February 2023
- ‘It is a gigantic nightmare. Where to start? It's increased print costs. It's made it harder for printers to source the materials they need. It's disrupted everything in the UK, helped wreck the economy, and that of course has a big impact on people's ability to buy books... There is no new normal. There is just ongoing agony.' Sam Jordison of Galley Beggar Press puts what other indie publishers are feeling into words in a wide-ranging article on Brexit in Bookbrunch, which regrettably is behind the paywall.
- WritersServices offers a wide range of editorial services to help you prepare your manuscript for submission to an agent or publisher, or for self-publication. Our team of expert editors has years of experience in helping and advising authors; we can help you bring your work to a professional level of excellence. All our editing services offer competitive rates and excellent value for money. If you are not sure which of our editing services you require, we can assess your manuscript, and recommend the service that is most appropriate to your needs. Copy editing services. Get in touch to let us know how we can help.
- The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize is open to all writers over 18 with an unpublished short story in English of up to 2,000 words. The winner will receive €1500 and many other prizes, 2 runners-up €750 and other prizes. Closing 16 April.
- Other prizes which are still open.
- My Say gives writers a chance to air their views about writing and the writer's life. So we have Lynda Finn about the isolation of New Zealand writers and their problems with getting published, British author Eliza Graham, author of Playing with the Moon, on her route to publication and Zoe Jenny, who is Swiss, on writing in English and why it was liberating. Send us your contributions, ideally 200 to 400 words in length and of general interest. Please email them to us.
- Our first set of links are about the Roald Dahl controversy: 'you cannot create right-thinking in a population by controlling the literature it consumes', The senseless re-editing of Roald Dahl | The Spectator; 'am I shocked that the Dahl empire - and it's quite the empire, with Netflix buying up the rights from the writer's estate for a cool £500m in 2021 - would move to protect its investment?' It's not Orwellian for publishers to edit Roald Dahl, just commercially savvy | Gaby Hinsliff | The Guardian; are they not censors because this was a business decision? The Bookseller - Comment - Good for business? It's still censorship; and more on bowdlerisation, as it used to be called, Richard Charkin: On the 'Desecration of Authors' Works'.
- 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.
- Authors often find it difficult to write their own synopsis for submission to agents and 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 from a professional copy-writer will make your book stand out.
- Links from the AI and social media world: founding editor says 500 pitches rejected this month, Sci-fi publisher Clarkesworld halts pitches amid deluge of AI-generated stories | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian; and as the HarperCollins strike shows, TiKTok has the power to punish publishers, not just reward them, The Bookseller - Comment - The digital picket line.
- From our Endorsements page: 'The copy-editor perfectly captured the spirit of my story, making not only pertinent corrections, but also a string of brilliant suggestions and comments that inspired me to improve the text on my own. So happy I chose Writers Services. Rasmus, Chile.'
- WritersServices offers a comprehensive range of editorial services for authors writing for the children's book market. All our services are carried out to the highest professional standard and offer competitive rates and excellent value for money. Writing for children is not an easy option. It requires sound writing skills, originality, a clear understanding of the target audience and a good grasp of the market. Our expert editors are specialists in writing for children, and they will help you make your work the best it can be. Children's Editorial Services.
- Links from publishing: 'a year of exceptional sales and profit growth', British independent publishers thrive despite Brexit and Covid pandemic | Publishing | The Guardian; why senstivity readers are needed, In the far from diverse publishing industry, sensitivity readers are vital; new research shows a downturn in parental purchase, Cost-of-living crisis: one in five parents spend less on books for their children | Books | The Guardian; and, despite working under the uncertainty of who their new owner will be, S&S Sales Topped $1 Billion in Record 2022.
- Do you need to get your material typed up, but can't face doing the job yourself? We can provide a clean typed version of your work at very competitive rates. Our service offers help for writers who have an old or handwritten manuscript, which needs re-typing before the writer can proceed with submission or publication. Typing Manuscripts.
- If you are submitting your work to an agent or directly to a publishing house, check through our guidelines to give it its best chance. Making submissions
- Our final set of links is on writing and writers: description is critical in good, immersive fiction, Building Worlds and Creating Mood and Atmosphere ‹ CrimeReads; serial killing - both fictional and IRL - has long been the realm of men, but Female serial killers: their time has come; if there's one lesson my agent and editors drilled into me about publishing, it's this: know your reader, How to know your reader (and become an Unreasonable Writer); how do you go about making history so exciting? Steve Berry Talks History, Research, and Preservation ‹ CrimeReads; an amazing story from WW2, How the Armed Services Editions Created a Nation of Readers ‹ Literary Hub; a celebrated children's author zooms to the top, Julia Donaldson ends James Patterson's reign as UK libraries' most borrowed author | Books | The Guardian; and a remarkable find which will delight his fans, Sir Terry Pratchett: Short stories to be published after being found by fans - BBC News.
- Our unique new service is 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.
- 'Writing is a strange synthesis between the two parts of your mind: the analytical side and the side that knows nothing at all, and you have to allow the dreaming side free rein.' Rose Tremain in our Writers' Quotes.
