Demystifying Publishing Options

Holly Kammier, Patricia Marshall, Rick Shaw

Wednesday, June 12, 1-3:30 PM, Pacific Ballroom

The road to publication involves understanding what your publishing options are. Writers often have a single-minded dream of a selling their projects to traditional publishers and becoming bestselling authors. In reality, there are many other options, and it can be overwhelming to understand where your book would find its best fit in the publishing spectrum.

This seminar will discuss the pros and cons of the five main publishing options today: 

  • Traditional Publishing 

  • Small Publishers

  • Self-Publishing 

  • Vanity Press

  • Hybrid Publishing

Gaining a working understanding of the range of publishing options will facilitate reaching your goal of successful publication.

In addition you will be given a guide as to what you need to give attention to in any route to publication.

And finally, if you are considering solo self publishing, we will give you information to decide is this is a good choice for you.

Bring your questions. In addition we will presentations from Patricia Marshall and Rick Shaw.

Holly Kammier is the bestselling author of Kingston Court, Choosing HopeLost Girl: A Shelby Day Novel, and curator for the anthology, Six Feet Apart… In the Time of Corona. Co-founder of Acorn Publishing, a highly respected hybrid publishing imprint to a growing collective of award-winning authors, she is also an accomplished writing coach who leads workshops at writers’ festivals and conferences. A former journalist and weather anchor with a resume that includes Channel 9 news in Los Angeles and CNN in Washington, D.C., the UCLA Honor graduate resides in her hometown of San Diego with her brilliant and often sarcastic teenagers.

Patricia Marshall is the owner of Luminare Press, a company she started in 2010 to help authors with the process. Her presentation will give you insight as to what you need to focus on if you’re considering independent publishing, it’s essential to shift thinking like an author to thinking like a publisher. Patricia Marshall of Luminare Press offers a framework that explains where you should put your focus if you want to publish a professional, polished book. This framework will include editing and polishing your manuscript, book design and production and setting up your book for publication and distribution. It will break down the process and explain why each step is important, as well as offering tools and practical approaches for each step.

Rick Shaw is a recently retired technologist, data scientist, and is now a full time writer and author of two novels he self published. In addition to writing, editing, designing and mastering the art of the various publication platform, he is marketing, and making public appearances promoting his novels. In other words he exemplifies the successful do-it-all-yourself published author. He consults during the week of the conference, helping writers to decide if self publishing is their best option, and if so, what is needed to accomplish this. His presentation will clarify whether self publishing is a viable route to publication for you.

Patricia Marshall , Rick Shaw, Holly Kammier