From cost-prohibitive contests to agents and major publishing houses, the publishing industry can sometimes feel like an impenetrable force, especially for Black folks whose voices and stories are often “othered” or ignored. Self-publishing is one way to circumvent the gatekeepers and get these stories into the world. In this workshop we will discuss: the necessary steps between finishing a manuscript and sending it to the printer, best practices for formatting and printing the book, and common pitfalls to avoid. Participants will leave fully prepared to take the next steps toward getting their stories into the hands of their target audience.

Ashley Lumpkin is a Georgia-raised, Carolina-based writer, editor, actor, and educator. She is the author of five poetry collections: {} At First Sight, Second Glance, Terrorism and Other Topics for Tea, #AshleyLumpkin, and Genesis. Her book, I Hate You All Equally, is a collection of conversations from her years as a classroom teacher. A lover of performance as well as the written word, she has been a competing member of the Bull City Slam Team since 2015 and currently serves as its coach. She is one-fifth (and only Slytherin member) of the Big Dreams Collective and currently serves as a member-at-large on the board of the North Carolina Poetry Society.