Margate Bookie launches new publishing programme for young people

Margate Bookie

The Margate Bookie is launching its New Publishers programme aimed at young people aged 16-25.

The Margate Bookie will run a range of publishing workshops at Margate Library, covering everything from editing and marketing to printing and artwork. The programme will run from 10.30am to noon on February 4, 11, 18 & 25 and March 4 & 11.

New Publishers is sponsored by Kent County Council’s Reconnect Programme and the Amazon Literary Partnership.

Teaming up with local publishing experts, New Publishers helps writers produce a collection of creative pieces for an upcoming festival event. Programmed and coordinated by Bookie team member Justin Brown, New Publishers features editor Jessica Rose (Co-relate), Marketing and PR expert Francesca Baker (And So She Thinks), and publishing Editor-in-Chief Connor Sansby (Whisky and Beards).

Margate Bookie founder Andreas Loizou, whose books have been translated into 12 languages, said: “Join New Publishers to learn skills and meet new friends. It’s a fun way to take your first steps in publishing.”

Take a look at the Margate Bookie website or email [email protected] for more details.

Deadline for registration for New Publishers is Friday 27 January. Spaces are limited.

16 Comments

  1. This sounds awesome. It’s great to see writing being encouraged in Thanet. There are lots of writers and writing groups around now.

  2. When I read “ Bookie” I thought it was a local bookmaker writing about the evils of gambling to deter youngsters from gambling. I write short stories most of which are based on truth or experience from the past. I often have them published in magazines and receive various fees. I have written three books and two sit coms for television. One of the books I have been paid a retainer fee but I’m still waiting for a date for it to become published. Hence I gave up trying to get a book published because unless one is famous or has a friend in higher places or one pays to publish it yourself writing a book can be hard work and very time consuming, even if one does have a book published the income from it is not much at all. I have accepted a retainer of just £1500 nearly 3 years ago with the pandemic and covid slowing things down.

    • You don’t have to “pay” to publish a book yourself. Providing the quality / formatting is up to scratch, anyone can publish via Amazon’s KDP self-publishing franchise.

      I’ve both wrote and published 13 books in 5 years, 11 of these via KDP. It means that people in countries as far away as Brazil, Japan and Australia can (and do) buy my books, and receive them within days. If you need guidance, contact me privately via my website (just google my name).

      It’s good to see that the organiser of this Bookie festival Andreas Loizou publishes his work via Amazon!

  3. Maybe Jenny Dawes and her supporters ( all of which would not fill a telephone box) should write a book on being a mouthpiece for being selfish and NIMBY.” I used to be a labour voter but not now that a Labour councillor went on TV telling lies “ I get lots of emails everyday from voters telling me they don’t want Manston Airport”
    No she doesn’t she is just telling lies.

    • You boast that you ‘write short stories…based on truth’ – then in another comment say Jenny Dawes’ supporters wouldn’t fill a phone box.
      Do you not know that more than 500 people contributed their own money to her Judicial Review fund, in addition to the many others who agree with her brave battle to protect Ramsgate?
      Brave, because she knows she will be vilified by airport supporters, many of whom will also have only a passing acquaintance with the truth.
      Good luck finding a publisher!

    • “all of which would not fill a telephone box”
      If you lo0k at the crowd funding site, you;ll see that almost 2000 people contributed to the first appeal, and 500 to the second.
      Some telephone box.

  4. Hi Peter, thank you for that information I was not aware of any of that. I did become paranoid at one point that the publisher who paid me a retainer (originally it was for 2 years but now longer,) might pass my idea to another writer under another guise. I still await when it will be published if I rock the boat and complain they might back out of the deal altogether. So I await patiently. Well done with your work

  5. Andrew and Mike the population of Ramsgate is around 42,000 it is an absolute disgrace that a minor amount of selfish people should be able to use the courts in such a devious way at the cost of those who need to find work. I hope the government change the law to stop these people from stopping investment and opportunities for others.

    • The Judicial Review process exists so that citizens and organisations can challenge the process by which a government (or quasi-government) body reached a decision.
      In the case of Manston Airport’s DCO decision, a concerned citizen (Jenny Dawes) launched an application for a JR hearing. This was approved by the High Court. Before the hearing took place, the SoS withdrew his decision, acknowledging that his reasons were wrong.
      2000 people donated almost £120,000 to the funding.
      I quite agree that a minor amount of selfish people should have such a big impact. The dozen or so members of SMAa have engineered a situation that will blight the lives of the 42000 souls living in Ramsgaate, and thousands more living in Herne Bay.

  6. The ‘New Publishers Programme’ is a great opportunity for young locals to get some quality training in publishing (outside of London). At last, KCC are finally sponsoring something worthwhile.

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