Leichhardt Library is proud to be hosting an innovative, free one-day workshop for writers who aspire to publish their work and build foundations for being successful authors. Step-by-step Publishing Essentials workshop will be held at Leichhardt Library on Saturday 24 June is part of a joint pilot program between the State Library of NSW, Inner West Library Service & Parramatta City Library, a digital library lending platform, called indyreads™.

This custom-tailored workshop, created by authors and professionals, Sue Liu and Anna Maguire, aims to help writers of all ages to navigate their way through the maze of publishing options and expectations, the need for clarity of purpose and commencement of marketing well before the book is published.

Among the many challenges for aspiring writers is understanding the context, options, steps and realities of releasing work in an ever changing, over-crowded, competitive industry and market place. This workshop is designed to help individuals customise and build the foundations for their author and book brands, as well as learning about the various options and practical steps for producing industry-standard books and getting them to market.

Sue Liu is Marketing consultant, author of Accidental Aid Worker and an Inner West local. Her focus is on creating the foundations for an authentic author profile and brand for book(s) and how to develop and apply these to marketing campaigns.

“Every writer, whether signed by a publishing house or self-published, needs to be active and engaged in the business of creating and promoting their work. Key to this, is the need to be strategic in creating marketing devices (tools) that can be easily adapted and incorporated into campaigns to promote yourself and your books.” said Liu.

“Writers need to also become business-minded and marketing savvy – with an understanding of the options and mechanics of producing works for publication, but also aware of where and how pitch and publicise. Without the right structure around your publishing project at the beginning, it can be tough to connect with the publishing world and of course, readers.” She continued.

Sue is honoured to be presenting this workshop for Inner West Libraries alongside respected publishing consultant and crowdfunding pioneer, Anna Maguire. Maguire will explore paths to publication, fundraising and budgets, producing print and digital books on your own or with professionals, to achieve industry standard outcomes. Both Liu and Maguire will share their experiences and perspectives as authors, self-publishers and professionals.

The workshop is part of the indyreads™ pilot, a new digital lending and distribution platform for public libraries.

“Once indyreads™ is ready for release, we’ll be seeking submissions from our community to build our Inner West Libraries collection” said Marilyn Taylor, Leichardt Library Manager and project champion. “We’re really thrilled to be working with two respected professionals, and know that this may be just the inspiration and guidance people need to finish writing and publishing their books” she continued.

“This is a first workshop of its kind for Leichhardt, we are proud of our involvement in indyreads™ and know that we’ll be receiving the quality and standard of ebooks we require for the collection”

STEP-BY-STEP PUBLISHING ESSENTIALS WORKSHOP

Presented by publishing, marketing professionals and self-published authors Anna Maguire and Sue Liu. This one-day workshop is for writers aspiring to publish their new works as print copy and ebooks. Be guided on the importance of:

• Being business savvy and marketing aware about publishing;
• How author profile and book identity are crucial for writers;
• Building your brand and marketing options;
• Key elements for producing a book and how it helps with marketing, sales and distribution;
• Funding options to enable you to create a professional publication.

Date:  Saturday 24 June

Time: 10-4pm

Where: Leichhardt Library

Cost:   Free

Limited numbers. Bookings essential at Eventbrite or phone: 9367 9266

More about indyreads™ 

indyreads™ is a hosted eContent Management Platform that has been developed by the State Library of NSW to provide library users with access to local publications including digitised local history material as well as purchased ebook titles. The platform allows the Inner West libraries to work with community authors and independent and mid-list publishers to explore ways of making locally important content more readily available to readers.

The industry standard platform has enabled the library service to smoothly integrate ebook content into their catalogue and provide a seamless experience for library members. The hope is that indyreads™ will give communities a greater diversity of local content and help connect writers with their audiences.

The State Library is developing plans to make indyreads™ available in more libraries across NSW and to continue their support of programs for self-publishers.

PRESENTERS:

Sue Liu is an energetic community leader, business woman and marketing communications consultant with over 24 years’ experience. She self-published her first book, Accidental Aid Worker, in November 2015 and has been recognised by fellow writers, industry experts and readers for her efforts and achievements, as an author. Sue has also been acknowledged as an emerging voice and one worth listening to in the education sphere. Her approach is from the perspective of the author/self-publisher/business person/marketer.

Sue shares her insights, perspectives and experiences to help each writer clarify expectations, hone goals and create strategies, resources and tools to best suit their journey. For further information about Sue and her work, explore: www.accidentalaidworker.com.au , www.zulucommunications.com.au ,Facebook https://www.facebook.com/accidentalaidworker/, Twitter (@zulu2you) and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueliu/

Anna Maguire is a Sydney-based consultant and blogger specialising in digital training and strategy. She advises on digital publishing and crowdfunding through her consultancy Digireado.

Anna has worked in book publishing and digital content for 25 years. She is a former head of production and interactive at Random House Australia and is a passionate advocate for digital developments in the book. She is a graduate of the Yale Publishing Course and has appeared at the Sydney Writers’ Festival and Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. Anna has trained authors in their digital publishing options for over eight years.

In September 2012 Anna wrote her first book Crowdfund it!. Anna lectures and coordinates the unit Book Production and the Book Publishing Business unit of stud at Sydney University. Anna blogs (infrequently) on the Digireado website, www.digireado.com.au, and at www.crowdfundit.com.au. She is also on Twitter (@digireado and @crowdfunditnow) and Facebook (facebook.com/digireado and facebook.com/crowdfunditnow/)