Listening to the latest podcast from Joanna Penn when I heard of an event of interest to self-publishing authors - The Indie Author Fringe. After a bit of Googling I see that the event is actually three different events, spaced throughout the year, with the first being on April the 15th. Each of the three events is timed to coincide with an international book fair. Each of the three events will cover different aspects of a writer's journey through self-publishing.

The best part? All events are conducted 100% online. Oh did I mention they were free.

I was lucky enough to attend the SAIR book festival last year held in Johannesburg. It was a cosy event that was attended by a several well-known South African authors. I remember having a great chat with Rachel Morgan an author who has numerous best-selling titles published on the Amazon shelves. I shared a tasty cup of coffee with Erika Bester one of the masterminds behind FireQuill Publishing who herself has a growing collection of books rising in prominence on Amazon.

Mixing with other talent in the book industry has a lasting effect on those looking to explore their potential with the paper and pen. Rubbing shoulders with existing and unassuming artistic talent that find themselves exactly where you have seen yourself in those reoccurring daydreams. These book events are also a great chance to wear your networking hat, bumping into other industry experts who might know the right person you need to connect with to progress to the next step of your journey. Oh, have I mentioned the value you get from the speakers at these events?

The 5th Open Book Festival will be hosted in District Six, Cape Town at the Fugard Theatre.

The event, similar to the recent Kingsmead Bookfair will host an impressive list of local and international talent. Looking at the author line up from their website I see a few names that really make me want to take a road trip to CPT and get away from the bubbling metropolis of Johannesburg. Names like Alex van Tonder, Antjie Krog, Amazon eBook titan Deon Meyer, Gareth Crocker and the controversial PA Zelda la Grange ensure that the programme will have the benefit of years of valuable writing experience.