6 July 2015 - What's new
6 July 2015
- The news that Scribd is reining back on successful erotica and romance titles exposes the weak link in the subscription model of bookselling. Readers who are addicted to reading these books read them in large quantities and at great speed, so any subscription model which offers as many books as you want for a fee are certainly going to be in trouble...' This week's News Review looks at a technical hitch with subscription services - readers are reading too much!
- ‘With a shortlist so splendid and accomplished, it was not surprising that in the end our final decision came down to taste... The issue of taste is important here because it is one that affects the decision-making process not only for prize judges but for the industry as a whole: and that's something all authors have to come to terms with throughout their careers. You can't please all of the people all of the time - even hugely well-known authors have some books that do better than others...' Our Comment is from Louise Doughty, author of Apple Tree Yard and chair of the judges for the Desmond Elliott Prize.
- ‘Twenty years as a teacher, ten years in educational research and five years of directing an educational charity, and in all that time, I hadn't published any fiction or poetry at all. I'd always had a feeling that if life ever did allow me a clear run at creative writing, I might just be able to do something with it...' Bruce Harris's Writing Short Fiction: A Personal Journey is about how he worked his way towards setting up the fantastic new website Writing Short Fiction.
- We have 24 pages offering hundreds of recommended links to sites, including Interesting Literature, which we've just added, and Writers Online Services.. Share with us any new links you'd recommend.
- There aren't many prizes for playwrights but this week's Writing Opportunity is just that. The Verity Bargate Award 2015 is open to writers resident in the UK or Ireland with fewer than three professional productions and offers £6,000 in respect of an exclusive option to produce the winning play at Soho Theatre, London.
- Our links: an expert looks at how indie authors should spend their promotional money, Should an Author Favor PR or Marketing? - Publishing Perspectives; as we've reported children's publishing is flourishing, but what about encouragement for reading? Boom time for children's books as sales soar, but where are readers? - Telegraph; and a round-up of some of the world's most weird and wonderful bookshops, 10 independent bookshops you should visit worldwide: our readers recommend | Books | The Guardian.
- Are you interested in Getting Your Manuscript Copy Edited? As well as this article we have one from our 19-part Inside Publishing series about Copy editing and proof-reading and we offer a Copy editing service, as well as a Proof-reading service and our special Manuscript Polishing service, which involves more intensive work, 'polishing' and improving the text, and correcting the English if you are writing in English as a second language.
- More links: what's been described as a digital-first "multi-layered story of history and time", Arcadia's vision for a new way of reading | The Bookseller; Gordon Wise had a long stint in publishing before he became an agent, How do I become ... a literary agent | Money | The Guardian; and, of special interest to romance and erotica writers, Scribd cuts romance and erotica titles | Books | The Guardian.
- 'There's no such thing as writer's block. That was invented by people in California who couldn't write.' Terry Pratchett in our Writers' Quotes.
