Writing for Publishing course in Roscommon successfully concludes

Press Statement issued by The Manuscript Publisher - provider of publishing solutions for the digital age: 

The inaugural Writing for Publishing course, which took place over eight weeks during April and May at Roscommon County Library, has recently come to the end of its successful run. 

Writing for Publishing is an Irish-based educational initiative organised by The Manuscript Publisher. It is aimed at authors and writers interested in writing to and for a public readership, and gaining an audience for their work.  

A healthy attendance was in evidence for each night of the course, with plenty of lively discussion too. It was the largest uptake for a course held in Roscommon Library for some time: over 60 people in total turned out and an average attendance of about 30 for each evening of the course. 

All of the most important and pertinent aspects of writing and publishing today were covered including:

• creative writing,
• presentation and design, 
• writing as a career, 
• overview of the publishing process, 
• self-publishing, 
• e-publishing and the rise of the e-book, 
• building and managing your web presence as an author, writer, independent publisher. 

Participants described the course as "most instructive and enjoyable" with, "anecdotes and diversions greatly helping in the assimilation of all that material." Participants also expressed appreciation for the fact that, despite the seemingly 'high tech' nature of some of the topics covered, lack of computer literacy did not present a barrier to understanding.  

According to the Course Director, Oscar Duggan, "With the completion of the Roscommon course, we will be taking a short break, but only to work out a programme of events for the autumn period (September to December)." 

Bookings and expressions of interest, from libraries, writers groups, literary organisations, other interested parties are most welcome. Anyone interested in organising a course in their area should get in touch with Writing for Publishing - contact details are available from their website, along with the full course outline, materials and how to book. 

Writing for Publishing: for writers who want to reach a public audience

Writing for Publishing is the title of a new educational initiative designed specifically for authors, writers, independent publishers. It aims to equip authors and writers with both the tools and the skills necessary to write to and reach a public audience in today's publishing environment.

It is a creative writing course for the modern publishing age, emphasising the all-important connection between writing and publishing: how one informs the other and how the two operate in today's era of digital media and mass, global communications. Prospective authors and writers will learn how to develop their writing skills with a view to getting published. They will learn to seek out, identify and take advantages of writing and publishing opportunities that present themselves.

A lot is changing in the world of publishing; changes that are long-term and irreversible; ushered in mainly by advances in technology. The world of publishing is open, after a long period in which it may have seemed that it was closed. "As writers we are no longer content to simply write and let publishers publish," says Oscar Duggan, course director. "Nor should we be so content: if we want to be successful in our various enterprises, we cannot afford to be.”

A complete course outline, including course materials, contact details and how to book a group seminar or presentation is available from the Writing for Publishing website - www.writingforpublishing.com

The Recession and the provision of health and welfare services...

We are living through unprecedented times. The economy is in crisis. A thousand people daily are losing their jobs; up to a half million Irish workers may be on the dole by Christmas. The Government is borrowing huge sums of money just to balance the books. As a country we are living above our means.

Following the April budget, we are going to see both an increase in taxation and savage cuts in public spending. At times like this we have to protect the vulnerable in our society. The Government promises to do that, but what faith do we have that they actually will?

It strikes me that we live in a society where so many things are upside down. We spend billions on the Health Service and Education, far more money than we have ever spent before; yet few people would honestly say things are better than they were. Wastage and unproductive spending are massive problems in the public sector. Ask any nurse, ambulance driver or teacher about the layers of bureaucracy that clog up the service they try to provide. Take a look at the salaries paid to front line workers in health care; compare them to management and administrative salaries, and wonder at the imbalances.

The problem we all face as cuts in public spending bite, is that they will affect the provision of basic services. No matter what the Government tells us, the balance between the providers of services and the administrators will continue to be top heavy. Carers, special-needs assistants, ambulance drivers, nurses, home help; these are the services that must be protected. Yet they, not the office personnel who administer them, will be under the greatest threat as spending cuts take effect. A quick look at the newspapers this week reveals HSE plans to cut 600 acute beds, and recruit three new directors at salaries of €194,000 each. Something seems amiss.

The gap between rich and poor in our society is getting bigger. We must protect the worse off; yet how many people are putting off going to the doctor or the dentist because they can’t afford the fee?

I picked up a hitchhiker yesterday, he told me he’d just come from the dentist. Poor chap had just had two teeth pulled. Assuming the story he told me is true, and I’ve no reason to suppose otherwise, the dentist wanted €3,000 to crown the teeth; but since the patient was on a medical card, all he could do was pull them for free.

One of the best contributors to the health and wealth of our nation is education. Could this valuable resource be better used? Of course it could. Wouldn’t it make sense to include more emphasis on things like good mental and physical health? Are we not missing a major opportunity to improve the health of our nation by teaching our children how to better look after themselves?

Copyright © David Jones, 2009