The Amateur Book Blogger

The View From Here - Best Weblog Awards 2008

2009-01-06T17:49:00.006+01:00

To end on a high note, The View From Here Magazine, the literary blog to which I have regularly contributed news and features over the last quarter of 2008, is shortlisted for the 2008 Best Weblog Awards.

It made the final ten in the 'Best UK Blog' category. Other blogs in this category include, Melanie Philips from the Spectator, Created in Birmingham which last year won the MediaGuardian Award and Neil Clark .

(Update: Jan 15, 2009 - TVFH came sixth, in the category Best UK Blog 2008.)

Fellow contributor, Kathleen Maher, is further shortlisted alongside the likes of Neil Gaiman and Nathan Bransford, in the best literary blogs category.

Voting is just a two-click process - no registration required. First click on the link, then click on the voting buttons for the poll in which you wish to vote. The polls are open through January 12. You can vote once every 24 hours! To read more about the contest and other notable entrants, click here.

Monday news: 85th post and time for Reflection

2008-12-29T09:57:00.003+01:00

I have reached my 85th post today, since I began in March. As we come to the end of 2008 and approach the start of a new year, I have paused for reflection. I have come to the conclusion that the more I blog, the less I write. The more time I spend reading and learning from other writers, the less I spend reading my stack of books-to-be-read. So, I have decided to take my leave of the active writing-blogging community, and say a big thank you to all those who have read and commented, encouraged and informed me, in my brief foray in blogging. I don't intend this to be a negative decision, against blogging in any way. Much more it is a positive affirmation, that I want to write other material. The Amateur Book Blogger's scrapbook is just being temporarily shelved.

As the book quiz result told me, "All you wanted was a nice cup of tea when some haggard crazy old man came into your life and told you it was time to do something with yourself. Now you’re all conflicted about whether to stick with your stay-at-home lifestyle or follow this crazy person into the wild." So I'm off into the wild.

I'll continue to follow many of your sites, news and keep up to date with many of the goings-on of the literary world, through new found friends and resources, but not blog myself. This will give me a little more time, which I want to commit to my own writing.

It's been a very difficult debate - on the one hand, by blogging I write something, regularly. And I have the opportunity for feedback and sharing with other writers. But on the other, as a full-time Mum, I have very limited time for writing. I have increasingly felt my first call of writing-duty was to blog, and if that was the only time I had writing in the day, then I made no progress on other projects.

My WIP fiction, is at around 40,000 words. And has been like that since March. The time has come to get back in and finish it. And it is thanks to Mike French, Paul Burman, Patricia Wood, Becky Ramsey and many others whose own writing and energy have inspired me, that I want to drive it over the finish line. It will more than likely become that 'first novel' which lies in a desk drawer and backed up on the hard drive, never to see the light of an editor's desk. But I know that I must complete that first book, before I can get started on number two. And however many more it takes, to get published. Because, as I approach my mid-thirties, and the start of a new year, I realise that every day is a gift. We have no idea how long we have in good health, and if we have dreams we want to achieve, we'd better get on and make them happen. No one else can do it for us.

Still plenty of great reading over at The View From Here. Currently my news holiday postings include guest posts from Becky Ramsey, John Siddique, Jonathan Stroud and MG Harris. Plus a tentative yes, from Bernard Cornwell. These, plus other new books and stories make up the Twelve Days of Christmas Series. And the team's favourite books of 2008 are posted too, on the main page. Certain to be lots of interesting things going on in 2009 there for sure.

What's going to happen in publishing in 2009? Daisy Frost has a great tongue in cheek view of the London scene. I'll be interested to see what happens to the Plastic Logic Reader, Kindle & co and digital books. What will happen to Borders? Will the Google Book Agreement go global? Will there be significant publishing house restructurings or mergers? Will the no-returns policy finally be phased out? What will China showcase at the Frankfurt Book Fair?

So, it's not goodbye, for I will still be around. More of an "Auf Wiedersehen". A very big thank you to all who have stopped by over the last nine months. And a very happy & healthy 2009 to you all.

Book Quiz Fun

2008-12-15T15:01:00.007+01:00

This is just too good not to try.

Lizzy’s Literary Life pointed out this great six question quiz, which then defines you (I know, labels, boxes, and so on, but it's just for fun) as a book.

Apparently, I’m The Hobbit! by J.R.R. Tolkien.

"All you wanted was a nice cup of tea when some haggard crazy old man came into your life and told you it was time to do something with yourself. Now you’re all conflicted about whether to stick with your stay-at-home lifestyle or follow this crazy person into the wild. While you’re very short and a little furry, you seem to be surrounded by an even greater quantity of short folks lately. Try not to lose your ring, but keep its value in perspective!"

So true right now. I wonder if all the books would fit somehow, but perhaps not, as I can't really feel the same empathy with 'You’re The Things They Carried' by Tim O'Brian, or Lewis Carroll's 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.'

Just for fun.

Seven Fun Facts - About Me

2008-12-11T12:52:00.000+01:00

Stella tagged me, so here's my seven fun facts, why not? Mind you, fun is relative, and so since I've never done this before, I'll not try too hard to be funny, just not too serious.

1. I'm the same star sign as Mark Twain and JFK.
2. James Anderson, the first man to lay transatlantic cables in 1866, was born in 1824 in the same town as I was.
3. I am thirteen centimeters shorter than Jennifer Lopez.
4. I love Christmas pudding with custard. This is an exciting month for me.
5. One of my all time favourite fictional characters likes nothing better to eat than snozzcumbers.
6. My husband is six inches taller than Bjorn Borg, doesn't play tennis, but has the same nationality.
7. I'm a Mum of two and a third. (WIP)

Book Club Bonanza - Lottery with Patricia Wood

2008-12-09T10:59:00.005+01:00

Aloha! So last night was our Book Club's meeting about "Lottery". And the author, Patricia Wood, joined us from Hawaii via skype video conference, to talk about writing the book, its themes, answer and discuss our questions, and share a privileged sneak preview to the prologue of her new book on the way.

At the risk of sounding too fawning, we all thought it was wonderful. Thank you to Pat for taking the time and effort to talk to us, and in her words, "completing the circle" of her book writing process, having reader feedback."You have an idea how you want people to feel when they read it. You can't create art in a vacuum. To have the dialogue, between author and reader, there is nothing greater."

The book addresses a broad range of themes, society's values and prejudice, and the power of unconditional love, narrated from the unreliable point of view, of thirty-two year old Perry, whose IQ is 76. "You have to have an IQ of less than 75 to be retarded. " The story centres on what happens to him, how he is perceived by others and the decisions he makes, after the key catalysts that trigger the action-packed story: his Gram dies and he wins twelve million dollars in the State Lottery. It's funny, it's sad, serious and easy reading. But don't let that fool you into thinking it's insubstantial. The more you delve into the relationships between the characters and Perry's perception of them and theirs of him, you are forced to examine your own prejudices and values. The relationships are all beautifully crafted, authentic and serve to make us question: What weighting to we give to intelligence, beauty and wealth? What do we value in life? What makes a family? "My name is Perry L. Crandall and I am not retarded. Gram always told me the L stood for lucky."

Well last night, we were the lucky ones, to have access to Pat's insights, wisdom and humour for an hour. Her friendly, open manner made everyone feel at ease and able to speak, despite our initial nervousness before the call - "the author herself (stunned silence), what will we say, will we ask daft questions, she'll have heard it all before, maybe I should have re-read it again, what about that bit about..." all unfounded. Afterwards, we all agreed she ranks high up on the list of people we'd love to share a drink and a chat with, and you could talk about anything.

So, with that in mind, here's a thank you toast. " May your success be as deep as the ocean, and your troubles as light as its foam."

Thursday thought: Book Reading on Decline in Germany

2008-12-04T21:04:00.007+01:00

Youth and adults alike are reading less, reported the study by the Stiftung Lesen in Germany today. It is the third such study, carried out by researchers since 1992, of the reading habits of more than 2,500 people over 14 years of age.

Eight years ago almost 1 in 3 read between eleven and fifty books per year, now it's only 1 in 4. Stefan Aufenanger, the scientific director of the Stiftung Lesen, spoke of the "disappearing opportunist reader".

What remains almost unchanged, are the extremes: the number who read zero books remained steady at a staggering twenty-five percent. Three percent manage more than fifty books per year. It's the middle band of average readers, which has declined.

Despite the fact that more people indicated they felt reading was 'important' it seems to be missing for many from an early age. Forty-five percent of 14-19 year olds, say they never received a book as a gift as a child. in 1992, seventy-two percent said they had.

The number of books per household has also fallen.

What is interesting to me, was the stronger emphasis in non-German native households on reading. Thirty-six percent read a book once or frequently a week, eleven percent daily. " German migrants form a new reading 'middle-class' with a significant education potential", summarized Andreas Storm, Parliamentary secretary for Education and research.

My Thursday thoughts: I wonder what impact audio books has had, and whether they were included in the study, or whether it refers only to hard copies? And if only paper formats, who is reading what? I wonder if it reflects other countries' reading trends?

What's Up Doc?

2008-12-02T21:15:00.008+01:00

It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon...

Whilst the Christmas preparations have moved up a gear, my writing slots have become fewer and further between, so apologies for the long absence.

I'm cheered to see The Bookseller report that the UK book trade enjoyed its busiest week of the year last week, with sales passing £50m for the first time, as retailers report what was described as a "genuine uplift" in trading.

However, the tale at HMH seems to have taken on a twist, following the widely report hold on adult fiction acquisitions, the senior vice president and publisher of adult trade books at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has resigned.

As I've spent much of the last week preparing advent calendars for friends and family, I enjoyed a laugh at the literary stocking fillers over at Vulpes Libris.

I've also had some family time which included watching the film of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for the first time. I'm interested to see the documentary reported by The Guardian coming up in 2009, which claims to reveal a new third level of meaning hidden in Lewis's writing, medieval cosmology. "This is a piece of Lewis which has remained untouched for 60 years – it blows the dust off, brings him into the light of day with Dawkins and the neo-atheists Pullman and Hitchens," he said. "It's fresh Lewis, as if he was standing up in the debating chair saying 'this is my worldview'. Lewis's stance was incredibly different to that pushed by [today's] bleak populist view."

Although December will be a down month for me, whilst I manage the home front, I just want to share what was in my post box today all the way from Australia. Two discs of exciting ideas for an upcoming book trailer I might be involved in making in early 2009...watch this space.

Happy 80th Birthday Mickey Mouse

2008-11-18T11:05:00.003+01:00

The comic and cartoon hero is looking good for eighty, and he's partying with celebrities, dancing Bollywood and travelling worldwide. To read more about the Disney charachter who started out in 1928, see my post over at The View From Here.

Friday photo: Eats, Shoots and Leaves....

2008-11-14T19:34:00.004+01:00

Please, read Lynne Truss's book, Eats, Shoots and Leaves if you haven't already done so. And check out her punctuation quiz - it's fun!

Here is an example of why I love punctuation, but it's so easy to get wrong. Oh, and the typo...how many can you spot?

The Stockpile - 19 books on current order

2008-11-11T11:59:00.007+01:00

I'm stockpiling. I've ordered my Book Club list for the next nine months (6), Christmas gifts (3) and my current 'like-to-haves' (10). I've bought some online and some from my local store. The only problem is now, where will I store them?

I've another five already on the to-be-read-stack. Since I currently do less than one a month, looks like I have my own supply and demand issue to take care of at home. Now that I can deal with. The market may need to take care of itself.

The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream [Paperback] Paulo Coelho
Arthur and George [Paperback] Julian Barnes
The Book Thief [Paperback] Markus Zusak
Fault Lines [Paperback] Nancy Huston
First Book of the Recorder (Usborne First Music) [Paperback] Philip Hawthorn, Caroline Hooper
French by Heart: An American Family's Adventures in La Belle France [Paperback] Rebecca S. Ramsey
Granny Was a Buffer Girl [Paperback] Berlie Doherty
If Nobody Speaks Of Remarkable Things [Paperback] Jon McGregor
The Joshua Files - Invisible City (Joshua Files) (Joshua Files) (The Joshua Files) [Paperback] M G Harris
The Lovely Bones [Paperback] Alice Sebold
Manga for Dummies (For Dummies) [Paperback] Kensuke Okabayashi
McCarthy's Bar: A Journey of Discovery in Ireland (A Lir book) [Paperback] Pete McCarthy
Night Train to Lisbon [Paperback] Pascal Mercier
Peeling the Onion (Beim Häuten der Zwiebel) [Paperback] Günter Grass.
The Secret Life of Bees [Paperback] Sue Monk Kidd
The Sleepwalker (CHERUB) [Paperback] Robert Muchamore
The Tower (Der Turm). [Paperback] Uwe Tellkamp
What You Don't Know about Retirement: A Funny Retirement Quiz [Paperback] Bill Dodds
Wicked (Wicked Years 1) [Paperback] Gregory Maguire

Existing Shelf Stack:
Half of a Yellow Sun [Paperback] Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Inglorious [Hardback] Joanna Kavenna
The Irresistable Inheritance of Wilberforce [Hardback]Paul Torday
Moral Disorder [Paperback] Margaret Atwood
The Road Home [Paperback] Rose Tremain
Strawberry Fields [Paperback] Marina Lewycka

Demand and Supply in the Publishing World?

2008-11-10T10:51:00.001+01:00

The press is full of the challenging market times we face, whether buying milk, manufacturing cars or publishing books. Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown says encouragingly today, times have been tougher in publishing.

"First, we must remember the advice of the late Douglas Adams and Don't Panic. The book industry has been through worse times than this, people will always read books, books will still be published, and until that changes most of us will still be here."

The American Association of Publishers reported significant year to date increase and decreases in many sales in August. But the range of change was broad.

Winners:
E-books sales jumped up by a whopping 52 percent for the year.

Adult Paperback sales increased by 9.5 percent for the year.

The Children’s/YA Paperback saw an increase of 14.1 percent for the year.

Losers:

The Children’s/YA Hardcover sales for year-to-date dropped by 35.5 percent.

Audio Book sales were down by 26.8 percent.

Religious Books saw a decrease of 7.7 percent for the year.

More recently HarperCollins UK has put a hold on all recruitment until the start of next year "in response to the current economic climate". The decision by HarperCollins UK follows a tough quarter for the worldwide business, with profits down some $33m.

Without wanting to be too pessimistic, we're not out of the woods yet. In fact, we've hardly entered them yet at all. The reality is that the consumer economic climate has only just started to cool and has not yet filtered through its full impact to publishing. Publishers at Frankfurt confirmed to me, that "prices have gone up. Fact." And in an economic climate in which people have less cash in their pockets, any price increase can have a negative affect on sales.

I believe next year will see further increases in book costs as printing costs rise. Q4 has seen an increase in Russian wood export tax and 2008 has seen a succession of printing house closures across China as legislation (both environmental and anti-piracy) has put many companies with lower standards out of business. Penguin UK sourced 60% of their production from China in 2007. At the end of 2007, prices were already increasing and causing consternation at the Beijing Book Fair.

Further, the Chinese printers are looking to western publishers who run on large economies of scale. Matthew S. Chan summed up his feeling from Book Expo America earlier this year, "Chinese printers, are out of touch of the undercurrents going on in the publishing industry... they were happy to cater to American companies that wanted to commit to print runs of 3,000 and more. Many of the Chinese companies wanted print runs of 5,000 or more. However, what they do not yet understand is that “long tail” and the boom of small, independent publishers will continue to erode at the core business of the “big best-seller” that large publishing houses love so much."

China is the largest global importer of Russian wood. Higher import prices will inevitably be passed onto the customers, the publishers. If demand is also met by fewer suppliers, it can only exacerbate the pressure on price. And this will coincide with a publishing market with less buying power looking for small print runs, which will be offered at higher costs. Typically, this reduced demand would result in more closures, and a cyclical process will continue until supply, price and demand get back in balance. This may take some time. Of course there are many printing industries around the world, in Europe and the US too, but if you follow the Paper Index Times, similar issues concern printing companies from Canada to Cambodia.

Quoting Edward Nawotka at Beyond Hall 8 Barnes & Noble CEO Len Riggio wrote an email to his booksellers telling them to brace “for a terrible holiday season, and expect the trend to continue well into 2009, and perhaps beyond.” This is the same Barnes & Noble who has recently told distributors it will not be paying for two months due to anticipated excessive returns.

This expectation seems to be true for all sectors, Children's and adult alike.

So I'm stockpiling. I've ordered my Book Club list for the next nine months, Christmas gifts and my current 'like-to-haves'. I've bought some online and some from my local store. The only problem is now, where will I store them? I'll share the list tomorrow. 19, I just counted, yikes.

It's a cracking read, Gromit - The Lost World

2008-11-03T20:10:00.004+01:00

The cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Bristol have announced that they will be joining together in a collaborative reading campaign in February next year. The Lost World Read 2009 will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Arthur Conan Doyle, and the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin. Thousands of free copies of Edinburgh-born Conan Doyle’s story The Lost World will be distributed through libraries, schools and supporting partner organisations together with a ‘quick read’ edition and a paperback comic biography on the Life of Charles Darwin. The three cities will be joined by the county of Hampshire, and the 15 Library authorities of South West England.

In The Lost World a group of explorers set out on an expedition to South America to prove that deep in the jungle there is a forgotten world where dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals still survive.

An exclusive cover has been designed for the free edition of the book by Bristol’s Aardman Animations, featuring their most famous creations, Wallace & Gromit. A spokesman from Aardman commented, “Wallace and Gromit are big fans of reading and are so excited about being part of this project. They think it's great that so many people, up and down the country, are going to be joining in."

image copyright Aardman Animations Ltd, 2008 (www.aardman.com)

Google Book Search Agreement - Big Designs, Small Print

2008-10-29T12:43:00.003+01:00

Google Books Search Agreement looks like the break that e-books were waiting for. Publishers were all waiting for 'someone' to come in with a global plan, to open the market to mainstream consumers. Amazon must be kicking themselves, or are they? Will Google Books do for print what iTunes did to music? what cut will authors receive and will it affect Europe?

Read more about the agreement and my Thursday thoughts over at The View From Here.

Wildcard Wednesday: The Leopard Man Moves

2008-10-29T02:37:00.009+01:00

I'm still catching up from Frankfurt so it's been a quiet on Lake Wobegone recently. Look out for upcoming interviews of Ann Kelley, Luath Press Director Gavin MacDougall and Jenny Tyler of Usborne Publishing soon.

So, this Wednesday's wildcard, is more wild than most. Tom Leppard became a hermit and moved from London to a remote part of The Isle of Skye. But first, he had 99.2% of his flesh tattooed with leopard spots.

Well there's certainly not that many places in the English speaking world that he could have been accepted, survived and then gone into retirement.

If I wanted to 'change my spots' I think I'd crop my hair, dye it blonde and head for central Italy or Capri, or maybe San Francisco. Where in the world would you choose? Follow the links for the full stories.

The Australian Telegraph (photo credit)
"AN EX-SPECIAL forces soldier who covered his entire body with leopard-spot tattoos - earning him the moniker The Leopard Man of Skye - is giving up his hermit lifestyle to move into a retirement home..."

The BBCMr Leppard, 73, said: "I'm getting too old for that kind of life." The London-born pensioner said he was slowly adjusting to his new life in Broadford, on Skye. "It's certainly very strange being surrounded by four walls and a roof but I'll get used to it," he said.

The Independent
Sue Woodcock came to retire from her career as a policewoman. In her old life, back in what she calls "that England", she had become disillusioned by politics, by society as a whole. So she moved north to become a crofter...

Friday photo: To wrap up the post Frankfurt week

2008-10-24T18:48:00.001+02:00

Thought it most appropriate to share this inspiring e-postcard from Paulo Coelho, for this week's photograph. You can download the free e-cards and more, from his most excellent blog here.

Follow his ideas on free book sharing and join in the debate.

Wildcard Wednesday: The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore - my review.

2008-10-22T19:27:00.011+02:00

"...Street after street of identical suburban boxes, accommodating all-too-familiar ingredients: the same old beginnings and endings of never-never dreams and recriminations, TV programmes, mortgage statements, the burden of nine-to-five jobs, the stale defeat of drained love, the prospect of a holiday to the Costa Brava in a year's time, and a retirement plan in ten or twenty, or thirty - the cloned lives of Mum and Brian...from all of which I'm feeling remote, because Kate's begun to breathe a different sort of life into me. As long as I don't get lost, as long as I don't lose her."... (p.61)

Paul Burman - The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore - ISBN: 978-0-95510-947-8 (available from PaperBooks)

Other reviews:
The Independent
The View From Here Magazine - Mike French
Interview with the Australian Times

The journey Thomas Passmore makes from Australia to his UK homeland as a settled married man, turns his life, past and present, upside down. We join him at times deeply involved in the action as seen through the eyes of young Tom caught up in the aftermath of his Father's suicide, his best friend's childish pranks, or a budding teenage love-affair, through to his adult journey to find a resolution to his incomplete past.

The narrative style and choice of language makes you feel intensely, as Thomas does. We are made to relive first hand his own experience of love or lack of it, and its development in his relationships; parent/child, boyhood friendship, lovers, wife and that of his own children.

At times I felt so involved in the intensity of emotion that I could sense the edge of the abyss at which Tom teeters to and fro - and I was relieved a narrator viewpoint appeared, to help distance myself from the action as Tom becomes more and more obsessed with tracking down his former flame, and the chain of events become more and more confused, that ultimately lead to his rediscovery of life.

In this aspect, it reminded me of Goethe's 'The Sorrows of Young Werther', in which the joy and sorrow of a young adult living passionately, who becomes so consumed with his own thoughts he ultimately commits suicide. And in another way, it reminded me of the film version of the English Patient - it is poetic, artistic, visual and pulls me into its tragic story sometimes at a deeper level than I feel comfortable. It too, operates with a lot of flashbacks - snippets of impressions, and sometimes images which seem to make no sense. This technique could be off putting towards the end, where events seem to be highly abstract and chaotic - until the denouement makes it all become clear. And I sighed, relieved to be back to normality, and wanted to read it all over again, to make it all fit into place. Just like Thomas Passmore.

If you like love stories, tragedy, making sense of your character through their relationships and other characters' acute perceptions, if you enjoy puzzles and working out a good story, told in a compelling, contemporary language with great narrative drive, you will like this. Everyone will know at least one of the characters or have been there themselves. Scary, and very rewarding.

286 pages, paperback, standard high quality paper, print, and I love the cover.
Available to buy from PaperBooks.

Monday News & Views from Frankfurt - Manga galore

2008-10-20T08:38:00.011+02:00

I've written an article for The View From Here to summarise some of the Sunday activities and my impressions from the Frankfurt Book Fair.

...The Frankfurt book Fair 2008 was one of the 'as good a Fair as there ever was' according to Usborne. The recent turmoil of financial markets seems to have stayed firmly outside...

The Final Day was made more colourful by comics' fans; who attended in their hundreds dressed as their favourite characters. Manga (the Japanese term for comics) and Anime (the TV/Film versions) have become firmly established as the reading of choice for many young European adults. The wave of manga which began around 2000, has become a veritable tsunami.

Come over to The View From Here to read the article.

Weekend: Frankfurt Frenzy

2008-10-18T22:14:00.005+02:00

The week will end or begin for me, however you place Sunday in your own calendar, with a trip to Frankfurt tomorrow. If you google Frankfurt, you come up with around 120,000,000 entries. It is:

the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2008 population of 670,000. The urban area had an estimated population of 2.26 million in 2001.
Officially it is known as Frankfurt am Main (Frankfurt on the Main River). This is to distinguish it from the other (significantly smaller) "Frankfurt" in the state of Brandenburg, Frankfurt (Oder).
The three pillars of Frankfurt's economy are finance, transport, and trade fairs.

The first is in international turmoil, the second is experiencing an unusually unreliable period at the moment both in Germany due to train refitting, and in the UK due to 'leaves on the line'; but the third seems to be thriving.

No surprise which one is specifically of interest to me tomorrow. Yes it's the Frankfurt Book Fair (the world's largest). Attendance is up each day on past years. I'm looking forward to a whirlwind visit to see at first hand some of the most interesting developments in the industry, and hear news and views from the week.

Happy 50th Birthday Blue Peter

2008-10-16T01:04:00.000+02:00

Her Majesty The Queen has invited Blue Peter to a special birthday tea at Buckingham Palace to mark the 50th anniversary of the BBC's landmark children's programme.

- The programme was first aired on 16th October 1958. It had been commissioned to John Hunter Blair by the head of children's programmes, Owen Reed who wanted a programme aimed at children aged five to eight. The first two presenters were Christopher Trace, an actor and Leila Williams, winner of Miss Great Britain in 1957. The initial format involved the two presenters demonstrating different activities, with Trace concentrating on traditional "boys' toys" such as model aeroplanes and trains, and Williams concentrating on dolls and traditional female tasks, such as cookery. Occasionally, Tony Hart, an artist who later designed the ship logo, joined the programme to tell stories. It was broadcast once a week on Monday, for fifteen minutes.- (wikipedia)

Tim Levell, Editor of Blue Peter, said: "Blue Peter has been at the heart of children's lives for 50 years, and we are absolutely delighted that The Queen is recognising this by extending the kind invitation to us."

The new series of Blue Peter started on Tuesday 23 September 2008.

Wildcard Wednesday: The Plastic Logic Reader - a view of the future?

2008-10-15T08:20:00.013+02:00

Black fingertips, the smell of ink and rustle of a newspaper may become a thing of the past, if you take a look at the Plastic Logic Reader.

Look and Feel

The Plastic Logic reader features a bigger readable display than your typical Kindle or Sony Reader, close to DINA4 / US Letter. Yet it's thinner than a pad of paper, lighter than many business periodicals and, get this, it's flexible.

Product Support

The Plastic Logic reader supports a full range of business document formats, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, and Adobe PDFs, as well as newspapers, periodicals and books. It has an easy gesture-based user interface and powerful software tools that will help business users to organize and manage their information. Users can connect to their information either wired or wirelessly and store thousands of documents on the device. The reader incorporates E Ink technology as used in Kindle and Sony Readers, and features low power consumption and long battery life. It's a British invention manufactured in Germany. The Plastic Logic reader is scheduled to ship in the first half of 2009.

I'm going to watch this in comparison to the Kindle and Sony Reader, with interest.

image ©Plastic Logic Reader

Weekend Story: It's a book Jim, but not as we know it.

2008-10-12T22:46:00.005+02:00

Reading recently of the ongoing challenges in the import/export markets of the UK paper industry, and the recent launch of the Kindle and Sony reader, has made me think how much books and their printing, access and reading has changed in even my limited lifetime. Nathan Bransford linked to this article in the New York Times, discussing the merits and successes of using video games to spark an interest in books in younger readers.

When I left university, the Internet was only beginning to be used by the masses. To me it was an unknown. Tecchie geeks, who hid in the paper-cupboard sized, sock scented room, worked on 'computers', whatever they were. I was an Arts student. I had no idea.

Recently planning permission was refused for the Bodleian expansion, much needed since the library stock has outgrown its cavernous storage system beneath the buildings. It owns over seven million books, stored on an ever growing 110 miles of shelving.

I had the privilege, though I didn't truly appreciate it at the time, of reading in some of the most well stocked libraries in England, probably in the world. I was able to read books from different centuries of history in which I hoped to find the answer to my essay of the week, a quote which would bring enlightenment, or a simple explanation of the subject in hand. Some of the libraries required the books to be ordered, and to be read onsite. You would get nervous as closing time approached, the essay deadline the next morning, and you were not yet finished. A bell would be rung a few minutes before closing time, the signal for readers to finish working and leave. The books could not be removed from the building. Some were incredibly old. Fragile. Valuable. Some were a complete waste of time, in terms of achieving my purpose. And yet, they may have been rare copies of works.

I wonder what will become of paper and books in the next fifty years, or the next hundred?

With carbon emission restrictions and the gradual reduction in pulp production, will we be able to afford books? Will they become an elitist luxury or a treasure to be locked in darkened rooms? What of books that are felt to have no purpose? What if the digital world will require books to become only accessible by electronic means, and the book itself, would be banned for the common man, nothing new printed and unwanted books, destroyed?

Through news of the reopening of the Saatchi gallery, I came across this blend of artwork, sculptures and even furniture made from books, by Jacqueline Rush Lee, originally from Northern Ireland now living in Kailua, Hawaii. It seems almost sacrilegious, but on the other hand, they take on a new life and beauty, beyond the words that were contained within them. What value has the book of itself? Does the printed book matter or is it the writing, once recorded in any format, that gives it it's value? And if it is the writing, then what does it matter if it is available in digital or in a paper form? And yet I think it does.

image © Jacqueline Rush Lee

Friday photo: Calm before the Storm

2008-10-10T20:54:00.001+02:00

After the literary and financial storms of this week, here is a calm view of our local lake Chiemsee. The Alps capped with the first snow of the season in the distance.

Thursday thought: Prize winning and its Purpose

2008-10-10T00:19:00.005+02:00

I have spent some time considering the recent comments made by Horace Engdahl, the Permanent Secretary of the Nobel Committee for Literature when he told the Associated Press that American literature is, "too isolated, too insular," and American writers are "too sensitive to trends in their own mass culture". So many of the web comments made in response demonstrate a lack of respect for an experienced and educated man in a position of authority. It would appear that many readers believe that someone of his standing would make totally unconsidered remarks not worthy of examining before launching into an emotively charged statement along the lines of 'what does he know about American literature, anyway?' When the prize was announced today, I wondered how it would be reported in the media. I wondered if the announcement of the winner would have been reported as much had there been no controversial remarks made a week earlier? Especially since it appears few have heard of him. I make this assumption based on my own ignorance and the comment made in the Time article:

"The sound of America's literary journalists searching Wikipedia en masse is deafening."
Time magazine

So what could journalists write about, when the author was someone they did not know, much of whose work is currently unavailable to English speaking journalists, untranslated or out of print and getting few hits about his books' background?

The controversy.

****
It didn't go to an American author. That's what the headlines of most papers seem to report, of the news that Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio has been awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize for Literature. The Herald Tribune and Fox News carry the same story, and the Washington Post shares the same headline, "France's Le Clezio Wins Nobel Literature Prize". Even the New York Times appears to want to underline the sentiment, by listing previous prize winners alongside their country of birth. The BBC website simply states, "Author Le Clezio wins Nobel prize." Reuters in contrast, reads "Nomadic" writer wins Nobel prize." Where few choose to focus is on Le Clezio's diverse background, ethnicity and extensive writing, with its engaging positions on ecology and humanity. The Post dedicates one paragraph to his writing, and four surrounding 'the controversy.'

(read my complete article at The View From Here Magazine; where I examine the purpose of the Nobel prize and reactions to the news.)

image ©Jan Tik - Flickr

Wildcard Wednesday: "I wrote for hours, until the sun came up" - NaNoWriMo

2008-10-08T06:03:00.000+02:00

Here's what may be a crazy idea, but if you read how Jenny Downham finished her prize-winning novel in the interview at The View From Here, it may not be a bad way of getting words on paper. She was NOT involved in this event, but she wrote in an intense way, leaving the editing to later.

I wrote for hours, until the sun came up. I wrote from every angle – others watching Tessa die, inside her head, dark tunnels, bright lights… I had to get rid of all the clichés by writing through them and I had to get rid of the critic (who often sits on my shoulder). In the morning, I had 22,000 words and my arms ached, but I knew the end was in there somewhere.

Sometimes in editing it is easy to get hung up, so that the words don't get down on paper fast enough and some gets lost. This event is a one month challenge, and really designed for fun, rather than a serious way to write a book, but who knows what it may prompt?

The NaNoWriMo story is below, in their own words:

***

"National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of c**p. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2007, it had over 100,000 participants. More than 15,000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

There's no sign-up fee for National Novel Writing Month, but they do ask ably-financed participants to contribute something towards hosting and administrative costs. The amount you contribute is up to you.

So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.
Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.
Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.
When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

Still confused? Just visit the How NaNoWriMo Works page!"

Tuesday Tip EXTRA: Last Chance to join in the Mischief Cancer Raffle

2008-10-07T23:22:00.005+02:00

For a few remaining hours only, check out a chance to win a critique, but more than that, make a difference in one person's life, at a difficult time:

The Mischief Fights Cancer Raffle

It's closing at 8pm in the US. The Moonrat, editorial assistant's text is below.

And how do I know that it's genuine? Because other blogs I follow know her. And I trust them. (click for sample reference.)

"A friend of mine was diagnosed with Stage IV lymphoma. She is only 28 and is fighting back hard, but her valor is frustrated by the fact that she has no insurance. Medicaid will be kicking in for her in about a month, but in the meantime there are some hurdles that nothing will help her get over but money.

Of course, there are lots of benefits and pots for me to throw money in. Alas... I work in publishing and have no money. I was bemoaning this to my darling Ello, and she thought of this fantastic idea: I should raffle off my editorial services. So that's what we're going to try here.

Raffle for editorial services!!

Prizes available:

-One winner: A full manuscript evaluation (up to 120,000 words)*
-One winner: A partial manuscript evaluation (up to 50 page)*
-One winner: A query letter and revised query letter critique*
-Five winners: A choice from select titles in Moonrat's library, which will be mailed with a love letter from Moonrat, who enjoys writing love letters

I've started this new, temporary blog to host a raffle for my friend. You can buy tickets, check the log, and see how much progress has been made on each of the raffled lots here.

*please note: these are critiques with an eye toward editorial suggestions, and will in no way be considered submissions to me or my company

-The raffle will run between now, Tuesday, September 30th, and 8 pm on Tuesday, October 7th, when lots will be drawn. "

Tuesday Tips : From The Telegraph

2008-10-07T06:30:00.000+02:00

I am currently using the Telegraph's style book, no not the latest in dress sense from Italian Fashion Week, but a guide to grammar, wording and layout of language - their writing style and use - used at the newspaper. Prospective journalists can check exactly how the newspaper's editors expect to see a person's name mentioned for the second time in the article (for example: Mr. Smith said, not Smith said and the first mention should be in full) and what their preferences are on the use of the word 'that'. Of course, some of this is specific to this newspaper, but it also contains general remarks around grammar and punctuation, the use of might vs may, a particularly interesting read.

Although I was referring to it for a journalistic item, it struck me that much of it would be relevant for any kind of writing. On careful review of my own wording, I realised how easy it is for your own style to contain common grammatical errors, which are almost 'acceptable' within common spoken word, but would jump out in the written form as a mistake.

It will take some time to read it all, as it covers a number of areas, but is well worth reading.

This style book for the moment is a work in progress, and will be on the website for a consultation period of around three months. A pdf version is being designed and will soon be available for download via The Telegraph's site. I'll be looking for it when it comes out.

It will also be published as a hard copy.

Image is that used on the Telegraph's style book webapge as referred to above. No name given.

Monday News: Perspectives on American Literature - the Nobel debate

2008-10-06T19:29:00.007+02:00

The web discussion following the comments on Tuesday by Horace Engdahl, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, the organization that awards the Nobel Prize in Literature,when he gave an interview to The Associated Press, has been much more enlightening than the comments of themselves. In one blog I read, a comment was made about the irony that a Swede was talking about the Americans being insular, 'Sweden is not even part of NATO.' The lack of historical and political sensitivity behind the remark only served to underline the original statement, in my mind. I pointed out this useful backgroun d information, the CRS report for Congress on the position of European neutral countries.

Charles McGrath in the New York Times, writes a wonderfully insightful article, including some perspective on the background to the prize and its history. He also remarks...
"The Swedes read, you have to give them that — they buy more books per capita than the citizens of just about any other country — and they probably care more than anyone else does about their prize. In the United States, a Nobel usually doesn’t produce even the modest uptick in sales that a Pulitzer or a National Book Award does. That fact may underlie Mr. Engdahl’s comments, and especially his observation that we don’t translate enough foreign literature. It’s true. We don’t."

Read the full article here.

Saturday scrapbook story: The Motorway Service area

2008-10-05T00:33:00.006+02:00

"As I got back into my car to sit and drink my coffee before driving again up the droning M4, a burgundy family car pulled up in the space in front of mine. A muscular, shaven-headed man in his late thirties got out of the driver's door, marginally slower than a well-built woman who emerged from the passenger's side, in a whirl of flapping white knitted cardigan, and calf-high black boots. Her floral dress was pretty, suburban, totally inappropriate. She gesticulated wildly and I heard mutterings through my windshield. They each hauled a girl, (one four, one fourteen months in my estimation) out from the back doors and proceeded to strap them into neon pink walker harnesses. The kind of thing that looks more appropriate on seeing-dogs for the blind. Then the woman slammed the door shut, said something I couldn't hear and stormed off towards the restaurant area and shops. The fourteen-month old stood marionette-like, her straps hung loose, and she was motionless, waiting for instructions. The man shouted across the car park,"Well you can just effin' find your own way home then, eh?" The four year old was bundled back into the car. The toddler started to wail as she too was de-harnessed and strapped back into a car seat once more. He stormed round the bonnet, waving the keys wildly in his hand, and reached the driver's door."

In real life he opened it, rested his arms on the frame with his head down, waited a few seconds and then went to the trunk. He opened it, got out a baby bottle, filled it with pre-mixed formula milk and took that together with a carton of juice to the children in the back seat. He sighed a lot. He spoke gently to the girls, and then they came out again, and walked at their own pace, in the direction the presumed-Mum had gone.

But what if he hadn't? What if he had indeed driven off? Where would she have gone? Where can I use this?

Friday photo: Look up

2008-10-03T18:15:00.005+02:00

This Friday my photo is to remind myself to look all around for inspiration. Ann Kelley told me recently, "Put it all in. It's the little, everyday things that are so vital to a writer, like a bee buzzing at the window."

Don't forget to look up.

This is the ceiling light of one of the hotels in Vegas. I love its colours.

Thursday thought: Around The World In 80 Faiths

2008-10-02T07:03:00.001+02:00

Thursday thought was prompted by the BBC announcement of a major new series on religions for BBC Two. Presented by Peter Owen Jones, Around The World In 80 Faiths will explore the astonishing diversity of the world's religions.

- It sounds fascinating. Being in the UK recently I was struck by the bias in the radio news reporting. A man was charged with the Terrorist Act, not simply stated what crime he faced in the dock. I was appalled at the seemingly deliberate abuse of the news for propaganda style language and creating an atmosphere of fear, in a relatively simple news item. But then I am reminded of the wonders of the BBC when I hear of something like this, which holds the promise of diversity and enlightenment that not every country in the world would be free to produce, never mind capable of.

Makes we wish I lived in the UK, for these kinds of insightful documentary series.

Part-time Anglican Vicar, Peter Owen Jones embarks on an epic challenge – to travel the globe and observe and take part in the most important rituals of 80 of the world's faiths.

On the way he'll be exploring some of the planet's most beautiful and holy places: he'll be meeting snake handlers, Voodoo practitioners, whirling dervishes, horse-riding Sikhs, shaman and Taoist monks seeking immortality.

He will also be participating in some truly remarkable events, including an Aborigine baby-smoking ceremony, exorcisms, a séance, a Christian healing, Muslim Prayer, a Hindu cremation and Zoroastrian wedding.

Pete will start his journey in the Far East, followed by Australasia and Africa.
From there he will travel through the Middle East, North America, South America, the sub Indian continent and finally Europe.

From the great massed festivals of Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism, right down to rituals practised just by remote tribes, and from religions half as old as time to brand new cults and sects, this eight-part series will bring a genuine understanding of the deep diversity of human spirituality.

The series has been commissioned by Adam Kemp, Commissioning Editor for Arts, Music, Performance and Religion, and is being made by the BBC's in-house Religion & Ethics team.

Adam Kemp says: "Around The World In 80 Faiths is BBC Two's biggest ever religious landmark series and underlines the channel's commitment to bold, pioneering peak time religious output.

"Peter Owen Jones is a remarkable, entertaining and insightful guide to the extraordinary diversity of faith on earth."

Executive Producer, Jean Claude Bragard, adds: "It's a privilege working with Peter Owen Jones – he's a warm, entertaining and passionate guide to the extraordinary lengths people will go to for their beliefs."

The series producer is Graham Johnson who is also a director alongside Sian Salt, Tom Sheehan, Karen Selway, Rob Cowling and Kevin Jarvis.

Filming for Around The World In 80 days started in January and the series will be broadcast early in 2009.

I'll have to get someone to record it.

Walker teams up with Book Aid International

2008-10-01T06:15:00.001+02:00

Walker Books is dedicated to creating the best stories and pictures for children everywhere and this Autumn even more children will be able to enjoy them.

For EVERY book sold through the Walker Books website in September and October, Walker will donate a brand new book to Book Aid International.

Book Aid International was founded in 1954 to promote literacy in developing countries, providing reading and learning opportunities for disadvantaged people throughout the world and helping them in their fight against poverty. Since then, it has sent over 25 million books to libraries in the developing world! Book Aid International works in twelve countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and over ninety-five percent of their work supports this extremely poor region. The organisation also works in other countries, for example helping to re-stock libraries in conflict and post-conflict situations, and in the wake of natural disasters.

How will my donations help?
Children's books always feature in Book Aid International's partner countries' top-three priorities, and most of the children's books sent are picture books. Book Aid International also provides school and public libraries with supplementary reading materials such as encyclopedias, atlases, dictionaries and fiction. These are essential for consolidating what pupils learn in class and developing their literacy skills.

Through local partner organisations, Book Aid International focuses on the most disadvantaged communities to give more people the access to information that they so desperately need. So for example, in rural areas, solutions for reaching some of most isolated people in the world could include using motorcycles, donkeys and even camels as mobile libraries. But its work with partners goes beyond book provision: the organisation also offers training and support for librarians and has provided training in leadership, advocacy and fundraising as well as practical skills for librarians, like targeting and distribution and reading promotion.

Book Aid International’s work is about supporting sustainable and creative solutions over the long term. Most of us remember a book that changed our life: and the books that Walker will be donating to Book Aid International will
now touch the lives of even more children and will continue to do so for generations to come; which is why Walker is delighted to work with Book Aid International this autumn.

Read more about Book Aid International and the great work they do here.

Tuesday Tips: Poetry Inspiration & Advice

2008-09-30T07:52:00.001+02:00

Tuesday tip - take some inspiration and advice from poets, whether you are one, or not:

John Hewitt held a '30 poems in 30 days' over at Poe War. The September themes and advice range from practical tips on meter and rhyme, ideas for inspiration, and submission to the challenge "poets are liars".

Click here to see the final list.

Poets and non-poets will find something of interest.

Monday news: The Knife of Never Letting Go & Before I Die

2008-09-29T09:03:00.000+02:00

Patrick Ness's first novel for teenagers won this year's Guardian children's fiction prize.

The Knife of Never Letting Go, published by Walker Books, is the first book of a trilogy, Chaos Walking, and ends on something of a cliffhanger. Ness has already written the second, out next May, and is working on the third; his adult writing is taking a sideline for now. "I'm kind of helpless about it. I have to write whatever's next in the queue," he said in The Guardian.

I've reviewed the shortlisted 'Before I Die' over at The View From Here Magazine.It has been an honour and pleasure to work with Jenny Downham on an interview as well, which will appear later in the week in two parts.

If you haven't read 'Before I Die' yet, read all about it. And buy it. It won the Branford Boase 2008 prize and was sold in ten languages within two weeks of publication acceptance. It offers insights both for and into young adults, into relationships and offers other writers a vast array of examples of straightforward writing, well done, to bring over a challenging and authentic story with drive, passion and precision.

Sunday story: Gabaldon's Grit - get on with it!

2008-09-28T11:32:00.007+02:00

My local Sunday story, is about Diana Gabaldon - the first author, published author, real, living-and-breathing-whose-books-I-loved author, whom I met. She presented 'A Breath of Snow and Ashes', book six in the Outlander series (romantic epics about a modern(ish) thirty-something Englishwoman who time-travels back to 18th-century Scotland and the adventures that thus ensue for the rest of her life), to a packed hall of mostly women, in Munich, Germany in September 12th, 2005. Barbara Schnell, her German translator had worked so well with her and whose last name is 'quick', the German version was in print before the English one - it was a German worldwide premiere event!

Since the books are based around the adventures of Claire and her Highlander Jamie, and some plots are set in Scotland, she was piped in and out of the reading/ signing event, by the Claymore Pipe & Drums band. I was delightedly in the third row, my lucky number. Coincidentally, one of the pipers in the band had played at my wedding. It was a sign, I was sure. I could follow my dream and become a writer too.

She was humorous and well-spoken at the event, and patient whilst much of the session was translated to and from German. She had obviously answered every question before, so when few questions came at the audience participation stage, she volunteered FAQs from other events, and answered them, too.

As I nervously slid my hot-off-the-press hardback onto her signing desk at 11pm, I just about managed to ask where she was going next on tour. "Chicago". She was gracious and smiled. She was obviously tired and would have much rather had two people waiting, than the two hundred there. But she still gave the impression, not only does she know her readers are her bread-and-butter, but she genuinely appreciates them and their feedback, albeit, in appropriate measure. And when I left, hugging my signed book harder to my chest than a school girl on her first day, the line was still at about 80 yards long. She works hard.

Now, three years on and writing, while I appreciate that she is an experienced and professional author who writes well, somedays it still does me good to think there is nothing so significantly different between people who want to write, and who do write and get published, except for the getting on with it. (With the usual pre-requisites of writing well, a good story and agent/publisher approach and so on.) She is a no-nonsense realist, and I'd imagine completely from my own assumptions, has a sharply critical voice when she needs it, with her own writing and editing. She is a writer. She writes. She writes a lot. Her novels are vast, and their fan club, even bigger. She writes non-fiction too, books to accompany her Outlander series, a spin-off Lord John series, and other unrelated works.

She is simply an inspiration to write what you enjoy, research what you don't know and get on with it.

The next book 'An Echo in the Bone' is expected to be completed by the end of 2008 and released in late summer 2009 . Excerpts are available on her website, (see the excerpts tab).

To glimpse a little of the character behind a woman who writes funny and adventurous romantic fiction with meticulous detail on historical Scotland, USA, France, Pacific islands and farming amongst much more, here's some of the answers she gives about a 1997 People Magazine article, which showed her husband in a kilt, and how the photo shoot was set up, amongst other things.

The photographer wanted it (the computer) to look as though I were working (ha), but since real words on the monitor wouldn't show up in a photograph (particularly in view of the fact that the computer couldn't be plugged in from the position where he placed it), he took several randomly selected words from the Shakespeare's Wit-Kit of magnetic poetry that we keep on the refrigerator, and pasted them to the screen with small loops of duct tape. To the best of my recall, the words were: SCURRILOUS, SCANDAL, PAUNCH-BELLIED, TRADUCE, SWINE, BOGGLE, and INSATIATE, though I wouldn't swear to it.

In short, this photo bears no resemblance whatever to reality, save for illustrating the fact that my husband must love me very much, or he wouldn't have agreed to be party to this nonsense.

A toast to Diana Gabaldon who lives on the other side of the Atlantic from my birthland of Scotland, may your laughter be as deep as the ocean, and your troubles be as light as foam.

And I must find a quote from Jamie for the wall, to tell me to get my breeches up and get on with it, or words to that affect.

Friday photo: crabs for sale

2008-09-26T00:10:00.005+02:00

On this day in 1984: UK and China agreed Hong Kong handover.

***

In Guangzhou, a man watered rows upon row of crabs-for-sale. Rubberband bound claws and bodies, prevent serious movement, but periodic, minor jerking in random directions makes the whole stacked shelf appear to shudder, ever so slightly.

A first line?

Thursday's thought: To the Castle and Back

2008-09-25T01:10:00.002+02:00

"We have a right to make use of our pens, as of our tongue, at our peril, risk and hazard." Voltaire

One of the world's literary greats, Vaclav Havel was also pivotal to the transformation of the Czech Republic into a functioning democracy after the fall of Communism. A renowned playwright, Havel served as president of the Czech Republic until 2003. In his newly-published memoir, To the Castle and Back, he describes these extraordinary times. Havel will be interviewed by John Tusa on Saturday 27 September, at 3pm, an English PEN organised event.

He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia (1989-1992) and the first President of the Czech Republic (1993-2003). He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally. He has received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Philadelphia Liberty Medal, and the Ambassador of Conscience Award.

Although Havel was popular throughout his career, his popularity abroad surpassed his popularity at home. He is no stranger to controversy and criticism. An extensive general pardon, one of his first acts as a president, was an attempt to both lessen the pressure in overcrowded prisons and release those who may have been falsely imprisoned during the Communist era. Critics claimed that this amnesty raised the crime rate. However, according to Havel in his most recent memoir To the Castle and Back, the statistics do not support that allegation, since most released would have been released within a year.

In an interview with Karel Hvíždala (also included in To the Castle and Back), Havel states that he feels his most important accomplishment as president was the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact.

Venue: The Auditorium, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB

How to book: Tickets cost £6; £4 discount. Call 01937 546 546 or visit the British Library Box Office.

Writing for Young Adults? - Ask your Librarian

2008-09-24T09:07:00.009+02:00

Today the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2008 Winner will be announced. It could be one of four shortlisted books and authors:

Cosmic, by Frank Cottrell Boyce
The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness
Bog Child, by Siobhan Dowd
Before I Die, by Jenny Downham.

The Young Adult market is as demanding and exciting as any other, and since 'crossover' books, such as The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Nighttime, or even Harry Potter, writing for teens does not have to mean writing only for teens, but writing good, challenging and unique stories, which can reach beyond the age group and its contemporary market.

Each of the shortlisted books appears to do that, including the subjects of knife crime and the premature teen death and illness of Tessa in Jenny Downham's 'Before I Die.'

Do you feel your writing is appropriate to pitch at a YA/crossover market? How do you know if your writing style is suitable for a YA market? Who can tell you what YAs like to read? Who better to ask, than Nikki Heath, British School Librarian of the Year 2008. I interviewed her, for The View From Here Magazine. Come over and read what she has to say - on Friday she gives her eight excellent tips for writers of YA books.

Alan Gibbons: ‘Campaign for the Book’

2008-09-22T01:01:00.004+02:00

Alan Gibbons has initiated a ‘Campaign for the Book’, against library cuts and closures, which now has several hundred signatures. In his own words:

In the last ten year period recorded by auditors the book stock in public libraries fell 26%. During a similar period the number of library staff fell 13%. School libraries are being closed around the UK and replaced by shiny ICT suites when we should be integrating the book and the computer in a managed symbiosis. Finally, our children are reading fewer whole books and more excerpts, not because of the pressure of ICT but because the curriculum has been designed that way. The less well off suffer disproportionately in such a situation.
People’s reading habits are changing but not just because of the relentless march of the computer. Sadly, the erosion of the quality of many school and public libraries and the marginalisation of reading for pleasure in the curriculum are at least equally to blame.
That is why I have launched the Campaign for the Book supported by Michael Rosen, Philip Pullman, Anne Fine, Sue Palmer, Beverley Naidoo, Toby Litt and 400 others. The gold standard is a society where people are equally at home reading deliciously long, challenging books and the computer screen. It is something we may have to fight for.

The signatories of his Charter commit themselves to campaigning for the following:

1. The central place of reading for pleasure in society

2. A proper balance of book provision and Information Technology in public and school libraries

3. The defence of public libraries and librarians from attempts to cut spending in a ‘soft’ area

4. An extension of the role of the school librarian and a recognition of the school library as a key engine of learning.

5. The recruitment of more school librarians. It is a national scandal that less than a third of secondary schools has a trained librarian

6. The defence of the professional status of the public and school librarian. Opposition to downgrading. In some places this has reduced librarians’ salaries by up to half

7. The promotion of reading whole books in school rather than excerpts

8. A higher profile for reading for pleasure in schools, including shadowing book awards, inviting authors and illustrators to visit, developing school creative writing magazines

Supporters of the Campaign for the Book do not see themselves as competitors with professional associations, trade unions and existing library or school campaigns. We seek to create a national network to help coordinate the efforts of all who want to protect the status of the book and reading for pleasure. We will offer our support to local campaigns and initiatives.

It is time to stand up for reading.

It is time to campaign for the book.

For further information contact Alan Gibbons at: aagibbons@blueyonder.co.uk or see his website / blog at http://alangibbons.net/

Alan Gibbons has been writing children's books for seventeen years. He is the winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2000 'The book I couldn't put down' for his best-selling book Shadow of the Minotaur. He was a judge of the 2001 Awards.

He has also been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 2001 and 2003 and twice for the Booktrust Teenage Prize. He has won the Blue Peter Book Award 'The Book I Couldn't Put Down', the Catalyst Award, the Leicester Book of the Year, the Angus Book of the Year, the Stockport Book Award and the Salford Librarians' Special Award. His books have been published in Japanese, German, Italian, French, Thai, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Swedish and other languages.

Alan has been a teacher for 16 years, working with KS1, KS2 and KS3. He has made numerous visits to schools and libraries, colleges and education conferences. He is a popular speaker at the Edinburgh Festival, the London Book Fair, the Northern Children's Book Festival, the Hay-on-Wye Festival, the Cheltenham Festival and many others.

Saturday's story: survival despite the odds

2008-09-20T23:57:00.003+02:00

Phyllis Mary Erskin Briggs was born in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, to British parents who met while working in the Caucasus. Her childhood was spent in Paris where her father was chaplain of Christ Church in Neuilly-sur-Seine and of the British hospital in Paris. Orphaned in her early teens and brought up by an aunt and uncle in northern England, Briggs took up nursing in Manchester and subsequently at King’s College London. Her passion for travel took her to Malaya.

Her captivity featured in the television series Tenko (the answer required from prisoners at daily roll call), in the book, Women Beyond the Wire by Lavinia Warner and John Sandilands, published in 1982, and in the film Paradise Road.

She returned to nursing in Malaya in June 1946 and in 1947 was married to Robbie Clifton Thom, who became head of the Malayan Police Special Branch and, subsequently, a security officer in British Guyana, before independence. When her husband died in 1967 she settled in Bournemouth where she was a volunteer for Barnardo’s. She is survived by two daughters.

Phyllis Thom, nursing sister and prisoner of the Japanese, 1942-45, was born on June 14, 1908. She died on September 16, 2008, aged 100. RIP.

Friday photo: artwork from days gone by

2008-09-19T08:52:00.001+02:00

Here's something I found from around 20 years ago. Old artwork might be something to inspire you, whether your own sketch, photo or a flea-market find.

Perhaps it captured a moment? Why was the subject selected? Where has it been all these years? Who has passed by and viewed it? Note to self: use other art forms in writing to inspire.

A hyponymy anyone?

2008-09-18T23:43:00.003+02:00

Here's a new word for the day.

HYPONYMY

Pop over to John Hewitt's blog to read more or try out his poetry prompt..."I’d like to talk about hyponymy for two reasons," he says. "The first reason is that it can be a fun thing to play with in your poetry. The second reason is that it is the only word I know with three Ys in it. Hyponymy is the use of subsets of related words, most of which have a superordinate (parent) term."

"Today’s Poetry Prompt
Either use a set of hyponyms as the structure for your poem or write a poem around the phrase, “He was blue, she was a rabbit.” Either way, I look forward to seeing what you come up with."

Wildcard Wednesday: 40th Anniversary of the 2nd class stamp

2008-09-17T01:13:00.003+02:00

September 16th was the 40th anniversary of the introduction of first class British postal service and two-tier stamp system.

"1968: The first day of the new two-tier postal system has had a mixed reaction from the public, with some queuing to buy the new 5d first-class stamps and others complaining the new system makes sending letters more difficult.

The Post Office is promising overnight delivery for letters with a fivepence stamp on, while fourpence buys you a slower service." BBC History Archive.

2008: latest Royal Mail stamp news: At the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the Olympic Flag was symbolically handed over to London, who will host the Games in 2012.

To mark this historic event, Royal Mail and China Post have joined forces to produce a joint stamp issue featuring four stamps celebrating the historical and modern architecture of each city. The UK stamps are available in a miniature sheet.

The Miniature Sheets went on sale in the UK on 22nd August, while their China counterparts, featuring the same images, went on sale in China two days later on the day of the handover ceremony.

I used to collect stamps, and I enjoy the concept here, as well as finding the artwork of the architecture from London and Beijing used, very stylish. More miniatures ver at Rebecca Ramsey's blog of yesterday (here).

Tuesday Tip: Don't Get Caught Up in the Rush, by Nathan Bransford

2008-09-16T06:50:00.000+02:00

Here's a great tip from Nathan Bransford, literary agent with Curtis Brown, posted yesterday.

He writes, "Impatience sits on your shoulder and messes with you at every stage of the publishing process.

Writing: "You're totally finished!"
Revising: "Who needs revisions, it's perfect!"
Research: "I'll just call an agent to ask how to write a query letter."
Querying: "E-mail blast!!!!!!!"
Following up: "Two weeks to read a partial??? Time for an angry e-mail!"

But perhaps the most dangerous period where impatience can affect your judgment comes when you are offered representation and are trying to decide on a course of action."

I read his entire post. Then I read it again. Slowly. I made a mental note: remember it for future. Nathan Bransford shares his time and advice generously to authors on his blog. Probably the best blog I know for aspiring authors and would recommend to everyone.

Agatha Christie and the Everyday Inspiration

2008-09-15T17:32:00.006+02:00

Agatha Christie was born today, 118 years ago, on September 15, 1890, in Torquay, Devon.

Previously undiscovered self-made recordings were announced today. The reels of tape, over 13 hours long, were discovered by the author's grandson in a cardboard box at Christie's former home in Torquay.

Only a handful of recordings of her voice are known to exist - including a 1955 interview for the BBC and a 1974 recording for the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive in which she recounts her experiences in a World War I dispensary which gave her a working knowledge of poisons - something which would be exploited in her murder mysteries.

There are some insights into her family life in the tapes and she explains that Miss Marple shared many characteristics with her own grandmother.

Christie said of her grandmother: "Although a completely cheerful person, she always expected the worst of anyone and everything. And with almost frightening accuracy [she was] usually proved right."

Her grandmother would say "I shouldn't be surprised if so-and-so was going on," Christie said. "And although with no grounds for these assertions, that was exactly what was going on."

I was inspired by this story, and it underscored once again, something I heard at a poetry workshop last week in St.Ives, hosted by Ann Kelley (Costa Childrens Fiction winner 2007 - The Bower Bird). She encourages writers to seize the moment, capture the ideas and images of the everyday. She introduced us to a poem by Raymond Carver, titled "Sunday Night". It begins...

"Make use of the things around you.
This light rain
outside the window, for one..."

Now, what was it my grandmother used to say?

Friday Photo

2008-09-11T23:45:00.003+02:00

This Friday's photo, was taken in Scotland, on the A9, not far from Pitlochry. It could be so wonderfully interpreted - Red squirrels watch out what you're doing! Red squirrels (as opposed to green ones?). I did then indeed see one on the road about 100m further on. Squirrel car-jackers? The possibilities are endless.

Make 'em Laugh to win

2008-09-09T00:12:00.005+02:00

"Humour marks important stages in the child’s intellectual development, and so do books, but only a humorous book provides that uniquely accessible combination of education and enjoyment." Alastair Clarke, author of The Pattern Recognition Theory of Humour (Pyrrhic House)

The inaugural Roald Dahl Funny Prize was announced today by the reading charity Booktrust. The Roald Dahl Funny Prize is the first prize of its kind; founded to honour those children's books that simply make us laugh.

What is the role of humour in a child's development? Defense mechanism? Social interaction? Do children want to read funny books?

See my full article at The View from Here News.

Andy Murray - inspirational moves

2008-09-08T03:13:00.004+02:00

Andy Murray's win against Rafael Nadal in the semi-final of the tennis US Open tonight, just shows the success that determination and self-belief, coupled with natural talent and hard work can achieve. Back in his home town of Dunblane, Murray's grandmother Shirley Erskine spoke of her delight.

She said: "I am just so proud of him, I thought it was absolutely amazing.Nadal came out and just played superb tennis but Andy stayed with him and made it through. He's worked so hard this year and trained so hard and he really gave it his all and got a just reward.

He is in with the big boys now, but he has nothing to fear because he has beaten Federer before. If he goes out and plays as he did with Nadal he'll be fine."

Whether we are writers or sportsmen, or seek success in another field, let's be inspired by the champion play of Andy Murray. He now meets defending champion Roger Federer in the final. Whatever the final outcome, well done Mr. Murray!

Picture: Andrew Brownbill/AP

Bumps and Humps in Bavaria

2008-09-03T07:03:00.035+02:00

This Wednesday's post sees a diversification in style to join in Rebecca Ramsey's celebration of Wonders Across the World, in honor of her 115th post and because it's her birthday. Birthday Cake and blog-hopping fun to be had by all, how could I say no? So before I begin, "Happy Birthday Rebecca". Sorry I am not here in person today, as I'm in the remote Highlands of Scotland, but I'll be back at the weekend to address comments and admire everyone else's posts from today, taking part in this wonder-ama party.

I took inspiration from two things:
1) Rebeccas's wonder of last week the raisin, and
2) in the everyday, and looked around me.

I live in a pretty wonderful area. I live near these big bumps.

The Alps.

They formed over a long period of time, starting around 30 million years ago, when the two tectonic plates of Africa and Europe collided with one another, and instead of one plate dominating and going under, they pushed up nappes, or folds of rock - a bit like sewing when the machine stitches more slowly than you feed the fabric in your fingers, the resistance on both sides forces up folds.

One wonderful aspect of living near mountains, is the Alpine climate - Snow in winter

provides opportunity for winter sports and the warm summers and Fall, great produce.

And in the Alpine countryside, we have beautiful and typical alpine scenery:
...Fields, waterfalls, lakes.

In the fields we see...
...Flowers Pictured is the Gentiana acaulis - the stemless gentian - the name makes me think of a man with no legs. (Did you know? The Gentian appears on one side of the Austrian € 0.01 euro coins - our 1 cent).

...Cows

(Did you know? Braunvieh cattle imported to the United States in the 19th century were the origin of the modern Brown Swiss cattle breed?)

...Horses

(I think this one was smiling at me)
...and Camels.

Er,... camels?

Camels. With two humps. Bactrian camels.

Let me introduce you to Sultana.(You thought I'd forgotten the raisin link from Rebecca's blog here, eh?)

It's a recent development in a nearby field, a local company is offering camel rides. So we now have Bumps and Humps in Bavaria. They seem to enjoy it here, even though their natural habitat would be somewhat less green. (Did you know?: Large wild populations are found in the deserts & plains of China, Central Asia, and ....Australia.)

And, think the humps are filled with water? Nope - it's fat. According to homeworkspot.com, ..."the humps on a camel's back are actually huge heaps of fat and flesh that can weigh as much as 80 pounds in a healthy camel. These humps help camels survive for weeks without food and water."

They look happy enough, as well as camels can - look at these tails in action:

Other camel facts:
* An adult camel weighs between 700 and 1,500 pounds (318 to 680 kg) and is up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall.
* Camels can live to be up to 50 years old.
* Camels gestate about 11 months and give birth to one calf.
* A male reaches maturity in five years, a female in three to four years.
* Camels have three eyelids! Two of them have lashes, and the third is thin.
* A camel can close its nostrils.(helps to reduce moisture loss in dry climates)
* A camel, like a goat, will eat almost anything.
* Pack camels can carry loads of 400 pounds 25 miles (181 kg 40 km) in a day.

Did someone say camels were ugly? Well, yes, perhaps. They are renowned for spitting too. So if you're ever feeling old and ugly or think you have fat in odd places, just think of the Alps and the camels - in comparison, we're all young and beautiful.

Rebecca, I hope this is wonderful for you -- I can't wait to read the others -- whether weird or wacky, beautiful or breathtaking, heartwarming or hilarious as you say; there are so many everyday wonders around us, we just need to remember to stop and smell the flowers, even the Gentiana acaulis, sometimes. Hope you enjoyed my scenic tour: The wonders of Bumps & Humps in Bavaria.

We have a winner...

2008-08-31T07:50:00.004+02:00

From the writing competition on August 3rd, in which the requirements were that it be 100 words or less and feature a bookmark, RealitySlams from Malaysia sent in this beautiful entry. She won a book from the list offered by the UK Year of Reading.

Here is her story:

*****

"As any artist knows, any feelings conveyed while performing the art would be felt by its audience.

And so, with feelings of love and tenderness, he started carving on the thin aluminium plate a fine pattern that lifted, dipped, and curled. He worked on it almost without lifting the carving blade, his concentration unwavering. Thirty minutes later, the bookmark was done. Making certain the corners were blunt and the surface rid of carving dust, Gibran called out to his four year-old grandson Khalil, whom he hoped would take up the love of reading.

As he has."

*****

In her few words I am given a very clear picture in my mind first from a distance, then viewing the bookmark from above as the carver does. The detail of his action adds to the portrayal of the carver's character, showing us his skill, his conscientiousness and care for his grandson. And it is for me, filled with emotion, passing on skills between the generations, full of the hopes for the future. A very worthy winner. Well done RealitySlams!

Happy Birthday Mr. Lego Man

2008-08-26T00:06:00.008+02:00

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a mini LEGO man!
On August 25, 2008, the LEGO minifigure celebrates his 30th birthday!

Despite the ongoing maintenance, I can't miss this momentous day and a post to wish this icon of my lifetime many happy returns.

Always a super hero, the mini-figure can help you be whomever you want to be – from a rescue firefighter to an astronaut to a deep sea diver to a race car driver, and various Hollywood film characters! Check out this video to celebrate all of his adventures.

The world has changed a lot in the last 30 years and Miniman has changed with it.
See the original seven, and compare to your favorites of today - he's been everything in between. Today's figures seem tied into films, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Batman. However it's good to see the classics still remain; as the City character of 2008 reflects. The challenge of modernising the Classic, is something I discuss in a series of three articles this week, over at The View From Here News Section, in relation to the Enid Blyton Costa award. Seems to hold true for LEGO man too - perhaps the original has not become a modernised model, but a clone in name only, and the LEGO film figures, are really a different toy and stand alone like the original Star Wars or Batman figures. If so, it could be another example of promotion using an existing brand to extend the market and not to update existing models. Sounds just like the new Enid Blyton books, announced yesterday.

Ninety-five percent of all households in Belgium with kids up to age 14 own LEGO products. Austria's LEGO penetration percentage is about 90% and in Denmark, it is at 92%. LEGO is manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company name Lego was coined by Christiansen from the Danish phrase leg godt, which means "play well".

Check out the LEGO website for games, downloads, and cool tidbits of info, like the fact that there are over 4 billion mini-figures in the world today, and 3.9 of them are sold every single second, of every day, of every year! Happy birthday, Lego Miniman!!

Work in Progress -

2008-08-21T21:00:00.003+02:00

Please bear with me whilst we have a blog makeover. Now I know how people feel who get in help to remodel their kitchen - you can't cook whilst they do the work, and it feels as though nothing is where it belongs, and there's lots of dust lying around waiting till they clean up after the work is finished. I'm told we will be done on Friday - watch this space. I'm still optimistic I'll love the new look, and I hope you will too.

Costa 2008 Poll: the British public’s most cherished and best-loved authors of all time

2008-08-19T23:25:00.003+02:00

Nineteen Forty-Two. January 17, the birth of Muhammad Ali, American boxer. June 12: Future essayist Anne Frank receives a diary for her thirteenth birthday. November 19 - WWII: Battle of Stalingrad, turning the tide of the battle in the USSR's favor. Daily war events of significance in the struggle for dominance, in Europe, South Asia, Africa and at sea.

Against this backdrop, a writer in her mid-forties, wrote the first in a world famous fiction series. Now, sixty-six years later in 2008, the British Enid Blyton stories, 'the Famous Five' have undergone a revamp.

Her classical work has just been recognised as that which made her today's best-loved author of all time, in a new poll just released by Costa. Read more over at the View From Here.

(Note: work-in-progress to the structure here, means more limited posting than usual - looking forward to an improved design - coming soon!)

Back in Action

2008-08-16T20:57:00.005+02:00

So I'm back from my week in the Alps and have returned to ninety-nine emails, including some great entries for the Bookmark Competition (see August 3 post).But I'm not giving anything away just yet. Keep the entries coming in.

Watch this space for the winner, to be announced at the end of the month.

Away from The Desk

2008-08-10T18:15:00.002+02:00

“Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great.”

Comte DeBussy-Rabutin

The Amateur Book Blogger returns on August 17

Open censorship, media manipulation or quiet quashing of criticism.

2008-08-08T08:08:00.008+02:00

On 08.08.08, and with the official opening of the Olympic Games today, I feel it is appropriate to write a post related to China, Asia and media activity.

This is not a political blog, and I do not want it to become one, but this is an unusual day, marked by a great and unique event, and so I will make an exception, as it relates to the power of the written word and how it is used to record facts.

“By continuing to persecute and punish those who speak out for human rights, the Chinese authorities have lost sight of the promises they made when they were granted the Games seven years ago,” said Roseann Rife, Asia-Pacific Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

“The Chinese authorities are tarnishing the legacy of the Games. They must release all imprisoned peaceful activists, allow foreign and national journalists to report freely and make further progress towards the elimination of the death penalty.”

Hari Kunzru, in The Guardian, wrote on May 29, "Beijing's human rights record does need to be challenged - but, given the strength of nationalist feeling, we have to be careful about how."

President Bush, it seems, didn't read the sensible and sensitive article. The US Leader come out and called China, on its Human Rights policies. He did it on the same day, as press reports stated that a US official had confirmed that should a military tribunal jury find a Guantanamo prisoner innocent, he/she would not be automatically released should the US government believe they remain a potential threat. (Did they see Minority Report?)

In the US, reports Amnesty International, A Mexican national who was not informed of his right to consular assistance after his arrest, was executed in Texas on Tuesday 5 August.

José Medellín was put to death in violation of the USA’s international legal obligations and despite worldwide appeals for the execution to be stopped, including one from the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon.

The parable of who should throw the first stone, comes to mind. Or "people in glass houses..". And they shouldn't forget that people can see in and through them, even if the owners like to think otherwise.

In China, the activities of the press are openly monitored and manipulated by the State. Some may believe the intention of the US President is genuinely to call attention to China's Human Rights issues at this time : I am not one of them. The press attention it received quickly took away the focus on the Guantanamo statement. Bush has criticised the China state policy on unlawful imprisonment and the death penalty, yet the same policies exist in both countries, albeit on different scales.

On April 29, again quoting The Guardian carried the story that PEN had formally expressed concern to Tesco, over its response to journalists writing about its activities in Thailand.

"...our concern over the recent libel actions served by Tesco Lotus in Thailand against three critics of the store's policy in that country – Jit Siratranont, Kamol Kamoltrakul and Nongnart Harnwilai. We understand that Tesco Lotus has been faced with considerable criticism in Thailand, and that there may be some errors of fact in aspects of this coverage. However, the scale of Tesco Lotus's response seems grossly disproportionate"...they called on Tesco

"...to drop all actions in Thailand, and to impress your critics with the force of argument, not the threat of imprisonment."

Tesco has a public policy to "treat people as we like to be treated" - yet 'in private', in a country where the media attention on such a story is very different should the same thing have happened in the UK, it appears that they will treat the press and written criticism with a severity of action that we might expect from the Chinese State.

Open censorship, media manipulation, or quiet quashing of criticism. Which is the lesser of three evils?

I echo the plea of PEN, to all of these bodies, State, corporate or otherwise:

"... impress your critics with the force of argument, not the threat of imprisonment."

Do You Love Lyrics? - Competition for under 18s

2008-08-06T23:33:00.004+02:00

Books are a great source of inspiration for song lyrics. The Arctic Monkeys have done it, so have Radiohead and Nirvana. They've all written song lyrics inspired by a book - and now you can have a go.

The National Year of Reading has teamed up with Penguin Spinebreakers and Piczo for the Love Lyrics competition to encourage teens to create their own lyrical classics from a range of novels chosen by Spinebreaker's teenage editors. These include Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer. The competition winner will have their lyrics performed live by popular electro duo Dans Le Sacs vs Scroobius Pip. The competition ends on 3 October. For more information see here.

Entrants should be UK residents, aged 13 - 18 according to the description. (Though the T&C, only state over 13) Read terms and conditions regards copyright, royalty and submission guidelines.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn - a Truthful view?

2008-08-04T02:57:00.006+02:00

Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1918 - 2008)

"He devoted his life's energy to telling future generations of Russians the truth of their history and of responsibility. About his Western critics Solzhenitsyn himself had said, "They lie about me as if I were already dead."

Now, it is his writing which remains, his truth, perhaps his only unbiased obituary."

To read the complete story, view my news post at "The View From Here Magazine."

What's your story? Bookmark me, and win!

2008-08-03T13:08:00.007+02:00

I saw these magnetic bookmarks at a Heathrow airport bookstore recently, and was inspired to buy them for my fellow Munich book club members - no guessing who's who!

As Waterstone's "What's your story?" competition has closed, and my short fiction entry has been published over at Bebo author, I am in competition mode.

If you fancy having a go, why not tell me your story, in 100 words or less, with a 'bookmark' to be included somewhere in the story or poem. The term 'bookmark' is open to interpretation. Open genres but all to be 'U' rated please. OK, I know there is a lot of discussion about and dislike of the upcoming book rating scheme, but you get the idea. Clean and suitable for all ages. Email entries to abbcompetition@gmail.com by August 24. Include your name or handle, year of birth (U18/over 18), location, any link(s) you want to associate with your entry (your web page/blog) and word count. By entering you agree to have your text appear on this blog in a post.

Winners can choose to receive either a bookmark from the fabulous Mr.Man & Little Miss series shown, or one of the five books in paperback form, offered as part of the Year of Reading giveaway (see previous post for details.) While we're talking of bookmarks, why not bookmark the blog, or sign up to the RSS feed to receive my posts?

Free Audiobooks from 'Year of Reading'

2008-08-01T15:35:00.007+02:00

This Sunday, the National Year of Reading is launching Free Downloads Week.

You can download a FREE audiobook from a host of top publishers, every day of the week from Sunday 3 to Friday 8 August.

The free offer starts on Sunday with Horrid Henry's Stinkbomb, followed by Morse's Greatest Mystery on Monday, Anthony Horowitz's Stormbreaker on Tuesday, Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped on Wednesday (CD currently retails at £7.14 on Amazon.co,uk) and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes on Thursday. As Friday's treat they'll be giving away a range of free comedy clips from The Mighty Boosh, Flight of the Conchords and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

All you have to do is visit www.yearofreading.org.uk this Sunday and follow the links to Free Downloads Week.

Each title is available for one day only, so make sure to visit every day during the week to get the free downloads.

Paper Prices and E-Readers on the Rise

2008-07-27T11:34:00.008+02:00

Penguin has announced that it will have 1,500 of its best-selling titles available in epub format along with all new publishing in time for the arrival of the Sony Reader in September. By the end of 2008, this number will increase to more than 2,500 titles from across the Penguin Group.

For the UK launch, Penguin’s best-selling titles will be available in epub, including current top ten titles, such as Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks. Penguin’s most popular classics will also be available, including books by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, complete with introductions and easy to reference footnotes.

Penguin in the United States have seen ebook sales growing fast. Penguin Group USA’s net ebook sales from the first four months of this year surpassed the company’s sales for all of 2007.

Dorling Kindersley (DK) will have 1,000 titles available as ebooks by the end of 2008, with most new titles from September coming in ebook format simultaneously. DK’s highly illustrated reference books are well suited to the PDF format which is readable on all desk and laptop computers.

DK’s COO, Andrew Phillips, said, “We are very excited by the opportunity that digital content delivery offers us and have already had considerable success on a range of platforms including web, mobile handsets and TV. We look forward to the development of ebooks as a great way of making DK’s reference accessible in another format.”

Penguin Digital Director, Genevieve Shore added, “We are delighted to have a date for the launch of the Sony Reader here in the UK. We know from our experience in the United States, that there is a consumer appetite for ebooks once an appealing device is available. We have a fantastic range of titles available from day one and we will continue to expand the availability of our back catalogue in digital form.”

On 24th July 2008, Sony announced that the Reader would be available in the UK with a launch date of 3rd September. Waterstone's is the official retail partner and the Reader is available for pre-order from selected stores and Waterstones.com.

It competes with other e-paper devices— the Amazon Kindle, iRex iLiad, the Jinke Hanlin eReader, and CyBook by Bookeen.

In times where environmental issues around paper mills are being taken more seriously, and closures creating a shortage of paper, the ebook reader market is something to be carefully considered for pitching by authors, as book prices seem inevitably due to rise. Penguin UK, a British book publisher, spends about 60 percent of its manufacturing budget in China, a shift that created savings of 20 percent to 50 percent three years ago when it first moved its contracts . Those savings have provided a cushion that the company says will allow the publisher to avoid raising prices - for now.

"Inflationary pressures will bite eventually but we have huge volumes and a broad supplier base," Liz Allen, Penguin's production director in London, says in an e-mail. She notes cost inflation will not be "a significant problem for some time to come".(source: Bejiing Book Fair Press)

It is ironic, that China, credited as the first country to invent paper, believed to have been around the 2nd century, before it was spread to the Arab world along the ancient Silk Road and then on to Europe centuries later, is the first country most hit by the increase in paper prices affecting the book market. The latest Harry Potter retailed at $9 - double the last book. The industry has relied on straw and other waste from crops to make paper, not the wood pulp used in the West. But crop and straw waste is highly polluting and not as easily recycled as wood pulp. Paper mills, most of them small, inefficient operators, accounted for 17 percent of all industrial water pollution in 2005, according to the Chinese Paper Association, an industry group.

In a bid to clean up China's rivers and spur the paper-making industry to consolidate and modernize by using wood pulp, the government has closed down hundreds of mills and targeted hundreds more for shutdown by 2010. In March this year, the government closed 234 mills alone around severely polluted Dongting Lake in Central China.

The restructuring is spurring heavy demand for wood pulp, nearly all of which China must import. As it does, global prices for pulp could also rise, creating cost pressures for publishers worldwide, says RISI's Lu.

So, if e-books can maintain lower costs as paper books rise, perhaps the e-readers will become more appealing to the mass markets. Currently many readers still seem to want to turn pages in their hands, in the bath or even still borrow books from a library. But if publishers have a better insight into the future paper industry than we do, it may indicate why they want to promote ebook readers. Certainly, in a place like China, where electronics goods can be made relatively inexpensively, but shipping products vast distances expensive (and who knows what the oil price holds for future?), it seems destined that paperbooks will become beyond the everyday reader's budget. Will dog-eared pages become a thing of the past; and ereaders and ebooks become commonplace?

Amazon Numbers Stronger than ever, and watch their Words

2008-07-24T08:11:00.003+02:00

Amazon.com, Inc. has announced its financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2008. And has a highly successful story to tell, despite the economic times - but also gives us a nice example, of telling a story with some simple spin.

***

Net sales increased 41% to $4.06 billion in the second quarter, compared with $2.89 billion in second quarter 2007. Excluding the $0.18 billion favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales grew 35% compared with second quarter 2007. Included in the second quarter 2008 operating income is a $53 million non-cash gain recognized on the sale of their European DVD rental assets.

"Customers continue to take advantage of our low prices, free shipping and Amazon Prime," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "Amazon Prime membership costs less than a tank of gas - more and more customers are joining the program and enjoying its benefits."

Kindle selection continued to grow with more than 140,000 titles available.

***

Note how this CEO quote leverages their new product in the press statement. And after all, almost anything costs less than a tank of gas today. Well, maybe not anything, but that certainly allows for more than it did six months ago. But it's also a simple statement that everyone can relate to, and makes it understandable and concrete. It doesn't tell me what Amazon prime is - that's not its job, but it perhaps piques my interest how I can be one of the "...customers...enjoying its benefits."

The Kindle results are not stated financially, and may or may not suggest less than perfect score? But it again gives us information about their product offering in a statement that is not about product, but principally about financials. So aside from considering getting a Kindle (Nathan Bransford raves about his), it's worth keeping an eye on amazon's market indicators for books, media and the way the written word is used.

Edinburgh sees record Online Sales for Festival

2008-07-23T12:25:00.004+02:00

The first weekend of ticket sales for the Edinburgh International Book Festival has resulted in a 24% increase on 2007, with over 16% of the programme already sold out. Sales of high profile events such as Sean Connery, Margaret Atwood, Alex Salmond and Jonathan Dimbleby were not unexpected, but Book Festival staff are delighted that some of the lesser known authors such as Bernardo Atxaga from the Basque region of Spain, and home grown talent such as Andrew Crumey and Andrew Greig are also proving popular.

Sean Connery & Murray Grigor’s launch of Being A Scot on Monday 25th August was the first – and fastest ever – event to sell out, with all tickets snapped up within an hour of going on sale. The previous fastest selling event was Muriel Spark’s appearance in 2004 which sold out in two hours.

Catherine Lockerbie, Director of the Book Festival said “The Book Festival offers something for everyone, whether you are an aspiring novelist, interested in literature, poetry or politics. We are delighted by the phenomenal response.”

The Book Festival website received 300,000 hits in the first hour of ticket sales, and internet sales over the first weekend have increased by 63% on last year. While a number of events are sold out, with over 750 events in the programme, there is still plenty to see and do. In the adult programme, tickets for Catherine O’Flynn, winner of the Costa First Novel award, Andrew O’Hagan, Rick Wakeman, The Ukraine’s Andrey Kurkov and Irvine Welsh are all still available while the RBS Children’s Programme has a wide range of events and workshops suitable for all ages from toddler to teenager.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival will run from 9 to 25 August 2008 in the beautiful setting of Charlotte Square Gardens in the historic heart of the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature. Tickets can be booked on-line on www.edbookfest.co.uk, on the phone on 0845 373 5888 or via the Box Office in Waterstones, George Street (Monday to Saturday, 10.00am to 5.00pm).

Crossing the border

2008-07-12T17:37:00.006+02:00

Borders has announced another new US store opening. Just another in the fourteen new stores opening in 2008. Yes, and? You may say. And? But this is not just another series of new US bookstores, but fourteen mega-stores with a difference, 'concept' stores.

In their own words, Borders recognises the challenge of book selling in an ever changing market with books, music and movies available to consumers through an ever-expanding set of channels: online, digital, and a range of bricks-and-mortar options from the discount store, supermarkets to the traditional corner bookstore. Within this environment, they are seeking to differentiate their stores from the competition and to define the “reason for being” as a retailer.

The first concept store opened in February 2008, and has enjoyed a positive start."It has been a huge success and customers love it,” said Borders Group Chief Executive Officer George Jones. “We’ve stayed true to what our customers have always loved about Borders—deep and intelligent selection, knowledgeable staff, and a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere. Yet, we’ve brought a fresh new look and an exciting interactive dimension to the store with a Digital Center where customers can do everything from mix and make their own custom CDs, download books and music, publish their own books, and create photo books—all without being computer experts because we have trained people there to help every step of the way,” he said.

“In addition, we’ve put a strong focus on popular categories—including Travel, Cooking, Wellness, Graphic Novels and Children’s—by incorporating digital options and the online world, making these sections of the store interactive destinations where customers can not only shop our vast selection of books, but also take advantage of computer kiosks featuring recommendations from our expert buyers, related video content including interviews with experts and authors, and much more. In addition, in select destinations, there are large in-section LCD screens broadcasting a depth of content featuring some highly recognizable names in these subject areas, as well as Borders’ own exclusive programs,” Jones continued.

“Overall, this new concept store is a key part of our long-term strategic plan. We set out to differentiate Borders and give customers a reason to choose us over other retailers and we’ve achieved that goal spectacularly with this new concept store. And, now with the new Borders.com, we’ll be able to truly deliver on our cross-channel retail strategy including the option for customers to access the site in our stores to view wish lists and conveniently order from millions of titles for delivery to their homes within two days. I’m proud of what we’ve created and I’m thrilled with the way customers have embraced it.”

It is perhaps a timely adaptation to draw customers into bookstores who may otherwise order their books, music and other merchandise online. There is something rather enjoyable about spending a wet afternoon in the company of a good friend, browsing new books in a store with vast stock, a good coffee shop and leather sofas. The 'bigger and better' may draw anewed gasps of fear from the local bookstore owner, but it is reassuring to see that one of the key success factors Borders emphasize is 'knowledgeable staff' - and that is something the small store can compete on - and the web, as yet, cannot. We'll see when the first opens outside the US.

(photo credit: Laszlo Regos, borders.com)

A Spot of Bother

2008-07-07T23:50:00.005+02:00

Monday night. I was all set. I was leading the Book Club review tonight, on Mark Haddon's "A Spot of Bother." Thanks to Sharon, who called me as I was brushing my teeth just as I was leaving (see, I get dressed up when I get a night off) I did half expect I may be on my lonesome, as Beth had got stuck in foreign land, Bron stuck teaching a foreign lang at the last minute when a colleague bailed an evening class, Sharon was minding baby with foreign bug (OK, hopefully just a cold, but it fits) and Petra had also indicated advanced absence. The other three newbies, unknown potentials.

But I guess that'll teach me for being set to lead the book "A Spot of Bother". Perhaps next time I'll do, "The five people you meet in heaven", or "House of Meetings" by Amis instead.

2 Hours, 66km and one speeding ticket later, I have to conclude that no one went tonight, or that due to my 35 minute search to find a parking space (into which I not entirely modestly maneuvered, with 5cm behind me and 10 in front), I was so late (20:35) that everyone who was not on above attendees list and I do not know, had gone elsewhere. If so, I apologise and hope they had less bother and more fun discussing it elsewhere.

The positive result is that I know Cafe Delia appears completely CLOSED anyway for future - no notice in window, but locked up. So, new venue suggestions on a postcard. The most popular vote wins a chewed version of my review of ASOB.... you know, an eight month old will eat anything made of paper.

So, the book. The book is funnier than my exploits. Characters are stronger than plot, in fact, the characters really are the plot. Their personalities, their frailties, worries and vanities, all revealed as shamelessly as if in magnified bathroom mirror style, with neon light. I may be one of the few in the world who will admit I read only one page of TCIotDitNightime, and decided not to buy. I'll have to go back to it. This made me laugh. A lot. It surprised me. A lot. (Especially as I did not follow through on aforementioned Curious Incident). As a result I had no expectations and have nothing to compare it with. Except that it reminds me very much of Franzen's "The Corrections." But The Corrections seems more 'Guardian' and 'ASofB' more Daily Mail. I think ASoB will be hugely popular precisely because it is a less literary. The complex detail of the characters' day-to-day, masks their rather simple lives. The one character who can see through it all, (aptly named 'Ray') seems to be the most simple to start with, but in fact proves to have more depth of character than them all - and they are all hugely realistic, if borderline stereotypical. Ingeniously crafted with detailed description they are further tinged by our own interpretations and prejudice of 'someone we know who is just like...'. Or by the book we know that the character reads. If TV's "Lost" can encourage so many to go out and buy a paperback which featured in the series, perhaps Haddon's generous helping of other titles included in this work, will get more books read. Not everyone may be into 'Ackroyd' or 'Pet Sematary', but the range is broad, there's something for everyone. Just like the story really. And I do like a happy ending, and here you get three.

PS: our next book is planned to be "An inconvenient Truth". - I conveniently ordered it online, amongst the others on the list and some which were not but I "really needed to get the next time I placed an order" - and yep, I agree, I ended up with an inconvenient truth indeed when the parcel arrived - I had ordered the DVD version, not the book - doh! "Where is that paper returns envelope...?"

Are you a cereal monogamist?

2008-07-07T17:20:00.004+02:00

This and other dynamic definitions of day-to-day life, are included in The DailyCandy Lexicon: Words That Don't Exist but Should. It hits US book shelves July 8.

It considers itself to be the insider's guide to what's hot, new, and undiscovered.This is the second book title, The DailyCandy Lexicon: Words That Don't
Exist but Should. Chock-full of words that capture hysterical bits of ladies' lives in a way that women everywhere will relate to, the book will make readers laugh, cry (ok, not really), and if nothing else say "oh my goodness -- sooo true!"

"The words found in The DailyCandy Lexicon were created thanks to those real-life situations that a plain old dictionary doesn't have words for,"says Dany Levy, founder and editor-in-chief of DailyCandy. "Upon hearing the words, most will know exactly what the definitions are. After all, there's only one way to describe annoyingly loud cell phone conversations (yellular) or that older woman dressing way too flashy for her age (teenile)."

DailyCandy's lexicons made their debut in an editorial item in 2001 when the staff realized that the words they were making up might be well received outside the confines of their AIM chats. Seven years and many laughs later, The DailyCandy Lexicon: Words That Don't Exist but Should is DailyCandy's largest, funniest, and most useful compilation of lexicon words yet!

Let's see how many make the Oxford English Dictionary in the next edition. After all, use of language is what makes it legitimate, is it not?

Year of Reading Goes Outdoors

2008-07-06T09:00:00.000+02:00

The UK National Year of Reading will be basking in the great outdoors this Summer, launching a series of projects designed to inspire and encourage outdoor reading and storytelling within local communities nationwide.

The programme launches tomorrow, at the Hampton Court Flower Show on 8-13th July with a fantastical show garden inspired by ‘bedtime reading’.

Created by award winning designer, Sally Court, the show garden’s theme is an imaginative walk through a garden of the unexpected and is inspired by stories from children’s books and from reading material for grown-ups. From Eric Cale's ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ to Philippa Gregory’s books on the life of the Tradescants, Peter Pan to Indiana Jones, Lynne Truss's excellent guide to correct use of punctuation in the English language ‘Eats Shoots and Leaves’ to RHS Encyclopaedias.

Visitors will enter the garden through the ‘bedroom’, and follow a path past a still pool, and back up over culverts towards the exit. There are places to read in the garden for individuals and groups. Elements of the garden include: plants originally collected by the Tradescants, father and son, to allow the ‘story’ of gardening to permeate, a tree-fern area complete with water misting to create an imaginative forest, an area for the ‘creation’ of stories and a lettuce lawn.

For other outdoor reading enthusiasts, a ‘Reading Spaces Challenge Toolkit’ is being launched via the website. It is a practical and easy-to-follow guide on how to transform an ordinary and unused outside space into a permanent reading garden. The toolkit will include practical horticultural advice and design hints to make sure completed gardens are accessible and easy to maintain, as well as looking good.

The 2008 National Year of Reading is being managed by The National Literacy Trust and lead partner The Reading Agency. Working with a consortium of partners, they are establishing a framework for delivering the campaign at a national and local level. A key priority is to develop a legacy which embeds reading, in all its forms, in our social culture and local authority planning and endures long beyond the end of the campaign itself.

Over 50 in the US - a New Chapter in Your Life?

2008-07-03T08:10:00.000+02:00

Submissions to the Borders/AARP "Your Next Chapter" essay contest are flowing in by the hundreds from across the US. Since the contest launch May 29, people age 50+ have submitted creative and inspirational essays that address the question "What are you going to do with the rest of your life?" Borders and AARP launched the essay contest in conjunction with a long-term agreement to provide unique benefits and discounts to AARP's 39 million members -- and to encourage Americans to put pen to paper and share their plans and dreams with others. The deadline for entries is July 14.

"The essays reflect the passion and enthusiasm that our members have in pursuing their dreams long after 50. We are pleased that so many people are willing to share their hopes, dreams and passions," said John Wider, executive vice president of AARP Services.

While each essay mirrors the unique voice and point of view of the writer, the essays reflect several common themes that underscore how people 50+ want to spend the next chapter of their lives. The top 10 themes emerging in the contest include:

- Engaging in volunteer work and helping others;
- spending quality time with friends and family, especially grandchildren;
- fishing;
- simplifying their lives;
- pursuing education opportunities;
- hobbies;
- traveling;
- starting over after the death of a loved one;
- fulfilling life-long dreams; and
- getting a second chance after beating an illness.

The "Your Next Chapter" essay contest runs until July 14. To enter, U.S. residents age 50 and over simply write a 350-word (or less) essay describing - - with attention to creativity and originality, inspirational quality, and appropriateness to the topic -- how they want to spend the next chapter of their lives. Essays can be submitted online at http://www.yournextchaptercontest.com by simply clicking the "upload it here" link, and following the posted instructions. Participants can also submit
their entries by mail to Borders/AARP "Your Next Chapter" Contest Entries, P.O. Box 5529, Blair, NE 68009-5529. All entries must be received by July 14 to be eligible.

A panel of judges will select one grand prize winner who will receive a $5,000 prize package that includes a lifetime AARP membership as well as a trip for two to Washington, D.C. in September to attend AARP's "Life at 50+" national event, which includes concerts and shows as well as a vast array of seminars, informational booths and celebrity appearances. In addition, through Borders, the grand prize winner will receive a $250 Borders gift card, a portable Reader Digital Book from Sony, and a Borders Personal Publishing Premium package from Lulu.com. The grand prize winner
and his/her essay will be featured on the AARP and Borders Web sites, and the winner will participate in an exciting publicity effort to share their essay and help inspire others. In addition to the grand prize winner, AARP and Borders will award five first place winners with a five-year AARP membership, a $100 Borders gift card, and a Borders Personal Publishing Standard package from Lulu.com. The essays of first place winners will also be posted on the AARP and Borders Web sites.

The Road Home and Inglorious take the Orange

2008-06-04T20:27:00.000+02:00

Congratulations to Rose Tremain, who has won the Orange Prize for Fiction 2008, with her novel "The Road Home".

"Like so many others, Lev is on his way from Eastern Europe to Britain, seeking work. He is a tiny part of a vast diaspora that is changing British society. But Lev is also a singular man with a vivid outsider’s vision of the place we call home."

As an ex-pat who has experience of working with many people from all over Eastern Europe, I am very much looking forward to reading it.

Joanna Kavenna takes the prize for new writers with "Inglorious".

"Rosa Lane is a dynamic journalist in her thirties, already the picture of London achievement... But one afternoon soon after the death of her mother, staring at her computer screen at work, she fails to see the point, walks out of her job – and begins her long fall from modern grace."

This too sounds like a good story. Both seem to share common themes of a family death, a journey or 'quest', to find the meaning of being within or outside of society. Broadcaster Kirsty Lang, says in the Guardian of The Road Home", "I felt it was a very timely theme. Eastern European migration is one of the biggest things to have happened to our country in recent years and there hasn't been much seriously written about it in this way. That this book captures the Zeitgeist and is about something that affects all of us is certainly a point in its favour."
Lang added that the trends that had emerged were, "over and over again, immigration and identity and, alongside that, loss and bereavement. And these themes are connected. In an age of globalisation and migration these are the questions that we grapple with."

It sounds as though, although an international prize, the two novels set in the UK had a certain pull this year. Last year's winner was Nigerian born, US resident, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for 'Half of a Yellow Sun'.

The universal 'Lottery' remains a personal favourite..."Per sounds like Pear, but I am not a fruit..." says Perry L. Crandell in Patricia Wood's first novel. How wonderfully word play can reveal naivety, or does it? The pace of his language may at first appear to reflect the pace of his thoughts, but does not necessarily indicate the depth of them. Read it for the enjoyment, for the underlying themes of discernment between disability and ability, love, society's treatment of one another, for studying how to use great dialogue to show character on the page and for so much more.

The fruit this time was destined to stay in the UK, but just making the shortlist has got to have been a wonderful experience and does sales no end of good. And who knows, perhaps Patricia Wood, like Rose Tremain who was previously shortlisted, may win a future award? The publishing world can be slow, you might get impatient, but writers who are in it for the long haul don't forget, Rose Tremain's first book was rejected 7 times before being accepted for publication and take a leaf out of 'Lottery'. Perry’s fresh perspective of the world. When a friend tells him to hurry up, that they 'don’t have all day', Perry thinks “…that is funny because we do. We do have all day.” It's just up to us what we choose to do with it.

Congratulations to all the nominated authors.

Your Mother was right - you should like sprouts

2008-05-20T15:55:00.000+02:00

According to the Kitchn.com (no, it’s not a typo), the sprout is “…a love 'em or hate 'em kind of vegetable… mostly because they're horribly misunderstood and so often badly prepared.”

Nowadays you expect some new online widget or whatnot every two minutes, but have you heard of ‘the Sprout?’ It's incredibly easy to understand and prepare - and perhaps you should have one, it's free. Sprout is the quick and easy way for anyone to build, publish, and manage “living content” -widgets, mini-sites, mashups, banners and more.

It looks like growing into one of ‘the’ tools to use in social marketing of the future, offering a quick online way to build, display and transport content in a mini-portfolio all in one place - and it looks great.

Users create content (“sprouts”) by dragging and dropping rich media such as video, audio, images, text, shapes, and interactive services such as chat (Meebo), phone (Ribbit), fundraising (ChipIn), surveys (PollDaddy), and more. The resulting Flash file can be embedded onto any Web site, blog, or social networking profile or published via widget platforms such as Gigya, Clearspring and SpringWidgets.

Founded by the Hawaiian based entrepreneur and Sprout CEO Carnet Williams, (the same as responsible for the vampire biting game-style gadget on facebook who sold that having decided, wisely, it was just a fad) sproutbuilder.com launched on January 31, 2008 at the DEMO ‘08 conference.

This ‘green’ looks to me to have a more popular online presence than its culinary counterpart. To non-developers, from the outside it looks like a mini website. A host of live pages which can be pasted via the ‘html’ code onto other pages. As its basic function, you could think of it as a transporter for distributable web content of all kinds, the only boundaries being load time and your creativity. It brings your content, all in one place, to someone else's doorstep. The interactivity that this offers to your viewers is an opportunity to engage them rather than just entertain, to enlist as well as inform.

You can see some wonderful examples in the forum of sproutbuilder.com. Once you have the raw materials, you can easily create an incredible promotional tool for posting to blogs, social media and other web pages. It can be easily emailed, embedded and shared by its viewers.

Any future changes are automatically made wherever it has been posted.

What's the benefit vs posting just a weblink or a single audio or video file on a social networking site? Viewers see your content without following a link. It's easy to make it look extremely professional (watch out 'cheap' video trailer providers who make just elaborate slide shows, your market will be eaten into by DIY sprout creators) and gives you the ability with no tecchie knowledge to put your content on pages that already have a high visibility without having to drive viewers to your own site. Like pizza home delivery, anyone who visits the website where you have stored your pizza box, gets to see your whole delivery, without having to order it specially or know to ask you for it.

Now, what potential does this have for you as an author and your book promotion?

Remember the good advice about sprouts “…a love 'em or hate 'em kind of vegetable… mostly because they're horribly misunderstood and so often badly prepared.” Make sure you understand a little of what people want to see and listen to, prepare carefully, and don’t overdo it. You can add an endless number of pages, but don't spoil it. Why not use this as a taster to encourage people to visit your website for all the detail? Don't be over zealous in your content. An author bio may not be necessary, the synopsis or blurb and perhaps a video or audio extracts will do. And if you want to encourage interaction then cosider adding a poll or a survey. Don't forget, people remember something in which they are involved 80% more than if they are just told the same information.

So go on, why not get a helping. Go to sproutbuilder.com and check it out. Sprouts always were my favourite vegetable.

PR and the Pope - self-promotion, service and the truth

2008-05-06T23:00:00.001+02:00

Truth lies at the heart of Pope Benedict XVI's message for this year's World Communications Day, May 4th. The theme is: "The Media: At The Crossroads between Self-Promotion and Service. Searching for the Truth in order to Share it with Others". He looks at the important role that the media plays in the lives of individuals and society at large. Whether or not you have any religious beliefs does not matter regards what we can learn from his manner and methods of promotion, and his key messages certainly give some food for thought on the role of the media and promotion. (Full text here.)

Whatever our personal goals, it is certainly always worth taking time to review and take stock of what has been achieved, through which methods and at what cost. What are the results: directly and indirectly?

Do you ensure that your goals and strategy co-exist with your overall premise? For example, at a recent trade event, I saw stacks and stacks of printed media packs in the press room, dedicated to the news of a new, environmental program. The irony was surely lost, not only on me. Do you ensure that your target audience is in-line with your product ethics? Perhaps if you sold your product to a large supermarket, you would see potentially larger business, but do they pursue fair-trade purchasing and no-child-labour policies that meet your own standards?

"The media, taken overall, are not only vehicles for spreading ideas: they can and should also be instruments at the service of a world of greater justice and solidarity. Unfortunately, though, they risk being transformed into systems aimed at subjecting humanity to agendas dictated by the dominant interests of the day."

How do your interests align with the current political, environmental and ethical climates? Are you prepared to stand up to your own beliefs?

I recently heard the story of German children's book author Rotraut Susanne Berner whose "Wimmelbücher" series, a wonderful range of detail-packed, board books, was courted by a publisher in the notoriously fickle US market. She decided not to pursue a potentially lucrative deal after ludicrous requests from the prospective publisher to censor some of the minor background artwork, depicting nudity - museum statues showing Roman figures typically do. You must wonder what those publishers think parents do when they take their children to a real museum or manage a trip-of-a-lifetime to Europe. We have nude statues. Lots of them. We don't stare or get upset. And we don't cover them up. Just as Frau Berner decided, she would not cover up her artwork and stood by her convictions to leave her work as intended.

Take stock once in a while. Are you on track with your promotional plan, and how does the detail fit in with your big picture? Are you censoring, and editing according to the whim of the individual or of the day or standing by your guns? How far is too far, when making a pitch or trying to achieve your goals?

What is PR?

2008-04-25T07:57:00.000+02:00

When a young man meets a girl and tells her what a fine man he is, that’s called promotion. When he tells her how beautiful she looks, that’s advertising. But when the girl chooses to go out with him because others told her what a fine man he is, that’s Public Relations.

Alwin Münchmeyer (1908-90) German Businessman and Banker

UK & Ireland residents: Daily Mail/Transworld First Novel Prize

2008-04-18T22:07:00.000+02:00

If you've already finished writing your novel, or you are looking for the incentive to get started, then here's your chance to win an advance of £30,000 and have your first novel published by the same company as such literary stars as Joanna Trollope, Bill Bryson, Jilly Cooper, and Frederick Forsyth.

The competition is open to anyone, aged 16 or over who is not already a published author of a novel with a valid ISBN, and who is a resident of the UK or Republic of Ireland, except for the employees (and their families) of The Random House Group Limited (Publisher) and Associated Newspapers Limited and any other company connected with the competition. It will be judged by best-selling author Joanne Harris, crime writer Simon Kernick, author and Books Editor of Woman and Home Fanny Blake and Francesca Liversidge, Transworld's Publishing Director.

Entrants must submit a complete work in the English language of not less than 80,000 words and no more than 150,000 words, along with a synopsis of no more than 600 words.

The full terms and conditions can be viewed here, or by sending a stamped addressed envelope to:

Daily Mail First Novel competition,
Transworld Publishers,
61-63 Uxbridge Road,
London W5 5SA.

The closing date is Wednesday, 2nd July 2008 so get writing!

A bunch of short stories and a competition

2008-04-17T23:05:00.000+02:00

Following the Orange Prize announcement, here's the update on the scriblist book one 'Five Green Bananas' and latest competition.

Scriblist was founded by two British teachers to promote creative writing within education. The internet-based collaborative writing platform, Scriblist.com, was set up to give aspiring writers – particularly talented younger writers – the chance to become published authors. However, competitions are open to all ages.

The collection 'Five Green Bananas' is out now, and brings together the 5 winning stories from the Book One competition. It addresses classic themes of love and death, friendship and family, social injustice and violence, but also talks to modern subjects such as autism, adoption and the impact of today’s carbon footprint on the future. The book title refers to the five different stories and the amateur nature of the authors at the start of the project. ISBN: 978-0-9558725-0-1

The Book Two competition is now open.

"Entries are invited for opening chapters of between 1500 and 2500 words and of any genre. Follow the 'How This Works' and 'FAQs' links on the left for further details, and keep an eye out for forthcoming announcements regarding deadlines and our special judging panel."

It's totally free to enter and winners see their work published and receive 1% of any future royalties. It's not designed to make anyone's fortune, but to give them a platform to improve their writing, put on the CV, and who knows, maybe catch a publisher's eye for future work?

Fruitful time ahead

2008-04-15T22:02:00.001+02:00

I'm delighted that Patricia Wood's 'Lottery' has made the Orange Prize short list. As I featured last month, her web and blog really deserve some praise, and it appears the Judging Panel think 'Lottery' does too. My copy is on the way, have you read it yet? It's out in paperback on June 8th - and the 4th sees the winner announced - let's hope it could be her lucky day.

London calling

2008-04-15T21:37:00.000+02:00

It's been pretty quiet from me in the last week in preparation and the run up to the London Book Fair, which started yesterday at Earls Court. " The London Book Fair is the global publishing community's leading spring forum for booksellers, publishers, librarians and book production services worldwide. Ideally timed to provide you with a concentrated 3-day trading and educational platform offering access to the world's books, real business contacts and shared knowledge." For me, it was a one day flying visit, in and out to support the launch and promotion of Five Green Bananas, Scriblist Book One. The usual trade show fun ensued, of endless walking, wonderful one minute pitches to desk staff who have little idea what you're saying but are doing their very best and expensive photocopying. As one fellow user in the business centre commented, when charged for charging his mobile phone "It would put Earls Court in a better light, if they said it was free. For the sake of the £1.50." Image is (almost) everything when it comes to presenting yourself for the first time, but beyond the initial impression, you need to have good content and be able to hold your ground in the thick of it. The Fair is a zoo - not for the timid nor fainthearted, nor really for authors. The poor desk staffer at Orion wins my award for politeness and diplomacy whilst trying to tell the author in jeans and tatty jumper ahead of me in the queue that, "no agent was available for her to meet today. Yes, really, even if she'd come all the way from Canada" (without an appointment?). For some insider agent tips and a truly humorous perspective go and visit Miss Daisy Frost.

Preditors and Editors

2008-04-08T00:21:00.000+02:00

Preditors and Editors is widely held to be a valuable, critical resource for writers, on the look out on our behalf, for those not playing fair. Dave Kuzminski, owner and author of P&E, is being sued for remarks made on the site. In a country which prides itself on freedom of speech, it is sad when that freedom is sought to be squashed by those who can afford to fund a legal battle, when the general consensus is that the truth suffers as a consequence. Whether the editor or the agent or P&E is correct, I am not in a position to know - but the general writing community support seems to be strongly with P&E. Now, would you be wanting to sign up with that agent, even more now, even if she wins her legal case? Shared knowledge is fundamental in publishing, and fairness even more so. Good luck Dave.

Friday Project has a Manic (and last) Monday

2008-04-01T00:03:00.000+02:00

The Friday Project, the UK publishing house that develops books from websites and blogs, called in administrators at the end of last month after it had insufficient funds to continue trading. Today it was officially liquidated, according to The Bookseller.

The Telegraph, stated on March 9th, “it was believed that HarperCollins intends to buy publishing rights to The Friday Project's book titles. It also plans to use the company's expertise in new media publishing to bolster its existing new media operations.”

The Friday Project was founded in 2005 with the goal of converting popular websites and blogs into books. It published 44 titles in 2007 and was planning to publish 60 this year. Published titles include Blood, Sweat and Tea, the diary of a London ambulance driver, and An A-Z of Harry Potter. Last year it had four of its titles featured on Richard & Judy within a three-week period.

Now why has this business not made it work? No doubt we will hear more as the news unfolds. What seems to anger many involved in blogs around the unofficial news at this time, is the lack of communication. The difficulties in situations such as these, are numerous. What do you tell people who want to know answers to concrete questions, if you don’t know yourself? I am a freelancer when will I get paid? I submitted my book, now what? We invested money - now we get a letter saying it looks like it is gone, but we’ve no idea where. Better to tell people nothing, than tell them the various options from different potential buyers, who all want to maintain discretion? Sure. Better to tell them nothing, and make up the news themselves, no. Some information can only be better than none. A clear concise bullet point press release would be a good idea - what are the facts. What does this mean for anyone who invested money, has outstanding payments for books or freelance work, and by when will the next update be given. At least then, the speculation is tamed.

I remember the comment made by Harrison Ford, as Jack Ryan, in the film ‘Patriot Games’. When the US president is in the position of having a friend with personal difficulties, with which he does not want to be associated, Ryan corrects him, and suggests instead, ‘if they ask if you were friends, say no. Say you were good friends. Give them nowhere to go.” Get the facts out there and remove the speculation in hyperspace, where anonymity allows anger to flare up into rather disrespectful comment. If you know the people involved are doing their best, yes you can be angry at mistreatment, but it won’t get you anywhere to ask them feel worse than they do already. Ask how you can help them. You never know, they might ask you to write the facts out.

A generation of youth is being ‘raised online’

2008-03-26T23:37:00.000+01:00

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.

***

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.

2008-03-24T22:12:00.000+01:00

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!

2008-03-22T21:35:00.000+01:00

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?

2008-03-21T09:19:00.000+01:00

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

2008-03-21T02:21:00.000+01:00

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

2008-03-20T00:44:00.000+01:00

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

2008-03-18T13:17:00.000+01:00

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

2008-03-17T22:27:00.000+01:00

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?

2008-03-14T12:38:00.000+01:00

Tags: Blog, blog idol, bloggers, blogging, competition, global, go smell the flowers, idol, search is on, spread the word, the big thing

Go smell the Flowers has just launched the biggest blogger contest ever;
Blog Idol - the search for their next big blogging founder.

Are up for it?

Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow…?

Well here's your chance to be a part of their Global Community.

Don't sit there saying I have something to say - enter Blog Idol and you could be one of the lucky three winners to have the world reading your every post…

So do you want to join the Garden and grow…?

Click here to see how to enter… you too could be the winner of a place in their Garden - bloomin' marvelous