Writer's Lab 2024

Free Writer's Workshops and Opportunities to Get More Readers

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Get help writing, publishing and marketing your own book with FREE Writer's Lab workshops! We've also got a ton of free resources like Pressbooks and Indie Author Project that will help you find new readers and make self-publishing easier. Speaking of which... Indie Author Project's Annual Contest is accepting entries starting April 1 through May 31, 2025. Get the recognition you deserve for writing great books! There's also a prize of $2500 for first place!

Myths About the Revision Process with Writer/Editor Jessica Hatch

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The writer/editor relationship can be a bountifully productive, creative collaboration. It can also leave both parties frustrated with each other and the resulting manuscript. Whether you're an aspiring author reaching out to literary agents, who will likely request a revision pass before sending your manuscript out on submission; an indie writer wondering how best to use your time and money to hire a freelance editor; or a writer doing their best with a round of self-revision, there's something in this hour-long, virtual workshop for you.

Writer's Lab: Writing Stories, Lifting Voices, Sharing Lives

Writer's Lab workshop with Dr. Kitty OIiver

We are pleased to welcome creative writer, scholar, oral history storyteller, and performing artist Dr. Kitty Oliver to Jax Book Fest "Writer's Day" for a thought-provoking, entertaining journey through the complexities of collecting, writing, and preserving the stories and histories of marginalized communities today. Her appearance is also part of the Library's project to grow the African American History Collection and its digital Community Archive. All are funded by a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation.

Writer's Lab: Poetry Unleashed (Building Bonds Through Verse)

Writer's Lab workshop with Taryn Wharwood

Taryn "LoveReigns" Wharwood is a multifaceted creative force, renowned for her roles as a poet, writer, author, emcee, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and curator. Affectionately known as Love, she has become a catalyst for empowering performers, artists, and entertainers within her community. She joins us for "Writer's Day" at Jax Book Fest 2024 this September to share her insights into the transformative power of poetry, highlighting its ability to connect people on a deeper level and foster empathy and understanding. 

Meet New York Times Bestselling Author/Illustrator Vashti Harrison

Junior Lit Chat Author Talk with Vashti Harrison

Jax Book Fest returns September 20-21 to the Main Library in downtown Jacksonville with the #1 New York Times bestselling creator of Big, Little Leaders, Little Dreamers, and Little Legends and the illustrator of Andrea Beaty's I Love You Like Yellow, Matthew Cherry’s Hair Love, and Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic’s Hello, Star, among others. She received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Lupita Nyong’o’s Sulwe and is also a two-time recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Children.

Writer's Lab Workshops in August: Get Ready for Jax Book Fest

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Are you an aspiring author? Thinking about self-publishing? Need tips for marketing your work? Learn how to get your book on the library's shelves and more! Get help writing, publishing, and marketing your own book with free workshops at the Library! There are two Writer's Lab workshops in August with our friends from the Authors Roundtable of Northeast Florida. Plus, information about this year's Jax Book Fest: Writer's Day is now live on our blog and events calendar. Save your seat now!

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