City of Bangor’s Commission on Cultural Development Invites Writers to Attend a Free Workshop, How to Publish One's Work

Bangor, Maine – The City of Bangor’s Commission on Cultural Development will host a free workshop for writers about publishing and self-publishing on Wednesday, March 4, 2015 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Launchpad’s Central Gallery at 89 Central Street in downtown Bangor.

What are you hoping to get published? What is your most pressing question about publishing? In light of questions, the panelists—Mark Berlin, Joshua Bodwell, Ulrike Guthrie, and Jane Karker—will share what three things they most want would-be authors to know about publishing their work.

Marc Berlin opened BookMarc's Bookstore in downtown Bangor in 1989; it has since tripled in size
and stocks both new and used books. BookMarc's Publishing has published four books: a reprint of Ardeana Hamlin's Pink Chimneys and The Story of Bangor, Gig Weeks' Maine is a Puzzle, and Trudy Scee's Dictionary of Maine Word and Phrases. (www.bookmarcs.com)

Joshua Bodwell is the executive director of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance. He is a regular contributor to Poets & Writers magazine.​ His fiction has appeared in magazines and quarterlies such as Ambit (London), Threepenny Review, and Slice, and recently earned him the 2015 Marianne Russo Award for emerging authors from the Key West Literary Seminar. (www.director@mainewriters.org)

Ulrike (Uli) Guthrie has been an editor for 28 years, mainly of academic books. She has edited over 1000 book manuscripts and around 125 dissertations and enjoys demystifying the publishing process for new authors. Ulrike is also a published author, translator (German to English), proofreader, indexer, and Commissioner on the Commission for Cultural Development. (http://www.ulrikeguthrie.com/)  

Jane Karker is founder and president of Maine Authors Publishing & Cooperative in Rockland, ME and the newly founded Boston Writers Publishing & Cooperative in Waltham, MA. She has 20 years of experience in the printing and publishing industry. She enjoys “myth-busting” and frank discussions about the advantages and challenges of independent publishing. Jane founded MAP&C in 2008 to offer a totally different approach– cooperative-style publishing, with a vision of making self-publishing affordable and effective for authors.  (www.maineauthorspublishing.com)

This workshop is third in a series that will address the professional development needs of artists in our community. Other workshops will include:

Businesses Partnering with the Arts Community (Wednesday, May 6, 2015)
Grant Writing and the Application Process  (Wednesday, September 2, 2015)
Marketing, Representation, and Networking (Wednesday, Oct 7, 2015)

In an effort to help us estimate the number of attendees, please register by phone (207) 992-4234 or email culturalcommission@bangormaine.gov.  For more information, please visit the City of Bangor website section for the Commission on Cultural Development.

The Commission on Cultural Development enriches and advances Bangor as a vibrant city of arts and culture. Its mission is to support art and culture through funding, marketing, advocacy, and education to benefit citizens, visitors, and the economic and cultural vitality of the city. The Commission values all of Bangor’s artistic and cultural community, and warmly welcomes artists to attend.

The City of Bangor, Maine is a service center community of 33,039 residents and is the county seat of Penobscot County.  Bangor is the major commercial and cultural center for much of northern and eastern Maine.  The City is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.  For information on City projects and news, see www.bangormaine.gov.