The Society of Young Publishers - Oxford

SYP Celebrates World Book Night – 23/04/12

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:54:56 +0000

Where: the Albion Beatnik Bookstore, Jericho

34 Walton Street Oxford, OX2 6AA

When: Monday 23rd April, 7pm- 10pm

What: To celebrate World Book Night 2012, SYP is hosting an evening of witty spoken word poetry, live music, and readings by candlelight. Join us for this party to celebrate the powers and pleasures of reading alongside like-minded people. Come along for drinks, laughs, and an unforgettable evening. Keep checking our Facebook event page for updates!

Cost: FREE for members, £2 non-members.

*Includes free glass of wine for everyone!*

The Big E: Online vs In-Store – 20/03/12

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:38:34 +0000

Venue: Ground Floor, Buckley building, Gipsy Lane Campus, Oxford Brookes University.

Drinks at 7 with a 7:30 speaker start.

Our second speaker event of this year explores a vital issue for publishers, libraries, booksellers and book-lovers everywhere! As reading habits evolve in response to new formats and technologies, what does the future look like for those who have traditionally put books in readers’ hands?

We have three speakers coming to talk about the effects ebooks have had on independent booksellers and libraries, and how they deal with the challenges posed by ebooks and ezines:

Mar Dixon: a Social Media & Audience Development Consultant, Lecturer, founder of www.CultureThemes.com and Social Media Manager of ‘Kids in Museums.’

Dan Holloway: the founder of eight cuts gallery press publisher of paperbacks and ebooks. http://eightcuts.com/ Published 3 books along with organising and hosting events across the UK campaigning about literary movements.

Rachel Phipps from The Woodstock Bookshop http://www.woodstockbookshop.co.uk/in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Regional shortlist for Independent Bookseller of the Year in 2008 and listed in the recent Independent’s Top 50 UK Bookshops.

This event is free for SYP members and only £4 for non members.

Please visit this link for directions to the venue: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/about/findus/documents/headington.pdf

You can find the event here on Facebook, we look forward to seeing you there!

The Great SYP Pub Quiz! – 12/03/12

admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:15:44 +0000

Monday 12th March

The Cape of Good Hope, The Plain, Oxford OX4 1EA

Arrive from 7.30 for an 8pm start

The popular SYP Oxford quiz is back for 2012, with all-new rounds and great prizes to be won. Join us on March 12th at the Cape pub for a fun evening of literary-themed trivia, picture rounds, and brainteasers.

Come along and bring your non-publishing housemates, friends, lovers, grandmothers, dogs, tinkers, tailors, soldiers and sailors and any other non-publishing folk as well as your fabulous selves. WHY? Because even though the quiz has been written by the SYP, it is open to all and won’t be too publishy – promise!!!

Just like last year, there will be a FREE bottle of wine for the first ten teams to arrive at the Cape’s upstairs bar (from 7.30pm, based on 4-7 in a team). There will also be other free drinks and bar food available on the night. Prizes include a £50 voucher for Spice Lounge restaurant, books, bottles and more!

Entry is FREE for members, £1 for non-members; all information for the event can be found on Facebook here.

We look forward to seeing you on the 12th!

Comic Books & Graphic Novels in the Digital Age – 28/02/2012

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:05:57 +0000

28^th February 2012

Venue: Main Lecture Theatre, Oxford University Press, OX2 6DP

Drinks from 6.30pm, Speakers at 7.00pm

Taking on some of the most talked-about issues facing the publishing industry as a whole, our first event of 2012 will be a fascinating look at how comics and graphic novels have fared in the digital age. In the US, digital comic sales have doubled over the past 6 months, with many commentators suggesting the potential of this perennially popular genre to be one of the most lucrative and innovative areas of digital publishing.

Are comics and graphic novels the perfect medium for making the most of tablet technology? Will digitisation revitalise the comics industry? And what threats will attend these dramatic changes?

Come along on the 28^th February for an insider view on the developments and future direction of the comics & graphic novels industry from our two fantastic speakers.

Ross Fraser comes to us from The Phoenix, a brand-new, beautiful and hilarious weekly children’s comic recently born in Oxford, and he’s more than happy to lecture on the commercial aspects of the digital future of comics and graphic novels.

With him, we are also lucky enough to have Ernesto Priego, the co-founder and coordinating editor of The Comics Grid, an online journal of comics scholarships, who will be approaching the topic from a more academic standpoint.

This event is free for SYP members and only £4 for non-members.

To keep up to date with the latest news on speaker events, socials and networking opportunities, join SYP Oxford on Facebook. Details for this event on Facebook can be found here!

Press Forward: Updating an Outdated Industry

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:34:58 +0000

The Society of Young Publishers Annual Conference
Saturday 19^th November 2011

The SYP annual conference is a fantastic opportunity to get up-to-date on the latest industry developments, learn new skills and extend your network. Featuring industry specialist speakers covering a huge range of topical and controversial issues – like piracy, social media and digital devices – it will help you inject fresh and modern ideas into your career or studies.

What’s included?
Two interactive panel debates:

Piracy: If it’s not Johnny Depp does it need to be stopped? Does DRM deter piracy or just consumers?
What next for publishing? If video killed the radio star, what must publishers do to survive?

Choose three seminars from:

Effective design for the digital age. Can we still judge a book by its cover? This session will ensure that your message – whatever the format – isn’t lost in translation.
The changing world of rights. Featuring the digital media lawyer behind Pottermore; as the idea of the book becomes less defined, can its contract remain rigid?
The social network. Tweet this! Learn how to create a social media strategy that will develop your brand and help you connect with the right people.
Digital devices. Move beyond epub and XML to see how far we can push the definition of ‘book.’
Publicity in the 21^st century. Make modern media your friend and learn how to build effective publicity campaigns from scratch.
Careers Clinic. Access to the industry’s HR professionals and career gurus so help you on every stage of the publishing ladder.

And we’ll throw in free lunch and a post-conference drinks social – so make sure you bring your networking (or wine tippling) shoes.

Click here for rates.

Logistical this and that…

Venue: Oxford Brookes University – arrive at Main Reception, Gipsy Lane
Timings: 10AM – 5PM Sat 19^th November (drinks from 5PM onward!)
Rates: Available on our website!
More info: visit the conference website or see the event on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@SYPConference11).

Autumn Welcome Party – 21/10/11

admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:56:39 +0000

The nights are drawing in and it’s gradually getting chillier here in Oxford, so come along to our Autumn Welcome Party for a warming night of free bubbly, friendly faces, live music, and prize giveaways.

The first 100 people to come through the doors from 8pm will get a free glass of bubbly to welcome you in. A live band will start at 9pm; we’ve booked none other than Vagablond, a boy-girl duo whom you may have seen drawing the crowds on Cornmarket Street. Later in the night we’ll have a DJ to play the best tunes into the early hours.

All this is FREE for SYP members and only £3 for non-members (everyone qualifies for a free glass of bubbly though if you’re in the first 100 people to arrive!). Everybody’s welcome, whether you’re new to publishing in Oxford and want to meet people, or if you came to our Spring Welcome Party and are coming back for more!

There is no dress code but if you would like to dress up please do!

Friends, housemates etc very welcome.

RSVP on the Facebook event page!

Venue House Bar
Time 8:30pm
Estimated end time 1:30am

Price Members FREE Non-members £03.00
Contact oxford@thesyp.org.uk

Careers in Publishing – 26/10/11

admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:01:13 +0000

CAREERS IN PUBLISHING INFORMATION SESSION
Speaker Meeting

Considering going into publishing but not really sure what to expect?

This careers event will help you decide whether publishing is right for you. A panel of industry professionals (and recent graduates) will be looking at issues like:

*Job roles – publishing is about more than being an editor. What different opportunities exist and where can a graduate expect to start?

*Progression – how you could expect your career to develop, and where can graduate positions lead?
Information Session – Speaker Meeting

*What you can do now – what skill sets and work experience do recruiters look for? And how can you enhance your employability while still studying?

*Competition – publishing is a competitive sector. What can you expect when you’re applying for jobs and what will make you stand out?

A free drinks and advice session will follow the talk – bring your questions and get all the advice you need from the panel of speakers and other visiting industry professionals. This is a student-focused event – so don’t be afraid to ask questions!

This event is hosted by the Society of Young Publishers – we help people get into the publishing industry (among lots of other things!). Find out more about us here www.thesyp.org.uk or join our local Oxford group on Facebook to find out more about local events.

Venue Brookes University (Gipsy Lane site)
Time 6:30pm
Estimated end time 8:00pm

Price Members FREE Non-members £01.00
Contact oxford@thesyp.org.uk

The SYP Conference 2011 – 19/11/2012

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:20:56 +0000

The SYP Conference 2011

What is the SYP Conference?

It’s conference time! And the biggest* one in the publishing calendar is just warming up here in Oxford. Since flares were fashionable and landing on the moon was still a pipe dream, the SYP Conference has been bringing the best and brightest of the publishing industry face to face to discuss, theorise, project, argue, learn, teach, ponder and answer the ultimate questions that are facing the trade.

We call ourselves the Society of Young Publishers, not because we still get our IDs checked in Sainsbury’s but because we are young at heart, in our careers or in our attitudes and because we are still striving to learn and grow. Spending Friday nights in your slippers with chocolate Hobnobs does not disallow you from our society, not sharing your Hobnobs however, that may. Note November 19^th in your diary, with all this at our core, this year’s SYP Conference shall be one to remember.

And so, let me introduce Press Forward: Updating an Outdated Industry. This year’s conference is focusing on ‘modernisation’, looking at the ways in which the publishing industry is changing and updating and our role in its transformation. Our opening debate is called Foreword to the Future: What next for publishing? and in it we will enlist the crystal balls and tea leaves of industry game changers to predict where publishing is headed. Our closing debate pitches creative commons versus DRM in a copyright death match, entitled, Piracy is a Crime: Do we accept it? . Looking under the covers and magnifying the prelims we will investigate how publishing is dealing with the new contenders in the digital era.

And that is just the bread my friends, read more for the filling to this delicious conference sandwich. We have six sizzling seminars in store, from career progression to digital diversions, that will allow you to hone your skills in rights, publicity, marketing, design or simply to play fast and free with the latest publishing apps. As a delegate you get to choose just three seminars, so choose wisely, although there will of course be a chance to mingle with all the mighty forces of the industry over tea and coffee (there may even be a Hobnob or two, we know what makes you happy).

The seminars are:

1. Careers Clinic

Bring your CV, questions and concerns to our expert group of publishing recruitment specialists. They will be ready and waiting to vet your CV and offer advice and guidance as to how best to get your foot in the publishing door or how to climb that publishing ladder. Whether you’re work experience or experienced worker our specialists will talk you through what’s best for you.

2. Designing the future: Effective design for the digital age

Judging the book by its cover, the poster by its layout, the email by its font, your design is the first impression you make. From html to xml, outputting design effectively is a necessary tool no matter which department you work in. This seminar will alert you to the human psychology behind colour preference, leading, sans serif versus serif and image placement to make sure your message – whatever the format – isn’t lost in translation.

3. Right Now: The Changing World of Rights

Authors and agents, from Rowling to Wylie, are reclaiming rights in the digital era, but what gives them the right? As the nature of a book becomes less defined, can its contract stay rigid? This seminar will move beyond intellectual property and copyright to face the digital demons of lost clauses and loopholes that have shaken the modern world of rights.

4. The Social Network: A social media strategy to suit you

Tweet this! Who’s listening? You’ve been tagged. Who’s looking? RSS. Who’s feeding? These are the tools but how will you use them… This seminar will brief you on the various aspects of the social network and how you can use them most effectively to build a brand, promote a product or connect with customers.

5. Publishing and the Media: Publicity in the 21st Century

Press Alert! Get Richard and Judy to read your book on TV. Be reviewed by The Guardian. Have your praises sung by Radio 4. This introductory seminar will show you how to get attention for your book by making modern media your friend. Learn how to use contacts, press releases and media packs in order to build an effective publicity campaign from scratch.

6. Digital Devices: A Future Format for Past Content

What can digital offer that print is lacking? This seminar will move beyond the jargon of XML and ePub and look at the capabilities that innovative digital formats can offer. The successful reinventions in app form of TS Eliot’s The Wasteland and Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland show that even classic texts can have a new future. Come view these apps in our Digital Device Playground and see how publishers are pushing the boundaries of what is considered a ‘book’. Let’s get digital!

______________________________________________________________________

With all that on offer, you’re probably weak with excitement and with all those references to biscuits and sandwiches, you’re likely to be feeling a tad peckish. Fret not, the conference will provide morning and afternoon refreshment breaks and a buffet lunch with a glass of wine or juice depending on how you like to get your creative juices flowing. So, if you are curious about what is happening across the publishing industry at the moment, and would like to meet and talk to other publishing types, why not come along to this year’s SYP conference.

Location: Gipsy Lane, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3

Date: 19 November 2011

Time: 10am-5pm

How can I sign up?

Please visit our website at www.thesyp.org.uk/conference, for details of the events, speakers and instructions on how to register. Also see SYP Conference 2011 on Facebook or follow @SYPConference2011 on Twitter.

Are you impressed yet? *Wince* If you want to give me a slap on the wrists for poor punning, do come to the conference and if you have any questions (about the SYP conference or the SYP in general I can answer, other ones I’ll at least have a try), please do get in touch with me on conference@thesyp.org.uk.

Warmest regards,

Aaron O’Dowling-Keane (Ms.)

SYP Oxford Conference Chair 2011

*Ahem, biggest in enthusiasm and other unquantifiable attributes.

Book Club – 5/10/2011

admin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:29:00 +0000

Book Club

Why not come along to one of our monthly Book Club gatherings? They’re informal and free. See the Book Club page for full details

Venue All Bar One
Time 6:00pm
Estimated end time 7:00pm

Price Members FREE Non-members FREE
Contact oxfordbookclub@thesyp.org.uk