event
From idea to publication
5 June 2024 - 3 July 2024
Sihle-isipho Nontshokweni, a double master’s degree holder (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Cape Town and Peking University, is a dynamic storyteller impacting the world through film and literature. Recognised amongst the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans (2022), her serialised storybook, rooted in the story of Wanda, has earned international honours, including the Skipping Stones Honor Awards (Oregon, 2021) and Best Children’s Book of the Year (Bank Street College of Education, NYC, 2022). As the head of production for The Ultimate Book Show, she has showcased her passion for literature globally, hosting events in Cape Town, Qonce, Edinburgh, Cannes, and California at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival.
From idea to publication
Sihle-isipho Nontshokweni
Dates: 5 June–3 July (Wednesdays)
Time: 18:00–20:00
Platform: MS Teams
Course fee: R2 000; Staff and students R1 000
Maximum: 20 participants
Booking is via Webtickets: From idea to publication: Sihle-isipho Nontshokweni (webtickets.co.za)
This course designed to equip participants with the requisite knowledge required to produce a children's book. It will include mastering the art of storytelling, crystallising the idea that ‘has no right to go away’ and finding an illustrator and publisher to navigating publishing contracts. The course provides participants with support to develop their story intelligently, positioning them to create, earn and elevate their creative product for optimal impact and income.
Session 1: Defining your literary path
Exploring select children’s books: Analysing acclaimed children's literature to understand storytelling techniques, character development and thematic relevance.
Value proposition, target audience and thematic relevance: Identifying the target audience for your book, defining its unique value proposition, and exploring thematic elements that resonate with young readers.
Session 2: Mastering storytelling
Storytelling styles, techniques, and characters: Exploring various storytelling styles, techniques for engaging young readers, and creating memorable characters that captivate the imagination.
Crystalising your idea, writing your book: Refining story ideas, outlining plot structures, and embarking on the journey of writing your own children's book.
Session 3: Navigating the publishing process
Finding your publisher an illustrator – copyright, legal agreements, and royalties: Copyrights
protection, navigating legal agreements with publishers, and understanding royalty
structures for authors.
Session 4: Trans media, marketing, and storytelling
Marketing, book sales and the power of storytelling: Discovering effective marketing strategies for promoting your book, leveraging the power of storytelling to connect with readers, and exploring avenues for book sales and distribution.
Session 5: Script and development: hot seat session
Script development process and crystalising your idea: Development of written work focusing on story structure, arch, climax, and story endings utilising participants’ scripts to ensure that their work is as developed as possible.