Workshop at Irish Writers' Centre

Hear ye! Hear ye!

I’ll be holding a workshop on self-publishing at the Irish Writers’ Centre in March, so this is your chance to learn how to independently publish and market a book. I’ve done some marketing research myself and come to the conclusion that no one knows this sector like I do – every so-called self-publishing package that I have been unable to unearth is actually a vanity publishing package. A true independent publisher does not need a “package deal” from some company or other. The only thing you can’t do yourself is the actual printing. That’s it. Really it. Don’t fall for anythingelse.
IÂ’ll be covering all aspects of publishing, from manuscript preparation to jacket design, from pricing to distribution channels, from legal issues (yes, the law degree comes in handy, doesnÂ’t it?) to avoiding scams.

The workshop is limited to fifteen participants, which means that there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and take an in-depth look at specific types of work and how to marketthem, as opposed to the one-size-fits-all general approach.

Never thought about independent publishing?

You might want to, especially if you write fiction. Due to consolidation of the publishing market, there arenÂ’t many fiction publishers left and you will need a literary agent to approach virtually any of them. In addition, you should bear in mind that a large percentage of published books are commissioned. This means that the publisher approaches the writer, not the other way around, and this is why so much ofessentially the same thing by the same people winds up in bookstores.

The upside of this market consolidation is that whilst the major publishers squabble with each other over whose latest chicklit fad or ghostwritten celebrity “autobiography” tops the bestseller charts, they’ve neglected a huge segment of their readership – the segment that would really rather read something else. This is good news for anyone who wants to self-publish, because it means that there is a large, untapped, and virtually competition-free market out there for anyone who can write a creative, high-quality piece ofwork.

Date: Saturday, March 14^th

Time: 10:00-16:00

Venue: Irish WritersÂ’ Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1

Fee: 70 Euros

Advance booking is recommended, please contact the IWC at: 01 872 1302 or email either info@writerscentre.ie or info@irishwritersexchange.com