11 November 2019 - What's new
11 November 2019
- ‘Before the actual placing of words on pages, The Testaments was written partly in the minds of the readers of its predecessor, The Handmaid's Tale, who kept asking what happened after the end of that novel. Thirty-five years is a long time to think about possible answers, and the answers have changed as society itself has changed and as possibilities have become actualities...' Margaret Atwood, author of The Testaments, The Handmaid's Tale, Lady Oracle, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace and 12 other novels, as well as poetry books, children's books and non-fiction, in the Sunday Times' Culture. Our Comment.
- Tips for writers is our 8-part crash course for writers who are starting out, taking you from Promoting Your Writing (and Yourself) to Self-publishing: is it for you? from Keep up to date to Submission to publishers and agents. 'Think about the market for your book. Research the category and read widely to see what other published writers in this area are doing. Which writers are successful and why? Visit bookshops and analyse what you find there. If you are reading this you are probably already writing, but it really is worth thinking right from the beginning about your readers, as that makes it far more likely you'll eventually find them...'
- The Moth Poetry Prize 2019 is open internationally to all poets over 16 for an unpublished poem. Entry fee €15 per poem. The First Prize is €10,000 and three shortlisted poets will get €1,000. Closing on 31 December.
- If you've come to the site looking for a report on your manuscript, how do you work out which one would suit you best? We have three different reports and also a set of reports for children's writers. Which report?
- Our links: writing a memoir is not the same as writing an autobiography, 7 Common Mistakes in First-Time Memoir | Jane Friedman; a fun format, as performers and writers ask her about inspiration, sex and guinea pigs, Phoebe Waller-Bridge: ‘There was an alternative ending to Fleabag ... but I'll never tell' | Books | The Guardian; perhaps it's not fair to say so, but this is a surprising outcome for one of the trickiest publishing areas and the world's biggest online book retailer, Translations Pay Off for Amazon; on the trail of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and the origins of modern anti-Semitism, 26 Years Later, Nicholas Meyer Is Returning to Sherlock Holmes. Why Now? | CrimeReads; and it was 'as if Milton and Blake had rewritten the Narnia books. I knew it would change the imagination of generations', Philip Pullman: a tribute to the enchanter.
- Our page of Picture library links provides a good starting-point for finding an image for your book, whether it's for the cover or inside. Gograph was added a while ago with its 18 million stock links.
- '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.
- More links: just the author's personal advice, Lydia Davis: Ten of My Recommendations for Good Writing Habits | Literary Hub; an enchanting article, How a Harry Potter Illustrator Brings the Magical to Life - The New York Times; what if you love to write, you want to be a writer, but you don't feel that something sufficiently monumental has happened to you? Kurt Vonnegut's Advice for the Impatient Writer | Literary Hub; and, a sad reversal after last week's good news, Outrage after Turkish journalist re-arrested a week after his release | World news | The Guardian.
- 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 or just dreaming of being in that situation, Preparing for Publication gives an outline of what's involved.
- 'To present a whole world that doesn't exist and make it seem real, we have to more or less pretend we're polymaths. That's just the act of all good writing.' William Gibson's contribution to our Writers' Quotes.
