‘Reaching Readers Online’ seminar, January 31st, London
Spent last Thursday out and about as I headed down to the London Stock Exchange for a seminar entitled 'Reaching Readers Online', organised by publishing industry trade journal the Bookseller.
The audience was mostly made up of London-based publishing professionals - although a few people, like myself, had travelled in from the regions - and we were treated to a good afternoon's worth of relevant commentary on the subject on online promotion for publishers and authors, with some practical advice and case-study examples of successful campaigns included for good measure.
The speakers were all very good indeed; a great mix of heavy-hitting marketing professionals, all of whom were either directly involved in online publishing, print publishing, or providing relevant support services. They included:
- Matt Seaton, editor of The Guardian's Comment is Free mega-blog, introduced the session and spoke on the positive impact of taking a blog-based approach to online publishing.
- Barry Clark of The Future Foundation, who provided some illuminating key stats and trends information, including the fact that this year, social media websites have finally overtaken web-based email in terms of page-impression based traffic figures.
- Cameron Saunders, head of marketing, digital channels at Channel 4 spoke of the huge success of the online pre-launch campaign for the first series of Skins and how the channel is working to keep the momentum going into the second series.
- Peter Collingridge, managing director of Apt, told us of the key challenges facing the industry and suggested an immediate-term action plan for publishers to adopt.
- George Walkley of Orbit Books then provided some examples of practical methods that publishers could use to take advantage of online channels.
A series of quick-fire talks by publishing professionals from various sectors of the industry, all of whom had something positive and practical to add on the topic, then brought the session to a close. All in all, it was an extremely interesting, informative and relevant afternoon.
I was hoping to write up my notes from the session in more detail, but spare blogging time is a very precious commodity just at the moment (for reasons I hope to be able to announce shortly). However, Peter Collingridge has written up his notes on everyone else's segments over on the Apt blog, Times Emit, so if you missed the session or would simply like to catch up with the key points from the other keynote speakers, then that would be an excellent place to start.
Manchester Wordpress Users’ Group, January 16th, MDDA
Yesterday evening saw the inaugural meeting of a new Wordpress users' group, organised by Alan Holding of the Manchester Digital Development Agency.
The first session was relaxed and informal. Freelance designer and serial WP-user Leanda Ryan gave a presentation on WP templates that emphasised the great flexibility and adaptability of the even the basic WP installation, and Alan followed up with a few pointers on security. The group responded well, with several members chipping in with advice and suggestions as to useful bits of third-party software, several of which I've added to the ever-growing list of useful bits of software that I really need to check out one day soon...
Alan then asked for volunteers to do a spot of show-and-tell (bribing us with the offer of a free Wordpress t-shirt in the process!) and so I stepped up and ran through a few of the sites in my current portfolio - emphasising as I usually do that they might not be the bees-knees in terms of graphic design, but by heck, they work - and hopefully helping to demonstrate a range of uses that WP can be put to.
Next to volunteer was Paul Fabretti from Stockport agency KMP (see also their Daily Digital blog), who demonstrated two of the aforementioned third-party software suites that he'd recommended earlier, namely Qumana and Windows Live Writer, the latter of which Paul definitely recommends if you have a client who's nervous about the WP interface and would prefer something a little more familiar-looking, as well as well-stocked with helpful editing features. Definitely sounds like one to try.
Nathan Beck, another local freelance designer, then showed us his own portfolio site, which is built on WP but looks completely unlike the 'standard' column-based blog format. Again, demonstrating the versatility of the product. Nathan also mentioned a means of integrating WP, PHPBB and Gallery into a three-in-one community site; something that sounds very interesting. I'll have to drop him a line and see if he can offer any pointers in that direction.
All in all a very good introductory session to a group that should build into a very good opportunity for relevant knowledge-sharing and networking. Hopefully I'll be able to make the next few sessions and get to know a few fellow WP-fans from the area a bit better. And of course, it's always good to be able to swap notes and ideas with someone on the same wavelength.
CIDS Focal Point Networking, January 14th, Manchester
Popped down to Urbis in Central Manchester for a couple of hours yesterday evening, to attend a Focal Point Networking session, organised by the Creative Industries Development Service.
Four presentations by local creative businesses and artists (Tim and Matt from ManchesterOnlinePrint.com, mixed media artist Dinu Li, Chris from recent start-up film production company Serious Feather and Lauren, who's trying to sell her Manchester Stained Glass arts & crafts training business) was both preceded and followed by a couple of rounds of miscellaneous networking.
During which, I sat and had a good long talk with Gareth from Not Part Of - an event and festival which first ran as an alternative to the Manchester International Festival (although definitely not as a fringe event...) - whom I first met at the David Parrish T-Shirts and Suits seminar back in December.
I also got talking to Bernard Quinn from the Preston-based Northern Lights project, a provider of mentoring services to creative entrepreneurs and businesses across the North West; definitely something I'll be looking into in the future, as it sounds like it could be terrifically useful for a creative entrepreneur like me...
And I'll be attending the inaugural meeting of the Manchester Wordpress Users' Group at the Manchester Digital Development Agency tomorrow evening, which sounds like it has plenty of potential. Will report back on that one later in the week.
Out and About: Bookseller Seminar, London, January 31st
Publishing industry trade journal The Bookseller is running what looks like a highly-relevant and potentially fascinating seminar on at the end of the month: Reaching Readers Online 2008 - How to market and sell books and content direct to consumers at the London Stock Exchange.
My good friend and extremely switched-on online marketeer George Walkley, the newly-promoted Director of Digital Strategy for Orbit Books' parent company Hachette Livre, will be one of the speakers, along with Peter Collingridge of Apt, a London studio that specialises in providing digital marketing services to publishers.
My ticket is in the post.
Panelling at Alt.Fiction, Derby, April 26th
I'm delighted to say that Alex Davis, organiser of Alt.Fiction - Derby's annual, day-long gathering of genre writers, publishers and readers - has asked me to appear on a panel event on the day.
The panel is tentatively titled 'Writers and the Internet' and although the precise theme and discussion points will be decided on much nearer the time, I'd imagine topics will include setting up a website, making the best use of social networking opportunities, enhancing sales potential through online promotional activities, and so forth.
I happen to know that long-time blogging author Charles Stross is one of the author guests on the day, so I'm hoping that Alex will be able to get him onto the panel as well; as one of the early adopter-pioneers of online profile-boosting, Charles' input would be invaluable, I'm sure.
Generally speaking, the last two Alt.Fiction days have been excellent; condensed conventions that offer a great chance for readers and fans to hear from a range of top-name UK genre authors and for writers to pick up plenty of tips, on the art of writing and seeking publication, from editors and agents as well. Definitely worth attending if you're at all interested in the genre scene in the UK. Tickets should go on sale in the new year.
T-Shirts and Suits: Creative Marketing seminar, December 6th, Manchester
On Thursday 6th I spent the day at an absolutely fantastic creative marketing seminar hosted by Manchester's Creative Industries Development Service (CIDS) and facilitated by David Parrish, the author of T-Shirts and Suits, A Guide to the Business of Creativity, which if the seminar is anything to go by ought to be a definite purchase for small creative businesses everywhere (or you can download a free e-book version of the whole text from his website, take a look and see what you think before you buy).
Along for the ride were ten other incredibly creative business people from around the Manchester area, hailing from a real mix of business backgrounds, artistic disciplines, and project types, but all of them incredibly interesting, talented and friendly folks and each with a similar aim: to build on an existing base or concept; to reach new customers and goals.
By the end of the day I think it's safe to say that we'd all learned an incredible amount; about our own businesses, about each others' businesses, about how to focus on our goals and plan for the future rather than just drifting from half-grasped opportunity to half-failed side-project, and most of all about how being a creative business doesn't mean that you have to be a starving, garret-based artist... it's okay to succeed without selling out.
David was an absolutely excellent facilitator. Unlike some seminars, in which the whole point has clearly been for the speaker to talk about their ideas, their vision and, ultimately, so they could hear the sound of their own voice parroted back at them by their new acolytes, David's approach is much more about putting the emphasis on the participants of the group. He very quickly got a room full of strangers to relax, talk to each other and about each other, and freely discuss their own state of mind, issues, problems and, ultimately, swap ideas and potential solutions for each other.
Okay, from my point of view it helped immensely that David turned out to be a local bloke, based in the town I was born in and a fellow armchair supporter of Bury F.C. to boot, but those were just bonus items. Ultimately, it was his quiet, intelligently expressed pointers, questions and comments that ensured that the emphasis of this session was on us, our businesses and how we could succeed, both individually and perhaps, if circumstances allowed, as future project partners or co-clients. I know I'll certainly be buying my next bit of camera equipment from a chap called Jem who owns the Real Camera Company in Manchester's Northern Quarter, and who happily spent twenty minutes over lunch explaining (with illustrations!) how I could use even my bog-standard pocket camera to take better photographs in future.
So, all in all this is one seminar I'd definitely recommend you try to get a place on. If you live in an eligible area of Greater Manchester then CIDS will fund your attendance for you, otherwise, shell out whatever David Parrish is asking these days. You certainly won't regret the investment.
And before I finish, shouts out to my fellow seminarians (in no particular order): freelance graphic designer Jon Drew, freelance composer and poet Anwen Lewis, Mark Stringer of Bourn Design in Stockport, artist and surface pattern designer Mark Finzel, bespoke bridal accessories designer Lucy Griffiths (no website yet?), jewelled garter designer Beth Lomas, freelance arts and education consultant Annie Anderson (likewise, website pending), urban arts promoter Nick Hardy, 'Not Part Of' festival organiser Gareth McCann and photographic equipment supplier Jem Kime (website planned, awaiting implementation).
Hey, if any of you guys end up dropping by, do leave a comment below, say hi, yeah?