2 September 2019 - What's new
2 September 2019
- 'The book trade tends to get into a publishing bubble. Readers don't understand why they have to wait for the audio book or ebook; a simultaneous release is very important for them. Whenever a new format launches, we as the publishing industry acquire new audiences, and that's important... I think we've become slightly hijacked in the industry by an obsession with schedules and that it should take 13 months to bring a book to market...' Our Comment comes from Amanda Ridout, founder of new publisher Boldwood Books, in Bookbrunch.
- If you are not a native English speaker but you want to publish your book in English to make it available to the international market, what do you do? If your English is good enough, what about writing it in English or translating your book into English yourself, and then getting your translation polished and copy edited by a professional editor who is a native English speaker? The result should be a publishable manuscript at a relatively low cost, provided by our English Language Editing Service. Our article How to get your book translated into English (without it costing the earth) shows you how.
- The Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2020 is open to Commonwealth writers with unpublished stories in 11 Commonwealth languages. There's no entry fee. The overall winner gets £5,000, five regional winners £2,500. Closing on 1 November.
- Our links: a three-book deal and a film option at Universal Pictures, A Debut Middle-Grade Author's Life-Changing Tweet; a physical book is good for much more than reading, Reader, I Googled It | The New Yorker; a 1,000-page plus novel - but the narrative occupies a mere eight sentences - is amongst other more famous novelists' work, The Booker prize shortlist resists easy reading | Books | The Guardian; and turning back to poetry, How Barbara Kingsolver reignited her love affair with words - The Washington Post.
- Which service should I choose to help me get my work into good shape for submission or self-publishing? This is the question our page Which service? answers and it then goes on to give a quick rundown of our 20 editorial services for writers, the biggest range you can find on the internet.
- More links: oh, the heyday of publishing - big desks, lots of cash, martini-soused three-hour lunches, trying to appease your government, From Animal Farm to Catch-22: the most regrettable rejections in the history of publishing | Books | The Guardian; where has all the Horror gone? A Lot of Sci-Fi and Fantasy is Horror Despite the Label | Houston Press; impressive signs of a book trade that's flourishing, US publishers' revenues up 6.9% | The Bookseller; and Amazon has stepped back following last week's threat from publishers, Audible Will Exclude Publishers' Works from Captions Program - For Now.
- From our Endorsements page: 'As a total neophyte as a writer, I have been doing a huge amount of research suddenly as to what services are available to writers, on both sides of the Atlantic, and am amazed that you are able to have someone read a whole book and give a serious critique for just 180 pounds. I think that is incredible value for money, compared to other similar services that appear to be available out there. I hope to be back to you again for more assistance, once I've cleaned up my work! Martin Humphries, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- 'As for ‘Write what you know,' I was regularly told this as a beginner. I think it's a very good rule and have always obeyed it. I write about imaginary countries, alien societies on other planets, dragons, wizards, the Napa Valley in 22002. I know these things. I know them better than anybody else possibly could, so it's my duty to testify about them.' the inimitable Ursula K. Le Guin in our Writers' Quotes.
