Monday, March 11, 2013

Writing And EPublishing Workshops

This past weekend I just booked another ePublishing workshop with a writer's group that will be taking place in June.

While booking that, I took a look at my schedule for the next few months, and noticed a series of writing and ePublishing workshops forthcoming.  Here are a few of them.

Hamilton, Ontario - Wed March 13th
Hamilton Public Library - Central Branch
"Be Afraid: Write Effective Horror" - Wednesday March 13 at 6:30 PM 
A two hour intensive writing workshop geared towards teens aged 12 to 18 and will cover all of the basics of effective horror writing.  The workshop will include in class exercises and group brainstorming.
This is a free workshop, however, registration is required

Hamilton, Ontario - Thurs March 14th
Indigo Stoney Creek
Writing Clinic for Teens: "Don't Be Afraid To Write Horror" - Thursday March 14 2 PM to 3 PM
A talk outlining various writing strategies including how to turn ideas into stories, creating atmosphere and believable characters as well as outlining various options that exist for authors, from traditional markets to digital publishing opportunities.
Free - sign up by contacting store at 905-578-3658 or visit the kids cash desk.

Grand Island (Niagara Falls), New York, US - April 26 to 28
Eerie Con 15
Along with various panels in which I will be discussing writing horror and ePublishing, I will be co-presenting a digital publishing workshop with author Lynna Merrill.

Registration for this intimate con in which authors and guests mingle easily is less than $50 even if you register at the door.

I will also be launching a special EerieCon inspired digital short (and print chapbook) which is a tie-in to my forthcoming novel I, DEATH.  (The short, called Collateral Damage, includes a character spot sold at the "People & Things" Auction at EerieCon 12 last year - yes, I auctioned off the chance for someone to be killed by Peter O'Mallick, the hero who suffers from a death curse in my novel I, DEATH which is coming later this year from Atomic Fez Publishing)

Ajax, Ontario - Sat May 4th
Ontario Writer's Conference 2013
"Beyond the Slush Pile: The Ins and Outs of Digital Self-Publishing" - Sat May 4th 4:00 PM

Self-publishing is proving to be the way to garner the attention of publishers (think Terry Fallis). When you add the eBook experience to this, the landscape can get complicated very quickly. Learn about new option for authors – ie, the do’s and do not do’s – approaching ePub as a strategic and well-thought out business move instead of a last resort – gathering beta readers, finding a good editor, hiring a cover designer, etc. Realize that self-publishing isn’t necessarily going it alone, but rather assuming all the responsibility of a publisher. What are they? How to manage them?

A key differentiator with Kobo Writing Life over some of the other self-publishing offerings out there is that Kobo embraces collaboration and partnership and values the connection between reader and writer. The recent partnerships with the American Booksellers Association (the independents of the U.S.) are evidence of this cooperation with retailers.

This is a full day conference chalk-full of great workshops, lectures and talks.  Registration fees vary.


The last major one I'm doing, also in May, is a multi-day event run by bestselling authors Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, called Superstars Writing Seminars.



Colorado Springs, Colorado, US  (May 14 to 16)
Superstars Writing Seminars
Participation in multiple sessions, including Understanding E-Books and Self-Publishing.

Now in its fourth year, the Superstars Writing Seminar is your one-stop shop for creating a successful business plan in the commercial fiction industry.  With five core speakers, each possessing decades of experience at the top tier of the business, Superstars Writing Seminar is the ideal place to hone your existing knowledge base, or begin a brand new trajectory towards the writing career of your dreams!  Topics covered include:

► Economics of Commercial Publishing
► How Editors Look at Manuscripts, Novels, and Short Fiction
► Dissecting a Book Contract
► How to Read and Understand a Royalty Statement
► Dirty Secrets: What You Need to Know About Being a Professional Author
► How to Leverage Your Intellectual Property
► Balancing Acts: Writing World and Real World
► Agents
► Networking and Self-Promotion for Authors
► Understanding E-Books
► Pitching the Big Proposal
► Two Heads Are Better than One: Collaborations
► How to Get an Edge with New Media
► Movies, TV, and Authors
► How to Increase Your Writing Productivity

Rates for this multi-day jam packed event range from $499 to $899. As I understand it, this fills rather quickly but there are still a few spots available. Register here.

I will, of course, be doing other speaking and writing talk engagements -- including some sessions at London Book Fair in relation to Kobo Writing Life. (For example, during the Digital Minds Conference, I'll be on a panel called "The Rise of Self-Publishing and the Hybrid Author") These ones, however, are just a few of the ones that are relatively "local"

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