The Hub City Writers Project and the Spartanburg County Public Libraries team up for a brand new series of programs in 2014 about the business and craft of writing. These panel discussions, in a casual, talk-show format, are held at the Library Headquarters, 151 S. Church Street, on third Thursdays at 7 pm, January through May. This new educational series is inspired by a long-running and popular program created by the James River Writers of Richmond, Va. Each panel will include three to four writing/publishing professionals and a moderator. These evenings are an opportunity to network, get your questions asked, and to go behind the scenes in the sometimes-complex world of publishing.

The events are free and open to the public.

Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing

January 16

There is more than one way to get published, and the tricky part is not only deciding on which path to go down, but also making that path work for you. This panel includes Carin Siegfried, a Charlotte editorial consultant; former Random House editor Betsy Thorpe; Agatha Award winner Susan Boyer of Greenville (Lowcountry Boil) and Pam Stone, who self published I Love Me a Turkey Butt Sammich.

Getting the Book Contract

February 20

How do I submit my work to an agent, and if I get one, then what? Find out from a prominent a New York literary agent and from two regional authors who successfully navigated this path to publication. Panelists include Marly Rusoff, who represents Pat Conroy, Masha Hamilton and Ron Rash, among others; Sonja Condit, a recent Converse College MFA graduate who published The Starter House with HarperCollins; andMegan Hansen Shepherd of Hendersonville, author of the successful Madman’s Daughter young-adult trilogy.

 

Writing for Kids

March 20

What does it take to get a children’s book published? Four published authors share their experiences and their suggestions. Our panel includes Melinda Long, author of the NYT-bestselling How I Became a Pirate; Samantha Bell, a Sylvan Dell author; Kate Salley Palmer, who started her own children’s book imprint; and Dinah Johnson of Columbia, who has published several children’s books with Henry Holt & Co.

How to Market Your Book

April 17

Getting a book published is only half the battle. How do you get it in the store? Learn from the best! Panelists include Wanda Jewell, director of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance; Asheville’s Rich Rennicks, a freelance book marketer; Tracey Adams, senior partner of Media Masters Publicity; and Eric Svenson, sales rep for HarperCollins.

Writing Family Stories

May 15

You have lots of great family history and stories. How do you write it so others will want to read it? Get tips from these four writers: Rebecca McClanahan of Charlotte (The Tribal Knot: A Memoir of Family, Community and a Century of Change); Deno Trakas, (Because Memory Isn’t Eternal); Charlotte’s Judy Goldman (Losing My Sister,); andDrew Lanham, (The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature, forthcoming from Milkweed Editions).