This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
by Zarina de Ruiter
Happy New Year! Did you make any resolutions for 2016? Finally taking the daunting step to finding an agent for your book, perhaps? Or meeting a favourite author to tell them how much their work inspired you? With this month's Dates For Your Diary we have you sorted, as it includes book launches, insightful workshops and plenty more to enjoy and start the year with a bookish bang!
6 January – Learn the secrets of getting published with Alison Baverstock, author of The Naked Author. The seminar takes place at the Southbank Centre in London and tickets are £15 each.
12 January – Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel is one of my all-time favourite novels, so I have to sneak this one in here. Foyles Charing Cross Road in London has made it their book club pick for this month and you can attend the discussion for free simply by dropping them an email.
14 January – I Call Myself a Feminist brings together twenty-five of the brightest, funniest, bravest young women, to ask what it means to be a feminist in 2015. At this event at The Bedford in Balham, Kate & Martha Mosse will speak as mother and daughter about intergenerational feminism with Meltem Avcil, Amy Annette, Caroline Kent, Hajar Wright and others. Tickets are £6 for entry only, or £10 with a paperback copy of I Call Myself a Feminist.
14 January – Faking It Until You Make It: Whether you're submitting to literary agents or self-publishing, you'll need to spread the word about your book. Join bestselling author Clare Mackintosh (I Let You Go) at Bloomsbury Publishing in London as she presents a masterclass on building your author platform. The evening costs £35.
20 January – Join Amy Liptrot and Olivia Laing for the book launch of Outrun at Waterstones Piccadilly. Tickets for the event are £5 each, which is redeemable against purchase of either of the authors' books on the night.
21 January – Join Dulwich Books in London for the inaugural event of their new crime and thriller event series, Death in Dulwich, with authors Fiona Barton (The Widow) and Ann Morgan (Beside Myself). For £10 you get entry to the event and a mystery cocktail.
23 January – You have written a book but now comes the next difficult step: hooking an agent. How do you do this? Literary agents will be present at this half-day event with practical advice and tips to doing just that. Tickets are £149 and include lunch.
23-24 January – Write Now provides you with all the information you need to get your women's fiction book published! Taking place in Bath over the course of a weekend, it'll be attended by people from publishers and literary agencies and includes sessions on marketing and PR, using social media, rights and much more. Tickets are £300+VAT (£150+VAT for Author Club members) and include accommodation, refreshments and lunch, plus a gala dinner with a big name author.
26 January – When it comes to literary accolades, the Costa Book Prize is one of the most prestigious in the UK. Last year H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald won the prize, and towards the end of this month it will be revealed who will scoop the award for 2016.
28 January – Join Jill Mansell for an exclusive literary evening celebrating the publication of her new novel, You and Me, Always at the Headline Publishing Group offices in central London. Tickets are £10 and include champagne, nibbles, a Q&A with Jill and a goody bag with a hardback copy of her new novel.
29 January – Have you participated in World Book Night before? Then you know what fun it is to volunteer for this annual event and give books to those who need it! If you're new to the scheme, the deadline for applications to take part in this year's event is on 29 January, so make sure you get yours in before then.
And that's it for the first month of the year! Please comment below or tweet me on @zarinatweets if you'd like me to include your event in an upcoming post.