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  • Enrolled: Self-Publishing 101 (7-week course)

    • 11 Jul 2026
    • 29 Aug 2026
    • 7 sessions
    • Zoom
    Register


    FBCW Enrolled: Self-Publishing 101

    With Jenn Sommersby, freelance editor and indie/trad published author

    Member price: $210 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)

    Non-member price: $280 CAD

    **This series will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants each week after the session. The recordings will be available for 45 days.

    If you signed up after week one and are missing any recordings, please email hello@bcwriters.ca and let us know which sessions you are missing. 

    NOTE: Because this is a series of ongoing sessions, there will not be reminder emails about the individual sessions. This series uses the same Zoom link each week. We suggest saving the Zoom link in a calendar event, a Word Document, or the Notes app.

    EVENT DESCRIPTION:

    A seven-week, everything you wanted to know about indie/self-publishing but didn’t know who to ask course with Jenn Sommersby and guests! Join us on Saturdays from July 11th to August 29th for this informative and hands on series. 

    Dates and time, all via Zoom:

    Saturdays, July 11, 18, and 25, from 10:30 a.m. to noon

    Saturdays, August 8, 15, 22, and 29, from 10: 30 a.m. to noon

    (We are skipping the BC Day long weekend.)

    Self-publishing can be empowering, creative, and practical—but it can also be confusing to figure out alone. From editing and design to distribution, marketing, launch planning, and long-term sales, there are a lot of decisions between “I have a manuscript” and “My book is out in the world.”

    FBCW’s Enrolled: Self-Publishing 101 is a seven-week course designed to help writers understand the full self-publishing process from beginning to end. Led by longtime indie publisher and freelance editor Jenn Sommersby, with special guests bringing insight into key parts of the publishing journey, this course will give participants a clear, realistic roadmap for preparing, producing, publishing, and promoting their own book.

    This course is for writers who are considering self-publishing, actively preparing a manuscript, or looking for a better understanding of what it takes to publish independently. Participants will learn how to make informed decisions, avoid common pitfalls, understand publishing platforms and production needs, and build a launch plan that fits their goals, capacity, and budget.

    Over seven weeks, participants will explore the self-publishing landscape, develop a practical publishing plan, learn the basics of book production and distribution, strengthen their author platform, and prepare for marketing, launch, and post-publication opportunities.

    By the end of the course, participants will have a clearer understanding of the self-publishing process and a personalized roadmap for moving their book forward.

    Weekly topics may include:

    Week 1: Understanding Self-Publishing

    Explore the differences between traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing models; what authors are responsible for; common myths and scams; and how to define success for your book.

    Week 2: Publishing Strategy and Project Planning

    Develop a realistic plan for your book, including audience, comparable titles, budget, timeline, production needs, and what support you may need to hire.

    Week 3: Book Design and Production

    Learn what goes into creating a professional book, including cover design, interior formatting, ISBNs, metadata, print and ebook files, and key production decisions.

    Week 4: Publishing Platforms and Distribution

    Compare platforms such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Publish Drive, direct sales via Shopify and WooCommerce, print-on-demand (Lulu, BookVault, Books.by), and other distribution options, including considerations for bookstores and libraries.

    Week 5: Author Platform and Branding

    Clarify your author identity, reader audience, website, newsletter, social media presence, book description, and public-facing materials.

    Week 6: Marketing and Launch Planning

    Build the foundations of a launch plan, including advance review copies, endorsements, reviews, media outreach, events, promotions, and realistic marketing strategies.

    Week 7: After Publication

    Look beyond launch day to royalties, sales tracking, updates and new editions, audiobooks, rights, awards, festivals, speaking opportunities, and planning for future books.

    Participants will leave with:

    • A better understanding of the self-publishing process from start to finish
    • A practical publishing timeline and production checklist
    • A clearer sense of budget, platform options, and distribution paths
    • Tools for thinking about author platform, marketing, and launch
    • A personalized roadmap for next steps

    Bio:

    Jenn Sommersby is a novelist, editor, publishing educator, and Superman nut. A graduate of SFU’s Writer’s Studio (2007), her YA debut, Sleight, was a Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Book for Kids & Teens (fall 2018) and an Ontario Library Association Best Bets Honourable Mention Book for Young Adults (2019). Jenn was also awarded a BC Arts Council Grant in 2019 for a YA eco-fiction/dystopian novel about water scarcity. She’s written a baker’s dozen books as Sommersby and Eliza Gordon, including best-selling rom-com titles, and her most recent women’s fiction/dramedy novel, Wish Upon a Rosie, released in February 2026 and was chosen as a finalist in the 20th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA).

    Jenn’s worked as a freelance editor since 2005 (via her company Plumfield Editing) for numerous internationally best-selling authors. Through her company, SGA Books, she supports indie authors with loads of publishing resources. Her first nonfiction advice/craft/confessional project in a new series, aptly titled Please Don’t Make Me Read This, is scheduled to publish in late 2026. She also works with FBCW as the Community Planning Manager. She is a tiny bit obsessed with writers and books.

    Visit www.jennifersommersby.com and www.sgabooks.com for more.

    Show details

  • Writer Talk: With Jody Holford and Kalie Holford

    • 29 Jul 2026
    • 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Writer Talk: With Jody Holford (Sophie Sullivan) and Kalie Holford
    Free or by donation

    Event Description

    WRITER TALK is our new live interview series designed to pull back the golden curtain on the publishing world. Casual chitchat—not a workshop or webinar—a low-key Q&A between host and guest where you can bring your writing and publishing questions.
     
    Each session features a guest from within this crazy industry—writers of all career stages repping a variety of genres and styles, successfully published authors, freelance and publishing house editors, agents, publicists, and other book-world professionals—in a candid chat meant to inform and inspire. We’ll dig into the real questions we all have about how to go from page 1 to published.

    Digital doors open at 6:55 pm!

    **This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

    About Our Guests: 

    A mother-daughter writing duo? YES!

    Jody Holford/Sophie Sullivan is a multi-published, Canadian author of romcoms and cozy mysteries. She's written more than thirty books and never gets tired of swoon-worthy moments in books she's reading or writing. When she's not lost in words, she's watching reruns of Friends, hanging with her family, and playing with her puppies.

    Kalie Holford is an author and grad student studying Library and Information Studies. She resides in British Columbia where she lives with her family and two puppies. She loves Mamma Mia!, country music, and love songs and stories. Her passion is writing books about messy girls who make mistakes, learn to love, and grow alongside each other, and her debut, The Last Love Song, features all of these things. When she's not writing, she's likely making graphic designs, studying, or re-organizing her bookshelves for the thousandth time. She can also be found at @kalieholford on Instagram and TikTok.

    After the initial Q&A, attendees will have the opportunity to ask their own questions and join the discussion. If you’ve ever wanted to sit in on the kinds of conversations that usually happen behind closed doors, then we shall save you a spot!
     
    If you have a WRITER TALK topic or guest idea burning a hole in your brain, drop us an email at hello@bcwriters.ca!

    Show details

  • Writer Talk: With Author Loghan Paylor, 2026 Canada Reads Winner

    • 5 Aug 2026
    • 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Writer Talk, Featuring Loghan Paylor 
    Free or by donation

    Event Description

    WRITER TALK is our new live interview series designed to pull back the golden curtain on the publishing world. Casual chitchat—not a workshop or webinar—a low-key Q&A between host and guest where you can bring your writing and publishing questions.
     
    Each session features a guest from within the industry, including writers of all career stages who rep a variety of genres and styles, successfully published authors, freelance and publishing house editors, agents, publicists, and other book-world professionals, in a candid chat meant to inform and inspire. We’ll dig into the real questions we all have about how to go from page 1 to published.

    Digital doors open at 6:55 pm!

    **This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

    About Our Guest: 

    Loghan Paylor is a queer, trans writer whose first novel The Cure for Drowning (Random House Canada, 2024) won Canada Reads 2026, was longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize, named a Globe and Mail Best Book, and was a finalist for the Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize and the Jim Deva Prize for Writing That Provokes. Their work has also appeared in Room, Prairie Fire, CBC Arts, and on the longlist for the CBC Nonfiction Prize. A graduate of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University, they also have an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia and divide their time between teaching, writing, and co-owning a game company.

    They can be found online at loghanpaylor.com. 


    After the initial Q&A, attendees will have the opportunity to ask their own questions and join the discussion. If you’ve ever wanted to sit in on the kinds of conversations that usually happen behind closed doors, then we shall save you a spot!
     
    If you have a topic burning a hole in your brain, drop us an email at hello@bcwriters.ca    .

    Show details

  • August Writers' Social

    • 11 Aug 2026
    • 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • Zoom
    Register



    Join us on Tuesday, August 11th, from 7:00 - 8:30 PM Pacific for our monthly Writers' Social. 


    Many of us strive for connection with other writers. This monthly members-only event is designed to help bring us together for casual chats, with breakout rooms for specific topics, genres, and niches. Join us for craft, career, and connection talk, with the chance to meet new people and get the most out of being a part of the FBCW. 

    Below are the proposed discussion groups for this month's meeting (subject to change). Email hello@bcwriters.ca to suggest a discussion topic for an upcoming Writers' Social. 


    Discussion Groups:

    • All about poetry 
    • Editing and revision
    • Children's books / picture books
    • What are you reading? Current reads, favourite books
    • Memoir writers connect
    • Non-fiction writers connect (travel writing, journalism/reporting, research, etc)
    • Connecting writers with chronic illnesses
    • Romance writers
    • Traditional publishing chat (publishers, queries, finding an agent, etc)
    • Self-publishing chat 
    • Writing and visual arts (film, theatre, photo essays) 
    • General writing discussion

    This event is exclusive to FBCW members. If you’re not a member yet, we would love to have you join us. You can find out more about membership on our benefits page. Email hello@bcwriters.ca with any questions about joining. 

    Digital doors open at 6:55 PM. Event starts at 7:00 PM Pacific.

    Show details

  • August 2026 Member Orientation

    • 14 Aug 2026
    • 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Whether you’re a new FBCW member or a seasoned member who wants a refresher, join us for Member Orientation! We’ll be discussing member benefits, focusing on ways that the FBCW members can: Learn, Write, Connect, and Promote. Find out about the latest events, writing sprints, how to get involved, and where to get the information you seek.

    The orientation overview will take about 20 minutes, and then there will be 10 minutes for questions at the end (30 minutes total).

    Digital Doors Open at 11:55 AM, Event Starts at Noon Pacific Time

    **This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

    Show details

  • Writer Talk: With Eliana West

    • 19 Aug 2026
    • 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Writer Talk: With Eliana West, Award-Winning Author and Founder of Writers for Diversity

    Free or by donation

    Event Description

    WRITER TALK is our new live interview series designed to pull back the golden curtain on the publishing world. Casual chitchat—not a workshop or webinar—a low-key Q&A between host and guest where you can bring your writing and publishing questions.

    Digital doors open at 6:55 pm!

    **This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

    About Eliana: 

    From small towns to close-knit communities, award-winning author Eliana West loves stories that bring people from different backgrounds together through the common language of unconditional love and acceptance. Eliana is an award-winning author and passionate advocate for diversity within the writing community. She is the founder of Writers for Diversity, teaching classes and workshops that encourage writers to create diverse characters and worlds with an empathetic approach.

    When Eliana isn’t plotting her characters' happy endings, she can be found embarking on adventures with her husband, traversing winding country roads in their beloved vintage Volkswagen Westfalia, affectionately named Bianca. Whether it’s traveling abroad or exploring locally, Eliana and her husband are always willing to get lost and see where the adventure takes them.

    Eliana loves connecting with readers through her website: www.elianawest.com.


    After the initial Q&A, attendees will have the opportunity to ask their own questions and join the discussion. If you’ve ever wanted to sit in on the kinds of conversations that usually happen behind closed doors, then we shall save you a spot!
     
    If you have a WRITER TALK topic or guest idea burning a hole in your brain, drop us an email at hello@bcwriters.ca!

    Show details

  • Writer Talk (and BOOK LAUNCH!) with Gail Anderson-Dargatz

    • 25 Aug 2026
    • 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Writer Talk (and BOOK LAUNCH!): With Gail Anderson-Dargatz
    Free or by donation

    Event Description

    This special edition of WRITER TALK will include our usual casual one-on-one Q&A publishing chitchat, but it is also a BOOK LAUNCH CELEBRATION for award-winning author (and frequent FBCW instructor) Gail Anderson-Dargatz!
     
    Gail and Jenn will chat about publishing stuff—Gail's publication journey, the highs and lows of this business, the stark realities of getting a book published in 2026 and how to keep the creative fires lit—while also celebrating Gail's latest literary achievement, which has been noted as one of Indigo's Most Anticipated Books for 2026!

    Digital doors open at 6:55 p.m.

    **This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

    About Our Guest: 

    GAIL ANDERSON-DARGATZ’s internationally bestselling novels The Cure for Death by Lightning and A Recipe for Bees were both short-listed for the Giller Prize. Her thrillers The Almost Wife and The Almost Widow were national bestsellers, and The Almost Widow was shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada Howard Engel Award for Best Crime Novel Set in Canada. HarperCollins will release her next novel, The Atlas Keeper, August 25, 2026.

    Gail also writes hi-lo books for the educational market. She taught for nearly a decade in the CW MFA program at UBC and now works as a mentor and developmental editor. For more, visit her website: gailanderson-dargatz.ca

    After the initial Q&A, attendees will have the opportunity to ask their own questions and join the discussion. If you’ve ever wanted to sit in on the kinds of conversations that usually happen behind closed doors, then we shall save you a spot!
     
    If you have a WRITER TALK topic or guest idea burning a hole in your brain, drop us an email at hello@bcwriters.ca!

    Show details

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Email us at hello@bcwriters.ca

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