On 26th July 2014, Writing Yorkshire will host a masterclass by author Iain Broome, who will show you how to build an online platform for you and your writing. From social media to mailing lists, you’ll learn about the websites and apps you should be using and take practical steps towards building an audience.

What will you learn?

The workshop will cover a range of topics and help you find answers to questions that many writers have, including:

• Do I need my own website?
• Do I need to use social media?
• What social networks and websites should I use?
• What the heck am I supposed to blog about?
• How do I get people to read my work?

There will also be a practical element to the workshop too. You’ll get advice and step-by-step instructions on how to:

• set up your own author website and blog
• create an email newsletter and build a mailing list
• start publishing your own podcast or audio work
• make the most of Twitter and Facebook
• create a realistic plan for maintaining your communications.

In amongst all that, the workshop will also touch on other sites and services that will help you build an online platform. And although there won’t be time for detailed one-to-one help, you’ll have plenty of chance to ask questions and share common issues and experiences.

Who is it for?

This masterclass is for writers who want to start or build an online platform for their writing. You don’t need to be a technical whizz, but you should have a basic understanding of blogging and social media. If you’re not sure, feel free to email hello@iainbroome.com and ask Iain directly.

What is it not?

This is not a workshop about self-publishing. If you’re thinking about self-publishing, it will likely be very useful, but Iain won’t be talking about the specific processes involved with publishing your work on, for example, Amazon or Apple’s iBooks platform.

What should you bring?

You don’t need to bring anything specific to the workshop, although a pen and notepad might be handy. You might also find it useful to bring your laptop for the more practical parts of the session, but it’s not essential.

About Iain Broome

Iain is the author of A is for Angelica, a novel about serious illness, nosy neighbours and pickled onions. The Daily Mail described it as “…a first novel that confidently moves from dark comedy that’s genuinely funny to even darker despair that grows from moving to harrowing… really impressive,’ and Time Out said, “…this is a brilliant and adeptly written debut novel, loaded with poignancy and feeling.” A is for Angelica won the 2013 Coventry Inspiration Award in the Word of Mouth category.

Iain co-founded Words Aloud (2006–2008), a popular, monthly spoken word night in Sheffield. He then went on to set up Write for Your Life, a blog for writers (now called Very Meta) which later spawned a successful podcast about writing and publishing. Iain also invites people into The Broome Cupboard, a weekly email newsletter for readers and writers, and uses social media on a daily basis. Finally, Iain is a freelance copywriter and has spent a decade working in marketing and communications.