The Amelia Island Book Festival (AIBF), in conjunction with Florida Authors and Publishers Association (FAPA), will hold its annual Writers’ Workshop on Friday, Feb. 15, from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at Florida State College Jacksonville (FSCJ) Nassau Campus, featuring luncheon speaker Steve Berry, whose books have sold 22 million copies in 51 countries, translated into 40 languages. The workshop is part of the Amelia Island Book Festival, which runs from Feb. 14-16.
Berry, who will answer attendees’ questions, is the New York Times and internationally best-selling author of historically based novels, including “The Bishop’s Pawn,” “The Lincoln Myth,” “The King’s Deception,” “The Paris Vendetta,” “The Alexandria Link,” “The Templar Legacy,” “The Romanov Prophecy” and “The Amber Room.”
AIBF Writers’ Workshop comprises two tracks (attendees are welcome to select sessions from both tracks) — Publishing 101 and The Craft of Writing.
■ Track 1: Publishing 101 includes book Publishing Options with the author, bookstore owner Patti Brassard-Jefferson; Publishing Essentials with award-winning author, publisher Jane R. Wood; Marketing in Person with award-winning author, FAPA Director Rocky Porch Moore; Marketing Online with the author, therapist, professor Dr. Donna Jennings (aka Dr. J).
■ Track 2: The Craft of Writing, includes Make a Scene with author, publisher Patricia Charpentier; Writing Kick-A– – Characters with author, publisher Steve McCondichie; Moments in Memoir with Patricia Charpentier; Secrets of Writing Award-Winning Young Adult Novels with author Christina Benjamin.
Tickets for the Writers’ Workshop are available online at www.ameliaislandbookfestival.org. Event check-in starts at 8 a.m., and the day includes a box lunch, as well as snacks and beverages throughout the sessions. Tickets are $100. The event is being held at FSCJ Nassau Campus, Bean Technical Center, 76346 William Burgess Blvd. in Yulee.
In addition, author and publisher Steve McCondichie will conduct one-on-one, 15-minute manuscript critique sessions with Writers’ Workshop attendees who apply in advance. McCondichie is co-founder of Southern Fried Karma, an Atlanta-based multimedia company that is cultivating the artistic voice of the New Millennium with a local accent and establishing a fresh state of mind. For more information, visit www.southernfriedkarma.com.
To have a novel critiqued, the writer must submit the first 19 pages of the manuscript, plus a query letter and one-page synopsis; for non-fiction, submit a 21-page book proposal. Deadline to apply for a critique is Feb. 2. Apply at www.ameliaislandbookfestival.org. There is a $50 fee for a critique, which supports AIBF’s “Authors in Schools” Literacy Program. “Authors in Schools” gives each student in Nassau County a free book, along with the opportunity to meet an author, as each school in the county will be visited by one or more of the AIBF authors during the book festival.
The AIBF Writers’ Workshop presenting sponsor is OnLineBinding.com of Jacksonville. The gold sponsor is the Institute for Enterprise.
For more information visit www.ameliaislandbookfestival.org, or call (904) 624-1665.
In addition, The Institute for Enterprise is offering five scholarships to enterprising would-be authors to attend this workshop. If interested, send an email to info@ameliaislandbookfestival.org with the subject line Writers Workshop Scholarship to receive an application.
