Publishing a book can be exciting. It can also be confusing, challenging, and expensive! This pair of workshops aims to cut through the confusion and misinformation to help you get the facts about how to get your book into the world. You can take both workshops or choose whichever one is best for you.
Traditional Publishing – Taught by veteran literary agent Carrie Howland of Howland Literary, this workshop will give you the essential information you need about how to prepare your manuscript, land a literary agent, and (hopefully!) get the publishing deal of your dreams. You’ll learn how to build an author platform and how to stand out in the query pile. You’ll also learn about pitfalls to watch out for and discover what not to do as a budding author. And you’ll get plenty of Q and A time at the end to ask any questions you might have about the publishing industry.
March 9th, Sunday, 11:30am-1:30pm.
Cost: $50
Self-publishing / Indie Publishing – Author J. Gabriel Gates had five books traditionally published before starting his own publishing company and embarking on his indie publishing journey. He has now published six successful books independently. In this workshop, he’ll share the hard-won knowledge he’s learned on his journey. You’ll start by examining whether self-publishing is the best path for you. You’ll get a list of self-publishing best practices and valuable resources that will give you the best chance of success. You’ll learn how to build your indie author platform, how to produce your books, how to get them distributed, and how to market them. There are lots of great resources out there for indie authors, but it can take years to sort through them all to learn best practices, and there are plenty of scams. In this workshop, you’ll learn what to do—straight from an author who’s doing it.
March 9th, Sunday, 2pm-4:30pm.
Cost: $50
Workshops are appropriate for writers 6th grade and up. Attend in person at The Franke Center for the Arts, 214 E. Mansion Street, Marshall, MI, or online via Zoom.
Instructor
Carrie Howland
Carrie Howland is a twenty-year veteran in the publishing industry. She worked for fourteen years as a literary agent at two New York City based agencies before founding her eponymous agency, Howland Literary, LLC in 2018. Originally from Marshall, Carrie now calls Kalamazoo home.
Carrie holds a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from Albion College, where she was the Poetry Editor of The Albion Review. Her poetry has appeared in various literary journals and magazines.
Her passions include music, pop culture, parenting, counseling and psychology, animals, health and fitness, and the Midwest. She has been featured in several publications discussing her work as an agent including Poets & Writers, SCBWI insight, Akashic Books, and Slice Magazine.
In addition to her work as an agent, Carrie is a longtime animal rescue volunteer, having fostered and found permanent homes for over one hundred fifty dogs to date. She is also a member of the Junior League and an alumna of Delta Gamma Sorority. When not spending time with her husband and son, Carrie teaches group fitness classes at Pure Barre. All of which inform what she reads and represents.
Carrie is accepting submissions for: adult literary and upmarket fiction, contemporary romance, short story collections, prescriptive nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, essay collections, and cookbooks.
Instructor
J. Gabriel Gates
J. Gabriel Gates is the author of fantasy, horror, and sci-fi books, including the Luck Gods Series, The Lamplighters, The Sleepwalkers, and Blood Zero Sky. He is also co-author of The Tracks Series, a YA contemporary fantasy trilogy.
After receiving his B.A. in theater from Florida State University, Gates moved from Michigan to Los Angeles, where he acted in a dozen national TV commercials and wrote screenplays that were optioned by Hollywood producers. He is an alum of Spalding University’s MFA in writing program, and has taught college writing at Kellogg Community College and Olivet College. He has also worked as a ghostwriter and editor.
Gates is a dad of three and a city council representative in his small Michigan town. When not writing books, he works as the executive director of a prominent regional arts organization. He also enjoys live storytelling and has appeared on stage at The Moth.
