Self-published author helps MacEwan writers learn the ropes of today’s publishing industry.

How S. Victoria Nakamun’s presentation for MacEwan’s creative writing club encouraged writers to develop (and eventually market) their unique authorial voices.

In a growing world with a constant influx of new knowledge, discoveries, and stories, be yourself among the vast expanse of minds producing new ideas, stories, and depth in their work.

On the evening of Sept. 25, self-published author, S. Victoria Nakamun, of the fantasy novel When Two Worlds Meet, delivered a workshop at MacEwan. It was the first writing workshop of the Fall term for the Bolo Tie Collective, MacEwan’s creative writing community. A main takeaway from their guidance is to prioritize being yourself first over the industry. Here are some of the tips and tricks the author shared in the workshop to use alongside your writing practice.

For instance, writers benefit from having multiple types of readers review their work prior to publishing. Extra sets of critical eyes are helpful in the editing phases. She recommends writers have a group of readers made up of either friends, paid readers, or even fans of their work. Some of the tactics up-and-coming writers might want to use include using different readers for different phases in your editing process, from Alpha readers to Beta readers, to sensitivity readers, and arc readers.

“My best advice is write what you want, when you want, and when it gets its time to shine, it will.”

S. Victoria Nakamun, self-published author of When Two Worlds Meet.

It may be hard to introduce yourself into the always-growing market and stand out from the competition to be your own person. Nakamun suggests a wide range of options to help monetize your books or e-books, like business cards, giveaways, merch, and even snacks or treats. To find publishers, Nakamun mentions the Authors Publish Magazine, a newsletter that distributes publishing opportunities to writers of varied content.

When it comes to genres, the market is always changing. “It is a world of rejection, you’re going to get rejected no matter what,” said Nakamun in an interview after the presentation. New writers may feel compelled to follow the trends of what currently interests readers. Nakamun knows firsthand how the timing of trends tends to be short while publishing is a longer process. The author explained that by the time a writer follows a trend and is ready to publish their work a few years later, that genre and style could no longer be as viable.

That’s why new writers should embrace creativity, feeling the work they are making is for themself and not a trend that could fade. “My best advice is write what you want, when you want,” they say, “and when it gets its time to shine, it will.”