On Friday we’re offering a range of professional development opportunities, starting with bookable 1:1 sessions with industry folks: come and ask your questions! 

Some practical points: 

• Each session lasts for 15 minutes. Use the booking box below to book a slot.
• There’s no set up time - be prepared to make the most of your 15 minutes and come prepared with your questions 
• There’s no application process and it’s not possible to submit material in advance
• The Festival doesn’t have devices available for presentations 
• We recommend you arrive 15 minutes ahead of your booked slot! 

Interested in self-publishing? Book a chat with freelance editor Averill Buchanan and you’ll have 15 minutes to ask your questions about routes to publication and working with editors. Averill supports authors through all aspects of the publishing process – from editing to typesetting and cover design – and is known for her patient hand-holding of writers through the technical challenges of self-publishing. 

These sessions are suitable for writers of all levels, including complete beginners.

Averill is available to discuss:

• Routes to publication (independent and traditional)
• The self-publishing process
• All aspects of the editing process

Meet Averill

Averill Buchanan is a Belfast-based editor and publishing consultant who helps writers hone their manuscripts and choose the path to publication that suits their personal goals. An Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), she works mainly on fiction and memoir, providing structural editing, copy-editing and proofreading. 

With a background in graphic design, Averill supports independent authors through all aspects of the publishing process, including traditional publishing and self-publishing.