Writing in Someone Else’s World
theatlantic.com – Monday August 7, 2017
My first book was not what I dreamed it would be. I started writing professionally when I was in my late 20s, and while I worked my way up from a freelance music journalist to being an editor at The A.V. Club, the non-satirical wing of The Onion, I had one goal: to use all that experience as a springboard toward becoming an author. I had it all mapped out: After years of sacrifice and honing my craft, I would make my triumphant debut, with a book that might not become a bestseller but that’d be respected for its stunning originality and insight into the human condition.
Instead, my first book was The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook. Yes, that Captain Jack Sparrow. As played by Johnny Depp. From The Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Based not on an ancient myth or literary archetype, but on a Disney ride. Writing a media tie-in, as works officially attached to other properties are known, wasn’t the start I had in mind. But as many professional authors will attest, the path to publication is rarely the expected one. And my experience writing about the famed Disney pirate—as well as my second media tie-in, a project for the Goosebumps movie—made me think twice about my preconceptions about work-for-hire books. Not to mention those who make them.
Professional romance novelists can write 3,000 words a day. Here’s how they do it
qz.com – Friday August 4, 2017
Writing is not a sexy business. It’s not a rare butterfly that floats down and gently kisses you on the nose with a brilliant idea that conjures a hurricane of cash. It’s frustrating, and it’s lonely, and for most people, it doesn’t pay.
But one genre consistently makes it work. Romance writers who are able to get published or sell their books through self-publishing are true hustlers. The women who succeed here are not just writers, they’re business people, and they spend hours keeping up with fans online and doing their own marketing, in addition to writing.
Publishers who want new readers must challenge their genre boundaries
thebookseller.com – Tuesday August 1, 2017
By now you’ll most likely have heard of The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.
The American writer's alternate history novel is less a subterranean secret, more a juggernaught of buzz that’s currently crossing genre borderlines with the speed of a runaway express.
Winner of the Pulitzer and the National Book Award, Booker long-listed, lauded by Oprah and feted as “fantastic” by Barack Obama (the last book he read in the White House, and thus allegedly the last book read by a US President to date), The Underground Railroad has just added the 2017 Arthur C. Clarke Award for science fiction literature to its roster of accolades.
Is the ebook a dead format?
thebookseller.com – Monday July 24, 2017
Nowadays, the ebook has a reputation for technological conservatism - so it is easy to forget that there was significant anticipation for the Kindle’s arrival ten years ago.
In a 2009 editorial, The Bookseller declared the device was “a giant leap for all”. The Kindle was frequently compared to the iPod’s transformative effect on the music industry. No wonder - the ebook format promised several advantages. Users could adjust typographic settings for improved accessibility; there was an increased level of portability; and the move to digital distribution promised the ability to purchase publishers’ extensive back catalogues.
But despite the early promise of the ebook, many are questioning whether it has lived up to these expectations. In recent years, the ebook has faced significant backlash amid reports of declining sales in trade publishing. The Publishing Association Yearbook 2016 noted a 17% slump in the sale of consumer ebooks while physical book revenue increased by 8%. Over the last couple of years, audiobooks have replaced ebooks as digital publishing’s critical darling on the back of a rapid increase in revenue. In this climate, several commentators have asked “how ebooks lost their shine.”
Vermont author says writing what you know isn’t always the best practice
mvtimes.com – Wednesday July 12, 2017
Jeffrey Lent takes a hammer to the popular advice for young writers, “Write what you know,” and shatters it. In his new book, “Before We Sleep,” 17-year-old Katey Snow goes on a journey of self-discovery. The story follows Katey, her mother Ruth, and her father Oliver in a tiny Vermont town in the 1960s as they grapple with the aftereffects of World War II.
Lent, who, to maintain transparency, is my uncle, has written numerous historical fiction books including “In the Fall” and “A Slant of Light.” He will be on a panel at “Islanders Write” on August 14, talking about how to write believable characters from a different gender. I sat down with him recently to talk about gender in literature, and why it’s important to go beyond what you know.
Want to know the secret to writing a great crime novel?
irishtimes.com – Saturday July 8, 2017
Can You Keep a Secret? is the name of Karen Perry’s forthcoming novel. It is applicable to the content and action of the narrative of the novel but not to how it was written, or any other novel for that matter. Because there is no secret. No formula, no magic potion, and no short cut to what goes into the writing of a novel. And it doesn’t matter what genre we are talking about. It doesn’t matter whether the novel is a thriller, a mystery or a literary novel. Yes, that’s right, the literary novel is a genre, too. Each genre comes with its own codes and conventions, but that does not mean there is a formula.
When does a writer become a professional?
thebookseller.com – Wednesday July 5, 2017
At what point does a writer earn the right to declare they are A Writer without a self-deprecating smirk? When does a website of online fan fiction, run as a passion project, become part of The Publishing Industry? How many copies of your ebook do you have to sell before your mate, who sorted the cover, is A Bona Fide Book Designer?
Meet the woman, 50, who earns a six figure income writing ROMANCE NOVELS while holding down a part time job (and it all started with a chat with the girls over wine)
dailymail.co.uk – Wednesday June 28, 2017
If you've ever dreamed of writing yourself into a love story or becoming a bestselling romantic author, now's the time to do so.
At least that's what New Zealand woman and USA Today's bestselling author Bronwen Evans, 50, believes.
The author, now part-time businesswoman and president of Romance Writers New Zealand spoke to Daily Mail Australia about her success, and how to get started.
Want to learn how to write a crime book? Just ask the experts
dailyrecord.co.uk – Wednesday June 28, 2017
New crime writer Chris McGarry spoke to Scottish crime heavyweights Val McDermid and Chris Brookmyre to get insider knowledge on writing a hit.
Top Tips for Writing a Killer Proposal
foyles.co.uk – Friday June 16, 2017
Writing a dazzling nonfiction proposal that will attract publishers is an art. As an agent I spend a lot of timing honing nonfiction proposals with authors. Here are ten top tips that all budding authors should bear in mind when putting together a killer proposal.
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