Publishers: Surprisingly, Some Are Very Good.

Dan Grubb, Publisher extraordinaire.

In the Indie world, Publishers are pretty much rubbished. Let’s face it, the Big Boys generally do very little for authors. Unless you’re a ‘celebrity’ (whatever that means!) they treat you a like necessary evil, do the bare minimum to promote your hard work, and generally place barriers in the way of true creativity.

How refreshing, then, to find a publisher who not only does none of these things, but who actively become engaged in the whole process, including promotion? On 30^th March, Fantastic Books Publishing will simultaneously launch ebook and paperback editions of the first volume of my fantasy trilogy. A Seared Sky: Joinings, has been a labour of love over a number of years. The first book runs to 220,000 words, the second exceeds 200k and the third, currently in the final stages of editing, will top out around the same level. When an author expends that amount of energy, creativity, imagination and time in a project, he wants to be sure that publication is going to be a positive event. We write to be read, after all.

For many authors, their experience with indifferent, lazy, unconcerned publishers only truly chasing the promise of megabucks on the backs of ghost-written ‘celebrity’ trash, is enough to make them do it themselves. I’ve done it. 7 times. Self publishing can be fun, liberating, exciting and rewarding. It can also be incredibly frustrating, time-consuming and, ultimately, a route to insignificant sales. The book world, as we all know, is fiercely competitive, yet, at the same time, amongst authors, surprisingly supportive. The problem for the Indie author is exposure. Build a platform, they say: good advice for a carpenter wanting to proclaim his political views, I suppose. We hear it time and time again. And I’ve had a stab at it.

With over 9k followers on Twitter, 3.3k on Goodreads, 2.5k on LinkedIn, an author page on FB with 600 likes and a personal page with 1.8k, fingers in other pies, guest posts on other blogs, comments all over the place and membership of umpteen groups, that’s a pretty reasonable stab, isn’t it? (Sorry for that very convoluted sentence. BTW, should you wish to connect with me on any of those networks, click the link and join me there, please). But has this resulted in noticeable sales? In a word: no!

Perhaps my work is poor? Well, those who’ve read it and placed reviews don’t appear to think so. With mostly 5 star awards and positive reviews, almost exclusively from people I don’t know, the signs are that my writing is pretty good.

So, back to the publishing bit. Many writers are put off even approaching a publisher, because of all the negative publicity about the process, coupled with dubious success. But, as in all areas of life, it’s the exceptions that prove the rule. I was introduced to Fantastic Books Publishing, a small independent publisher, through one of my colleagues at Hornsea Writers, a supportive group of professional writers with their own blog, here.

I sent them my precious MS, using their normal channels, and, lo and behold! Yes. Dan Grubb replied enthusiastically, asking for the whole thing. Since then, I’ve been treated as an equal partner in the venture. We each do those things that we’re best at. So, Dan sorted the final edits, is organising the promotional aspect, has engaged a professional cover artist who’s produced a brilliant cover (to be revealed in all it’s glory shortly before the launch). But, more than this, he’s produced a short video of an interview with me and is currently recording interviews with my characters. One of those you’ll find here. But, beware, Dagla Kaz is not a nice man!

The launch party, organised by my publisher (that sounds great, doesn’t it?) is being held online via Facebook so that I can connect with as many people worldwide as possible. You can access the party here, and, even if you don’t belong to FB, or maybe hate the network, you can still join in the fun on the day. I will, of course, also be presenting more information

here and on some guest posts on other blogs in the run-up.

My experience of working with this publisher has been entirely positive. Fantastic Books Publishing is run as the passion it truly is for Dan and his associates. I’ve been made to feel relevant, special, cherished and valued. This has been a far cry from the horror stories I’ve heard from other writers. So, you see, not all publishers are evil organisations run by bean-counters. This one is a company with heart and a true interest in the author and his work.

Related articles

• A Fantastic Talk on Marketing.
• #Imagine: Penny Grubb Interviews Author Stuart Aken

New Group Blog Up and Running

As a member of a writing group celebrating its Silver Jubilee this year, I'm proud to announce that Hornsea Writers now has its own blog.
We'll be using this platform to announce news, achievements and events. It's a central point for our writing activities and allows readers to discover what other group members are up to.
We're a disparate collection but have in common that we're all published, professional authors. The site is simple, so there are few widgets. But, should you want to keep track of us there, please scroll to the foot of the page, where you'll find the opportunity to follow by email.
This venture marks the start of a new phase for us all. Always a supportive gathering, we're moving forward with the times and ensuring we have a proper web presence.
In case you missed the link above, here it is again.

Related articles

• Interview with Linda Acaster from Hornsea Writers.

A Fantastic Talk on Marketing.

Dan Grubb

Like many writers, I loathe the whole paraphernalia of marketing. But, also in common with most writers, I want my books to be read. This produces a bit of a problem, since there are so many books published that authorial silence is hardly likely to produce much in the way of attention from the reading public.

My writers’ group, an amazing mix of professional scribes who call themselves ‘Hornsea Writers’, for the very good reason that Hornsea is their geographical meeting place, had the opportunity this week to have a talk delivered by independent publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing’s CEO, Dan Grubb. He gave us a talk on, you’ve guessed it: marketing.

Amazing, inspiring, informative and, above all, entertaining, Dan’s talk was delivered with passion and professionalism, which is no surprise, given the way he runs his business. I’m not going to précis the content here, since Dan’s producing his own blog on that (I strongly suggest you subscribe to his weekly newsletter here, so you can catch that when it appears.)

But I will pass on a couple of his pointers:

·      If you don’t already belong, join these sites and be active – Facebook, Google+, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr,  Stumbleupon and Youtube. And, if you don’t already blog, DO! Blogger or Wordpress are probably the best free sites for that. Connect ALL these sites.

·      Whenever and wherever you post, make it engaging and interesting. There’s huge competition out there and it’s easy to be ignored and/or rejected, so give your readers something that’s of value to THEM.

It isn’t often that a small writers’ group, some of whom are quite tall, gets a talk from a publisher, so it’s as well for members to take heed of what they hear. What did I take away from his presentation?  Well, many things. But, principally, I was inspired to take a more positive view of marketing. To view it not simply as a sales platform but as a way of interacting with actual and potential readers. Now, that is something I can do with pleasure. In fact, it’s why I write this blog.

So, look out for Dan’s blog post, visit his website at Fantastic Books Publishing, and follow his advice there. Meantime, please connect with me on the sites listed above. The more connections we all have, the greater the chance that we can help each other.

Related articles

• Interview with Linda Acaster from Hornsea Writers.
• En Route to Publication
• I Didn't Sign Up For This
• #Imagine: Penny Grubb Interviews Author Stuart Aken

25 Random Facts About me that You May Not Know.

I was recently invited to take part in a ‘chain’ event on Facebook. It looked harmless enough, except to the paranoid types. Basically, the idea was to list 25 random facts about yourself; things that people wouldn’t necessarily know. A bit of fun, provided the subjects don’t provide info of use to those intent on identity fraud, of course.

Trouble was, in order to partake, it was necessary to take a particular route through the FB labyrinth. And it turned out that, for reasons known only to FB, my route wasn’t so much blocked as lacking a starting point. So, unwilling to be defeated, and being pressed for some participation, I thought I’d do it here instead and provide a link to the post on FB.

So, here goes.

25 Things you probably don’t know about me (and, just as likely, didn’t want to!):

1.     I was once told off by the Queen Mother, via her Aide de Camp, a General.

2.     I didn’t learn to swim until I was 16 and in the RAF.

3.     Jake Thackray, the folk singer, once bought me a beer in The Red Lion, Colchester.

4.     I had to be escorted from a factory via the back way after delivering unwanted news to a large bunch of

5.     On a school trip, I had to run back 3 miles to retrieve a piece of photographic equipment I’d left on rock on the North York Moors.

6.     My real father died 3 weeks before I was born.

7.     I was chased off the racetrack at Brands Hatch by stewards when they discovered I had no press pass.

8.     My first published photograph was a front cover on the professional British Journal of Photography.

9.     I had to be stomach pumped at the age of 17 after a particularly heavy pre-Xmas drinking bout with my brother, Barry.

10.  I fell into the boating lake at East Park in Hull when I was 5, watching a water ride.

11.  I spent some of my childhood living in a converted railway wagon, still on its wheels, on the cliff top near Hornsea.

12.  I photographed my first wedding during a blizzard at a church in Leconfield when I was 19.

13.  Tom Stoppard described my radio play as picaresque during an interview at the BBC and I had no idea what he meant.

14.  Striking dockers threatened to chuck me in the River Crouch at Colchester after a slight misunderstanding.

15.  A colleague and I were chased through the streets of Armagh in Northern Ireland after we took photographs at an ‘anti internment’ meeting.

16.  Riding round the wall of the boating lake in Pearson Park in Hull, I fell into the water and had to be dried by the fire in the first aid hut.

17.  Asked to take a bird into school to mount its skeleton for a biology lesson, I was refused my request to take a dead swan I’d found on the banks of the River Humber.

18.  Morecombe and Wise posed for photographs for me on 4 occasions.

19.  I caused our French teacher to burst into tears and upset the boys in the class as she was very pretty and we were then taught by a stern German man instead.

20.  I enjoy listening to Shirley Bassey.

21.  Rod Stewart once bowed and raised his multi-coloured top hat at me backstage at a pop festival and I failed to take a photograph of him as I didn’t know who he was!

22.  I read every book in the camp library at RAF Lyneham.

23.  I was once given a lift by 3 nuns.

24.  I once stole a keyring with a tiny penknife attached but felt so bad I had to go back and replace it. I was about 12.

25.  The Railway Children, with Jenny Agutter as Bobbie, always makes me cry when she meets her father at the station.

So, there you have it. A few things to reinforce your opinion that I’m…well, whatever you thought I was before you read this lot.

I hope I’ve entertained you with this absolutely factual list. Please feel free to comment.

Interview with Linda Acaster from Hornsea Writers.

Some of the motley crew making up Hornsea Writers.

As a member of this group of supportive and talented writers, I thought I'd pass on this interview with Linda, one of our founding members. It originally featured on the blog Rebeccah Writes and I reproduce it in full here with her blessing. The picture's from my own files, though.

Welcome to my interview with Linda Acaster from Hornsea Writers.
         
*****

Hello Linda.  Can you please tell us a bit about your writing group?

Hi Rebeccah, thanks for inviting us to participate. We’re based in a seaside town in East Yorkshire, but we pull our small membership from across the Riding because we aren’t your usual writing group. 

Ooh that sounds interesting.  

How are you different?

Hornsea Writers is a support group for professional writers. Among our membership we have a Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger winner who is also the current chair of the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society, two past winners of the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme, and winners of various national writing competitions. Individually we’ve written and had published/produced radio plays, a plethora of newspaper and magazine articles in the UK and overseas, how-to and academic books, short fiction in a variety of genres, and historical, fantasy, SF, crime and romance novels. The very last thing we do at our weekly meetings is write.

If you don't write, what do you do?

After gaining a drink at the bar – all writing groups should have access to a bar, even if it sells only tea – it’s a round-table news and hard copy information exchange to augment the closed Yahoogroup we maintain for fast exchanges of hyperlinks to anything pertinent to our business. To members, writing is a business; no one at Hornsea Writers carries the attitude that it’s a pleasant hobby. For most it’s a big part of our working day; for some there are deadlines implicit in publishers’ contracts.

The reason we turn up weekly – Christmas off for good behaviour – is for the detailed criticism of read aloud work-in-progress. This is where prospective new members wilt just listening to the measured but detailed exchanges, and why we are now an invitation-only group. We feel we’ve put off for life too many beginner writers, even when they’ve never read out a word of their own fiction.

What kind of feedback do you give each other?

No one says that’s nice or didn’t like that. Because individually we work with agents and publishers’ editors we evaluate our work through that level of filter: if the character does x and y there, why is he doing z further on? Why would that character think in those terms at that point? If no cast-iron answer is forthcoming the work is deconstructed across the table and suggestions offered. There are always suggestions for remedies or new routes when a possible problem is recognised. No member is ever left hanging, and it takes as long as it takes, so we might spend an entire evening on one person’s work. This is rare, but it can be beneficial at the opening of, say, a novel where a better starting point might be identified thus later saving hours, or even days of rewriting when cracks start appearing in the structure. The beauty of such a diverse group of individuals is that we each have our areas of expertise borne from experience. 

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Hornsea Writers’ tip: find a writing group that both supports your level of engagement and challenges your current expertise. Most of all we urge you to never stop writing.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I used to be a creative writing tutor and still critique novels for a London agency. My Reading A Writer’s Mind: Exploring Short Fiction – First Thought to Finished Story does what it says on its e-cover, and it’ll soon be a paperback. Penny Grubb, our crime-writer, has distilled her university and conference teaching intoThe Writers’ Toolkit – A Handbook for Writers of Commercial Fiction. Making up the trilogy, April Taylor has condensed her librarian skills into the very useful Internet Research for Fiction Writers after continually having to explain the easiest way of gaining the research members needed. We embody the ‘write about what you know’.

Readers of Rebeccah Writes may well find of use the blog of SF/F writer Stuart Aken where, among other interesting content, he maintains a comprehensive and useful list of current writing competitions. 

Does your writing group have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook? 

Hornsea Writers has no internet presence but has produced a group e-anthology of prize-winning short fiction, A Sackful of Shorts. Connect with members mentioned above at:

Linda Acaster: how-to, historical, supernatural thriller, fantasy and short fiction

http://lindaacaster.blogspot.com

Penny Grubb: crime, academic, how-to, short fiction

http://www.pennygrubb.com   http://www.alcs.co.uk/

April Taylor: how-to, alternative history (Tudor), short fiction

http://treasonsstratagemsspoils.blogspot.co.uk/

Stuart Aken: SF/F; literary, romance, horror, SF short fiction and a useful blog

http://stuartaken.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Thank you very much Linda.

Posted by Rebeccah Giltrow at 10:32 

To Linda's thanks, I'd like to add my own, Rebeccah. This was generous of you and all group members appreciate the opportunity for exposure.