6 September 2021 - What's new
6 September 2021
- ‘I have often been asked how I came to write. The best answer is that I needed the money. When I started I was 35 and had failed in every enterprise I had ever attempted. . . I had gone thoroughly through some of the all-fiction magazines and I made up my mind that if people were paid for writing such rot as I read I could write stories just as rotten...' Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of 91 novels which have sold hundreds of millions of copies, who is best known for Tarzan of the Apes, the first of 26 Tarzan books which were translated into more than 56 languages.
- There are 19 articles in the Inside Publishing series, Children's Publishing provides an introduction to this: 'Long regarded as the Cinderella of the publishing world, children's publishing has enjoyed a remarkable rate of growth and is now seen by many as one of the most exciting areas to work in. This is not just because of the Harry Potter phenomenon, as many other children's authors such as Jacqueline Wilson, Philip Pullman and Judy Blume have also produced megasellers which have proved attractive to children all over the world.'
- From the same series Print on Demand: 'Print on demand is a now widely-used printing technology which delivers, literally, print on demand. It has the power to change the way books are published radically, and even publishers are using it on a very much greater scale. Some writers are still not yet familiar with its possibilities...'
- An unusual opportunuty for children's authors, the publisher Chicken House is offering Chicken House Open Coop, for one day only on 20 September. It's open to writers of children's novels for 7 up including YA and there's no entry fee. The prize is Mentoring from the editors at this very successful publishing house.
- 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, our new Writer's edit, providing line-editing, and Proof-reading. Get the right level of editorial support for your needs. Our low-cost services represent exceptionally good value. Contact us to discuss what you want.
- Links from the publishing world: how publishing has persisted and morphed in the digital environment, The Publishing Ecosystem in the Digital Era: On John B. Thompson's "Book Wars"; this could fatally undermine an exceptional system that plays a vital role in the life of the global book trade, Post-Brexit changes to the copyright system would be a betrayal of authors | The Independent; agreeing it's a powerful new threat, The Guardian view on changes to copyright law: book lovers beware | Editorial | The Guardian; book sales exploded during the coronavirus pandemic, so 'Hot vaxxed summer' fizzled, but 'hot books fall' might work - Los Angeles Times; and US thriller sales have dropped six percent in the last year, NPD BookScan: Mystery Solved on US Thriller Sales' Lag?
- Here's a detailed article on how to prepare Your submission package - 'Given the difficulty of getting agents and publishers to take on your work, it's really important to make sure that you present it in the best possible way. Less is more, so don't send a full manuscript, as it's very unlikely to be read. Far better to tempt them with a submission package that will leave them wanting to see the rest of the manuscript...'
- Which service should I choose to help me get my work into good shape for submission or self-publishing? Our editorial services have been added in response to demand, so whatever you want we've probably got it covered with our 20 different services.
- Links about writers' inspiration: all children's worlds are an inextricable mixture of fantasy and reality, Imaginary Kingdoms: On the Power of Literature That Speaks to Children and Adults Alike ‹ Literary Hub; thirty years ago, Helen Mirren stepped into the role of Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, and an icon was born, A Rumination on DCI Jane Tennison ‹ CrimeReads; every so often I set out to read as many books as I can by a single writer as I can in a single year, My Le Guin Year: Craft Lessons From a Master | Tor.com; how should I incorporate research into fiction? On the Fine Art of Researching For Fiction ‹ Literary Hub; and how the elements of cinematography and sound establish the important formal elements of the police procedural, How The French Connection Reinvented (and Exploded) the Police Procedural ‹ CrimeReads.
- Rotten Rejections is an extraordinary collection of rejection letters sent by publishers to writers - many delivered to now famous authors of classic books - which will make you laugh and provide comfort if you're having a struggle to get published. 'I regret we have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we could not publish it with commercial success...' An unnamed editor at Constable and Robinson, in turning down J K Rowling's first Harry Potter book.
- More links from writers: Salman Rushdie is just the latest in a growing number of authors writing serialised fiction delivered straight to the inboxes of subscribers, Why authors are turning down lucrative deals in favour of Substack | Books | The Guardian; at 30, she's already the most talked-about novelist of her generation, Sally Rooney on the hell of fame: ‘It doesn't seem to work in any real way for anyone' | Sally Rooney | The Guardian; trying to build the tension in both the suspense and the romance at the same time, What's the Secret to Writing Great Romantic Suspense? ‹ CrimeReads; her young witches stole the hearts of generations of children, selling more than 3m copies, Jill Murphy, children's author and illustrator, dies aged 72 | Books | The Guardian.
- Get some professional help. If you're self-publishing, you need good quality copy for the cover. Our Blurb-writing service can provide a professionally written piece of cover copy. Submitting to agents but finding it difficult to write your own synopsis? Commission a synopsis which will present your manuscript in the best possible light for submission.
- And while we're on the subject of Sally Rooney, here's a quote from her from 2020: 'I certainly never intended to speak for anyone other than myself. Even myself I find it difficult to speak for. My books may well fail as artistic endeavours but I don't want them to fail for failing to speak for a generation for which I never intended to speak in the first place.'
