19 November 2018 - What's new
19 November 2018
- 'I was a lot dumber when I was writing the novel. I felt like a worse writer... I would come home every day from my office and say, ‘Well, I still really like the story, I just wish it was better written.' At that point, I didn't realise I was writing a first draft. And the first draft was the hardest part. From there, it was comparatively easy...' Our Comment is from Miranda July, film director and author of The First Bad Man and three other books.
- Our Services for Writers - just a list of 20 services to help you get your work ready for publication.
- 'It's a common enough fantasy for writers: maybe now I can leave that dreary job and devote myself whole-heartedly to writing... But how practical is it? Is it something you can realistically aspire to, or just a distant fantasy? What are your chances of making your dream come true? Don't give up the day job.
- Our links: the other day at lunch, my friend said: "I don't get it! Why would anyone self-publish a book?" Self-publishing grows and grows, despite the old stigma - Press Enterprise; 'Fiction that isn't an author's personal adventure into the frightening or the unknown isn't worth writing for anything but money.' Jonathan Franzen's 10 Rules for Novelists | Literary Hub; in America and Britain, fiction is said to be in decline, What Fiction Decline? An Indie Author's Asking; how do you navigate the writing life when you have an intense day job? 3 Principles for Finding Time to Write | Jane Friedman; and the five finalists for this year's award publicly protested at its sponsorship by Amazon, Canadian literary prize suspended after finalists object to Amazon sponsorship | Books | The Guardian.
- Veteran publisher Michael Legat's 19 Factsheets provide a pithy introduction to many topics of interest to writers, from Copyright to Revision, with writing advice on Plotting the novel and The First and Last Pages.
- More links: for many millennials, the young wizard had worked his magic through most of their childhood. But it's 2018 now, Thanks, JK Rowling, but I've had it with Harry Potter | Pauline Bock | Opinion | The Guardian; from the Edgar-winning bestselling author of more than 30 books, Writing Tips from James Lee Burke; cheering story of the week, Readers rejoice as shop finally sells book that sat on shelf for 27 years | Books | The Guardian; and finally, a late addition, about a threat to deprive millions of people in Europe of their ability to upload content to platforms like YouTube, Authors criticise YouTube's rallying cry against Article 13 | The Bookseller.
- Authors often find it difficult to write their own synopsis for submission to publishers, which is where our Synopsis-writing service can help. If you're preparing to self-publish and having difficulty with your blurb, our Blurb-writing service can provide professionally written cover copy.
- From Mark Twain in our Writers' Quotes:'The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. 'tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.'
