Publishing at The Story Center

If you’re interested in publishing and looking for resources, you are in luck. We have some very exciting things happening at The Story Center in April!

Publishing Week is April 22th-27th

The Story Center hosts Publishing Week, a week of intensive programs solely based on publishing, annually to provide resources for authors. This year, our focus is on Self-Publishing! Throughout the week, we will offer three virtual programs via Zoom:

• Publishing Options and Opportunities
• Copyright Basics
• Developing a Marketing Plan for Self-Published Authors

Whether you are local or not, these programs are a great place to start in your publishing journey! On Saturday, April 27, we will host our feature event, Self-Publishing Saturday, at the Auditorium at Woodneath Library Center. All events on this day are in-person only. This event will consist of three programs from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Local self-published authors will take you through the self-publishing process by presenting the printing and distribution options for self-published authors, the cost of self-publishing, and how to create a budget. We will wrap up with a panel featuring local self-published authors to give them a chance to talk about their experiences and provide some advice for aspiring authors. There will be a break from 12:00-1:30, where you can chat with the authors and buy their books. We hope you can join us!

Open Submissions at Woodneath Press

We are accepting submissions for our next anthology project at Woodneath Press! We are looking for 5,000-7,000 word fiction short stories set in Kansas City or the surrounding areas. If you are a writer and a Mid-Continent Public Library or reciprocal library system cardholder, we would love to read your work. This project aims to collect stories that get to the heart of what makes our community so special. Submissions are open April 1- 30!

Other Resources

If you have specific publishing needs or would like a one-on-one meeting to discuss where to begin publishing your work, you can schedule a publishing consultation. Some different topics we can cover include the submission process for traditional publishing, how to find a literary agent, how to find independent publishers that are right for your book, and topics about self-publishing and/or printing your book. If you’d like to book a consultation, email me at ktiller@mymcpl.org or 816-883-4774. I’m happy to help!

We also have many wonderful publishing and writing resources in our Story Center Collection. Stop by the Woodneath Library Center to explore all of our titles or browse online.

Take advantage of these valuable resources, and we hope to see you soon!

Kyndall Tiller
The Story Center Publication Manager