WriteFest Wrap – Amplified Author

This week I blogged on the Picture Books Only blog, sharing my notes from Meg Vann’s session at Bundaberg WriteFest. WriteFest (http://bundywriters.com) is an annual event organised by Bundy Writers, in Queensland, Australia. It’s a smorgasbord event for authors of all genres, and this year I was inspired anew by the wonderful workshops I attended. Kerri Lane shared great tips for Educational Publishing – and there was even a PB equivalent, which has me more than a little bit interested. 😛 And Meg Vann inspired us all to be Amplified Authors.

Meg Vann (@meg_vann) is the manager of the Australian Writer’s Marketplace, and blogs at http://mamaguilt.wordpress.com. Whilst her session wasn’t targeted at Picture Book authors/illustrators, there was still so much I could take away from it. And I did.

The key points;

The amplified author embodies personality traits and principles of successful authors.

The amplified author doesn’t wait for a publisher to decide if work deserves a readership. They carve their own career path.

E-books and digital publishing have resulted in a change in the perception of relationships. Writers now have a myriad of options to build a readership. An amplified author tests writing before submission through blog, beta readers, crit group, audience group…

The book is not an end goal, but one of many ways to reach a readership. The reader is central to any author’s success.

The advent of digital has interrupted the print book supply chain. Publishing has been traditionally a print chain from;

Author -> Agent -> Publisher -> Distributor -> Bookseller.

Amplified authors see themselves as partners in publishing. The amplified author is at the centre of a networked honeycomb that interacts throughout the publication process.

As an amplified author, you don’t have to rely on one publishing company (or publishing type) for all services. You can build the publishing platform that suits you. Amplified authors don’t cede control to one gatekeeper. They drive their career.

During a time of uncertainty and change as the picture book industry adjusts to digital publishing, I found Meg Vann’s workshop empowering.