The Monterey Library doesn’t just grant you access to published authors, it can help you become one. Its new Indie Author Day this Saturday is like a mini symposium on the art and business of self-publishing and/or publishing with small to medium presses.
In three of their rooms, the library will host workshops on topics ranging from genealogy and memoir to marketing and young-adult writing. They’re bringing in a bunch of indie authors – about 20 people in all – to run them, including romance author Victoria M. Johnson (Hot Hawaiian Christmas) and horror author Lynn Lamb (Survivor Diaries).
And the library doesn’t just serve as the venue and facilitator, but as a de facto publisher through Biblioboard, which helps aspiring authors format manuscripts for publishing and grants library users access to the books through their devices.
Teen and references librarian Eboni Harris is moderating a panel about self-publishing versus traditional publishing: “This event is to empower indie authors who are overlooked by mainstream readers and large bookstores because of the sometimes negative stigma with ‘indie.’”
Everything is free and open to everyone. A whole afternoon set to launch people on a course toward authorship. Libraries rule.