Quebec Writers' Federation Workshops
Fall Session 2011
THE SELF-PUBLISHING WORKSHOP: HOW TO GET YOUR MANUSCRIPT INTO PRINT
Saturday, October 29, 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Atwater Library Auditorium, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Westmount
Workshop leader: Christina Manolescu

Workshop fee: $85 for QWF members; $90 for non-members (fee includes an 80-page self-publishing workbook to use during the workshop and as a future reference and guide)

Maximum: 20 participants

This workshop will examine the process of transforming your manuscript into a professional looking self-published book. We will discuss the elements of graphic design, pre-press techniques and bureaucratic procedures: a 3-pronged approach. The goal is to help you to visualize and formulate your own individual book design.

The Self-publishing Workshop is open to lively discussion, questions, and the mutual sharing of ideas. It offers a practical, hands-on, collaborative approach: guided discussion, the use of comparative samples and examples, diagrams and checklists, and brief brainstorming sessions in participant groups. We will examine various printed books that we admire, and some that we don’t. All this to demonstrate the high standards that can be achieved in self-published books.

Among the topics discussed will be the type and quality of paper and methods of book binding; the imposition (sequencing) and numbering of book pages; the treatment and reproduction of illustrations; font styles and typography; text formatting, page layout and book cover design. We will look at the industry standard in design software, demystify the use of barcodes, and explain how electronic book files are prepared for the commercial printer. You’ll discover how to acquire an ISBN, create a trade logo, apply for the CIP (Cataloguing in Publication) program, and fulfill the legal deposit requirements for published books.

Among the topics discussed will be the type and quality of paper and methods of book binding; the imposition (sequencing) and numbering of book pages; the treatment and reproduction of illustrations; font styles and typography; text formatting, page layout and book cover design. We will look at the industry standard in design software, demystify the use of barcodes, and explain how electronic book files are prepared for the commercial printer. You’ll discover how to acquire an ISBN, create a trade logo, apply for the CIP (Cataloguing in Publication) program, and fulfill the legal deposit requirements for published books.

We’ll also discuss the brave new world of e-books (electronic books) and their implications and opportunities for publishers and self-publishers alike.

Interested workshop participants who have already experimented with self-publishing are invited to bring along samples of their work to share with the group. Similarly, those with a specific project-in-progress are invited to do the same. When preparing for the workshop, it’s useful to assess your literary projects and plans.

For example, if you have a specific manuscript that you’d like to publish, is it well-edited, revised, organized and close to completion? Can you create the elements for a book and assemble them all together? What is your motivation for self-publishing and what prior skills do you bring to the task? What are your questions and concerns? You don’t necessarily need to be able to do everything yourself; but you do need to know what the process involves and how to see it through.

The grand self-publishing adventure is a continuous learning curve. Nevertheless, this workshop offers a clear, practical roadmap and encourages you to take the first steps along the way.

Workshop fee includes The Self-publishing Workbook (ISBN: 1-894967-51-8) From Initial Concept to Production, a tried and tested handbook for emerging self-publishers.

Christina Manolescu is the founder of Prince Chameleon Press (www.princechameleon.com). She has written, designed, and published children’s fantasy fiction, in print and on audio CD. She has also self-published two novels, Baglady and Waldensong Saturnalia, excerpts from which were short-listed for the Eastside Stories Competition in London, U.K. She has undertaken book-length translation, ghostwriting, editorial revision, book design and print management for various clients, one of whose self-published books won a silver Ippy Award in 2009. She founded Invisible Cities Network in 2001 to support and showcase the achievements of independent artists and self-publishers locally and abroad.