Monday 3 October 2022

New 3 October 2022

            

Current writing

I am of This Land, the sixth book in my Schellberg cycle is now on its way out to publishers though I shall eventually publish it via Chapeltown if need be.

I’ve started a new Peace Chid book but am already thinking about another Schellberg one.  

I’ve had one story on CafeLit: The Last Human, https://www.cafelitmagazine.uk/2022/09/the-last-human-by-gill-james-black.html An old man is determined to remain 100% human.  

On Talking About My Generation I have an article about Neighbours a soap I’m now missing. https://talkingaboutmygeneration.co.uk/saying-a-sad-good-bye-to-neighbours/

I’m offering a new way for you to obtain a copy of my YA story about grief: A Gallery for Nick. See details here: https://ko-fi.com/s/a3c2e95b3f  

.

On My Blog


 

This month I again have several interviews with other writers. Tony Domaille, and June Webber talk about being published in The Best of CaféLit 11     

Tony Domaille and Neta Shlain talk about being published in The Script Challenge

Dawn Knox chats to us about her CaféLit serial, The Crispin Chronicles

I also discuss time in fiction: https://www.gilljameswriter.com/2022/09/time-in-fiction.html

 

The Young Person’s Library

This month I’ve added:

Never Forget You by Jamila Gavin This is a YA text that tells the story of four feisty young women during World War II. It is partially based on some events that actually happened.

Amara and the Bats by Emma Reynolds is a picture book though a little sophisticated for pre-school. It addresses climate change.

Zoo Girl by Rebecca Elliott Another pre-school text. It has lovely illustrations and deals with loneliness.  

Current reading recommendation

This month I’m recommending Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

This seems like a cosy crime and we really are kept wondering whodunit.

The author really keeps us guessing in the first half of the book. All the clues are there, we may realise in retrospect. He even has a foreign detective, Atticus Pünd, who may remind you of a certain Belgian detective. Then comes the twist. A much more intriguing story and even more bizarre murder are hidden behind this story.

Anthony Horowitz, as ever a great story teller, presents us with some intriguing characters in the mysterious Magpie Murders.   

Giveaway

Note: these are usually mobi-files to be downloaded to a Kindle.  Occasionally there are PDFs. This month I’m offering a mobi-file of So Now You’re Published, What Next

 

What could you / should you do now that you are published?

The last thing most writers want to do is spend a lot of time on marketing. Yet books don't sell themselves by magic, no matter how good they are. Publishers do what they can but time and money is limited, and inevitably they have to move on to the next project. If you can adapt a few useful routines, especially ones you find palatable and fun, you'll hardly notice you're doing it. There are heaps of useful suggestions here and handy check lists to keep you on track.

So, kick-start your marketing with this handy little volume.

 

Find out more. Grab your copy and lots of other freebies here.

And please, please, please leave a review, perhaps on Amazon, Good Reads and / or Story Graph, when you’ve finished.    

Note: Normally my books and the books supplied by the imprints I manage sell for anything from £0.99 to £10.99.  Most on Kindle are about £2.99 and the average price for paperback is £7.00. Writers have to make a living. But I’m offering these free samples so that you can try before you buy.

 

The Schellberg Project

The posts may be helpful for teachers who are familiar with the Schellberg stories or who are teaching about the Holocaust.  They may also be interesting for other readers of historical fiction.

Sometimes I also write about what might be useful to other writers.

I’ve added three posts this month.

I’ve discussed

Never Forget You by Jamila Gavin,  also mentioned above, shows us some of the roles young women took on during World War II.

I look at the role of the Resistance in Germany, which will also feature in the next Schellberg book that I write.

I’ve continued to talk about my working process again in Drafts 14, 15 and 16 - does it ever end? where I describe killing off my darlings, the overall flow (aka the read aloud edit) and presentation.  

  

Some notes about my newsletters and blogs

They do overlap a little but here is a summary of what they all do.

 

Bridge House Authors For all those published by Bridge House, CaféLit, Chapeltown or The Red Telephone or interested in being published by us. General news about the imprints. News for writers. Links to book performance. Sign up here.

 

The Bridgetown  Café Bookshop where you can buy my book and books published by Bridge House Publishing, CafeLit, Chapeltown Books and The Red Telephone.  Visit us here.     

 

Chapeltown Books News about our books. Sign up here.

 

The Creative Café Project News about the project and CaféLit – for the consumer rather than for the producer.  Sign up here.   

 

Gill’s News: News about my writing, The Schellberg Project, School Visits and Events. Book recommendations and giveaways. Find it here.   

 

Pushing Boundaries, Flying Higher News about conferences and workshops to do with the young adult novel. (infrequent postings) Sign up here.  

 

Red Telephone Books News about our books and our authors. Sign up here.

 

A Publisher’s Perspective Here I and some other editors blog as a publisher. Access this here.   

 

The Creative Café Project Listings and reviews of creative cafés. See them here.   

 

CaféLit Stories Find these here

 

Gill James Writer All about writing and about my books. View this here.

 

Gill’s Recommended Reads Find information here about books that have taken me out of my editor’s head and a reminder of the ones I’ve highlighted in this newsletter.    

 

Gill’s Sample Fiction Read some of my fiction here.

 

The House on Schellberg Street All about my Schellberg project. Read it here.

 

Writing Teacher All about teaching creative writing.  Some creative writing exercises. Access this here.  I also invite other writers to provide prompts and work for critique.     

 

Books Books Books Weekly offers on our books and news of new books. Find them here. 

 

The Young Person’s Library The children’s book catalogue. Access it here.

 

Fair Submissions  Find it here.   

Opportunities for writers are added several times a day. Roughly once a month I send it out to a list. If you would like to be on that list, sign up here.  

Happy reading and writing.

 

No comments: