The perennial problem faced by many writers is how to make their work pay. There are many courses on how to write, but few explaining how to make writing profitable.

Two free workshops in Wellington are set to address that imbalance. Designed for playwrights, novelists, short story writers and poets, they’re due to run on Thursday 4 and Friday 12 December. Writers can get tips on how to build an audience and increase income through simple business practices.

The sessions are focused on practical knowledge and tools to boost careers, presented in a fun environment by people who know both sides of the arts/business fence. The workshops focus on artists as the primary generators of income, but also cover the associated infrastructure of the art forms. All workshops are designed for New Zealanders wanting to boost their income and develop long-term sustainable careers in the global arts industry.

The workshops are hosted by ARMS, a venture set up by entrepreneurs Mark Cubey and Michael Lockhart. Their goal is to “help existing and aspiring artists establish sustainable long-term careers in New Zealand.” The workshops are run in conjunction with WACT, the Wellington Artists' Charitable Trust.

For more information, email workshops@arms.org.nz. The workshops are limited to 20 people per session and will be held from 12pm to 4pm at the rehearsal rooms of WACT (on the first floor of 44 Cable Street, above Tory European and opposite Te Papa).