A few weeks ago I attended a couple of “Writing for publication” workshops, which were organised by CILIP Library & Information Research Group (LIRG) and run by Alison Brettle & Christine Irving.
The workshops focused on:
- How to start writing and keep focused.
- Different types of submissions.
- How the submission/editorial process works.
- Where to publish.
- Peer review process.
- Feedback on attendees ideas for articles.
I decided to sign up for the workshops because recently I’ve been thinking that I really want to develop my writing skills for a number of reasons:
- I want to be able to put reports/pieces/blog posts together more quickly than I am doing at present – I’m not sure exactly how many drafts I go through before I’m happy with anything I write (blogs particularly), but I’d say 3 at least, plus a bit of post-publishing editing too.
- I want to be able to focus my thoughts and decide on my purpose for writing about a particular subject before I even start typing.
- I want to present my thoughts more clearly when they’re written down.
- I’m considering writing beyond my own blogs and want to make sure that whatever I submit is as professional as it can be. I know editors might not be interested in what I’ve written, but at least I’ll know I’ve given them the best I can.
- Through my involvement with Voices For The Library I’ve had the opportunity to undertake some informal research, which has given me a taste for it and, in the back of my mind, I was considering doing something more formal. I’d been looking around for courses to develop my research skills. I feel that improving my writing skills would also help in this area – or maybe they go hand in hand – clarity of presenting information, etc.
I found both workshops really useful and I came away having learnt plenty about the submission/publication process as well as tips and suggestions for improving my writing. As the workshops were organised via LIRG, I also got an insight into the research side of things and this has confirmed in my mind that I really do need to/want to fill this skills gap too, preferably with some kind of accreditation or qualification.
