The Business of Being a Writer

Who: Judith Ridge and guests
When: Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 June, 10am-4pm (Please note date was incorrectly printed in the course program as July)
Cost: Full Price: $320; Member: $225; Conc Member: $190

You decided to become a writer because you’re good at expressing yourself creatively. What you weren’t expecting was all those other aspects you have to deal with – contracts, copyright, finances and how to promote yourself.

This seminar is a newly revised and expanded version of a previous one day course. Over the two days, we will provide you with an introduction to the business side of being a writer: those legal and financial aspects you may not be familiar with or don’t have the expertise to deal with. We’ll talk copyright and royalties, tax and superannuation, as well as finding out a bit more about what you can expect from a relationship with an agent or publisher. We’ll weigh up the pros and cons of self-publishing, and look at the changes being brought to the industry by digital publishing. And we’ll explore the most effective way writers use social media and other aspects of self-promotion. In addition, participants will have an opportunity to write and present a book pitch. .....

Forest for the Trees: Sydney Writers' Festival Seminar

Thursday 23 May, 10am – 4.30pm
Metcalfe Auditorium, State Library of NSW

Cost: Full price $45, Concession $35*
*NSWWC members are eligible for the concession price

Forest for the Trees is a one-day seminar looking at the current state of publishing for Australian writers.  The seminar brings together writers, publishers, marketers, and agents to discuss what is happening in 2013.

Established writers Emily Maguire and Delia Falconer talk about the challenge of maintaining a career as a writer.  Publishers, large and small, will talk about the creative avenues they are using to find and promote authors. .....

Ebooks for Beginners

Who: Emily Craven
When: Sunday 14 July, 10am-4pm
Cost: Full Price: $180; Member: $125; Conc Member: $110

Trying to get a handle on the E-Book Revolution? This workshop is for writers who wish to understand how changes in the publishing can benefit them. It covers opportunities for authors in this e-book revolution and how they can leverage technology to their advantage to increase their connection with readers and build a following.

The day will be a combination of presentations, exercises and practical demonstrations. In this workshop we cover why authors are trading traditional publishing for e-books, what an e-book is and how it is presented, the opportunities for emerging and established writers, how to format and create e-books, build a social media and author platform, how to easily integrate transmedia into stories, free innovative promotion marketing ideas for your book and how to strengthen and expand on the reader/

Spreading the Word: PR for Authors

Who: Vicki Morrison
When: Tuesday 16 July, 6:30pm-9:30pm
Cost: Full Price: $55; Member: $40; Conc Member: $35           

Today’s publisher expects their authors to contribute significantly to the publicity of their books. But most authors are not trained as publicists, so where do you start?

Whether you are published traditionally or as an e-book, this course will give you a strong platform from which to leverage yourself and your books to your reading audience.

In this course, you will learn the best ways to address e-marketing & PR so that you can expand your brand, your audience and build sales.

After attending Spreading the Word, you will be able to: .....

Blogging for Beginners

Who: Will Kostakis
When: 2 x Saturday mornings: 17 & 24 August, 10:30am-1:30pm
Cost: Full Price: $220; Member: $155; Conc Member: $130           

There are two things a writer wants: to be published, and to be read. Thanks to advances in technology, the former has become a lot easier. All you need is a blog and time to fill it. Short for web log, a blog is an online journal that allows you to share your writing, be it creative, journalistic, or simply a personal account of your life. But there’s a big difference between being published and being read. .....

How to Get Work as a Freelance Writer

Who: Fran Molloy
When: Saturday 7 September, 10am-4pm
Cost: Full price: $180; Member: $125; Conc Member: $110           

How can I get my favourite magazine to publish an article I write – and pay me for it? Should I write the story first, and post it – or email it? How much can I charge? Can I earn an income from my writing? This course is a practical guide to the world of freelance writing and freelance journalism – which are not always the same thing! .....