Too long at the faire? Hardly. The recent Molalla Writers Faire was well attended and upbeat, thanks to in-depth workshops and a thought-provoking keynote address by publisher Ken Arnold, of KenArnoldBooks. Participants and presenters alike commented that the hours flew by, in keeping with the “speed of change.” Ken addressed broad-spectrum changes in the publishing industry, then directed attendees’ attention to the resultant possibilities offered to authors, including more accessible publishing routes (Print on Demand, e-books, and short-run custom publishing, to name a few) and exciting advances in book-related technology such as the Kindle2, Amazon’s new electronic reading device.

Future-minded book designer Marie Miller, of BookSmart Design, lead a spirited discussion of trends in book design. While her workshop focused on book design for print, attendees ultimately wondered  how, or even  if, current design trends will translate to the electronic book world. Sounds like another workshop in the making…

Three Muses’ publisher Linda Meyer had her eyes on the future of book publishing, too, but for this faire, she concentrated on “what to know before you submit your manuscript to a publisher,” a less time- and /or technology-dependent theme, but no less applicable to authors of today and tomorrow. In this difficult economy, learning to prepare your manuscript for publication and to begin building a marketing platform  will save time and money for author and publisher, increasing the chances of making it “into print,” on paper or in electronic form.

Next year’s faire is already in the works.  Stay tuned for more information.