28 October 2019 - What's new
28 October 2019
- ‘The society to which we belong seems to be dying or is already dead. I don't mean to sound dramatic, but clearly the dark side is rising. Things could not have been more odd and frightening in the Middle Ages. But the tradition of artists will continue no matter what form the society takes...' Anne Lamott, author of seven non-fiction books, and the forthcoming Hallelujah Anyway, and two novels, Imperfect Birds and Rosie. Our Comment.
- An endorsement from Anthony Fitzgerald for our English Language Editing Service: 'The result? A book that reads like it's written by a native speaker for only 13% of the price a complete translation would have costed. Thank you, writersservices.'
- The Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award 2020 is open to any novelist or short story writer from around the world who has been published in the UK or Ireland. No entry fee. First Prize £30,000, shortlisted authors get £1,000. Closing 13 December.
- An essential 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.
- Our links: celebrating the wide world of crime and mystery, The State of the Crime Novel: A Roundtable Discussion with Crime Authors | CrimeReads; asked to explain "Why the novel matters", my first question is: "Well, does it?" Why the novel matters; are you a country girl or a city boy? Would a week in Las Vegas be a dream or a nightmare? Fiction and the power of place; the move to children's lit as consciousness-forming propaganda, Children's literature has become horribly right-on | The Spectator; and audiobooks and podcasts alike have been booming across the past few years, The Publishing And Podcasting Industries Are Getting Even Cozier.
- Have you been working on your book? 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.
- More links: the wave came and went; digital found its niche, but print asserted its ongoing value, In search of the new frontier; presented as an infographic, The Most Well Read Regions | UK Reading Habits | The Book People; a bit of a reckoning in our corner of the world, showing the fault lines in our community, We Need Noir - Because the Truth Is Dark, Messy, and Sometimes Ugly | CrimeReads; when Artemis first came out, the combination of lore and science fiction plus fantasy, I presumed hundreds of people had done that before, Q & A with Eoin Colfer.
- 'Poets are naturally keen to see their work in print but it's actually quite hard to get a first collection taken on by a publisher. This is because most poetry lists are pretty small...' Getting your poetry published.
- 'Writers cannot choose their own mood: with them it is not always hide-tide, nor - thank Heaven! - always Storm.' Charlotte Bronte in our Writers' Quotes.
