Welcome to the Amazon Author Academy Wales

The Amazon Author Academy will provide authors with free advice and support, covering everything from the creative writing process through to best practice publishing books in print and digital via Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon’s independent publishing programme. The workshops will go on to offer advice on how to market your work and engage with the reader community. The event is open to all and is being run in partnership with the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) and the Society of Authors.

The Academy workshops will offer aspiring and established authors advice on how to:

Create a bestseller with tips from authors on developing plot and dialogue through to editing and cover design
Market your book with guidance from authors on how to use social media effectively, the importance of reader engagement and how to make the most of KDP Select
Approach the business of being an author with thoughts from experts on striking the right balance between the creative and business sides of writing, outsourcing tasks to freelancers and developing your business plan

Your event agenda

09:00am - 9:30am: Guests arrive, coffees

09:30am: Guests take their seats

9:40am: Welcome from Darren Hardy

9:50am - 10:20am: Making a Book - Darren Hardy

10:20am - 11.00am: How to write a bestseller

A panel of authors share their top tips

11:00am - 11:30am: Coffee break

11:30am - 12:30pm: Marketing your book

12:30pm - 13:30pm: Lunch and networking

13:30pm - 14:15pm: Making it Happen: The business of being an Author

A panel of authors share their top tips

14:15pm: Join us for the end of day drinks reception

Directions for the event

The full address is: Celtic Manor Resort, Coldra Woods, The Usk Valley, Newport, Wales, NP18 1HQ.

If you are driving, exit the M4 motorway at Junction 24, and head straight across the roundabout and then the next right to the Resort. Overground car parking is £4 for 8-12 hours and £5 for 24 hours. Underground car parking is £12 for 8-12 hours and £15 for 24 hours.

The Celtic Manor Resort is just a 10-minute taxi ride from Newport train station. Great Western Railway operate fast and frequent services into Newport station from London Paddington, Reading, Swindon, Bristol & Avon, Portsmouth Harbour, Southampton, Weymouth and South West Wales. Connecting services also operate from the Cotswolds, Thames Valley, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and the South West.