- ‘A lot of people start studying history from my books - I can't tell you how many people have told me that they read one of my books and then they started reading history, went to university and are now graduating... I don't wish to be vain about it, but it brings me great pleasure that my intense love of history has spilt over to other people reading history and historical fiction who came to it though my books...' Philippa Gregory, author of 27 novels, including Tidelands, The White Queen, The Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl, in The Times. 'My intense love of history'
- From our nineteen-part Inside Publishing series, you can read up on Advances and royalties: 'Publishers usually offer to pay authors advances against royalties. How do you work out how much money you might earn from your book? You need to understand for yourself how advances and royalties work and what they mean for you...' And on Copyright: 'Many writers worry about losing their copyright. Before sending out your manuscript it is always advisable to put a copyright line consisting of the copyright sign ©, the year and your name on the title page...'
- Copy editing services covers our six services working on writers' manuscripts, a range which includes our top of the range Writer's Edit and, Copy editing and English Language Editing. We have introduced free samples and free short written assessments on most of these services, which are provided by our skilled professional editors. We are transparent about our rates and our high quality copy editing services are also very good value. Contact us to get a quote.
- The Troubadour International Poetry Prize 2020 closes on 28 September. It's open to all poets internationally for unpublished poems. Entry fee £5/€6/$7 per poem. 1st Prize £2,000, 2nd Prize £1,000 and 3rd Prize £500 plus 20 commendeds.
- Other competitions which are still open.
- Links to articles on bookselling, publishing and the wider world: a thoughtful and disturbing article about the increasing power of Amazon, Facebook and Google, The Big Tech Extortion Racket | Harper's Magazine; the formidable challenge James Daunt faces in rescuing the chain from troubles is largely of its own making, Barnes & Noble wants to be a great bookseller again | Retail Dive; bookshops are bracing for a bumper crop, The Guardian view on a book glut: to the victor go the spoils? | Editorial | Opinion | The Guardian; and a response to Black Lives Matter from the outgoing director of the National Book Foundation and incoming publisher of Pantheon and Schocken Books, ‘We Need People Within Our Publishing Houses Who Reflect What Our Country Looks Like' | by Melinda Fakuade | Aug, 2020 | GEN.
- From our Endorsements page 'I've used two services with this company: The Editor's Plus Report and the Writer's Edit. I am completely satisfied with the service I received and said service has led to the completion and publication of my first novel: Lightforce. I would recommend any of these services to any aspiring author.' Jason Handleman, author of Lightforce (Everything Changes Book 1).
- Links from the writers' world: Romance writing has always been easy to laugh at, at least for the uninformed, but this black woman had a formative influence, Vivian Stephens Helped Turn Romance Writing Into a Billion-Dollar Industry. Then She Got Pushed Out. - Texas Monthly; his work been praised for expanding the crime genre with psychological insight and a globalized outlook, Norway Crime Author Jo Nesbø Earns $5.1 Million Book Royalties In 2019; "Call them flash," his wife said. And the name of a genre was born, 13 Ways of Looking at Flash Fiction | Literary Hub; here's the big question, Can Dogs Make Us Better Writers? | Literary Hub; and he is kind to others, ready to protect the weak, and is indestructible, The World of Robert B. Parker's Spenser and the Birth of the 1970's Private Detective | CrimeReads.
- Which service? should I choose to help me get my work into good shape for submission or self-publishing? Our editorial services have been added in response to demand, so whatever you want we've probably got it covered with our 20 different services.
- From our Writers' Quotes: 'Like most novelists, I like to do exactly the opposite of what I'm told. It's in my nature as a novelist. Novelists can't trust anything they haven't seen with their own eyes or touched with their own hands.' Haruki Murakami
What's New in 2020
24 August 2020 - What's new
17 August 2020 - What's new
‘I'm always interested in trying to use whodunit and murder mystery forms to do something a bit more profound than, after 400 pages, saying the butler did it, thank you, goodbye. Effectively, I didn't just want to write ordinary detective stories... They are the only form of literature that deals in absolute truths. When you read a whodunit, the joy of it is that you know that at the last chapter every ‘i' will be dotted, every ‘t' will be crossed, everything will be solved...' Anthony Horowitz, author of 73 books, including the Alex Rider series, the just-published Moonflower Murders, Magpie Murders and 14 TV series, in the Sunday Times Culture. Our Comment.
An Editor's Advice is a series of seven articles by one of our editors on really useful subjects for writers such as Manuscript presentation, Dialogue, Doing further drafts and Planning: 'The idea of planning doesn't fit well with the idea of the writer as inspired genius, frantically scribbling away. However, I am willing to bet that, no matter what they would have you think, most successful writers plan as much as they write. They just don't tell you about it. The biggest objection that most inexperienced writers raise when someone broaches the delicate matter of planning is that it will get in the way of their inventive powers. A plan will be like a straitjacket. They'll be stuck with this plan and if they come up with a good idea along the way, they will not be able to use it. They are genuinely horrified at the thought...'
Mslexia Fiction & Memoir Competition 2020 is open to women writers only from across the world with unpublished manuscripts (self-published work allowed) in four categories: Flash Fiction, Short Story, Children's & YA Novel and Memoir & Life Writing, with various entry fees and prizes. Closing 21 September.
Do you want some help with your writing but don't quite know what you want - or even if you need any help? Are you a bit puzzled by the various services on offer, and not sure what to go for? Choosing a service can help you work out which service is right for you. Or email us to ask about your requirements.
Our links: how readers are most engaged Maybe We Read Crime Fiction Because Deep Down, We All Know We're Complicit in Crime | CrimeReads; writers who find themselves mired in procrastination would do well to take a page from Marcel Proust's most famous book, Surprising secrets of writers' first book drafts - BBC Culture; an amalgamation of swashbuckling detective, political activist, and Catholic theologian, The Evolution of Dave Robicheaux and the Incredible Career of James Lee Burke | CrimeReads; from a writer, poet and editor from London, Will Harris on the Idea of Poetry as Interconnectedness | Literary Hub; and at least ten times a day I ask myself, "What the f*ck is wrong with people?" Why Writing About Psychopaths Keeps Me Sane | CrimeReads.
If you are trying to get your work into shape for publication, or for self-publishing, there's plenty of advice on the WritersServices website which may help. Advice for writers
More links: if Amazon's power is left unchecked, competition within publishing could diminish even more, Publishing Leaders Issuing Warning over Amazon's Market Power; it's now roughly halfway through a series of virtual meetings with publishers, Black Writers' Guild reports progress as publishers start to confront diversity deficit | The Bookseller; a sad side-effect of the success of charity bookshops, The demise of the second-hand bookshop | Alexander Larman | The Critic Magazine; until quite recently, I hadn't finished a book since the end of January, Get Happier by Rereading Your Favorite Books From Childhood.
Have you been working on your book over the holidays? Are you now ready to submit to publishers or to self-publish? We offer the widest range of editorial services on the web, tailored to writers' requirements and carried out by our professional editors, Our Services for writers.
Our final set of links are all about the Women's Prize for Fiction Reclaim Her Name programme and show just how a well-intentioned initiative can go wrong: ‘George Eliot' joins 24 female authors making debuts under their real names | Books | The Guardian; next, apologies, 'Sloppy': Baileys under fire over Reclaim Her Name books for Women's prize | Books | The Guardian; and then a more serious challenge to the whole idea of this list, The #ReclaimHerName initiative ignores the authorial choices of the writers it represents. | Literary Hub.
From our Writers' Quotes: 'Make no mistake, those who write long books have nothing to say. Of course those who write short books have even less to say.'
If quotes are your thing we have a very large collection in our Archive, More Writers' Quotes and Even More Quotes.
10 August 2020 - What's new
- ‘We say to girls, "you can have ambition, but not too much" When I was five, I thought I was a writer. I didn't just want to be, I thought I was...' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah, and very successful TED talks, including 'The Danger of a Single Story', in the Sunday Times magazine. Our Comment.
- Veteran publisher Michael Legat's 19 Factsheets provide a pithy introduction to many topics of interest to writers, from Copyright to Revision, with writing advice on Plotting the novel and The First and Last Pages. From Copyright: 'It is not legally necessary to put a copyright notice on your work, but it does no harm and may scare off anyone who thinks of infringing your copyright. The usual form is: ‘Copyright your name, and the year when the work was published or completed if it has not been published.'
- 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, English Language Editing for those for whom English is not their native language, our latest new service Writer's edit, providing line-editing, and Proof-reading. Get the right level of editorial support for your needs. Our low-cost services represent exceptionally good value. Contact us to discuss what you want.
- Our links: an exceptionally comprehensive and helpful article, 6 Principles for Writing Historical Fiction | Jane Friedman; almost 600 hardbacks are due to be published on 3 September in a "massive bun fight" of new titles, 'It's a mega year!': book trade braces for autumn onslaught of major new titles | Books | The Guardian; the first adult book I ever read was The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I was seven years old, Stephenie Meyer: 'I'd like to be remembered for writing The Host - but it'll be Twilight' | Books | The Guardian; and amid fervent chants of "Black Lives Matter" and clenched fists raised in solidarity, Thomas said she saw something that nearly brought her to tears, Author Angie Thomas on How Books Empower the Next Generation | TIME.
- 'It's a common enough fantasy for writers: maybe now I can leave that dreary job and devote myself whole-heartedly to writing... But how practical is it? Is it something you can realistically aspire to, or just a distant fantasy? What are your chances of making your dream come true?' Don't give up the day job.
- More links: how will this global pandemic story play out?... I have hard-won advice for this odd moment in our lives: Write. Specifically, write what you know, Why Write Memoir Right Now | Jane Friedman; ask any Black or Brown writer if they're the reason white men are being shut out of the books world and they'll probably shout, because the alternative is crying, Where are the hotshot British male novelists? BAME authors may know | Books | The Guardian; and joining a long tradition of expatriate writers, The ardour of the exile.
- What kind of report are you looking for? 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? Which service? offers a quick rundown on all the services we offer, but Which report? just looks at our reports.
- 'I can still remember the miraculous feeling of writing a sentence, then more sentences, telling a story. The first thing I wrote was a one-page summary of Robinson Crusoe and I am so sorry I do not have it any more; it was at that moment I became an author.' Crimewriter Henning Mankell in our Writers' Quotes.
6 August 2020 - What's new
- 'Well, the first six weeks I was not doing any writing at all. It was all about making sure the kids were all right and everyone was in a good mental state. Then, I thought maybe I can work for an hour or two a day and it was really hard work getting back in the groove. But, hey, the books aren't going to write themselves. The way I think about it is, what if I got struck down by plague or lightning? I'd rather finish the book than not...' Colson Whitehead, author of The Underground Railroad, The Nickel Boys and seven other novels in the Observer. Writing in a lockdown.
- A must-read for children's authors is Suzy Jenvey's special series for WritersServices, the four-part Essential Guide to Writing for Children. The first article looks at the all-important question of age groups and what you should be aware of in writing for each one. The second part is - Before You Write: What is My Story Going to be? The third part deals with Starting to Write and the fourth part is about Submitting Your Work to Agents and Editors. This series by a hugely experienced children's editorial director and agent helps you get started on your own story or develop what you're already working on.
- We have a new endorsement on our Endorsements page: 'I am delighted with the feedback and so pleased with all the great suggestions which were so much more than I expected. A really brilliant service.' Sally Gibbins , Birmingham, UK, on her children's copy editing.
- Authors often find it difficult to write their own synopsis for submission to publishers, which is where our Synopsis-writing service can help. If you're preparing to self-publish and having difficulty with your blurb, our Blurb-writing service can provide professionally written cover copy.
- The rather generous 2020 Manchester Writing Competition is open to writers from across the world. Two £10,000 prizes are awarded: the Manchester Poetry Prize for the best portfolio of poems and the Manchester Fiction Prize for the best short story. Closing on 18 September.
- Our links: it's vital but one of the first things a budding storyteller can master with just a bit of practice and effort, How To Write Dialogue: 7 Steps To Writing Dialogue - The Art of Narrative; why Grandmother did most of her work in bed, Irish women writing fiction were dismissed as 'quiet'. Ireland wasn't listening | Books | The Guardian; US publishers will not be returning to their offices in anything resembling full force before 2021, Publishers Play the Pandemic Waiting Game; I had no idea my protagonist would end up working in a New York publishing house, My Novel's Heroine is Doing Better in the Publishing World Than I Did | Literary Hub and from the founder of Blackbird Books in South Africa, an independent publishing house that is dedicated to giving young black writers a platform, PublisHers: Thabiso Mahlape.
- Are you getting ready to publish your book - perhaps planning to self-publish? WritersServices offers a suite of nine services which help writers get their work into shape before they self-publish. Services for Self-publishers.
- More links: those were the days when it seemed like we could beat the pandemic by washing our hands, but now It's Time to Radically Rethink Online Book Events - Electric Literature; as much of the retail world faces crisis, book publishing is positioned to grow in terms of unit sales when compared to 2019, US Book Publishing Remains Resilient: Print and Ebook Sales Are Growing | Jane Friedman; after many years, can she live up to Twilight fans' expectations? In ‘Midnight Sun,' Stephenie Meyer Tells Edward Cullen's Story - The New York Times; and a picture book about a science-loving black girl, ‘Utterly joyful' Look Up! wins Waterstones children's book of the year | Books | The Guardian.
- Our Top Ten Tips for Nonfiction Writers are from Julie Wheelwright, programme director, MA Creative Writing Nonfiction, City University, London.
- From Isaac Asimov in our Writers' Quotes: 'Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil - but there is no way around them.'