Category Archives: Business & Career

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: FIRST, LAST, EVERYTHING – FREELANCE EDITOR J L DEAN

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What was the first publishing business advice you were given?

Be clear and be on time. There’s the myth of the maverick writer who delays and delays only to appear at the eleventh hour with a work of genius. Editors can’t do that. The role of the editor is to make a piece of writing the best piece of writing it can be. That can mean anything from a little judicious rephrasing here and there to hitting the alarm bell when a character inexplicably undergoes a personality change halfway through a novel. Editing is primarily a support role. Yes, it takes a lot of skill and yes, a good reputation will make for an excellent career. However, you’re not the star, the writer is. Editing someone else’s book is not an opportunity to rewrite it in your own writerly image. Respect their style and adapt your approach accordingly.

By being clear, I mean when the writer received their edited manuscript from you, the only queries should be regarding the suggestions you have made. It is fine if they disagree or want to challenge, but you should be concerned if they have to ask you to explain yourself. Again, you’re there for support. Don’t be cryptic, be helpful, encouraging and reassuring.

 

What was the most recent piece of publishing advice you gave or received?

I did a lot of academic proof-editing for German clients when I lived in Bonn. More often than not I’d have to go back to them and ask, “UK or US English?” A lot of the time, they wouldn’t know. I had a young client was writing an article on the Nuremberg trials for publication in England so I contacted the publisher directly and asked for their house style. My advice to him, at the beginning of his academic career, was always to ask the publisher or publication for which he is writing for a copy of their house-style. Most have them and failing to follow it can mean instant rejection or, if you’re lucky, a lot of extra work within a very short space of time. No editor, however brilliant, can save you if you overlook that piece of advice. Make life easier for yourself and make sure you get it right from the start.

 

What is the piece of advice you’d most like to pass on?

Graham Norton asked Michael Morpurgo the same question in an interview a couple of days ago. Michael’s response; “Live an interesting life”. That’s got to be my answer too. It seems to me that, at this point in time, there’s a lot of emphasis on academic qualifications in creative writing. Agents are even starting to ask for that information in submissions. I feel very uneasy about that; I think it’s the wrong route for the publishing industry to take but that’s another article! For me, writing comes from within and it needs to be fed from within.

So my advice would be; don’t rush to be the ingénue novelist who has known nothing but the inside of a university lecture hall. OK, you’ll look good in the publicity photos and the press will adore you for the full fifteen minutes, but what experiences are you drawing on. What are you really giving the reader, and therefore the world? Go out and live your life, meet people and challenge yourself. No matter if you want to write medieval crime thrillers or contemporary romance; stories are about people and people are the key to stories; even in their absence, there’s a story. You won’t learn about people in a classroom. Get out there, but take your notebook.

 

J L Dean is an a freelance editor and historical novelist, recently returned from three years living in Germany, she divides her time between work, law studies and that difficult second novel.

 

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: FIRST, LAST, EVERYTHING – CO-AUTHOR SUE FEATHERSTONE

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What was the first writing advice you were ever given

Truthfully, I don’t remember who gave me my first writing advice or what advice was offered but the first piece of advice that stands out came from a chap called Frank Littlewood, a tutor at Richmond College in Sheffield where I did my journalism training. Frank was a plump former Yorkshire Post sub-editor, who always wore a grubby knitted yellow waistcoat, and was absolutely passionate about good writing and correct spelling and grammar.

He could be a bit long-winded sometimes but he knew his trade and every rookie reporter who sat in his classroom learned a lot from him. I can see him now, in that virulently-coloured waistcoat, wagging a finger and telling us: ‘News is people.’ In other words, stories are about people and what happens to them and why? That applies to novelists just as much as journalists: good characters matter and it doesn’t matter whether readers love them or hate them so long as they want to read about them.

 

What was the most recent writing advice you’ve been given?

That’s easy: show don’t tell.

Easy to say, not so easy to do but the trick which I’ve learned from Rebecca Carpenter, my copy editor at Lakewater Press, is to replace what she calls ‘weak’ verbs with ‘strong’ ones that paint word pictures creating heightened mood and tension.

What’s a weak verb? A really good example is the word ‘looked’, which it is really easy to overuse. For example, consider this sentence: Sally looked at her father. Here ‘looked’ is a weak verb because it tells the reader nothing about the scene or Sally’s mood or her relationship with her dad. But, replace ‘looked’ with a stronger, more descriptive verb, such as peeked, and the scene comes alive because the writer shows the reader how Sally is feeling – clearly she is apprehensive or afraid.

Think about it: Sally peeked at her father. You could change the mood again by using a different word: Sally stared at her father. This time, it’s obvious Sally is surprised or incredulous. It’s a small change but so effective.

 

What is the piece of advice you’d most like to pass on?

Oh dear! This is a really hard question because there are so many pieces of advice I’d like to pass on. These include: the harder I work, the luckier I get, which has been attributed to, amongst others former US president Thomas Jefferson and movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn.

I’ve also learned that achieving your dreams is a marathon and not a sprint and that your first job may not be your dream job but it will be good preparation for the dream job.

However, if pushed, the one piece of advice that has helped me in both my personal and professional life is: treat others as you’d want them to treat you. So be polite and considerate and don’t take advantage of other people. Never say something behind someone’s back you wouldn’t say to their face and if you make a mistake, apologise and move on. And never try and attribute blame. Mistakes happen, learn from them.

 

Sue Featherstone is a former journalist and public relations practitioner turned academic then author. Together with her friend and writing partner Susan Pape, she has written two successful journalism text books and their first novel, A Falling Friend, was published by Lakewater Press in 2016 and a sequel A Forsaken Friend is published on March 21, 2018.

They now write about books at https://bookloversbooklist.com/

 

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: FIRST, LAST, EVERYTHING – INDIE AUTHOR JULIE STOCK

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Julie Stock is an indie author of contemporary romance from around the world: novels, novellas and short stories. Her latest novel, Over You, is now available. Follow Julie on Twitter @wood_beez48

What was the first writing advice you were ever given?

The first writing advice I remember being given was in November 2013 when I attended a Festival of Romance in Bedford, near where I live. I’d been writing my début novel for about 8 months by then and I had about 80,000 words of my story written but I just couldn’t seem to finish it. I sought feedback from so many different places and my head was spinning from the conflicting advice I’d been getting.

I remember being so excited to find there was even going to be a Festival of Romance in Bedford, of all places! I went to a session in the morning where I saw Sue Moorcroft and listened to her reading from her latest book. Then I walked around the big hall in Bedford town centre, meeting romance authors who were selling their books. Straight after this, I sat down to listen to a panel of authors chatting about writing and publishing their books. Bravely at the end, I asked them for advice about my dilemma. That was when Phillipa Ashley and Rowan Coleman both advised me without a second’s hesitation to join the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme. I went on and joined in the January of 2014, and published that début novel the following year. I’m now an independent member of the RNA, and I wouldn’t have achieved that without their support.

 

What is the most recent writing advice you’ve been given?

Along with many writers, I suffer from doubts and insecurities about whether my writing is any good on a fairly regular basis! Usually, this happens when I’m struggling with a first draft or when I get feedback telling me that something in a book isn’t working. I find rewriting and editing the hardest job, and really have to force myself to do it. So, when I felt like this most recently and mentioned it to one of my writing friends, her advice was not to give up. She reminded me that I’d felt like this before and that I’d probably feel like it again.

It is hard to keep going when you’re finding it hard to write or to rewrite, but it is also true that you can find inspiration in the strangest of places. I know as well that rewriting has definitely made my books better, and sometimes this is all that keeps me going to get through to the end. Then when you publish and someone takes the time to tell you how much they enjoyed the book, it makes all the pain worthwhile!

 

What is the piece of advice you’d most like to pass on?

I didn’t start writing until I was in my late 40s. I was having a tough time in my job then and I began writing as a way of taking my mind off things. It became a form of therapy. When I started, I hadn’t even heard of self-publishing, although I had recently received a Kindle from my husband. Then I read Sealed With a Kiss by Rachael Lucas, and she explained how she’d self-published it. As I was approaching my 50th birthday by then, I didn’t want to waste any time approaching agents/publishers, I just wanted to get on and do it. And I did. So I think my advice is not to let yourself be put off from doing something you really want to do. Reinvent yourself if you want to – it’s never too late!

 

Advantages of the writing service

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From this article, you will get to know what main advantages of the writing service are and will discuss how and where you can order the college paper.

The paper is the small report of the certain theme or the discipline, where you will need to present it in the front of the audience and sometimes, even, with the presentation. The paper writing is a small preparation to more difficult and serious work like the thesis or dissertation. The work has to be interesting, unique, and with the proper content. The volume of the paper should be, on the average, 10-20 pages. The content of the information has to relate to the given topic. When you don’t have enough time to write or you don’t know how to write it, then the writing service will be the best place to buy college papers.

The reliability and the guarantor of the quality

Papers, tests, theses are usual tasks at the college and university, but students not always can fulfill them because they don’t have the opportunity or don’t have enough time. But on the first sight, on such easy task you may spend a lot of time for looking the information and analyzing it.

To make own life easier, students start to search the information and the ready paper on the Internet. You can try to find the one, but you also can have the opportunity to get the bad mark because the main requirement for the paper writing is its uniqueness.

Nowadays, there are a lot of writing services that offer to do it for you. When you ask professionals for the help, you can be sure that it will be written from scratch and will be absolutely unique.

What do you get?

If you buy the paper, you get:

  • the result according to all appropriate methodic requirements;
  • the use of actual resources;
  • the verification of the uniqueness;
  • the opportunity for free refinement of the work during the certain period of time.

Advantages of the writing service

There are some reasons why you need to buy the college paper and its advantages:

  1. The quick response to your request. You don’t need to wait for the letter or reply too long – they will respond right away;
  2. The paper will be ready right on the necessary date and time;
  3. The working experience. Asking writing service with years under the belt, you will face with professionals who will write it and you could be sure you’ll get the positive grade;
  4. The urgency. Your paper can be ready in a day!;
  5. The work will be unique and you don’t have to be afraid the teacher will tell that you have the same paper as your groupmate (because you copied or downloaded it from the same website);
  6. The use of the newest material as the resource for your college paper;
  7. The availability of the great number of specialists in different fields who work there for years. As the result, the work is done very fast and qualitatively;
  8. Reasonable prices. Every student is able to order a paper, moreover, he can get loyalty program;
  9. Free changes/rewriting. Sometimes when the paper is complete the teacher asks to add something or rewrite it because every teacher has his own requirements, so, it will be done for you for free;
  10. You can reach the manager anytime. You can call the manager and ask how everything is going on with your paper or if you need some additional information to be added, they can react in a moment;
  11. The offer of the original work. There are only creative and qualified people and all their works are original, they create individual texts and don’t just rewrite the information from the book;
  12. The quality is the priority! The client is satisfied when he gets the qualitative work. If you have some special requirements from your academic adviser – just tell them and everything will be done.

THE BUSINESS OF BOOKS: THE DREADED S WORD

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Jane Cable tries to pick out the positives of writing a synopsis

Having completed the edits on one manuscript and having rescued my rights for Another You from Endeavour Press, this month has been all about considering submissions – which in most cases involves the bane of my writing life – the synopsis.

I’m not talking about the sort of synopsis you use as you create your novel, or to check structure and record plot points as you go along; I’m talking about that big, scary, one-and-only-chance-to-get-it-right document which accompanies your submission to agents and publishing houses. The synopsis as sales tool – in particular the short version – fills me with dread in a way no other blank page can.

This time, I thought I’d cracked it. Fellow RNA member and Choc Lit author Lynda Stacey very kindly sent me her template and using it made perfect sense. Like me, Lynda writes romantic suspense and has to shoehorn complex plots into a single page. I was happy with what I’d written, but when I showed it to Claire Dyer (an editor as well as an author) she drove a coach and horses through it. Clearly I need to improve.

So, what have I learnt from this sorry state of affairs.

A template to follow is really, really useful

When you are staring at a blank piece of paper there is nothing more helpful than something which lists the paragraphs you need and gives you some guidance about what to put in each. It helps you to have a method. For my short synopsis I set out the beginning of the book, then the end of the book, and filled in the middle last. It was also brilliant for pulling out the main plot strands and that focussed me through my final edits.

You’re going to need more than one carefully tailored synopsis

I’m concentrating on the direct submissions route for my novels and am hand picking the publishers I think would be right for them and who I’m really keen to work with. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I’m quite comfortable being an indie author if I can’t land that special deal. But what struck me when I was making my shortlist was that they all want something different; everything from a 3,000 word essay to a two paragraph blurb. It’s so important to tailor what you send to their requirements and to show you understand where your book would sit in their portfolio.

A synopsis is not a blurb It may be a selling document, but it’s not a blurb.

I was delighted when my first choice publisher asked for a blurb as I find them so much easier to write. Of course there are similarities – both have to grab the person reading it – but in different ways. A blurb entices, teases, reveals just enough. A synopsis tells the whole story. No surprises. The most important thing to bear in mind is that a publisher or agent will be thinking about how they can sell the story – a reader will be using the blurb to decide if they want to buy it.

Not everyone you submit to will need a synopsis

Yes. Really. But don’t use it as a cop out or to select who you submit to. Most agents require a synopsis, but the length varies. So will most publishers, but some have other priorities, such as finding out about your author brand – they will rely on your manuscript to see whether your book is worth taking on. You will need to become expert in selling your novel in all sorts of ways but one thing is certain: the better you become at all of them the more chance you have of landing a deal.

 

International Women’s Day | The Wine Women

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What could be more fulfilling than a career in wine? For many it would be a dream career. Today is International Women’s Day so let these women show you how.
Vitalie Taittinger – Champagne Taittinger
1) What advice would you give to women considering or beginning a career in wine?
I would tell them to consider this choice as a life choice! The way of getting into wine is very long. You have many things to learn and to understand. It really has to be a passion! It is a fabulous world, working with nature, time and people, it is very exciting!
2) What is your ultimate wine and food pairing? My ultimate food pairing would maybe be a flute of Prélude Grands Crus with oysters…the minerality of this Champagne, its pureness and its energy really does match the saltiness and texture of oysters. I love the simplicity!

Taittinger Prélude Grand Crus NV, RRP £54.35, Stockists: Majestic Wine, JohnLewis.com Frost recommended. 


Laure Colombo – Winemaker at Colombo et Fille
1) What has been a key/memorable moment in your career so far?
The first time someone said “Jean-Luc Colombo is the father of Laure Colombo” and not being recognized as the “daughter of”, but for myself!
2) Who has inspired you in your career?
Jean-Michel Comme from Pontet-Canet! He taught me the fact that the vines are living beings. It needs to breathe, to feed from the earth, in order to open up.

Jean-Luc Colombo Saint Péray Belle de Mai 2016, RRP £23.25, Stockists: Pennistone Court Wine Cellars, Hedonism Drinks Frost Recommended.

Eva de Benito – Winemaker at Viña Real
1) What has been a key/memorable moment in your career so far?
The moment that I started working for CVNE and managing Viña Real, one of the emblematic brands of Rioja.
2) If you could live in another woman’s shoes for a day, whose would you choose?
In general, I admire women who, with their passion and willingness to improve, have been able to break myths and barriers – not only in the wine trade but also in any profession or aspect in life.

Viña Real Gran Reserva 2011, RRP £27.70, Stockists: Hailsham Cellars, D.Byrne & Co, Planet of the Grapes, The Whalley Wine Shop, Luvians Bottleshop, Wimbledon Wine C llears, The Solent Cellar, Old Chapel Cellars, Taurus Wines

Maria Larrea – Chief Winemaker at C.V.N.E
1) What advice would you give to women considering or beginning a career in wine?
It is important to surround yourself with a good work team, observe the vineyard, study about other viticultural areas of the world. In short, always learn, enjoy work and always try to make the best wine.
2) What has been a key/memorable moment in your career so far?
Undoubtedly the best moment was the award we received with Imperial Gran Reserva vintage 2004 as the best wine in the world for the Wine Spectator. It really was a prize for the long history of Imperial, more than 100 years as a wine of great quality.

Imperial Reserva 2012, RRP £26.00, Stockists: Majestic Wine, Wine Rack, Coop, Waitrose.com, Tesco.com


Helen Morrison – Chief Marlborough Winemaker at Villa Maria
1) What has been a key/memorable moment in your career so far?
As a winemaker 2017 was the hardest vintage I have ever experienced, so the reward of seeing the quality of the wines we managed to craft from this challenging season is truly memorable.
2) If you could live in another woman’s shoes for a day, whose would you choose?
Right now in New Zealand it would be fascinating to be Jacinda Adern for a day, as our recently elected Prime Minister, the youngest prime minister in 150 years, un-married, and a strong supporter of women’s rights and now she has recently announced her first pregnancy. What a great series of firsts to be experiencing, but also some very interesting challenges and adversaries she must be facing (even in this modern era).
Villa Maria Private Bin Riesling 2017, RRP £10.95, Stockists: Majestic Wine, Wine Rack

Catherine Corbeau Mellot – President of Joseph Mellot
1) What advice would you give to women considering or beginning a career in wine?
You will need to be very strong and be able to face lots of challenges. Passion and the wish to be successful are key. Go for it!
2) What is your ultimate wine and food pairing?
A two-month Crottin de Chavignol (our local goat cheese, which is AOP.) with a glass of Sancerre la Chatellenie!

Sancerre La Rabault Rosé 2015, RRP £22.60, Stockists: The Shenfield Wine Company, Refreshers, Park Lane Wine and Deli Frost Recommended. 

Audrey Braccini – Winemaker at Domaine Ferret
1) What has been a key/memorable moment in your career so far?
It was two or three years back. When I started working in Fuissé ten years ago, the welcome from the other producers was a little bit cold… and this continued for some years after. You can imagine my joy when some of them came to me and said, with kindness in their eyes, ‘good job, great wines, it is a good thing you came!’
2) If you could live in another woman’s shoes for a day, whose would you choose?
Marlène Soria – a pioneering organic winemaker from Languedoc.

Domaine Ferret Pouilly Fuissé 2016, RRP £33.40, Stockists: North and South Wines, Taurus Wines, Penistone Court Wine Cellars, Luvians Bottleshop, Planet of the Grapes, Handford Wines, Eagle Wines, Partridges of Sloane St, Loki Wines

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: FIRST, LAST, EVERYTHING – EBOOK PROGRAMME MANAGER MEGAN LOCKWOOD-JONES

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Megan Lockwood-Jones is the Ebook Programme Manager at my favourite assisted publishing house, Matador. She is the first point of contact for ebook authors and her knowledge is second to none. 

What was the first piece of publishing advice you were given?

The first piece of publishing advice I was given was to ensure self-publishing authors are choosing the right company and right services for them. At Matador we assist over 500 authors a year to publish physical and ebooks. However, it is important that authors do their research to ensure that they are using a reputable company and that the company they choose can offer the services that are right for them – not every author will have the same requirements or aims when publishing. Some may only want a few copies of a book for family and friends, others want to see their book stocked in bookshops, others only want an e-version. Read testimonials to find out what other authors’ experiences with that company were like. If you are new to the world of publishing then you’ll want to find a company that are easily contactable via telephone rather than one that can only be contacted by email – as a first time author, you may not even know the kinds of questions you should be asking so sometimes a phone call can be more reassuring.

What was the most recent piece of publishing advice you gave?

I spend the majority of my day talking to authors about ebook publishing options – as well as speaking at events such as The Self-Publishing Conference and the Experience Days we run at our offices.

The most recent advice I gave was in regards to ebook distribution. There are many different routes that authors can take, for example if you have a non-fiction ebook, why not consider making it available for pre-order? Readers are more willing to pre-order and wait for an ebook on a subject that interests them, rather than a fiction ebook where they can simply browse and select ebooks in similar genres that are already available. If you make a lot of sales during a pre-order period then these accumulate and count towards the total number of sales made on the release date, which boosts your ranking on retailers’ sites, in turn making your ebook appear earlier in search results.

If you’re interested in making your ebook available for free for a short period of time, Amazon’s KDP Select programme could be a good option for you. To be eligible, your ebook has to be exclusive to Amazon for 90 days, so it’s worth bearing this in mind if you’re considering selling the ebook through other retailers too. During the KDP Select period, you can make your ebook available for free for up to five days, and any downloads during this time can increase your ranking in the Free charts!

 

What is the piece of advice you would most like to pass on?

One of the aspects of my job I enjoy the most is cover design but if designing your own cover, think about how it’s going to be viewed by customers. Ebook jackets will be seen as thumbnails on retailers’ sites so you need to ensure that the title can still be read. A small, thin font in a colour that doesn’t stand out isn’t the best and don’t clutter your cover – try to keep it simple and avoid too much text.

If you’re paying for a professional cover design, be open-minded about the designer’s ideas. Designers spend a lot of time researching trends and amazing covers can be created if they are given a little freedom. As the author, of course you know the book best so do share any ideas or thoughts with the designer so that they can incorporate them, but let them use their expertise! Remember, you’ve paid for a professional designer for a reason, so have faith in them and trust that they aren’t going to design a cover that will be detrimental to sales.

 

 

 

TAKE FOUR WRITERS: LAUNCHING, DRAFTING, EDITING & MULTI-TASKING

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FEBRUARY UPDATE FROM OUR FOUR WRITERS…

CLAIRE DYER… LAUNCHING

January and February have seen much excitement in the run up to and the actual launch of ‘The Last Day’. I have been overwhelmed by the love and support of my publishers, bloggers and fellow authors during this time, especially as no one knows the joy and despair of times like these like they do.

I’ve come to learn that it’s all about letting go. We tend to write in the privacy of our own homes and, for a long while, it’s all about just the two of us: ourselves and our book. And then if we’re lucky, we send it to our agent and, if we’re even luckier, thence to a publisher and eventually, if we cross our fingers and toes tightly enough, it goes out into the big wide world.

And this is where the joy and despair comes in. Will the world like it? That’s the despair. And, the joy? Well, that’s easy: the book I wrote is an actual real thing with pages and a cover and everything!

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ANGELA PETCH… DRAFTING

I am almost three quarters through my writer’s draft of “Mavis and Dot” and I use walks along the sea to plan out the final chapters. There is something scary about finishing off a novel. In the meantime, I have been busy hunting for an illustrator. Unfortunately, my first three candidates dropped out, for reasons varying from cold feet and time factors. I hope I have at last found someone to work with. She is a very supportive editor of a local magazine and after tea and cakes (and discussion), she is on board. I am trying not to be too distracted from M & D but the publisher of my two first novels recently went into voluntary liquidation. It means a return to indie publishing but there is relief in the return of control. However, it entails more work. My other concern is to which cancer charity I should donate my profits. A writer’s work is never done…

 

JACKIE BALDWIN…EDITING

Hello, February has been a rather grim month. I have been completely immersed in my structural edit. Day after day I have sat at my desk from first thing in the morning until last thing at night editing. Then, eat, sleep, repeat. You get the idea! It’s a bad state of affairs when your characters have a better social life than you do. However, by the time you read this, I will be done! Hurrah!

I did get one overnight pass which was a wee trip to Newcastle to read at Noir at The Bar. It was the first time I had read the prologue from Perfect Dead. I also met loads of new crime writers and readers which was fun. During the day, I edited at the Lit and Phil which is a fab library. It even sells cake!

See you next month!

 

LUCY COLEMAN… MULTI-TASKING

February TO DO list:

Set up new office and new computer equipment in new house.
Online celebrations for launch day of first book with Aria Fiction, under new pen name.
Daily social media activity to support TWO book tours running concurrently for new arrival.
Produce new graphics to celebrate latest book baby.
Complete and submit Aria book no. 3 manuscript to my agent for comments.
Complete round one of structural edits for my other publisher.
Action suggested revisions by my agent for book no. 3.
Keep up with normal daily social media for my other books and write blog posts etc.
Get through February with your sanity intact.

Okay, so I’m exaggerating a little because I did survive the month, but only just! My new laptop seemed to get slower by the day after its first round of software updates. If I action a retweet on Twitter it times out! The battle continues.

If only it was JUST about the writing …