As writers, it’s important that we come up with fresh new ideas on a regular basis. However, we’re wasting our time if we don’t do anything with them. Much better to have a habit of developing ideas and then either writing them up (if it’s fiction) or pitching them (if they’re non-fiction).
The European Parliament has recently voted through changes to current copyright law. The European Union Directive on Copyright in the Single Digital Market will force social media platforms, such as facebook, twitter and YouTube to be more responsible when copyrighted material is illegally shared via those sites.
Twenty-one years ago, this month (last week, in fact), I won a short story competition in Writers News. Little did I know then that I would later go on and become a regular columnist in the magazine. Nor did I even think that five years later I would have a published book (heck, I hadn’t even had the idea for the book at that stage!).
Inside the May 2019 issue of Writing Magazine is my Business of Writing piece about Writing Tandem. We know that writing partnerships can work well in some writing formats, such as comedy (particularly sitcoms), films and even theatre work. But what about books?
Saturday was a financial admin day for me. Oh, the heady world of being a writer! For me, Saturday marked the start of the 2019/2020 financial year, and therefore the end of the last financial year. While many people use the end of the calendar year to look back on their achievements, I also use the end of the financial year to look back too.
Sleep. We all need it. But do we get enough of it? And if we don’t … could it be affecting your writing business? How creative do you feel after a bad night’s sleep? I recently read Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep and can thoroughly recommend it. It’s a fascinating read (and one of those books that is so well written it’s an easy read even though the subject matter gets quite complicated at times). How many times have we found ourselves…
The latest issue of Writing Magazine carries a piece by the brilliant Patsy Collins (who runs the Womagwriter blog) concerning changes at Spirit & Destiny magazine. This magazine is now taking all rights in material, including fiction. As a result, some of the writers Patsy quoted in her piece have said that they will no longer write for them. (Note, some last minute editing as the publication went to press means the sentence about those writers not writing for Spirit & Destiny could…
This year’s London Book Fair takes place between 12th and 14th March at Olympia. Like many of these events, if you’ve never been before it’s worth making some preparations to ensure you get the most from your visit. Time will fly!
Last week, Radio 4’s Moneybox looked at the economics of being an author. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0002ml5) At a little over 28 minutes long it clearly doesn’t go into too much detail, but it certainly highlights some of the extremes in the publishing world. The two main guests are Karolina Sutton, from the Curtis Brown Literary Agency, and independent author Mark Dawson.
Twice last week, I came across posts in two different private social media groups where people in the writing business had experienced rudeness from novice writers submitting work. Now, I’m not going to share any specific details, because they are private groups. But there’s no excuse for rudeness at any time, and it made me realise how some novice writers still don’t understand that writing is a business. It’s all about professional, business relationships, and for those relationships to function successfully there needs…
I know I’m getting old when I see an advert on television for a popular confectionary treat that’s got a new added twist (Peanut butter flavoured Kit Kat Chunky, anyone?) and I think to myself, ”Why can’t they leave products alone? Why do they have to keep messing about with stuff?” However, there are times when an update is needed, and I’ve been working on two over the Christmas period (one is still under wraps at the moment).
Do you fancy some free money? All it costs is some time. I’m currently working a couple of days a week in an employed capacity, offering grant advice to churches. Many church buildings in my area date back six, seven, eight or more centuries, which means they’re important enough to warrant being registered as a listed building: acknowledged by the State as being of architectural importance to the country. Which means, when they need repairing (because when you’re 700 years…
Last week, the British Library uploaded the PLR statements for authors to download. While it’s always nice to be paid for those times when your books are borrowed from a library, it’s also fascinating to see which books are being borrowed.
Just a quick post to remind you that the DACS Payback scheme for 2019 is scheduled to open today. (It hasn’t yet when I check at 11am.) Check out their website here: https://www.dacs.org.uk/for-artists/payback What is Payback? If a photograph that you have taken has been published in a magazine, or in a book, or even on television, then you are eligible to submit a claim via the DACS Payback scheme.
Happy New Year to you all! I hope you had a fabulous festive period, and are all fired up with some life-changing writing goals for the year ahead. (How are you doing with your New Year resolutions? The first week is almost over.) I found myself getting quite angry on New Year’s Eve. Let me explain why.