Dear Fellow Writer,
In this issue:- Diary note: Byron Bay Writers’ Festival
- Writing books for children and young adults
- How to get an agent
- Magazine writing (Saturday course)
- Book Club in North Sydney
We’ve had a great week so far. I’ve been busy teaching Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers. We’re running an intensive course over five consecutive days. It’s been wonderful to have students attend from all over Australia including Perth, Brisbane, the Hunter Valley and the Snowy Mountains!
Apart from that we’ve been busy in planning mode ensuring we schedule enough courses for you over the next few months.
However, I may tear myself away from the Sydney Writers’ Centre in July for the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival. Of course, this is mainly because of the location. It’s very relaxed, right near the beach and there’s always a full program where you can dip in and out of various sessions.
So if you’re up for a fairly relaxed festival, mark your diaries with the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival from 26 – 29 July. If you’re planning to go, I highly recommend that you get the early bird ticket which is available until 30 May.
For more information, visit the website on www.byronbaywritersfestival.com.au
If you’ve ever thought about children’s writing, Judith presents a wonderful course here at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. The course covers:
• How to get started
• Finding the right voice
• Creating characters and stories young readers will enjoy
• Common assumptions about writing for children and about young readers
• Understanding the children's publishing market.
Libbie Doherty recently completed the course with Judith. Here’s what she said:
“Judith
is a fantastic teacher. She covered all the aspects that I expected out
of the course and more. She made extra effort in reviewing work and
suggesting and providing additional reading material to my particular
area of interest. She openly shared her expertise and encouraged us
all.”
For more information visit our website or enroll by calling (02) 9929 9237.
How to get an agent
There’s a very useful article on the website of the Australian Literary Agents’ Assocation about how to approach agents, what you should send them, what you can expect them to read, what fees they may charge and whether you should post, email or drop in your submission. (Thanks to our wonderful presenter Judith for sending this through).I can’t reprint the whole article here so please do read it yourself if you’re interested. The link is here:
http://austlitagentsassoc.com.au/finding.html
Ultimately, remember that you should get your submission into a version that you are really happy with before you send it. Don’t assume that an agent is going to turn a blind eye at spelling or grammar mistakes. And don’t assume that an editor is going to fix your errors. Make sure your submission is something that you are really proud of. Remember, you only have one chance to make a first impression – so make it count!
The next seminar on How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett is coming up. Make sure you secure your place in this popular seminar.
When: Tuesday 29 May 2007
Time: 6.30-8.30pm
Cost: $65
The seminar will cover:
• How to write a winning book proposal
• How to approach publishers
• Do you need an agent?
• How much should you write before approaching a
publisher?
• Negotiating a fair contract
• The editing and re-writing process
Michael Neaylon attended the last seminar. This is what he said:
“Great
info told in a no nonsense, real yet inspirational way. It was well
organised, extremely good value and very comprehensive given the short
duration, very well presented, very helpful. I've been able to draft a
strong proposal today.”
Roenna Baker said:
“I
really enjoyed the seminar. I feel more confident about the stories I
have written and feel more confident in approaching publishers.”
Feature writing for magazines and newspapers
Our popular course Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers will show you how to get published. If you can’t attend on weekdays, we have a weekend course that goes over two consecutive Saturdays coming up.
When: Saturday 26 May AND Saturday 2 June 2007 
(You must be able to attend both days)
Time: 9.30am-3.00pm
Course fee: $395.
The course will teach you about:
• which ideas work – and where to get them
• understanding the magazine/news market
• different types of feature articles
• how to research, structure and write a feature
• what editors want from a writer
• how to pitch your article or idea to a magazine and
sell it!
For more information visit our website or enroll by calling (02) 9929 9237
Book Club in North Sydney
As writers, we all love to read. And sometimes there is nothing better than getting lost in a great book. I often receive requests for information about local book clubs. If you are looking for one, Café Conte will be holding one on Saturday mornings in North Sydney.
For more information check out all the details which have been posted on our blog.
Other upcoming courses
Course: Creative Writing with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday for 5 weeks from Tuesday 5 June 2007
Time: 6.30-8.30pm
Cost $395
Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers (evening)
When: Every Monday for five weeks from Monday 18 June 2007
Time: 6.30pm-8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to Write Media Releases
When: Wednesday 13 June 2007
Time: 9.00am-1.00pm
Cost: $185
Thanks for signing up to this newsletter. Remember, if you'd like to leave this list at any time just reply to this email letting us know.
Wishing you much writing success,
Valerie Khoo
Director
Sydney Writers‘ Centre
102 Alfred Street Milsons Point
Ph: (02) 9929 9237
valerie@spindriftmedia.com.au
www.sydneywriterscentre.com.au
About Valerie:
Valerie
Khoo is a journalist, author of five books and founder of the Sydney
Writers' Centre. She is passionate about helping people achieve their
writing goals. The Sydney Writers' Centre runs short courses and
seminars that will help you improve your writing skills and get
published.
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