A tweaked format for the next in-person event

This in-person festival will differ from the 26th Apr 2026 Festival by concentrating on the nuts and bolts of publishing rather than genres. The sessions will cover of the topics below, each panel consisting of up to three experts in that field and three or more authors (different to April’s), making six total.

Following feedback from our first festival, on Sunday 4th October 2026 we will have fewer panels (five instead of eight) lasting longer (an hour instead of thirty minutes including audience questions). We were also told that some panels were too big (too many authors). I had planned no more than four authors but some had five or six, perhaps too much for a 30-minute overview. It was difficult enough to say ‘no’ to authors when the panels were full but there were authors I’d particularly wanted and they’d taken so long to come back to me that their panels had already officially filled.

Next April’s event will be genres again so I’ll have to think about the format because there are seven genres so we had seven panels plus a moderators’ panel… a really packed day!

Within the topics, the experts and authors will be talking about the importance of each step, the service the expert provides, what the author should provide to the expert, and anything else they think of.

4th October 2026 (Aylesbury, UK)

  • 10am: editing: you’ve finished your book, you’ve had someone you trust to go through it so now you’re ready for a professional to go through it, and get it ready for publication.
  • There will be a mix of three or more authors and up to three editors talking about this topic.
  • Editing is SPBF founder Morgen Bailey‘s day job so this is the only panel she’ll appear on, leaving her available to oversee the rest of the day.
  • 11am: there will then be a 30-minute break to buy books, have them signed and network.
  • 11.30am: cover design, illustrations and book formatting ~ when you know what your book is finished (before or while the editor has it) you want to think about your cover, and any illustrations you might like inside, especially if you’re creating a children’s book or graphic novel. When it’s ready, how do you want the inside to look? What software might be used? This is the panel for that stage.
  • There will be a maximum of three authors on this panel as well as one or more cover designers, one or more illustrators and one or more formatters talking about this topic.
  • 12.30pm: there will then be an hour break to buy books, have them signed and network, and have lunch!
  • 1.30pm: what else do you need before your book is published? ~ this panel will be looking at what else is needed, i.e. what price will you charge? What should your blurb look like?
  • 2.30pm: there will then be a 30-minute break to buy books, have them signed and network.
  • 3pm publishing ~ you have your edited/formatted book and cover with all the information you need to proceed… how do you publish it? Do you do it yourself via Amazon’s KDP, Draft2Digital (who helps go wide), or each platform individually (i.e. Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo etc.) or hire someone to do those processes for you then give you full control thereafter. They will also talk about ‘vanity’ publishing. Self-publishing publishers will only do the work for you that you would do. You would retain all your rights, be able to access your Amazon bookshelf, be paid your royalties directly rather than via the publisher etc.
  • There will be a mix of three or more authors and up to three publishing experts talking about this topic.
  • 4pm: there will then be a 30-minute break to buy books, have them signed and network
  • 4.30pm: marketing/advertising inc. social media, website designe etc. taking part
  • There will be a mix of up to three authors, one or more marketing/advertising/social media experts and one web designer talking about this topic.
  • 5.30pm: there will then be a 30-minute break to buy books, have them signed and network
  • 6pm: the festival will then close..

Authors confirmed so far…

If you are a self-published author or provide any of the services above (or another!) to self-published authors, please see the Participate page.

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