New digital platform for short stories, poetry, and essays
firstwriter.com – Wednesday October 21, 2015
Comma Press is an independent publisher based in Manchester, specialising in short fiction, and has just launched a digital platform for short stories, poetry and essays in text and audio form. The new platform is called MacGuffin. Anyone can publish work on it, so long as they upload a reading along with their text.
Writing books is not a sane way to make a living
independent.co.uk – Saturday October 17, 2015
Since the beginning of the year I have been writing a book about Star Trek. Next September, it will be 50 years since the first episode (“The Man Trap”) was shown on American television, and although an anniversary isn't necessarily the best reason for a new book, observers of the publishing process will know that it's often a very good excuse. A couple of weeks ago I finished the book and sent it off by email, three and a half months after the original deadline, two and a half months after the renegotiated deadline and six weeks after the absolutely final deadline that could not be breached on pain of death. Douglas Adams's famous comment on the subject (“I love deadlines – I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by”) speaks to every writer in the world, alive or dead.
Franklin: 'toxic competition' in large publishers
thebookseller.com – Friday October 16, 2015
The atmosphere in some large publishing houses is "toxic" as imprints are forced to compete against each other for big titles, Profile Books' owner Andrew Franklin has said.
Speaking yesterday (15th October) about the merits of being an independent publisher in the "CEO Talk" at Frankfurt Book Fair, along with Marcos Pereira, founder and c.e.o of Editora Sextante, Franklin said camaraderie in smaller houses could be better than larger ones.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Friday October 16, 2015
Publishes: Fiction; Poetry;
Areas include: Short Stories;
Markets: Adult; Children's; Family; Youth
Publishes themed anthologies of fiction and prose by adults and children. See website for details.
New Literary Agency Listing
firstwriter.com – Friday October 16, 2015
Handles: Fiction; Nonfiction;
Areas: Autobiography; Beauty and Fashion; Business; Cookery; Crafts; Culture; Current Affairs; Design; Finance; Health; Lifestyle; Psychology; Science; Self-Help;
Markets: Adult; Children's; Youth;
Treatments: Commercial; Literary
Send query by email with the word "Query" in the subject line, and the first chapter or 10 pages pasted into the body of the email. See website for specific agent interests and approach one agent only. No plays, screenplays, or poetry. Also offers self-publishing services.
PFD launches digital publishing spin-off Ipso Books
thebookseller.com – Thursday October 15, 2015
Literary agency Peters Fraser & Dunlop (PFD) has launched a spin-off digital publishing business, Ipso Books, to publish both backlist and frontlist writers. The move follows similar ventures by other agencies: Ed Victor Ltd launched Bedford Square Books in 2011, and Curtis Brown set up Studio 28 last year.
Great books that publishers rejected – quiz
theguardian.com – Thursday October 15, 2015
Man Booker winner Marlon James says he was turned down 78 times before getting published, and his long search for recognition is not unique. Find out how much you know about the history of literary rebuffs with our quiz on the great rejected books.
The Therapeutic Value in the Process of Writing a Memoir
huffingtonpost.com – Wednesday October 14, 2015
Ever since my beloved brother's death by suicide I had held onto his diaries avidly protecting them, always maintaining some vague undefined hope that I would one day do 'something' with them. I didn't know it would take over twenty years and I didn't know that what began as an ode to my brother would morph into an unparalleled journey of healing for me.
Travis Heermann writing in a foreign universe
stuff.co.nz – Tuesday October 13, 2015
As the start of a promising writing career it left a lot to be desired. Travis Heermann, 45, from Nebraska in the US, got the first novel he wrote accepted by a literary agent in New York, who sold it to a publisher. Unfortunately the agent and the publisher were both crooks and he "never got a dime."
A manifesto for all writers
thebookseller.com – Monday October 12, 2015
"There are too many adjectives in publishing already," writes Carla Douglas, an editor based in Kingston, Ontario. "We need to bridge the self-pub/trad-pub divide" she tells us in her manifesto, "do away with these distinctions and let writers be writers." And as she develops her point here, note that Douglas is talking not only to the industry that surrounds such talent but also to the writers, themselves: "Focus on the writing, publish however you like, but publish well."
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