12 August 2024 - What's new
12 August 2024
- 'The miraculous connection between writing and the immune system results from cracking through inhibition. It seems that when we don't speak the truth of our experience, we inhibit our emotions, and that inhibits our immune function. Keeping secrets and maintaining denial require physical energy, energy our bodies could use in healthier ways were it available.' Peggy Tabor Millin, the author of Women, Writing and Soul-Making: The Sacred Feminine, Writing in Circles: A Celebration of Women's Writing and Mary's Way: A Universal Story of Spiritual Growth.
- Inside Publishing is a 19-part series about publishing, which will help writers understand what goes on inside the business. Some columns are be a bit technical, but please keep reading if you want to understand what's really happening inside publishing houses and what it all means for you. Even if self-publishing is what you have in mind, this series provides a lot of useful background.
- 'Why do publishers need agents? Actually they don't need them, although they have come to rely on them. In many ways publishers would prefer to deal direct with unagented authors. It's authors who need agents. Writers need someone to sell their work and then to look after their relationship with their publishers...' From Inside Publishing The Relationship between Publishers and Agents.
- If you've come to the site looking for a report on your manuscript, how do you work out which one would suit you best? Which Report? answers this question. The Reader's Report is a short, introductory report. The Editor's Report offers more detail. The Editor's Report Plus, which we introduced comparatively recently, is our most popular report and offers an overview and a detailed chapter-by-chapter report, which makes it the most substantial of the three and can help the writer by providing a framework for further work.
- If you are a children's writer then we have our Children's Editorial services, a suite of services specially for you, carried out by one of our skilled children's writers. This includes reports and copy editing.
- Our first set of links are from AI and publishing: an open letter on the "unlawful use of creators' content" for Artificial Intelligence (AI) models has been sent to companies working in software development, The Bookseller - News - Creators demand immediate change from companies developing AI after 'unlawful use of content'; two further academic publishers have confirmed they have made deals with or are considering working with (AI) companies, The Bookseller - News - Wiley and Oxford University Press confirm AI partnerships as Cambridge University Press offers 'opt-in'; Trevor Dolby looks at the payments model of new publisher Authors Equity, Profit sharing: can it work? Run For It, Hachette UK's first dedicated horror list, The Bookseller - News - Orbit UK launches new horror imprint; and amid fluctuating sales in the publishing world and turmoil in Hollywood, a much-anticipated opportunity for passionate fans to geek out over beloved characters and brands, San Diego Comic-Con 2024: Amid Industry Changes, the Con Lights Up the Skies.
- The Moth Nature Writing Prize 2024 is open to anyone over the age of 16 with an unpublished piece of nature writing, which can be poetry or prose. The entry fee is €15 per entry and the prizes are: First Prize €1,000 and a week-long stay at The Circle of Misse in France, Second Prize €500 and Third Prize €250. It closes at the end of September.
- Just a reminder that the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2024 for Poetry and Short Fiction closes on 31 August.
- A Publisher's View is our four-part series from publisher Tom Chalmers on what publishers are looking for. What a publisher wants from submissions, Judging a book by its covering letter and synopsis, The writer's X factor and The changing face of publishing. On submitting your manuscript: 'While editors may well do some later tinkering, it shouldn't be sent in unless the writer feels it is a manuscript ready for publication, in terms of both grammar and content. Lines like ‘I know it needs some work', or ‘I think it's nearly there' show admirable humility but are an immediate put-off!...'
- 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. Services for Self-publishers
- Links on writers' craft: May Webb sees her first hum standing at a bus stop, and mistakes it for a sculpture. One year later, in the anxious "now" of Helen Phillips' new novel Hum, AI-based robots called "hums" have taken over many jobs, Helen Phillips on Writing Speculative Fiction in the Age of Artificial Intelligence ‹ Literary Hub; How can authors improve their chances of getting adapted for film and TV? The Bookseller - Comment - Screen time; exploring the evolution of thriller novels in the age of television binge-watching, Thriller novels aren't what they used to be. Is television to blame? - The Washington Post.
- 'Once again I would like to thank you and Writers' Services for all your help. I have found the experience most enlightening and rewarding.' Monica Anderson on our Endorsements page.
- How to get your book translated into English (without it costing the earth) asks writers who are not native English speakers with a manuscript which needs polishing or translating: "If your English is good enough, what about translating your book yourself or writing in English, and then getting your work polished and copy edited by a professional editor who is a native English speaker?" This could be a cost-effective way of reaching the international English-speaking market, using our English Language Editing service.
- Writers' stories - they're just a bit of fun, but in a rare moment of inspiration we wrote some fictionalised stories of how the services could turn out, to give you a better idea of how they might work for you. Joe's fantasy novel benefited from some professional editing, when he signed up for an Editor's Report Plus. Tony needed Copy editing to get his manuscript into shape for publication or self-publishing...
- Links to writers' stories: Amanda Prowse, bestselling author of 31 novels, reflects on the inspiration for her latest, Swimming to Lundy, Getting back in the swim; two writers and how they interacted, Jackie Collins-Jacqueline Susann friendship subject of new book - Los Angeles Times; the debut author on the importance of picture books, the connection between loss and love, and the beauty of illustration, Q&A: picture book author Charissa Coulthard; and the author discusses the background to her story of long-lasting love, Q&A: debut novelist Amy Neff.
- 'Writing a non-fiction book is a very different project to writing a novel; the motivation, purpose, style and approach are quite distinct. ‘Non-fiction', of course, covers a wide range of genres and formats; however, there are some principles that apply across the board. In this article I will explore some of the basic requirements in writing a non-fiction book...' From Ask the Editor 6: Writing non-fiction.
- Health Hazards is our special series about the various health risks for writers, including the dreaded Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. If you know you're spending too much time at a keyboard, it's worth making sure you're being careful about how you're sitting, your eyes and your wrists. Including Repetitive Strain Injury in general, check out this series for the particular hazards faced by writers.
- How to prepare your prelim pages. There is a set order for the pages at the beginning of a book (known in the business as 'prelims') and you will need to send them to the designer with the rest of the manuscript for them to work on if you are self-publishing. Here we provide detailed instructions for preparing your prelim pages, according to standard publishing practice.
- More links: summertime, and the reading is easy. Or at least, it's supposed to be, I fear books are going the way of vinyl records - a rarefied pursuit for hobbyists | Gaby Hinsliff | The Guardian; in my opinion, one of the most brilliant and powerful things about poetry is that it can be a vehicle for children to write in their voice, about their life, The Bookseller - Comment - Setting voices free; Can "citizen detectives" online, like those on Reddit or Websleuths, be helpful to missing persons or homicide investigations? The Pros and Cons of Armchair Detectives ‹ CrimeReads. Are you prone to reading ruts? Or do you crave a little more focus? What have you been waiting for? When It's Time To Change Your Reading Habits - Reactor; and a visit to the RNIB office brought home to author AA Chaudhuri the dedication of the charity's staff and the importance of the work they do, Champions for the blind.
- If you are Writing for the web, you have to grab your readers online. Writing effectively for the web is quite different from writing for the printed page. Writers intending to write web pages should observe some simple rules if they want to attract and keep visitors to their pages.
- ‘You can't be best friends with a dragon in the real world. So writing fantasy is the next best thing. It's the genre where you can explore every impossible thought. It is a whole different mode for exploring life.' John Wiswell in our Writers' Quotes.
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