Publishing Your Work: How, When, Why?
How do you know when your work is ready for publication? And, if it’s ready, how do you go about publishing it? When is the right time for you? And perhaps most importantly, with a continually shrinking pool of potential readers, why bother publishing at all?
These are some of the many questions facing writers today. To help you answer them, we’ve assembled a diverse panel of folks with experience and insight. Join us on Saturday, November 16th at 5:30 at this location for a look at the publishing world and various ways to (and reasons why you should) launch your work into the world.
We’ve got an impressive line-up of presenters. In alphabetical order, they are:
Jon Clinch: Born and raised in the remote heart of upstate New York, Jon Clinch has been an English teacher, a metalworker, a folksinger, an illustrator, a typeface designer, a housepainter, a copywriter, and an advertising executive. His first novel, Finn—the secret history of Huckleberry Finn’s father—was named an American Library Association Notable Book and was chosen as one of the year’s best by the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and the Christian Science Monitor. His second novel, Kings of the Earth—a powerful tale of life, death, and family in rural America, based on a true story—was named a best book of the year by the Washington Post and led the 2010 Summer Reading List at O, The Oprah Magazine. In 2013 he surprised the publishing industry by releasing a new novel, The Thief of Auschwitz, on his own imprint. Jon lives with his wife, Wendy—founder of TheSkiDiva.com, the internet’s premier site for women who ski—in the Green Mountains of Vermont.
Dede Cummings: Green Writers Press publisher and literary agent Dede Cummings went to Middlebury College back in the late 1970s. In 1991, she received an award to study with Hayden Carruth at the Bennington Writers’ Workshop. Dede has had her poetry published in Mademoiselle magazine and ConnotationPress.com. She is at work on a collection of her poetry, along with her day job in publishing. Throughout the 1980s, Dede worked in publishing at Little, Brown & Company, rising to Senior Book Designer. When the company was bought by Time/Warner and moved to New York, Dede headed north with her husband and young son to return to Vermont and start freelancing as a designer. She has designed many award-winning books by such authors as Thomas Pynchon, Mary Oliver, William Shirer, Andre Dubus, and is a five-time winner of the new England Book Award, including 2 additional awards for “best in show” for Sorochintzy Fair by Nikolai Gogol, and World Alone/Mundo a Solas by Nobel Prize Winner, Vincente Alexandro. Dede is a public radio commentator for Vermont Public Radio, and she lives next to an apple orchard on a dirt road in West Brattleboro, Vermont with her family.
Jessica Swift Eldridge: Jessica earneda degree in English literature from Smith College and has been in the publishing industry for close to a decade. Working in-house for a publishing company, she spent her time absorbing all aspects of the traditional publishing world. When she left to branch out on her own, she was the managing editor of three imprints. In 2008, Swift Ink Editorial Services, was born. Since being self-employed, she has provided editorial services for clients—both nationally and internationally—whose manuscripts have gone on to become award-winning, bestselling books. You can follow her on Twitter @SwiftInkEditor.
Jan Elizabeth Watson: Jan received her BFA from the University of Maine at Farmington and her MFA from Columbia University. She has taught college writing throughout Maine. Her critically acclaimed first novel, Asta in the Wings, was published in 2009. Her second novel, What Has Become of You, will be published worldwide by Dutton in the spring of 2014.
To help compensate the authors for their time and cover the cost of the food and beverages, we’ll ask for a $10 donation. All BWW events are free and there is no requirement to donate, so no pressure. Come and enjoy yourself, learn something about the publishing world, ask questions, and maybe even pick up a book by one of the authors. See you then!
