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Archive for October, 2009
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
 I was once asked what advice I would give to someone who wanted to write a novel for the first time when all they had ever written was articles of 1000 words.
The question of where to start when you have no knowledge of writing a book is one which many aspiring authors face.
There are many different approaches to writing a novel for the first time but in essence they boil down to two main options:
- Take a course to learn some techniques relating to plot and character development …
OR
- Just start writing!
Read the rest of this entry ›
Tags: author, book, course, novel, story, Writing
Posted in Creativity, Writing | No Comments »
Monday, October 19th, 2009
 The Society of Authors (UK) has caused a reaction amongst publishers by announcing plans to “increase its recommendations for e-royalites to make them ‘more favourable’ for writers.”*
Publishers have been quick off the mark to criticize the proposals as “unrealistic” quoting the usual “overheads” type argument which characterizes so many reactions of this sort.
Yet I wonder if this is a case of using an old model to view a new scenario?
Read the rest of this entry ›
Tags: author, ebook, publisher, royalties
Posted in Publishing, Writing | No Comments »
Friday, October 16th, 2009
The Writer’s Journey FREE Teleseminar Interview Series
 Julia McCutchen interviews Joanna Penn
on Tuesday 27 October 2009
at 8pm (UK time/3pm EST)
The publishing industry is in a state of major change which represents a double-edged sword for authors.
It is becoming increasingly challenging for new authors to inspire enough confidence in agents and publishers to take them on.
Simultaneously, doors are opening elsewhere for writers to take their work directly to their readers – without the requirement of such ‘intermediaries’.
Over the last few years, Joanna Penn has studied the various options available to authors which she summarises in her Publishing Quadrant blueprint.
By the end of the interview you will know:
- How the Publishing Quadrant works and which options could be right for your book
- What print-on-demand publishing is and how it can save you money and see you published all over the world
- How digital publishing and ebooks are changing the publishing world, and how you can create ebooks and see them on the iPhone and the Amazon Kindle
- How Web 2.0 tools can help you market and sell your books yourself
For more information and to register for the live call and audio, click here …
Tags: agent, author, book, ebook, print-on-demand, publisher, Publishing, web 2.0
Posted in Events, Publishing | No Comments »
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
 A few days ago I experienced another of my ‘creative downloads’ when a whole series of ideas relating to my ‘emerging vision’ project arrived at 3 to 5 minute intervals over the course of a couple of hours.
There was the usual feeling of insistence to write the ideas down which, as I’m sure many writers know, is typical in this kind of situation.
The trigger on this occasion was the first appearance of my vision ‘in the world’ which came in the form of visuals for the logo design turning up in my inbox (a bit of a clue here!).
Seeing the first stage of this vision coming to fruition was incredibly exciting and felt like crossing a major threshold.
What had previously been only in my imagination and hidden from the view of others, was now becoming visible.
It reminded me of an iceberg which is a powerful metaphor for the whole creative process and an image I often share with the writers I work with. Read the rest of this entry ›
Tags: creative, creative process, imagination, vision, writer, Writing
Posted in Creativity, Emerging Vision, Personal Reflections, Writing | 2 Comments »
Monday, October 12th, 2009
 Reading Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way was a real turning point on my journey from publisher to author.
Having spent many years supporting other people’s creative expression in the role of publisher, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to access my own writer’s voice.
Admittedly, publishing is an immensely creative business – at least in the independent sector where I spent most of my time in-house.
Yet my writing experience was primarily centred around private journal writing alongside professional copy writing to promote books written by the authors I have always loved working with.
I wondered if The Artist’s Way would work for me?
Read the rest of this entry ›
Tags: author, blocks, book, conscious creativity, creative process, journey, publication, publisher, Publishing, spirituality, writer's voice, Writing
Posted in Authenticity, Creativity, Events, Publishing, Writing | 2 Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
 Here I am with Simon Trewin of United Agents Like many aspiring authors, you may wonder if it is acceptable to send out your book proposal or synopsis to more than one literary agent at a time.
Another question which many writers have is how long to wait for a response.
With regard to what are called ‘multiple submissions’, in their ideal world, most agents would love to see your work exclusively.
This is so that they know they are not in competition with any other agents if they want to take you on.
However, most agents also understand the reality for authors seeking representation.
Read the rest of this entry ›
Tags: agent, author, book proposal, synopsis
Posted in Book Proposals, Publishing, Writing | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
 Writing a book for publication, like most creative activities which are destined to be shared with others, involves work that you do on your own combined with input and expertise from others.
Publishing any book successfully is a team effort where each person contributes their skills and experience to the shared objective of reaching as broad an audience as possible.
Writing the book is obviously just the very first stage in the process and writers sometimes don’t realise how crucially important creative partnerships are to the success of any book.
So I would like to draw your attention here to the importance of working with people who share your values and who can become your creative partners for many years to come. These might include a writing ‘buddy’ or group, coaches, mentors, agents, publishers, designers, marketing and PR experts …
Read the rest of this entry ›
Tags: creative, creative partners, team
Posted in Creativity, Personal Reflections, Publishing, Writing | No Comments »
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
 It is easy for writers to be confused by the different requirements that agents and publishers have when it comes to sending out material for them to review.
Many people wonder if it is better to send a query letter with a brief description of the book and ask permission to send the whole proposal, or to send the whole proposal unannounced.
In standard reference books, agents and publishers often say they are willing to accept unsolicited manuscripts.
But does this give you the green light to send everything straight away or should you still submit a query letter in the first instance?
Read the rest of this entry ›
Tags: agent, book proposal, manuscript, publisher, submission package, synopsis, writer
Posted in Book Proposals, Publishing | 4 Comments »
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I was once asked what advice I would give to someone who wanted to write a novel for the first time when all they had ever written was articles of 1000 words.
