ONLINE Workshop: Own Your Story: The DIY Publishing Workshop (January 2027)

This workshop will run on Thursday 14th January 2027 from 19:00-21:00 GMT.

In a two-hour live Zoom session, author, creative writing teacher, and editor Ken Preston – who has independently and traditionally published over 20 novels – will introduce you to the real landscape of self-publishing: what it actually involves, the choices available to you, and how to take your first confident steps.

This course will focus on:

• The many paths to self-publishing: eBook, print, audio, video, and beyond

• Wide v Exclusive: Go exclusive with Amazon or go wide with other retailers

• The scrappy indie mindset: Build your own platform, don’t rent someone else’s

• Professional formatting and cover design

• ISBN, KDP, ASIN, EPUB, Royalties, etc — What they mean and how they work

• Your first steps into Self-Publishing (and what not to do)

Workshop Highlights/Benefits:

· Live Zoom Session: Enjoy an interactive live Zoom session where you’ll learn about the options available to you for publishing in a rapidly changing environment. Engage in real-time discussions, Q&A session, and personalised feedback to help you decide what kind of publisher you want to be.

· Expert Feedback: Benefit from personalised feedback and guidance from an accomplished self-published author.

· Writing Community: Connect with a community of like-minded writers during the live session. Share your progress, exchange ideas, and receive constructive feedback in a supportive online environment.

Tutor bio: Ken Preston is a full-time author of more than 20 novels, published both traditionally and independently, and translated into multiple languages. His work spans horror (the Joe Coffin series), action thriller (the Ms Vengeance series), YA, and romance. Ken has built and run his own successful self-publishing career alongside running creative writing workshops in schools and prisons around the UK. He’s also a developmental editor, and runs Writing in the Shadows, a newsletter and membership community for writers and readers.

Who is this workshop suitable for?

• Writers who’ve finished (or are close to finishing) a manuscript and are wondering what comes next

• Authors tired of waiting for permission, ready to explore taking publishing into their own hands

• Anyone curious about self-publishing who wants a clear, honest starting point

Self-publishing isn’t a shortcut, it’s a different road. This workshop gives you the first solid steps to doing it yourself, on your terms, and keeping control of your own work.

The workshop will take place online via Zoom. Please download it and check it is working before the day of the workshop.

Please join the Zoom link 15 minutes before the advertised start time to allow you to join and test your audio and video is working as it should.

Please try and be somewhere you can concentrate and won’t be interrupted. Headphones can be useful if you have some, to cut out other noise.

Bursary Scheme 2026-2027:

We understand that not all writers are able to pay for their writing courses/workshops to further their career, and we run a Bursary Scheme as a consequence. If you meet the critera and would like a bursary, please contact us: info@writingwestmidlands.org.

Please note: you must sign up for the full course even if you cannot attend all dates. No partial course ticket is available.

Short Courses/workshops are for over 18s. If you are a young writer, you can sign up for our Spark Young Writers Programme.