LOOKING FOR: YA/NA FANTASY, SFF, HORROR, ADULT FICTION John Baker (he/him) joined the Bell Lomax Moreton agency in 2019, cultivating a list shaped around his passion for science fiction, fantasy, and horror, though has lately also branched out into action/adventure fiction. John focuses on authors writing in the Adult, New Adult, and YA spaces. John leads the wider agency's film & TV desk, is the Secretary of the Association of Author’s Agents, and the co-chair of the AAA’s Bridge Committee. He also serves on the Kingston University MA Publishing Advisory Board. Under the umbrella of speculative fiction, John is looking for fantasy, science fiction, horror, romantasy, or literary speculative fiction. He has built a reputation as a champion of underrepresented voices and stories, be it from creators hailing from the global majority and their diasporas or neurodiverse authors, and naturally gravitates towards this kind of storytelling. In short, if he’s never read a story like yours before, he wants to see it. Adult fantasy: John loves beefy epic fantasy, especially non-Anglo Christian-inspired. Give him an immersive world, a fresh magical or mythic system, and an exciting cast of characters and he’ll be happy. He is a broad church in the genre so loves a political fantasy, swords and sorcery, courtly intrigue, monster hunting and dastardly villains. John is keen to find an urban fantasy that feels fresh and fun and he’s a sucker for a heroic quest narrative. He’s also very open to fantasy that isn’t easily categorised, but it is playing in that world. John is keenly hunting for more historical fantasy, especially inspired by modern history. He’s had fun with mythological retellings in the past, but as ever, let’s make sure it’s shining the spotlight on new stories. He would also love fantasy that centres on types of relationships less celebrated in fantasy, such as established and secure married couples, or siblings. NA/YA fantasy: In this genre, most importantly, John wants to have a good time, whether it’s swoon-worthy kisses in lush ball gowns, or gruesome gore and monsters, so send him pacy, plot-filled adventures. He’d love more books that teenage boys would love: Skullduggery Pleasant forever! Romantasy: The thriving new romantasy genre comes with its own set of challenges, so John wants to know what makes your romantasy different; what will set it out from the (very crowded!) market. Give it completely barmy stakes, cool and unique new settings, or a love story that will make your jaw drop. To be clear, he’s happily sorted for a human person meets a fae creature in the spooky woods. Also, cosmic romance is the genre of the future. Give him romantasy in space. Easy. Horror: John and horror are old friends. He loves horror inspired by myth and folklore, subversive weird horror that leaves your eyebrows in your hairline, historical horror that pulls from ghastly true stories, and anything that you’ll be reading with the light on. He also loves a gothic element and is particularly looking for horror with a strong romantic throughline, fun YA horror, and female & NB horror authors. Science fiction: SF is coming back! And John has been shouting about that. He loves to see an adventurous found-family romp through space or an epic, crunchy space opera. Speculative near-future is fun too, in the vein of Black Mirror’s more uplifting episodes, (e.g. San Junipero). He loves YA science fiction as well; the more creative the better. Literary: John is open to finding more rich magical realism or something character-led yet supernatural and would love a high-concept mystery, in the vein of Stuart Turton. He also loves spec fic that uses the speculative lightly as a way of confronting a deeper truth in society today. Weird stuff: John wants books that will blow people’s minds and defy categorisation. This is hard to describe, but think Gideon The Ninth, The Library At Mount Char, This Is How You Lose The Time War. John loves a pitch that leaves the editors baffled but intrigued. Action/Adventure, Historical Adventure, Espionage: John is branching out into non-speculative adventures, such as John Le Carré, Lee Child, Ian Flemming, and Mick Herron. More as his taste develops, but the hunt is on! Not looking for: military sci-fi or hard SF, or anything with biblical “character wakes up in purgatory/heaven/hell” narratives. The right comedic fantasy has yet to hit his inbox, but please don’t comp Douglas Adams or Sir Terry. John would like you to submit a covering letter, 1-2 page synopsis and the first two chapters of your manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, John is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print). By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Tuesday 15th July 2025
Preparing for Digital Transformation: Virtual In-House Training Organizations today must keep pace with changing technology to stay abreast of the market demand. Keeping pace means a transformation of the entire organization into the digital age. This workshop presents the challenges, benefits, and pitfalls of digital transformation and how it will affect you, and how you can be better prepared and positioned for the upcoming digital transformation. The goal of this course is to enable you to become knowledgeable about the technologies behind a digital transformation in your organization and the driving forces compelling such a transformation. You will learn how to become engaged in the processes of transforming your organization digitally to meet with the growing demands of customers and clients What you will Learn Describe the impact that digital is making on the economy and on customer expectations Examine the nature and drivers of the digital transformation Evaluate new technologies such as Blockchain, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and other technologies and see how they work to bring about digital transformation Assess the impact of digital technologies on the current roles and positions in the organization Discuss both the demand that customers have for digital technologies and the impact the digital technologies have on the customer and its relationship with the organization Recognize the new technology trends in the digital transformation and what they mean to the future of the organization Identify how digital transformation will affect all roles and how to be prepared for the upcoming and continuing digital transformation Foundation Concepts Digital transformation versus automation Driving forces behind the digital transformation Learning from digital transformation successes Digital Transformation and Customer Orientation The Digital Customer Customer touch points and the customer journey Omnichannel concept Transform to the customer Digital Technologies and the Organization Relationship Management Big Data: The Basis for it All The Human Factor in Digital Transformations Risks of Digital Transformation Technology Trends Data and Business Analytics Other Major Trends Preview of Coming Attractions Pathway to Digital Transformation
Introduction to Design Thinking: In-House Training Innovation is the cornerstone of highly successful companies, especially those that continue to be successful over the years and decades. Design thinking practices fuel this continual innovation, as they are the critical links from inspiration to delivery, concept to showroom floor, and start-up to global business. Design thinking is a structured approach to promoting innovation and creative problem-solving. It is not a new approach. It has been around for centuries, as the art, architecture, and inventions of mankind illustrate. By examining the steps to achieving great design and maximum utility of product, design thinking approaches provide a framework in which to develop new solutions to problems and new products to sell. This highly interactive course is designed to help participants think like designers to generate innovation, and to help teams to produce more innovation and creativity. Since design thinking is based on doing rather than thinking, we participants are challenged to apply the techniques, in the classroom, to create new ideas and solutions to a case study project. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Explain the underlying principles and value of using Design Thinking for innovation Describe the basic concepts of the Stanford Model for Design Thinking Evaluate a set of basic Design Thinking techniques for application to your projects Apply tools, techniques, and skills aligned with the 5 stages of the Stanford Model Drive innovation through Design Thinking at some level in your work environment Foundation Concepts Problems and solutions The Design Thinking difference Design Thinking skills and abilities Design Thinking mindset Design Thinking frameworks Stages of Design Thinking Problems and solutions The Design Thinking difference Design Thinking skills and abilities Design Thinking mindset Design Thinking frameworks General Practices Team formation Visualization Improvisation Personalization Empathize Practices Overview of Empathize techniques Observation Engagement Interviews Define Practices Overview of Define practices Unpacking techniques Defining the customer techniques Integrating the Define experience Ideate Practices Overview of Ideate practices Reusable techniques for the Ideate stage New Ideate techniques to explore Prototype & Test Practices Overview of Prototype practices Examples of prototypes Overview of Testing practices Forms of testing techniques Adopt and Adapt Design Thinking Overview of Design Thinking implementation Design Thinking implementation challenges Success in implementing Design Thinking Summary and Next Steps Workshop summary Next steps: Personal Action Plans
MEF Carrier Ethernet training course description The course progresses from a overview of the Carrier Ethernet service and how it works onto looking at the concepts in depth. Service attributes and management follow with the course finishing with studies of practical Carrier Ethernet. What will you learn Discuss and understand key Carrier Ethernet Concepts. Understand tasks related to designing, deploying and maintaining a Carrier Ethernet network. Offer effective solutions to implementing a Carrier Ethernet enterprise network given available customer resources and requirements. Carry out informed discussions using industry Carrier Ethernet 'vocabulary. Pass the MEF CECP 2.0 professional accreditation exam. MEF Carrier Ethernet training course details Who will benefit: Anyone working with Carrier Ethernet Prerequisites: The course attendees need to be conversant with data networks, as well as Ethernet and IP technologies. Duration 5 days MEF Carrier Ethernet training course contents Section One: Introduction to Carrier Ethernet Introduction to Carrier Ethernet: What is Carrier Ethernet? Evolution, advantages, The MEF, MEF specifications; UNI, EVC, OVC, EPL/EVPL, EP-LAN/ EVP-LAN, EP-Tree/EVP-Tree, etc, overview. How Carrier Ethernet Works: Service Frame Handling. Carrier Ethernet at Customer Premises, metro and core. Carrier Ethernet Workings, UNI attributes, Service Attributes (EVC and EVC per UNI attributes), Bandwidth Profiles, service multiplexing, L2 protocol processing; Carrier Ethernet equipment, CPE, aggregation and homing nodes, core equipment; management systems. The Setting Up of a Carrier Ethernet Service: Step 1: Choose service type, EPL/EVPL, EP-LAN/EVP-LAN, EPTree/EVP-Tree, EVLine...; Step 2: CPE tasks, UNI-C tasks (UNI attributes, service attributes (EVC and EVC per UNI) and bandwidth profiles), UNI-N tasks (L2 protocol handling). Step 3: Non-CPE tasks, Access, metro and core connections set up. Section Two: Carrier Ethernet Concepts in depth Carrier Ethernet Definitions in Depth: UNI, UNI I & II, UNI-N and UNI-C, etc.; NNI/ENNI; EVC; OVC, OVC type (P2P, M2M, Rooted MP), OVC end point (root, leaf, trunk), OVC end point map, OVC end point bundling; Service types in detail, EPL/EVPL, EP-LAN/EVP-LAN, EP-Tree/EVP-Tree, EVLine, Access EPL, Access EVPL . Carrier Ethernet Service Frame Handling: Unicast, multicast and broadcast frame delivery, Tagged, untagged and priority; Tagging, C and S-Tags, 802.3, 802.1d, 802.1q, 802.1ad, 802.1ah evolution, VLAN ID translation/preservation. CoS preservation. Other Key Carrier Ethernet Concepts: MTU, MTU at UNI, MTU at ENNI; Physical Layer Attributes, FE, GbE and 10GbE, Service Multiplexing and Bundling Concept and detail, rules and implications; Hairpin Switching Managing Bandwidth in a Carrier Ethernet Network: Token Bucket Algorithm, EIR, CIR, CBS, EBS, Coupling Flag; Frame Colors, recoloring, Color Awareness attribute, Color Forwarding; Bandwidth Profiles, rules and concepts. MEF CoS identifiers, DEI bit (in S-Tag), PCP bit (in C-Tag or S-Tag), or DSCP (in IP header), Multiflow bandwidth concepts; CoS Label/Color Identification. Section Three: Carrier Ethernet Service Attributes Overview: Carrier Ethernet 2.0; Blueprint C Service Attributes: Per UNI, Physical interfaces, Frame format, Ingress/egress Bandwidth Profiles, CEVLAN ID/EVC Map, UNI protection. EVC per UNI, Ingress/egress Bandwidth Profiles, etc.; Per EVC, CEVLAN ID Preservation, CoS ID Preservation, Relationship between SLA and SLP, Class of Service, etc. OVC, ENNI, OVC End Point per UNI and OVC End Point per ENNI, Ingress/egress bandwidth profiles, etc. Section Four: Managing Carrier Ethernet Networks Overview: MEF Service Lifecycle.Carrier Ethernet maintenance: Port, Link & NE failure, Service Protection Technologies, Fault Identification and Recovery, LAG, Active/Standby EVC, Single EVC with transport protection, G.8031, G.8032, MPLS FRR. SOAMs: Connectivity fault management, connectivity Monitoring, Loopback, Linktrace; Performance Management, Frame Delay, Inter Frame Delay Variation, Availability, Frame Loss Ratio, Resiliency, HLI, DMM, DMR, SLM, SLR; Key Concepts, Single vs dual ended, ordered UNI pair calculations. LOAMs: Link discovery, link monitoring, etc. Terminology and Concepts: MEG levels, MIPs. Section Five: Practical Carrier Ethernet Carrier Ethernet Transport Technologies:Layer 1: SDH. Layer 2: Bridging, provider bridging, PBB, PBBTE. Layer 2.5: MPLS VPWS, MPLS VPLS, MPLS-TP. Carrier Ethernet Access Technologies: fiber, SDH, active fiber, PON, GPON, 10G PON, OTN, WDM; copper, PDH, G-SDSL, 10Pass-TS, HFC; packet radio. Optimising mobile backhaul with Carrier Ethernet Key challenges solutions: Market pressure, LTE evolution, elements and architecture (RAN BS, NC, GWIF.), synchronization, bandwidth management. Circuit Emulation over Ethernet: Purpose, needs and applications. Synchronization: Phased, ToD, External Reference source, SynchE ,NTP, IEEE-1588 v2/ PTP, ACR; MEF Service Definitions for emulated circuits. Applying what you know: Practical examples and scenarios, Carrier Ethernet solutions; Practice Scenarios, Given a scenario, determine appropriate Ethernet services
PfMP® Exam Prep: In-House Training This is an intensive PfMP® Exam preparation course. This learning experience guides you through the multi-faceted discipline of portfolio management by focusing on the related technical, leadership, and business skills required to navigate it in the real world. First and foremost, this is an intensive PfMP® exam preparation course. Over the course, we go beyond exam prep to provide selected practice in applying key portfolio management skills, tools, and techniques. This learning experience guides you through the multi-faceted discipline of portfolio management by focusing on the related technical, leadership, and business skills required to navigate it in the real world. The journey zooms in and out between governance context and specific operational activities. The ultimate goal is practical application, with the bonus of certification along the way. What You Will Learn By the end of this program, you will be able to: Align and manage the portfolio, strategically, to satisfy organizational objectives and priorities, through benefit realization Articulate and emulate the role of a portfolio manager Apply the principles and skills of a portfolio manager to your real-world environment Study and prepare for the PfMP® Examination Apply for the certification, per the PMI PfMP Handbook and pass the initial panel review on your application Getting Started Course Overview Details of the PfMP® Certification process Foundation Concepts Projects, program, and portfolios A portfolio management process Strategy and value The role of the portfolio manager The role of key stakeholders Life cycle management The Portfolio Life Cycle Overview of Life Cycle Portfolio Management Information System (PMIS) Governance within the Portfolio Life Cycle Strategic Management Strategy concepts Supporting documentation and the strategic plan Planning and optimization Organizational risk appetite Managing strategic change Governance Management Overview and Guiding Principles The Concept of Governance Effective Design Factors Governance Roles Capacity and Capability Management Overview and Guiding Principles Capacity Management and Planning Supply and Demand (Management and Optimization) Organization Capabilities (Assessment and Development) Performance Management (Reporting, Analytics, and Balance) Stakeholder Engagement The Importance of Stakeholders Overview and Guiding Principles Definition and Identification Analysis and Planning Communications Approaches and Management Value Management Overview (Guiding Principles, Definition, and Components) Negotiating Expected Value Maximizing Value Assuring Value Realizing Value Measuring and Reporting Value A Look at Tools Risk Management Overview and Guiding Principles Portfolio Risk Planning Portfolio Risk Identification Portfolio Risk Assessment Portfolio Risk Response Examination Content Outline (ECO) Overview Structure Strategic Tasks Mapping Governance Tasks Mapping Performance Tasks Mapping Risk Tasks Mapping Communication Tasks Mapping List of Knowledge and Skills Exam Prep and Practice Overview Documenting experience Submitting the application Preparing to sit for the exam
About this Training Subsea pipelines play a critical role in the transportation of hydrocarbons (e.g. oil and gas) from offshore production sites to onshore facilities or other platforms. This course will cover design and construction of subsea pipelines with respect to: design for pressure containment, design for collapse, on-bottom stability, freespans, global (lateral and upheaval buckling), corrosion, materials selection, cathodic protection and coatings. Training Objectives Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to understand: Issues and challenges in subsea pipeline design Methods in applying pipeline design codes Techniques in how to specify a pipeline Key considerations in the main methods of pipeline construction Methods and issues surrounding pipeline intervention Target Audience The course is recommended for anyone who wish to gain in-depth knowledge and appreciation of the fundamental principles of the design and construction of subsea pipelines, including: Team Leaders Senior Managers (Line and Function) Project Managers Graduate Engineers Pipeline Engineers Senior Pipeline Engineers Subsea Engineers Integrity Engineers Quality Assurance Engineers Key Contractor's Management Course Level Basic or Foundation Trainer Your expert course leader is a subsea pipeline consultant with extensive experience in the design, construction, and installation of subsea pipelines for the oil and gas industry. As a consultant, he provides technical expertise and support to clients on all aspects of subsea pipeline projects, from the initial planning and design phase through to construction and commissioning. He is knowledgeable about industry standards, regulations, and best practices for subsea pipelines, and works closely with clients to ensure that projects are delivered safely, on time, and within budget. He has over thirty years' experience in early concept and front-end studies for the initiation of numerous high value upstream oil and gas projects worldwide. He has worked for both Operating Companies and Consultants managing the FEL process for complex, multi-discipline and technically challenging concepts, combining both his technical and project management skills. He has been working with companies like ExxonMobil, Quantum Power, North Caspian Operating Company, OMV Petrom, Port Meridian, BG Group, and etc. POST TRAINING COACHING SUPPORT (OPTIONAL) To further optimise your learning experience from our courses, we also offer individualized 'One to One' coaching support for 2 hours post training. We can help improve your competence in your chosen area of interest, based on your learning needs and available hours. This is a great opportunity to improve your capability and confidence in a particular area of expertise. It will be delivered over a secure video conference call by one of our senior trainers. They will work with you to create a tailor-made coaching program that will help you achieve your goals faster. Request for further information post training support and fees applicable Accreditions And Affliations
Introduction to Design Thinking: Virtual In-House Training Innovation is the cornerstone of highly successful companies, especially those that continue to be successful over the years and decades. Design thinking practices fuel this continual innovation, as they are the critical links from inspiration to delivery, concept to showroom floor, and start-up to global business. Design thinking is a structured approach to promoting innovation and creative problem-solving. It is not a new approach. It has been around for centuries, as the art, architecture, and inventions of mankind illustrate. By examining the steps to achieving great design and maximum utility of product, design thinking approaches provide a framework in which to develop new solutions to problems and new products to sell. This highly interactive course is designed to help participants think like designers to generate innovation, and to help teams to produce more innovation and creativity. Since design thinking is based on doing rather than thinking, we participants are challenged to apply the techniques, in the classroom, to create new ideas and solutions to a case study project. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Explain the underlying principles and value of using Design Thinking for innovation Describe the basic concepts of the Stanford Model for Design Thinking Evaluate a set of basic Design Thinking techniques for application to your projects Apply tools, techniques, and skills aligned with the 5 stages of the Stanford Model Drive innovation through Design Thinking at some level in your work environment Foundation Concepts Problems and solutions The Design Thinking difference Design Thinking skills and abilities Design Thinking mindset Design Thinking frameworks Stages of Design Thinking Problems and solutions The Design Thinking difference Design Thinking skills and abilities Design Thinking mindset Design Thinking frameworks General Practices Team formation Visualization Improvisation Personalization Empathize Practices Overview of Empathize techniques Observation Engagement Interviews Define Practices Overview of Define practices Unpacking techniques Defining the customer techniques Integrating the Define experience Ideate Practices Overview of Ideate practices Reusable techniques for the Ideate stage New Ideate techniques to explore Prototype & Test Practices Overview of Prototype practices Examples of prototypes Overview of Testing practices Forms of testing techniques Adopt and Adapt Design Thinking Overview of Design Thinking implementation Design Thinking implementation challenges Success in implementing Design Thinking Summary and Next Steps Workshop summary Next steps: Personal Action Plans
Duration 5 Days 30 CPD hours This course is intended for Individuals in various job roles who are involved in leading, managing, and participating in small to medium scale projects. Overview Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Identify the fundamentals of project management. Perform the pre-project setup. Initiate a project. Plan project strategies. Develop project schedules. Plan project staffing, communication, and quality. Plan project risk management. Plan project costs. Plan project procurements. Plan for change management and transitions. Manage project execution. Manage project procurement. Control project performance. Monitor and control the triple constraints. Monitor project risks and procurements. Perform the project closure processes. In this course, students will apply recognized practices of project management and understand a project?s life cycle and roles and skills necessary to effectively initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close a project. 1 - Exploring Project Management Fundamentals Examine the Basics of Project Management Describe the Project Life Cycle Examine Organizational Influences on Project Management 2 - Performing the Pre-Project Setup Create a Project Concept Definition Statement Examine Project Selection Determine Strategic and Operational Relevance Perform Project Feasibility Determine Technical Requirements 3 - Initiating a Project Prepare a Project Statement of Work Create a Project Charter Identify Project Stakeholders 4 - Planning Project Strategy Identify Elements of the Project Management Plan and Subsidiary Plans Determine Stakeholder Needs Create a Scope Statement Develop a Work Breakdown Structure 5 - Developing the Project Schedule Create an Activity List Create a Project Schedule Network Diagram Identify Resources Estimate Time Develop a Project Schedule Identify the Critical Path Optimize the Project Schedule Create a Schedule Baseline 6 - Planning Human Resources, Communication, and Quality Create a Human Resource Plan Create a Communications Management Plan Create a Quality Management Plan 7 - Planning Project Risk Management Examine a Risk Management Plan Identify Project Risks and Triggers Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis Develop a Risk Response Plan 8 - Planning Project Costs Estimate Project Costs Estimate the Cost Baseline Reconcile Funding and Costs 9 - Planning Project Procurements Plan Project Procurements Prepare a Procurement Statement of Work Prepare a Procurement Document 10 - Planning for Change Management and Transitions Develop an Integrated Change Control System Develop a Transition Plan 11 - Managing Project Execution Direct Project Execution Execute a Quality Assurance Plan Assemble a Project Team Develop a Project Team Manage a Project Team Distribute Project Information Manage Stakeholder Relationships and Expectations 12 - Managing Project Procurement Obtain Responses from Sellers Determine Project Sellers 13 - Control Project Performance Monitor and Control Project Work Manage Project Changes Report on Project Performance 14 - Monitor and Control the Triple Constraints Control Project Scope Control Project Schedule Control Project Costs Manage Project Quality 15 - Monitoring Project Risks and Procurements Control Project Risks Managing Vendors and Procurements 16 - Performing the Project Closure Processes Deliver the Final Product Close Project Procurements Conduct a Closeout Meeting Close a Project Additional course details: Nexus Humans CompTIA Project Plus Certification (Exam PK0-005) training program is a workshop that presents an invigorating mix of sessions, lessons, and masterclasses meticulously crafted to propel your learning expedition forward. This immersive bootcamp-style experience boasts interactive lectures, hands-on labs, and collaborative hackathons, all strategically designed to fortify fundamental concepts. Guided by seasoned coaches, each session offers priceless insights and practical skills crucial for honing your expertise. Whether you're stepping into the realm of professional skills or a seasoned professional, this comprehensive course ensures you're equipped with the knowledge and prowess necessary for success. While we feel this is the best course for the CompTIA Project Plus Certification (Exam PK0-005) course and one of our Top 10 we encourage you to read the course outline to make sure it is the right content for you. Additionally, private sessions, closed classes or dedicated events are available both live online and at our training centres in Dublin and London, as well as at your offices anywhere in the UK, Ireland or across EMEA.