Writers' Newsletter
Issue #258
September 2024
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News |
Some of this month's news for writers from around the web.
Literary festival aims to inspire young writers
bbc.co.uk – Saturday September 21, 2024
A festival of women's writing named after the famous literary Brontë sisters aims to inspire those taking part "to keep reading and writing", its organisers have said.
The three-day Brontë Festival, which is now in its 13th year, is due to get under way in Haworth later, with leading female authors giving talks throughout the weekend.
Young adult writer and Sunday Times bestseller Bea Fitzgerald and former Children's Laureate Dame Jacqueline Wilson are among the speakers expected to take part in the festival based in and around the Brontë parsonage.
Angela Clare, programme officer for the museum, said: “It has been a joy to bring together such fantastic guests for the festival."
The theme of this year's festival is literature inspired by and created especially for children and young people.
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New magazine announced for writers and readers in Wales
thebookseller.com – Thursday September 19, 2024
A new literary periodical for Wales called Folding Rock focused on creative prose will launch its first issue in Spring 2025. The new magazine, which plans to support new writing in and from Wales, will launch after securing funding from the Books Council of Wales.
Co-founders of the publication—editor and designer Robert Harries and writer, editor and creative producer Kathryn Tann—describe it as "a magazine to pay attention to", similar to the likes of The Stinging Fly in Ireland, England’s Granta, and Gutter in Scotland.
Folding Rock: New Writing from Wales and Beyond aims to be "the catalyst needed to usher in a new era for Welsh literature". The founders are aiming to "tirelessly develop talent, grow skills, advocate for authors and open as many doors as we can, this magazine will give the UK-wide publishing industry—and reading population—no choice but to pay attention".
Writers' Handbook 2025 - Out Now!
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Launching Discoveries 2025
womensprize.com – Thursday September 19, 2024
Entering its fifth year, Discoveries our pioneering writers development programme launches with the search to uncover the writing stars of tomorrow.
Run in partnership with Audible, the Curtis Brown Literary and Talent Agency, and the Curtis Brown Creative writing school, Discoveries aims to inspire unagented and unpublished women in the UK and Ireland to write their first novels, providing a host of resources designed to support women at all stages of their writing journey, with an ongoing commitment to reach writers currently underrepresented in the UK publishing industry.
The 2025 judging panel will be chaired by Kate Mosse CBE FRSL, the international bestselling writer, playwright, performer and Founder Director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. Kate Mosse is joined this year by author and musician Claire Kohda (Woman, Eating); international bestselling and award-winning author Dreda Say Mitchell MBE (Say Her Name, Trapdoor, Gangland Girls series, DI Rio series, Flesh and Blood series and Spare Room with Ryan Carter); journalist, author and podcaster Chloe Timms (The Seawomen); Curtis Brown literary agent Jess Molloy; and Founder and Managing Director of Curtis Brown Creative, Anna Davis.
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Listings |
A selection of the new listings added to firstwriter.com this month.
New Publisher Listing: SmashBear Publishing
firstwriter.com – Friday September 20, 2024
We specialise in urban fantasy, fantasy, and paranormal romance but will also consider horror and Sci-Fi.
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New Literary Agent Listing: Maria Napolitano
firstwriter.com – Monday September 9, 2024
Represents a broad range of fiction, from commercial rom-coms to radical speculative fiction, subversive thrillers, and upmarket book club fiction. She is drawn to character-driven stories, unusual perspectives, genre-bending works, and supremely pitchable high concepts.
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New Publisher Listing: Cherry Lake Publishing Group
firstwriter.com – Friday September 6, 2024
We are a publisher of quality children’s books. We publish a wide range of books, including board books, beginning readers, picture books, and select middle grade titles. We accept both fiction and nonfiction submissions. We are committed to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion and welcome stories from diverse authors. Please browse our website or catalog for examples of the types of books we publish.
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| Click here for more of this month's new listings > |
Articles |
Some of this month's articles for writers from around the web.
Verse & Vision: Interview with Mark Gottlieb, Leading Literary Agent
v13.net – Saturday September 21, 2024
Literary agent Mark Gottlieb shares the secrets behind the success of bestselling authors, the challenges of today’s publishing landscape, and why trust, communication, and a shared vision are the keys to a thriving author-agent relationship.
Welcome back to “Verse & Vision,” the latest installment in our ongoing series, where we explore the multifaceted world of writing and publishing (check out the last instalment in case you missed it).
Today, I am thrilled to introduce you to our latest interview. Mark Owen Gottlieb is the vice president and distinguished literary agent at Trident Media Group, known for securing high-profile deals and representing numerous New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors. With experience in negotiating film and TV adaptations and a background in audiobook management and foreign rights from Penguin Books, Mark is dedicated to expanding his roster of talented writers. A graduate of Emerson College, he was a founding member and president of the Undergraduate Students for Publishing Club and established the Wilde Press. Mark has also lectured at prestigious institutions, including Yale, Cambridge, and Columbia.
What inspired you to become a literary agent?
Mark Gottlieb: “My inspiration to become a literary agent at Trident Media Group stems from my lifelong passion for books and storytelling. Growing up in a family deeply involved in the publishing industry, I was exposed to the world of literature from an early age. This, combined with my experiences at Emerson College and founding the Wilde Press at the college, ignited a desire to help talented writers bring their works to a wider audience. The opportunity to discover new voices, nurture creativity, and shape the literary landscape is what inspired me to pursue this career path.”
How We Find and Develop Writers
bbc.co.uk – Thursday September 19, 2024
The Head of New Writing for BBC Drama Commissioning and BBC Writers explains our team's work to develop talented storytellers for television.
There is a constant hunger for brilliant, original stories and storytellers at the BBC and for that reason the team here at BBC Writers are dedicated to finding, nurturing and uplifting writers at every stage of their careers. We endeavour to make BBC Writersroom a home for writers where individuals can learn, share, experiment with their craft and take risks in a supportive environment. We’re unique in the industry in that we’re a dedicated team of 15 individuals based out of five BBC hubs across the UK, solely committed to finding and championing writers. Our goal is to be an approachable open door to the BBC, and we strive to create a democratic, safe and inspiring space for writers. We want to encourage writers to feel empowered to tell the stories they want to tell and for their craft to be nurtured to its fullest potential.
BBC Writers is an integral part of the BBC Drama Commissioning team and has a direct link to the many exciting opportunities this presents for writers. Our Drama Commissioning colleagues are committed to working with the broadest range of storytellers from backgrounds and experiences that represent modern life across the whole of the UK. And so, we work closely to introduce them to some of the most exciting emerging voices that we identify during the course of our work.
Why NaNoWriMo supports AI for use in writing in some cases
venturebeat.com – Tuesday September 3, 2024
The organization’s official statement highlights the complexity of AI as a broad technological category, making it difficult to entirely endorse or reject. It also underscores the social implications of AI use, suggesting that to oppose AI outright ignores the realities of class and ability disparities.
According to NaNoWriMo, some writers may turn to AI for practical reasons, such as financial constraints or cognitive challenges that make traditional writing methods less accessible.
As NaNoWriMo’s statement explains: “Not all writers have the financial ability to hire humans to help at certain phases of their writing. For some writers, the decision to use AI is a practical, not an ideological, one. The financial ability to engage a human for feedback and review assumes a level of privilege that not all community members possess.”
The organization also points out that underrepresented minorities are less likely to secure traditional publishing deals, which forces many into the indie author space where upfront costs can be prohibitive. AI tools, in these cases, might provide essential support that enables them to pursue their writing goals.
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