Historical Fiction Workshop
Western North Carolina and Madison County have a new publishing company, SpectrumPublishing.Org, located in downtown Marshall. The not-for-profit firm was formed by a division of Spectrum Companies, Inc., a North Carolina corporation started in 1989. Previously, a part of Spectrum had been devoted to the research of Appalachian history and collaborated on many documentaries.
SpectrumPublishing.Org will publish novels, e-textbooks, poetry collaborations, artwork collaborations, and children’s books. To minimize costs and capture the evolving change in the publishing industry, most books will be published as e-books; however, the public will have the opportunity to purchase hardbound copies at a group rate price. This new minimal cost publishing allows a new group of authors to join the community of the published word.
This January, the team will conduct an extensive workshop for aspiring authors of creative nonfiction concentrating on the accurate depiction of history in the area of the French Broad River Valley. Historical Fiction is the process by which actual history (culture, actual persons, places, language, incidents, etc.) is chronologically organized and then fictional tales are spun around those sets of facts. The workshop is open to a maximum of 6 participants so as to provide concise attention to each person’s abilities and desires. The course begins on January 15th, 2011 and concludes on March 5th, 2011.
Each participant will create a short story (20 pages) about a subject relevant to life in the French Broad River Valley during the Frontier period of Westerly migration of Germans and Scots-Irish. These tales will then be combined, after editing by Spectrum at no charge, into an e-book available for the Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble’s Nook, and Apple’s iPad.
More information on the Workshop can be found at their website http://SpectrumPublishing.org. For those interested in participating in the exciting environment of publishing and wish to submit one’s resume, please contact Spectrum through their website. The company’s long range plans are to employ upwards of 12 talented, creative local artisans: mentors, editors, book assembly, and illustrators.
SpectrumPublishing.Org offers a free initial consulting session to help the aspiring author wade though the myriad of issues involving publishing a project. The publishing firm also offers a full suite of services to help the author, including: creative assessment, cover design, basic editing of theme and grammar, typesetting and illustrations, low cost publishing, web site design and implementation, search engine optimization, marketing, and distribution.
William Dune is the Creative Editor and heads the history research department of SpectrumPublishing.Org. He leads the workshops and performs one-on-one consulting for those with creative projects. He is an experienced small business consultant and is available to help with advice on manuscripts, getting published, and business plans. He works with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University in Durham, NC.
William has just published an e-textbook; Volume I of a Trilogy on the History of Greed (www.HistoryOfGreed.com) called Greed for Gold. In addition, Spectrum is editing a novel by Dune on the period of history prior to the completion of the Buncombe Turnpike in 1828.
Kreg Ertman is the Marketing Director and handles the publication aspects for the firm. With over 13 years of internet marketing experience, Kreg has helped numerous small businesses to succeed online. He is a partner in Kat Studios (www.KatStudios.com) — a successful web design and consulting business.
Tracy Booth is the Production Editor, responsible for all artwork, book cover creation, and content editing. She too is a partner in Kat Studios, but is also a successful artist. Tracy’s artwork may be seen on her website and blog (www.TracyBooth.com).
Tracy Booth & Kreg Ertman of Kat Studios
According to Jennifer Flynn, Town Clerk and activist for the Arts in Madison County, “We have been wanting to start a historical society based in Marshall to develop our rich history on the Frontier…and with the advent of SpectrumPublishing.Org, and their Workshops, we might just achieve our goals. We hope aspiring authors support their efforts.”
SpectrumPublishing.Org. is a not-for-profit, full service publishing company, located at 76 North Main Street Unit 1, Marshall, NC 28753. Phone: (828) 333-5173 Website: www.SpectrumPublishing.org Email: info@spectrumpublishing.org
