Writers' Newsletter

Issue #179
February 2018

Some of this month's news for writers from around the web.

J.K. Rowling shares insights into her writing style

aninews.in – Wednesday January 31, 2018

Washington D.C. [U.S.A.], Jan. 31 (ANI): J.K. Rowling took out some time and took to Twitter to answer some of the questions asked by her followers.

There were questions about her writing style, her upcoming novels, her ideation process, and such.

She replied in her usual candid, tongue-in-cheek manner. Here are some of the excerpts.

When a user asked if she plans her story before she starts, she answered in affirmative.

She wrote, "I plan a lot. This particular novel's plan comprises a vast, complicated, colour-coded table showing all the suspects, with blue ink for clues and red ink for red herrings".

[Read the full article]

Lindsay Literary Agency launches scholarship for under-represented children's writers

thebookseller.com – Tuesday February 20, 2018

The Lindsay Literary Agency is sponsoring a scholarship place for an "under-represented" writer of children's fiction at the Winchester Writers’ Festival 2018.

Open to unagented YA and middle grade writers, of any age, from an under-represented background (including but not limited to LGBTQIA, BAME and people with disabilities), the scholarship will cover the cost of three days at the festival which takes place 15th - 17th June. 

The scholarship includes access to all workshops and talks at the Winchester Writers’ Festival, four one-to-one appointments with industry experts, all meals, accommodation and travel. 

[Read the full article]

Nourry: 'the e-book is a stupid product'

thebookseller.com – Monday February 19, 2018

Hachette Group c.e.o. Arnaud Nourry has expressed frustration with the e-book format, calling it a "stupid product" and forecasting its sales would continue to plateau because of a lack of innovation.

Nourry, who was speaking in an interview with Indian news site Scroll.in as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations for Hachette India, said he didn't think declines in e-book sales seen in the US and UK markets would reverse any time soon, because of the limitations of the format.

[Read the full article]

A selection of the new listings added to firstwriter.com this month.

New Literary Agency Listing

firstwriter.com – Tuesday February 6, 2018

Handles: Fiction; Nonfiction
Areas: Autobiography; Cookery; Current Affairs; Humour; Lifestyle
Markets: Adult; Children's; Youth
Treatments: Commercial

Send query by email with 20 pages of your ms, in the body of an email. No attachments or hard copy submissions. See website for more details, and specific agent interests and contact details.

[See the full listing]

New Publisher Listing

firstwriter.com – Monday January 22, 2018

Publishes: Fiction; Nonfiction; 
Markets: Children's; Youth

Publishes fiction and nonfiction for teens and young adults. Send complete ms with full synopsis by email only. Prefers Word and PDF files. Response only if interested.

[See the full listing]

New Magazine Listing

firstwriter.com – Monday February 19, 2018

Publishes: Essays; Fiction; Nonfiction; Poetry; 
Areas include: Arts; Biography; Criticism; 
Markets: Adult; 
Preferred styles: Literary

Open to work by New Zealand and Pacific writers or by writers whose work has a connection to the region in subject matter or location. Work from Australian writers is occasionally included as a special feature. Send up to 10 poems or up to three pieces of prose per issue. Preferred length is 3,000 words, but longer pieces will be considered.

[See the full listing]

Some of this month's articles for writers from around the web.

14 Stephen King quotes about the writing process

mashable.com – Friday February 23, 2018

The first Stephen King book I ever read was The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. I was still in my teens, and my gran — a huge King fan herself — thought it was the one I'd have the best chance of reading without getting too scared.

She was wrong about that (I scare pretty easily), but she was right to introduce me to King. He's been my favourite author ever since.

[Read the full article]

9 writing and reading tips from writers

artshub.co.uk – Monday February 19, 2018

Are you are an emerging or professional writer? Maybe your day job consist of writing, reading and replying to numerous emails. Perhaps you may want a better understanding of the craft of writing, which in turn will allow for a different perspective when you are reading other people’s words.

As Margret Atwood stated in The Guardian, ‘Reading and writing, like everything else, improve with practice. And, of course, if there are no young readers and writers, there will shortly be no older ones.'

To help you traverse this global culture of constant communication, ArtsHub spoke with five writers to ask them for some helpful reading advice.

[Read the full article]

Publisher’s story shows that pulp is not dead

bendbulletin.com – Sunday February 18, 2018

Print books are back. I think.

“People thought physical books were goners,” said Jed Lyons, chief executive of Lanham, Maryland-based Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group.

He should know. Lyons, 66, ships about 41,000 books a day across the U.S. and to Europe. He has been in the publishing business since the 1970s.

[Read the full article]

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