'E-publishing sensation' Rachel Abbott to deliver digital workshop

The event, entitled Self-publishing and working with Editors, will be held on Thursday 1 May from 5.30pm-7pm, in Room 101 in Broadcasting Place. The session is free but places are limited and must be booked online.

In the workshop, Rachel - who was branded 'the e-publishing sensation of 2012' by The Guardian newspaper - will be talking about her experiences of self-publishing and working with editors.

A former Managing Director of an interactive media company, she launched her first novel Only the Innocent in November 2011. The book was self-published in the UK through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon and reached the number one spot in the Kindle store. It held its position for four weeks and was the second highest selling self-published title in 2012.

Only the Innocent is now published by Thomas and Mercer in America, and achieved number one in the US charts. Last year, Rachel released her second novel, The Back Road, which reached number two in the UK Kindle chart, while her third title Sleep Tight went into the top 100 two days before it was released. All three books are currently in the top 30 in the Kindle chart.

Rachel commented: "My whole journey as a self-published author has been one of discovery. I knew nothing about publishing, and even less about editing, which I thought was just a matter of proof reading and correcting errors. Since then I have learned what it really means and what impact a good editor can have, it has been a revelation to me."

The session is being held as part of Leeds Met's Hub for Writing in the Digital Age. The Hub is a home for writers and writing located within the University's new Centre for Culture and the Arts, which will be officially launched at an event on Tuesday 20 May. It is intended to engage students and others in the production of a variety of different types of writing, including fiction and non-fiction for professional and entertainment purposes for digital audiences.

For more information on the centre please visit the Centre website or follow the centre on twitter @Centrcultureart.