The End... What Next?
About this Event
About the Workshop
With a combined experience in the media and publishing worlds of more than half a century, Adrian and Rebecca of Hobeck Books come armed with a wealth of knowledge and insight into how to go from typing 'the end' to unboxing a box of books (we've all seen those videos, right?).
You've typed 'the end' (and, yes, all writers do it) and now you are ready to dive into the next stage. But wait... before you take that leap. Ask yourself: What do I need to do to prepare myself for this leap of faith? You don't just want it to be a belly flop, especially after you've put so much blood, sweat and tears into writing your book. You need it to be smooth and sleek, maybe even worthy of an Olympic medal. This can be achieved, but only with confidence, research and help. The writing was just the start of it.
Did you know that there is more than one path to publication? Did you also know you don't have to stick to one path? Have you thought about how to get the word out there that you've written a book, beyond your friends, family and the postman? What does typesetting involve? How do you make an ebook? How do you make an audiobook? How do you get your book from your laptop to bookshop? Is it worth spending money on editing and cover design? Or, if you don't want to do it all yourself, how do you persuade a publisher or agent to take the leap of faith for you?
What to Expect from the Day
The workshop will be divided into two distinct parts.
The first part will look at the various routes to publication from 'the end' to 'unboxing' and will explore the different avenues you can go down, the skills you can cultivate yourself (there's an awful lot you can do yourself, more than you might realise, with a bit of self-training and research), and the outside help that is worth every penny (despite AI's best efforts over the last couple of years).
The second part looks at how you, the writer, can learn to be the best advocate for your book once it is ready for submitting to an agent, a publisher, or when it is ready to go out into the big wide world via the self-publishing route. This part will look at blurb writing, pitching, submission and self-promotion. We will compare the good with the bad and the ugly, so that by the end, you should be confidently able to speak about your work, sure about where you work is going next and how to make it stand out above the rest.
About Rebecca and Adrian
Rebecca and Adrian run Hobeck Books, a small publisher of crime and fiction based in Staffordshire. Rebecca is also an editor of the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook, the bible for budding creatives in the publishing industry, and an editor and publishing manager who has worked with clients such as Bloomsbury, Hachette and independent authors such as multi-million copy selling writer Rachel McLean. Adrian is an ex-BBC journalist with the gift of the gab. He's an audiobook narrator as well as a publisher and has narrated too many books to mention. He can come up with an elevator pitch for just about any book, on request, yes, even Britain's Beautiful Substations (Rebecca's yet-to-be-written dream book)! They are both published authors themselves.
The Practical Bit
Please arrive promptly for a 10.30am start.
Please note that toilet access is limited as there are steps to get there and there are narrow corridors to be aware of.
Bottled water will be provided but we can pop round the corner to Coffee #1 for a round of hot drinks.
Please bring pens, paper, tablets (fully charged) and laptops (fully charged). We hope you will want to make notes.
Please also bring questions for us. We love answering questions.
If you have already written any blurb about your book, please bring that, too.
We may ask participants to read out to the group but this is purely voluntary – we won't ask anyone to stand on a desk to sound their barbaric YAWP. At least, not in this workshop.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 22.38
