Book covers – what I love and what I hate

When I choose a book to read I tend to look for an author I’ve heard of, then read the blurb and maybe the first few pages. If I’m still intrigued, I’ll go ahead and buy the book. However, I am put off by photographic representations of characters. I like to make my own mind up about how they look. Artists’ impressions are a little more palatable as they only make a suggestion and this is just about the same as the one made by the text itself. Oddly, I’m less precious about setting. 

Also, the cover shouldn’t give away too much of the story. It should be a little like the blurb and just hint at something.

I’ve included a few here from my own collection of books – ones I’ve written, ones I’ve published and ones I’ve read.    

Clara’s Story 

Clara's Story

 

This is the second in my Schellberg Cycle and picks up the style of The House on Schellberg Street. The wild flowers in a jug and the pearls are really very much part of Clara. They do feature in the story.

The House on Schellberg Street

The publisher asked me to pick a selection of stock pictures. I chose some lovely doorways but these looked too much like what they’d used on another book. However, we then decided to use a sepia tinted background – after all this is an historical novel – and present the doorway as a line drawing. That the door  is open intrigues us. This fits well with the story. It sets the tone for the other books in the cycle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salford Stories

We used a photo of Salford here. We desperately wanted a photo of The Old Pint Pot as one of the stories is set there. However, we just couldn’t get one that would work. We needed a picture where we had room to fit the blurb and the title. We had to go for a more generic picture of Salford.

 

Baubles

This is one of my favourites. People may have thought of Christmas tree baubles as the book came out just before Christmas. We thought more in terms of bits and pieces that are collected as people go through life. Chris Bowles’ story in the collection gives a particular take on that idea.

Something Hidden

This is the title of the first story in the collection and this was in fact the winner of a short story competition we’d held. I found a stock photo that goes very well with this story by just searching the site using the story title as search words. This often does have amazing results.

 

Beggarman’s Cottage

Here is an example of  an artist’s impression. It’s very watery and ghost-like and just given an impression. It’s still left to us to decide how exactly the old cottage might look.

Words and figures as pictures

Her are a couple of examples how we’ve used a series of words and numbers for the cover. One displays all of the authors. Another creates a bit of a puzzle. What happened on which day?  The third works on a pun and gives you numbers to play with.

Are you tempted by any of them? Are the pictures working?  

Click on them and find out more about the book.            

Online launches

I get invited to a lot of these and I’ve hosted a few. Sometimes, I’m too busy to do more than literally “pop in”. I’ll often buy the book buy not always. It has to be the sort of thing I’m interested in. But I can wish a fellow writer well, even if they don’t write what thrills me. I’m trying to be incredibly honest here and it’s up there with only liking on Facebook what I genuinely like.

Elsewhere I’ve described the activity that can take place and made suggestions about how to “behave” at an online launch. Have a look here. http://www.chapeltownpublishing.uk/2017/01/cyber-launches-how-to-organise-them-and.html

And so now it’s my turn.

I’m going to offer:

·         Review copies

·         The Kindle edition for 99p

·         A tombola where you win an in-depth critique of your work OR a selection of e-books or hard copy books (more of the former, naturally) 

·         A creative writing competition

·         Some freebies  

What am I launching? My very first collection of Flash Fiction, January Stones 2013. The challenge was to write one a day for the whole of January 2013. I’ve sat on them and edited and reedited and finally abandoned. Like you do.

Join me at the launch on 19 May. Sign up here: https://www.facebook.com/events/761493594019594/         

Dreaming of a Dream Team

The idea came to me as I sought reviews for a book I’ve published – not one of my own. I was trying to get reviews for a collection of flash fiction. Between our imprints we have over 200 authors. If one in four of our writers review for us, we’re home and dry.

I wouldn’t expect everyone to review every time … hence my idea of actually creating a dream team.

And why stop with reviewers? Why not also look for beta readers, editors, copy editors, proof-readers, artists, illustrators and designers. 

This is a personal recommendation.  Initially I would use my Dream Team a lot myself but gradually I would add in people that friends and friends of friends had recommended.

What happens?

You sign up to a mail list and every time a request comes in we mail it out to you. The conversation then carries on between you and the person making the request. You may also have a page set up on my blog and you may update that once a year. 

Interested? You may sign up for more than one category. 

Beta readers sign up here.

Reviewers sign up here.

Editors sign up here.

Illustrators sign up here.

Proof-readers sign up here.

Designers sign up here.

I encourage a code amongst writing beta readers and reviewers that they might reciprocate. However, we must at all cost refrain from simply swapping good reviews. Some reviewers and beta readers may simply be readers. We never pay them but perhaps we can be kind to them in other ways. Any ideas? Copies of the finished book, acknowledgements, an invite to the launch and a big fuss about them there?        

Illustrators, proof-readers, editors and designers are paid professionals. Their presence on my mailing list implies a personal recommendation.      

If you want to use the Dream Team

If you’re interested in using one of the services, either browse or search the pages and contact the practitioner directly or fill in the contact form and we’ll mail everyone.

 

Newsletter 3 May 2017

News about my writing

I have now completed the latest in my Schellberg Cycle. What to do with that now? That makes three of them looking for a publisher. I’m toying with self-publishing and also with looking for a niche publisher. I originally had one more planned but now I have two.

I’m taking a break from that at the moment and having a go at another one in my Peace Child series. I’ve started planning this – using the odd times I’ve had between classes at the University of Salford. Believe it or not, I need to read the third part again to make sure I remember what has happened so far!

I’ve also been working on a play that relates to the Schellberg Cycle. I’ll probably continue to work on that in parallel with the new novel so I’ll still have contact with the cycle. I’m also still busily producing materials from my workshop. More news about that below.       

My January Stones is now out, available here. This is my first collection of flash fiction. As ever, I’m looking for reviewers. If you’re happy to review an e-mobi or PDF, let me know. Flash fiction is a genre that is really growing on me. I think some of the pieces, however, might be something other than flash fiction.           

Patreon

I’m selling some of my work via Patreon.  You can find details here. As the name suggests, you would in effect become a patron. I think I’m offering real value for money, with something for both readers and writers.  And you can take both if you happen to be both.  Check it out if you’re interested.    

Dreamteam

I’ve decided to assemble a dream team of reviewers and beta –readers and for my publishing and self-publishing projects, editors, proof-readers, illustrators and designers.

This is how it works.

The idea came to me as I sought reviews for a book I’ve published. I was trying to get reviews for a collection of flash fiction. Between our imprints we have over 200 authors. If one in four of our writers review for us, we’re home and dry.

I wouldn’t expect everyone to review every time … hence my idea of actually creating a dream team.

And why stop with reviewers? Why not also look for beta readers, editors, copy editors, proof-readers, artists, illustrators and designers? 

This is a personal recommendation.  Initially I would use my Dream Team a lot myself but gradually I would add in people that friends and friends of friends had recommended.

What happens?

You sign up to a mail list and every time a request comes in we mail it out to you. The conversation then carries on between you and the person making the request. You may also have a page set up on my blog and you may update that once a year. 

Interested? You may sign up for more than one category. 

Beta readers sign up here.

Reviewers sign up here.

Editors sign up here.

Illustrators sign up here.

I have yet to create the sign-ups for designers and proof-readers.   

DO REMEMBER THAT AT ANY TIME YOU’RE APPROACHED AND YOU’RE BUSY IT’S PERFECTLY FINE TO SAY NO.    

   

Bridge House

Bridge House’s anthology Baubles continues to sell. You can read a few extracts here. Salford Stories is out there also. Both could do with a few more reviews. If you’ve read them, do write a review for them. Please review on Amazon. You can also leave reviews on Good Reads or your own blog.  You may know of other places. I can also offer review copies for free (PDF or e-mobi). If you’d like a review copy, then reply to this email.

So, the submissions are now in our new anthology for 2107, Gliterary Tales. Debz Hobbs Wyatt  and I will be reading them soon.

Remember we’re also offering to publish single-author collections. These are for authors we’ve published before and they may include stories we’ve already published, ones they’ve had published elsewhere and new ones. The description for this is now on the web site. We’ve already had some enquiries. You may recycle stories we’ve already included in another anthology, and you may reedit these if you wish. You may also add in new stories. We’re aiming at a total word count of between 30,000 and 80,000 words. 

If you’re interested in this, contact me here.    

We’re being a bit cheeky and getting a little political. Are we are in danger of getting our books burnt? Well, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. We’re doing an extra anthology, Citizens of Nowhere, with the theme of the global citizen. Oh, I hope we don’t upset Ms May. We’re commissioning just over half of the work from known authors but there is room for a few open submissions. It’s now a question of whether your story is good enough. If it is, we’ll accept it straight away. The call for submissions ends once we’ve filled the collection.   Stories between 1,000 and 4,000 words. Submit to editor at bridgehousepublishing dot co dot uk. Please put “Citizens of Nowhere” in the subject line.   

We’re almost there, so if you want to be included, you’ll need to make haste.     

CafeLit

Remember, we’re always open to submissions. Find out how here.  I’ve been encouraging my students to submit. I’m beginning to see some of their work appearing. Very shortly I’ll be putting together the Best of CafeLit 6.   

The Best of CaféLit 5 is still available. There are some lovely stories in this. I’m very pleased that I have a story in this collection. Order your copy here.      

 

Again we need more reviews for this. Have you read them? Could you write us a review? And again, I’m offering free copies as PDFs or e-mobi files.

 

Chapeltown

We’re still looking for collections of Flash Fiction. CafeLit writers might particularly consider this as your stories so often fit this brief anyway. See our submissions page here. We have now signed up five writers already and I’ll be putting out one of my collections as well soon. Take a look here.  

Our first volume is out.  See it here.  Congratulations to Allison Symes Again, reviews, reviews please. Email me for free electronic copies.

Neil Cambell’s Fog Lane is also almost ready. Again, reviewers very welcome.     

This call for submissions will be closing soon so hurry if you want to submit. 

Chapeltown is also excited to be publishing Colin Wyatt’s Who will be my friend? – a delightful picture book about friendship and accepting others. Yes, Colin is Debz’s dad. He is a Disney licensed illustrator and his latest publication is The Jet Set. We feel very honoured to be publishing him.

 

Creative Café

We’re always looking for new cafés.  If you visit one of the cafés in the project and would like to write a review of between 250 and 350 words – nice, too, to have a couple of pictures – send it to me here. Do the same if you find a new café.

I’m now going to send out a welcome letter to each new café that’s added. This will also offer them the opportunity to join the mailing list.  

I’m also now proactively encouraging cafes to stock The Best of CaféLit. Do you know anyone who might like to stock it? We can offer a 35% discount to retailers. Query gill at cafelit dot co dot uk.     

 

The Red Telephone

We are currently open for submissions. Hoorah! We’re looking for the next great YA novel. Check out the details here.  We’re particularly open to speculative fiction but we’ll also like anything that is well written and well-targeted.  I welcome others but send sample chapters and synopsis first. The full details are on the site.  

I am now working on Richard Bradburn’s Evernrood. We are still open for submissions but this will only be for a limited time now.    

Our mentoring programme is now full. I’m now working quite closely with three very different authors: Charlotte Comley, Dianne Stadhams, and Nina Wadcock. They are all  presenting some fascinating material.     

I’d also like to mention now that I’m mentoring two of my former students to help them get their novels up to publication standard. They won’t start this until they’ve finished their studies but it is something for them to keep them occupied as they wait for their results. I’m looking forward, too, to working with them.        

Book tours

If you’re a Bridge House / Red Telephone / CaféLit / Chapeltown author and you want to get serious about book tours, consider our author’s kit. We provide twenty books you take to the bookshop and the bookshop can put these through the till. We then invoice the bookshop, with a 35% discount for any sold and top up your supply to twenty. At the end of the tour you can either pay for the remaining books at cost + 10% or keep them until you’ve sold them and then pay the normal price of 75% of RRP. The latter can in any case be set against royalties. You need to allow at least ten days between events. Contact me here if you’re interested in this.           

 

School Visits

I’m proactively promoting my school visits associated with The House on Schellberg Street project. I’ve now developed a whole workshop for this. It starts off with a board game, includes some role play and creative writing and ends with a discussion.

Costs= travel expenses plus £400 for a full day and £200 for a half day. This includes all materials and some freebies. Two schools near to each other might consider splitting the day and halving the travel expenses and fees. This is open to negotiation in any case.       

  

I’m also continuously adding materials for schools to the site that are different from the ones I use for the workshops. I’ve recently added in a resources and books to do with the topic. See them here:       

Query for a school visit here.

I’m also happy to tailor a visit for your agreed donation. This can be for either a Schellberg Cycle visit or a creative writing workshop. Any monies raised this way will go specifically to a project I have for a non-fiction book about a journey that will follow the footsteps of Clara Lehrs. I’m hoping to do the whole journey by train, including departing via my nearest Metrolink station. It’s important to feel the rails beneath my feet.       

 I offer as well standard author visits which include readings from my books, Q & A sessions and creative writing exercises.

It is now also possible to purchase the kit to work on on your own. Find details here.

 

Upcoming events

I’ve now arranged a Greater Manchester event. Very appropriately this will be in the Old Pint Pot in Salford. We’ve already invited all of the authors who’ve been published in the last twelve months, so that naturally includes all of the Salford Stories authors. Neil Campbell’s story features the Old Pint Pot. It is easy to reach: a shot walk from Salford Central and Salford Crescent stations and a slightly longer walk from Manchester Victoria.

The event takes place on Saturday 3 June.  Normally at these events we have:

• general mingling
• cash bar
• an opportunity to buy books at an advantageous rate    
• “speed-dating”  where you get to speak to as many people as possible in the room i.e. promote yourself to readers, swap tips with other writers
• author readings
• latest news from me  
• collection for a local charity
• big book swap (bring one of your other titles and take something else home – hopefully all will be reviewed. If you bring a non-writing friend they can just bring a book they love)  

It is free but ticketed. Book here.  

If you’re an author and would like to read, let me know. We’ll also try to sell some of your books.

         

Note also for your diary: the London Bridge House / CafeLit / Chapeltown / Red Telephone celebration will be 2 December at the Princess of Wales again. People published 2017 will be invited first and then it will be open to all authors of our imprints. You are in any case invited to bring one friend at the first call. Last year we “sold out” – the event is free but ticketed. 

 

Giveaway 

If you're not already signed up to receive this newsletter in your email inbox, maybe you wold like to do that and get access to some giveaways. 

This month I’m giving away the e-mobi version of In The Shadow of the Rred Queen. This will be ready later in the month so for now I’m leaving Making Changes, the very first Bridge House anthology, there. It is available for the first time as an-e-mobi file to be read on your Kindle.  Shortly we’ll put it up on Amazon. Sign up here.

You will also find in the dropbox you're directed to after signing:

 ·         An extract from Clara’s story

·         Some seminars for schools about The House on Schellberg Street

·         Some fiction writing exercises

·         The opening chapters from my manual for writing the young adult novel  

Note, that normally my books and the books supplied by the imprints I manage, sell for anything form £0.99 to £10.99, with most on Kindle being about £2.99 and the average price for paperback being £7.00. We have to allow our writers to make a living. But we’re offering these free samples so that you can try before you buy. 

 

Writing opportunities

Remember I keep a full list of vetted opportunities on my writing blog. See them here. New ones are added several times a day. Roughly once a month I go through it and take out all of the out of date ones. At that point I send it out to a list. If you would like to be on that list, sign up here.    

Happy reading and writing.