A generation of youth is being ‘raised online’

Many young people are effectively being ‘raised online’ spending in excess of 20 hours a week using sites such as bebo, Myspace, Facebook and YouTube, according to new research to be published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) next month. Behind the Screen: the Hidden Life of Youth by Kay Withers with Ruth Sheldon is published in April.

The report used original qualitative research with young people aged between 13 and 18. This included deliberative workshops with 30 young people from a range of socio-economic backgrounds, diary research and indepth interviews with 12 young people. All young people interviewed had broadband access at home and owned a mobile phone.

In 2006, Ofcom's audit of media literacy of children and young people concluded that young people spend an average of 6.2 hours a week on the internet. Ofcom's Communications Market Report from 2007 says that young people (12 - 17) use the internet on average 24.9 hours a month. Four out of five 5 – 15 year olds have access to the internet at home. Almost half of children (49 percent) between aged 8 and 11, and eight out of ten aged 12 to 15 have their own mobile phone. Two in five (40%) of 8-11s and over two-thirds (71%) of 12-15s say they mostly use the internet on their own at home.

UK adults spend more time on social networking sites than their European neighbours, with 4 in 10 UK adults saying that they regularly visit the sites. The UK adults who visit the sites spend an average of 5.3 hours each month on them and return to them an average 23 times in the month.

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This summary press release of the report's key findings confirms what many people suspected and what most people who are active online, probably know. But what impact does it have in the publishing world: on the author? The publishing houses? The agents? And as an indirect and less discussed impact, on language?

For any author, about to have a book published, whether by a large house or in the self-publishing route, it seems generally agreed that unless you are already well known and established, there is little if not no publicity and budget to promote your book - which means, up to you. There are lots of book and author related sites which reference the importance of social networking via these sites as mentioned in the report, but few note, what I feel to be a very important, if not key factor, in getting your approach right. Yes, you can sign up for every social network available, get yourself a profile and start 'connecting' to groups and individual 'friends' very quickly, and all with the intention of sharing your news of publication with like minded souls, presumably in the hope of increasing sales. (That, after all, is usually pretty high up on the goals plan of a new book launch.) However, I increasingly see notices to individuals, or on group terms and conditions, where it is noted that such blatant 'spamming', (sending the news release type text as a wall posting, adding an item, adding a discussion topic on the board, and while you're at it the image o the book cover, and if you're really organized links to a podcast or video.), in-your-face self promotion is disliked and may often be deleted by the group founders. I believe the key to getting the most out of social networking, is just the same as in real life. Consider if you will, facebook and friends, to be the online ' school playground' for users, that the tarmac version was for Harry Potter author, JKR. You want your friends to know about your book, read it, like it and recommend it to others, and thus spread the word, interest and by default, sales. But the underpinning factor in that chain, is trust. Because you trust the taste and judgement of your friends you will be willing to act on what they tell you. If you want to use SN sites for self promotion, watch out that you don't bomb that out of the water before you even begin. If people feel blatantly that you only want to be my friend so you can sell me something, then you have not made a friend. You may have another name in your list, but it doesn't necessarily mean it is an effective network contact. In my opinion, your better bet, is to set yourself up on the groups well in advance of publication. Or delay your promotion via these methods until well after the publication date and aim for the slow and steady approach. You need trust and respect, whether in real or virtual life, and that is not made overnight.

So how to do it? Just as in real life, people with solutions to problems, genuinely helpful advice and news are interesting and welcome, because they add value to a community. Go get involved in a group or two, but be prepared to invest time in being an active part of the community. The part that is fast on these sites, is the news spreading, across the playground and out to the other 'school playgrounds' where your contacts have their friends. The initial set up needs time and patience, then let the good old fashioned word of mouth effect, do the leg work for you to move your news from place to place. Don't rush in to a place you don't know and ruffle an established group's feathers the wrong way. The book business needs time, and what you may start to promote today, may only pay off in several months, even a year or three according to some.

For editors, agents and publishers, it additionally provides a way of reviewing you as an author, as a candidate for their listings, well before you get near their office. So, as it is said time and time again, be careful what you put out there. The other online aspect of sites that is on the increase, are the number of sites just for authors' networking, designed to have concrete and positive outcomes, typically reviewing each others work. Such as the bebo site, or youwriteon.co.uk. Some in addition to reading and rating work, offer competitions and may lead to printed publication of winning author's work, such as scriblist.com or thegreenstory.co.uk. These sites are not only interesting for authors, but agents too, on the look out for promising talent. Some sites even offer established agent reviews, as part of the site goals.

The other side aspect I find of this news, is the impact that social networking and online time has on young people's language. With so many people having contact in a way that they did not previously, terms and phrases can be invented, changed and shared to like souls in a very much faster timeframe than would have been possible in the past. English may be the global language of choice, but how many new words are created or words used in a new context with new meaning, through their international interpretation. Even in Britain, new meanings are being associated with regular words everyday. The term “happy slap” being just one.

Let's hope there are lots of positive associations and friends made - whether in online playgrounds or the real world, and that the term happy slap, will go out of fashion and disappear again soon, in our ever changing worlds. But I think the social networking sites are here to stay. It's up to us to choose our friends wisely.

What's in a Name? Deciding on Genre.

The last post on the 'Toasted Cheese' competition, made me think, what exactly do they mean by mystery? Currently there's a lot of supernatural mystery on television; a mix of ghost and semi-sci-fi crime series - Ghost Whisperer and Medium, spring to mind. But how do we classify these, and why do we need to? To enter the recent TC comp, you needed to write 'mystery' genre, and the theme, or perhaps better said a 'motif' to include, was the crocus. So you needed to be able to classify the story as mystery for it to qualify. And for agents, editors and booksellers, we need to be able to classify writing by genre to ultimately be able to put it in the correct position in the catalogue or on the bookshelf. If you haven't done a creative writing course, and just started to write, it may not be something you gave much thought to at the start of your work. Towards the end, before pitching to 'the gatekeepers' (agents, editors, publishing houses) you need to be very clear on your positioning, both to them - to know what genre they will or will not consider for acceptance, and for the market, to know to whom you are selling the story. This all sounds very easy - I write romance, I write Historical Fiction, I write crime - but what about the books that cover more than one area - mystery and crime? Thriller and adventure? How do you make sure to describe and pitch it correctly? There's some good documentation in wikipedia, on both genre as a whole, and literary genre specifically. As always with self edited Internet data, take with the required pinch of salt, but mostly it's spot on, and can be just that extra bit of help we need to pin down exactly, where our work fits in. It may not matter to you what it is called, but the business and the readers have expectations. Think of it like selling a pot of homemade jam - you know what it is exactly, and to the buyers it is red, from the outside, but is it raspberry or strawberry? Most people like both but some may be fussy, and will be disappointed if you sell them the wrong one. And some occasions call for one very specific type - no good selling a pot of raspberry to someone who only produces strawberry Pavlovas. Agents will tell you that positioning is key. Markets are ever more competitive and people ever busier. If they want strawberry and get raspberry, they won't give you a second chance, even if the raspberry is really good jam. So, to just get it right, we need to do our homework and know what we have. Any new book will compete with similar books already on the market, so as an author, agent or publisher, everyone needs to know how to position your book to be better than the rest. What is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? Think about your reader and their expectations. Strawberry or raspberry and why do they want it more than others? If you have some good examples, let me know.

Three Cheers & a Tiger short fiction contest: now open!

The Spring 2008 Three Cheers and a Tiger, 48-hour short story contest is open and the hours are counting down. All entries must be composed and submitted within the contest time frame. (5 PM ET Sunday).

Genre: Mystery

Word count: between 1850-1950
Detailed rules

There are no entry fees for any Toasted Cheese contest. Limit of one entry per person per contest. Entries are blind-judged by Bellman and Baker. Winners are announced April 30 and winning stories are published in the June issue of Toasted Cheese. Winners receive Amazon gift certificates: $20 for first, $15 for second, $10 for third.

Theme: http://www.toasted-cheese.com/images/3c1-2008-crocus.jpg (The First Flower)

Further details here - read the rules carefully before submitting - Good luck.

What is Toasted Cheese?

Here is what they say...

"Toasted Cheese is a site created by writers for writers. We are half-a-dozen struggling writers, not a corporation. We don't claim to have all the answers. While we've each published a short story or two, none of us have hit the big time... yet. TC is not about us teaching you, it's about all of us learning from each other.

We hope you'll join us in our campaign to Hunt The Snark, and polish your writing. Snark, aside from being a mythical beast in a Lewis Carroll poem, is what we call all those things in our writing that make it less than its best. Our mission is to hunt it out and get rid of it, and to help other people do the same. Whether you need to "charm it with smiles and soap" or to "threaten its life with a railway share" we at TC are dedicated to helping you... and we look forward to you helping us.

We hope that TC will help you achieve your definition of success--whether that's making the NY Times bestseller list, appearing on "Oprah" or getting a short story in a print magazine."

When has the time come to be modern?

The Guardian features the news from Martin Hodgson, that the sixty-six year old stories, 'the Famous Five' are to be made into a new cartoon TV series and books. He writes ...'Vivienne Endecott of the Enid Blyton Society, said she was "wary" about the Disney makeover. "Anybody can write about four children and a dog, and my concern is that modern kids ... will think that the Famous Five is all about gadgets and multiculturalism."

Disney insists that Famous Five - On The Case remains faithful to the spirit of Blyton’s stories, which were first published in 1942 and have gone on to become some of the most popular children’s books ever written, according to Nicole Martin, of The Telegraph.

So, here's my question. If you have written a great story, full of action, filled with wonderfully vivid, believeable and appealing characters, how far do you go to market your book by making them fit modern market expectations? Should you write the story you want to and to hang with the market, (HP, JKR - who could have known?) or if your goal is to get published, first make sure that your plot, setting and characters will appeal to your target audience?

I reviewed an extract from a children's novel this week, set in France. The descriptive prose was beautiful, clear and full of sensory delights - but the children say 'Fancy, ...' and are called Timmy and Sally. No matter how good the story might become, I fear that the author will just have no chance of making it past an editor's desk. At least it looks like, probably not past that of those behind the Enid Blyton books.

But is this what the market wants, how well do the gatekeepers know the readers? I know I devoured every one of the Famous Five (in the '80's - ahem). They certainly hadn't had a makeover with Madonna style leg warmers or warn each other via the pioneering mobile phone, and I didn't expect them to.

The BBC, confirms: "Though she wrote actively from the late 1920s until the early 1960s the world in which the stories were set varied little between the early and late books. The majority of the children who star in the books are middle class and usually attend boarding schools. Their parents have well paying jobs which take them away on business a lot, leaving the children to disappear on their own for weeks on end. They often go on cycling holidays, nearly always without an adult, or sometimes they go to camp or stay in a remote guest house. There are few references to television in the later books;, when it is present it is rarely watched....Many teachers (ABB: and I also believe agents and editors) now think that children should have more examples of heroes from backgrounds that they can relate to. Children aged 7-10 - the prime readers of Blyton's adventure stories - are now told tales of parents divorcing, children in care, and life on a council estate. In the 1980s, Enid Blyton's work was banned from Nottingham Libraries amid allegations of it not being politically correct. A media furore started and many other libraries followed suit. Despite best efforts of many well-meaning teachers, plenty of today's children would rather read Enid Blyton than a worthy tale of parents divorcing on a council estate."

I agree wholeheartedly. Why do children read and what are the readers' expectations? The readers may want to be entertained or escape to a fantasy island, regardless of their background. Let's face it, even Harry Potter attended boarding school.

"Blyton once said that criticism from people over the age of 12 didn't matter and it cannot be denied that with the under 12s the books still remain popular. The fact that children want escapism, not true-life tales, can been seen in the sales figures for Harry Potter books. Despite the criticism Blyton remains popular enough for the property company Trocadero to pay 13.5 million for the intellectual property rights to the Blyton estate."

So how do we convince the gatekeepers, the agents, editors and publishing houses, that what we have written will sell? And be honest, as an author, no matter how well you feel you have done your research and know your market, it is their job. Those gatekeepers are the professionals in their field, just as you wouldn't try open heart surgery without a medical qualification and would leave it to the surgeon, what makes you think you know your book will sell better than they do? But on rare occasions, you may be right. Don't forget, after all those rejections, when the first Harry Potter was published in 1997, the novel was considered to have such modest prospects that Bloomsbury ordered a first print run of just 500 copies. And about 300 of those were distributed to school libraries.

The market demand needs to pull the book from the publisher to convince them it is wanted. New authors' energy and the advice given to them, seems most often to focus on the query letter, the pitch to an agent or publisher, but these people are not going to promote it (at least. not until you are famous) and telling them how good your book is in itself even why it is different from what is already on the market will not be enough to take it on. The gatekeepers are in business and need to know it will sell. So, in my opinion, we should change our mindset to focus on the market. Who is your target buyer and reader? If you can convince them why your book gives them something they want and have some data to prove it, you have the key to take to the gatekeepers - then the foundation stone is laid.

Cinderella's Closing Call for Bebo Shorts

Last chance to get those entries in for the Bebo Author competition, Closing at midnight on March 21st, 2008. You've got just under 24 hours! This is part of the Bebo author blog. Prizes include amazon vouchers and a whole assortment of other goodies. They are accepting all genre, minimum 1,000 words, no max limit, but within reason for a short story. So, what are you waiting for? Go look out those shorts that are finished and fine-tuned but just weren't right for that last submission. You never know.

"Anyone can enter and you don’t have to join a group, you don’t have to leave a comment, you don’t have to subscribe and you don’t have to be registered on any website. This is for everyone to take part in. It could be your first time entering a writing competition, it doesn’t matter - take part and have fun!

All you need to do is write a short story of at least 1,000 words and submit it no later than midnight. Flexible maximum word limit - quote" just don’t send me a 300 page manuscript, k?"

Email entries in the body of the email. No attachments. Do NOT reference yourself, your name or your website in the middle of your story - the judges should have no idea who owns the story they are reading.

You must agree to allow them to publish your story on the blog (with full credit and a link back to you, of course.)

It is a bit of a free for all, genre wise. Just no literotica or horror.

If your entry has been published elsewhere beforehand, you should ensure that you own full rights and are entitled to publish it online or otherwise."

Wanted: Top Tips for London Book Fair and Beyond

With only 25 days to go until the London Book Fair 2008 kicks off, here's a little something to think about, for anyone who has already been or thinking of going. How much of your time did you spend doing what, when you were there? Business meetings, browsing stands, standing in queues for overpriced coffee and sandwiches? How much of your time did you spend listening in seminars to published authors, talking to stand staff on the show floor or with the independent bookseller in the cramped corner, where you ate your sandwich? From what activity and from whom did you benefit most? Here's an opportunity to start off one of those time honoured and valuable activities in most businesses, and none less so, than in the writing world : networking. Miss Daisy Frost, junior agent at the very sleepy Edward Cecil Agency, (her words not mine), is writing an article for the Bookseller on 'How to survive' the Fair - and she's looking for help. What a wonderful chance to share your experience, to make a new contact (one who may be around in the agency world for some time to come and who knows at which agency she'll end up in her later career?) and just plain and simple, help someone out with some fun ideas - and there might even be something in it for you - a gift! Another wonderful example, we'll pick up in the upcoming series of tips, starting next week - networking works both ways, you give you get, you build relationships. Have fun!

"Fabulously exciting news - Sexy Joel has asked me to write 'Daisy Frost's London Book Fair Survival Guide' and a DAILY column throughout the whole liver-scorching experience. I want YOUR survival tips for this hype-fest. Whether they be top tips on 'how to gatecrash the Canongate Party' or just 'who not to wear' then I want to hear from you. Frankly I imagine Joel is expecting something funny, cyncial and frothy so OBVIOUSLY I am going to need a LOT of help as, left to my own devices, I would produce something very on-message and rather lovely. Email me HERE and I promise to send every contributor a rather wonderful limited edition present...."

Virgin novels gain Orange recognition

The 2008 Orange Long List demonstrates that aspiring female authors can achieve success with debut novels. Seven of the 20 books in the list are by first-time authors. Anita Amirrezvani, Sadie Jones, Lauren Liebenberg, Heather O'Neill, Dalia Sofer, Carol Topolski and Patricia Wood are all nominated for debut novels.

The broadcaster Kirsty Lang, this year's chair of the judges, suggested that the list struck a good balance between first novels and writers who "haven't perhaps had the recognition they deserved,"writes Lindesay Irvine of the guardian.co.uk.(more)

What can we learn by looking at each of these debut novels and authors? Putting the writing aside, take a look at how they present themselves online. A google search for Lauren Liebenberg does not easily provide much information on websites managed by her or her publishing house until a few pages into google's results. Deborah Moggach, on the other hand, is on the list with her sixteenth novel, and her track record is clear to review on a comprehensive site. Amirrezvani's page demonstrates beauty and clearly superior web skills, to market her book. But the best site, must surely be that of Patricia Wood.
Not only is the site clear, informative and entertaining - it is up to date! The only one I can see whose site or blog even mentions their nomination. and a funny photo, it made me smile - bonus! So, lesson number one, if you have an online presence, keep it current. I'll be going back to her site, and peppy blog for sure.

Subject wise, take note: the fiction authored by women is too miserable, according to the chair of judges of the Orange Broadband Prize, Kirsty Lang. "Reading 120 books I did find myself thinking, '...not another dead baby. There were a hell of a lot of abused children and family secrets." Has your subject matter got what it takes to stand out from the crowd? We'll take a look at this in future posts.

For now, take a look at what Juliet Annan founding editor of the Penguin imprint Fig Tree, said a year ago, in a report from Kate Kellaway for the Observer, The world of booksellers is such that you have to make an impact from the word go.'...(we are) looking for novels that are more than competent. They must be "incredibly distinct, really stand out so that you can position them".

And it is to that word 'position' that we need to be alert. Again, we'll feature positioning in our upcoming series of tips for aspiring authors. Annan describes many novels she reads as having 'sticky middles' - literary doughnuts. ( 'doh'). What she is after is something she had just found in a novel called.... Monster Love by Carol Topolski. Let's see if it makes the short list.

New collaborative writing competition

As part of the 2008 National Year of Reading there's some great new things going on in writing in the UK.

If you are looking for a showcase for success that may be a springboard to future greatness, then check out the new online competition from greenmetropolis.com. theGreenStory.co.uk is a creative writing competition designed to encourage reading and writing while at the same time raise awareness of environmental issues. Each month you can logon and read the story so far, and then write what you think the next chapter should be, or you can read the submitted entries for that month and vote for your favourite to become the next chapter! The competition will run for 10 months to create a book with 10 chapters and will then be published as 'The Green Story' at the end of the year and sold in time for Christmas, with all proceeds going to the Woodland Trust.

Terms and conditions:
"By posting your submission on the GreenStory website, you grant us a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free, world-wide licence to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, translate, publish, distribute and display any content you submit to us in any format now known or later developed. If you do not want to grant us these rights, please do not submit your content to us. "

As this is not an 'exclusive' permission, authors are free to use, publish, distribute etc any entry you submit to the Green Story, regardless if that entries wins or not. Good luck if anyone here takes part. Chapters open and close for entry throughout 2008, final chapters closing November 2008.

Are you blogging good enough?

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