Stop pushing the same 'classic' books on children and trust modern writing
theguardian.com – Wednesday July 13, 2016
I will start by saying: the BBC’s #LoveToRead campaign looks fantastic and I love that it “celebrates reading for pleasure”, and aims to start “a unique national conversation about books”. Nonetheless, among all the planned dramatisations, documentaries and live events, one aspect of the campaign is strangely unadventurous – its list of top 10 books recommended for children.
The list isn’t a bad one. It’s just not a new one. Created by the public, it sets out 10 books that children should read, and includes the usual suspects: The Lord of the Rings, To Kill a Mockingbird and the Bible, with Harry Potter coming out on top. Yes, it’s right that we acknowledge that they are all important contributions to the history of literature; yes, it is also understandable that we want the next generation to experience the books that we have loved.
8 things I wish I'd known before writing my first novel
marieclaire.co.uk – Tuesday July 12, 2016
Award-winning author Kate Mosse reveals her top tips for making a career out of writing books
'As a former editor in publishing, I had a bit of a head start,' says Kate Mosse author of best sellers from Labyrinth to The Taxidermist's Daughter.
'I'd seen all the pitfalls and traps for a first-time novelist, so had a notebook full of "avoid this at all costs" and "always remember to..." tips, before I ever became a writer myself. But, for the record, here I learned a few hard truths along the way.'
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Tuesday July 12, 2016
Publishes: Articles; News; Poetry;
Areas include: Arts;
Markets: Adult; Professional; Youth
Publishes the finest literary achievements in modern poetry. We are searching for outstanding talent, a beautiful play of words, emotionally stirring poems that have deep meaning and will withstand the test of time.
We strive to highlight talent and bring to light gifted poets of all ages and nationalities.
Publishes both poetry as well as striking visual art.
Our bimonthly magazine is available both as a free digital edition and in print.
Here's Why E-Book Sales From Major Publishers Are Plummeting
fortune.com – Monday July 11, 2016
But growing sales of self-published e-books may offset the drop.
Book publishers are winning in their quixotic war against their own electronic books as sales dropped 11% last year, according to a new report from the industry’s leading trade group.
Russell Smith: Why publishers think pink for book covers
theglobeandmail.com – Thursday July 7, 2016
It has just occurred to me that my last four books, all works of fiction, have had an image of a woman on the cover. The books, however, largely represent masculine points of view. One of the books is even called Young Men. It still has a beautiful girl on the cover.
The reason for this repeated imagery is simple and economic: Most readers of fiction in North America are, by a wide margin, women. The books are being marketed to them.
Comedy writing programme announced
theknowledgeonline.com – Wednesday July 6, 2016
A comedy writing programme has been launched by the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF) to find emerging UK comedy writers.
The Betty Box and Peter Rogers Comedy Writing Programme - named after the producers of the Doctor and Carry On series - is being run in partnership with Big Talk Productions and LOCO London Comedy Film Festival.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Monday July 4, 2016
Publishes: Fiction; Poetry;
Areas include: Short Stories;
Markets: Adult;
Preferred styles: Literary
Publishes previously unpublished poetry and prose that demonstrates originality, intelligence, courage, irreverence, and humanity. Send 3-5 poems or 1 prose piece up to 3500 words with SASE. No online submissions.
Startup of the week: RedDoor
thebookseller.com – Saturday July 2, 2016
Bridging the gap between traditional and self-publishing, RedDoor Publishing aims to provide a credible platform for authors who are "slipping through the net as traditional publishers become increasingly (and understandably) risk averse." It operates in the same way as a traditional publishing house, except its authors pay for pre-production and first print run of their book.
How to write rollicking rhyming stories
theguardian.com – Friday July 1, 2016
On the day started I writing my first children’s book, Squishy McFluff: The Invisible Cat! I didn’t deliberately set out to write it in rhyme. It just happened.
The first line that popped out was: “As Ava played out in the garden one day, when the air was all foggy, the sky rather grey…” I realised straight away that if I split the sentence, I had a perfect rhyming couplet. That set the scene for the rest of the book, and now I’ve written six of them, each one up to 2,000 words, all written in rhyme.
'In stressed times, we can take comfort in wildlife': why nature-writing is 'exploding'
firstwriter.com – Thursday June 30, 2016
Now in its third year, the Wainwright nature-writing prize has announced its shortlist, spotlighting what one judge called an “exploding” field, as more and more writers and readers are turning to this genre as a balm for the woes of modern life.
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