Today, I attended the workshop on How to Write a Book and Self-publish It. It was a valuable event for any writer interested to get published.
Publisher Kath Eustaquio-Derla talked about the differences between the traditional publishing process and self-publishing, highlighting the pros and cons for new authors. She also helped us work on our existing projects, giving clear, simple steps to get the book started, all the way to creating a book cover.
We heard from author John Luke Chica about his challenges getting started and how he finally went from dreaming of getting published to actually getting his work printed and sold. I could relate to his distractions – the 100 things taking our attention away from ACTUALLY WRITING and finishing the book. I was lucky to secure an autographed copy of his book, The Shadow Immortals.
Author RJ T. Vargas shared the importance of having a mentor. She also talked about how building a network and an active social media presence helped her. Her point about being kind and generous with her time and involvement with other writers simply made sense. We never know when an action we take can help someone and the unexpected returns it can bring.
The workshop was a bit long but worth it. I learned a lot and gained the motivation to keep writing (and hopefully publish) my stories.
