On Saturday my friend Jane Barnes and I went to Washington D.C. for a forum on independent publishing sponsored by POETS & WRITERS Magazine. It was pitch dark when we set out from Charlottesville, and pitch dark when we returned. The time in between was filled with enlightenment. We left suspecting the word “platform” meant something other than a wooden stage. We returned knowing we had a lot of work to do if we were to continue being published writers in the internet age. Our return trip was punctuated with sighs when we thought about the staggering amount of change that had occurred in publishing. The sighs alternated with bursts of brave talk as we told each other we could learn what needed to be done.
The POETS & WRITERS LIVE program featured authors and editors from “innovative independent publishers." Despite the diversity of the presenters, one message came through: writers need to be actively engaged in the publishing and marketing of their work. Jane and I were especially grateful for the panel entitled “The Savvy Self-Publisher.” It was led by Debra Englander who gave an overview of the self-publishing process and directed a conversation with award-winning author Jeffrey Blount, literary agent Anna Sproul-Latimer, and Bradley Graham of the book store Politics & Prose.
Jane and I have been in the same writers' group for 30 years. She recently wrote a book about Joseph Smith, which you can read more about on her site: http://janebarnesauthor.com/.
The POETS & WRITERS LIVE program featured authors and editors from “innovative independent publishers." Despite the diversity of the presenters, one message came through: writers need to be actively engaged in the publishing and marketing of their work. Jane and I were especially grateful for the panel entitled “The Savvy Self-Publisher.” It was led by Debra Englander who gave an overview of the self-publishing process and directed a conversation with award-winning author Jeffrey Blount, literary agent Anna Sproul-Latimer, and Bradley Graham of the book store Politics & Prose.
Jane and I have been in the same writers' group for 30 years. She recently wrote a book about Joseph Smith, which you can read more about on her site: http://janebarnesauthor.com/.