Consultations and networking for literary freelancers
Lettrétage is committed to the independent literary scene and supports freelance authors, translators, editors, and literary event organizers. As part of the schreiben&lebenExTRA project, we offer free one-on-one consultations on career-related topics. The annual Industry Meetup: Literature, the Winter School, and our webinars provide opportunities for networking and knowledge acquisition. Our goal: a resilient, networked, and diverse Berlin literary scene.
(c) Natalia Reich
Writing is an art, a job and a life
Anyone who works in the independent literary scene today is more than just an artist — you are also a solo self-employed person and entrepreneur. It is precisely at this interface that Lettrétage's schreiben&lebenExTRA project comes in.
We see ourselves as a competence center for the independent literary scene in Berlin. Our goal is to support professional authors, translators, editors and other solo self-employed people in the literary industry at te point where writing stops and their working life begins. Because the process of translating literary talent into economic security is often complex.
In our free individual consultations, experts from the independent literary scene advise on professionally relevant topics such as KSK membership, scholarship applications, publisher and agency searches and much more. The annual Industry Meetup: Literature in May offers opportunities for networking and acquiring knowledge, and our Winter School in November includes in-depth half-day workshops and seminars. All year round, webinars offer the opportunity to expand your knowledge in commercial, legal or practical professional topics. The mentoring program for those affected by classism promotes equal access to the literary world for everyone.
More at literaturszene.berlin
Free consultation
Individual guidance on questions about the Artists' Social Insurance Fund (KSK), VG Wort, scholarship applications, accounting and more.
Networking
Regular industry meetings and exchange formats to break the isolation of writing.
Knowledge transfer
Workshops and mentoring programs that provide the necessary tools for a sustainable career in the literary industry.
Industry Meetup: Literature 2025 (c) Frieder Unselt
Industry Meetup: Literature 2025 (c) Frieder Unselt
As part of schreiben&lebenExTRA, we offer free individual and group consultations on topics related to literary freelancing. How do I successfully register with KSK? What should be included in my exposé? How do I find a literary agency to represent me? Group counseling takes place monthly for orientation, during which initial questions can be clarified and individual consultation appointments can be arranged. We are also planning info sessions, info bytes and webinars.
More about the consultation and information services available at literaturszene.berlin as well as in our schreiben&leben newsletter
The mentoring program: removing hurdles, strengthening voices
Access to the world of literature is not the same for everyone. Social background and financial background often play an invisible but decisive role in success. With our mentoring program for authors affected by classism, we are actively working for more equal opportunities in Berlin's literary scene.
This program is aimed specifically at writers who experience structural disadvantages due to their social background. We create a space in which talents are promoted who are often overlooked in the classical literary world.
Here you can find audio material, videos and publications on literary freelancing topics that have been created and will be created as part of the schreiben&lebenExTRA project and its predecessors.
Since 2016, the Industry Meetup: Literature has brought together solo self-employed literary professionals once a year – usually in May – to discuss current issues in the literary scene and political developments. The focus of the working groups, panels, lectures and workshops of the past Industry Meetups was on alternative forms of work organisation, cooperation and cooperative models as well as the visibility of literature. At the 2023 Meetup we hosted a Barcamp for the first time, which has now become a central part of the programme. The Industry Meetup: Literature is aimed at freelance authors, translators, editors, literary event organisers and other literary mediators.
In addition to the Industry Meetup: Literature, the Winter School, a two-day event with longer workshops, will take place for the first time on November 6 and 7, 2026. The Winter School will take an in-depth look at digitality, AI, and other topics that literary freelancers have to constantly adapt to, which was not possible at the industry meetup. Literary freelancers will thus enter the darker months with fresh inspiration and newly acquired, in-depth knowledge.
The Berliner Literaturkalender has been published monthly since 2018 and is a collaborative project between Literaturhaus Lettrétage e.V. and the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin with the aim of raising awareness of the wealth of literary events happening each month in the capital. It is displayed throughout the city in libraries, bookshops, and literary venues, and is also available online as a PDF download.
Questions and answers for literary professionals
Do consultations and other services from schreiben&lebenExTRA cost money?
No, participation in all individual and group consultations, the industry meetup, the winter school, the information sessions, webinars and the mentoring program is free of charge.
How do the consultation days work?
We regularly offer consultation days on various topics. The dates are available at www.literaturszene.berlin. If you want to attend one of the consultations, you can book the appointment of your choice using the form linked there. In good time before your booked consultation, we will send you a link for Zoom or a telephone number or directions to our consultation room.
Who are the consultation days aimed at?
The consultation services offered by schreiben&lebenExTRA are aimed at freelance authors, translators, editors and literary organizers from the Berlin area. There are no specific requirements or necessary qualifications for participating in the consultation days.
What topics can I get advice on?
The topics on which we regularly offer consultations include publishing or agency search for authors, customer acquisition for editors and translators, application for scholarships and funding, registration for the artists' social security fund (KSK), problem solving in and organizing work processes, and much more.
Who conducts the consultations?
As a rule, freelance authors, editors, translators and event organizers with many years of professional experience in the Berlin literary scene conduct the consultations. An overview of our current consulting staff is available at ww.w.literaturszene.berlin.
When will the new consultation days be announced?
New consultation days are announced about one to two weeks in advance on our website and in our newsletter.
Where do the consultations take place?
Depending on the consultant, consultations take place either via video conference (via Zoom, no account required!) or on site in our consultation room at Kolonnenstraße 26, 10829 Berlin.
How long do consultations last?
An individual consultation usually takes 45 minutes.
Are the consultations only in German?
No, we offer regular consultations in English, French, Spanish, Russian and other languages. Contact us at anmeldung@literaturszene.berlin to arrange a one-on-one consultation in your language.
All consultation appointments are already booked out. Is there a waiting list?
Yes, you can use the form on www.literaturszene.berlin or send an email to anmeldung@literaturszene.berlin to be put on the waiting list for a fully booked consultation day. If there is an appointment available at short notice, we will get in touch with you.
I don't need a detailed consultation, but I have a specific question. Can I still contact you?
Of course, feel free to get in touch and we'll try to answer your question ourselves. You can also come to one of our monthly group consultations to ask the project team your question.
What is the Industry Meetup: Literature?
Since 2016, the Industry Meetup: Literature has brought together solo self-employed people from the literary sector once a year to discuss current topics and political developments on the literary scene in working groups, panels, lectures and workshops, to network and acquire knowledge. It usually takes place in May.
How can I take part in the industry meetup?
The program for the industry meetup will be published approximately one month in advance on www.literaturszene.berlin. You'll be able to register for the individual program items then.
Will the industry meetup only take place in German?
The majority of the industry meetup is held in German, but there are also individual English-language events.
Can I also take part in the industry meetup online?
No, the Industry Meetiup: Literature is primarily a face-to-face event.
