I'm running 3 Saturday Schools for writers in Canterbury, the first on 29th March. Details and booking info below - only £27.50 each day school!
Self-publishing your e-book on Amazon
Saturday 29 March, 2014.
10am-4pm at Canterbury Christ Church University
Writers are self-publishing for a
variety of reasons and this day school explores the basics of indie publishing;
you create, produce, promote, sell: you are your own publisher. In the past, writers created and publishers
produced, promoted, distributed and sold your work, generally paying a small
royalty and (less often now) an advance.
Publishers and agents were the gatekeepers. The major obstacle for
independent publishing was access to distribution channels. All that has changed and if you self-publish
with Amazon, you can keep between 35% - 70% of your royalties. But many writers
are intimidated or confused about how to do this – losing a wonderful
opportunity to distribute their work to a global readership.
With inside information from an experienced
professional writer who is both traditionally and indie published, this day
school guides you through the process step by step, dealing with issues such as
formatting, pricing, cover design, author pages and book blurb. Whether you
want to publish for personal satisfaction or to earn income, this is a chance
to find out what is involved so you can do it yourself.
The Business of Writing 2: Making Words Work
Saturday 26 April, 2014.
10am-4pm at Canterbury Christ Church University
Unless you are writing for a
hobby, it’s a business. This has given
rise to a new title: authorpreneur.
This day school explores and
discusses income streams for writers and ways of “monetizing your output” as a writer, including competitions,
residencies, workshops, talks, readings, speaking, copywriting, editing, and
coaching. We will also look at organisations that exist to help authors, the
role of an agent and issues such as contracts, fees and royalties, as well as
pitching to agents and publishers.
Finally, we examine managing and
costing your time, an essential aspect of being a successful freelance
writer. What are you worth? What are the
time vampires and how do you combat them?
How do you stay motivated? We
will look at each of the following topics which address the reality of being
freelance, such as working methods,
environment, deadlines, setting targets (financial and personal), the
importance of forward planning, recycling work and pen names. The session will
also cover building your writing portfolio and creating a marketing plan.
The Business of Writing 3: Now you see me – how writers can stay
visible
Saturday 10 May, 2014. 10am-4pm
at Canterbury Christ Church University
With more opportunities than ever
before for writers to get their work out to a public readership, how do you
stay visible? Is an author also a brand?
And what does this mean for a writer? How do you promote yourself?
We will explore ways writers can
stay visible, including author websites, book trailers, blogging and blog
carnivals, social networking, book signings and launches, readings, interviews,
visits, getting reviews, and ways to showcase your work. What is most
effective?
We will also look at creating a
personal promotion plan.
About the tutor
Born in 1962, Jane had her first short story published in a UK
magazine at age 14. Since then, 30 novels
for teenagers plus over 200 short stories, poems and articles have been
published internationally and translated into 9 languages. An award-winning
writer, Jane has given talks on radio and to writers groups and regularly
delivers writing workshops to schools and adults. She is a member of the
National Association of Writers in Education and a qualified writing
coach. For more information go to
www.janeayres.blogspot.co.uk
