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8 August 2022 - What's new

8 August 2022
  • ‘Gone are the days when authors could afford to be reclusive, knowing that their publishers would be active on their behalf. Nowadays, authors are routinely expected to be performers, salespeople and marketers all at the same time. And to do that, we need to let go of certain toxic narratives, not least the myth that artists shouldn't care about money or sales, or sully their art by trying to make a living... I've had to face the fact that a certain amount of online self-promotion is not only necessary but that sometimes it's the only promotion an author is likely to get...' Joanne Harris, author of 27 books, including the bestselling Chocolat, current Chair of the Society of Authors in the UK in the Bookseller.
  • So you want to write fantasy or science fiction? You are in good company, as many of the writers who come to WritersServices are writing fantasy, with science fiction as a less popular choice. Science fiction was an important category during much of the twentieth century, with a growing cult audience, until it was overtaken by fantasy. It's often seen as more cerebral, a way of trying out new ideas of the future or other worlds. These days there's a relatively small demand for new science fiction writing, and you have to have a distinctive voice and something interesting to say to stand much chance of getting published. Writing science fiction and fantasy
  • Our unique new service is The Cutting Edit. So you have finished your book, but it is too long; how do you go about reducing the word count without losing important parts of your work? We're here to help. Our experienced editors will work with you to reduce the word count of your book while preserving the main narrative elements and your individual style. This service is available for both fiction and non-fiction, and it's a dual service - as we reduce the word count of your manuscript we also copy edit it as part of the job.
  • This new service sits alongside our existing range of Copy editing services.
  • Closing on 9 September, this generous new prize is from London publisher Faber. The Imagined Futures is open to YA writers resident in the UK or Ireland and there's no entry fee. The first prize is a worldwide publishing contract with Faber and a £15,000 advance, while the second and third prizes also receive publishing contracts with advances of £8,000 and £5,000 respectively.
  • Links from the publishing world: the US government's bid to block Penguin Random House's acquisition of rival Big Five publisher Simon & Schuster, DOJ Trial to Block PRH/S&S Merger Begins; Evidence Dispute Looms; the second day, DOJ v. PRH: Jonathan Karp and Stephen King Take the Stand; a UK perspective, Stephen King testifies against merger of publishing giants - BBC News; and "We aren't banning books. Anyone can buy it on Amazon if they want." Book Banners Don't Know What a Book Ban Is.
  • Our 19 Factsheets from the legendary Michael Legat are full of tips for the new writer or anyone who is trying to get their book published. From Literary agents to Copyright, from Libel to Submissions, this succinct series is full of essential background information.
  • Links for writers trying to improve their work: a superb and informative article, 25 essential tips for writing gripping crime fiction from the experts; do you struggle to make time for reading? How to get back in the habit of reading - Vox; have you spent years or even decades trying to write a book on your own and floundering? 7 Questions to Reboot a Nonfiction Book You've Been Writing Forever | Jane Friedman; and if you've never tried before, ignite a passion for poetry! How to Write a Poem: In 7 Practical Steps with Examples - The Art of Narrative.
  • Choosing a service - How to work out which is the right editorial service for you. 'Do you want some help with your writing but don't know quite what you want? If you have finished writing your manuscript and don't know how to proceed, I would strongly recommend considering having a report done on it first. Most writers need to do further work on their manuscripts before submitting or publishing them...'
  • Links about writers' lives and opinions: why readers on TikTok love this sentimental slop, The Good Little Pig Problem (a great title!); the beloved creator of Fungus the Bogeyman and Father Christmas brought a distinctive strain of melancholy to the genre, Snowman author Raymond Briggs dies aged 88 | Raymond Briggs | The Guardian; from the author of the Alex Rider series as well as numerous other successful series, The Bookseller - News - Horowitz says authors ‘running scared' of halving sales by sharing opinions; in 1978, Bill Grose, editor-in-chief at Dell, decided to make a star of a young author from San Francisco, The Sublime Danielle Steel: For the Love of Supermarket Schlock; and her touching verses about heartbreak, fat-shaming and body hair have made her Britain's most-followed poet on social media, Poet Nikita Gill: ‘I worry about people getting tattoos of my work. What if I made a typo?' | Poetry | The Guardian.
  • Getting your poetry published. 'Poets are naturally keen to see their work in print but it's actually quite hard to get a first collection taken on by a publisher... Poetry is not in general given much space in bookshops and it is difficult to find poetry sections that go much beyond some bestselling backlist and a few new volumes from well-known names. It's hard therefore to achieve any sales for first collections and the publishers are cautious about who they take on...'
  • 'Nothing annoys a writer who doesn't write as much as being asked what he's writing.' Javier Cercas in our Writers' Quotes.
  • If quotes are your bag, we have substantial collections in More Writers' Quotes and Even More Quotes.