19 August 2019 - What's new
19 August 2019
- ‘I was often accused of having an overactive imagination as a child and I was an avid reader. I used to fib to my mum, saying I was going out to play with the other kids and actually having a book in my pocket. I'd built a den on the waste ground at the far end of the housing estate where I grew up and I would hide there and read. I wrote a novel when I was 11; I even cut out cardboard covers because I wanted it to be a hardback. And I spent a lot of time in the local library. It made me into a writer... Louise Doughty, author of just-published Platform Seven, Whatever You Love, Apple Tree Yard and six other novels in the Observer. Our Comment.
- Are you writing for the children's market? Have you found it difficult to get expert editorial input on your work ? Do you want to know if it has real commercial potential? Or are you planning to self-publish? Our Children's Editorial Services provide three levels of report, so you can get your work assessed, and copy editing by specialist children's editors.
- The Ginkgo Prize for Ecopoetry is open to unpublished poems from poets from all over the world writing in English. The entry fee is £7 for the first poem, then £4 for every subsequent poem. The First prize is £5,000, Second prize £2,000 and Third prize £1,000. Closing on 15 September.
- From Tom Chalmers, formerly of IPR, two articles about rights for self-publishers, Self-publishing - the rights way and How to get your book in the hands of an international audience. 'It's a fact that most self-published authors understand the process that takes them from a written manuscript to a published book, but few realise the additional elements that make publishing a profitable business. Rights licensing is arguably the most vital element in this equation. Whether it's selling translation rights, audio rights or optioning the film rights, these all help balance the book's books...'
- Our links: no one seems to have escaped the fan fury over the finals season, not even the author, George R.R. Martin Doesn't Think Game of Thrones Was 'Very Good' For His Writing Process | Mental Floss; Orwell's reputation may be secure, but his sentences are not, Paging Big Brother: In Amazon's Bookstore, Orwell Gets a Rewrite - The New York Times; Why has the literary world gone crazy for her, Sally Rooney and the Hazards of Writing While Female - The Atlantic; and China's sales are growing fast - when will they challenge the US, the market leader? Exchange rates | The Bookseller.
- Have you managed to find a publisher for your work and are now enjoying the thrill of knowing that your book will soon be published? If you're wondering what happens next, here is an outline of the processes involved. Preparing for Publication
- More links: as writers, we need our room-with-a-view to be both reflective retreat and motivating, sustaining base camp, The Ways in Which Writing May or May Not Resemble Sex | Literary Hub; you may not even realize that your book contract could be canceled if you're accused of misconduct - or just cause drama, What Writers Need to Know About Morality Clauses - Electric Literature; a reminder of how much comics and popular culture have changed since the first show in 1970, The Next 50 Years of Comics Publishing; and the curious case of the paranormal-romance author who claimed that "her ex and one of her former assistants hatched a ‘Shakespearean plot' to murder her by poison, Author Sherrilyn Kenyon Drops Suit Against Ex for Poisoning.
- 'You are a first-time author without an agent and you receive a contract to publish your book - just how do you evaluate it? Is it fair or biased against the author by prevailing industry standards? Is your publisher looking out for your interests as well as his own - or wording the clauses in a way only advantageous to the company?' Why your book contract needs vetting.
- 'Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.' Stephen King in our Writers' Quotes.
