How life affects the Author

I recently attended a workshop about writing for young people - MG and YA groups.One of the subjects raised was how to incorporate the actions of youngsters (or indeed anyone) who write about their feelings on social media. This of course, led to quite a  discussion. Strangely, a long-distance friend (met through social media) had recently …

YOU ARE AN ARTIST

Dear Writer, You have a story that is worth telling. But maybe your writing hasn’t caught up yet to the inspired idea you’ve been working out in your mind as you sit and recover from your day job. What you must remember is that writing is a process. At the moment, you are probably still …

Tips for your Book Signing

Having recently launched my latest novel and despite having done quite a few of these I am still often left wondering what to do to prepare for the event. Regardless of what we think not every signing is the same although there are similarities. Having talked to other authors and based on my own experiences …

TRIMMING YOUR ONLINE CONTENT

When it comes to writing good online content, economy is essential. However, often we are tempted to expand the writing, especially if dealing with complex topics. Learning to trim your content is important. Controlling your Introduction Most online users look at websites with a view to learn. As such you should not dance around a …

How to Write a Book Synopsis That Stands Out

You’ve written your book but what to do next? Well of course, it needs to be published but how? You decide to approach an agent or a publisher, and after reviewing their submission guidelines you see they want a full synopsis and a few sample chapters of your book! An author creating a book synopsis …

WHAT IS A ‘PALKANA’?

It is surprising how one can travel to the other side of the world only to find oneself sitting next to someone who actually lives not far away from you. This proves the world isn’t as large a place as we think. And can also often lead to interesting conversations. Travel is also an adventure …

Identity Theft

This week I experienced a form of identity theft on Twitter. This is the first time in 30 years of dealing with the internet and computers that I have had this happen. So, I suppose I have, to some degrees, been fortunate. It appears someone had taken my image, my name (minus the 'y') and …

SoA demands Internet Archive stops lending books ‘unlawfully’

The Society of Authors has demanded the Internet Archive’s Open Library stops lending books “unlawfully” online in the UK, arguing the US practice of Controlled Digital Lending is a breach of copyright. In an open letter, the trade body urged the San Francisco-based Internet Archive to immediately discontinue the practice of lending scanned copies of …

UNIVERSAL CREDIT THREATENS FUTURE WRITERS

According to the Society of Authors it has warned MPs that the changes to Universal Credit could silence working-class writers, impeding diversity in publishing and thus making it harder to attract different types of readers. Speaking at the All-Party Parliamentary Writers Group inquiry into authors’ earnings on Tuesday (30th October), the SoA chief executive Nicola …

5 REASONS AUTHORS FALL for VANITY PRESSES

Whenever we hear stories about authors being defrauded by unscrupulous vanity presses, sometimes for thousands of pounds, the reaction can often be unsympathetic: “It’s their own fault for being so gullible.” “They should have done their homework.” “That was a stupid mistake. Don’t they read about these things?” Whilst it is true that authors have …