Last week was a week of information overload. I’ve never attended the Sydney Writers’ Festival before, or any writers’ festival for that matter.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect so I tried not to have any expectations. I paid for sessions and I went to the free ones that appealed to me. I can honestly say that the paid sessions didn’t disappoint. I must admit I was hesitant to spend the money on a writing festival. For me, it means cementing and admitting to myself that I’m seriously doing this whole writing thing. I’ve been writing for a very long time but not in this kind of arena – the world of fiction.
But as the speaker during the festival said, writers need to start calling themselves as writers. Damn the strange looks and raised eyebrows. Join writers’ festivals and improve your writing, just keep at it.
But I digress.
There were several sessions where the speakers gave practical and sound advice. I wrote down notes and an almost endless “to do” list based on what they said.
“Author’s platform” was the buzzword for the event – something that got mixed reactions from the experts. Some said there is a higher chance to be picked up for publication if the writer already has a presence online (blog, social media, Goodreads etc) and a lot of followers. Others said it doesn’t matter much but it “does help”.
How do I translate this? I reckon it’s better to have an author’s platform than none, especially in today’s changing digital times.
There was also a mixed reaction to the concept of giving away free content. Some authors believe that by giving away free content they entice their followers to buy their work when it’s finally released. And this tactic has worked on some of the authors who spoke at the festival. Others, however, don’t share the same view.
These discussions were very good food for thought especially for emerging writers. I also especially loved the panel on Digital Storytelling where they discussed how to use technology to enhance a reader’s experience. I will be putting up a review of Cornelia Funke’s MirrorWorld app. She presented it during the session and it looked amazing. It was an example of how technology can enhance a person’s reading experience.
Me being me, I approached several publishers and asked them about various publishing things. I may have cornered the senior editor of one of the publishing houses where I joined a competition….and asked him why I didn’t win.
Kidding. I’m not that daft.
I did ask him about their process and how they picked their winners. It’s so different each publisher. For this particular one, they were looking for a certain flavour that’s different to other publishers. The advice the publishers gave was to do research and actually know which ones publish the same themes as your book. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time and their time.
Although it was a very good first experience for me, there were some things that niggled at me. Some of the sessions didn’t really cover a lot of information that could be useful to emerging writers. The conversation needs to be designed so that the one-hour is maximised with more useful information.
For me, the practical sessions and the workshops had more “takeaway” information than the other panels. Having said that, the festival did update me with other events/workshops I can attend. It also reignited my drive to keep at this no matter what. Because I don’t want to wake up one morning and not have done anything to pursue this passion.
Excuse me while I look at my list of books to buy from the authors I met at the festival.
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