Introducing Inside Story: A Unique Project
United Publishers of Armidale is delighted and honoured to be collaborating with the New England Writers’ Centre on the unique and innovative Inside Story project, centred around the creation and production of children’s books. The Inside Story project, funded by a generous grant from Create NSW under its Arts Restart Strategic Initiative program, has a twin focus on the production of a fantastic book (published in May 2022) and the launch of a capacity-building professional development workshop (held in March 2021).
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The book, Inside Story: the wonderful world of writing, illustrating and publishing children’s books, is published in May 2022 by UPA Books, our new collaborative imprint. Details: ISBN 9780648815457 RRP $29.99 Compiled by Sophie Masson, Kathy Creamer, Peter Creamer and Beattie Alvarez Edited by Jen Scanlan and Sharnee Rawson Designed by Rae Ainsworth Published by UPA Books, May 2022 Trim size: 240x240mm 120 pages Distributed nationwide by Peribo Inside Story is a fabulous showcase of the richness and diversity of contemporary Australian children's books. An attractive full-colour production, it is packed with tips, advice, illuminating quotes and anecdotes. The stellar list of contributors includes writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents and reviewers from across Australia. Inside Story is an invaluable resource and reference book for aspiring writers, illustrators, editors and designers, and will also appeal to anyone interested in Australian children’s books and is perfect for both the educational and general markets. Published by UPA Books, the new collaborative imprint of United Publishers of Armidale, Inside Story is a joint enterprise of Armidale-based publishers Christmas Press and Little Pink Dog Books. It was commissioned by the New England Writers' Centre, with the generous support of Create NSW. Here's some responses about the book: What advice can you give to someone who wants to know all about publishing a children’s book? INSIDE STORY is the answer to give them - and they will thank you forever. A contemporary, comprehensive and colossal compendium of everything you ever wanted to know about children’s books but were afraid to ask! (Ursula Dubosarsky, multi-award-winning author) Really well designed, comprehensive and accessible. I’ll be happily recommending it to any new writers and illustrators. (internationally-renowned author-illustrator Shaun Tan) If you are thinking about writing and illustrating children’s books... or you are wanting to become involved in the publishing process... this is the book to read and devour! ‘Inside Story’ is a showcase of the richness and diversity of contemporary Australian children's books, packed with tips, advice, illuminating quotes and anecdotes. Contributors includes writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents and reviewers from across Australia- an invaluable resource and reference book for aspiring writers, illustrators, editors and designers. This could inspire some brilliant careers in the world of children’s literature. (Paul Macdonald, The Children’s Bookshop) Highly recommended. This engaging 2022 publication, Inside Story, is a celebration of contemporary children’s book writing in Australia...The variety of content and genre covered within this handy reference book will provide hours of enjoyable and informative reading. (Extract from review in Read Plus). Available in all good bookshops. But if you are interested in direct orders, find out more at Little Pink Dog Books, Christmas Press, and the New England Writers' Centre. Watch some great videos about the making of the book on the UPA You Tube channel, here. There's a special Facebook page, too. |
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Meanwhile, the Inside Story professional development day, themed specifically around children’s picture books, was held in Armidale on March 27, 2021, and presented by UPA. It featured talks and presentations on all aspects of the creation and production of children’s picture books, from the first glimmer of an idea for a text to the drafting of illustration roughs and storyboards for the book’s visual world, right through to the many production processes that eventually end with the book appearing in bookshops. There was also a fun interactive activity, which put people in the publisher’s shoes in the creation and production of an imaginary picture book. The workshop was a sold-out success, with participants coming from all over the region and a wide range of people represented across the sector, from aspiring writers and illustrators to new editors and designers, and even a prospective publisher. Feedback was excellent with attendees remarking how fantastic it was that it was about the whole process of creating a picture book, not just writing or illustrating, as might be more usual, but all the aspects of production, publication and beyond too. We hope that this workshop might become a model for many more such professional development opportunities in the future.
UPDATE: There will be an Inside Story mini-workshop held in Glen Innes in October 2022, during the High Country Writers' Festival. |
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The Inside Story book is now available in all good bookshops around Australia!
The Inside Story project is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW
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