CONSULTATION PLEASE – GRANDMA!

On Monday my youngest grandchild, who is all of 5 years old, decided he needed to consult with his me, his Grandma.  The message read we would talk in 5-10 minutes. When he hadn’t rung me within the allotted time, I was informed he would do so later as he was taking a ‘break time.’ …

TIMES ARE CHANGING

Having owned and been involved in a number of businesses for many years I today sat and listened to someone head up one of the hardest meetings anyone has ever had to give. Many business owners, especially in the unusual times that we are experiencing, will undoubtedly face an uncertain future. Whilst many are hoping, …

6 SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS FOR WRITERS

Publishing tweets and status updates is definitely different from publishing the usual writing projects. However, that doesn’t mean that self-publishing writers cannot benefit from being self-promoting writers, too. Social media are amazing platforms as they offer the writer great opportunities to connect with readers, other writers, and to catch the attention of publishers. Here we …

What Happens When London Book Fair is Cancelled?

The cancellation of the London Book Fair certainly created problems for many in the world of books. Including me. But I was not going to be thwarted especially as my main reason for attending LBF was to meet up with Australian Publisher Kate Stead from Old Mate Media. We’d been planning our get together since …

TIPS TO GET YOUR BOOKS INTO LIBRARIES

If you’re a self-publisher looking for a way to get more exposure for your book, then libraries might just be your secret weapon. According to research, there are over 4,000 public libraries in the UK alone plus 940 academic libraries. This means there are over 64 million library members with 9.8 million active borrowers. That’s …

Some Ridiculously Simple Tips for Writing a Book

As an author and mentor, people often ask me, “How do you get published?” Now to me, that’s the wrong question. The hard part for most writers, despite what we say, isn’t getting published. After all, there are many opportunities these days to become a published author. No, it’s not the publishing part we struggle …

Places to Write When You’re Fed Up with Working at Home

Do you ever get cabin fever? If you’re a full-time author, I bet you get fed up with working at home and want to find other places to write in. Here are five suggestions you might find interesting as alternatives. So, what are you waiting for? Get out and about! 1. Libraries This one is …

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 …