Writers' Newsletter

Issue #229
April 2022

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

Crime writer David Peace says 'publishers should be less risk-averse' and novelists 'have a responsibility to push the boundaries' amid publishing's sensitivity crisis

dailymail.co.uk – Monday April 4, 2022

• Crime writer David Peace is latest author to speak out on sensitivity crisis 
• The author, 55, said novelists 'have a responsibility to push the boundaries'
• Comes after Margaret Atwood and Art Spiegelman spoke on book bans
• The Handmaid's Tale author said it was 'playing woke snowflakery back'  
• Maus cartoonist called society 'Orwellian', saying it is out of control 'culture war' 

Novelist David Peace has become the latest renowned author to slam publishing's sensitivity crisis as he said novelists have 'a responsibility to push boundaries.'

The 55-year-old, who lives in Tokyo, has penned  11 novels, including The Damned Utd, which was made into a film with Michael Sheen in the lead role as Brian Clough.

Speaking to The Guardian, he said: 'Publishers should be less risk-averse...if novels are going to survive, novelists have a responsibility to push the boundaries.'

[Read the full article]

Mind body spirit publisher Toran Press to launch at LBF

thebookseller.com – Monday March 28, 2022

A boutique body, mind and spirit press is launching at London Book Fair, focusing on "beautiful, thought-provoking" books for children and adults. 

Toran Press was conceived by Vineet Sharma, who is also m.d. at Parragon Publishing India, and Nicola Deschamps, former brands and licensing publisher at Parragon Books and owner of Target Editorial.

The press will focus on publishing books orientated towards the mind, body and spirit market promoting positivity and wellness in children and adults. Its name has been derived from the Sanskrit word to describe a colourful and meaningful decoration that was traditionally used to adorn front doors on celebration days. 

[Read the full article]

New Imprint for David C Cook

publishersweekly.com – Tuesday April 12, 2022

Christian publisher David C Cook is launching Esther Press, a new imprint focusing on women readers. Named after the Old Testament’s Queen Esther, the imprint will focus on Bible studies and trade books that share stories of women’s struggles and triumphs, as well as leadership books, devotionals, and hybrid interactive trade books and workbooks, along with video teachings. Susan McPherson, acquisitions editor at David C Cook who is heading up the new publishing program, says that Queen Esther’s “bravery, bold faith, and willingness to risk her life to answer God’s call embodies what we want this imprint to represent to women.”

[Read the full article]

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

New Magazine Listing: Second Factory

firstwriter.com – Thursday April 7, 2022

Publishes mainly poetry. Fiction and nonfiction will have a better chance if it is fairly short (more than 4 pages per contributor are not usually published) and if it has a fairly experimental and/or playful nature. 'Traditional' fiction and prose submissions are not as likely to be accepted, but open to surprises.

[See the full listing]

New Publisher Listing: DSP Publications

firstwriter.com – Wednesday March 30, 2022

We are a boutique imprint producing quality fiction that pushes the envelope to present immersive, unique, and unforgettable reading experiences. We choose stories that beg to be told, tales that depart from mainstream concepts to create fantastic and compelling journeys of the mind.

[See the full listing]

New Literary Agent Listing: Jennifer Chevais

firstwriter.com – Monday March 28, 2022

Currently building her list of authors specialising in fantasy, science fiction, and horror, but she also has a soft spot for thrillers, upmarket fiction, memoir, graphic novels, and many more.

[See the full listing]

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

How to Get your Book Published with Abigail Bergstrom

zoella.co.uk – Wednesday April 13, 2022

We caught up with Abi to talk all things book-writing and publishing. From this year’s book tropes and trends to cooking up her very own bestseller, how to find the right agent for you and the recipe for getting that elusive book deal...

Abigail Bergstrom is a literary agent, author and publishing consultant. She has worked in publishing for over a decade and is an expert in navigating the cross-section between digital and print, speaking at international conferences on the subject. 

She’s edited some of Britain’s most prominent feminist voices, was nominated for Literary Agent of the Year in 2020 and was listed in The Bookseller 150 for shepherding over thirty titles onto bestseller lists and building some of today’s biggest book brands. 

In short, dear reader, she’s one multi-hyphenate lady. Not only does she have a wealth of knowledge from the publishing field thanks to her time at Gleam Titles and heading up her own publishing consultancy Bergstrom Studio, she also knows a thing or two about what it takes to become an author, having recently published her first novel What A Shame. 

We caught up with Abi to talk all things book-writing and publishing. From this year’s book tropes and trends to cooking up her very own bestseller, how to find the right agent for you and the recipe for getting that elusive book deal, if you want to break into the book industry and see your novel gracing the shelves of your local Waterstones, Abi is on hand to offer some invaluable advice on how to get your voice heard. 

[Read the full article]

Ocean Vuong on Taking the Time You Need to Write

lithub.com – Saturday April 9, 2022

The Japanese have this idea of the color of a poem. Bashō talks often about the colors of poems. I think what he means by that is the moods and the tones, the sort of aesthetic principles of them. And I think that you can’t just sit down and write that, you have to really embody it. That’s the hardest part: figuring out what tone or what mood you’re writing towards. A lot of this has to do with the themes you’re working with, or the mode that you want to present. That takes sometimes weeks, months — years, really — to develop before language comes to fruition. Language has its own register, like music, and depending on the “octave” or the tone that you’re using, there are connotations, there are meanings, implicit in tone.

[Read the full article]

Think you can write a book? Here’s how to pitch, publish and push your career

nypost.com – Monday April 4, 2022

Everyone dreams of being an author. The pandemic has inspired many to start on these long-dormant passion projects. Or maybe just toy around with the idea but not, you know, take any tangible action in getting the proverbial pen to paper.

First, the good news: “If you want to write a book related to your career, this is a clear sign that you are ready to acknowledge your growth and achievement in life,” said J. L. Stermer, a literary agent who teaches “How to Get Published” at Gotham Writers Workshop, and is also president of Next Level Lit. “It means you have overcome challenges and found solutions that you are ready to share to help others on similar journeys. Your book establishes you as an expert in your field and can magnetize you to find new clients.”
It takes a lot of toil, but penning your own tome can help you get on panels, invited to podcasts and land speaking engagements.

Ahead, expert tips to go from a blank Google Doc to signing the title page.

[Read the full article]

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