Gearing up for the Romance Writers of Australia conference in August? Excited but silently terrified about the opportunity to pitch your book? “Pitch Like a Professional” is a four-week conference primer designed to get your synopsis, query letter, in-person pitch (and you!) glinting with readiness.
Behind the Scenes: The Recording of an Audiobook | Heidi Wessman Kneale
Interested in DIY audiobook production? Learn what is required to produce good-quality audiobooks at home.
Self-Editing: a Four-Step Approach to Polishing Your Novel | Janet Gover
Give your work the best possible chance in the increasing tough world of publishing. Learn how to self-edit your work. Polish your work and present it to others at its very best.
The ‘U’-word | Nikki Logan
Author Branding: Why You Need it Before You Sell presented by Nikki Logan. Online, May 6 – June 2
How to be creative | Sarah Gates
In Year 2, my class was given a homework assignment: a self portrait. I, like every other seven-year-old except for one, drew a picture of my face. But one girl took a different approach. She sculpted her likeness out of Playdough.
Pace, Pitch & Perfection… Knocking Your First Chapter Out of the Park! | Soraya M. Lane
From the very first line, your book has to hook an editor, agent or reader. We all know what it’s like; a cover catches our eye at our local bookstore, and we pick it up. The first thing we do is read the back cover blurb, and the next thing? We read the first page! Some might skip to the middle for a quick look, but research suggests it’s that first page that decides whether we’re going to buy the book or not. When it comes to sending your manuscript to an editor or agent, you might only get the …
Critiquing is for Scaredy-cats and Recluses Too | Sandy Vaile
Critiquing tends to evoke strong opinions in the writing community: people either swear by it or avoid it like the plague. So, will it be a benefit or handicap to you? This depends on who you partner with, your openness to feedback and how long you stick at it. Embracing critiquing can improve the quality of your writing immensely. I know, because I’ve seen it work repeatedly. When I started The Novelists’ Circle group in 2010, I had no idea what an effective tool it would be for so many fiction writers. That first night there were three nervous writers …
A not-to-miss OWL for those considering self-publishing | Donna Munro
Two years ago, I released my first book The Zanzibar Moon. It wasn’t the only manuscript I had written, six are filed away. Some had been sent to publishers and rejected over many years. I admit I did not send them out enough, but I was working full-time, a mum and other things got in the way of my publishing dream. Turning 52 made me devise a plan. I found at that point in my life I desperately wanted to hold my own book. It was time. With a background in graphic design and small publishing, I was confident I …
Worldbuilding – not just for fantasy writers! | Sue-Ellen Pashley
Worldbuilding is often seen as the domain of fantasy writers. But it’s so much more than just creating a fantasy world. It’s in the foundation of every story – even those set in the real world. It encompasses where we set our story in both location and time, it’s the mood of the book, the way our characters move in their setting and environment, the reason why our characters interact as they do. The world pushes on our characters and the characters push back in some way – just as we do in real life! It draws the reader in, …
Perfecting Your Pitch & Plotting Your Story | Soraya M. Lane.
Whether you’re a new writer starting out or an already published author, one thing you have to be good at is pitching. This is as true for someone querying agents as it is for someone already working with an editor? Why? Because pitching doesn’t stop when you sell your first or even your 30th book – trust me, I’m in the thick of writing pitches right now! I’m fortunate to be able to sell ideas at proposal stage, thanks to working with my editors for some time, but if I can’t write a good, short pitch to hook their attention, …