The Australian Association of Writing Programs

Readings

• 'The Professional Author: Researching creativity and reality' by Jeremy Fisher 2006, available at TEXT 10.1

• 'Australian book publishing in 2008: thriving in uncertain times' by Leslyn Thompson 2009, Bookseller & Publisher

Workshop details

This workshop will run in asychrononous mode, online at this site, from 5 to 13 October. Participants are asked to complete the reading, and then engage by putting forward questions and ideas, raising issues, and engaging in discussion. The facilitator will be online at various points during the week to direct the conversation, answer questions where appropriate, and raise other question too. 

The topic is an introduction to the economics and commercial potential of the Australian publishing industry for writers seeking to become professionals.

The workshop is facilitated by Dr Jeremy Fisher, who has extensive experience in the Australian publishing industry as writer, editor and publisher. He worked as an editor and publishing manager for nearly 30 years before moving into rights management and advocacy roles. He was President of the Society of Editors (NSW) in 1996 and a member of the Board of the Australian Publishers' Association from 1998-2000. In 1984 Fisher was awarded the inaugural Gold Medal of the Australian Society of Indexers (AusSI) for his indexing of The Australian Encyclopaedia (4th ed). As a writer, he was first published in 1974 and has written many works in a wide range of genres since then. Fisher's writing encompasses fiction, poetry, prose, reviews and critical articles.  His novel for young adults, Perfect Timing, has been his most commercially successful work to date and has been translated into Vietnamese. In 2004, Fisher was appointed Executive Director of the Australian Society of Authors. His most recent book is Music from another Country.