Saturday 23 February 2013

3 free workshops--Summer Dreams Literary Arts Festival, Vancouver



SUMMER DREAMS LITERARY ARTS FESTIVAL
Trout Lake, Vancouver, BC
Saturday August 25, 2013

Onsite Workshops

12:30- 1:30 pm James McCann Workshop (one hour)
SUCCESSFUL PUBLISHING
Are you a writer who wants to know the difference between traditional and self-publishing?  Then this class is for you.  You'll learn the importance of editing (and what editing is), cover design and how the bookstore industry works.  Many publish, but few do it well; in this workshop, you'll learn how to successfully publish your work.

Bio: James McCann is the author of two YA novels with Be Read Books (an imprint of Simply Read Books) in the Rancour Chronicles.  Orca Book Publishers published his third novel, Flying Feet, on Mixed Martial Arts, in May 2010.

James McCann grew up on the icy plains of Manitoba, where he spent most of his teenage years reading comics and playing Dungeons and Dragons.  Both of these hobbies taught him the storytelling tools that he now uses as an author and creative writing instructor.  When he isn't writing, McCann is either learning guitar or going on hikes with his Shih Tzu, Conan.

2:00- 3:30 pm Joanne Ursino (90 mins.)
BOOK-MAKING WORKSHOP
Exploring Book Structures, Prose/Poetry/Images and Sharing Participants will discuss the structure of handmade books as it relates to capturing the essence of their words and images -- inspired by summer dreams.  A workshop in three parts: design, create and share -- participants will leave with a dream book -- a few words and perhaps an image -- to tuck away for a rainy day.

12 People Max Joanne Ursino is a textile and mixed media artist; quilting and bookmaking anchors her story-telling.  She has been creating quilts for over 20 years and more recently, books and stories.  There are many ways to share a story: Joanne has returned to school delving into theory and the expressive arts to inform and deepen her art practice.

4:00 - 5:00 pm Jen Currin (one hour)
WRITING THE PRESENT
Writing what is around us at the festival to make use of the atmosphere.  Max 12 people

Jen Currin has published three collections of poetry: The Sleep of Four Cities; Hagiography; and most recently, The Inquisition Yours (2010), which was a finalist for four awards and won the 2011 Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry.  She lives in Vancouver, and teaches writing at Vancouver Community College, Kwantlen University, and for The Writer's Studio at Simon Fraser University.

These workshops are free, on a first-come basis - and fill up fast.
To register: https://sites.google.com/site/summerdreamsfest/ > then workshops on the menu





Saturday 16 February 2013

Jane Austen issue (to Feb 17, 2013)


 Inside:
  • Jane 200 years later
  • Writing [believable] Historical Fiction
  • Best blogs for writers to read
  • Best-selling books in 10 countries around the world
  • 5 words from the attic of the English language
  • The Edge of Right saga: Mo Yan’s Nobel win
  • ePub / selfPub – regular feature
  • Places to go, things to see, people to…
  • Submit (you know you want to) 
  • Whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on
  • Free-write picture prompt: Just do it!
Issue - here.

Archive of issues - here.



Grind Writers is a writers' group in Vancouver, British Columbia.
For more information email:  grindwriters@gmail.com

 

Friday 1 February 2013

The Top 10 Mistakes Writers Make When Self-Publishing Books

Article author Guy Kawaski:

"In twenty-five years I’ve written twelve books. The first ten were traditionally published. However, when the publisher of my book called Enchantment couldn’t fulfill an order for 500 ebook copies, I decided to self-publish my next book, What the Plus!
"This experience taught me that self-publishing is a complex, idiosyncratic, and challenging endeavor—as Steve Jobs said, “There must be a better way. ” I wrote my latest book, APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur—How to Publish a Book, to simplify and optimize the self-publishing process for others.

"Along this journey, I’ve compiled a list of the top ten mistakes that writers, myself included, make when self-publishing a book. Here they are so that you can at least make new mistakes— if not avoid mistakes altogether."

Before you check the website, see if you have an intuitive feeling for what the 10 mistakes are. Then check your ideas against the ten in the article, here.