Join Young Authors online course. Get help offline. And become an author.
What are the main objectives of the workshop?
An author’s workshop can benefit students in many ways. It will improve their vocabulary, and writing skills. Their levels of creativity will go up. Since students will invariably go through the writings of others, they will develop the habit of reading.
There is also a not-so-tangible benefit, which is the improvement in their confidence level. Once students themselves become authors, the way they look at books (academic and non-academic) written by others will be different.
However, the ‘official’ objective of the workshop is to capture the world view of the students (and the 'world order' they wish to see in place). Everything, right from the names of their characters to the plot and the flow of the narrative, can speak volumes of the world they live in, their belief systems, and aspirations. In essence, the book they author, would serve as a snapshot of their logic and imagination.
What will be the key outcome of the workshop?
An ebook of about 5000 words (in terms of number of pages, it is 20 to 25). The book will be published on Amazon Kindle book store.
Note: Print book is not part of the deliverable of the workshop. However, arrangements can be made for print books upon request. The charges for the same can be arrived at based on several factors, including: 1) number of pages, 2) page and cover thickness, and 3) number of colours.
What if a student writes less than 15 pages (or about 2,000 words)?
It is highly unlikely. But if for some reason a student is not able to produce the minimum required output, the project will be kept on hold. Special arrangements have to be made to get the student hit the targeted word count. This could involve a new estimate of time and cost.
What if a student writes more than 5000 words?
This workshop is like a project. It has defined start and end dates. Hence, we have to honour the scope, so as to avoid missing the end date. The scope of the book is limited to about 5000 words. Unless it is absolutely necessary, the book will not have additional words.
But the manuscript can have more words. For the resource person will have more room to edit the book. Hence, students are encouraged to write without thinking about any restrictions.
Will my book have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN)?
No.
An ISBN isn’t required to publish an eBook with Kindle. Once the book is published on Kindle, Amazon will assign it a 10-digit ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number), which is unique to the eBook, and is an identification number for the Kindle eBook on Amazon.
Can the student design the book cover?
No. The focus is only on writing/authoring. There will be no design session in the workshop. The book wrapper design will be done by a professional layout artist and the student will have only a limited say in the design.
Will the book have photos/images/illustrations within the pages?
Yes, if the book is nonfiction. Even then, the illustrations would be simple tables, graphs, and line drawings.
No, if the book is fiction. There will be no illustrations, photos, and images within the book pages.
What is the duration of a batch?
The workshop comprises 12 online sessions - roughly 3 per week for 4 weeks. However, the workshop will have additional sessions for the students when there is a special case.
How much time does a student need to commit every day during the workshop?
The online sessions are one hour sessions. They happen three times a week. But, students will get writing or ideation assignments - they may have to spend 30 minutes to one hour each day for writing, throughout the duration of the workshop. Ideally, students will be required to produce 500 words per day for at least 15 days.
But it is self paced. When they write, how much they write, and how many days they write, it is all a student’s choice. Please note that there can be unlimited one-to-one phone/WhatsApp/email coaching sessions.
What are the class timings?
The timing for the online classes will be decided based on what works for the majority of the students. Usually, the most preferred slots are: 7:00-08:00 pm on weekdays, and 12:00-01:00 pm on weekends.
What are the roles of students?
To attend the classes and complete the given assignments on time (plagiarism should be avoided.) They are expected to produce about 5,000 to 7,500 words of the final draft within the four weeks.
To submit the final draft of the book and each chapters in digital format (MS Word or Google Doc)
To submit their colour photo (passport size) in high resolution
To prepare the author’s bio (not exceeding 100 words)
To check for the typos and layout mistakes, if any, of the edited version.
To create an author’s page on Kindle.
Can the student use ChatGPT?
Using any AI tool is highly discouraged. However, even if a need arises, then they should follow a few guidelines. They will be explained during the workshop.
What if the student is not able to complete the book within one month?
There will be 15 more days of grace period to submit the book. If the grace period is missed, then it will not be considered as a part of the current batch. However, if the student is still interested in completing the book, new scope can be created and the resource person can continue to work with the student. For this extension of services, there will be additional charges.
What will be the roles of the parents/family members/friends/other adults?
To help students create the Authors Page on Amazon, and upload the ebook
To not to contribute ideas to the students. The aim of the project is to kindle the imagination of the students, and try to preserve their ideas in writing.
What are the roles of the resource person?
To introduce the steps and techniques involved in each stage of the writing process through classes and one-to-one followup/doubt clearing sessions
To edit the draft submitted by the students and produce the final manuscriptfinal
To organise for the page layout and ebook conversion
To coordinate with the page layout artist to prepare the Ready to Print copy of the book, and the printing of the book
How long will it take for the resource person to come up with the edited version?
Since everything depends on the word count or number of pages, this should be calculated at the end of the project. Once the final draft is submitted, the resource person can take up to 30 days to edit the final draft of the student. The estimate of time will be made once the final draft is submitted.
Can the resource person delete or add sections of the student?
Yes. If a student writes 5000 words, it does not mean that the final book will have 5000 words. Because, the student’s final draft will be edited for clarity, and it would mean there will be fewer or more than 5000 words.
Will the student make changes to the edited version?
No! There can be no revisions after the edited version. The student has to leave everything to the discretion of the resource person!
What is the workshop fee?
It is Rs. 8,000 (Rupees Eight Thousand). The fee covers 12 classes, unlimited one-to-one coaching during the month, editing, and layout design and Kindle publishing. It must be paid in full at the time of enrollment.
Can I get a refund if I discontinue the workshop?
No!
How much will it cost to print the book?
The printing cost involves the following two components: 1) layout design exclusively for the print edition, and 2) printing. The exact cost of these two items will be based on the number of pages of the book, the page and wrapper quality (in terms of GSM), and colours involved. Once the ready-to-print book is prepared, we can get the quotation for you. The minimum order value is 100 copies.
What are the steps involved in enrollment?
Students - and their parents, should go through the FAQ and get clarifications, if any, from the resource person. They can contact the resource person at sankar@sankarg.com or via WhatsApp: +91-9790276206.
When they are satisfied with the arrangement, they can apply. Please note that the batch usually will have no more than 5 students. Enrollment will be based on the availability of seats and a few other criteria.
Can the student design the book cover?
No. The focus is only on writing/authoring. There will be no design session in the workshop. The book wrapper design will be done by a professional layout artist and the student will have only a limited say in the design.
Will the book have photos/images/illustrations within the pages?
Yes, if the book is nonfiction. Even then, the illustrations would be simple tables, graphs, and line drawings. A big No, if the book is fiction. There will be no illustrations, photos, and images within the book pages. However, the layout artist may use some icons at the beginning of the chapters or section dividers.