonewall Shops Square Suite 405-B, Gainesville, VA, 20155, United States
Stop in for signed books from NVWC member Turner Grant.

Barnes & Noble Manassas: Book Signing with Dennis Seiler
2025-06-07 | Barnes and Noble Manassas, 8117 Sudley Rd, Manassas, VA, 20109, United States
Stop in for signed books from NVWC member Dennis Seiler.

NVWC @ Occoquan Riverfest
2025-06-07 - 2025-06-08 | VA
Contact Events Coordinator Dave Wessel at dkwessel@gmail.com for a spot at the NVWC table or stop by to support your fellow club members!

Brainstorm & Brew: Busboys & Poets Open Mic Night (Shirlington)
2025-06-02 | Busboys & Poets, 4251 S. Campbell Avenue, Arlington, 22206, United States
Meet up with other NVWC members as KaNikki Jakarta, Alexandria’s first African American Poet Laureate, hosts two hours of diverse voices, maybe even yours. KaNikki will be our featured speaker at our January 2026 meeting. Make sure you buy tickets in advance and arrive early so we can try to be seated together (we can’t hold seats): https://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/th-evt-43902304/#

NVWC @ ViVa! Vienna
2025-05-25 - 2025-05-26 | VA

Barnes & Noble Gainesville: Book Signing with Carolyn Crocker
2025-05-24 | Barnes and Noble Gainesville, 8139 Stonewall Shops Square Suite 405-B, Gainesville, VA, 20155, United States
Stop in for signed books from NVWC member Bill Knowles.

Barnes & Noble Loudoun: Book Signing with Bill Knowles
2025-05-24 | Barnes and Noble One Loudoun, 20427 Exchange St., Ashburn, VA, 20147, United States

Barnes & Noble Manassas: Book Signing with David Wessel
2025-05-24 | Barnes and Noble Manassas, 8117 Sudley Rd, Manassas, VA, 20109, United States
Stop in for a signed copy of NVWC member David Wessel’s book.

May 2025 Meeting: Toward Authentic Expression - Liberate the Writer in You with Rosslyn Chay
2025-05-17 13:00 - 15:00 | St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 7426 Idylwood Road, Falls Church, VA, 22043, United States
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
—Maya Angelou
What does it take to write?
Pen and paper, and a willingness to sit with ourselves including all that is happening with us.
Your imaginations and ideas; your criticisms and praises; your dreams and declarations; your rambles and stutters, and more, are all welcome.
Will you allow yourself to write them? Will you allow what is within to be seen by you?
It is the act of writing that births the writer, not the other way round.
Discover your blocks, clear away any thoughts that are limiting your flow, and let the frozen stories in you come to life.
Rosslyn will guide members through exercises to help writers release their (preconceived) notions about writing. Begin again by putting pen to paper.
Rosslyn Chay is many things, relaxing and expanding as a Poet, Author, Healer, Integral Coach, Knitter, Designer, and (omg), so much more! A series of punctuations: she is a still point; a living question; a radiant…pulsating…being…of light…. At her core, she is an Inquirer—an eternal mystery unfolding, ripening into her ongoing question of Who and What sits as the intersection point.
Author of The Weight of My Soul: Uncovering My Significance, and her weekly newsletter, The Dandelion Notes. Through writing, she invites you on an adventure with her to discover and truly know: You…are…so…much…more…. For more information, visit https://www.thespacetobe.co/.

Brainstorm & Brew: Member Happy Hour at Godfrey's Bakery & Cafe
2025-05-14 17:00 - 19:00 | Godfrey’s Bakery & Cafe, 421 W. Broad St., Falls Church, VA, 22046, United States
Join members at an informal meetup at Godfrey’s Bakery and Cafe! Look for our social media manager Allie Nelson and our president Carolyn McBride. RSVP below so we can save enough space!
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April 2025 Meeting: Readings by 2024 Golden Nib Winners
2025-04-26 13:00 - 15:00 | Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA, United States
Learn about the Golden Nib awards and hear from some of NVWC’s 2024 Golden Nib winners, who will read their works and discuss their inspiration and writing journey.
NVWC
Fiction
1st place – “Bloom” by Roger Hammons
2nd place – “Daytona Beach” by Kay Summers
3rd place – “The Rock Snake” by Craig Lipman
Poetry
1st place – “Less of Me” by Kay Summers
2nd place – “EAT CAKE” by Kevin Connor
3rd place – “Extasie” by Philip Stephens
Virginia Writers Club (state level)
Fiction
3rd place: “Bloom” by Roger Hammons
Non-Fiction
1st place – “If the Tree Could Speak” by Caroline Crocker

NVWC @ Fredericksburg Spring Arts & Crafts Festival
2025-04-05 - 2025-04-06 | VA

March 2025 Meeting: Toby Dorr on Expanding Your Reach as an Author
2025-03-22 13:00 - 15:00 | Dolley Madison Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave., McLean, VA, 22101, United States
Beyond the Book: Expanding Your Reach as an Author
Your book is written—but your journey as an author is just beginning.
In this engaging session, NVWC member Toby Dorr will explore the many ways to expand the reach of your book beyond traditional sales. From guest spots on podcasts to leveraging Substack, from creating social media stories to developing courses and workbooks, you’ll discover a toolkit of strategies to build your audience, share your message, and maximize your book’s impact.
Whether launching your first book or looking to breathe new life into an existing one, this session will help you unlock new opportunities and think beyond the page.
Join us and learn how to turn your book into a lasting movement, message, or mission.
Toby Dorr is a transformational speaker, author, and advocate who inspires individuals to embrace their full potential, no matter their past. With a powerful story of resilience, courage, and reinvention, Toby has overcome the unthinkable—serving time in prison for a felony conviction—and emerged with a message of hope, healing, and fierce grace.
Through her speaking engagements, Toby empowers audiences to rise above their circumstances, break free from shame, and reclaim their stories. As the founder of Fierce Grace Movement and the author of “Living With Conviction”, Toby encourages others to move forward in life with strength, authenticity, and empowered self-discovery.
Whether she’s sharing her personal journey or leading workshops on leadership, resilience, or personal transformation, Toby’s message is clear: It’s never too late to rewrite your story, to step into your own fierceness, and to live fully.

Worldbuilding Workshop with Author and Teacher Tara Campbell
2025-02-15 13:00 - 15:00 | Thomas Jefferson Library, 7415 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA, 22042, United States
Writing New Worlds through Contemporary Sculpture
The term “worldbuilding” is most often used in conjunction with speculative fiction, but authors of all genres create worlds every time they write. Come exercise your worldbuilding skills in this ekphrastic workshop inspired by work by contemporary women artists. Author and teacher Tara Campbell will guide us through worldbuilding prompts inspired by work from Afro-Brazilian artist Sonia Gomes and American sculptor Chakaia Booker.
Tara Campbell is a writer, teacher, Kimbilio Fellow, and fiction co-editor at Barrelhouse Magazine. She teaches flash fiction and speculative fiction, and is the author of a novel, two hybrid collections of poetry and prose, and two short story collections. Her sixth book, City of Dancing Gargoyles (SFWP), was one of Reactor Magazine’s “Best Books of 2024.” Find out more at www.taracampbell.com

Annual Meeting and Board Elections
2025-01-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Centreville Regional Library, 14200 Saint Germain Dr., Centreville, VA, 20121, United States
All officer and volunteer positions are open and will be elected.

Holiday Social
2024-12-14 13:00 - 15:00 | Shipgarten, 8346 Leesburg Pike, Tysons, VA, 22182, United States
Join us in Tysons at the beer garden at Shipgarten. Please register below so we can plan accordingly. The club will have a semi-private section of the Bier Hall tent, which has industrial-sized heaters to keep everyone comfortable in December! Parking is available in a nearby lot with a shuttle if you don’t want to do the 10-minute walk. Also walking distance from the McLean Metro.

November 2024 Meeting - NaNoWriMo Write-in
2024-11-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Burke Centre Library, 5935 Freds Oak Rd, Burke, VA, 22015, United States

October 2024 Meeting - Direct Sales Online & Via Kickstarter
2024-10-26 13:00 - 15:00 | Westover Library, 1644 N McKinley Rd., Arlington, VA
NOTE: Date changed to 10/26 (one week later than usual).
While ebook and print-on-demand physical books are the primary distribution channel for indie authors, tremendous financial gains can be achieved by selling direct to readers through online stores and Kickstarter. You don’t need to be Brandon Sanderson (whose record-breaking project brought in almost $42 million), to make direct selling work for you. In this presentation, Robin will discuss best practices that she has used in her crowdfunding campaigns (13 and counting) to earn more than $1M from Kickstarters and another $250,000 in sales directly from her online stores.
About the presenter:
Robin Sullivan is the wife and business manager of Michael J. Sullivan, a New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today bestselling fantasy author. Michael is a hybrid author with titles released by both big-five publishers (Penguin Random House and Hachette Book Group), as well as a pioneer in the indie movement. Robin manages all the non-writing aspects of Michael’s career including: contract negotiation, coordination with agents, copy editors, audio narrators, and cover artists, alpha reader, manager of beta and gamma readers. She also manages all the sales channels including bookstores and direct to readers.

September 2024 Meeting - Successfully Promoting Your Book
2024-09-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Burke Centre Library, 5935 Freds Oak Rd, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Successfully Promoting Your Book
Joe Marich is a literary public relations and marketing expert who represented best-selling author Michael Crichton for over 16 years and has launched over 800 books for other authors. He will share insider tips about literary marketing and public relations based on his 30+ years of experience. Topics covered will include:

How to use literary marketing and media relations effectively
Ten questions to ask yourself before starting to write your book outline
What you can do on your own to help market/promote your book
When you need to hire an expert (and when you don’t)
What to expect from a marketing and PR expert—and what not to expect

Pitch your book to Joe in a PR Lightning Round! In addition to getting answers to all of your PR questions, come prepared to “pitch” your book or book idea to Joe and he will give you a thumbnail sketch of how media-friendly your project may or may not be, and offer alternatives that might work even better.
Joe Marich
Joe Marich is founder and President of Marich Media. With an emphasis in literary, entertainment, and consumer product media relations and marketing, Marich has worked in public relations for more than thirty years, planning and executing local, national and international campaigns for book launches, consumer products, special events, fund-raisers and openings in the theatre, art, fashion, television and film industries. He has also been a Keynote speaker at a variety of literary conferences and workshops.
Representing author-director-producer, Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, ER) for over 16 years until his untimely death in November 2008, Marich coordinated global media tours, personal appearances, and interviews for Dr. Crichton, working closely with his publishers in the U.S., as well as his international publishers throughout Europe. In addition to Michael Crichton’s work, Marich has launched over 800 fiction and non-fiction books for various authors over his 30+ year career.
Adding to his impressive list of successful authors, Marich was responsible for the publicity and media relations for Australian best-selling author, David Rollins, who made a splash in America with his first best-seller titled The Death Trust.
Over the years, Marich has also been involved in public affairs and crisis management for all the Warner Music Group labels and has provided counsel to Virgin Records, United Talent Agency, and Oracle Corporation bringing special skills to the clients by preparing them in media training, special projects presentations, and developing and producing electronic media kits for satellite feeds.
Prior to starting his own company, Marich worked with such distinguished clients as Rock the Vote, DC/Marvel Comics, New Line Television and Alliance Communications, Virgin Records, Oracle Corporation, and United Talent Agency among others.
Marich is also the author of a public relations book for Delmar Publishers titled, Literary Publicity: The Final Chapter, which was launched February 2001.
Earlier in his career Marich worked for Douglas Cramer, a top producer and studio executive, and Aaron Spelling and Charles Rosin (executive producer) on the popular television series, Beverly Hills 90210.

NVWC Author Book Fair
2024-08-31 13:00 - 16:00 | Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA, United States
Panel discussion, author readings, and an author meet and greet with 20 local authors! Participate in a raffle for beach reading bags with donated books and more. Books for sale throughout the fair. This program is a partnership between the Falls Church City Library and the Northern Virginia Writers Club (NVWC).
(click on image to enlarge)

August Meeting - Demystifying the Publishing Industry
2024-08-17 13:00 - 15:00 | George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA, 22003, United States
Demystifying the Publishing Industry.
Nate Brown will discuss his past 20 years in publishing with a focus on the consolidation of what was formerly known as the “Big Five” and the parallel rise of small presses. These changes present challenges and opportunities for all writers seeking to get published. He will describe the editorial process at major houses and at smaller venues and provide a list of literary journals and websites doing particularly well these days. He also will provide information about revising your work, querying agents, and submitting to literary journals.
Nate Brown
Nate Brown’s stories, essays, profiles, and reviews have appeared in the Iowa Review, Mississippi Review, Five Chapters, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Electric Literature, Publisher’s Weekly, LitHub, and elsewhere. He is the senior editor of the award-winning literary journal American Short Fiction in Austin, TX, and has received fellowships from the Maryland State Arts Council, the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, the Vermont Studio Center, the Ucross Foundation, and multiple work-study scholarships to the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. He has taught creative writing and composition at the University of Wisconsin, through the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, at the George Washington University, Georgetown University, and elsewhere. He is a senior lecturer in the University Writing Program at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and a 2023-24 Engaged Faculty Scholar at JHU’s Center for Social Concern.

July Meeting - Picnic
2024-07-20 13:00 - 15:00 | Cherry Hill Park, 312 Park Ave., Falls Church, VA, 22046, United States
Cherry Hill Park in Falls Church City – wheelchair accessible, restrooms available in adjacent Falls Church Community Center, grills, and playground

Lansdowne Woods of Virginia Literary Festival
2024-06-29 10:00 - 16:00 | Lansdowne Woods of VA Clubhouse, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Lansdowne, VA, 20176, United States
Join many NVWC members and other local Virginia Writers for the 3rd annual Literary Festival!
