Publishing and Self-Publishing Seminar, 11 July

Join on our seminar on 11 July to learn about getting published and all aspects of self-publishing, from completing your manuscript to decisions about design and layout, through to the final print-ready files and publication.

Enterprise House, Bishop’s Castle, Friday 11 July, 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
£75 per person, please contact newbooks@youcaxton.co.uk

Programme

Morning
1) Welcome and introduction to self-publishing, Bob Fowke, Managing Editor YouCaxton.
Relationship between print technologies, publishing and self-publishing historically; the new print-on-demand and digital technologies and how they are affecting publishing today.

2) First thoughts: what is the readership?
* What is a niche?
* How will readers find out about the book?
* What title and subtitle?
* Discussion

Coffee

3) Preparing the manuscript
* Types of editing: structural, copy-editing, proof-reading.
* Use of Word: ‘track changes’ etc.
* Indexes, endnotes etc.
* Discussion

4) Agents
* What they do and how to find one.
* Straplines, synopses, first chapters.
* Back-cover blurb
* Discussion

Lunch break (45 minutes)

Afternoon

5) The Design Process
* Software used
* Fonts, margins, preliminary pages, contents lists, cost constraints
* Book covers, spines, ISBNs, barcodes
* PDF proofs
* Uploading print-ready files to printers.
* Discussion

 6) Production
*Print-on-demand and digital printing
* Litho and traditional print runs
* Production costs in relation to design, pagination, types of paper, colour etc.
* What can go wrong?
* Discussion

7) Marketing
* Pricing
* Publicity
* Time frame
* Launches
* Social media
* Reviews
* Discussion

8) Distribution
Amazon, wholesalers, bookshops

9) Final discussion