Henderson Libraries program to aid writers in digital publishing

Aspiring authors can have a chance to work with an editor and have a book published digitally if they sign up for a free Henderson Libraries program set to start in January.

The National Endowment for the Arts recently awarded a $10,000 grant to the Henderson Libraries Foundation for the program. Matching funds total $7,500 from Henderson Libraries via in-kind donations and $2,500 in cash from the foundation.

Workshops are limited to 25 attendees each and are set to be led by local authors who have been published. Sessions will cover fiction and nonfiction writing and are planned from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 9 and 23, Feb. 13 and 27 and March 12 at The Village Lake Las Vegas, 30 Strada di Villagio.

"We're working with them to make it feel like a retreat," said Angela Thornton, executive director of Henderson Libraries.

Participants can attend as many of the sessions as they want. They must submit their manuscripts between Jan. 11 and March 14. Five of the writers will be chosen during the week of March 14 to work with a local editor and have their books published in Kindle format and through Amazon.com's CreateSpace platform, which allows authors to have their books printed on demand.

The five people who are chosen also are set to receive five free hardcopies of their books apiece, as well as have them published via Henderson Libraries' e-book publishing program.

Mary L. Schramski, a consultant for the program and president of the Henderson Libraries Foundation, applied for the grant. She also is an English and creative writing professor and the author of 16 books.

"I think this is an important program for writers," she said. "I forget how important it is for authors to work with other authors and editors. Just to be able to work with editors — that's really one of the ways I learned how to write."

Editors are slated to work with the five authors until April 19, after which point the books will be published. Marketing also will be paid for through the grant, including print and Web ads and promotional bookmarks, Thornton said.

A reception and book signing are planned for May 5 at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway, with the time yet to be scheduled.

To register for the workshops, visit mypubliclibrary.com.

— To reach Henderson View reporter Cassandra Keenan, email ckeenan@viewnews.com or call 702-383-0278. Find her on Twitter: @CassandraKNews.