SoA in Scotland: Industry Insider – Finding Help and Getting Started

Panellists Katalina Watt, Lynsey Rogers and Nicola Solomon join our chair Heather Parry for our first of our SoAis Industry Insider events. This session is designed for new and emerging authors based in Scotland to learn more about the publishing industry and the process of being published.

 

Programme

• Welcome, housekeeping and introductions by Heather Parry (5 mins)
• Panel discussion, chaired by Heather Parry, with Katalina Watt, Lynsey Rogers and Nicola Solomon (40 mins)
• Questions from the audience (40 mins)
• Summary and closing comments from Heather Parry (5 mins)

 

Who is this session for?

This session is aimed at new and emerging writers who are looking for a way to learn about the publishing industry and about how to approach writing as both a career and a creative outlet.

 

What will this session cover?

• How can new writers find community and support?
• Where can they find out about awards, funding and rights?
• How does copyright work?
• What should they consider when researching and writing towards publication for the first time?
• When is the right time to look for funding or start approaching agents?
• What does a writing career look like if you choose traditional publishing routes?
• What does a writing career look like if you choose a self-publishing route?

 

Send us your questions in advance

If you would like to send questions in advance, email HParry@societyofauthors.org with ‘Finding Help and Getting Started’ in the subject header. We will prioritise questions sent in advance and will answer as many as we can from the audience on the day.

 

SoA @ Home Fundraising Bookshop

Browse our virtual Bookshop.org store featuring books by authors and speakers taking part in the SoA @ Home Festival. When you make a purchase using our affiliate links a percentage will go to the Authors’ Contingency Fund, providing hardship grants to authors in financial difficulty.

The Line-Up

 

Katalina Watt

Katalina (she/they) is Literature Officer at Creative Scotland and previously worked in Audio and Digital for Canongate and Hachette, and as founding Audio Director for khōréō, a magazine of speculative fiction and migration. As a writer, they are published in various magazines and anthologies including Haunted Voices, Unspeakable, and Extra Teeth and have appeared at Edinburgh International Book Festival, Cymera, and FIYAHCON.

Website: www.katalinawatt.com | Twitter @katalinawatt / @creativescots

 

Lynsey Rogers

Lynsey Rogers (she/her) is the Writing Communities Manager at Scottish Book Trust, where she works on such projects as the New Writers’ Awards, an annual scheme supporting emerging writers to develop their craft. When Lynsey isn’t helping new writers to establish their careers and access professional development, she is a writer and theatre nerd, and loves a cup of Earl Grey.
Twitter @lynseyrogers / @scottishbktrust

 

Nicola Solomon

As well as being the Chief Executive of the Society of Authors, Nicola Solomon is a solicitor with over 30 years’ experience in intellectual property and media law. She has an in-depth knowledge of the publishing industry and the many associated legal areas, from copyright and defamation, to privacy, data protection and contract. She is a Deputy District Judge and sits on the board of the International Authors’ Forum and the British Copyright Council and the European Writers Council.

 

Heather Parry

Heather Parry (she/her) is a Glasgow-based writer, editor and publisher. She is the co-founder and Editorial Director of Extra Teeth magazine, co-host of the Teenage Scream podcast and the Scottish Senior Policy & Liaison Manager for the Society of Authors. In 2021 she created the free-access Illustrated Freelancer’s Guide with artist Maria Stoian. Her short stories and nonfiction have been published internationally, and her debut novel, Orpheus Builds a Girl, will be out in October 2022 with Gallic Books.
Website www.heatherparry.co.uk | Twitter @heatherparryuk

 

 

About Society of Authors in Scotland (SoAis)

The SoA in Scotland (SoAiS) is a nation group of the Society of Authors. Members with a Scottish postcode are added to the group when they join the SoA. If you have not been added but would like to join this group, please contact us.

We offer a varied calendar of activities organised by a committee of volunteers and a staff coordinator. Group activities are reported in the SoA’s quarterly magazine, The Author.

Need to know

Before the event

• Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email with the Zoom link
• If the confirmation email doesn’t arrive in your inbox, please check your junk /spam email folder
• Please add events@societyofauthors.org to your Safe Senders list so you receive our confirmation, and reminder emails

During the event

• This online event will take place on Zoom Webinar; you will not be visible on screen but will be able ask questions via the Q&A function or interact via the chat box
• This event will be recorded but you won’t be on screen
• Attendees have the option to turn on the live transcript option
• This event is 90 minutes

After the event

• Hashtag for this event: #SoAatHome
• You’ll be able to catch the recording on our Vimeo channel

Booking

Book your place using the registration form below.

All SoA @ Home events are free, if you can afford it, we recommend a minimum £5 donation to the Authors’ Contingency Fund to help us support authors facing financial hardship during the health crisis. DONATE HERE