The eager, smiling faces of three-dozen aspiring authors greeted ConsciousCafé London this week as we hosted our sell-out event How to Get Your Book Published – Everything You Need to Know.
The little corner of our meet-up café was abuzz with the chatter of excited writers - from authors of epic speculative fiction, to award-winning spoken word poets, and investigative journalists composing thrilling exposés. Over several lattes and a cheeky portion of sweet potato fries, our writers met and got to know each other, sharing their love of the written word and the reasons they wanted to pursue publishing. Some were keenly considering self-publishing, while others expressed interest in the more traditional approach, or even a career in hybrid publishing. Everyone came from different backgrounds, with different levels of experience and a whole host of opinions. One thing was certain though, you can never know too much about the world of publishing!
The variety of panellists for this event was appealing - industry experts joined us from different areas of the field, allowing for a well-rounded discussion. There really was something for everyone: Nick Williams, leadership coach and author of 16 books, spoke in great detail about the intricacies of self-publishing and the ease-of-access today's technology can bring; Fiona Robertson, editor at Watkins Publishing, talked about the process of querying and acquisitions in the traditional publishing sector; and Katie Read of READ Media shared her tips from the world of PR and prompted a collective reflection on the importance of Marketing.
There is something faintly magical in the air when a group of writers get together - a shared understanding that they've been brought together by a shared interest, a passion, and that love of writing makes them friends even if they don't yet know each other. The stories they work on are all so different yet of equal importance, written with the same kind of love and care. Each writer was so keen to share their thoughts and ideas, stars in their eyes, and were just as eager to listen to others share their projects, offering support, advice and heaps of encouragement.
We all went away with a fuller notebook and a mind bubbling with new ideas to help start, or continue, a fruitful life in the world of publishing.
ConsciousCafe is a not-for-profit organisation, a friendly and welcoming community, a place to live life consciously.