Kevin Chapman is known for having a nose for a good story. He has worked in publishing for over 30 years in New Zealand, the UK, Canada, the US and Australia. Before starting Upstart Press he was managing director of Hachette NZ and Anne Geddes Publishing.
Kevin will be joining us at QWF this year to speak to festival chair Tanya Surrey and aspiring authors – or anyone simply intrigued by the publishing world – about what’s involved in publishing a book. Here’s why Tanya says she invited him along.
Have you ever wistfully wondered what it would feel like to hold in your hand a book that has your name on the cover? I have certainly have – and that is greatly inspired by the authors who have joined us at the Queenstown Writers Festival.
It’s a cliché that we all have one book in us. It’s also a cliché that you should write what you know. So my one book might be about the life of a criminal lawyer. It might be a crime novel set at Moke Lake. Or it might be a novel telling the tale of some lifelong friends from the Hutt Valley – with their permission of course!
I’ve spent some time considering the plot but have yet to put pen to paper. But if that gets done – when that gets done – the next hurdle will be to get it published. Something about which, despite meeting a number of publishers over the last four years, I really have no clue.
So I’m very much looking forward to interviewing Kevin Chapman from Upstart Press about the mysterious world of publishing. I’ve got so many questions, and Kevin has the answers.
What do publishers look for in a submission? I am guessing it’s a well-written book that people will want to buy and read. But of course there is much more to it than that. There’s also how you make the submission. Kevin will talk about what helps and hinders the process.
Then if you are lucky enough to have your book accepted for publication, what about the contract? There are numerous things to consider. What rights does have a writer have? Who owns the manuscript after that?
I have never thought too much about the book cover and the decisions around this. It seems people do judge a book by its cover! Kevin will talk through how covers are designed and how books are marketed.
Many authors dream of having their book adapted for film or television. How does this work? Who can sell the rights and what happens next? Can the writer be involved in writing the script, in fact do they have any say at all?
And then there’s the separate option of self-publishing – Kevin will talk about the pros and cons!
– Kevin Chapman will speak to Tanya Surrey about the publication process on Sunday 13 November.
BOOK NOW
