Problems for Borders means problems for authors

The news about Borders UK being up for sale and struggling to find a buyer, which could result in them going into administration this week, is bad news for the staff, authors, publishers and readers.  Unfortunately it is a sign of the times both economic and the way the entire publishing and bookselling industry is changing.
  

Borders UK hopes to sell about 36 of its 45 bookshops and if it does then at least there will still  be a book chain on the high street along with Waterstones and W.H. Smiths, although I tend not to think of the latter as a bookshop and can't recall the last time I actually bought a book there.

Books etc, is holding closing-down sales at its remaining eight stores, which are due to shut their doors early in 2010.

It is reported in the media that Borders is talking to HMV, which owns rival Waterstone's, who are only interested in buying a handful of stores, and probably then to cherry pick the locations.

If Borders goes into administration this sounds like Woolworth's all over again and publishers will receive a high level of returns therefore denting their blance sheets, which in turn will mean reductions in commissioning new titles and author cutbacks.

The growth of cheaper books and the rise of online book stores has hit all bookshops. It's also affected publishers and authors.  There is one silver lining in this cloud though and that is online bookshops offer readers a far greater choice than any bricks and mortar shop can (always given that the reader has access to the Internet) and it also means that many more authors can have their books show cased.

Good Samaritan Wins Publishing Deal

Good Samaritan Wins Publishing Deal: "Here’s a story to bring hope to the hearts of everyone struggling to win a publishing deal.

Ex-soldier and international banker, Mark Powell, had written an action thriller, “Quantum Breach”, and was suffering the long agony that we are all familiar with, having racked up over a 100 rejections.

One evening he was driving home from work in Singapore when he spotted a damsel in distress attempting to heave a spare wheel out of the boot of her car. He stopped to help and once the wheel had been changed they got talking. She asked what he did. He told her he was an author and she told him she was a managing partner in a law firm that acted for the publisher Marshall Cavendish.

A few days later the Good Samaritan found he had a publishing deal for “Quantum Breach” and his second book, “Deep Six” is now close to completion.

The moral of this story? Never give up trying and never pass up a chance to do a stranger a favour.

Heart-warming tale, no? "

Something for Crime Fiction Fans and Writers

National Crime Fiction Week

National Crime Fiction Week will take place in 2010 for the first time. The Crime Writers' Association of Great Britain (CWA), (of which I am a member) is organising a celebration of crime writing during the week of 14-20 June 2010.

During the week members of the CWA will take part in readings, discussions, readers' group events and workshops all over the country. So keep an eye out here for events. Or you can see my events on my official web site at http://www.rowmark.co.uk/ or my blog http://www.paulinerowson.com/

The crime genre is very broad so there should be something for every crime fiction fan, and for those who write crime and who are seeking publication.

Harlequin Adds Self-Publishing Line

Harlequin Adds Self-Publishing Line: "Following the same model as Thomas Nelson's recently-announced WestBow Press, Harlequin has started a self-publishing line. Like Nelson, they are outsourcing most of the work to Author Solutions as their partner. Unlike Nelson, they aren't afraid to use their own name for the line, which is called Harlequin Horizons.

As they say on the site: 'The intent behind creating Harlequin Horizons is to give more aspiring romance writers and women's fiction writers the opportunity to publish their books and achieve their dreams without going through the submission process with a traditional publishing house.

'However, we understand you may aspire to be published with a traditional house - a noble aspiration. While there is no guarantee that if you publish with Harlequin Horizons you will picked up for traditional publishing, Harlequin will monitor sales of books published through Harlequin Horizons for possible pick-up by its traditional imprints.'
Harlequin Horizons site"

Writing Workshop with James Scudamore: Character and Setting

Writers Centre Norwich
Saturday 5th December 2009 │10:00am – 16:00pm│£50 / £40

“The writing is exemplary: you feel the hand of a natural at work....” Praise for James Scudamore’s Heliopolis – The Guardian, 2009

Keen to avoid the Christmas madness and get some writing done? A creative writing workshop from Booker longlisted author James Scudamore, examines the two key components of fiction - Character and Setting.

James will work with you on exercises that examine the decisions involved when placing a character in a particular place and time; how to evoke that place and time without signposting too much, and whether or not there are settings that are out of bounds for certain writers.

Learn from a novelist who has won the 2007 Somerset Maugham Award, was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award with The Amnesia Clinic, and has had continuing success with his second, Heliopolis, recently longlisted for the 2009 Man Booker Prize.

For more information or to book email  info@writerscentrenorwich.org.uk or phone 01603 877177

http://www.jamesscudamore.com/

The International Market for Books

I attended a conference yesterday on the International markets for books organised by the Independent Publishers Guild of Great Britain and held in London. While it didn’t cover every single market in the world – how could it, I’d probably have been there for days – it examined North America, China, India, Ireland, Africa and the Caribbean, and Australia. Here is a digest of some of the key points I picked up.


The recession hit America hard. OK, so we all know that. As a result many publishers cut back their lists or put a freeze on new titles, but the feeling now is they have gaps in their lists and are starting to look at buying again, which is good news for authors and publishers. Key areas are crafts, leisure and hobbies, and children books. The other good news is that fiction sales are steady and USA publishers are still buying fiction.

The Australian market is growing both in volume and value. Australians are keen readers and heavy book buyers and have a thriving literary festival culture which is financially supported by the government. Wish I could say the same for the UK! There are festivals in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane with a huge writing festival in Sydney each year with over 80,000 attending. That is truly amazing. The festivals attract authors from all around the World. Print on Demand has just arrived in Australia and Australians are keen early adopters of technology so that, and the advent of e books, should make for some interesting developments in the years to come. There are lots of thriving independent bookshops in Australia which makes for a vibrant book market and publishers are interested in adult non fiction, children’s books and fiction, so a pretty comprehensive list.

Bookselling in Ireland sounds fascinating and fun. Again, like Australia there is a flourishing independent book selling culture with many small chains and small individual booksellers. All Irish children need to buy their school books from shops, rather than the state buying and providing them as in Britain, which means that people go into bookshops from a very young age (4) and therefore are not intimidated by entering them in adult life, which is often the case in the UK. Irish publishers favour Irish authors and so too do Irish readers, but there is still the chance for both fiction writers and children’s authors to sell their books in Ireland. If you have any past or present connections with Ireland then you should exploit it to promote your books and to get publicity. There are many radio stations, local and national, and as the Irish listen to a great deal of radio this is an excellent medium to spread the word about your book/s.

The Indian economy, like China’s, is still growing, so can present opportunities, although the markets in both these countries and Africa are fraught with piracy issues. In India there is increasing interest in buying fiction along with an insatiable appetite for business books, educational and children’s books. The major UK publishers, and some independents, all have a presence in the publishing capital of Delhi.

With regards to the Chinese market, rights deals was discussed rather than exporting British titles to China, which is understandable given the uniqueness of this market. I sold rights to two of my communication books and a business book by one of the authors I used to publish.  The transaction, though not worth a great deal of money, went very smoothly.

Here is the finished product - it's called Be a Champion and was taken from my books: Being Positive & Staying Positive and Communicating with more Confidence' and Brian Lomas's book Stress and Time Management. 


In China the print runs are modest, the prices are low and piracy happens. It takes time to build up relationships and breaking into this market should be viewed as a long term strategy. China likes fiction, especially best-sellers and those novels that have been turned into films. They also like business and personal development books, lifestyle and children’s books.

Finally Africa and the Caribbean. Africa is a vast and diverse country with infrastructure problems and civil unrest in many countries. However, there are some hidden gems in the book market if one searches for them. Markets vary enormously depending on the economic climate. Sales to Botswana are almost ninety percent down for one publisher because of diamond mine closures while markets in Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda and Uganda are coming up, as is Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Senegal. In the Caribbean the book market is heavily influenced by America with American titles preferred over British. Both Trinidad and Belize with their oil are growing countries and potential markets for the future.

All in all it was an interesting day and a fascinating insight into the book buying culture of these different countries.

Publishing Industry and the X Factor

Publishing Industry like the X Factor by Andrew Crofts

This is a really good article by an experienced ghost writer and a 'must read' for all writers who aspire to be published.

Writing events in Portsmouth

Monday 2 November

The WriteInvite short story evening is at Rosies Bar in Portsmouth, England. Ten writers will be reading their pre-written short stories to around 40 other people in cabaret style. 7.30 for 8 pm start. Great for listeners and writers. Plus the wonderful female singing duo fresh from The Havant Literary Festival, THE FAKE AUNTS.


Winners will be listed in Kudos bi-monthly. If you haven't been before but fancy an evening with a difference it's £3 entry for listeners and £4 for readers. Bar available plus complimentary nibbles.

Monday 14 December

The WriteInvite Christmas night (uncompetitive story evening).


For more information check http://www.write-invite.com/

A Mills & Boon book club launches in London's Soho

Calling all Romance Writers...

A Mills & Boon book club launches in London's Soho: "Rumour has it that the world's best loved romance publisher Mills & Boon is looking for new talent."

The end is really the beginning

I was asked the other day how I feel when I tap out the immortal words THE END at the completion of a novel. The question hints that the novel is perfect first time round, when in reality this is far from the truth.  The first draft is simply that, a first attempt to get all your thoughts, ideas, plots, characters and dialogue on paper or on to your computer.  It is by no means THE END but only the BEGINNING.


The timing of the question was quite eerie because I was just reaching the final pages of the copy edits of my latest DI Horton marine mystery crime novel Blood on the Sand which is being published by Severn House in February 2010. It is the fifth in the Inspector Horton series. Reaching the end of this my feelings were relief mixed with anxiety: is it good enough? Should I re-write one more time? Could I have changed anything? Too late…I’ve pressed the send button and it’s gone to my editor. The next time I’ll get to review this will be at proof reading stage and all the anxieties over what, if anything, I should have changed will return. But by then it really is too late to make changes.

So how do I feel when I tap out the immortal words THE END at the completion of a novel? (Although I don’t actually tap out THE END).

It really depends on which draft I am writing. After the first draft there is a feeling of elation - I have finally managed to reach THE END after bashing out, as quickly as I can, somewhere between 80,000 to 100,000 words. With the second draft comes a greater sense of satisfaction that all the ends are beginning to tie up neatly. The third and fourth drafts fine tune the novel and by the time I’ve reached the fifth and sixth I’m beginning to know it backwards, upside down and inside out and can no longer see where the glaring holes are – time to get a second opinion. But always, no matter how many drafts it takes to get to the final version, when I reach THE END I feel a shiver up (or should that be down?) my spine. This can be a shiver of satisfaction or excitement or both, and if I feel that then hopefully my readers will feel it too. And I’m pleased that Inspector Andy Horton has survived another case and will live to solve a new one in the next novel.
 
Taking time over the revisions and revising again and again until you are happy with your work is essential for any author seeking publication. So don't skimp on it. And if you need to get a second opinion then it could be worthwhile sending your MS to a literary consultancy or manuscript consultancy service  for an unbiased opinion and suggestions where you can improve your work.  It will cost you but it could be money well spent.

The inspiration behind a novel

A while ago I posted an article on this blog about Michael Dean's novel The Crooked Cross.  He also wrote a guest blog on 3 May 2009.  You can search for it by using the search function on the right.   Below is a very interesting article written by Michael, which also gives an insight into the inspiration behind his novel.

http://warthroughthegenerations.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/guest-post-by-michael-dean-author-of-the-crooked-cross-and-hirschfelds-friends/

BBC launches 'real-life' writing competition

"The BBC has launched a competition to find "the greatest real-life stories never told", with the prize of "a publishing deal with a prestigious UK publishing house", as yet undisclosed. The prize, which could go to a maximum of five of the finalists, also includes an advance and royalties based on sales."

Could this be the X Factor for wannabe writers? More details on the link below:

BBC launches 'real-life' writing competition:

Google Books deal postponed after avalanche of criticism

Google Books deal postponed after avalanche of criticism: "

• The Google digital library row explained
The judge overseeing Google's controversial agreement with American publishers to digitise millions of books has delayed a hearing into the $125m deal - effectively shutting down the settlement and sending it back to the drawing board.

Instead of proceeding with the internet giant's plans to make millions of in-copyright books available online and take a slice of the proceeds - a deal first announced last year - the groups will now go back and renegotiate the settlement in way that satisfies critics including the US Department of Justice.

A hearing into the existing deal had originally been scheduled for early October, as the court prepared to rule on whether the settlement was fair or not. However, following objections posed by Washington, the groups involved in the deal had said they needed more time to re-work the agreement.

New York district judge Denny Chin, who is overseeing the case, said on Thursday that the parties would be granted their request to return to the negotiating table to work out more details.

'The current settlement agreement raises significant issues, as demonstrated not only by the number of objections, but also by the fact that the objectors include countries, states, non-profit organisations and prominent authors and law professors. Clearly fair concerns have been raised,' he wrote in a two-page order.

He added, however, that there was substantial public benefit to be gained from the deal and that future tweaks would be dealt with as quickly as possible.

'The proposed settlement would offer many benefits to society, as recognised by supporters of the settlement as well as the Department of Justice. It would appear that if a fair and reasonable settlement can be struck, the public would benefit.'

The case had proved one of the most controversial in recent memory, creating a tidal wave of criticism from a wide variety of groups, including authors, publishers, advocacy groups and Amazon and Microsoft opposing the deal as 'susceptible to abuse'.

In Europe, concerns were raised since the deal could have significant global implications, despite only theoretically applying to the US.

Google had tried to head off those criticisms by assembling its own alliance of supporters, including Japanese electronics giant Sony and a number of groups who backed the wider availability of information promised by the book scanning project.

The Californian internet company said that it intended to continue pursuing a deal, while the Authors Guild - which was one of the groups that agreed to the settlement - said the details would eventually be thrashed out.
'We'll continue to work on amending the settlement to address the Justice Department's concerns,' it said in a statement on its website.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009

"

Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize 2009 in association with The Daily Telegraph

Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize 2009 in association with The Daily Telegraph: "

The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize 2009 is endowed by Benjamin Franklin House

Chairman John Studzinski, Senior Managing Director, The Blackstone Group International.

The 2009 Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize asks professional and young writers in 1000-1500 words to interpret the Franklin quote:

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

The winner of the Young Writers Prize will receive £500 while the winner of the Professional Writers Prize will receive £1000. Winning essays will be published by Britain's leading newspaper the Daily Telegraph at Telegraph.co.uk.


Entries for 2009 must be received by 30 September."

Freelance Transcriptionist

Helen Kirby is an experienced freelance transcriptionist who is currently seeking copy or audio typing work, helping authors or publishers.

She has over fifteen years experience in administration and over five years experience in audio transcription with qualifications in word processing and typing (all passed with distinction) and a touch typing speed of 95 w.p.m.

She is  keen to work for authors (or publishers) on a regular basis typing novels or short stories. References can be supplied.  You can contact her at helenkirby1@hotmail.com

The Peculiar World of Book Selling

Authors whether published or not need to have an awareness of how the industry in which they operate works. In our case this is the bookselling and publishing industry. This latest article from The Bookseller briefly examines the market today and gives a prognosis for the year to come.  The comment made at the end of the article also demonstrates how heavy discounting to some retailers can cause problems not only for the publishers but also for booksellers and, I might add, authors who in turn get less for their product. With books being a low value, slow moving consumer good (except in the case of Dan Brown and J.K. Rowling) and consumers expecting low prices for books you can see how margins will be squeezed!

Juden: publishers can 'drive themselves out of recession': "The longer-term outlook for the book..."

Publishers cutting marketing budgets for books

With many publishers cutting their marketing budgets where does that leave authors?  The simple answer is undertaking a lot of marketing themselves. But then that's nothing new for the majority of writers.  The article below provides an insight into how some publishers are trimming their budgets, their attitudes and approaches to book marketing.  It could  also provide some tips for authors who want to promote their books.

With Marketing Budgets Slashed, Co-op and Web Take Priority


"With the recent economic downturn, book advertising — in the traditional sense at least — is on the decline. The majority of US publishers have cut their marketing budgets by 50-70% over the last year. What’s more, while some ad prices have been depressed, prices have not dropped far enough to make them a viable way to advertise most books: a full-page color ad in a leading national publication still costs somewhere in the range of $100,000, while a single 30-second spot on a network television morning talk show goes for a cool $50,000 price tag — prices steep enough to blow even the most generous book marketing budget in a single shot."


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Are Writing Classes A Waste Of Time? Joseph Finder

Some extremely useful information in the article below for writers, written by Internationally acclaimed  author Joseph Finder. 

For Writers | Joseph Finder

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Short Story Prize

Here is a chance for all short story writers to make a name for themselves and win some BIG bucks! Good luck.

Sunday Times launches £25k short story prize: "Writers Lynn Barber, A S Byatt, Nick Hornby..."

DJ Taylor: Dan Brown is going to be the ruin of us all

A good article that has some valid points for authors about the crazy world of publishing and book selling.

DJ Taylor: Dan Brown is going to be the ruin of us all: "

Over the next few days an extraordinary farce will start to be enacted in bookshops and supermarkets the length and breadth of the UK. I refer, of course, to the long-awaited publication of Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, officially released tomorrow, but already available (apparently) in fragmented form on the net. The element of farce attaches itself not to the contents of the novel but the way in which it is being brought to the punter.

"

Kilgarriff blames Boyars closure on 'discounts'

Below is an interesting article on the demise of one independent publisher, which is to cease trading next year. It explains how the book trade affects independent publishers who cannot afford to pay the fee the large retailers require to promote their titles. Many people don't realise that when they see a book promoted in one of the major high street retailers such as W.H. Smiths, Borders or Waterstones the publisher is paying for that promotion. I was at a meeting of publishers last year where a publisher relayed that he had been asked to pay £70,000 to Smiths for them to promote one title in their stores. Of course, the independent publisher couldn't afford this. Many independent publishers rely on creating word of mouth for their titles and on-line promotions to stimulate demand, and authors today need to do a considerable amount of marketing to raise their profile and generate book sales.

The titles that the public see continually promoted and available on supermarket shelves are there because the publisher has paid to get them there. This doesn't mean they aren't good books-many are. The publisher will pay for the promotion because he or she is pretty confident they will get a return on their investment. This is business after all. Sometime they get a return and sometimes they don't!

Kilgarriff blames Boyars closure on 'discounts': "Marion Boyars is being wound down because of..."

Publisher Marion Boyars driven out of business

Publisher Marion Boyars driven out of business: "

Pioneering independent is to be wound up, with many back catalogue titles to be licensed to Penguin
One of the UK's most adventurous independent publishers, Marion Boyars, is being forced out of business after more than 40 years by the adverse climate of today's book trade.

The publisher of authors including Ken Kesey, Georges Bataille, Nobel prize winner Kenzaburo Oe, Ivan Illich and Shel Silverstein, Marion Boyars said this morning that it had sold licences in 38 literary titles to Penguin Classics, and that it would be winding down its operations once it has completed its autumn programme.

'I didn't go bust but I would have, maybe by March,' said publisher Catheryn Kilgarriff, daughter of Marion Boyars, who started the firm in the 1960s as Calder and Boyars, running it jointly with John Calder. When the firm split in 1975, it became Marion Boyars, and when Boyars herself died in 1999, Kilgarriff took over as managing director.

'As an independent with no backers, we don't have any resources, so I owe it to my family to stay in the black,' said Kilgarriff. She blamed the closure on the changed structure of the book trade, which is now 'all about discounting', on the lessening influence of press exposure, and on the proliferation of literary prizes, diluting the effect which a shortlisting can have. 'Even if I get a book on a shortlist I couldn't afford the fee, so I no longer wanted to win prizes,' she added.

Having been in profit since 2002, she 'wasn't willing to lose what I'd built up – and I would have,' so she decided to wind down operations, and was pleased to find a home for 38 books with Penguin. These include a host of Bataille, Silverstein and Heinrich Böll titles, Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Hubert Selby's Last Exit to Brooklyn and Henri-Pierre Roche's Jules et Jim, as well as two books by bestselling Turkish author Elif Shafak.

'I feel like it's a good solution,' said Penguin Classics publisher Adam Freudenheim. 'I've been aware that some small publishers have been finding it a difficult market, particularly over the last 18 months. A lot are thriving, like Canongate, but the next tier down are in a difficult place. This is a wonderful list, and I'm glad we're able to publish so many in Penguin ... I feel really excited about it – it's a great opportunity for us. It's sad for Catheryn and Marion Boyars, but they had a good run.'

He will be publishing the majority of the titles under the Penguin Modern Classics imprint, with the intention to bring them all out by the end of 2011.

Kilgarriff said that the rest of the Marion Boyars backlist is now available for acquisition, in particular its drama and social science titles. The independent press will continue to operate throughout the autumn, for which it has a full line-up of titles, including the Spanish prize-winning author Luis Leante, who is coming to London in September to promote See How Much I Love You.

• Publishing

Alison Flood

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions More Feeds

"

Tough times for Authors

I've put two links below to informative articles for authors, both published and those seeking publication. The comments others have made about the articles listed also make interesting reading.

It is very tough for many businesses and individuals at the moment and extremely tough for most authors with the exception of the BIG sellers. It's not just because of the recession though, and although the economic climate is responsible for cut backs in the publishing world the book industry is continuing to change at a very fast rate and will continue to do so with the advent of new technology and readers habits.

Authors taking pay cuts of up to 50%: "Authors have seen their advances drop over..."

Publishers cancelling books to cut costs: "Authors are being told their books are not..."

A useful web site for writers

WriteInvite is an initiative to invite absolutely anyone to write. Everyone likes to hear a story, and tell one too. WriteInvite welcomes writers of all ages, experiences and styles to get involved in their short story writing competitions.

"The relaxed, informal vibe we try to create is intended to encourage you to be free in your writing, to enjoy competing against others and ultimately to have fun!! WriteOnSite takes our popular WriteInvite competition format and throws it open to the world!"

Want to compete? Find out more...

http://www.write-invite.com/index.php

Google Books: Authors Guild comes out swinging at Amazon

Google Books: Authors Guild comes out swinging at Amazon: "

With the deadline drawing closer in the dispute over the Google Books settlement (representations to the New York court overseeing the case have to be made by the end of this week) the battle between the two sides is growing more fierce by the day.

Yesterday Amazon took a pop at its rival, while today Google held its own press conference with organisations that support its deal with US authors and publishers - which I reported earlier as an attempt to sidestep the substantial issue of whether they have the right to act on behalf of all authors and publishers in the states.

Now, however, one of the groups that proposed the settlement in question - the Authors Guild - has come out with both arms swinging, as well as a couple of feet too. On its website, the guild took a shot at Amazon in an angry post entitled 'Amazon accused someone else of monopolizing bookselling'.

Amazon's hypocrisy is breathtaking. It dominates online bookselling and the fledgling e-book industry. At this moment it's trying to cement its control of the e-book industry by routinely selling e-books at a loss. It won't do that forever, of course. Eventually, when enough readers are locked in to its Kindle, everyone in the industry expects Amazon to squeeze publishers and authors. The results could be devastating for the economics of authorship.
Amazon apparently fears that Google could upend its plans. Amazon needn't worry, really: this agreement is about out-of-print books. Its lock on the online distribution of in-print books, unfortunately, seems secure

Fierce words. With a seething rant like that, perhaps the AG is even prepared to get its teeth in on the action as well as its limbs.
And it's fair to question Amazon's motives. I can't imagine they're acting from entirely pure motives. But that doesn't necessarily mean they're wrong, does it? And although Amazon does dominate the book selling market almost entirely, we have yet to see that there is any legislative or contractual monopoly that makes it so - just a rapacious and scarily effective business.
There is also the question of whether this case is worth worrying about, since it only applies to American organisations. The German government certainly thinks so, objecting to Google's $125m deal when it offered its own representation to the court. But why? For a start, once something's on the internet in one country, we all know that it's everywhere.
And the settlement covers all books published in the US, wherever the author is based. In fact, I think it also applies to books about the US - at least on this morning's conference call one of the speakers pointed out that Google has already started scanning lots of books in Latin America (and it's been scanning books at the Bodleian in Oxford for years).
If you want a view from the front line, you could do an awful lot worse than this post by British author Nick Harkaway, who points out why he's concerned.

I think that this deal is a mistake. I'm not comfortable with being in a standardised bundle which can't be negotiated, and I'm not happy being in a long-term relationship with Google without ever having dealt with them directly.
I'm troubled by the Book Registry, the business of the secret clause and the lack of control over ads. I'm not happy with the monopolistic aspect of the Settlement.
But above all else, I think the way this has been done – by bypassing standard practice and arranging an opt-out situation, by cutting a private deal rather than legislating, by linking a fight over past infringement to the creation of an information/literary powerhouse (not that Google wasn't already a powerhouse) is alarming. It's not how this stuff should happen, and it shouldn't stand. We should not endorse it.

Worth reading in full.

• Google
• Amazon.com
• Law and technology
• Internet

Bobbie Johnson

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions More Feeds

"

Edinburgh International Book Festival: meet the authors

Edinburgh International Book Festival: meet the authors: "
Up close and personal with festival authors Garrison Keillor, Neil Gaiman, Gerald Scarfe and Colm Tóibín

Murdo Macleod

The Suffocating Sea

Pauline Rowson discusses the outline of the third Inspector Andy Horton Marine Mystery Crime Novel and reads an excerpt from Chapter One. The Suffocating Sea was chosen as one of the top ten 'Best of British Crime Fiction' by The Book Depository. 'An entertaining read in an engaging series' Booklist. This series of British crime and thriller novels are set in the Solent on the south coast of England.

Hardback Publisher Seeks Out New Writers

This item was taken from The Bookseller Magazine 19.08.09 written by Victoria Gallagher. I thought it might be of interest to writers seeking a publisher in the UK.

"A new publisher specialising in hardback titles has been set up to seek out and invest in new writers. Sparkling Books is aiming for the gift market, producing titles with "quality binding and beautiful design".

Anna Cuffaro, founded of Sparkling Books, says: "There are many talented writers out there whose books are rejected simply because they have had no previous titles published... We welcome first time authors and we promise to read every proposal we receive."

In October Sparkling Books will release its lead Christmas title, Gatwick Bear and the Secret Plans by Cuffaro herself. The book is a children's adventure story about a homeless bear who lives at Gatwick Airport and gets caught up in the world of top secret agents.

Next year, it plans to launch The Greatest Crash by David Kauders, "exposing why government policies are driving the global economy into a deeper crisis, why an austerity alternative will be of little help, and what really needs to be done".

Cuffaro said: "We have already commissioned several exciting titles and we are confident that we will continue to unearth talented people with unique and saleable books." "

www.sparklingbooks.biz.

http://www.thebookseller.com

Hugh McGuire: Why "Self-Publishing" Is Meaningless

Hugh McGuire: Why "Self-Publishing" Is Meaningless

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Government seeking ways to expand PLR to audio and e books

The Government is seeking ways to extend the public lending rights (PLR) programme so it can include non-print publications such as audio books and ebooks. This, to me, is excellent news for authors. Many of my works are available as e books and audio books and are loaned out in libraries.

The PLR programme compensates authors for the potential loss of sales from their works being available in public libraries. The amounts paid varies from country to country. Some pay based on how many times a book has been taken out of a library, others use a simpler system of payment based simply on whether a library owns a book or not. But it only applies to printed publications.

The PLR on printed books is a lifeline for many authors and although does not provide huge amounts of money (the maximum pay out to any author no matter how many times a book is loaned is £6,000) it is very welcome indeed.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said that there were more than 11 million loans of audio books in 2007/08 and with new technologies being developed, public libraries are facing increasing demand for ebooks. A consultation has been launched to get responses to its proposals.

The Digital Britain final report, published in June 2009, also recommended looking at extending PLR.

The DCMS is urging rights holders and other interested parties to participate in a public consultation to discuss ways to extend PLR to non-print publications. If you are a member of a writers' organisation such as the The Society of Authors you can voice your views via them. Alternatively you can respond to the DCMS individually.

The consultation ends on 16 October. So get your views in and take some time to vote on my online poll.

Tom Matlack: Book Publishing: Death or Rebirth?

I came across this interesting article which is appropriate reading for both published and unpublished writers, and indeed for anyone working within the book trade. Just click on the link below to read the full story.

Tom Matlack: Book Publishing: Death or Rebirth?

Posted using ShareThis

Women's Commercial Fiction Workshop

There are still some spaces left on the women's commercial workshop run by Cornerstones, and you have until next week to sign up! Cornerstones only run this course once a year so it's a great opportunity to learn from a star of the genre, Julie Cohen.

The workshop is intimate and inclusive with only 14 authors and the exercises are tailored to your material. It includes one-on-one sessions, you'll also get to meet agent Broo Doherty.

The course takes place on 21-23 Sept at Charney Manor, Oxon.

E mail helen@cornerstones.co.uk or visit www.cornerstones.co.uk for more details.

News from the Writers' Centre August 2009

Poetry Workshops
Writers’ Centre Norwich Offices, 14 Princes Street, Norwich, NR3 1AE

Below are details of four poetry workshops in collaboration with the Poetry School. The workshops look at key processes of writing poetry, and include a session with Neil Astley on getting published, and a masterclass with Sean O’ Brien on how to prevent habit or anxiety from obstructing your work.

WRITING THE SELF with MICHAEL LASKEY
Sat 10 October 2009 11am – 5pm £50 / £40 conc

Aldeburgh Poetry Festival founder and TS Eliot Prize shortlisted poet Michael Laskey examines the process of writing one’s self into poetry. Including close readings of contemporary poetry and writing exercises for poets looking to develop in their field.

GET PUBLISHED – OR NOT with NEIL ASTLEY
Mon 9 November 2009 4pm – 7pm £50 / £40 conc

This workshop offers a nuts-and-bolts examination of the whys and wherefores of getting poetry published in books and magazines, led by Bloodaxe’s editor, Neil Astley. He has published hundreds of poets but has also had to reject the rest by the skipload and so can offer an informed, insider’s view of poetry publishing and bookselling. The session involves a general reality check as well as individual attention to particular concerns and questions. Not to be missed. Participants also receive free entry to the evening’s Cafe Writers event, see www.cafewriters.org.uk

FACT INTO POETRY with HELEN IVORY
Sat 27 February 2010│10am – 5pm│£50 / £40 conc

How important are facts in a poem? How far can you take an idea before it’s fully realised? This workshop explores the process of changing fact into art. Bloodaxe published and Eric Gregory award winning poet Helen Ivory will lead participants, looking at aspects of the self, the metaphorical truth and how facts can be manipulated creatively to make poems.

WHAT DOES THE POEM NEED FROM THE POET? MASTERCLASS with SEAN O’BRIEN
Sat 13 March 2010│10am – 4pm│£60 / £40 conc

This masterclass will concentrate on those points at which a poem comes into its own during the process of revision. TS Eliot prize winner Sean O’Brien will look at ways of preventing habit or anxiety from obstructing the range and development of our work, and the overall emphasis will be on the sense of possibility. Those booking onto the masterclass will be asked to submit poems in advance.

To book email info@writerscentrenorwich.org.uk or call 01603 877177.

Performance with Luke Kennard

Nurture your inspiration by experiencing the poetry of Luke Kennard, whose first collection of poetry, The Solex Brothers, was given an Eric Gregory Award in 2005. His second collection, The Harbour Beyond the Movie was shortlisted for the Forward Prize in 2007, making him the youngest writer ever to be nominated, and a talent not to be missed. Further details can be found on the WCN website.


The Writers’ Centre Norwich (WCN) is spreading itself around the internet to help keep you up to date with all of its goings on. You can become a fan on their Facebook page, or subscribe to WCN online on Youtube

Competitons and submissions

John Betjeman Young People's Poetry Competition
Open to 11-14 year olds, deadline 31st August
Entrants are invited to send one poem about any aspect of their local surroundings. First prize: £1,000 shared between the winning entrant and the school or theatre to which they belong. Go to www.johnbetjeman.com or mail justinagowers@yahoo.co.uk for more info / entry form.

*periphery
YH485 Press invites you to contribute material to a publication on the theme of periphery. Each contributor will be allocated a two-page spread: for an image of their own choosing and 500 words of text. *periphery is launched to coincide with the opening of a four-day programme of moving image works by local artists to be broadcast on the giant televisions along Great Yarmouth seafront. Deadline: August 25th 2009 at 5pm. Send submissions, text in word doc. format and image as a hi-res JPEG to the Editor at aaronjuneau@hotmail.com

For more information, news and events contact:
Writers’ Centre Norwich
14 Princes Street
Norwich
NR3 1AE
Tel: 01603 877177
Fax: 01603 625452
www.writerscentrenorwich.org.uk

Vote for the People's Book Prize

I'm delighted to announce that Michael Dean's moving novel of German resistance to Hitler, The Crooked Cross (Quaestor200), which was featured recently on this blog, has been nominated for The People’s Book Prize.

The People's Book Prize is a national competition aimed at discovering talented authors showcased exclusively at local libraries and on the People's Book Prize website. There is no panel of judges except the public!

Readers can vote for The Crooked Cross during August and September at http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/

‘Forget Dan Brown. This is real art history, real conspiracy and really relevant. Glaser is a great figure, for whom one feels enormous empathy.’ - Alan Posener, The World on Sunday, Berlin

The Crooked Cross paints a portrait of Germany in 1933, just as Hitler comes to power. Against the backdrop of German political resistance and the Nazi assault on German Expressionist art, it tells the story of Gerhard Glaser, lawyer and art lover - a good man in bad times.

Glaser was the Public Prosecutor in the case of Geli Raubal, Hitler’s half-niece. Then and now the world believes that Geli committed suicide, but Glaser had evidence that Hitler murdered her - evidence he was unable to make stick. Then a Jewish art dealer, a friend of Glaser’s, is murdered because he bought some drawings Hitler did of Geli.

Glaser investigates the murder, hoping he has one last chance to bring Hitler within the law. But when that last chance fails, he is forced to abandon legality and risk his family’s lives, in a final despairing throw of the dice.

Michael Dean studied history at Worcester College, Oxford and Applied Linguistics at Edinburgh University. He was written over thirty non-fiction books for OUP, Penguin, Pearson and Hodder in England, Klett In Germany and Walters Noordhoff in Holland. He has had one play on television. This is his first novel.

Self-Publishing by Tracy Falbe

This article has been reproduced here with the kind permission of Tracy Falbe and first appeared on her blog http://herladyshipsquest.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-i-like-about-self-publishing.html. Tracy Falbe is the author of The Rys Chronicles epic fantasy series available at http://www.falbepublishing.com/braveluck/index.html where the first novel Union of Renegades is a free fantasy ebook. Download it today and see what the publishers missed out on.

Self publishing is not an easy road for book authors, but it has the great advantage of being an open road instead of a closed road. Self publishing is a toll road because you will have to pay to produce your own work. Whether self publishing leads an author to disappointment or satisfaction depends on the person and the works being produced.


Like most authors, I started self publishing with grandiose dreams of success. I still have those dreams but operate within modest realities. Since I began producing my writing in 2005, I have earned between $900 to $2,000 a year from sales. Although that is hardly going to finance champagne wishes or caviar dreams, it does indicate that my writing has value, and, over the long term, I will actually enjoy a return on investment. Because my novels and nonfiction are not dependent on current events, the content will not lose value. If I sustain my modest marketing efforts, I can expect to maintain my current sales, which will add up nicely over the years. Even at this lowly level, I enjoy the satisfaction of reaching readers and earning some supplemental income from my creative pursuits.


The satisfaction from being published is what most self publishers are looking for. They just want to be recognized even on a small scale. Self publishing allows blossoming writers to achieve a final product instead of a stack of paper in a closet or a computer file hunkered in the ultimate obscurity of a single hard drive. Achieving a final form is easier to accomplish for other artists. A musician can play his or her music and be heard, even if it is on a street corner or a small local stage. An artist can paint a picture and hang it on a wall for others to see. But a writer has to find a way to bundle his or her text into a form in which it can be distributed to potential readers. This form can be paper books or ebooks. Self publishing is essentially the finishing stage for writers who feel that their work is ready to be read.

Of course getting someone to actually read your self published book or ebook is the ultimate challenge. Readers have hundreds of thousands of books to choose from, and simply getting noticed is a great hurdle. Self published authors are typically out of the book distribution loop, except on very limited circumstances that rarely translate into substantial sales.

Because distribution channels are generally closed to me or only available if I give up a large percentage of the sale, I focus on selling through my websites. This is ideal for self published authors because affordable web hosting and ecommerce services are readily available, and the writer can enjoy true independence. Actually getting people to my website is a challenge, but it happens with the aids of continual promotion and advertising. I enjoy regular sales of my ebooks and books. I even enjoy providing customer service to my readers, who often appreciate the personal attention from the actual creator of the works they are reading. Through my website, I've reached people all over the world and I regularly get positive feedback from readers. None of this would have been possible if I had not pursued self publishing.


The greatest enjoyment I derive from self publishing is the fact that it gives me a public outlet for my creative endeavors. I can pursue my craft of writing and slowly gain a reputation as a writer. Because I have been writing novels for years, I originally pursued traditional routes to publishing in which I queried agents and publishers. As a fantasy writer, I had written a four-part epic, but I soon learned that this is a tremendously difficult concept to market. Although the majority of commercial fantasy is built around the series format, it does not mean that a publisher is the least bit interested in signing a four-book contract with an unknown author. No matter how cleverly I wrote a query letter, the business person reading it would have to see: "Hi, I'm nobody who has published nothing and would like you to publish four of my novels." That is never going to happen. After numerous inevitable rejections, I at least had the spiteful vindication of knowing that no one rejected me based on my novels. I was rejected based on query letters. So, who needs the rejection squad? Self publishing to the rescue.

Admittedly self publishing is an imperfect solution for authors. I have to invest in myself and suffer the consequences of obscurity and limited channels of distribution. But at least I'm out there. People do read my novels. Maybe the day will come when I have significant sales and can enjoy greater financial rewards from my writing. I would certainly enjoy that too.

I do not hesitate to recommend self publishing to writers. My advice is to be realistic, understand the significant barriers to actual success, watch your budget because self publishing investments vary wildly, and tell yourself that you have every right to put your creations in the public arena.


Tracy Falbe is the author of The Rys Chronicles epic fantasy series available at http://www.falbepublishing.com/braveluck/index.html where the first novel Union of Renegades is a free fantasy ebook.

Writers and artists competition

Aesthetica, is a bi-monthly arts and culture magazine with sections dedicated to visual art, literature, theatre, film and music. The magazine is currently seeking short fiction and poetry entries for the Aesthetica Creative Works Competition.

The competition attracts entries from around the globe which are showcased in the Aesthetica Creative Works Annual, available through Borders from December. Last year the magazine featured up and comers including Leni Kae, who will be representing Australia in the Florence Biennale; Neale Howells, who has go on to exhibit alongside Tracey Emin and Peter Blake at the Kowalsky Gallery, DACS's examination of Orwellian themes in the 1984 exhibition; and Kate Rudkins, who has been commissioned by Channel 4 to make a Three Minute Wonder.

The Aesthetica Creative Works Competition seeks entries of Artwork, Photography & Sculpture, Fiction and Poetry

Three winners will be awarded £500 each
Additional prizes include an Olympus E-420 SLR camera and a boutique holiday for two
All finalists will be published in the Aesthetica Creative Works Annual, in stores December 2009
Entry to the 2009 Aesthetica Creative Works Competition is £10. This allows you to submit up to 5 images, 5 poems or 2 short stories

Closing date to receive Creative Works is 31 August 2009
For full details please visit www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm

Are Writing Courses Worth it?

Many people ask me if I've ever been on a writing course and if so whether or not it was worth it. The answer to both questions is yes. I have also run writing courses and have found that delegates enjoy them and get huge benefits from them.

The courses I have attended in the past were one day seminars, because working and running a business meant I couldn't afford to spend more than a day away from work and that might be the same for you. Not everyone can afford the time and money to go away for several days on a course, or to pack in their day job and undergo a degree in creative writing!

Writing workshops, courses and conferences can provide an excellent opportunity to network with other writers, to share experiences and pick up lots of tips and techniques. I believe that even if you come away with just one point to help you develop and improve your writing then it's worth it. There is also the huge benefit of motivating you to keep going with your writing especially when faced with rejection letters or writer's block.

There are many courses and conferences advertised on the Internet, and you need to choose the right one for you and your type of writing. In addition, check out what is being run in your local area, at your community centre or college.

Go with an open mind and the desire to pick up whatever tips you can. At some of these events you might even get the chance to pitch your work to a literary agent or publisher. If this is the case then be prepared. Make sure your synopsis is the best you can make it (there are some tips on this web site to help you with this) and that you can summarise what your book is about in a couple of simple sentences.

If you decide that self publishing is the best option for your book then writing courses will also help you to improve your skills and polish your work.

If you are serious about your writing you will invest a great deal of your time in the activity not to mention energy and emotion. Yes, you will need to pay to attend a course, conference or seminar but if you've already put all that efffort into your work then parting with some money to take it that little bit further could be one of the best investments you make.

Survey into reading and buying habits

For those of you who are interested there is a survey just published into the reading and buying habits in the UK.

The survey, commissioned by the Bookseller magazine and conducted by The Next Big Thing throws up some interesting data and although should not be taken as gospel it provides a snapshot into the reading and buying habits in the UK. You can read about the findings at http://www.thebookseller.com/in-depth/feature/88461-reading-the-future.html

"3,159 people responded (just over 1,000 were surveyed in 2008 and all in face-to-face street interviews). They came from across all regions of the country, included a broad spread of adult age groups, a representative spread of all socio-economic groups, and an equal number of men and women."

In 2009 interviews were conducted on line, which of course could slew some of the findings.

"The overall favoured genres and the most popular genre in the downturn is the same as in the better economic climate: crime/thriller novels. "

"Crime/thrillers and science-fiction fans are the two categories that are more likely than average to continue to buy books at the same rate, at 45.5% and 41% respectively."

The survey also highlights the shift to online buying over other channels such as bookshops and supermarkets, which probably comes as no surprise to most of us. (This answer could be slewed because the survey was conducted on line.).

And although crime novels came out tops that doesn't mean writers of other genres or readers need despair. Sci fi was also a popular choice and the popularity of literary fiction appears to have risen. "In 2008 it was behind romance but in 2009 it is on a par."

To read more visit http://www.thebookseller.com/in-depth/feature/88461-reading-the-future.html

Pauline Rowson discusses how she started writing

In this new video I discuss how I started writing and the difficult road to publication.

How to get a book deal

Tim Clare spent years trying to be published. Now he's written about the secret of his success.
This article is a must read for everyone struggling to get published. Follow the link below to read the full item.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/how-to-get-a-book-deal-1700067.html

The Inspiration behind In Cold Daylight

People often ask me where my ideas come from. Well in this video I discuss the inspiration behind my action-packed thriller, In Cold Daylight. I also read the prologue of the novel.

About In Cold Daylight
Was fire fighter, Jack Bartholomew's death an accident or arson? Who is determined to stop him from discovering the truth behind the cancer deaths of so many fire fighters from one watch? His closest friend, marine artist, Adam Greene, is forced to take up the quest. His mission to get to the truth no matter what the cost, even if it means his life.

This novel was shortlisted for the World Book Day Prize 2008.

Making submissions to an agent or publisher

Fiction Submissions

Your chances of getting published, or accepted by a literary agent, can be ruined by a poor submission so here are some tips to help you get it right.

Your work should be typed using double spacing and wide margins in Times New Roman point 12.

An outline is different from a synopsis.

The Outline

An outline is usually a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of your work. For fiction it usually comprises a few sentences for each chapter, showing key developments in that chapter, introducing characters and showing character development as well as any sub plots that impact or interact on the novel.

The outline can be anything up to four pages of A4, broken down by chapter headings and 1.5 spacing.


The Synopsis

Most publishers and agents ask for the first three chapters of your novel and a synopsis. Your synopsis therefore should start where your third chapter leaves off, do not waste words by repeating in the synopsis what has already taken place in chapters one to three.

It should follow the progression of the book, showing the introduction of the main characters and the development of the plot.

It should never say things like and ‘guess what happens next? Read the book to find out.’ This is guaranteed to get you a rejection.

Write the synopsis in the same style as your book, light and chatty if your novel is chatty but make it a factual development.

Ensure that your synopsis is laid out with at least 1.5 spacing. Check your spelling and punctuation and ensure the presentation is as professional as possible.

Comply with the publisher/agents’ request when submitting your work, if they say they want only two chapters then send them two chapters not four. Also always send the first two chapters and not two chapters picked out at random. If they say they want a two-page outline then send only this.

For more on writing a synopsis you can read an earlier item on this blog written by Amy Myers.

Good luck.

History As Fiction

This article, 'History as Fiction,' has been written by Michael Dean. He is the author of The Crooked Cross (Quaestor2000) published on May 29th. The novel is set in Munich in 1933 and is about Hitler, the German resistance to Hitler and German Expressionist painters. There is more about his novel on his website: http://michaeldean.web247.net/



Late in the afternoon of April 20th , I was standing in the spring sunshine in the beautiful courtyard of Somerset House, talking to Beryl Bainbridge. It was just before she and Hilary Mantel were due to speak on History as Fiction, sponsored by the Royal Society of Literature. We were talking about Hitler.

One of Beryl Bainbridge’s seventeen novels, as you probably know, was Young Adolf. My debut novel, The Crooked Cross (Quaestor2000), published on May 29 this year, also features Hitler. Set in Munich in 1933, it centres on the German resistance and German Expressionist painters, who the Nazis declared ‘degenerate.’

April 20th was Hitler’s birthday. On the same day (coincidentally?) President Ahmedinedzad of Iran made remarks about Israel at the UN in Geneva which the Times next day described as ‘Orwellian.’ ‘Hitlerian’ would have done just as well. Not a bad day, then, to look at the present’s relationship to the past.

The speakers were asked about their way into the past - research: Beryl Bainbridge said she read contemporary sources only, steering clearing of any modern work. Hilary Mantel said she ‘read everything.’

For me, the research is an end in itself. I knew from early on that I would write polemical essays about Hitler, as well as the novel. They are on my website: http://michaeldean.web247.net/ Hitler as Artist develops the theory that Hitler was an autistic artist-savant and Did Hitler Kill Geli Raubal? puts a dent in the received wisdom that Hitler had an alibi when his half-niece, Geli Raubal, was killed.

But reading for a novel is always incomplete and partial. ‘There is a point where the
facts run out,’ as Hilary Mantel put it. The novelist, they both said, completes the person in the historical character – thoughts, dreams, aspirations; speech, smells, sex. If the history isn’t seen through the mind – or voice – of a person, Beryl Bainbridge said, then it isn’t a novel: ‘A novel means a person is speaking to you.’ The facts are a sort of relief map of the terrain to be covered, not data to be entered into the SatNav.

However, the facts and the truth are not the same thing. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Open Book programme, on April 26th , Hilary Mantel said ‘Thomas Cromwell had been marginalised and misunderstood.’ In her new novel, Wolf Hall (Fourth Estate), she wanted to put that right. I too had polemical purposes. Much of my novel is about real Germans in 1933 – journalists, politicians, lawyers - who opposed Hitler. History has forgotten them. I wanted to pay tribute, to honour them. I also wanted to examine the moral dilemmas posed by being brave. Do you put your family at risk? That sort of thing.

Sometimes the facts get in the way of the novelist’s truth. At the RSL event, Beryl Bainbridge told us that Young Adolf is based on information by Bridget Hitler, the wife of Hitler’s half-brother, Alois. Bridget said that she and Alois had sent money to the young Hitler to enable him to come to Liverpool. Bridget’s deposition is lodged in a distinguished New York library, but nobody today – including Beryl Bainbridge - believes a word of it. We can be pretty sure that Adolf Hitler remained a stranger to Lime Street. Nevertheless, Beryl Bainbridge’s novel offers insights – truths – into the awkward youth who became the adult whose damage to humanity was arguably unique.

I had, in a sense, the opposite problem. Part of The Crooked Cross is about a fictional attempt to assassinate Hitler in 1933. I was told, at first anyway, that nobody would read the novel because everybody knew Hitler was not assassinated in 1933. He wasn’t assassinated in 1944 either, but that didn’t affect the success of the film Valkyrie, about the Stauffenberg plot to kill him.
Fiction doesn’t depend on the reader’s knowledge, any more than it depends on fact. The novelist Michael Carson wrote this about The Crooked Cross: ‘… the reader is cheering the would-be assassins of Hitler. We know that history sees him surviving until 1945, but we willingly suspend our disbelief, hoping against hope that the just assassins will triumph and - forlorn hope - not come to harm themselves. Good fiction can pull off this ache for happy endings.’

Historical fiction goes to places where biography and history cannot go. It succeeds – when it succeeds – by other means. And I would say that if we are not to lose the past, and see today’s monsters prevail where those in the past failed – and it was a close-run thing, by the way, with Hitler - then we need historical fiction as part of truth’s weaponry.

At the end of the RSL event I passed on the wine and the company of literati, many toting London Book Fair bags – amiable though they all seemed. I know I will never belong there. I sank a bottle of wine and scoffed a pizza with the Significant Other; happy to have got this far, lifted by what I had heard.

What we took with us from the evening, in our hearts and minds, was Beryl Bainbridge reading from Every Man For Himself. A moment from the past had come into the present, because when she read we experienced another’s experience of what it had been like. And we kept it with us and we let it change us.

Pauline Rowson reads an extract from Dead Man's Wharf

Dead Man's Wharf is the new Marine Mystery crime novel, the fourth in this popular, entertaining and gripping series to feature the rugged and flawed Inspector Andy Horton. It is set in the Solent area on the South Coast of England and published in hardcover (27 April 2009).

The London Book Fair 2009

The London Book Fair seemed as busy as ever, though there were fewer Americans and Australians about than usual. It was great to see so many authors and budding authors doing their research and connecting with people. If you are really serious about your writing then the London Book fair is a must. You can learn so much about the industry there and take advantage of a range of free seminars. It was where I first had a glimpse into the peculiar world of publishing back in 1998 before I set up my small publishing company, publishing business and motivational titles, starting with one of my own books, before taking on other authors, expanding the list and then selling it to Crimson Publishing in 2008. If you haven't been to the London Book Fair before then perhaps you can make a note to attend in 2010.

I was pleased to give advice to authors on the publishing business, how they can get their books distributed and how they can more successfully self-publish. It was great to meet many people I have connected with on LinkedIn and on Facebook.

I met with my agents from Brazil, Spain, Italy, the Middle East and the Far East and while on the stand had a surprise visit from Paul Daniels – yes, the magic man. It was great to see him and in no time at all he had a small audience enthralled by his magic tricks. He promised to follow my antics on Twitter! He was at the London Book Fair to promote his creation Wizbit, written by Justine Maynard and published by HandE Publishers.

There was considerable interest in e books, the publishing industry finally seems to be waking up to the fact that e books are here to stay and will continue to evolve and grow, as will Internet book sales. Self-publishing is another growth area and is becoming increasingly popular as a means for new authors to get their books out there.

It was also a good opportunity to meet with journalists and I had meetings with my e book and audio publisher, Summersdale Publishing, and my business book publisher, Crimson, who gave me a copy of the jacket cover of one of my new business titles due to be published in August 2009. They’re doing a big marketing push behind the launch of a major new series of business books including my titles: Successful Marketing, Successful Sales and Successful Customer Service. As soon as I have jpegs, I’ll post them here and put links where you can view details.

Today is the final day of the London Book Fair, and although I am not there, my marine mystery novels and thrillers are, so hopefully they will attract more interest from publishers, booksellers and readers around the world. Many people stopped by the stand to tell me how much they loved my rugged, edgy detective, Inspector Horton and to them I very grateful. I hope many more will enjoy reading my crime novels in the months and years ahead.

I hope to pass on more tips via this web site for authors who are self-publishing or who wish to self-publish so if you're interested, bookmark this site to learn more.

The London Book Fair 20-22 April 2009

The London Book Fair is just a week away and a great place to learn more about the publishing industry with free seminars and lots of publishers present. For published writers and those wishing to be published it's a good way to research the market and find out who is who. You can pick up new ideas at the fair, make new contacts, check out what kind of titles publishers are publishing and network with other authors, and those in the book business.

The Society of Authors has a reduction in entry tickets. Members can register online for the reduced price of £10, which is a saving of £30 on the usual entrance fee. To register, please visit the 'Membership benefits' page in the members area by clicking here.

My Marine Mystery crime novels and my thrillers will be on show at The London Book Fair on stand J205 so if you're going to the London Book Fair do take time to come and say 'hello'. I will be there on Monday 20 April and Tuesday 21 April. I've got some appointments lined up but if I'm not around you can always browse the books and pick up a leaflet or two. You can even pinch a sweet! My business book publisher, Crimson, will also be at the Fair on Stand J250.

I'm looking forward to meeting my overseas literary agents and my publishers and hopefully making many new contacts.

Pauline Rowson reads from Deadly Waters

Deadly Waters is available in paperback for £6.99 from 2 April 2009. Here I am reading an extract from chapter one.

Writing Exercise - Developing Characters

When thinking about characters for your novel you can gain ideas from examining personality types and leadership styles. Do a search on the Internet under these headings and see what it throws up.


Look at the different styles of leadership below, these could be applied to some of your characters.


1. The Little General - These lead by dominating and intimidating. They inspire fear and require obedience. They don't want any ideas or suggestions. Their organisations have a high turnover of staff and a lack of motivated staff.


2. The Wheeler/Dealer - These lead by manipulation. They require returns of favours and inspire mutual dependence. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. They are not trusted by their staff.


3. The Role Model - These lead by example. They inspire hope and require loyalty. They can believe in their own ego too readily.


4. The Wizard - These lead by including other people. They delegate and inspire commitment. They need help and support.



Exercise:


Under each of the headings flesh out a character that fits each of those styles. You can describe their body language, how they move and behave, the way they speak, the language they use, how they react with others.


Put your character into a fictitious situation and write how they handle it.

Pauline Rowson talks about her Marine Mysteries

Pauline Rowson talks to Rob Richardson of Express FM about her marine mystery crime novels featuring the flawed and rugged Inspector Andy Horton, her thrillers, In Cold Daylight and In For The Kill and discusses point of view.

Top Writing Tip For Today

Character Development - Villains

Villains need to be worthy adversaries – intelligent enough to hurt the hero or heroine, and have the opportunity and power to do so.


They must be well rounded characters with hopes, fears and weaknesses and perhaps a few good points to make them more interesting but not more interesting than the hero or heroine.


They need to have motivation for what they do and should be punished for their misdemeanours, or at least not get what they want.

Top Writing Tip For Today

Character Development

Crime fiction is usually plot led but the reader has to like/love the characters especially the main ones. In romantic/relationship fiction most readers will want to identify with the heroine and fall in love with the hero.

Main characters need to take control, they should not give in under pressure and should take an active part in solving their own problems.

They should be people the reader can love, admire or find interesting, who change and grow, who react to what happens and learn from it, and from what went wrong in the past.

Heroes and heroines need to win through and get what they want – or die tragically in the attempt. They can have faults, but we can forgive them for these. They must deserve our affection. They must be real and we must feel for them.

Top Writing Tip For Today

When pitching your book to an agent or publisher, or if you are self-publishing, try and have a clear picture of the type of people your book would appeal to.

Are they primarily men or women, or is it a children's novel? What is the age range and background of your prospective readers? What is their lifestyle? How do they spend their leisure time? Which newspapers and magazines do they read?

In addition, think about what makes your book different to all the others on the same subject or in that genre? What is its unique selling point? Define it if you can to help it stand out from all the others.

Use this information in your covering letter when making a submission to an agent or publisher.

Top Writing Tip For Today

Sum up what your book is about in one sentence. Imagine you are in a lift with a top literary agent or publisher and you have thirty seconds to tell them what your book is about.

Or imagine you are on a radio programme and the presenter asks you to explain what your books is about in thirty seconds.

Time yourself.

Make it a soundbite.

This is what you will need when pitching to an agent or publisher whether that be face-to-face or as a sentence in your covering letter.

Writing Tip For Today

Your plots spring from your characters. Know your characters well. Here are two exercises to help you develop your characters:

1. Think of a person you know well and list all the points about them that make them the person they are e.g. background, education, position in the family, traumatic events etc.

2. When you are on the bus, tube, train, or sitting in a cafe, look at the people around you. Focus on one of them and build a story about them from what you see. What is their name, their background, their family life, their hopes and dreams... Make sure you don't stare though or you could find yourself in trouble!

For more on character development listen to the short video below.

Top Writing Tip For Today

When it comes to finding a publisher or literary agent for your book you need to ask, 'Who would be interested in my type of book?'

Don’t waste your time and theirs submitting work that they are not publishing, for example, sending fiction to a non fiction publisher. Rather obvious I know, but it happens. Do your research.

• Look through the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook and make a note of the publishers you’d like to try. (Scroll down to see the helpful books section on this web site, where you will also find links to the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook)

• Study the books in your local bookshop or library to see who is publishing your type of book and make a note of the publisher. Then look them up on the Internet or in the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook.

• Conduct a search on the Internet for a suitable publisher or literary agent.

• Check if they will take submissions and what they require. Most provide guidelines on their web sites on how to submit your work.

• Attend writing conferences where literary agents are present and where you have the opportunity to meet them.

Pauline Rowson Talks About Developing Characters 0001

Top Writing Tip For Today is via this short video. Know your characters.

Pauline Rowson talks to Rob Richardson of Express FM about developing characters.

Top Writing Tip For Today

Top writing tips includes tips on how to get published, how to find an agent, how to self publish and how to promote your book.


Write what you want to write. Write what you enjoy reading. Don’t write what you think will be a hit or a best seller, because by the time you’ve written it the market will probably have moved on. Write from the heart and with passion no matter what the genre or whether it is fiction or non fiction. Experiment with different techniques, constantly improve. Read books that are similar to the style or genre you write and learn from other writers.

Crime Writer Pauline Rowson Talks to Rob Richardson

Pauline Rowson talks about how she writes her marine mysteries in this short video interview.

Writing from the male point of view

When I first started writing, my novels were written from the female character's point of view, but I would often find myself thinking the male was a rather more attractive character. I also began with writing historical sagas. Not sure why when I was an avid crime fiction reader, it was just something I did. Now I look back on those three unpublished historical sagas as a kind of apprenticeship. It wasn't until I started writing crime novels and Tide of Death, with the introduction of Inspector Andy Horton that I found my 'voice' as they call it in writing parlance. Not only that but I was also writing what I truly wanted to write and what suited me.

Immediately, writing from the male point of view, everything fell into place. I also discovered that I preferred single point of view which means you follow the story through the eyes of Andy Horton in my marine mystery crime novels and through Adam Greene in my thriller, In Cold Daylight and Alex Albury in In For The Kill. That doesn't mean to say I will always follow this pattern, but at the moment it's how I enjoy writing.

When people ask me why I write from the male character's point of view I often joke that maybe it's because I am a closet man. But I don't really know. Perhaps it's because I have worked in male dominated environments for most of my life, or it has something to do with my personality or upbringing. Or it could be none of these things, and what does it matter anyway? It's just the way I write. Finding what suits you in terms of the genre, style of novel, and viewpoint is often a matter of trial and error until something clicks. What matters is getting inside your character's minds and truly understanding their motivations and emotions no matter whether they are male, female, adult or child.

Choosing titles for your novels

One of the questions that I often get asked is how do you choose titles for your novels?
I might have covered it here before, but here goes, again, if I have!

Titles either come to me instantly, as in my new Marine Mystery crime novel -Dead Man's Wharf, due out on 29 April, or I struggle for ages. The first title in the series was simple, Tide of Death but I had to change the title of the second in the series from Deadly Harbour to Deadly Waters, because it was being published in the USA and the publisher didn't want the English spelling of harbour on the cover. I struggled with the title of the new Inspector Horton Marine Mystery I'm writing, but I have now called it Blood Upon the Sand though that could change before publication.

In Cold Daylight began as The Cold Light of Day before I found another book of the same title in the same genre, a thriller, so I changed it - just to be on the safe side - to In Cold Daylight. And In For The Kill came instantly to me and explains just what that thriller is about - Alex Albury on his quest for revenge is in for the kill.

There is no copyright on a title but if you choose a title that is the same as another in the same genre you could find the publisher of the original book objecting and in danger of having your book pulled.

Titles, just like book covers, have to fit the type of novel or genre, and in my case, because my novels are Marine Mysteries they also have to have a 'sea' element in the title and cover image. Both are very important in attracting the new reader although once readers discover your novels and enjoy them they will then specifically look out for the new one.

Many people rarely remember the titles after they've read a book (unless the book becomes film). People might not even remember the author's name but what they often remember is the main character and they'll look for the next Inspector Horton, or the next Marine Mystery.

I did once, however, meet a reader who told me that she only ever bought crime books with murder or death in the title!

What do you think? How important are book titles to you and what influences you when you buy a book?

Help With Self-Publishing

PublishMe.co.nz is the self-publishing website of Zenith Publishing Group Ltd and it is well worth a visit. There is lots of help and guidance on this very easy to use web site, which will answer many of the questions you might have about self-publishing. With the rapid changes in the book industry worldwide, and the advent of digital technology, self-publishing is a perfectly viable route for an an author to take. And it doesn't have to cost a fortune.

Zenith has been assisting self publishers to publish their work for some ten years. They have experience of the industry and a track record.

PublishMe teaches you how to self-publish effectively and assists you in the all important area of marketing and selling once your books are complete. The web site gives six simple steps to getting your book self-published.

You can also contact them at ocean@publishme.co.nz or julie@publishme.co.nz

Ugh, Ahh or Yuck!

This article has been contributed by Anne-Marie Norman who is author of The Mental Hospital published by Chipmunka Publishing in paperback in spring.


I am one of those writers who thinks of editing as a chore. Perhaps it’s because, like most writers, my imagination comes pre-edited, so there is no work involved until you actually come to putting it down on paper. If you tell me there’s snow on the way, I’ll imagine sledding down a hill at top speed wearing a balaclava, effortlessly holding on to the rope with one hand and waving blithely with the other; the painstaking trek back up the hill carrying the sled in minus five degrees and the numerous crashes, gashes, cuts and nose bleeds will never once cross my mind.

But as we all know editing is a necessity, which, like Pandora’s Box, has the power to unleash a myriad of unexpected terrors. After the thirteenth proof-read, in the early hours of the morning, when you’re running out of migraine tablets, and the words on the page have all started to dance the samba, you know there are still mistakes lurking in the manuscript, waiting to be discovered if only you checked hard enough, thoroughly enough, and with more determination.

Apart from the obvious rules of grammar, tenses and spelling you may also find yourself having sleepless nights over dialogue. It was during the tenth proof read of my novel The Mental Hospital that I went on line to check my spelling of the word ‘yuck.’ I had a character who was fond of such expressions, and who would have become much less interesting had she not used them.


After endless scrolling, clicking and tutting I found that the word was actually spelt ‘yuck’ by the Collins English Dictionary, not ‘yeuch,’ as I had spelt it. However, on other parts of the Internet it was spelt ‘yuch’ and also ‘yeuch.’ I decided to go with the dictionary spelling. But I also discovered an interesting array of other emotions acoustically expressed: ‘Ugh,’ ‘aha,’ ‘ahh,’ ‘oh,’ ‘um,’ ‘mm’ and ‘er.’ ‘Er’ was defined as a word used to convey hesitation or uncertainty and was also, the dictionary informed me, the symbol for erbium. However, ‘eeer,’ which is one that I say, and to me denotes repulsion, being a sound I personally adapted in childhood from ‘ugh,’ was not in the dictionary. Should I dare to invent it? Or would people assume I was misspelling the organ of hearing? Then again what about ‘mm?’ Some authors write ‘mm’ with two m’s and some with three. Is it a matter of publishing style or writer’s choice? How long can ‘mmmm’ go on for and is there a record?

During my travels through the uncertain waters of the internet I also discovered something about formatting dialogue. I went on to one of those ‘writer’s helpful tips’ sites, you know, one of those sites that takes you to whole new levels of anxiety and insecurity, and discovered to my horror that you can’t laugh a sentence. “Why not?” I thought. I do it all the time in real life.


I rushed home immediately, biting my fingernails obsessively and checked my manuscript. I had laughed sentences all the way through it and had to change every single one, which took an entire evening and hardly made me laugh at all. Apparently, you can say a sentence and you can reply to a sentence, or mumble or whisper or use a number of other verbs but you can’t laugh one. So you can write: “There’s a monkey on the roof,” he said, laughing. But not: “No, it’s the Archdeacon dressed as a monkey,” he laughed. You can growl a sentence though, or even thunder one; I am sure Heathcliffe did in Wuthering Heights, and I am also sure that an awful lot of murmuring goes on in the novels of D H Lawrence.


So what about other sounds? Can you sneeze a sentence? Perhaps you can, as long as it’s a mild sneeze. Hence: “I’m allergic to chrysanthemums,” he sneezed gently. Perhaps not. Even with a light cold it still might be too difficult to sneeze and speak at the same time. A malevolent character in my book suddenly springs to mind. What about spitting? Can you spit a sentence? Surely spitting and speaking can be done simultaneously if you put enough effort into it? Perhaps one needs to try spitting a sentence to see if it is physically possible prior to writing it into a novel? But just before attempting to do this I start worrying again, I look down at my notebook and discover I have just written the following sentence: “Oh, er, um, …ugh what’s that, ooh, ow, o, yo, brr, yikes, that’s the yukkiest squidgiest most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen!” He confessed.

Mmmmmm….back to the dictionary!

Anne-Marie Norman can be contacted via The Society of Authors

Top Ten Favourite Books

How do you choose your top ten favourite books when you have so many favourites? That was the dilemma facing me when I was asked by The Book Depository to contribute the article for their web site. It was even more difficult because I had to choose books that are still in print and so many of my favourites aren’t. But I struggled on and managed to whittle it down to ten. You can read my choice at
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/viewblogarticle.php?id=2401

If you have any favourites, or would like to comment on the books I’ve chosen, then please leave a comment at http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/viewblogarticle.php?id=2401

or on this blog.

Crimewriters Legaltv Pauline Rowson

Pauline Rowson talks to Raychel Harvey-Jones about her thriller, In For The Kill.

Crimewriters LegalTV. Pauline Rowson

Pauline Rowson talks to Raychel Harvey-Jones about her marine mystery novels.

The importance of branding for books

I'm a crime writer of the Marine Mystery novels featuring Inspector Horton and of two thrillers. I've just started a new discussion on the Suspense/Thriller Writers Group on Facebook - How important is branding for books? Please feel free to join the discussion if you wish. Here is the link below to Facebook or you can comment here.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=14849&uid=2397748813#/topic.php?uid=2397748813&topic=14849&ref=mf

Having worked in marketing for many years I’m no stranger to the subject of branding. Branding helps create and reinforce an identity for a product or service and places it in the minds of the customer, thereby boosting sales.

With books the branding can include:

· the book itself – its style, genre, quality of writing

· the packaging - the cover design, the size of the book, the title, typography, the quality of the paper

· the marketing – where the book is advertised, what kind of advertising is undertaken, the images used, the style of copy writing, the marketing message

· the brand name, which in fiction terms could be the imprint, the author’s name, the names of the characters or main character

And what reinforces the brand is the consistency of communicating all the above, across all the marketing channels.

My crime novels are branded as Marine Mysteries where the sea becomes the backdrop to evil, betrayal, treachery and revenge. They feature my detective, Inspector Horton. The Suffocating Sea is due out in paperback this month, Deadly Waters in mass market paperback on 2 April and the brand new Inspector Horton Marine Mystery, Dead Man’s Wharf in hardcover on 29 April.

With hundreds and thousands of books being published each year on top of the millions that already exist how important is branding for books, and particularly crime and thriller fiction, in a crowded and competitive market?

Who should be responsible for developing the brand, the author or publisher or both?

Do books need branding, and if so what do you say makes the brand?

And once having developed a brand is it then easier to sell more books?

Is branding even more important today because of Internet search engines?

What are your views?

Time for publishers and booksellers to get back to basics

This article was written by David Didriksen, owner of Willow Books & Cafe, Acton, Mass.,

These are hard times for our publishing brethren, and by extension, for booksellers as well. Large publishers have been placing a moratorium on new titles, laying off workers, firing executives and scrambling to downsize. The lay-offs are likely to continue and booksellers are the ones most likely to feel the aftershock.

Part of the problem may be evolutionary--an industry bloated by years of inefficiency, cranking out too many inferior products, while failing to leverage the best assets in its portfolio: backlist titles that continue to be ignored. Meanwhile, some publishers have commoditized themselves into a corner, trying to live solely off of imagined blockbusters, mostly for the benefit of huge mass market chains and Amazon. Over-reliance on bestsellers, which retailers have had to sell at near cost, worked fine as long as the economy was in good shape. Now, however, the world has changed.

It is indeed unfortunate that a number of jobs will be lost in the coming months, but perhaps there is a positive side to an industry undergoing a painful contraction. Just as a "shake out" of the retail sector a few years ago resulted in a stronger set of survivors, publishers could benefit from new efficiencies and creative new initiatives. Publishers might even rediscover the intrinsic value of backlist sales, a once robust segment, recently abandoned in the pursuit of the "big" book. There is still plenty of gold to be found there, if publishers ever decide to mine it. Real bookstores--both independent and chain--can sell backlist all day long. Mass merchants care only about what turns. And Amazon is getting so powerful, it may someday wonder whether it needs publishers at all.

Booksellers and publishers once acted as partners in the book industry, developing authors and promoting backlist titles, before the lure of quick bucks in mass merchandising channels changed the relationship. Now may be a good time to get back to basics and do business together again if we all want to survive. Mass merchants will likely cut back on book sections at the first signs of underperformance (or as soon as the co-op payments dry up). Bookstores will stay the course.

As the restructuring goes forward, we can only hope that publishers will return to their roots and work with booksellers to enhance backlist opportunities and develop new authors. If that could happen, it would be the best present our industry could wish for during this challenging holiday season.

New Arvon Writing Courses for 2009

Writing Gets Serious - A New Year for Your Words

Message from the Arvon Foundation below. Visit their web site for full details http://www.arvonfoundation.org/p3.html

This New Year we want to get you writing. And what a new programme of Arvon courses we have to help you do just that! Our week-long residential creative writing courses in four historic, beautiful houses around the UK are already booking up, so get looking and booking today...
I hope you will be able to join us at some point this year - either at our event next Monday night at Kings Place in London, on one of our courses or as a new Arvon Friend.

Ruth Borthwick

Director

The Arvon Programme 2009

The Arvon programme of creative writing courses for 2009 is now live.
Join Costa Prize-winning poet Jean Sprackland and Andy Brown on a the poem's trail this April. You'll look out for the beautiful and the unexpected, the observable world and the imaginable one. Or why not Start to Write with Donna Daley-Clarke and Penelope Shuttle in May at Lumb Bank in Yorkshire? You will do some notebook work and practise editing techniques to build up your necessary resources as a writer.More Information

New One-to-One courses

This year Arvon continues to innovate with a new kind of writing course. Our new One-to-One Writing Retreats are like usual Arvon Writing Retreats but with a live-in writer who will provide one-to-one tutorials for you. These special courses are for fewer people - ten on each course - to ensure everyone gets a good amount of tutorial time with the writer-in-residence. Courses are available for poets, novelists, short story writers and playwrights.Book on one of Arvon's new One-to-One Writing Retreats

For more details visit http://www.arvonfoundation.org/p3.html

Good luck with your writing.

Still No Buyer For Bertrams

This article is from BookBrunch by Nicholas Clee

"As the book industry awaits news of the sale of Bertrams, in a process that is taking longer to confirm than had been hoped, it is not only Bertrams staff and publishers who are eager for a resolution. With less than two weeks to go before Christmas, booksellers are desperate for normal supplies from the Norwich-based wholesaler to resume.

The supply by publishers to Bertrams on a pro-forma basis means that Bertrams cannot run daily deliveries to its customers. One independent bookseller told BookBrunch that he was waiting for more than 600 dues: "We're getting only one delivery a week from Random House, and two from Penguin."



At a time when sales are showing a double-digit decline on the same period last year, these delays are particularly troublesome.Switching orders to Gardners is not the simple solution it might appear to be. A bookseller's principal wholesaler will give a discount in the region of 45%; a wholesaler used for one-off orders will give some 10 percentage points less. Booksellers will not switch their entire accounts lightly. They want Bertrams to weather this crisis, as do publishers; but they are feeling increasingly nervous as the days go by.


Meanwhile, publishers are doing their best to supply a bestselling range to Tesco as news of a buyer for administration-bound EUK fails to emerge. Most stock is going through the Tesco-owned Oakwood, though millions of pounds-worth of books remain in the EUK warehouse."



Pauline Rowson, comments:
"This is such a shame as it is afffecting not only publishers and independent bookshops but also the authors who would dearly love everyone to buy their books. Of course, some customers will simply buy elsewhere, on line for example, but there are those like the elderly, who rely on their local bookshop. The bookshop could switch supplier to the other major book wholesaler, Gardners, but many won't have the time to do this before Christmas and for many it involves using a complete new on line ordering system which takes some time to implement and to train staff how to use. Come on Deloittes find a buyer and quick. "

No Buyer For Bertrams Yet

This article has been reproduced from the Norwich Evening News 24.



"A buyer has still not been found for one of the city's biggest employers.Bertram Books is currently looking for a buyer after the group's parent company Entertainment UK - the distribution arm of Woolworths - went into administration last week.It was expected a buyer would be found by the end of last week but Michael Neil, managing director of the company, said the situation remained “unchanged”.Bertrams itself is not in administration but its share capital is now under the control of the administrators Deloitte, which has decided to put the Broadland Business Park-based business up for sale.The company employs 400 people at its Norwich headquarters and more than 200 distribution staff in Yorkshire."


The other major UK books wholesaler, Gardners based at Eastbourne, is rumoured to have taken over the Sainsbury's account, one of the supermarkets left without supplies of books because of the administration.

Twelve Tips For Editing Your Fiction

This article has kindly been supplied by Tracy Falbe, author of The Rys Chronicles epic fantasy series. You can visit her blog at http://herladyshipsquest.blogspot.com/


Good writing includes editing. Just look back at an email you dashed off in haste, and you will likely wince at something. Editing encompasses many levels of intensity from basic proofreading to substantial reworking and rewriting. To produce professional and effective fiction, the manuscript editing will go far beyond merely proofreading.Whether a short story or novel is being submitted to a publisher or headed for self publishing, it needs to be thoroughly edited and assessed from many angles.

Editing strives to create flow with smooth transitions, maintain clarity, cut out unnecessary repetition, and includes a variety of tiny to huge adjustments that make the difference between a block of stone and (hopefully) Michelangelo’s David.

Editing is commonly believed to best be done by a competent person other than the writer. Although the critical eye of another is great, any writer should also assess his or her work by switching gears and looking at the work from the editing perspective instead of the writing perspective. However, a writer is often emotionally attached to a work and reluctant to approach the creation with the attitude of an over demanding, never-satisfied father. Overcoming the protective impulse to cling to an original draft as divinely-driven art will serve any writer well.

Editing also takes much effort. A writer might thankfully turn over a manuscript to an editor like after laboring to plant a garden and then assigning someone else to weed and harvest it. However, many writers do not have the luxury of an available competent person who can polish work for an audience.

All writers want to be considered a good writer, and this requires editing. You may be trying to break into fiction markets with short stories and you need to submit your very best to get noticed. To do this you should approach editing as another and enjoyable part of writing. You will enjoy making your work better, sometimes much better. While editing, you will learn about how you write and you will see what you are good at and what you need to fix. For example, I often find when editing my initial drafts that I flopped through three sentences to say one thing. Usually I can harvest the good bits from each sentence and then combine them into one strong sentence. To do this, I weigh the nuances of each sentence and judge whether I am actually giving out good details or repeating myself needlessly. Having spent many years writing fiction, which includes editing and rewriting, I have developed a checklist that keeps me on track when editing fiction. I apply most or all of the questions on this checklist to every chapter during the editing process. Remember, the goal is for you to be your toughest critic and for all other critics to love you.

Fiction Editing Checklist

1. Is it bad? Be honest. Do you like what you wrote? Can you imagine others liking it? You really must be able to say yes to this fundamental question before being satisfied.

2. What is the lead like? Good, bad, indifferent? By lead, I mean how does the chapter or short story start? Is it compelling? Does it arouse interest or excitement? Don't let an otherwise great story start like assembly instructions for an entertainment center.

3. What is the action like? With this question, I analyze what is happening in the story. First of all, is anything happening? Do not let the narrative feel like being stuck in a traffic jam (unless the action is being stuck in a traffic jam). This is a very subjective question for the writer/editor. Basically, you need to decide if events are moving the story and thereby maintaining the interest of the reader.

4. Are you having a good mix of dialogue, narrative, and action? I use this question to avoid stringing together 80 lines of dialogue. Too much he said and she said in a row does not suit narrative fiction. Non-dialogue elements about the characters, setting, and action need to be mixed with dialogue in order to build the word pictures necessary for fiction.

5. Are you moving the plot along or are you fooling around? It's easy as a writer to start enjoying your characters and exploring tangents or minute details of their lives. Some of this might be essential to story and character development, but let it go too far, and the reader could become bored. Do not let narrative wanderings dilute a story until it is about as interesting as waiting for your number at the DMV.

6. Do the actions of the characters make sense? Readers need to understand or at least have some clues as to why a character does or says something. If a character does something completely out of character, does the story explain why? Characters are often like chess pieces. They can only move in certain ways. Essentially, I am cautioning against making a character do something just because the writer needs that thing done. It must come down to would the character do that and, if so, under what circumstances?

7. Do you think the plot twists and turns are acceptable? Do they appear contrived? You want a natural flow.

8. Are you appealing to the senses? Does imagery occur often enough to build a setting? Are you doing it too much?

9. Are you watching for places in the story that drag? Can you think of a way to pick it up? Does the dragging portion need to be cut? Or is a pause from the action necessary?

10. Is the dialogue necessary or should it be replaced with narrative? Sometimes you don’t need to write out mundane conversation with quoted character dialogue. Sometimes it’s much better and efficient to simply writing narrative such as: Becky asked her dad when her mom would be home. He said he didn’t know.

11. Does the dialogue match the character for language skills, vocabulary, intelligence, emotion and knowledge?

12. Can the reader identify with the characters in any way? Does anything ring true?

After analyzing and editing your work with the above questions, you have surely improved your writing. The last thing on my checklist is to tell yourself that you did a good job.

Tracy Falbe is the author of the fantasy fiction series "The Rys Chronicles" that has received good reviews since its publication in January 2006. To learn more about her fiction writing style, visit http://www.braveluck.com where a free ebook download of her first novel is available.

Completely Novel

A new and innovative web site recently contacted me regarding an interview. I have copied an extract of it here but you can read the full interview on their web site. You can also find lots of other information on the web site to help you if you are a writer, publisher, self-publisher or in fact anyone interested in the 'book business.'


http://www.completelynovel.com/ is a free web application for everyone who loves books. Book lovers can use an online library to share their taste in books with others. They can rate, review and discuss books in clubs and they can read and buy a huge variety of books from up-and-coming writers. Writers can use Completely novel to share, promote and even sell their books. They can tell their readers a bit more about themselves, what they are up to and also get feedback on their books. For unpublished writers, CompletelyNovel provides them with the tools and opportunity to build up a profile for themselves which they can take to publishers. And publishers, printers and other service providers can use CompletelyNovel as a way to interact directly with readers and writers, find talent, create professional products and make the most of all of the latest online technology.


The interview is on the community page of the CompletelyNovel website - http://www.completelynovel.com/community. You will need to log-in to CompletelyNovel in order to see it there, but you can do so by going to http://www.completelynovel.com/ and using the following invite code: cnrowson


Interview Extract


Pauline Rowson has wanted to be a writer since she was eleven years old. Now, she is a professional full-time writer, has her own company Rowmark, is the author of three marine mystery crime novels and two thrillers. Pauline's background in marketing has been a great benefit in spreading the word about her books. She offers some tips on what worked for her when it came to building her books into a business.

Pauline Rowson's marine mystery crime novels may feature the 'flawed and rugged' DI Horton but there's nothing flawed about her company, Rowmark, which she set-up as a Marketing Agency before branching into publishing. By drawing on her marketing skills and publishing her own brand of fiction and business books, Pauline has learned a great deal about the industry. We wanted to know more…


Before becoming a writer, you did some work in marketing, has this helped you when it comes to getting your book out to the right people?


All authors need to market themselves. I use my marketing skills in my 'business' as a professional writer. It has helped me to keep my name in front of people, to network and build contacts and to spread the word about my books.


Your Marine Mystery crime novels are quite different from the business books you have also written – what made you decide to start writing that kind of genre?


I started writing fiction seriously twenty years ago. I began with historical novels but it wasn't until I wrote my first crime fiction novel that I knew I was on the right track. In between writing fiction though I was running my own Marketing and Training company and I thought some of the training material I developed would make very good practical business books. So I wrote some books on marketing, which were extremely well received by readers. I set up a publishing division in my company. I learnt a great deal about the publishing world through doing this, and earlier this year I sold all my business titles to Crimson Publishing who are relaunching them in 2009. However writing fiction, and crime and thriller fiction, is my first love.


You are a very active blogger, and have a website and use other social networking sites. How important do you think it is for a writer to have an online presence?


Hugely important. It is such a brilliant marketing tool and so cost effective. All it costs is your time. It is such a great way to keep in touch with my readers and to meet new readers. It's also good for networking with other writers and sharing ideas and experiences. And it helps to spread the word about my books and raise my profile, not to mention stimulate sales. It is a must for all writers.


To begin with, you decided to start your own publishing company to publish your books. Many would consider that to be quite a brave decision. What made you decide to do things that way, and has it paid off?


I knew exactly how I wanted my business books to look and what they should contain, and because of my marketing background I wanted strong branding. Publishing them myself was by far the best option because it gave me complete control and it taught me a huge amount about how the whole publishing industry works. Therefore when my first crime novel was ready for publication I decided to launch it under a new imprint of my own company in order to develop the branding of Marine Mysteries, and to test the market place. It has paid off considerably. Because I could prove that my books were popular with readers, and I was generating sales, a publisher then approached me with a two book contract and I have sold translation rights, e book rights and audio rights. I am also now published in the USA and my novels are on sale worldwide.


What advice do you have for writers who are very determined, have received some good feedback on their books but aren't having any luck with publishers?


Keep going, keep getting better and NEVER EVER give up. Take advice from a professional editorial service and if you feel your work is ready and you can't get a publisher, consider self-publishing. For many authors who do not want to go to the expense of having many copies printed then I think CompletelyNovel is a good idea. Editing and typesetting is important and also ensuring the cover design is appropriate and good. The book size also has to be correct for the style of book. The most difficult part of self publishing is marketing. If the book is just for local consumption, or for friends and relatives, this isn't such a big issue but if the author wants wider sales then having a really good product (the look and feel of the book as well as the content) and learning how to market it, plus setting aside money to do so, is very important. I think sites like CompletelyNovel are going to be extremely valuable to authors in terms of promoting their books, and networking amongst reading groups and others.


From your blog it is pretty clear that you are a very busy person! Can you give us some insight into what are you doing at the moment?


I have just finished writing a murder mystery play, called Murder at the Pelican Club. I am revising three business books for publication in May 2009. I am seeing my new Marine Mystery crime novel, Dead Man's Wharf, through to publication with my editor for April 2009. I'm waiting for the Polish edition of In Cold Daylight to be published on 28 November 2008 and I'm revising the next DI Horton Marine Mystery for publication in 2010, plus I'm progressing some overseas deals, which are bubbling along in the pipeline. So quite a lot to keep me busy!


You can also read the interview on http://blog.completelynovel.com/

Discount on editorial reports

To add a bit of sunshine to these wintry days Cornerstones Literary Consultancy are offering a 10% discount on all editorial reports. The discount runs until January 5th.

They've also announced their workshop timetable for next year so you might like to pencil something in your diary.

1-3rd April - Mixed Adult and Children's Writing - two day Oxon
13th May - Picture Book - one day, London
24th June - Are You Ready to Submit - one day, London
21-23 September - Women's Commercial Fiction- two day, Oxon
16-18th November - Mixed Adult and Children's Writing - two day, Oxon

All levels are welcome. Please contact them for a programme or to find out more. Tel: 020 8968 0777 www.cornerstones.co.uk

Writing Opportunities, Conferences and Writing Competitions

Connected Conference Saturday November 22nd,The King of Heats, 7-15 Fye-Bridge Street, Norwich

ASK THE AGENTS PANEL DEBATE AND Q&A: 10:00AM – 11:30AM
Have you got a grip of the market and its demands?
With Camilla Hornby (Curtis Brown); Anna Power (Johnson & Alcock) and Juliet Pickering (AP Watt) – assistant to Derek Johns and currently building her list. Chaired by Henry Sutton.
MANUSCRIPT CONSULTATIONS: 12:00am – 1:30pm (FULLY BOOKED)

GETTING THERE WITH ERICA WAGNER: 2:30pm – 4:00pm
Henry Sutton talks to Erica Wagner about how she "got there" in her career. Erica offers tips from the frontline and advice about how to make it in the current climate using her experience as a highly-experienced writer, journalist, author and poet. Including Q and A and book signing.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WITH GILES FODEN: 6:00pm – 7:30pm
NB: this event takes place in The Oak Room, The Maidshead Hotel, TomblandThe author of The Last King of Scotland, delivers a talk on how writers can face up to the challenges and opportunities of the new landscape: how cross-media platforms affect writers; what digital rights consist of, and how the practising writer can protect themselves against the machine-like operations of big media. Including brief interview & Q&A with Henry Sutton.

NETWORKING SESSION: 7:30pm
Wine, nibbles and the chance to meet and chat to other participants, panellists, speakers, writers and agents.

PRICE: Day ticket: £45 (Deal! Students Only: £22.50)
Single panel tickets for non-pass holder: £10 (Deal! Students Only £5)

Book: www.newwritingpartnership.org.uk/season, 01603 877177


EDP Short Story Competition 2008

New Writing Partnership and Jarrold are sponsoring the third annual EDP Norfolk Short Story Competition which is open to adults and young people from Norfolk. We’re asking for a short story of up to 2,000 words on the theme of A County of Stories. Rachel Hore, author of The Dream House and The Memory Garden will judge the competition which has separate adult (17+) and junior categories (16 or younger). The two winners will receive £50 each in Jarrold book tokens, and will be published in the EDP, whilst two runners-up will receive £25 in Jarrold book tokens. Deadline: November 28. Please do not send entries to NWP – full entry details here.


Latest National News

The Christopher Tower Poetry Competition

The UK’s most valuable prize for young poets is open for entries, with students between 16-18 years of age in full or part-time education challenged to write a poem on the theme of ‘Doubt’. First prize is £3,000, second £1,000 and third £500. The students’ schools and colleges also receive cash prizes. www.towerpoetry.org.uk/prize, info@towerpoetry.org.uk, 01865 286591. Closing date:18 March, 2009.

NEW! Mslexia Women's Short Story Competition

£2,000 1st prize, £500 2nd, £250 3rd, 3@ £100. Closing date: 23 January 2009. Full details here.


For further information contact Katy Carr, Marketing and Communications Manager
katy@newwritingpartnership.org.uk
New Writing Partnership
14 Princes Street
Norwich
NR3 1AE
Tel: 01603 877177
Fax: 01603 625452
www.newwritingpartnership.org.uk

Film Maker Required

The producers of my play, Murder at the Pelican Club which is to be premiered in Liverpool on 26 November are looking for a Liverpool based Film Maker to make a Murder at the Pelican Club trailer, credited and looped all day in a venue in Liverpool. It will also be shown on You Tube, and excerpts on MySpace, Facebook plus other social networking sites. How exciting and what a fantastic opportunity for someone. Great exposure and experience. So come on all you budding young film makers please get in touch with the producers, Hall Lake Productions on murdermystery@montelimar.co.uk or via Facebook or via http://www.myspace.com/murdermysteryuk

Are you ready to submit your manuscript to an Agent?

Literary Consultancy, Cornerstones are offering a one month only chance for writers to submit their manuscripts and get the chance to be taken on by a Literary Agent. So if you think your manuscript is ready to submit to an Agent read on:


Cornerstones are offering for one month only - end date 22nd November – to consider your first five pages and synopsis with a view to passing you through to an agent.

MATERIAL is to be sent BY EMAIL to kathryn@cornerstones.co.uk (and please follow the below instructions otherwise the material may not be considered.)

PHASE ONE
Email material using the email heading ‘Are you ready to submit offer’
5 pages double-spaced, 12 font, times new roman
1 page synopsis single spaced
NB: Unfortunately, Cornerstones won't have time to give the usual detailed feedback you would get from a report, so will only be able to give a 'yes' or a 'no' response.

PHASE TWO (by invitation only)
If the answer is 'yes' they'll ask to look at the first 3 chapters and synopsis. Again, they won't be able to give you reasons for a turn down.

PHASE THREE (by invitation only)
If the whole MS is submittable, reading/editing and passing you through to an agent is a free process (and always is for the author with Cornerstones). If, however, you receive a publication deal Cornerstones receive 10% of the worldwide initial deal only, on a win/fee basis. Terms and conditions will be sent to you after Phase Two.


Good luck.

Writing A Play

Murder at the Pelican Club - A Brand New Murder Mystery Play (artwork by Eirinda)

In August I was commissioned to write a murder mystery play. More used to penning crime novels this is my first serious play and I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. By providing some background information here, I thought I might help those of you who are writing plays or who would like to write plays.

It began with an e mail in August asking writers for submissions for a new murder mystery play to be performed by professional actors and actresses in the autumn. Deadlines were extremely tight. I needed to know more.

What kind of play were they looking for? Was it to be a serious play or a comedy? What kind of audience were they aiming at? Where was it to be performed? And last but by no means least, was I going to get paid for writing it?

After several e mails between the producer and myself I knew I wanted this commission. It was a great opportunity to try my hand at professional play writing, and to pen something in the period I longed to write about - the 1940s.

I had many ideas but one stood out amongst the others and it was this one I worked up into an outline, which I duly submitted. The producers loved it and soon I was writing the script.

Your first script is not your final one.

There were many revisions and a writer needs to be open to suggestions by the producers. I had to cut down the number of characters from eight to seven and change dialogue many times. But each time the producers had their reasons. In novel writing you need to think like your characters and in play writing the same applies, but with the play you go one step further- you also need to think like an actor - what would work on stage or screen and what wouldn't?

The cast had their first read through on 13 October and it was a success. Now the rehearsals begin, and I am sure there will be further re-writes before 26 November 2008 when it will be premiered in the critically acclaimed Haymarket Restaurant in Liverpool where a stunningly professional cast of actors and actresses will bring my play to life. I find it incredibly exciting and obviously a little nerve wracking.

Play versus novel

I found many advantages in writing a play over a novel (although I love doing both). Firstly I loved the tight deadlines. In my marketing career I was used to working to very tight deadlines, responding to the client’s demands and to the media. I also found it really invigorating to be working with such creative people. I enjoyed the discussions about the characters and the dialogue. It is a totally different experience to writing a novel where you are alone with your characters, dialogue and plot usually until your agent or editor reads it. With a novel, feedback only comes when the novel is finished, but with the play I was able to try out ideas with the producers and vice versa. My marine mystery crime novels are written in the third person single view point – all the action is seen through my detective DI Horton’s eyes – my thrillers are written in the first person, so no activity can take place off the page, and I think that my style of writing lends itself naturally to a play and particularly one of this sort where there are no scene changes and all the action has to be played out in front of an audience.

About Murder at the Pelican Club

Murder at the Pelican Club is set in a restaurant in 1940s England. I’ve written it in the style of Agatha Christie’s Poirot but have chosen to feature a gruff, middle-aged detective called Doyle instead of the fastidious Belgian detective famously portrayed on television by David Suchet.

The fact that Murder at the Pelican Club is being performed in a non traditional venue was an added attraction to me for writing the play, that and the fact the producers wanted a serious play in the style of the great Agatha Christie. There is no curtain to rise or fall, so I had to think of ways to get the characters (and the dead body) off the ‘stage’. I also like the idea of taking the theatre to the audience rather than the audience going to a theatre.

Check out the web site…

There is a web site about Murder at the Pelican Club http://www.myspace.com/murdermysteryuk
which chronicles how the idea took shape and how Hall Lake Productions auditioned and cast the actors and actresses, plus more. It could provide helpful information to anyone reading this who wants to be or is a playwright or any actors, actresses, producers.

Here is a preview of Murder at the Pelican Club:

“Imagine being inside an episode of a classic TV Murder Mystery... The Haymarket Restaurant and Hal Lake Productions invite you to experience "Murder at The Pelican Club", a brand new and exciting detective play in the vein of the classic crime thrillers of the 20th century! With audience all around, this fully professional production lets its audience experience the feeling of being in the middle of the action in a show that can be compared to a "Poirot"-style detective drama, complete with twists and turns, a two-course gourmet dinner and an edge-of-your-seat, shocking reveal of the killer. You get the chance to try your hand at solving the mystery, discuss amongst yourselves and make your own guess as to who did it, why and how! Maybe you'll even be the evening's winner and walk away with the prize! The moment you enter the underground vaults of the critically acclaimed Haymarket Restaurant, time turns back to 1940. The new forces sweetheart is performing on the eve of a big European tour for allied troops. Suddenly an air-raid hits the city, and as the bombs get closer, the lights flicker and go out. They come back on to reveal the starlet lying murdered on the floor! The killer must have committed the murder during last few minutes right in front of all the diners. But who could possibly have killed her in a room full of witnesses, and why? The detective steps in to uncover a web of lies, deceit and dark secrets while solving the mystery where everyone is a suspect of this audacious murder...”

Bookings are now open…

The première is on Wednesday 26 November 2008 and the event will run weekly. The full Murder Mystery Dining experience at The Haymarket Restaurant including the murder mystery play and a two-course gourmet dinner with a glass of wine costs £35 per person. You can book by calling 0151 255 0588

The play is also available for private and corporate bookings, so if you fancy your own murder mystery experience call 07963 111730.

I loved writing Murder at the Pelican Club and I am keen to write more plays. The producers have been fantastic and it’s been really great to work with such talented and enthusiastic people, to discuss the play as it unravels and to revise and fine tune it and to have to continually think from the actor’s point of view. I can’t wait to see it performed. It will be a great thrill to see my written word come to life.

Author Groups and Organisations

There are a number of writing bodies representing authors. I belong to two at present, The Society of Authors (SOA), a general one for authors, and The Crime Writers' Association of Great Britain (CWA) for crime writers (obviously). Below, I provide some information on these groups but I would be delighted to hear from anyone who belongs to other writing organisations with details on how helpful or otherwise they are, wherever they are UK, USA and elsewhere around the world and for whatever genre.

The remit of the CWA is to raise the profile of crime writing by providing a forum for all writers and others connected with it. They administer and award a series of prizes known as the Dagger Awards and aspiring writers can enter the opening chapters and the synopsis of a proposed crime novel into the Debut Dagger. Membership of the CWA is open to anyone who has had one crime novel produced by a bona fide publisher - though I'm not sure how they define this! They issue a monthly magazine/newsletter called 'Red Herrings', hold an annual conference and various regional social events and produce a useful directory of members. Crime writers can also advertise their speaking engagements and events on the CWA website and promote their latest novels there.

The Society of Authors based in London, UK is a much broader based organisation as its title implies. I have found it extremely helpful by providing valuable information and guidance on publishing contracts and copyright issues. The SOA has (as its web site declares) been serving the interests of professional writers for more than a century, and has more than 8,500 members writing in all areas of the profession. These include novelists, textbook writers, ghost writers, broadcasters, academics, illustrators and translators. Being a member helps me to keep in touch with the current issues in the publishing world, and I also receive a very useful quarterly journal, The Author. The Society maintains a database of writers and their specialism, which can lead to writing commissions and talks.

Tomorrow, is the Society's AGM, there is book-trade question time with Jonny Geller, the Managing Director of the agency Curtis Brown; Alexandra Pringle, the Editor-in-Chief of Bloomsbury Publishing, (they of Harry Potter fame), and Graham Rand, Commercial Director of the book wholesalers, Bertrams/THE. He is also President of the Booksellers Association. Attending events gives authors the chance to network and swap gossip, as well as pick up one or two tips and pieces of advice.

The Society of Authors offers a confidential service helping with the individual vetting of contracts, and professional disputes. It administers a wide range of prizes, as well as the Authors’ Foundation, which is one of the very few bodies making grants to help with work in progress for established writers. A year’s membership costs £90 (£64 for those aged under 35). Visit their web site for further information.

New Writing

Below are some details from The New Writing Partnership on their forthcoming workshops and conferences. For further information contact www.newwritingpartnership.org.uk/season

WORKSHOPS
Masterclass: Two-day workshops, 10-5.30. Deal – Take two for £150 – save £50
Daycourse: 10-5.30. Deal – Take two for £100 – save £20

PROSE FICTION
Taking the Fear out of Novel Writing Day Course with Tahmima Anam and Joe Treasure
Sat 25 Oct, 10-5.30, King of Hearts, Norwich, £60 (£40 conc)

Plotting and Narrative Structure Masterclass with Louise Doughty
Sat 1/ Sun 2 Nov, 10-5.30, King of Hearts, Norwich, £100 (£70 conc)

Writing 21st Century Fiction Masterclass with Matt Thorne
Sat 15/Sun 16 Nov, 10-5.30, King of Hearts, Norwich, £100 (£70 conc)

More info

POETRY
How to Make Poems Masterclass with Alan Jenkins
Sat 25/Sun 26 Oct, 10-5.30, King of Hearts, Norwich, £100 (£70 conc)

Poetic Forms Masterclass with Mimi Khalvati
Sat 15/ Sun 16 Nov, 10-5.30, King of Hearts, Norwich, £100 (£70 conc)

Page to Performance Day Course with Patience Agbabi
Sat 15 Nov, 10-5.30, King of Hearts, Norwich, £60 (£40 conc)

More info

TV DRAMA, NEW MEDIA AND MEMOIR

Writing for the Small Screen Masterclass with Jonathan Myerson
Sat 25/ Sun 26 Nov, 10-5.30, King of Hearts, Norwich, £100 (£70 conc)

Writing and New Media Day Course with Kate Pullinger
Sat 1 Nov, King of Hearts, 10-5.30, Norwich, £60 (£40 conc)

Turning Life into Prose Masterclass with Aminatta Forna
Sat 1 Nov/ Sun 2 Nov, King of Hearts, 10-5.30, Norwich, £100 (£70 conc)

More info

MANUSCRIPT CONSULTATIONS
Poetry Manuscript Workshops with James Byrne and Clare Pollard
Sat 25 Oct, 10-5.30, King of Hearts, Norwich, £40 per half hour (double ups possible)

More info

1:1 Manuscript Surgery with The Writer’s Practice (reduced price offer)
Full read: novels, non-fiction, radio play, screenplay, children’s book; 1 hour slot
Works in progress, short stories or resubmissions (5000-15000 words): ½ hour slot.
Sat 25/ Sun 26 Oct, Sat 01/ Sun 02 Nov, Sat 15/ Sun 16 Nov, King of Hearts, Variable prices.

More info

CONNECTED, 22nd- 23rd November
The final weekend of New Writing Season will allow writers to get their work out there and take advantage of new writing opportunities. Featuring respected agents, international writers and online experts.

Day pass: £45
Two-Day pass; £75
Breakout sessions; unavailable to non pass-holders
Agent sessions; £40 (pass-holders only)
Individual panel tickets; £10 (for non pass-holders)
More info

DAY ONE: CONNECTED
What Agents Want Panel Debate with Camilla Hornby (Curtis Brown), Anna Power (Johnson and Alcock) and Juliet Pickering (AP Watt).
Sat 22 Nov, King of Hearts, 10.00-11.30am, £10 (for non-pass holders)

Agents Manuscript Consultations with Camilla Hornby (Curtis Brown), Anna Power (Johnson and Alcock) and Juliet Pickering (AP Watt).
Sat 22 Nov, King of Hearts, 12.00am-1.30pm, £40 (pass-holders only)

Getting There with Erica Wagner
Sat 22 Nov, King of Hearts, 2.30-4.00pm, (Follow-up book signing: 4-4.45). Pass-holders only.
+ please note that Erica’s reading time is different to that stated in our booklet.

Connected Keynote: Know Your Rights with Giles Foden
Sat 22 Nov, King of Hearts, 6.00-7.30pm, (Networking session 7.30+). Pass-holders only.

More info

DAY TWO: CONNECTED ONLINE
The Rules of the Game Panel Debate with Naomi Alderman (Disobedience), Steve Ince (Perplex City) and David Varela (Writing for Video Games)
Sun 23 Nov, King of Hearts, 10-11.30am, £10 for non-pass holders

The Rules of the Game Breakout Sessions
As above, 12.00-1.30pm, pass-holders only

Online Opportunities Panel Debate with Bill Thompson (BBC), Jeremy Ettinghausen (Penguin) and Tony Cook (ABCTales)
San 23 Nov, King of Hearts, 2.30-4.00pm, £10 for non pass-holders

Online Opportunities Breakout Sessions
As above, 4.30-6.00pm, pass-holders only

More info


Go to www.newwritingpartnership.org.uk/season to find out more.

CONTACTS
Katy Carr
Marketing and Communications Manager
katy@newwritingpartnership.org.uk

The New Writing Partnership
4-6 Netherconesford
93-95 King Street
Norwich
NR1 1PW
Tel: 01603 877177
Fax: 01603 625452
http://www.newwritingpartnership.org.uk/

General email enquiries: info@newwritingpartnership.org.uk

Writing Conferences and Literary Festivals

The Havant Literary Festival begins on 25 September and runs until 28 September. There is a packed programme of events for writers and for all who love literature. Check out the full programme on http://www.havantlitfest.hampshire.org.uk/ Featured writers include: saga author Dee Williams, (left) and crime writer, Pauline Rowson (right). There are also talks by Costa Poetry Prize Winner, John Haynes and workshops for children, hosted by Warblington School, with authors Ali Sparkes (Shapeshifter) and Craig Simpson (Dogfight)

Literary Question Time

Literary consultant and author, Helen Corner will be on a panel for Literary Question Time on Monday, 29th September. This event is for authors interested in furthering their writing career and there are five tickets left. See links below to sign up and to hear an interview with Helen.

http://clicks.profollow.com/y/ct/?l=O6SUe&m=1fXx2rzlgBI9pn&b=1.ZuhYLix3.IJ.zGBnqNUA

www.thebig-leap.com/storyville/storyville_september_masterclass.phtml


Children's writers SCBWI conference in Winchester.
Turning Pages: The Art and Craft of Story, November 22 to 23, 2008, West Downs Campus, University of Winchester. This is British SCBWI's first combined Writers AND Illustrators Conference. It will be an inspiring weekend of interactive seminars with award-winning authors and illustrators, editors and art directors, opportunities for one-on-one reviews with editors and art directors, and workshops on everything from writing series fiction to building your website. View the exciting programme now at www.britishscbwi.org/conference2008

Harnessing Social Media To Market Books

There’s an interesting article in the Bookseller Magazine this week about the potential of social media and how publishers can jump on the bandwagon of web 2.0 to build readership and ultimately sell their books. There’s also an intriguing sentence in the article, ‘This month an author tracked down a number of Bookseller employees and sent them Facebook friend requests.’ I am wondering if I am the author they are alluding to because I did just that. And why not? When an author does not have a huge publisher’s marketing budget behind them, and smaller publishers cannot afford newspaper advertising, massive PR campaigns, bill board advertising and giveaways then how does an author or a small publisher create author and book awareness and stimulate sales? One very effective way has been for some time, and is increasingly, through the Internet.

Social media can be a very powerful and effective tool in spreading word of mouth via the Internet. I find it helps me to connect with others who have the same interests as I do; it keeps me up to date with events and friends’ news and introduces my work to new readers, as well as allowing me to communicate with my loyal fan base. Social media and the Internet played a large part in spreading the word about my thriller, In Cold Daylight, which was shortlisted for the World Book Day Prize 2008 through an online vote. It also helps authors to connect with each other and provides support and a valuable exchange of ideas.

In the book industry harnessing social media is not just for publishers but for authors and readers. In fact it is for anyone who wants to search out new friends, new ideas, discover new authors, artists, musicians and businesses. So if you haven’t found me yet then check me out on Facebook (and don’t forget to send me a friend request) and you can also find me on You Tube, Crimespace, Shelfari, GoodReads, the RedRoom, LibraryThing and Twitter, not to mention my blogs, and my web site. I know there are more, but hey, come on, I have to find some time to write novels!

This post also appears on http://www.paulinerowson.com/

Creative Writing And Revisions

You have an idea, you work it into a plot, you create and build your characters and you write your novel. It's finished. Wrong. It's only just begun. The creative writing process is just the first step on the road to producing a novel and exhilarating though it is there is still a great deal more work you need to do to make your novel the best it can possibly be and therefore stand a better chance of getting published.


The revision stages are vital if you wish to turn out an accomplished, exciting and professional piece of writing.

Once I have completed the first drafts of my novels I then revise, revise and revise until I know it backwards, upside down and inside out. When I first started writing many years ago it was this revision stage that I skipped, and I now know the cause of so many rejection slips from literary agents and publishers.

When giving talks I liken writing a novel to painting a picture. First you put on the wash, and draw the outlines and then you begin to fill in the details until you are happy with the perspective, the colours, the composition etc. So here is a quick checklist when revising your novel or short story. The revisions will allow you to:

• flesh out the characters
• analyse the structure of your novel
• check if you have overwritten
• ensure your story has shape
• make sure that you are telling the story from the correct point of view
• check that there are adequate tensions, conflicts, rhythm and pace
• check your research and tie up any loose ends
• ensure you are using the correct words, sentence structure and paragraphs.

Attracting an agent and getting a publisher

Question Time - everything you ever wanted to know about how to write great fiction, raise your writing to the next level, attract an agent and get published.

Helen Corner, founder and director of Cornerstones will be on a panel with Lee Weatherly, award-winning children's author, and Maxine Hitchcock, editorial director at HarperCollins, ready to answer all your publishing questions. Go to this link and sign up:
http://www.thebig-leap.com/storyville/storyville_september_masterclass.phtml
It takes place on 29th September at Adams Street, London, 7-9pm, £30.
NB: You need to sign up and submit two questions by 15th September.

Any commercial women's writers out there who want a publishing deal with Little Black Dress or lunch with Julie Cohen (runners-up) should enter this competition. Closing date for your short story is 15th September.
http://www.littleblackdressbooks.com/getlippy-comp.html


www.cornerstones.co.uk
Listed by The Society of Authors, Scouts for leading literary agents

Self-Edit Workshop

The next self-edit workshop run by Cornerstones Literary Consultancy will take place on 10-12th November and there is a 10% early booking discount, which runs out on 15th September. This is for children's and adult writing and all genres are welcome. It's run by Lee Weatherly and Helen Corner. Literary Agent, Eve White, joins the course for the evening session where she will reveal all about the market and what she looks for in an author and a story. There are eight spaces left so do call or email now for a programme.

Eve White is a UK-based literary agency representing internationally published authors of fiction (commercial and literary), non-fiction, children's fiction and picture books. Eve works with sub-agent, Diana Mackay at Melcombe International, who has twenty years’ experience in translation rights and sells their books in foreign territories. Eve is a solo agent, with in-house editors/readers, and set up the agency in 2003. Children’s authors include: Andy Stanton, Jimmy Docherty, Carolyn Ching, Rachael Mortimer, Gillian Rogerson, Tabitha Suzuma, Margie Hann Syme and Tracey Corderoy.

Authors writing for adults include: Rae Earl, Alexander Stobbs, Charlie Mitchell, Chris Pascoe, Vijay Medtia and Ruth Saberton and Shanta Everington. Details of their books and their many awards and nominations can be found on the website: www.evewhite.co.uk

For further enquiries or to book a place on the course contact Kathryn Robinson kathryn@cornerstones.co.uk

Literary consultancies can help polish your manuscript

Getting an unbiased view of your manuscript can save you time and the disappointment of many rejection letters from publishers. It can also help you to develop as a writer. The Hilary Johnson Authors' Advisory Service in the UK has now teamed up with American affiliate to help US and Canadian authors polish their manuscripts.

Hilary Johnson says, “We are delighted to offer a special service for US and Canadian authors via our American affiliate, the highly-regarded editor and novelist, Caroline Upcher. Her 25-year career as Editorial Director for fiction with both major British and New York publishing houses has given her considerable experience of working with North American authors, a sound knowledge of the US fiction market and good connections with US agents and editors."

For full information about Caroline's background, her books and her editorial service, First Base , visit her website: www.carolineupcher.com To contact Caroline, email her at caroline@carolineupcher.com

The Hilary Johnson Authors' Advisory Service provides a proven reading/criticism service for novelists, writers of short stories , children’s books and authors of full-length non-fiction. Specialist advice is available for romantic fiction, including HM&B, crime/thrillers, science fiction/fantasy, radio/film/TV scripts and poetry. Also copy editing.

Increasingly, the covering letter and synopsis are crucial elements of an unsolicited submission to a publisher or literary agency. If these fail to make a good impression, then it is quite likely that the actual typescript will not be read by hard-pressed agents/editors. Assessment of either or both as separate items is available.

Readers are mainly professional editors with wide experience of helping authors to bring their work to the best possible standard. They also have a sound knowledge of the publishing/book-selling industries. Some are also published authors, though it is their sympathetic and insightful editorial skills which are of prime importance when it comes to giving authors really solid practical guidance. For further information contact enquiries@hilaryjohnson.com

News Update

A selection of book indutry news from The Bookseller Magazine. Click through to read the full article.

Waterstone's takes on eight Books Etc shops in London
Waterstone's is to take control of eight Books Etc stores in London from Borders UK for a small fee...

O'Hagan attacks Richard and Judy culture
The novelist Andrew O'Hagan has accused Richard and Judy's Book Clubs of treating their readers as stupid. The attack was made at an Edinburgh International Book Festival event where O'Hagan criticised the presenters' limited selection of titles and accused them of missing a unique opportunity to promote good writing to a vast audience.

Chinese print costs hit home
Print costs in China have reached "unprecedented" levels, raising concerns that new titles could be delayed or cancelled. UK novelty, gift and illustrated publishers are the hardest hit.

Writing Women's Commercial Fiction Course

Literary consultancy, Cornerstones, have five places remaining on their annual course for writing women’s commercial fiction which is taking place on 15-17th September at Charney Manor Oxon. The tutors are award-winning author Julie Cohen, and founder and director of Cornerstones, Helen Corner. There will also be an agent from the William Morris Agency joining for an evening talk on ‘a day in the life of an agent’.

Places are limited to 14 authors and the author's own work is used during class. It's fun and will leave writers buzzing with new ideas on how to raise the quality of their women’s novel and make it more commercial.

Cornerstones is based in London. Contact them for further details. Telephone: + 44 (0)20 8968 0777, mob: 07971 457358 e mail: Kathryn Robinson kathryn@cornerstones.co.uk mailto:kathryn@cornerstones.co.uk]www.cornerstones.co.uk They are listed by The Society of Authors and Scouts for leading literary agents.

Are the roles of publisher, bookseller and author blurring?

The Internet has made it easier for anyone to become a bookseller without having a physical store and therefore easier for publishers to promote their authors and titles through their own transactional web sites. This is good news for authors, who can also offer their books through their own web sites, or through links to their publisher's web site or an online retailer. Author and publisher win. But it's not such good news for booksellers, particularly those with the heavy overheads of a physical store. And it doesn't end there. The next revolution in book publishing could be about to begin with the introduction of a printing device in the first British store in October.

The Espresso Book Machine, nicknamed the ATM, which will be installed in Blackwells, will allow customers to download and print not only rare or discontinued titles but many well known publisher's titles and also the customer's (author's) own self-published efforts. So not only is the line between publisher and bookseller blurring but also the line between publisher and author, making it much easier and more cost effective for authors to get their work to market. Is this a good thing?

For book lovers who are getting fed up with publishers constantly pushing only their big name authors, and bookstores being overwhelmed by piles of heavily hyped books from big publishers, while more unusual titles become harder to find, the answer has to be yes.

Initial signs from America, where a handful of on-demand machines have been installed, suggest they are helping to democratise publishing by opening it to writers and poets who do not have the backing of a multinational publisher. The machines are able to design and print books of reasonable quality in runs of 50 for as little as £200.

It works by the customer typing in the title they want to buy and after about seven minutes, the book is printed out, trimmed and bound, selling for the same price as its shelf equivalent at the shop.

Other chains are waiting to see whether it proves popular and if the machines become smaller. But it doesn't necessarily have to be a book shop. Second hand book dealers are an obvious outlet for these machines. And how about coffee houses? I can just see it: 'Coffee while we print, sir?' And perhaps a Danish Pastry or Doughnut while you read. Watch this space.

Self Publishing - Producing a quality book

The following excerpt has been taken by permission from 'The Easy Step by Step Guide to Publishing and Promoting Your Book.'

Before publishing your novel, or submitting it to an agent or publisher, it will pay to have it professionally edited. You can find a suitable editor through a Literary Consultancy. It will cost you but it could be an extremely worthwhile investment. An editor will help knock your novel into shape, correcting your punctuation if necessary, examining sentence structure and the overuse of certain words or terms (we all have them) and suggesting alternatives. He or she will suggest where you might need to re write, some may even re write for you, if you wish.

Some editors prefer to edit on line, using e mail as the means of corresponding with you, others prefer to work with hard copy. Ask how much they charge? Is it by the page or the complete project? How long will they take to edit? What is their workload and when will they be able to schedule in your book?

If you have decided to self publish here are some further tips to help you get the 'product' right.

Make sure you book is professionally typeset

A typesetter will set the book in a certain style consulting with you over this and preparing it in a format that is suitable for the printers, often liaising with the printer and ensuring that the finished text is sent to the printer on time and in the format they require. You can search for a suitable typesetter on line or in writing magazines. Alternatively the printing company helping you to produce the book might be able to recommend someone.

As with all relationships personal chemistry is important so ensure you find someone who understands what you are trying to achieve and who you can work with.

Size of book

When deciding on the size of your book take advice from the printer but also look for books that are similar to yours and compare sizes. Does your book need to be A Format – the standard paperback size - or B Format the larger size? Is it a large hardback illustrated book or a children’s book? There are all sorts of book sizes and most have a technical name, or at least a name given to that size in the industry. Don’t worry too much about this, just take a sample with you to the printer, or measure the book you are comparing yours with and give the dimensions to the printer.

WARNING - Do not agree on a special or unusual size.

This will not only cost you a fortune to print but will meet with resistance from the bookseller to stock your title as it might not fit neatly on their shelf space. It may also cost you more in envelopes if you are sending books out direct to fulfill customers’ orders or to bookshops; you could end up having to buy a larger size of envelope or worse having special ones printed.

Type of paper

There are so many different papers that it can be and is extremely confusing for the lay person, and sometimes for the printer. Again look at the type of book you are publishing and compare it to similar ones already published. What kind of paper do they use? What does it look like, is the paper cream or white? What is its weight - is it thick or fairly thin and limp? Smooth or rough? Does your book need to accommodate illustrations and photographs which will influence the weight and quality of the paper required?

Before speaking to the printer try to get clear in your mind how you would like the finished product to look and feel. Choose a paper that is suitable for your market and your book. In addition, choose a stock paper and not one that has to be specially ordered, as it will substantially increase your costs.

Ask to see samples, both loose leaf and bound into a sample book; that will give you some idea of the quality and feel of the finished product.

Binding

The printing industry has its own jargon when talking about binding which may confuse you, it certainly confuses me e.g. limp, sewn, perfect bound etc. Essentially you need to decide how you want your book to appear, is it a hardback or a paperback? Is it stapled or sewn into the binding? You do not necessarily have to produce a hardback copy of your book but can go straight into paperback if you wish; again this depends on the type of book you are publishing.

Ask the printer to show you samples of different bindings and explain them to you. Look at other books that are similar to yours and see how they are bound; do you wish to emulate that? Is it the norm?

Do I need an ISBN and what is it?

In order for your book to be found by a potential buyer you will need to apply for an ISBN. This is not complicated. Some printers and typesetters/editors may even do this for you.

In order to get an ISBN you need to apply to the ISBN Agency who will send you an application form to complete and some notes on how to complete it. ISBN’s are sold in a block of ten so you will need to purchase this amount even though you may have no intention of using any more than one. Any publisher is eligible to apply for an ISBN providing they have a qualifying product available for general sale or distribution to the public.

When you apply for an ISBN you will need to give the name of your publishing company. This does not mean that you have to form a limited company simply come up with a name. It usually takes ten working days for you to receive your ISBN so allow this in your schedule although there is a fast track service offering a three working day period but you will pay extra for this.

By registering for an ISBN you are ensuring that your title is available on a database that can be accessed by the bookseller, distributor and librarians. This information is also used by many online booksellers and you will find that your book appears on sites without you having to do anything

For further details on this in the UK contact the ISBN Agency. There is also a helpful FAQ on their web site. In the U.S.A., and to locations outside the U.S., Bowker assigns ISBNs. To learn more about the ISBN in the U.S visit http://www.isbn.org/.

What drives readers to buy books?

Understanding how the publishing and book selling world operates can help a new or budding author (and even an experienced and published author) sell more books. Unless you are a BIG name author, (an A Lister) then much of the marketing will fall on your shoulders. Your book doesn't just suddenly appear on the shelf in bookshops or on line and people flock to buy it. There are thousands of books to choose from and you need to make yours, and your name, stand out. Here is some useful background information from some recent research carried out in the UK by the Next Big Thing that illustrates this point and might help you.

What drives readers to buy books?

More than a third of Britons (36%) will buy a book because of who has written it claims the research carried out by the Next Big Thing and sponsored by IBS Bookmaster. Reading the Future found that the author name is by far the biggest sales driver when it comes to book choice and this is particularly important to those aged 65 and over (44%) and to those in Scotland (77%) and the South East (49%). Perhaps the rest of the UK is more adventurous when it comes to trying new authors, or perhaps they don’t buy so many books! To crime fiction fans (my own field) 48% of readers buy a book because of the author, so building readership and spreading my name is an important marketing strategy for me. But it is equally important to those who write historical fiction (49%) and even more so for those who write poetry (56%). It has slightly more influence on women (38%) than men (33%). The author has less influence on how- to- guides (12%) and on those who prefer to buy their books from supermarkets (28%).

The next biggest driver of sales is the belief that the book ‘looks like the sort of story or material I like’ which is why cover design, title and description is so important. I once met a reader at a book signing event who told me she only bought crime fiction books if the word ‘dead’ or ‘murder’ was in the title. I got a sale because she bought Tide of Death. I think that’s a little extreme but she was rather eccentric.

Another little snippet of interest from this very useful research for authors and publishers alike was that the socio-economic group C2DEs are also more likely to wait until a book goes to paperback, rather than buying the hardback although the figures aren’t as high as I would have expected. Those who buy chick lit (36%) crime (29%) and historical fiction (27%).

I’ve met readers who like their books to be all the same size so that they fit neatly on their bookshelves. This is a bit of problem for me when different publishers bring the paperback out in different formats. The price of the book can also vary, and I get a bit twitchy when I have to tell them the new book is more expensive than the previous one. Where though I have avid fans of my crime fiction I find that they don’t care which format the book comes out in, hardback, paperback or which size. And I have yet to meet a reader who baulks at the cost. They buy the book because they are interested, or are crime fiction fans, or really want the next Inspector Horton and this is exactly in line with what this research found. So it's nose to the grindstone and keep building that author brand.

Publishing News to cease

PUBLISHING NEWS, THE UK book trade weekly magazine, is to cease publication. The issue of Friday July 25th will be the last. The news has just popped into my in box so thought I would pass it on. The statement says that the publication, founded in 1979, has been hit by the same problems that have affected all magazines and newspapers, as advertisers have shifted increasing proportions of their spend to online and direct sales. See story here I have worked with Publishing News for about the last ten years and will miss them. Good luck to the editorial staff and I hope to see them in the book trade elsewhere.

Self publishing your book - printing options

The following article has been written by Pauline Rowson, a published crime writer who also ran a publishing company publishing business and motivational books in The Easy Step by Step Series, most of which are also available as audio books and e books. This excerpt is taken from her book 'The Easy Step by Step Guide to Publishing and Promoting Your Book.'

There's been a great deal of bad press over the years regarding self publishing but it's now emerging from the closet as a viable means of getting your book into the market place. And the good news is that it has also become more affordable. Many great names have self published including at one time the great thriller writer, John Grisham. In a climate where it is increasingly difficult for new authors to find a publisher self publishing can be a means of not only testing the market and building readership but of being noticed by a mainstream publisher - think Richard Adams and Watership Down.

But what exactly does it mean and how does it differ from vanity publishing?

Self publishing means that you organize the editing, typesetting, printing and production of your book yourself, overseeing the whole project and ending up with the finished product. The books are yours to do with as you please at the end of the day. You become the publisher and remain in control of the whole process.

Vanity Publishing is where you pay a sum of money to a company who will produce the book for you and they hand over a specified number of copies for the money provided.

In between this there are companies that can help you through the production process for a fee, but you still make the decisions on printing, design, price etc. and you control the process and have all the finished copies.

Whoever you use to help you produce your book check their credentials carefully. Many claim they will market your book for you and in fact don’t. Others ask you for money to conduct advertising campaigns for your book, which never materialize. If you send your manuscript to a vanity publisher you may get a glowing report from them on the back of which they ask to be allowed to publish the book but for a cost. Always be wary of this. You could find yourself handing over large sums of money for little in return.

Self publishing could not only be a more cost effective way of producing your book but also provide you with greater control. In this article I focus on the printing aspect of self publishing. In future articles I will examine the other aspects of getting your book published and in the marketplace.

Finding a printer

There are now many specialist book printers who will help guide you through the self publishing process. Many can also help you with designing the jacket covers and book layout and can advise on typesetting, paper, format, obtaining an ISBN (International Standard Book Numbering) and ensure that the book cover carries a bar code. If they can’t help directly then they can usually put you in touch with others who can help you.

Some printers also provide distribution services, fulfilling your book orders, or they work with others to provide this. What most printers (if not all of them) do not do is market and sell your book for you. That is down to you.

Printers will print your book they are not publishers, you are the publisher.

But not all printers have an understanding of, or experience in, book printing. A simple telephone call to them followed by a visit (if possible) will help you check them out. Ask to see samples of their work. If they can’t show you books that they have previously printed then don’t use them unless you are a hundred percent confident they will do a good job for you.

How do they print?

There are two types of printing processes: lithographic and digital.

Digital Printing
Digital printing is highly suitable for producing short print runs, cost effectively, and uses the latest in computer technology. This means you can test the market before committing yourself to huge print runs and incurring high costs. Or you might simply wish to have a small number printed to give to your friends and family. Digital printing allows you to print just one book, fifty, a hundred or more. It is capable of reproducing high quality colour photographs and can also produce jacket covers although these are generally printed using the more traditional lithographic printing.

With digital printing the unit cost is usually higher than if you were to have your book printed by the more traditional method of lithographic (litho) printing which can run into quantities of thousands to hundreds of thousands but there is no point in printing thousands and only selling a hundred. It will tie up your capital (cost you more) and you will have storage problems – where are you going to keep all those books?

Lithographic printing
Whilst digital printing will suit most people’s requirements lithographic printing can be an option if your book is mass market fiction. There are a number of printers who specialize in this area and the best way to track them down is to examine the inside pages of books that are similar to your own, where the name of the printer is given. Contact that printer for an estimate of costs. Generally the lowest quantity they will print is a run of two thousand ( although this has come down in recent months and they could go as low as one thousand).

Costs vary from printer to printer so it is advisable to get a few quotes for comparison purposes before making a decision.

It is easy to be over optimistic about how many books you think you will sell and go for large quantities when in fact it might be better financially to produce a smaller number.

Questions to ask a printer

Before agreeing to proceed ask the printer:

What type of printing equipment do they have –i.e. can they print digitally and therefore produce short print runs of your book. What is the minimum short run they can print for you – one book? Twenty books? Five hundred books?

What experience do they have of the book printing market? Can they show you samples of books they have previously printed?

Do they have in-house designers or illustrators, or connections with designers and illustrators who they can recommend? Can you see some examples of their work?

Do they have connections with editors and typesetters or can they assist you with this?

Do they provide any other services once the book has been produced? For example they might have a web site and offer to put your book on their web site with a link to your own web site.

What sort of timescales do they work to? How quickly can they turn around your book?

What sort of options are there on binding your book – should it be hard back or paperback, can they do either?

What are their charges? How much will it cost you for different print runs?

How do they like to receive the work? Many will take it in Word format or as a pdf file. If your book is hand written then you will need to build in the cost of getting someone to type it up for you.

Can they help you with obtaining an ISBN and can they insert a bar code on your jacket cover?

Printers can be found through advertisements in magazines like Writing Magazine and at Writers’ Conferences or through personal recommendation. You can contact the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) and ask their advice. Alternatively look at the title page of published books that are similar to yours and see who prints them. Look them up on the Internet or contact the BPIF for details and then ask them to quote.

Before we leave the subject of printers it might be worth mentioning here e books. You may decide not to print your book at all but go straight to producing an e book – considerably cheaper as there are no associated printing costs. Or you may decide to produce an e book as well as a traditional printed book.

e books come in a number of different formats and you will probably require the services of a specialist to make your material compatible. This will obviously cost you. There are e publishers who will help you with this and showcase your book on their web sites and possibly others for a fee. This is a new and growing market so tread cautiously before parting with any money, check submission statements and terms and conditions of contracts before making any commitment.

Mentoring Scheme for Fiction Writers

One of the toughest things for new fiction writers is getting ongoing constructive feedback on their work. Using a reputable literary consultancy can provide valuable advice. Now there is a new service which has taken this a step forward and provides a mentoring scheme for fiction writers.


Gold Dust was founded by novelist Jill Dawson in response to frequent requests from writing students for more individual support. The scheme operates from London, Cambridgeshire, Manchester and Oxford. It is unique in offering new writers ten hours of individual consultation time with an established writer, usually spread out over a period of a year. Meetings take place in either London, Oxford, Manchester or Cambridgeshire. Travel is at the new writer’s expense. In between times the mentor writer reads work in progress, for a further total of ten hours.

The fee is £2000, payable on acceptance to the scheme. The scheme is competitive, and work is accepted on the basis of the promise shown. Judges assess the quality of the work submitted and mentors are involved in the final decision. Limited places are available; a writer who is not successful the first time may be asked to reapply. Gold Dust does not guarantee publication but mentors will advise about this and may suggest agents or further avenues to explore.


Gold Dust also offers help with screenwriting, for film and TV and have two hightly experienced mentors in these fields. For further information visit the Gold Dust web site.

Marketing Your Book-Getting Your Name Out There

There was an interesting article in The Bookseller magazine last week about research conducted on the changing consumer attitudes to books. For an author – apart from the difficulty of getting a publisher in the first place and then holding on to them – one of the hardest things is getting your name out there in a crowded market place. The big publishers spend the majority of their marketing budgets pushing the top names, (the big sellers) with a lesser percentage spent on those who are breaking through, (unit sales of about 200,000) and then diminishing money on those who are ‘ones to watch,’ with nothing left over for the others. The new authors (unless the publisher has spent an inordinate amount on acquiring the titles) are left to their own devices. If their books don’t sell the author is then dropped and can find it extremely difficult getting another publishing contract. And no marketing means fewer book sales. The biggest challenge therefore as an author is getting your name out there.

The research, compiled by Next Big Thing and sponsored by IBS Bookmaster, asked consumers the question ‘How do you find out about new books or authors?’ Most people in the UK said they get their information from in store displays (26%). But how do you get an in store display? OK, so it might not be too difficult with an independent bookshop near you, for example, my local bookshop on Hayling Island prominently displays my titles with a photograph of me. But getting an in store display in one or more of the chain booksellers is another matter. These are bought spaces, purchased by the publisher who will only put money behind – yes, you’ve guessed it, their big sellers. There is an exception to this however, and that is your local branch of the chain store booksellers. For example Waterstone's have a ‘local authors’ display (well they do in my hometown of Portsmouth) and this is extremely valuable to an author. When, my thriller, In Cold Daylight was shortlisted for the World Book Day Prize this year, we were promised in store displays to promote the Top Ten titles, (which included In Cold Daylight) but the Waterstone’s stores I visited had no display. Instead the Top Ten titles were left to flounder willy nilly in the store with a three for two sticker on them. What a disappointment and a lost opportunity for the author, publisher, bookseller and of course, the consumer.

So if getting an in store display is out for the majority of authors what else can we do? In second place in the survey consumers claimed they got information from a newspaper or magazine book review (14%). Again, it is extremely difficult for a new author, or an author who has not made the big time, to get a review. Reviewers tend to favour non-fiction and literary novels. However, media coverage in your local and regional area, or in specialist magazines, might not be so difficult, but don’t wait for your publisher’s publicist to do this, because they probably won’t. Remember they are tied up with their big name authors. So build your own media list and send out your press releases. Look for unusual stories and angles to generate media interest. Give radio interviews wherever possible. If you don’t know how to write a press release or give a radio interview then get yourself on a course. It could be one of the best investments you make.

This is closely followed by celebrity mentions (13%), the ‘Richard and Judy’ effect in the UK and the Ruby Wax effect in the USA. Again it can prove almost impossible for a small publisher to get a title on one of these ‘book’ programmes, and if you’re contracted to a large publisher you’re competing against many hundreds of titles and authors. Perhaps review copies to personalities and celebrities might work.

If these two avenues are ruled out then where does that leave you? Well, take heart because the next biggest data driver, according to the research, is recommendations from friends and family (12%) followed by Internet recommendations (9%). Combined this adds up to 21% and in my calculation has got to be worth pursuing. They are both areas of marketing that are available and accessible to any author.

In the UK people are increasingly looking to their peers for information. So book specific and genre specific web sites are an important part of your marketing plan. And with the proliferation of bloggers they’ve also got to be a target area, not to mention creating your own blog and/or website to show case your work and interact with your readers and potential readers.

Generating word of mouth and raising your profile through the use of the media is cost effective and affordable. However, it takes time, effort and persistence, which can be frustrating especially if, like me, you think you’ve entered the sprint only to find you’re in the marathon. But it can be fun and rewarding. Sitting in your garret compiling your masterpiece, then letting your publisher get on with the business of marketing and selling your books is not an option for thousands of authors. If you want your books to sell, not only do you have to produce the work that people want to buy, but you also have to be a clever and persistent marketer.

"Reading the Future" is researched and written by consumer research and future trends consultancy Next Big Thing, and sponsored by IBS Bookmaster. The final full report costs £195.00 plus VAT.

What comes first plot or characters?

Pauline Rowson is author of the marine mystery crime novels featuring the ruggedly seductive Inspector Horton and of the thrillers, In Cold Daylight and In For The Kill. She regularly gives talks about her writing and runs workshops on writing fiction.

This article is also posted on Pauline's blog www.paulinerowson.com

What comes first plot or characters?

It's a question that I often get asked when I give talks and readings and it's a difficult one to answer or at least to explain. The two are so interlinked that it is impossible to say, well for me at least. This week has been a fairly clear week so I thought I'd crack on with the new Inspector Horton novel. The idea for the novel came easily, based on something I'd been told - more than that I can't say otherwise I'll give the game away. Beginning to turn the idea into a workable plot started well until about chapter six. Then I knew that before I could continue I needed to do more research and development on my characters. Until you have interesting characters then there is no plot, or it is weak or fizzles out. Why? Because characters drive the plot, it is their emotions and reactions that make the story. But you can't let them run around willy nilly otherwise your book would be wandering all over the place. You need a plot. So as you can see plot and characters often develop together or rather you can't have one without the other - bit like that song really, how does it go..."love and marriage... go together like a horse and carriage..."When I get stuck I always know it is because I haven't done enough work on my characters. So it's been back to the paper and pencil this week to map out who they are, why they are the way they are, their motivations and personalities and how this drives them to do the things they do in the book. I find it all incredibly fascinating.Of course I do some of this research before starting the novel but at that stage, although the characters might look fully formed on the paper, I know they are not. For me they don't really come alive until I begin to put dialogue into their mouths, so I have to start writing the novel even though I might have huge gaps in the plot at that stage. Then, after a while, it's back to the plot again and more research on the characters, (the paper and pencil bit) before refining the plot and then continuing with the creative writing process on the computer screen. And, of course, in a crime novel you also need to make sure the clues, red herrings or pink elephants (as my husband, Bob, likes to call them) are all in place. But I'll leave that for another day. Back to the novel. Now if only I could work out who done it!

Getting the first lines of a novel right

Tales and Tips from the Trenches by Amy Myers

Amy Myers has been a full-time writer since 1988, and has written a wide range of novels, from historical sagas and contemporary romance to crime. She is married to an American and lives in Kent. Many of her novels have been published under the name of Harriet Hudson. Her latest novel is Murder in the Mist.

The first line in a novel needs tender loving care – only closely rivalled by the last line. I wouldn’t go so far as Harriette Wilson, who famously began her memoirs in the 19th century with ‘I shall not say why and how I became at the age of fifteen the mistress of the Earl of Craven’ but she’d certainly been to a spot-on creative writing course. There was also the young man who, told he had to capture his readers’ attention with his very first line (correct), began it with ‘hell said the Duchess’ ( er – way out of line). Readers are not dumb; they need the first line not only to seize their attention but to be a valid introduction to the novel, rather than an attention-seeking line whose promise is not fulfilled by the text that follows. It needs to indicate the novel that lies ahead in its style, content and the genre. That sounds complicated, but it isn’t when you put it into practice. Some writers find they can’t start the novel until the perfect first line is in place, although the risk is that the perfect line might then never come and therefore nor does the novel. Others write it last, or as the muse drives them during the writing period. So don’t worry about it too long; you can go back later and see if what you have written fits the bill.

By indicating the novel ahead in its style, I mean that a beautiful quiet line, perhaps for example that there is a gorgeous sunset outside the window, will indicate to the readers that a thoughtful quiet novel lies ahead, rather than a rampaging thriller or erotic romp. That sounds obvious, but it’s surprising how many new writers begin with, say, the main character waking up in the morning and yawning, obviously with the intention of beginning on a quiet note before an exciting plot gets under way. With today’s busy life style, however, readers won’t give it that long before they put the novel down.

When indicating the novel’s content in the first line (or, let’s be generous, first paragraph) there are two points to consider. The first is that it should if possible indicate what’s often called ‘the inciting incident’, the point that kick-starts the whole plot. This doesn’t have to be spelled out, but it should suggest if possible that there’s a problem ahead. For instance, suppose a traveller gets stranded for the night with a broken down car (to use a hackneyed situation) and goes to a nearby haunted inn for board and lodging. Don’t begin with ‘Joe Bloggs was looking forward to his journey over the moors’, but with his desperate, if wary, knock on the door for help. His arrival at the haunted inn ignites the plot.

The second point dovetails with this in that it is more effective to begin a novel in the middle of an action, rather than with the lead-up to it. Readers always need to be taken forwards in a story, so don’t fall into the temptation of explaining in great detail after your first line how dear old Bloggs got to that point but concentrate on what he found when he stepped inside this mysterious inn. Then once you have the readers hooked in the first chapter by the exciting prospect of Joe meeting a headless Anne Boleyn’s ghost or whatever, you can then begin to slip in little by little the essentials (and only the essentials) of what the readers need to know of Joe’s background to understand the story ahead.

Lastly, genre. If readers are expecting a hard-boiled crime thriller, they won’t be thrilled to read a first line indicating that a romance lies ahead, e.g. As he knocked on the door, Joe Bloggs was wondering what Susan would say when he failed to turn up this evening. The memory of her luscious brown hair made him weak at the knees etc. These same readers would be disappointed in their hopes of gory scenes ahead on the mean streets of London, if the first line read: ‘Colonel Bloggs’ body lay on the tigerskin rug by the fireside in the library.’ Nor would that impress them if they were looking for a thoughtful novel about modern relationships. Maybe these examples are rather extreme, but I hope they make the point.

As always, Jane Austen had the art of the first line to perfection: ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.’ Or try Dickens with his: ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.’ I’m not suggesting that you spend ages trying to emulate Jane Austen or agonising over the first line, otherwise it will turn into a hang-up as you become self-conscious about it. I tend to use the first line that comes to me, edit it at the draft stage if it doesn’t strike the right note, and alter it again later if necessary. But it does most certainly need that TLC.

Finding a Publisher or Literary Agent

Pauline Rowson is author of the popular marine mystery crime novels featuring the ruggedly seductive Inspector Horton and of the thrillers, In Cold Daylight and In For The Kill. She has also written nine non-fiction books, has run her own marketing and media company and set up an independent publishing company in 1998 which she has recently sold to Crimson Publishing. She has self published and is published by Severn House, Isis and Summersdale. Her crime novels are sold around the world, have been translated into several languages and are also available in libraries in America and the UK. She lives on the south coast of England where her marine mysteries are set. In the following article she discusses finding a publisher or literary agent and using a literary consultancy.

Finding a publisher for your work is about as difficult as climbing Mount Everest naked and almost as impossible in these tough times. But you can improve your chances by taking some simple steps before submitting your manuscript. First, ensure that you do your research. What type of publisher takes your type of book? Don't waste your time and the publishers by submitting work that they are not publishing, for example sending fiction to a non-fiction publisher. Rather obvious you might think but it is surprising how many people ignore this.

You can do your research in a number of ways.

Study the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook and make a note of the publishers you’d like to try, or refer to Cassells Directory of Publishing.

Identify books in your local bookshop or library which are in the same category as yours, make a note of the publisher. Then search for that publisher in the above named directories or on the Internet.

Check if they will take submissions, they may even provide guidelines on how to submit your work to them.

Attend Writers’ Conferences where you are able to meet with publishers and literary agents. There are many of these worldwide. Find out what is happening in your district or area, ask at your local arts centre, or library, or search the Internet.

Subscribe to the trade press. Publishing News and The Bookseller in the UK or Publishers Weekly in the USA. This will give you news and information on publishers, the market, new works commissioned, contacts, information on best sellers plus much more.

Attend book fairs in your country. The London and Frankfurt Book Fairs are particularly lively and packed with publishers from all over the World. Browse the stands, pick up catalogues from publishers and see what type of work they publish. Don’t try and sell your work at these Fairs, the publishers are not interested because they are too busy selling existing works to overseas visitors and others.

Attend writing courses where you can improve your craft and meet guest lecturers, authors, literary agents and publishers.

Consider self-publishing. If you can build a track record of sales for your book then you might have a better chance of being taken on by a publisher.

Don't always aim for the big publishers but search out smaller independent publishers who are always on the look out for talent.

Do I need an agent and if so how do I find one?

Sometimes having a literary agent can be the only route into a publisher. Many of the medium and larger publishing houses no longer take submissions direct from authors but only through an agent and finding an agent is as difficult as finding a publisher. Even when you do find an agent there is no guarantee that he or she will be able to find you a publisher. This is extremely frustrating for the author and disappointing for both author and agent. Although agents have contacts in the publishing houses, they are operating in the same publishing climate as you.

How do I make a submissions to a literary agent or publisher

Your chances of getting published can be ruined by a poor submission. Publishing houses receive hundreds if not thousands of submissions a year so make sure that your submission is professional.

Fiction submissions

Your work should be typed using double spacing and wide margins in Times New Roman point 12. This should be typed on one side of white A4 paper only. Do not use fancy coloured paper as it will make the typescript hard to read and will only annoy the editor. Do not staple pages together or bind them in any way, they will only have to be unbound and many editors (or submissions departments) and agents will not even bother to do this. Put a large elastic band around the bundle and a hard piece of cardboard to support it through the mail. Post in a jiffy bag or similar, only e-mail if they say submissions will be accepted by e-mail. Send a covering letter and enclose return postage if you want a reply and your MS returned to you.

Always comply with the publisher/agent's request when submitting your work, if they say they want only two chapters then send them two chapters not four. Also