As I said in my last post, AI is a hot topic for writers these days. Here are a couple of webinars to help you decide what you do and don’t want to do with it.

Jane Friedman runs regular, useful, and inexpensive classes for writers, and the next one is Using AI for Writing Business Efficiency on June 26 from 1-2pm ET. In this class, publishing industry expert Jane Friedman demystifies the current AI landscape and shows through examples and live demos how to incorporate AI tools into your workflow so you reclaim creative time and reduce time sinks. Drawing on other authors’ examples and her own use, Jane shows how to use AI responsibly, with human oversight and respect for readers, writers, and the larger community. It is possible to use AI in a way that keeps your voice your own and your copyright intact. Register here. $25

Also on Thursday, June 26, at 7pm ET on Zoom, AuthorBytes Academy will be hosting a free Zoom webinar all about AI and its meaning for writers. Author/Lawyer Jodé Millman will explore the latest legal developments in the world of AI and copyright, the government’s actions to protect an author’s rights, and how authors can protect themselves against robots appropriating their work. If you can’t make the session, you can watch the recording later. Register here.

The Global Book Awards has awards in many different genre categories so your chances of being recognized are high. 1st Prize: Guaranteed Best Seller promotion campaign valued at $4,500. This year, Geoff Affleck, of  AuthorPreneur Publishing, has negotiated a discount for you. When you enter, use the coupon code THRIVE to save 40% of the entry fee ($78 instead of $130). And your book doesn’t have to have been published in 2025 – it can be published in any year. Submit here. The submission deadline is June 30. The results are announced much faster than many other awards, on August 15.

Authors Publish has provided us with its usual stellar lists of places to publish this month. Five Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to This Month means you’ll have to send your work in by June 30 or earlier, but if you sign up for their newsletter, you’ll receive weekly suggestions of places to submit. They won’t all be for you, but it’s well worth doing

Connecticut Book Festivals is hosting 50 Connecticut authors at the Westbrook Outlet Mall in Westbrook, CT, from 11-4pm on Saturday, July 5, as part of their Summer Festival. Support your fellow writers, and make new writing friends.

Bryant Park, just behind the NY Public Library, provides the free use of books, newspapers, and magazines in the park during warm weather months. You’ll also find a robust schedule of literary events, including Books on Broadway, BookClub, Poetry, StoryTime, and much more.

Among the events, Gotham Writers’ Workshop returns to the Bryant Park Reading Room with some free 90-minute writing classes. You’ll learn some craft and do some writing, plus you’ll get to hang out with other writers in the heart of NYC. Their first class will be Screenwriting with Doug Katz on Thursday, July 10 at 6:30 pm ET. Check out more classes and dates here. Registration for the event will be up on the website sometime next week. Just keep in mind that even if you register ahead of time, seating is still first-come-first-serve, so they recommend getting there early.

Have you always wanted to try your hand at songwriting and/or stand-up comedy? Or perhaps you’ve given it a shot and want to improve? Gotham Writers Workshop in NYC is offering classes in both. The songwriting class happens on Zoom, where you’ll come together with aspiring songwriters from all over and meets on Tuesdays, starting July 8, from 6:30—9:30 pm ET with Jody Gray. Stand-up comedy writing happens in person in New York City, culminating with a performance at an NYC Comedy Club, in front of a real audience (that you’ll force your family/friends to be a part of!). The class meets on Wednesdays, starting July 16 from 7-10pm ET with David LaBarca. More information in the links.

If you’re thinking about self-publishing, member Libby Waterford is teaching a 3-day, 3-hours-per-day summer intensive at the Westport Writers’ Workshop on self-publishing this August 19-21. This class will likely fill up, so if you are interested, snag your spot now.

Happy Writing!