Newsletter 6 October 2017

 

News about my writing

We've just got back from what is fast becoming an annual trip to Nerja on the Costa del Sol. In theory we only go there every other year, but we're so drawn to it that we'll probably now continue to go there once a year. It's an important place for me: it kick-started my writing.

However, when you're a writer and a publisher, as I am, you don't really stop "working". I don't really like to divide life into work and non-work because if you love what you're doing there is no such thing as "work".

The change of climate, scenery and food was nevertheless welcome.

I've come back full of good ideas.       

 

Gift to or from a writing friend?

Why not get a mug made at Vista Print with book covers? Here's how: https://www.vistaprint.co.uk/photo-gifts/personalised-mugs. Then fill the mug with other goodies -  a bar of chocolate, some nice pens, a small note book? If it's for a friend who is not a writer, consider adding in some nice snacks or toiletries.    

 

1940s Group

I'm getting a few members into my 1940s' group now. We're beginning to become beta-readers for each other. Hopefully we'll also soon attract reviewers. 

This is a Facebook group for those of us who write about the 1940s. This group is for all people who write about the 1940s. Fiction and non-fiction, for young and old. Topics might then be: the Holocaust, World War II, Civilian Experience (all sides) and the battle front. We can exchange ideas about research and marketing. We may promote books and stories, - the last day of every month and on launch / release day. In particular, we might work together to make use of the many 1940s' weekends that take place.

If you feel that is you, do join us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2026868870924138/    

    

Dreamteam

My Dream Team of reviewers and beta–readers and for my publishing and self-publishing projects, editors, proof-readers, illustrators and designers is beginning to take shape. Take a look at some of the people I've added: Roger Noons, Alyson Rhodes,  Bartosz Milewski, and Karda Zenko. Do take a look at what they can offer. There are a few others on the site, too. Find them here.    

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

What happens?

You sign up to a mail list and every time a request comes in we mail it out to you or the enquirer contacts you directly via my web site. 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.

Designers sign up here.

Proof-readers sing up here.   

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

    

Bridge House

Editing is well under way now for Gliterary Tales and many stories have now been saved to Final. We've decided on a cover picture and I've also been busy making a book trailer.  

We’re getting plenty of interest in our 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 and we’re currently working on several anthologies.  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 70,000 words. 

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

Already in progress are collections by Paul Bradley, Phyllis Burton, Jesse Falzoi, Dawn Knox, Jenny Palmer, Dianne Stadhams and Paul Williams.

We have now almost finished working on edits of Citizens of Nowhere, with the theme of the global citizen. Several books are due out any moment now.

     

CafeLit

I've just decided that from now on stories will be posted at 4.00 p/m. After all that is the time Afternoon Teatime, for Kaffee and Kuchen and it's also when the kids are home from school. Just the right time for a cuppa and a good story.

We're getting quite a few submissions now but still not quite up to one a day. Sadly, of course, we have to reject some.      

Some new writers have joined us recently: Sandy Wilson, Mandy Percy, Wendy Ogilvie, Janelle Hardacre and Sophie Flynn. You'll find several of your old favourites there as well.    

But we're always open to submissions. Find out to submit here. We are now interested in a few seasonal stories – Guy Fawkes, autumn, Halloween, Christmas and would like to have them now so that we can schedule them effectively. Remember, this gives you some exposure and there's always the chance that your work might be accepted for the annual anthology.    

The Best of CaféLit 6 has been produced and copies are on sale. As usual we welcome reviews. I can let you have a PDF or an e-mobi copy if you're willing to review. You can also buy copies here.   

On offer for CaféLit authors is a page on our web site. See examples here.  The list is growing. Click on the names to find out more about the authors and to access their work. If you're a CaféLit author and would like a web page, use the ones there to get ideas. You need to send me between 250 and 350 words about yourself, an attractive image, a list of up to six publications, up to six awards and up to six links. I then alos link the apge to your storeis on CaféLit. Send to gill at cafelit dot co dot uk.         

Chapeltown

Christopher Bowles' Spectrum, a challenging but very satisfying read. Again reviews welcome. The Kindle version was quite a challenge. He has some fabulous reviews. See them here. More are welcome. I can send you a PDF. Be warned: there is some adult material in this. There is also a lot of beautiful writing. If you would like to buy the book, see details here.      

Chapeltown has now successfully published its first picture book. Colin Wyatt’s Who will be my friend? – is a delightful story about friendship and accepting others. Yes, Colin is Debz’s dad. He is a Disney licensed illustrator and his previous publication is The Jet Set. We feel very honoured to have published him.

The book is out now and available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Who-Will-Be-My-Friend/dp/1910542121/  Reviews welcome. We can provide the PDF. 

We’re very pleased with this book and now aim to publish more picture books. We're working on an illustrated book by Philippa Rae and we've offered two more contracts for picture books.   

If you're interested in reviewing any of the above, just email me.

Coming soon: work by Anusha VR, Gail Aldwin,  Mandy Huggins and Roger Noons.   

Creative Café

Shortly I'll restart my tour of creative cafés where I'll collect stories for an anthology. In some cases, writers may offer them and in others maybe customers may tell me their story and I'll write it for them.      

Remember you can now buy merchandise for the Creative Café project. The profit on anything you buy here goes to the Creative Café Project. Check this out here.    

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 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

I am now working on Richard Bradburn’s Evernrood.

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. University of Salford graduates Lauren Hopes and Christian Leah have also joined our happy band.        

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 or so books (exact number is up for negotiation) 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 also offer a free half day visit, though you pay my travel expenses, if you allow me to promote my books.       

I’m continuously adding materials for schools to the site that are different from the ones I use for the workshops. I’ve recently added in 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 possible to purchase the kit to work on on your own. Find details here.

Please remember, with these as well, I’m open to negotiation if you can’t afford the full price.

 

Upcoming events

     

The London Bridge House / CafeLit / Chapeltown / Red Telephone celebration will be 2 December at the Princess of Wales again. This year we are again “sold out” – the event is free but ticketed but it is possible to go onto a reserve list. We shall have:  

• general mingling
• cash bar
• an opportunity to buy lunch
• 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)  

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.    

 

Current reading recommendations

Her Father's Daughter by Nessa O'Mahony

I'll be quite upfront to start with and say that Nessa O'Mahnoy is a friend of mine. We both worked for our PhDs 2003-2007 and graduated together form the Bangor University in 2007. I'll also say that straight away afterwards that that makes no odds

I've had this book for quite a while. I wish I'd read it sooner. It is a delight.

As the title suggests, there are autobiographical elements here of the Nessa's relationship with her own father. It also contains the story of her mother's relationship with her grandfather.

The poems are strong because they relate to the real world. Nessa uses a powerful mix of writing with the senses and her own inner thoughts and observations to tell an engaging story through language carefully chosen. 

A particular favourite of mine is 'Natural Selection' (34):

April blusters into May,

plays a glassy tune

on the wind chime

guarding the crab-apple

from bull-finch rapine.

At my desk on the first floor

I miss most of the garden action,

though the upward climb

of pink and white

on the silver birch

can still arrest me 

Available here.  

  

Calling all writers

I'm running an occasional series of interviews on my blog. Take a look at my interview with Allison Symes.  If you would like to be on my blog just answer the questions below and send them with appropriate images to gill dot james at btinternet dot com.

Please feel free to pick and choose which of these to answer. 

1.      What do you write? Why this in particular? 

2.      What got you started on writing in the first place?

3.      Do you have a particular routine? 

4.      Do you have a dedicated working space?

5.      When did you decide you could call yourself a writer? Do you do that in fact?

6.      How supportive are your friends and family? Do they understand what you're doing?

7.      What are you most proud of in your writing?

8.      How do you get on with editing and research?

9.      Do you have any goals for the future?

10.  Which writers have inspired you?

Please write as much or as little as you like for each section and supply as many pictures as you like. Also let me know your latest publication and supply me with a link if it's not on Amazon.      

                   

 

Giveaway

This month I’m giving away an e-mobi file for your Kindle of  Snowflakes. Sign up to get this newsletter with news of other freebies and offers. 

 

You will also find in this dropbox:

·         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. 

 

Happy reading and writing.