'Women are better writers than men': novelist John Boyne sets the record straight
theguardian.com – Tuesday December 12, 2017
Male authors are always pronouncing their own brilliance – or boasting about not reading books by women. So, after a lifetime of writing and attending literary festivals, John Boyne would like to get something off his chest …
Christmas sale - 25 per cent off the Writers' Handbook 2018
firstwriter.com – Tuesday December 12, 2017
For a limited time only, firstwriter.com is offering copies of the 2018 edition of its acclaimed Writers' Handbook in ebook format at a 25% discount.
Every year, the period between Christmas and New Year is the busiest ebook selling week of the year, as people with lovely new ereaders from Santa look for content to load onto them. This year, the online ebook retailer Smashwords is aiming to make this a little easier on everyone's strained post-Christmas bank accounts, by running an End of Year sale: and the firstwriter.com Writers' Handbook 2018 will be among the titles available at a discounted price.
Want to Succeed at Self-Publishing? Join a Writers' Group: Tips from an Indie Author
publishersweekly.com – Monday December 11, 2017
Writing a book about living with areata—a condition in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, leading to baldness—was a way for Deeann Callis Graham to “find some peace with what was happening to [her] physically and emotionally.” The book, Head-On, was praised by Publishers Weekly as “heartwarming” and “a powerful compilation of profiles with a sincere and encouraging message.”
Before self-publishing Head-On, Graham went to writing workshops, met other indie authors, and read widely about publishing. Although she was ready to tackle the writing and design of the book, she was caught off-guard by the demands of marketing. “Marketing is a long and arduous process that I wish I would have known more about in the beginning…Most of the marketing I do is within the alopecia areata community. My biggest surprise has been the challenge of reaching that niche audience. I thought it would be easier.”
Why I Chose to Self-Publish Again
huffingtonpost.com – Sunday December 10, 2017
It wasn’t the original plan. After self-publishing four historical baseball novels through my Grassy Gutter Press imprint, the goal with my first foray into the Young Adult market was to sell THE INVASION OF NORMANDIE to an actual publisher and get it into as many reader hands as possible.
It wasn’t going to happen right away.
Easy listening
thebookseller.com – Friday December 8, 2017
Agents are on my mind. At last week’s AudioBook Revolution conference, a number of agents raised concerns about how publishers are demanding audio rights when they also buy print. The charge was led from the podium by Curtis Brown agent Alice Lutyens, backed from the floor by her colleague Cathryn Summerhayes, and informed by agent Ivan Mulcahy. It was a debate I had been told no-one wanted to have. Now it feels urgent.
4 Literary Magazines Every Aspiring Writer Should Subscribe To
studybreaks.com – Thursday December 7, 2017
When you are an aspiring writer, it is always important to develop your craft as the years progress. You want your writing to grow with you. Helping your writing grow could mean you spend a lot of time writing, or you have majored in the field at your chosen college.
New Literary Agency Listing
firstwriter.com – Thursday December 7, 2017
Handles: Fiction; Nonfiction
Markets: Children's; Youth
Focuses on children's books and digital content for all ages and genres. Send query by email. See website for full guidelines.
How to get published if you’re not in the know
irishtimes.com – Wednesday December 6, 2017
Everyone who works in publishing will be familiar with the phone call in which you are asked to advise a friend or friend-of-a-friend about a book they have just written. Some people might pretend to roll their eyes or grumble a little, but it is, to be honest, one of the most gratifying of moments. We all know it. Finally, you can be of some actual use to all the people with real jobs who were always happy to offer you practical help over the years when you were reading things.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Tuesday December 5, 2017
Publishes: Fiction; Poetry;
Areas include: Short Stories;
Markets: Adult;
Preferred styles: Literary
East Anglian literary magazine published biannually, with one themed and one non-themed issue each year. Publishes poetry and short stories. See website for full guidelines and any current theme.
The bad sex award inspired me to work harder at writing good sex
theguardian.com – Friday December 1, 2017
What makes a sex scene badly written? No doubt we all have our views on the specific offences that make us shudder. A glance at past offenders shortlisted for the Literary Review’s Bad Sex in Fiction award reminds me of some sins that I find personally unforgivable.
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