Workshop
How to Self-Publish
Organised by The British Library
Self-publishing is now the way forward for many authors: full-time writers are four times more likely to make a living when they self-publish. It is a quick, relatively cheap process and simple when you know how, but often people hold back because they are not sure how to get started. If this is your worry then this workshop is for you! We will cover how to get from a completed manuscript to holding a published book in your hands, step by step.
We will go through both paid and DIY options for:
- How to ensure your manuscript is the best it can be
- Adding extras (maps, illustrations, etc.)
- How to have it formatted (eBooks, paperback, hardback)
- The vital importance of cover design
- Which platforms to use (Amazon, iBooks, Google, Kobo, etc.) and how to upload to them
- Keywords so your book can be found by browsers
- The basics of launching and marketing (there is also a more intensive course available focused just on marketing your books but we will cover absolute must-haves)
- Managing your books over time (e.g. refreshes, series, etc.)
You’ll take away an action plan, lots of useful ideas and contacts.
There will be a main presentation and then a lot of hands-on work so that you make the most of your time with us: you will leave inspired and with a clear set of steps to take to get your book published. Specific contacts will be provided (e.g. book cover designers, etc.).
This workshop is for anyone wanting to self-publish and we will consider fiction as well as non-fiction (and briefly discuss the specific needs of picture books).
After the event you will be sent resource-filled slides from our main talk and a free eBook, Melissa Addey's Merchandise for Authors, which offers a wealth of ideas for using your book as the basis for developing merchandise.
Feedback from previous workshops run by Melissa Addey at the British Library:
- So much information – extremely helpful and also methodical. I appreciated all the resource lists. It was super helpful.
- Loved it - thank you. Very knowledgeable and experienced tutor, brilliant advice and tips.
- Engaging speaker: honest and real.
- Picked up so many great ideas – can’t wait to put them into practice!
- Concise, practical presentation, all good advice and delivered with enthusiasm and credibility.
About the speaker
Melissa Addey spent fifteen years in business, developing new products for Sainsbury's Head Office and then mentoring over 500 entrepreneurs for a government innovation grant programme. In 2015 she became a fulltime self-published author and has a PhD in Creative Writing. She has been the Leverhulme Trust Writer in Residence at the British Library and written and published thirteen books, including historical fiction (8), non-fiction and a picture book for children. Her novels have been Editor's Choice at the Historical Novel Society and won the 2019 Novel London Award.