14 August 2017 - What's new
14 August 2017
- 'When I begin a book, I think a lot, make a few notes, then start writing. I could never plot it out, chapter by chapter, as I'd go crazy with boredom. I don't know how creative writing students do so many drafts, I'd run screaming round the room, I usually do one draft, then tidy it up. It either works out or not. If not, I start something else...' Susan Hill, author of The Woman in Black and many other books in The Sunday Telegraph's Stella. Her new book Jacob's Room is Full of Books, is out in October 2017. Our Comment.
- For anyone thinking about or embarked on self-publishing, our ten-part WritersServices Self-Publishing Guide by Joanne PhillipsUK-based freelance writer and ghostwriter. She has had articles published in national writing magazines, and has ghostwritten books on subjects as diverse as hairdressing and keeping chickens. Visit her at www.joannephillips.co.uk is an essential starting-point, taking you through the process step-by-step. 'In this series of articles we'll be looking in more detail at the various self-publishing routes currently available to new indie authors. When you first start out on your indie journey, the array of options can be overwhelming. I know that when I began researching my options in early 2012 I was stunned by two apparently contradictory facts: there is so much information out there it's almost impossible to sift through it all, but at the same time a lot of the information is vague and generalised, and it can be hard to find real facts and figures - like expected sales figures and actual costs...'
- We've just launched the July Magazine, which has has a number of interesting links, including The Difference Between a Press Release and a Pitch (You Need Both) | Jane Friedman, Kurt Vonnegut's Greatest Writing Advice | Literary Hub and Literary Style and the Lessons of Memoir | The New Yorker.
- There's still time to enter the The Booklife Prize in Fiction 2017, closing on 31 August. Other current Writing Opportunities.
- The Australian Society of AuthorsWell-designed site with a lot of useful content, including List of Publications, Getting Published and list of Australian agents. has launched a digital marketplace, designed to showcase and sell the work of authors and illustrators to publishers, agents and literary scouts worldwide. Meanwhile, should reading children's books be considered a guilty pleasure for adults? News Review
- Our links: two and half years in, I got an agent who promised we'd revise a bit and then send it out, The Long, Winding Path to One Debut Novel's Publication; your evangelists, the Superfans who buy everything you publish, How Indie Authors Can Cultivate Superfans; after two temestupus and bad-tempered years, Hugo awards 2017: NK Jemisin wins best novel for second year in a row | Books | The Guardian; and bestselling crime writer Mark Billingham's useful article, Writing for audio is a unique art form | The Bookseller.
- As well as our highly-regarded Copy editing service, which will help you prepare your manuscript for submission or self-publishing, we have Manuscript Polishing, which provides a higher-level polishing service, Translation editing for those for whom English is not a native language and our new Writer's edit, providing line-editing. Get the right level of editorial support for your needs. Contact us to discuss what you want.
- More links: breach of contract for American fantasy writer, Russian Publisher Admits Removing LGBT Plot from Hit U.S. Fantasy Novel; 28 times more, Shocking figures: US academics find 'dramatic' growth of swearing in books | Books | The Guardian; an interview that raised many hackles, with an author dismissing erotica as ‘pornography' and crime novel villains as ‘blindingly obvious' - despite her own novels occupying a distinct genre themselves, 'Lazy and sloppy': historical novelist Philippa Gregory's bizarre take on genre writing | Books | The Guardian; and more from the Guardian, I'm afraid, My fellow authors are too busy chasing prizes to write about what matters | Amit Chaudhuri | Opinion | 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.
- 'Every writer must acknowledge and be able to handle the unalterable fact that he has, in effect, given himself a life sentence in solitary confinement. The ordinary world of work is closed to him -- and that's if he's lucky!' Peter Straub in our Writers' Quotes.
