6 July 2020 - What's new
6 July 2020
- 'Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. That thing you had to force yourself to do - the actual act of writing - turns out to be the best part. It's like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be its own reward.' Anne Lamott, author of seven non-fiction books, and the forthcoming Hallelujah Anyway, and two novels, Imperfect Birds and Rosie. Our Comment.
- Tips for writers is our 8-part crash course for writers who are starting out, taking you from Promoting Your Writing (and Yourself) to Self-publishing: is it for you? from Keep up to date to Submission to publishers and agents. 'Be prepared to redraft your work and to rethink it. Many new writers assume that their work will immediately be ready for publication, but the truth is that many highly successful writers produced several drafts of their first work before they got it published.' and 'When you've got your work into the best state you can, put it on one side for a few weeks and then look at it afresh. You'll be amazed what difference a fresh eye will make.'
- Are you writing for children? Our Children's Editorial Services can help you get your work ready for publication or self-publishing. Three reports and copy editing are available from our highly-skilled children's editors, including essential advice on age groups and vocabulary.
- Our links: a lengthy but superb analysis of the great crime-writer's work, P. D. James: A Crime Reader's Guide to the Classics | CrimeReads; latest evidence of the way the new and ever more successful tv and streaming services are filming authors' work, Maurice Sendak Foundation Teams with Apple TV Plus; from Nicola Upson, whose crime novels feature the author and playwright Josephine Tey, Five top tips for writing historical crime fiction - National Centre for Writing; from the late, great Discworld creator, Final Terry Pratchett stories to be published in September | Books | The Guardian; and the bestselling author talks about his approach to collaboration, Four Questions for James Patterson.
- From Joanne PhillipsUK-based freelance writer and ghostwriter. She has had articles published in national writing magazines, and has ghostwritten books on subjects as diverse as hairdressing and keeping chickens. Visit her at www.joannephillips.co.uk, The Business of Writing for Self-publishing authors offers terrific advice for all writers: 'Self-publishing authors - also known as ‘indie' authors or author-publishers - have had a steep learning curve these past few years. Getting to grips with the various sales channels available to them, producing top quality ebooks and paperbacks, and finding a place in mainstream outlets have left many writers struggling to keep up with the paperwork. What follows is a brief guide to the essentials your self-publishing business needs - because it is a business, even if you only publish one book!'
- Last year we launched the Writer's edit, a top-level new service for writers who want line-editing as well as copy editing. Does your manuscript need high-level input from an editor to help you get it into the best possible shape for submission or self-publishing? This may be the service for you, offering the kind of editing which publishers' senior editors used to do in-house on their authors' manuscripts and which is now hard to find. Our other copy editing services.
- More links: encouraging news for crime-writers, Crime fiction boom as book sales rocket past 2019 levels | Books | The Guardian; sobering views from black professionals in publishing, who share long-suppressed frustrations about how racial prejudice has affected their work, ‘A Conflicted Cultural Force': What It's Like to Be Black in Publishing - The New York Times; bestselling authors team up with the giant internet retailer, Amazon joins Scott Turow, John Grisham, other top authors in effort to take down ‘pirate' book site - GeekWire; more campaigning, JK Rowling joins 150 authors and academics calling for an end of 'cancel culture' | Daily Mail Online; how children, particularly boys, are enticed into reading through audiobooks, UK's National Literary Trust Research Finds Benefits of Audiobooks for Kids.
- 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.
- 'The best way to become a successful writer is to read good writing, remember it, and then forget where you remember it from.' Gene Fowler in our Writers' Quotes.
