Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts

Sunday 1 March 2020

Prompts Can Help...

Prompts 2020 by [James, Gill]
You can find
out more 

here.   




       
March has arrived and spring beckons- thankfully. I may get rid of my lingering cold too...

Do you use prompts to get you writing?

They're a good way to get inspiration during those lean spells, but they can also jog the memory and recall those filed away ideas that you said you would do when you had time...

If you find prompts helpful, then I have two recommendations for you. I have bought both books myself.

First, Prompts 2020 from Chapeltown Books. Alongside several prompts there're pieces on writingcraft and editing a completed piece of writing, along with other helpful items. With 366 to choose from, there will always be something to dip into (and it lists all contributors).

It's only available as an ebook for now, but it's great value and less than the price of a cup of coffee in many high street coffee shops.

You'll find my Christmas prompts in July (there is a reason); one each day from the 18th to the 27th.

By Patsy Collins
I created my list of prompts last year for an exercise at the writers' club, but they remained unused. I'm delighted they have found a home in this book.

~ ~ ~

The other book is by Patsy Collins, A Year of Ideas... 365 sets of prompts and exercises. It's available as a paperback and an ebook.

I bought the paperback for myself as I enjoy having a physical copy available to open at random or browse; you can do that or start from page one and work through, or just choose that day's date...

Have you read any other prompt books that you'd recommend?

Thursday 28 November 2019

The 2019 Bad Sex in Fiction Shortlist is Out...

It's that time of year when the Literary Review's annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award shortlist is revealed.

Of course the extracts in the news reports are only a part of the novels they appear in, so put in context they may work okay, but in isolation they don't.

This year's contenders- with some unexpected names appearing:
  • City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert (Bloomsbury)
  • The Office of Gardens and Ponds by Didier Decoin (MacLehose Press)
  • The River Capture by Mary Costello (Canongate)
  • The Electric Hotel by Dominic Smith (Allen & Unwin)
  • Pax by John Harvey (Holland House)

You can read about a few of the well-known authors who escaped the list this year in this Guardian article.

The shortlisted extracts from each novel are revealed on another Guardian page.

Having read the extracts, they are not as bad as in previous years.

But I'm sorry Didier Decoin, your extract would get my vote any day, just for the ponds and omelette rolls...

The winner will be announced on the 2nd December.

It's that time again.../









Monday 14 October 2019

When Amazon's KDP Met East Midlands Writers...

East Midlands writers heard from Darren Hardy, manager of the KDP UK (kindle direct publishing) at an event organised via the Society of Authors last Thursday evening.

They held the event at The Nottingham Mechanics- the regular venue for Nottingham Writers' Club meetings, so this was a local and a great opportunity to attend.

This was only the second time KDP had run this session so they're still refining the event and learning from each one.

Though I'm not sure Mr Hardy was quite prepared for the RNA members attending.

Basically, it was KDP promoting and showing how easy it was to self publish with them and generate up to 70% in digital and up to 60% in print on demand royalties.

They provided a helpful A4 handout with relevant details and URLs and examples of royalty calculations.

For those who had not used KDP there was a run-through of the process, though the images on the screen were not large enough to read the text from a distance, it was explained and key aspects highlighted.

Apparently the help button on the dashboard connects to a tech team whose only job is to sort out the technical issues or queries writers may have during the process. There are also webinars, which if you can't watch at the time they're running, you can access later via the video library.

Questions were raised during part one and more again with the part two content.

There were insights into Author Central and how the writer could use their profile. Their suggestion that authors should link all their social media accounts to their Amazon author profile was met with scepticism by some audience members; I raised the question of algorithms and writers losing reviews, or being banned from leaving reviews.

Mr H said this was only when there was a financial connection, a gift card or cash had been paid for a review. He said that if an author contacted them about disappearing reviews, they would look at it. A human would look at it...

Sadly, he did not appear to believe that authors were losing reviews when they'd done nothing wrong, but as they would not tell the writer the actual reason for review removal, and consequently not reinstate them (some are); it was not a satisfactory answer.

But the audience were also told to contact the Society of Authors with the details of when and what had been removed, so the Society could feed that back to KDP. He admitted that there had been a glitch last year, and they had reinstated those reviews but was unaware of any recently.

There were complaints of cover colour inconsistency from the print on demand service, but again there was no explanation, just let the Society of Authors know as well to feed it back.

Four RNA members I know of had received damaged books in the last few months because of poor packaging, including one sent back by the carrier, before it got to the author, because of the state it was in. It appeared Mr H was unaware of these type of complaints.

Another attendee asked about the get 50 reviews and visibility improves. That isn't right, we were told. It's the metadata, so using the best categorisation and effective keywords in relation to the book is the important thing.

There are some promotions that authors can be invited to take part in, but, unlike those occasions when Amazon reduces the price but the author still gets their set royalty rate, the invited promotions will be at a reduced royalty rate...

KDP encourage writers to set up their author central profile on each of the Amazon sites, but they have to be done individually, so sign in, apparently using your normal Amazon log-in details, and complete your profile for each one. Cut and paste is the only shortcut for this.

Print & e-book...
There's more but hopefully you'll get the opportunity to attend their future events in other parts of the country, so sign up to the Society of Authors non-members newsletter- if you haven't done so, as this was how I heard the news of this free event and booked.
While I learnt a few useful things, I went away disappointed.

The KDP manager was not as well briefed as he could have been, so when he couldn't really answer the negative issues writers raised, it showed and suggested, right or wrong, that KDP thought everything was rosy.

Hopefully, he'll take back those negatives and get them resolved.

The good news is that one RNA writer who had received damaged books a couple of months ago, received her latest author copies in good condition and better packing. So maybe there's hope for solutions.

If KDP do more of this event, hopefully, they'll be able to answer any difficult questions writers raise.

All that said, any opportunity to hear from KDP direct is to be welcomed...





image:Pixabay.com





Saturday 31 August 2019

I've Survived August- Now for September...

It's the last day of the month and as of 4.30 am (BST) this morning, my submission to the RNA's New Writers' Scheme went in.

Now I just have to wait for the eventual email telling me the reader's report is ready. I don't know who the published writer reading it will be, nor whether they're male or female. But whoever gets to read it- thank you.

The part I hadn't expected was how much time checking through the manuscript takes.

When I start the next draft I will be tougher on myself. I know I can do it now, it's about me being better prepared and organised during those busy everyday life events. Even 300-500 words a time soon builds up. I know I still have a lot to work to do in the next draft...

This weekend I relax, catch-up with all those things I didn't have time for- Sanditon on catch-up is first on my list...

Next Saturday (7th September) I'll be attending a half day workshop (I've been involved in organising it) at Nottingham Writers' Club.

Our guest is friend and blogger Patsy Collins The Travelling Writer, with her Effective Characterisation and Dialogue workshop from 1-5 pm.

Patsy Collins is coming to
    Nottingham...
There are still places available, so if you, or anyone you know are within reach of Nottingham and would like to attend, do please pass on the link.

Nottingham's Tram network links the railway station to a nearby tram stop less than 5 minutes walk away from our venue; plus the Victoria bus station and bus routes into the city centre are 5-10 minutes walk...


Then on the 14th I'll be at my desk tuning in to #SelfPubCon2019 it's 24 sessions online over 24 hours. (I won't be sat at my desk for 24 hours though...)

You need to register via ALLi (The Alliance of Independent Authors) you'll find them on Facebook, Twitter and their website. The three-day pass is free- just register with name and email.

I've tuned in to the past two: spring this year and fall of 2018. Both times I've learnt something I could put into action...


Do you have any writing related plans for September?



Image provided by Patsy Collins.

Sunday 24 March 2019

How Much Will You Pay for an E-book?

Now I know that authors who are traditionally published have no say on what price the e-book of their novels is sold at. Of course there will be price promotions where readers can buy the e-book for 99 pence for a limited time.

Whereas with self-published e-books the price can vary, though I've heard £2.99 is the ideal price- maybe is is and maybe it isn't?

Of course there's always a selection at 99 pence; but just because they're a low price that doesn't necessarily reflect badly on their quality.

As writers we know the same amount of work has gone into the writing and production of the book whether it's on paper or a digital file.

But as a reader, what price is too high for you to buy an e-book?

Unlike a print book, an e-book- a digital file (while it can last for as long as the technology exists to read it and is available) is more like a rental with no defined end date.
Print or E-book
for the cost?

Plus e-books prices include VAT.

The provider can modify or remove an e-book, likewise if
an online provider has closed a person's account for some reason, the reader will lose access to those e-books they've purchased.

(So if you've got a favourite book it's always a good idea to get a print copy too.)

So back to price.

I recently saw a new  release by one of my many favourite writers (a hybrid author). I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy the story having read the blurb, so downloaded the sample. At this point the price was still £3+.

It was a couple of days before I read the sample and decided okay, it has potential I'll buy the e-book. But when I went to Amazon the new release price had gone up to £5+ and I decided no it wasn't worth it at that price...

That response surprised me.

It may just be that I wasn't so intrigued that I just had to read more instantly. Perhaps the author has just lost their edge, that sparkle that would have once guaranteed an immediate buy.

This time it was the price that made the difference between me saying okay I'll buy it- even if it seems not to be as good as previous novels. To saying no, it's not worth it at that price. I probably would have bought it at the £3+ price.

There are a few e-books that I've bought at the £5+ range, but generally I'd opt for a paperback version, as sometimes it can be better value.

I realised that for me, quality + price = value = buy.

So a couple of questions to you as a reader, rather than a writer.

Do you have a maximum price bar when buying e-books?

Or does it depend upon the particular e-book, author or some other combination?

I'm looking forward to reading your responses...




Image from Pixabay.com








Sunday 24 February 2019

Guest Q&A: Alex Gazzola...

Today I'm delighted to be welcoming journalist, author and writing tutor Alex Gazzola to Carol's Corner to answer a few questions on his writing and books.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex Gazzola
Welcome to my blog, Alex.

Q1. Readers may only associate you with your Mistakes Writers Make books and the blog of the same name, but there's another side to your non-fiction work that some readers may be unaware of. Please tell us more.

The Mistakes Writers Make work stems from my long period working as a non-fiction writing tutor for the Writers Bureau. I was giving so much advice to my hundreds of students that it seemed a shame not to rework some of that material into a blog and share it more widely to budding writers looking for guidance. But I started out as a writer of all sorts of non-fiction, before beginning to specialise in health and nutrition, and then narrowing my specialism further by focusing on allergies, intolerances and gut health.

Allergies and sensitivities interest me because so many people have them, and quite a few struggle to get a diagnosis, and to avoid exposure to their triggers. There are all sorts of very unusual reactions to hundreds of different ingredients – be they in food, cosmetics or household chemicals – and there is I think a shortage of information for those who deal with them.

I write for a few specialist publications, such as allergy websites and charity newsletters, but also post a lot on my own website, Allergy Insight (www.allergy-insight.com). I’ve also written several books – on coeliac disease and IBS, for instance.

Q2. You've recently updated and self-published in paperback through KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) your 50 Mistakes Beginner Writers Make and 50 More Mistakes Beginner Writers Make. What challenges were there in updating and self-publishing the books that you hadn't anticipated?


#Book 1

#Book 2
Actually, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. KDP accepts documents in Word, which I’m very comfortable with, so there wasn’t too much trouble on that front. I think the only thing which was a bit fiddly was setting page numbering – it’s not always easy to format it as you want it or have the numbering start where you wish. The text I worked with was originally formatted for Kindle ebooks, so it required a little editing – for instance, removing the hyperlinks.
I had to write an index for each book’s print version, which took some time, but I’d always compiled my own indexes before, so again that was fine.

One problem was that I couldn’t find a way to use exactly the same cover image for both ebook and print book, so they’re slightly different, and I’m not fully satisfied with that, or with the designs. When I have more time I may try to improve on them.

Q3. Are there more books planned for this year – either writing or allergy related?

Yes, both. I’m working on the third book in the Mistakes Writers Make series, 50 Mistakes Writers Make, which is aimed at a more ‘intermediate’ level of non-fiction writer, who has perhaps read the first two and has had some success, but would now like a lot more! I might do a fourth, but I actually have other ideas for writing books which I’m more keen to pursue, and I’d like to update my Writing Your Non-Fiction Book ebook too.

As for allergy books, yes, I have lots of other ideas. I might do a book on understanding food and cosmetic ingredients and labels for people with allergies. I’m also interested in nickel allergy, which many women have, so I think a book on that is needed.

Q4. What essential piece of advice would you give to a writer who was considering writing a non-fiction book?

Whether you’re going the self-published route or via conventional publishing, you need a good idea. If it’s a niche subject but you’re sure there’s a dearth of information on it, then I would look at self-publishing. My latest book, on an allergy to a cosmetic preservative commonly called MI, has sold over 200 copies in just a few weeks – and I think it’s because there is no other book available on it. I’d say look for something unusual which you find interesting. If you think it’s more commercial, propose it to a mainstream publisher.

Either way, be aware that writing a book is a big job, that there is lots of research involved, but don’t be afraid of it. Break it down. Think of each chapter as a long article, perhaps. Also don’t feel obliged to start at the beginning. Knowing you have 30,000 words (or whatever) to write can cause you to freeze. Start in the middle if you like. Or write an ‘easy’ bit.

For my first book, I started by compiling some useful resources, I wrote the conclusion, I wrote the introduction, and a few other random odds and ends, before eventually pulling them together into what turned out to be the book. If the word ‘book’ or even ‘manuscript’ intimidates you, then just think ‘articles’, or ‘text’, or ‘bits of writing’ or whatever it takes … You can do it!


Alex's Mistakes Writers Make book series are also available as e-books...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you Alex. I'm sure you'll have inspired more writers to start that non-fiction book they've thought about but never taken the next step...

It was Alex who encouraged me to approach the editor of Writing Magazine last year which led to my Womag Rights article appearing a few weeks later in the September issue.

On the 1st March over on Patsy Collins' blog Words about writing and writing about words, Alex's answers to the questions from a blog post earlier in February will be posted (the post a question option is now closed, but you will be able to read his answers on Friday).

Comments on my blog posts are always welcome...











Thursday 19 July 2018

My Weekend - Work and Play...

I can now reveal that my fun weekend (mentioned in my last blog post) was at the 2018 Romantic Novelists Conference at Leeds Trinity University from Friday to Sunday #RNAConf18.

In the
Auditorium...
The campus was about 5 miles north-west of Leeds at Horsforth.

This is the first RNA Conference I've been to and I would definitely like to go again next year- it's a different location.

Quite a few of those attending had to come by plane from outside the UK. Planes were a constant presence as Leeds Bradford Airport was a few miles down the road; and at night you could hear them, during the day see them coming into land with flaps open and wheels down...

Yes there was a lot of socialising- I didn't get to bed until midnight both nights. Lots of online and offline groups had get-together's. Lots of kitchen 'parties'; fortunately the kitchens were a good size in the accommodation blocks with plenty of seating.

As you'd expect with so many writers together the noise level was high!

I went to each of the sessions I'd intended to on the Saturday. Self-Editing. How to do it effectively with Alison May was very good. The reassuring thing for me was finding out that what I'm doing now with my wip is right.

Remember 'You're in charge' of your manuscript is a quote worth remembering.

I also got to meet #writingchat friend Susan Jones who is a pocket novelist. Maggie Swinburne of the My Weekly Pockets Novels was doing her session at the same time as the editing one, but I met up with Susan for lunch to find out how it went.

Pocket Novelist
Susan Jones
A copy of Susan's latest release was in every goody bag that all attendees received. Plus Susan was a walking promotional tool with her t-shirt and bags too!












Saturday evening was the Gala Dinner so everyone was dressed up- lots of sparkle.




The table was covered in little shapes: stars, hearts, and wine glasses in a myriad of metallic shades.



As you can imagine it was very warm so many moved outside after dinner into the slightly cooler air.

My
 Gala Dinner
Outfit...



Sunday was another fantastic day.

There was a lot of laughing going on in the auditorium just after 9 am.

Liam Livings and Virginia Heath were holding a session called Sensual love scenes without stuffing the turkey.

Let's just say the names Roger and Fanny will be likely to cause hysterical laughter for some time...

There was a serious side to the session; how to use the senses in love scenes and avoiding awful metaphors- just don't mention red onions in plastic string bags!


One of the
accommodation blocks
Before the carvery Sunday lunch I attended a session by the Word Wenches: Two nations, one language of romance?

The Wenches were Mary Jo Putney (one of my long-term favourite writers), Patricia Rice, Andrea Penrose and the RNA's Nicola Cornick.

It was a very interesting discussion panel, and revealed a number of elements that showed the US and UK romance markets are no longer as wide apart as they once were.

There seems to have been a shift as sweet romances gain popularity. Patricia Rice said that publishers were ' cranking back on sex' in books.

At the end of the session I went over to say hello to Mary Jo Putney to tell her how much I'd enjoyed her books over the years- and I still have them (pre-ebooks), and I got a hug. She's a very witty and a smart lady, so it was wonderful to hear her and get an opportunity to say hello properly.

I learnt something from every session I attended across the weekend; and just having the time to mix with other romance writers and not have to worry about every day activities: like shopping, cooking and endless washing machine marathons, it made such a difference to me, both mentally and physically- no time for extra snacks.

Will I go next year? If I can, I will...










Thursday 28 June 2018

Authors Earnings & Contracts in the News...

Authors earnings have been in the news this week with the initial results of the 2017 ALCS Authors Earnings Survey.

There's more detail to come in the autumn when the details will be revealed in more depth, but meanwhile you can read how the news and ALCS have reacted.

Richard Combes, Head of Rights and Licensing at the ALCS on the Bookseller.com website.

In the Guardian Philip Pullman is quoted "The word exploitation comes to mind..."


Meanwhile The All Party Parliamentary Group for Writers has launched an enquiry on author's earnings (UK) "and seeks to identify what environment writers need to enable them to flourish in the future".

The deadline for written evidence is 5 pm on the 2nd August.

I will be submitting written evidence.


As to contracts, the latest news is that Woman's Weekly magazine now want all rights- including a moral rights waver and the pay-cut.

This will severely damage the earning potential of writers who have already seen markets closed, submission lists restricted, and contract changes eating into rights.

For those who may not know, these fiction writers rely on being able to reuse their stories in overseas markets, and as part of a self-published collection of short stories, and then most importantly qualifying for ALCS (Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society).

It's an ongoing situation so keep an eye on the Womagwriter's Blog for more news. You can find out what's been happening so far here and also here.

If you're on Twitter and see a tweet with the hashtag #WomagWritersNeedRights please give it a retweet...


Saving the pennies...

image from Pixabay.com

Thursday 10 May 2018

Meeting C.J Tudor - author of The Chalk Man...

It was my Wednesday evening out at the Writers' Club last night (that was the 9th, if
you' re reading this at the weekend).

The guest speaker was author C.J Tudor, whose debut novel 'The Chalk Man' was published this January in hardback; there will be a paperback later this year.

C.J Tudor author of
The Chalk Man
As Caroline is a local author the club was already connected on Twitter, so that made arranging the talk much easier for me; being able to suggest what we'd be interested in hearing about and adapting to her way of working.

Caroline began with reading the prologue of her book and there was a definite ooh at the end...

We heard about her journey to publication with the "little notes of hope"- the comments she received from agents she'd submitted her earlier books to; but it was clear that the process can be long and the path not always smooth just getting an agent.

The insights into the actual publishing process (once The Chalk Man manuscript was accepted- after an auction) was something many writers don't usually hear about.

Anyone who ever wondered why it takes so long for a book to be published- about 2 years- would have understood why, after Caroline explained the process she and her book went through. Editing and more editing featured heavily.

But it did also give some useful insights that self-publishers can learn from.

Creating a buzz using social media and the value of book bloggers, especially with debuts.

The value in getting pre-orders and the concentrated effort needed the first two weeks the book comes out.

All writers are aware of book covers, so it was surprising to hear why the cover of The Chalk Man had to be changed for the US market; they had an orange cover.

It seems they don't like black covers...

Caroline's talk was entertaining, and interesting. She is a pantser as a writer and her talk was that way too, but it worked well.

If you get an opportunity to see her at an event you won't be disappointed. And the same goes for the book...

As it says...










Monday 4 September 2017

Friday Night at a Book Launch...

After weeks of hard non-writing work, it was lovely to go out to a local literary event, a book launch.

In Nottingham the Waterstones branch is in a tall building, and only a short walk from two tram stops and lots of bus routes, and with easy access to the railway station (for those travelling from further afield).

The Alan Sillitoe room is on the top floor of the building, and it's a popular venue for literary events, book signings/book launches, author events, workshops and more.

On Friday night it was the Nottingham launch party for the paperback of Cathy Bramley's The Lemon Tree Cafe.
The Lemon Tree Caf (Paperback)
out in
   paperback...

The launch was a mixture of invited guests, and other readers who had a ticket to attend. I was there with a few of the Belmont Belles.

A small glass of wine always goes well when you arrive...

Cathy was delightful, and her great sense of humour came over in her introduction.

She read an extract from the book, a scene between Rosie and her Nonna- her Italian grandmother who owns The Lemon Tree Cafe in "the rolling hills of Derbyshire". There were certainly moments of laughter and big smiles all
round during the reading.

Afterwards there was a long queue for the book signing, it nearly reached the back of the room.

Lemon cupcakes...


It's good to be able to celebrate with friends and fellow authors, especially when it's a local venue.

And the cupcake was delicious too...

Sunday 11 December 2016

Not Long To Go...

A gem of a book...

Not long to go has a few meanings.

Christmas is of course fast approaching, and this coming Wednesday it's Awards Night at the writers' club.

I may have a few photos I can share next week...

College and Uni finish this coming Friday so I'll have a houseful from next weekend until early New Year. As much as I love my brood, it does mean any quiet time to write is reduced to a dripping tap that quickly gets fixed.

So there will only be a couple more posts until after Christmas.

Meanwhile I've been considering ideas for both my blog and Serena's.

I've also been catching up on my reading while I've had a spare ten minutes, or while waiting for appointments...

One of my recommended reads that would make an ideal Christmas present is From Story Idea to Reader by Patsy Collins and Rosemary J. Kind. And it's not because I know the authors.

This is a book I wish had been around when I first started writing, as it has a friendly and very comfortable and clear style; but there are sections more experienced writers can dip into that inspire me, and (new to me) techniques to try out. It's available on Kindle and as a paperback via Createspace, either from Alfie Dog (see link below) or Amazon.

I haven't finished reading it yet as I've not had enough free-time, so that's another delight to come over the holidays.

Earlier this year Patsy guest posted about using Createspace to turn her e-book novels and short story collections into paperbacks; and Rosemary is the owner and editor of Alfie Dog Fiction.

If you're in the UK and are signed up to Goodreads then there's an opportunity to win a copy. Click here.

I still have a number of photos to finish sorting and labelling up too, and I want to get a few blog posts written up for those busy times...

More soon...



Thursday 17 November 2016

November Means the Bad Sex in Fiction Shortlist...

Around this time in November the shortlist for the Bad Sex in Fiction Award is announced.

The Award  was established by Auberon Waugh, the then editor of the Literary Review, and literary critic Rhoda Koenig.

It has been awarded every year since 1993.

"the Bad Sex in Fiction Award has honoured an author who has produced an outstandingly bad scene of sexual description in an otherwise good novel. The purpose of the prize is to draw attention to poorly written, perfunctory or redundant passages of sexual description in modern fiction."
Literary Review

When you consider how many books are produced, it's going to be the mainstream published type that will get the most notice, and readers who think these books deserved nominating...

You can read about a few of the nominated authors who escaped the shortlist in this Guardian article about this year's list.

(The new US President Elect was nominated apparently, but was excluded because it wasn't fiction...)

So this year's contenders:

A Doubter's Almanac by Ethan Canin

The Tobacconist by Robert Seethaler

Men Like Air by Tom Connolly

The Butcher's Hook by Janet Ellis

Leave Me by Gayle Forman

The Day Before Happiness by Erri De Luca


Having read the entries for this year, I can't see why Gayle Forman was included...

Whoever wins will likely see a rise in sales following the announcement on the 30th November.

Of the candidates this year, it has to be Erri De Luca's The Day Before Happiness. But Janet Ellis does deserve a commendation for The Butcher's Hook...


Which will win?




























image courtesy of       & freedigitalphotos.net







Sunday 16 October 2016

The Further Adventures of Carol...

Life has been a little chaotic in the last month, so getting away from the stresses has been a much needed break.

A couple of weeks ago it was meeting friends, Maria and Patsy.

Then this Friday is was the Leicester chapter meeting of the RNA (Romantic Novelists Association). There were a few recognisable faces from online, but also a number of people who I'd never met, or may have only seen or heard of their books, plus one very familiar face, Maria Smith.

I didn't take my camera, but there may be a photo on Maria's blog later this week.

It was one of those mornings when if something can go wrong, it will go wrong.

Having stopped to deal with an urgent phone call, it was a quick walk to the nearest tram stop. Unfortunately I was only half way along the footpath when the tram I'd intended to get pulled up at the station and then left.

Panic.

9 minutes to the next tram. I'd probably miss the London train that would get me to Leicester with time to spare. The next train would be another half hour...

I'm one of those people who always allows extra time to get lost- if visiting somewhere I've never been before. I'd rather arrive twenty minutes early than twenty minutes late.

Fortunately the tram didn't break down- it does happen, and as it stops above the railway station, I was buying my train ticket within two minutes of arriving. And then down to the platform with the train waiting and five minutes to spare - phew!

That train was busy as it was one coach short- the one with the unreserved seats, but I found an empty seat that was only reserved from my destination, so thankfully I didn't have to stand.

As I had clear directions from the station I was only a little early, so all that worry for nothing. I'll be much better organised next time.

Back to work...
If you happen to see any pictures of me from Friday with a glass in my hand, my back was to the very warm radiator, and it wasn't that cold outside!

There are a number of RNA chapters across the country, each with their own style of meetings, so if you write romance and are interested, have a look here.

You can also read the RNA blog. The current interviewee Claire Harvey, also attended the Writing Historical Fiction workshop that I went to earlier in the year. Hearing her read then, I'm not surprised she was announced as the 2016 winner of the Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers.

Now, I need to get back to the work in progress, and hopefully a calmer few weeks...




image courtesy of  aechan & www.freedigitalphotos.net











Sunday 8 November 2015

A Little Help from Your Friends...

The great thing about writers is that they are not only fun friends to have, but they are willing to share their knowledge to new and developing writers.

I know I wouldn't have improved without the generosity of experience of many current writers, and those who are no longer with us.

One of my roles at the writers' club is Prose Secretary; I find judges for our assorted competitions held throughout the year. The valuable comments each entry receives back helps the writers continue to develop their skills, and highlight where they may be going wrong- as well as what they are doing right.

So when I was tasked with finding a judge for the 2016 Nottingham Writers' Club, National Short Story Competition, I had a few potential people in mind.

I'm very glad to say that my first choice, a successful short story writer and novelist agreed to the job.

Admittedly, Patsy Collins sprung to mind due to her short story pedigree, plus the 2016 theme which is 'Fire'. Patsy just so happens to have released a new book- a few days ago- called 'Firestarter'. I have it ready to read on my Kindle.

I'm assured there's a hunky fireman involved... :D

You can find out more about Patsy's latest novel over on her blog Words about writing...

The club's national competition usually opens on the first day of the New Year, but for 2016 we're holding the submission period during February. And as next year is a leap year, there will be 29 days to submit entries, either online or by post.

PLEASE NOTE that only entries from writers residing in the UK can be accepted.

There are a few rules of course, so do read and follow them. Often newer and less experienced writers are put off entering competitions by the thought of competing against 'professionals'.

So the main criteria for anyone considering entry: if you've earned £300 or more from short story writing during 2015 please don't enter.

For more details about the 2016 competition, pop along to the page on the Nottingham Writers' Club website.

Firestarter- the new novel
from Patsy Collins







Thursday 22 October 2015

Sci-fi Night Review...

If you saw my recent post about the Sci-fi night that was taking place at the writers club I attend, last night (21st), then you might be interested in a few things I learnt.

I haven't yet downloaded the photos I took- that's a job for the weekend when I have the time to go through and check each one- usually it's just a case of cropping parts of people or objects caught on the edges of the picture. And I promised a couple of the authors I'd send them a copy of those they appear in.

I found out:

That there is hard sci-fi and soft sci-fi; the former is the really technical stuff that requires a lot of research (and probably a lot of technical understanding). While the latter, soft version, is more about the story/characters, often using the issues of the current time on a futuristic scenario, but usually not needing research. 

(I'm working from memory here...)

World building; be consistent, even if you bend the laws of actual science. You can make your world do whatever you want, but you must be consistent.

Stephen Palmer (one of the guest authors) emphasised that for the mid-teen reader, plot and character were the things that mattered.

The good news is that sci-fi is no longer just male authors- as it was in the last century, and there are a few popular female authors in the genre.

Coincidentally 21st October 2015 was Back to the Future Day- the first film of the 'Back to the Future' trio.

There were lots of books for sale, and attendees had time to talk to the many authors who set up their table with their books. And every ticket holder got a goodie bag which included a couple of books.

Even though sci-fi isn't my thing, it was a good evening and I enjoyed it...


Sunday 11 October 2015

Discovering Sci-fi in Nottingham this October...

Now I have to admit that the nearest I've ever gotten to sci-fi is watching Star Trek and it's many incarnations, Stargate - and versions of, plus Farscape and the occasional film.

Well I'm fairly sure I'm going to be learning a lot, later this month, as the writers club I attend (Nottingham Writers' Club) are holding a Sci-fi Night on the 21st October, 6-9.30 pm.

If you're in the UK you might be familiar with the annual Edge-Lit event held in Derby each year, and Alex Davis who is the mastermind behind it.

Alex is involved in the sci-fi night in Nottingham too, as both publisher- of Boo Books- and a master of ceremonies during the evening.

There will be discussions with authors, a Q&A, readings, time to meet the authors, buy books- and get them signed. There's a bar at the venue, so even if alcohol isn't your tipple, you can get tea or coffee, as well as soft drinks.

So far the authors appearing and taking part are:

Ian Douglas - website.

Sophie Sparham - website.

Gav Thorpe - website.

Roy Bainton - Amazon.

Stephen Palmer - website.

Alex Davis - blog.


If you know anyone who is into sci-fi, do mention this event to them.

The venue (The Nottingham Mechanics) is close to public transport links, and the nearest tram stop is a few minutes walk away, so there's quick and easy access straight to Nottingham Railway Station.

Tickets are available in advance via Eventbrite: here. £5 in advance, or £7 on the night. But whichever option is chosen, all ticket holders will be receiving a goodie bag at the event...

This is a one-off event, so don't miss it...














Thursday 30 April 2015

Authors for Nepal - Auction Coming Up...

I doubt many will have missed the news reports of the devastation left by the 7.8 magnitude  earthquake that hit Nepal last Saturday, resulting in the death and homelessness of huge numbers of  citizens.

As with previous natural disasters authors are rallying together to raise funds by donating to a charity auction; items donated range from signed books, to critiques, and an author visit, plus many more.

There's still time for other donations to be added with a deadline of 6 pm this Sunday, May 3rd.

For details of where and how, pop over to the Authors for Nepal Facebook page.

At the moment the auction is scheduled to begin Tuesday 5th May at midnight on ebay. The organiser, writer Julia Williams, has said that although they may not have loaded all the items by the start time, they will carry on until they're complete.

So even if the earlier ones have finished there will still be later ones running.

The money raised by the auction will go to Earthquake Relief for Nepal set-up by a New Zealand based charity, First Steps Himalaya, who are involved with providing early years education for rural Nepali children, and are already based within one of the villages.

You can find out more from this item in the Bookseller.

The charity's page.


The Facebook page for Authors for Nepal.


So keep an eye on the Facebook page for more updates over the weekend.

AUCTION RUNNING so pop over to ebay and take a look at their all listings- there are a few still to be added, so keep checking.

Monday 20 April 2015

Writers' Earnings - Not Good News...

Still not quite over the recent late spring bug, but my head is now clear enough to put some thoughts together on the news reports about writers' earnings that came out today.

You may remember that last summer the initial findings of the ALCS's survey on author earnings revealed that for professional authors- those who earn their income from writing rather than another job- their 2013 income was just £11,000. (In 2005 this figure was £12,330.)

The full research has now detailed how the income is spread, and for the average writer it is not good news.

The top 10% of professional authors (defined as those who spend more than 50% of their time self-employed writing) earn 58% of all the money that's earned by professional authors.

Now I'm not going to begrudge any writer for all the years of hard work they've put in, they've earned it. But would they be able to get to that same level of income if they were just making that leap into full-time writing now? In the current climate facing writers I very much doubt it.

One of the panels I attended at the recent Writers Conference was about earning a living as a writer. While few of the audience were shocked at how difficult it was to do so, it was probably the insights into how varied the other means of earning an income have become: teaching, mentoring, workshops, and other creative writing opportunities were sited as other income sources.

Back to the results:
As for the bottom 50% of writers (professional and those for whom writing is not their primary occupation- which will be most) they only earn 7% of all the money earned by writers put together...

The worrying figure is that 17% of all writers did not earn anything during 2013. Also 90% needed to earn money from other sources. Bills still need to be paid and food bought...

While these headline figures are worrying, there's a lot more to be concerned about for many writers who are emerging in the current world.


  • Too many expect writers to work for nothing, whilst claiming it will help your profile (!!!! I stopped believing that a long time ago. It's not that I wouldn't do something for free, but that would be my choice because I supported a cause or was happy to help in some way, or a particular writing credit would be useful...)



  • Contracts that demand more, or all rights (including moral rights) in any media with no additional recompense- an issue with a number of magazines. 



  • No reversion clauses. Admittedly many publishers will have them, but others won't, and how can any contract be fair if all the advantages are on one side? Yes, you can turn the contract down, but regrettably you lose out.


It will be interesting to read the full report, as it also looked at copyright, contracts and the authors' bargaining positions.

To read the various articles here are a few links you might like: Bookseller; and the Guardian.