1.
Angela, what is Publish 15?: Publish15 is an exciting two-day publishing convention
that is the first of its kind in the Southeast. The goal of Publish15 is to
inspire writers and poets, educate them on the ever-changing industry and the
latest technology and practices, and get them started on their path to
publishing by bringing together a variety of experts and companies in one
special event.
2.
What will take place at your conference
June 13-14 in Atlanta?: Publish15 has many components
to keep participants engaged throughout the weekend, including twenty different
workshops on all areas of publishing, literary agent pitching appointments, an
exhibitor hall where you can meet publishers, book printers, and a variety of
other publishing and writer support companies, as well as prizes. Publish15
includes education and exhibitors in all paths to publishing: traditional,
hybrid, and self-publishing, so there’s really something for every writer who
attends. There will also be live demos of digital book printing and binding, so
you can see during the event how amazing it is to print, bind, and trim a book
using print on-demand technology, and better understand how this technology is
changing our industry.
3.
What are some of the featured workshops
on?: We have such a great variety of
workshops during Publish15 that I think it’s going to be hard for some folks to
choose which to attend! I’m looking forward to some of the workshops on
technology to help writers, as it can be hard to keep up with all that’s out
there. The Legal Liabilities in Publishing session is a must, as so many
writers don’t realize all the legal ramifications that can come along with
writing and publishing a book. We have a number of workshops on marketing--a critical
part of the process that many writers don’t think much about until they have a
book in hand. There are also several workshops to help shed light for writers
on the different publishing paths and the pros and cons of each...to name a
few!
4. How are you bringing people together who need to know about print on
demand, book printers, literary agents, publishers and so many others who make
up the industry?: Our planning team has had so much
fun putting this event together. Our speakers and exhibitors are from around
the US and Canada, and come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. We
made sure to feature a balance of experts and providers from all areas:
traditional publishing, self-publishing, book printing, marketing, writer
support companies, and more. The attendees who are coming to Publish15 are also
varied: writers, poets, published authors, publishing professionals, and even
some young folks interested in being writers or publishing professionals in the
future. There’s never been an event like this in Georgia before, so it’s been
wonderful to see how excited writers are to be able to attend an event like
this.
5.
Where do you see book publishing
heading?: I see an ever-growing shift towards
writer-driven publishing and marketing options. It’s an amazing time to be a
writer, regardless of what publishing path you might choose. There are so many
programs, providers, websites, and software to help you write, design, convert,
sell, and market a book---it’s hard to keep up on all of them. I think the only
downside to this is finding ways to ensure the quality of the work being put
out there. You never want to see an author rush and skimp on something, like
professional book editing, because they feel like they don’t need it, when truly
every book needs professional editing.
My
colleagues and I were talking the other day about how we’re seeing more of a
shift towards shorter length works, more novellas, etc., which I think is
driven a lot by an urge to meet readers’ shrinking attention spans while also
capitalizing on the ability to get a book out quickly with digital
publishing/e-publishing. It is a great way for a writer to test out the market
for their writing, and maybe cut down on expenses if they are self-publishing.
And on one
hand, while I see more works heading towards releasing as eBook only, or eBook
first, I have to say that I honestly don’t see printed books going anywhere. In
fact, we’ve seen an increase in hardcover book sales over the past year
or two, so I always recommend authors publish in as many formats as they can.
6. What advice do you have for aspiring writers and poets?: My best advice would be to not stop trying too soon! I
see so many writers who get frustrated, tired, or feel disappointed in the results
they’re seeing, and give up on their dream too soon. Whether you hope to be
traditionally published, or self-publish, it takes time and consistent,
persistent effort to reach your goals. I see authors who self-publish do some
marketing right after their book comes out, but they aren’t completely
satisfied with their sales and then stop marketing and give up on their book.
They’ll never know where their book could have gone because they gave up too
soon, when we know it takes months and even maybe years of work to really get a
book “out there.”
7. What do you love most about books – and working in the industry?: Coming from a background in news, I love being a lifelong
learner. The industry is constantly evolving—there’s always something new for
me to learn, so it’s definitely never going to get boring! With every book I
read, every author I work with, I love learning about the topic, the author’s
experiences, and their background. I love asking writers questions and
understanding why their book is important to them, what prompted them to write
the book, and figuring out how I can help them. I also love the connections
I’ve made with others in the industry who share the goal of helping writers,
there’s a real movement out there to help empower writers, and it’s incredible
to be part of that.
Angela
DeCaires’s background includes experience in public relations, writing, broadcasting,
and journalism, having spent a number of years as a TV news producer and news
writer in New York, followed by public relations work for health systems in
both Florida and New York. She entered the publishing world when she began
working for BookLogix in 2010. Today she is the publishing director at the
Atlanta-based publisher, and is also the event coordinator for Publish15,
Georgia’s first annual publishing convention. She holds a degree in
Communication/Journalism from St. John Fisher College.
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog
are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more
important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2015
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