June 2022
- 'We've only been publishing for three years, having started just before the pandemic did... The digital vision we had formulated was vindicated and validated by the pandemic - but that doesn't mean it's not still relevant. As we grow, we're doing a bit more print, but we'll continue to adapt and survive. So far we've published about 300 titles, we've got 80 authors, and we're publishing another 150 titles this year.' Amanda Ridout of Boldwood Books, a new publisher focusing on popular fiction and publishing worldwide in ebook form in Bookbrunch.
- Introducing our unique new service - 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.
- From our 19-part Inside Publishing series: 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...'
On The Writer/Publisher Financial Relationship: 'There's no escaping the fact that publishers and authors are essentially in an adversarial position. Even in the very best and most supportive publisher/writer relationships there is the tension caused by the fact that authors would like to earn as much as possible from their writing and publishers to pay as little as they can get away with...' - Links from publishing: surprisingly good news from the UK, The Bookseller - News - Author advances and auctions still 'buoyant' despite cost pressures, agents and publishers say; although it's only just over two years old, it is taking the publishing world by storm, Is TikTok the Future of Book Marketing? 'There is really nothing more special than working with someone you both respect and treasure as a friend', Ask An Editor: Katie Packer, senior commissioning editor at Headline; and another May has come and gone without BookExpo or any other in-person, industrywide spring show taking its place, A New Book Expo? Not By a Long Shot.
- A new endorsement from our Endorsements page: 'Many thanks to you and the Editor for the edits, and the comments. I am really pleased with the services of your company. Will definitely use it again.' Merlin, India
- Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2022 is open to all. Entry fees: Poetry entries £12 | Short Fiction entries £18. £2,500 awarded to both the Poetry and Short Fiction winners and publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Anthology, which is awarded to 60 writers shortlisted by the judging panel. Closing on 31 August.
- There's still time to enter The Moth Short Story Prize 2022, closing on 30 June.
- Links on writing and schools: It's one of the most familiar bits of writing advice there is: "Write what you know." Author to Authors: Take a Chance; school libraries make all the difference, The Bookseller - News - Report reveals 'transformative' impact of Cowell's Life-changing Libraries initiative; only a "trend or fashion", Bernardine Evaristo fears publishers may lose interest in black authors | Bernardine Evaristo | The Guardian; and there are four books that have been on the curriculum in every school I have found myself in, with no exception, Why are books on the English school curriculum still in the grip of straight, white men? | Jeffrey Boakye | The Guardian.
- If you're looking for a report on your manuscript, how do you work out which one of our three reports would suit you best? Which Report? includes our new top-of-the range service, the Editor's Report Plus, introduced by popular demand to provide even more detail. This very substantial report takes the form of a chapter-by-chapter breakdown and many writers have found this detail helps them to get their book right. Through our specialist children's editors we can offer reports on children's books.
- Why has my manuscript been rejected? It is demoralising to get your manuscript rejected by publishers or agents. Here are some of the reasons why this happens and suggestions of what you can do about it. Avoid Rejection.
- More links from writers: writers buy plotting books by the dozen and do their best to create the plottiest plot that the world has ever seen, The Vital Difference Between Plot and Story - and Why You Need Both | Jane Friedman; how changing technology motivated a former naval intelligence officer to revisit his dreams of writing fiction, M. P. Woodward: Why It Took Me Twenty Years To Write My First Spy Thriller ‹ CrimeReads; a memoir about teaching which won the Orwell prize, The book that tore publishing apart: ‘Harm has been done, and now everyone's afraid' | Kate Clanchy | The Guardian; and a strange copycat craze, Why popular book titles all use the same weirdly specific formula.
- Working with an agent: 'Don't ever take on an agent you don't like or don't trust, however desperate you may feel. You have to be able to work with them in what should be an extremely important relationship for you as a writer. You must also feel confident that they are competent, enthusiastic about your work and can be trusted, both in terms of the advice they offer and in relation to handling your money...'
- Stephen Coonts in our Writers' Quotes: 'The most crucial thing is to learn the craft: how to string sentences together, how to make your dialogue sound like real people, how to properly pace a story, how to develop interesting characters.'
