If you are a writer, photographer, blogger or simply interested in these fields you may well find the Future of Outdoor Publishing symposium, hosted by the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild (OWPG), a great day out. It takes place at the National Cycling Centre, Manchester, on Wednesday June 24, 9.30am to 5pm.
It won’t just be me who is giving a talk, either. Hopefully my thoughts on “making a living as a blogger” and “where the future lies for bloggers” will be interesting enough. But there are also other people who will offer a lot more insight than me, I expect.
The theme of the Future of Outdoor Publishing is timely. These are interesting times for writers, photographers and everyone involved in media and publishing. There are always people ready to declare that “print is doomed”, and we have seen well-known magazines and publishers disappear or morph into online-only offerings. Yet new platforms bring new opportunities.
It’s a perplexing and sometimes contradictory picture, but one thing seems certain: Many of us are going to be able to carry on writing in some form or other for a long time yet.
The one-day symposium will map out promising routes through this fast-changing landscape.
The aim is to share ideas, concerns, inspiration and encourage constructive dialogue between writers, photographers, editors and publishers; in fact, anyone with an interest in communicating about the outdoors.
The discussions will take place under four headings:
The Future of Outdoor Magazines
Talks from: Mark Alker, publisher of Singletrack magazine and Grit.cx online magazine, and Carey Davies, former deputy editor of TGO magazine, now Hillwalking Officer at the British Mountaineering Council and a regular contributor to the Guardian’s famous Country Diary.
The Future of Route Guides
Talks from: Craig Wareham, CEO of ViewRanger, the App for Adventure.
Jonathan Williams, Cicerone Press. Cicerone remain overwhelmingly a publisher of traditional guidebooks, and are UK leaders in many sectors of that market.
The Future of the Outdoor Book
Talk from: Jon Barton, co-founder of Vertebrate Publishing, an innovative publisher of guidebooks, especially for mountain-bikers.
The Future of the Future
Talks from: Dave Mycroft, founder and Editor of MyOutdoors.co.uk.
And me.
On into the evening: After the main business of the day concludes around 5pm, those who have previous experience and are registered with the NCC should be able to participate in a public session riding on the famous boards of the velodrome.
If you’re in need of some fresh air after a day indoors, nearby Clayton Vale has some enjoyable mountain bike trails for all abilities. For non-cyclists there are interesting walking opportunities too.
Then it’s off to the pub for a meal and beers. All these extras are optional. Final details will be circulated nearer the time. For updates on this, and other news, keep an eye on the event Facebook page.
Booking: There is still an Early Bird discount if you book and pay before Tuesday May 12.
Cost (inclusive of refreshments and lunch):
- OWPG Members: £35 (‘Early Bird’ £25)
- Non-members: £65 (‘Early Bird’ £55)
To confirm attendance or for any additional information please contact Jon Sparks: [email protected]