18 May 2015 - What's new
18 May 2015
- 'There's so much talk about the way self-publishing has changed publishing, but has it, really? There's plenty of evidence that, for the authors trying to get themselves taken on by a publisher, nothing much has changed...' Has self-publishing changed publishing? is this week's News Review.
- Our Writing Opportunity this week is an unusual one. The Biographer's Club Tony Lothian Prize 2015 is for uncommissioned first-time writers working on a biography, closing on 31 July. Other current Writing Opportunities.
- A new page entitled Which Report? gives the details of the three reports we offer: the full Editor's Report, the basic Reader's Report and the most substantial Editor's Report Plus. There's also our specialist Children's reports, part of our Children's Editorial Services. If you want a professional editor's assessmen of your work, here's the place to start.
- ‘Yet a writer's life is not limited to the dramatic moment of first exposure or the excitement that greets the new work of the well-established. In particular, as suggested by the phrase "the difficult second novel", things can get tough after first publication. If your first book has gone like the clappers, you'll probably be feeling pressure, both self-generated and from expectant publishers...' Alex Clark provides this week's Comment on "The difficult second novel".
- Do you like writers' quotes? As well as our current Quotes there are pages on More Writers' quotes and Even More Quotes which take you back through the hundreds of quotes in our wonderful selection.
- This week's links: have things really changed? Is the self-publishing stigma fading? | Books | The Guardian; from cultivating spices in India and talking to owls in South Africa to finding ‘fun in hell' in Hungary, Man Booker International prize 2015: the finalists speak | Books | The Guardian; and is there any point in publishing digitally first? Authors debate digital-first publication | The Bookseller.
- And more links: a stong argument for better ebook royalties for authors, Royalties and industry image debated at PA a.g.m | The Bookseller; a passionate plea from the National Poet of Wales, Why Dylan Thomas deserves his international Day | Books | The Guardian; and an insight into how things are changing in scholarly publishing, The Changing Face of STM Publishing.
- Have you got something you'd like to say to our community of writers? My Say gives writers a chance to air their views. So we have Natasha Mostert: There are few things as satisfying as typing THE END to a manuscript, Richard Hall "Write about what you know" and Jae Watson with his 'magic formula'. Contributions should ideally be 200 to 400 words in length and of general interest. Email us.
- 'Just how difficult it is to write biography can be reckoned by anybody who sits down and considers just how many people know the real truth about his or her love affairs.' Rebecca West in our Writers' Quotes.
- The April Magazine is ready!
