With publishers consolidating and purchasing fewer books each year, and breakout self-publishing successes, self-publishing is a practical approach to making real money and getting your books in the hands of readers. Come to the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library to learn all about it from author Robert Kent.
The Basics of Self-Publishing program will be from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 7, at KHCPL South, 1755 E. Center Road.
Kent writes middle-grade novels, including Banneker Bones and the Giant Robot Bees, and Banneker Bones and the Alligator People. He runs the popular Middle Grade Ninja blog, which features interviews with and guest posts from sought-after professionals, such as M.T. Anderson, author of Feed, Katherine Applegate, author of The One and Only Ivan and Wishtree, Michael Grant, author of the Gone and BZRK series, and Lois Lowry, author of The Giver; literary agents Victoria Arms Wells of Hannigan Salky Getzler, Alec Shane of Writers House, Sara Crowe of Pippin Properties, and Laura Rennert of Andrea Brown Literary Agency; and other publishing experts.
“Rob’s been one of my writing critique partners for nine years,” said Lisa Fipps, KHCPL Director of Marketing. “I would have never gotten my agent or Nancy Paulsen, at Nancy Paulsen Books of Penguin Books USA, as an editor for my upcoming debut middle-grade novel, Starfish, if it weren’t for my critique partners, including Rob. He’s had great success self-publishing. That’s why I invited him to Kokomo. Each year when we host the Local Author Fair, we have people asking us to bring in writing professionals so they can learn how to get published. So I asked Rob to lead The Basics of Self-Publishing program for the library. A three-hour course that’s free and led by an author of Kent’s caliber isn’t easy to find, especially locally. Not only does KHCPL encourage people to take advantage of it, but I personally do.”
Kent holds degrees in Literature and Creative Writing from Indiana University. He also teaches courses at the Indiana Writers Center. Find out more about him and his blog at middlegradeninja.com.
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