Any of you published by CaféLit are probably familiar with this project. You can read all about it at http://www.creativecafeproject.org/.
Here are a few ways in which the
Creative Café Project can help a writer lead a free-lance writing life.
Some help the writer to earn money, some help to raise the writer’s profile,
some do both and some will raise money eventually.
Advertise all events at the café itself, local libraries,
local adult education centres and on your Facebook page. Create your own newsletter
- Mailchimp is good for
this – and ask people to subscribe.
Writer’s surgery
Offer a script surgery. Offer a fifteen minute session
free of charge. The writer comes with the script, buys a coffee from the café
and you discuss their script with them for fifteen minutes. If you offer
editorial services, you can give them your price list.
Raises profile, may
lead to payment
Creative writing workshop
Offer anything from a couple of hours to a whole day.
This works especially well if the café has a function room. Negotiate with the
manager / owner to have the function room for free if the delegates buy drinks
and lunch from the café. Charge a modest fee. If you can’t have the room for
free, you will have to charge a more realistic fee. You may get a reasonable
charge if you ask for an all-in package – drinks on arrival and / or
mid-morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea.
An alternative model is to arrange a course over a few
weeks, with each session being up to a couple of hours. You might charge by the
session, perhaps making a taster one free.
Makes money straight
away but take care to budget properly.
Be a writer in residence
You spend set amounts of time at the café, perhaps
spread over anything up to a year. You offer all of what is mentioned here. If
doing this on a small scale, you may simply “camp” at the café for a day,
chatting to people interested in reading, talking about your books, offering
advice on writing and selling signed copies of your books.
Makes money eventually.
Raises your profile.
Launch a book from the café
You might make a loss on this unless your publisher
agrees to pay some costs. You will need to provide some refreshments for your
guests. They may not all buy a copy of your book but they will now be more
aware of it.
Makes money
eventually. Raises your profile.
Author readings
Work with a couple of other writers and offer readings,
Q & A sessions and sell copies of your books. You can share the costs. You’ll probably make less on your books than
at a single launch – most people will buy just one book. However, you have
access to each other's fans.
Makes money
eventually. Raises your profile.
Hold a literary salon
Ask the café to put on an evening or afternoon event at
a set price. Charge your guests a little more – to cover all costs and perhaps
reward you a little for your hard work. Invite all of your writerly / reader
friends and fans. Ask two or three people to come and talk about their work –
probably best to ask published writers. Agree to pay them a fee and expenses. They
can bring copies of their work to sell.
My first salon was free of charge but I charged for
subsequent ones to make a profit for the project. I asked people to donate as
they saw fit. It worked – some made a lot of money, others less. It averaged
out to cover costs and made me a small payment.
You probably wouldn’t sell any of your own books here. But
see my more detailed description of the literary salon on the blog
http://www.creativecafeproject.org/2012/05/literary-salon-at-time-for-tea.html
You can put one of your own into the book swap.
Do this often enough and it will raise your profile anyway.
Raises profile. Makes
money eventually.
Start a reading group
Perhaps make this a couple of hours long and negotiate
for the café to waive charges but encourage members to buy drinks and cakes.
Take it in turn suggesting books. Never
one of you own. But you can invite your group members to your launch and
give them flyers about your books. Curiosity will probably make members try one
of your books eventually.
Raises your profile.
Makes money eventually.
Writing project
Organise a writing project. Arrange meetings at the
café. Perhaps you’d like to collect ghost stories from the old town in which
you live, for example. Discuss ideas. Offer workshops on the writing. Hold
critiquing, editing and design meetings. You become the publisher. You may even
be able to get an Arts Council grant for the right sort of project. The
Creative Café Project can help you with the publishing process.
Raises your profile.
Makes money eventually.
Tempted?
Of course, if you come across any more creative cafés, or
any more ideas of what you might do there, do let me know on gill@cafelit.co.uk
