Annette BarlowFinal Steps to Publication: revising & submitting your book

with Publisher Annette Barlow + agent Gaby Naher + guest author

Allen & Unwin - Sydney
83 Alexander St
Crows Nest NSW 2065
(Please note access is via stairs)
Get directions

Course fee: $1,100 / $935 alumni

By the time I am nearing the end of a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least one hundred and fifty times. I am suspicious of both facility and speed. Good writing is essentially rewriting. I am positive of this. - Roald Dahl

There is clear link between being able to revise your own work and the increased likelihood of publication.

Final Steps is intended to help you start preparing your novel for publication; to finish the job. It is ideal for those who have completed a draft of their manuscript or are in the final stages of completion.

The course is conducted over six Tuesday nights (15 hours of tuition) within a small and focussed class led by professional publisher, Annette Barlow of Allen & Unwin, and guest spots with an experienced literary agent and guest author.

The course will work through all the important issues that face a writer after finishing the first draft, including how to:

• hone your voice
• tighten your structure
• nail your synopsis
• decide on your title
• plan your route to publication

You will learn the vital craft of how to edit your own work, a skill that will benefit you for all your writing life.

The course will end with a guest spot with a literary agent on how to submit your book.

The course includes:
• 15 hours of intensive tuition over six Tuesday evenings.
• Refreshments.
• A complimentary Allen & Unwin title.

The class size is limited to allow optimum teaching. Book soon to avoid disappointment.

The course is made up of six Tuesday evenings (6pm to 8.30pm).

The content listed below is comprehensive but is still a guide only. The exact course content could be adjusted according to the experience and concerns of the group and availability of guest writers. The detail of the course is at the discretion of the course director and Faber Writing Academy at Allen & Unwin.

Session 1: Tuesday 18 October
Hone your critical voice and common structures

Session 2: Tuesday 25 October
Guest author (TBC)
Conflict, motivation, flashbacks and memory

Session 3: Tuesday 1 November
Beginnings, middles and ends

Session 4: Tuesday 8 November
Narrators, dialogue, and final group discussion

Session 5: Tuesday 15 November
One-on-one sessions and writing exercises

Session 6: Tuesday 22 November
Guest agent: Gaby Naher
What agents look for, ways to make your manuscript stand out, and next steps to publication

Praise for the tutor:
'I found most helpful seeing that the editing process is on-going i.e. previously published authors still work intensively on their writing, and that several early unpublished manuscripts can be seen as 'apprenticeship' works, rather than failures; the high level advice from such a senior person as Annette who is a fantastic teacher. She should be the head of a creative writing department at a university. Very friendly and approachable manner, yet manages to put her finger on exactly what is required, or uncover any discrepancy in the writing, very accurately and quickly.'- Clarissa Bye, Sydney, 2014

'Could you please pass on to Annette my thanks for such an excellent day. I found the workshop to be so informative and motivational. Please tell her that I really appreciated her thoughtful and consider feedback of my two pages.' - Amie Weekes who did Annette's Getting Published course at the Byron Bay Writers' Festival in 2016

About the Course Director

Annette Barlow has worked in the publishing industry for over 25 years, in bookshops, sales, editorial and for over 10 years as a publisher. Her list comprises fiction titles, including the twice Miles Franklin winner Alex Miller, the internationally successful Kate Morton, and the creator of Miss Phryne Fisher, Kerry Greenwood. Her nonfiction titles include the popular Buddhism for Mothers series by Sarah Napthali, On Shakespeare by John Bell and the cookbooks of Janella Purcell. Annette is also the publisher in charge of the annually awarded The Australian/Vogel's Literary Award.

About the guests
Prior to establishing The Naher Agency in May 2008, director, Gaby Naher, worked as a literary agent, publicist and bookseller in Sydney, London and New York. She is the author of four books and has a Doctorate of Creative Arts.

Guest author TBA

Please note that in the event of unforeseen circumstances, courses - including tutors and venues - may be subject to cancellation or change.