Hi Dave,
We're back from our summer break feeling refreshed and
rearing to go.
If you've been toiling away for that next writing competition, don't miss our featured post. We also have plenty of interesting articles for your information and entertainment.
So sit back, relax with an iced drink and enjoy this edition.
If you've been toiling away for that next writing competition, don't miss our featured post. We also have plenty of interesting articles for your information and entertainment.
So sit back, relax with an iced drink and enjoy this edition.
|
Writing
Competitions: 3 Things That Will Get You Disqualified
Have you ever put your writing forward in a competition only to find out that you've been stopped in your tracks before you've even begun? All that hard work thrown out before it's even looked at. Read Tony's post on three things you shouldn't do if you want to give your prose or poetry a fighting chance and tell us if this has happened to you. |
||
|
LITERARY ROUNDUP
|
||
|
Call
For Children's Media Scripts
With the support of the London Book Fair, partners BAFTA and Rocliffe have put out a call for scripts from new writers for their New Writing Forum on Children's Film and Television. Entrants are requested to s_ubmit a 10-page script extract by the 1st of September. The top three winners will have extracts of their scripts performed at a BAFTA showcase event on the 27th of September. One writer will also receive an all-expense paid trip along with a delegates pass to MIP Junior International in Cannes in October, with industry introductions and networking opportunities. |
||
The
National Literacy Trust And Bloomsbury Books Launch A New Children's Writing
Competition
Bloomsbury Books and the National Literacy Trust charity have launched a new competition with the aim of finding new, unpublished writers in children's fiction.
First prize includes an advance of £5,000 and an exclusive print run of the s_ubmitted entry. The winner will also have the opportunity of getting a publishing contract with Bloomsbury, the publisher of the Harry Potter series. The deadline for entries is the 30th of September 2014.
Bloomsbury Books and the National Literacy Trust charity have launched a new competition with the aim of finding new, unpublished writers in children's fiction.
First prize includes an advance of £5,000 and an exclusive print run of the s_ubmitted entry. The winner will also have the opportunity of getting a publishing contract with Bloomsbury, the publisher of the Harry Potter series. The deadline for entries is the 30th of September 2014.
Add your voice to this worthwhile project.
Inspired by the statue of the Unknown Solder in Paddington Station, this
national arts initiative has already received thousands of letters and is a new
type of war memorial, one of words only.
Many well-known writers and personalities such as Stephen Fry have already contributed. A snapshot will be created of British views of the First World War, one hundred years later and at the project's close, all the letters will be in the British Library's online archive.
Many well-known writers and personalities such as Stephen Fry have already contributed. A snapshot will be created of British views of the First World War, one hundred years later and at the project's close, all the letters will be in the British Library's online archive.
Don't
Miss The Harrow Book Fair
The London Borough of Harrow is putting on a Book Fair 28 - 31 August at the Harrow Heritage Museum. Books lovers and writers can meet with book sellers and publishers, get tons of books and take part in activities such as the books and community talk show.
The London Borough of Harrow is putting on a Book Fair 28 - 31 August at the Harrow Heritage Museum. Books lovers and writers can meet with book sellers and publishers, get tons of books and take part in activities such as the books and community talk show.
FAVOURITE READS
The
Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
Jim Thompson has always been known for his black-hearted realism and his most effective and disturbing novel in this vein is "The Killer Inside Me". Originally published in 1952, his story of a seemingly respectable sheriff with an extremely dark side, still has the power to shock some 60 years later. |
||
|
INTERESTING TIDBITS
|
|
Are
Readers Better People?
Today, more and more often, people's reading habits are satisfied just by skimming pages on the internet or flipping through hard-copy magazines. But fortunately there are still those that are truly into reading, that immerse themselves in books and thoroughly enjoy the act of reading. By regularly reading this newsletter, it's safe to assume that you fall into the latter category. Good news! According to various studies, people who read fiction show many common traits: they can empathize and see from other points of view, they are more intelligent because of their increased vocabulary and memory skills and they gain experience from all the things they've read along with the associated wisdom. |
The Tactile Picture Books Project at the University of
Colorado transforms paper picture books into 3D-printed books so that children
with visual impairments can follow stories that are read aloud by touching the
raised illustrations.
Children can become more aware of what the world looks like at a younger age and learn to explore with their hands. 3D printing is becoming more popular and while currently it's very expensive and labour-intensive, the project's future goal is for parents to create these books at home with their own 3D printers.
Children can become more aware of what the world looks like at a younger age and learn to explore with their hands. 3D printing is becoming more popular and while currently it's very expensive and labour-intensive, the project's future goal is for parents to create these books at home with their own 3D printers.
The Los Angeles Review of Books has a new poetry column with Dorothea
Laskycalled "Five Questions with Five Answers", in an attempt to
get a conversation going around contemporary poetry. The first poet
interviewed is Cassandra Gilligwho has done some wonderful mash-ups of
poems and hip-hop songs. See what she has to say.
A
Twitter Here, A Twitter There, Twitter Everywhere
The British Booker-shortlisted author David Mitchell is using Twitter as a platform to publish "The Right Sort", his most recent short story. Mitchell and his publisher Sceptre Books, are using Twitter because it's in keeping with the main character's bite-size experiences of the world. Who says publishers aren't embracing social media?
American artist Cory Arcangel on the other hand is using Twitter to collate tweets about "working on my novel" to create his book. It seems there's a lot of distraction out there that's preventing stories from being written.
The British Booker-shortlisted author David Mitchell is using Twitter as a platform to publish "The Right Sort", his most recent short story. Mitchell and his publisher Sceptre Books, are using Twitter because it's in keeping with the main character's bite-size experiences of the world. Who says publishers aren't embracing social media?
American artist Cory Arcangel on the other hand is using Twitter to collate tweets about "working on my novel" to create his book. It seems there's a lot of distraction out there that's preventing stories from being written.
|
NEWS PICKS
|
|
BookBenches
That Celebrate Literature Adorn London Streets
A few months ago, we reported in this newsletter that book-shaped benches will abound in London this summer. Well, there're now here! All 50 of them depicting classic and contemporary books - from Shakespeare, Peter Pan, James Bond, Sherlock Holmes and many more. The brain child of the National Literacy Trust and Books About Town, maps are available of the various BookBench trails. Enjoy them while you can - they'll be taken out on the 15th of September where they'll later be auctioned off to raise funds for the National Literacy Trust. |
Journalist and best-selling author Laura Fraser was
finding it increasingly difficult to earn her living by writing alone,
particularly when online publishing platforms and magazines were full of male
writers. So she took matters into her own hands and launched
"SheBooks" - short eBooks by and for women. Research
backed up her decision to target females as the majority of book buyers and
readers are women.
Brand awareness was raised along with $50,000 through a Kickstarter campaign. Aimed at women on the go, their ebooks have a novella word length limit of 10,000 words. Shebooks that combine the best of magazine and the best of books in a new media format, are available by subscription at $7.95 a month or individually at $2.99. Their business model aims for writers to get paid, offering them a small advance against a 50% profit share for their title.
Brand awareness was raised along with $50,000 through a Kickstarter campaign. Aimed at women on the go, their ebooks have a novella word length limit of 10,000 words. Shebooks that combine the best of magazine and the best of books in a new media format, are available by subscription at $7.95 a month or individually at $2.99. Their business model aims for writers to get paid, offering them a small advance against a 50% profit share for their title.
Almost 2,500 professional authors were surveyed with
discouraging results. Their median income in 2013 dropped to only
£11,000, well below the UK's minimum income standard of £16,850. We all
hear about the few writers that make a lot of money. This survey gives
the reality of most writers and why they should be paid fairly for their
work. Minimum advances, lower royalties and competing shelf space are a
few of the reasons cited for the decline in author incomes.
While overall income may be low, there's good news for indie authors. They're earning 40% of ebook sales showing that self-publishing is gaining ground.
While overall income may be low, there's good news for indie authors. They're earning 40% of ebook sales showing that self-publishing is gaining ground.
Amazon
Offers Limitless Books With New Subscription Service: Good For Readers But What
About Writers?
If you've taken note that indie authors earn 40% of ebook sales, it might be worth keeping up with what Amazon is doing next. They have just announced Kindle Unlimited, an all you can read and listen service that's similar to Amazon Prime Video (formerly LoveFilm), an all you can watch video service.
For $9.99 a month, subscribers to Kindle Unlimited have unlimited access to over 600,000 titles and thousands of audiobooks. Features include Whispersync for Voice that allows the readers to move from reading to listening without losing their place in the book. There's also a new "Read for Free" button when you go to buy. It seems that the revenue sharing model is good as major publishers are offering some of their most popular books through the service. However, it's not yet clear how royalties are shared with authors.
If you've taken note that indie authors earn 40% of ebook sales, it might be worth keeping up with what Amazon is doing next. They have just announced Kindle Unlimited, an all you can read and listen service that's similar to Amazon Prime Video (formerly LoveFilm), an all you can watch video service.
For $9.99 a month, subscribers to Kindle Unlimited have unlimited access to over 600,000 titles and thousands of audiobooks. Features include Whispersync for Voice that allows the readers to move from reading to listening without losing their place in the book. There's also a new "Read for Free" button when you go to buy. It seems that the revenue sharing model is good as major publishers are offering some of their most popular books through the service. However, it's not yet clear how royalties are shared with authors.
For more information and other details visit the website or
write to
The Word Runs Through It Ltd
145 - 157 St. John Street
London, EC1V 4PW
United Kingdom
145 - 157 St. John Street
London, EC1V 4PW
United Kingdom
