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18 December 2023 - What's new

December 2023
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4 December 2023 - What's new

December 2023
  • 'When I started writing in about 1990, publishers were very keen on the teenage market. They knew kids were spending money on music and that there were films for kids that age, but books somehow weren't quite happening. The fuss when Junk came out was because it really was a book for teenagers. If you're 14 or 15 or 16, of course you're thinking about sex and drugs and rock'n'roll, but there was a gap in what kids wanted to read and what was being produced for them; it was all right to pinch stuff surreptitiously from the adult world, but no adult was allowed to present it to you...' Melvin Burgess, author of YA classic Junk, Hunger and 12 other YA novels and a just-published adult novel, Loki.
  • Joanne PhillipsUK-based freelance writer and ghostwriter. She has had articles published in national writing magazines, and has ghostwritten books on subjects as diverse as hairdressing and keeping chickens. Visit her at www.joannephillips.co.uk has undertaken a complete revision of her Self-publishing Guide, starting with What is Self-publishing? 'The landscape of self-publishing has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, making it almost unrecognizable from the days when it was considered an almost desperate choice for those who couldn't land a publishing deal. Now, there are many authors who go this way out of preference. As of the current date (November 2023), the term 'indie author' is mainstream, reflecting a shift in mindset - the realization that achieving professional publishing standards no longer demands a traditional publishing house, and it also need not be an entirely solo endeavour...' This updated series will roll out every two weeks and is perfect if you are considering self-publishing but don't know how to go about it.
  • As well as our highly-regarded Copy editing service, which will help you prepare your manuscript for submission or self-publishing, we have Manuscript Polishing, which provides a higher-level polishing service, English Language Editing for those for whom English is not a native language, the Writer's edit, providing line-editing, and Proof-reading. The Cutting edit and Developmental editing are two new services. Get the right level of editorial support for your needs from our professional editors. Our low-cost services represent exceptionally good value. Contact us to discuss what you want.
  • Links about children and children's writing: the books we read as kids often stick with us more than any others, Do You Believe in Magic? On The Timeless Charm of Children's Books ‹ Literary Hub; a third of children's books in the UK now 'feature a racially minoritised character', Children's publishers turning the tide on ethnic representation; and more on this story, The Bookseller - News - CLPE report shows 'remarkable' rise in inclusive representation in kids' books.
  • 'The outcome of my experience with Writerservices has far exceeded my expectation and I was amazed by their professionalism, hard work, knowledge and keenness to edit my manuscript of the novel, "Uncle Thesiger's Mashhuf", in every detail, thereby ensuring it will appeal to English readers. Their services are very helpful to all writers.' Ammar Al Thuwaini, an Iraqi novelist and translator in our Endorsements page.
  • Do you want to self-publish your work? WritersServices offers a suite of services which help writers get their work into shape before they self-publish. Get your manuscript ready for your publication - Services for Self-publishers.
  • If you need to clear copyright for your book, Clearing Copyright shows you how to do this: 'Copyright provides a framework for trading in intellectual property. In practice it protects the author's position and ensures that the publisher is able to take on the risk of publication in the knowledge that the publisher's rights are protected. In effect authors, (the originators of intellectual property) sub-license their rights through their book contracts to different parties in individual territories and in specific forms...'
  • Links for writers: genre is a confining madness; it says nothing about how writers write or readers read, and everything about how publishers, retailers and commentators would like them to, The big idea: should we abolish literary genres? | Publishing | The Guardian; a novel approach to social media, Why This Ghostwriter Loves His Haters; 'I'm a big planner, and before I start writing a novel I like to know how it's going to start and end, and the main twists and turns of the story', Nielsen Bestseller Award winner: Jackie Kabler, author of The Perfect Couple (One More Chapter); and how to write a blurb or brief description, Writing a Really Short Book Description Is Harder Than It Looks | Jane Friedman.
  • Are you having difficulty writing your own blurb for self-publishing or your synopsis for submission? A lot of writers have this is problem but our services can help.
  • 'So you want to write fantasy or science fiction? You are in good company, as many of the writers who come to WritersServices are writing fantasy, with science fiction as a less popular choice. Science fiction was an important category during much of the twentieth century, with a growing cult audience, until it was overtaken by fantasy. It's often seen as more cerebral, a way of trying out new ideas of the future or other worlds. These days there's a relatively small demand for new science fiction writing, and you have to have a distinctive voice and something interesting to say to stand much chance of getting published...' Writing science fiction and fantasy
  • Links from the publishing world: the UK books market's volume sales this autumn have slid 8% compared with 2022, The Bookseller - News - Missing ingredients: Christmas run-in hit by slumping big brands; publishing attracts people who love books, reading, and ideas, but for many Black professionals in publishing, there's a disconnect between the love of the medium and their work experiences, Fixing Racism in the Book Business; creators reflect on another year on the platform and look ahead to 2024, The Bookseller - Books - Books on BookTok: looking to the future; and, more on BookTok, how do booksellers keep up with the latest trends in a fast-changing world? BookTok: was the UAE first to catch on?
  • If you're aiming at traditional publishing, Finding an agent and Working with an agent are two practical checklists to help set up and maintain this vital relationship: 'Try to find an agency which is ‘hungry' for new clients. To keep their workload under control, an established independent agent might take on something like four new authors a year, but only to replace four departing clients. This may seem obvious, but whether or not an agent is actively looking to build their list of clients is probably the single most important factor affecting how closely they are looking at unsolicited submissions...'
  • Do you want some help with your writing but don't know quite what you want? Are you a bit puzzled by the various services on offer, and not sure what to go for? Choosing a service helps you work out which is the right editorial service for you.
  • A miscellany of links: a book found at a bookshop café at the end of a single-track road near Ullapool in Scotland, Harry Potter book from Highland bookshop could sell for £60,000 - BBC News; you only have to look at the extent of the global reach of the winner the day after to see what a big deal it has become internationally, Booker Prize: onwards and upwards; and agent extraordinaire, with interviews a-go-go, reminding us that he's a risk-taker, a rebel, a renegade, a shocker, a rocker, defender of those who are big enough to defend themselves, picker of fights and settler of scores, Wearing purple: Andrew Wylie visionary, myth maker, game changer, maverick or irrelevance?
  • For a more down-to-earth and practical account, How Literary Agents Work - an article written exclusively for Writersservices by literary agent Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media in New York: 'I have often heard that authors are interested in how literary agents work. It is very simple: a literary agent exists to provide services to authors...'
  • Our latest new service, Developmental editing. If you are a new writer, setting out on your first book project, or a more experienced writer who wants to improve your skills, this service is for you. We will work with you to identify the areas where you need to develop new or better skills.
  • From our Quotes page, Paula Danziger: 'Good writing is remembering detail. Most people want to forget. Don't forget things that were painful or embarrassing or silly. Turn them into a story that tells the truth.'
  • If you enjoy keeping up with What's New, you can sign up for our newsletter to be emailed to you every two weeks.