Everything Writers Should Know About Publishing

In association with Star & Crescent and the University of Portsmouth’s Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries, Portsmouth Bookfest 2018 will be holding a fascinating and informative Publishing Weekend on 17-18th February for local writers wanting to learn all about the process of publication. Novelist, graphic designer and co-host of the event Christine Hammacott reports.

The Publishing Weekend will engage with all aspects of publishing: from editing and research, to submitting to editors, choosing a publishing platform, cover design, marketing and building an author brand. Whether authors are aiming for a traditional publishing contract or want to go down the self-publishing route, having a sound understanding of the procedures is essential.

An intriguing variety of professional authors, editors, designers, marketers and publishers will grapple with topics such as how to approach agents and editors, pen proposals and publicise their work on social media. We will also answer questions such as, ‘Do those going down the self-publishing route really know what their market is?’

The Publishing Weekend’s book design sessions explore the art of making your book look as attractive and saleable as possible. Self-publishing allows authors to take back control of exactly what their book will look and feel like, but it is also an opportunity to get things very wrong. Whether producing an e-book, paperback or hardback, a strong, eye-catching appearance is necessary to draw readers in.

We are a brand-conscious society so making the right decisions at the start of the publication process will have a vital bearing on the outcome of a finished work, the subsequent marketing strategy and an author’s brand identity. Having a cover that looks out of place for a particular genre will confuse buyers. An amateurish cover will put people off buying the book at all, and could leave the author labelled as unprofessional. That is why it’s important to get such things right.

With plenty of opportunities to ask questions of the speakers about your own work during the included networking lunch, this promises to be an illuminating, fun and massively useful event for local writers of all stripes.

 

Event details

Saturday 17-Sunday 18 February

10am-4pm White Swan Building, New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth

£20 per day (includes tea/coffee and a light lunch) or two day Saturday and Sunday combined ticket offer £30

Tickets available here