2012 Prepare to Submit: Making Your Manuscript Publishable

Who: Catherine Hammond
When:
6 x Saturday mornings: 18 & 25 August; 1,8,15 & 22 September 2012, 10am – 1pm
Full price:
$600; Member: $420; Conc Member: $360

Now that you’ve finished your manuscript – or nearly! – you’re thinking about publishing, but you’re just not sure if it’s ready. You’re wondering: Is your story well structured and engaging? Are your characters all that they can be? Does your manuscript have what it takes to wow agents, publishers and readers?

In non-confronting sessions, Catherine will look at both the manuscript itself and the demands of the publishing industry today, including online and on-demand publishing. She will also discuss publicising books through social media.

Catherine Hammond is an industry-renowned editor and mentor who has worked with such publishers as Pan Macmillan, Allen & Unwin, HarperCollins and Random House. Join her for a six-week intensive to polish your writing until it shines, and bring your manuscript up to publication standard.

 

Sessions:

  • One

Do you feel satisfied that the manuscript does what you wanted it to do?

How does it compare with your favourite titles in that genre?

Does it keep the target readership in mind throughout?

Do you feel confident about the story’s structural unity?

  • Two

Will your beginning grab attention and promise a great read ahead?

Is your ending appropriate and satisfying?

Is your storyline delightfully complex?

  • Three

Are your main characters so multi-layered that it’s a challenge to peel back layer after layer?

Is the voice you’ve chosen a compelling one?

  • Four

Does the dialogue sound real, suited to the speakers?

Does the writing style complement, not distract?

Do chapter titles entice, not just take up space?

  • Five

Does the pace alternate between a smooth ride and an exhilarating bounce?

Is the story’s setting (time, place, mood, situation…) recreated realistically?

  • Six

Do the title, synopsis (or back cover blurb) and proposal show awareness of the commercial aspects of publishing/self-publishing/partnership publishing?

Do you know how to use a website, blogging, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linked In, etc., to make your book known and desired?

Course structure will be designed to suit the student needs as Catherine assesses where manuscripts have room for improvement.

Food
Tea and coffee making facilities will be provided. Course participants are advised to bring their own lunch as there are no cafes within easy walking distance.

Student Requirements
Bring in a half-page synopsis of your manuscript.

About the tutor
Catherine Hammond
is an industry-renowned editor and mentor who has worked with such publishers as Pan Macmillan, Allen & Unwin, HarperCollins and Random House. She has worked as an editor at Doubleday and as Managing Editor at Millenium Books and now both assesses manuscripts and edits for publishers and writers.

 


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