I hate formatting
November 4, 2017
All self-published authors will know that a finished manuscript can’t be published until it’s been formatted. Simple, says the layperson, it’s the 21st Century. What could possibly go wrong?
Tag: self publishing
Interview – Harry Whitewolf
October 15, 2016
Back in September I reviewed Harry Whitewolf’s novel The Road to Purification, Hustlers Hassles and Hash. Author, poet and traveller, Whitewolf’s writing is a fusion of observation, fact and speculation. I asked Harry about his work, travelling, the number 11 and gn****.
Interview – Leo X Robertson
June 30, 2016
This interview should have been posted here back in May (possibly 2015!), but thanks to a lethal brew of inertia and pre-occupation with a new job and duff car salesmen – excuses, excuses, they’re all just feeble excuses – indie author Leo Robertson has been forced to wait for his place in the pantheon of … More Interview – Leo X Robertson
Kindlecrites
February 9, 2016
There was a time when I was a Kindlecrite (Kindle Hypocrite). Criticising Amazon’s e-book reading system whilst selling my books on the platform. In the end, moral pressure became too much and I pulled my books off Amazon. If I relied on the income I’d be a dead man by now. Tail between the legs … More Kindlecrites
Interview with Mary Papastavrou
December 9, 2015
A few weeks ago I read How to Sew Pieces of Cloud Together by Greek writer Mary Papastavrou. The depth of ideas and quality of writing buried the accusation that self-publishing and indie authors don’t compare to those in the mainstream. I published my review on this blog back in November, but I always intended … More Interview with Mary Papastavrou
How to Sew Pieces of Cloud Together – Mary Papastavrou
November 18, 2015
‘Oh and she forgot to mention that she suffers anxiety attacks every time she steps on a certain type of wooden parquet.’ It takes confidence to write a line like that at the end of a chapter about suffering and suicide. But Mary Papastavrou’s debut novel How to Sew Pieces of Cloud Together is fearless … More How to Sew Pieces of Cloud Together – Mary Papastavrou
Guest Author Rebecca Grandsen
November 12, 2015
A few weeks ago I read a novel so extraordinary it still resonates. anemogram by Rebecca Grandsen is a road trip, a fairy story, human drama and contemporary urban myth in one unusual package. Its effect on me meant that I had to invite Rebecca to answer a few questions and offer some insight into … More Guest Author Rebecca Grandsen
Extract From The One Rule of Magic
October 31, 2015
I promised to give y’all a sneak Halloween preview and I think this little episode sums up the dark and light and frivolity of The One Rule of Magic. The novel is out now, a Halloween release, and expect to see a couple of reviews in the future from a couple of stout yeomen who … More Extract From The One Rule of Magic
Guest Author Nicholas Rossis
October 25, 2015
Many of you who blog on WordPress will be familiar with Nicholas Rossis’ blog. It’s a deep mine of information on all aspects of writing and publishing. But what about Nicholas’s novels? In this comprehensive interview we find out Nicholas’s writing process, inspiration, and the state of affairs in Greece concerning the publishing industry. It’s … More Guest Author Nicholas Rossis
Guest Author KS Ferguson
October 24, 2015
In my recent invite to authors KS Ferguson was swift to respond and provided an insight into her writing methods, novels and views on publishing. There’s a lot to chew on, so I won’t take any more of your time. Dive headlong into a world of creative ideas and characters who are very much outside … More Guest Author KS Ferguson
Coming Soon. (No, honestly, it is…)
October 21, 2015
You may remember I said something about a newsletter, collecting emails and all that dodgy sounding nonsense. Well, who wants a poxy newsletter, all black and white with Arial font and wingdings and clip art, when you can have a f*** off full colour magazine. Yes, magazine. Content for the first issue is pretty much … More Coming Soon. (No, honestly, it is…)
Yet Another Author Invite
October 16, 2015
I’ve done this twice before and on both occasions been overwhelmed by the lack of response. All authors need help, a word in the internet’s ear and I don’t like taking without giving. In the past I have laid down a few rules, the intention being to give authors who write ‘outside the box’ a … More Yet Another Author Invite
The Many Species of Author Advice
October 10, 2015
Inspired by a recent article on Matthew Wright’s blog (‘Why All Who Write Should Think of Themselves as Writers. Period’) I started to think again about advice in the literary world. Advice in the literary world is one of the reasons why I’m metaphorically as bald as an egg; tearing out my hair has become … More The Many Species of Author Advice
Nothing
October 7, 2015
The keen eyed among you may have noticed a certain erratic quality to this blog. It ebbs and flows like a confused tide, sometimes engulfing the land with a quick succession of articles; sometimes it goes all Southport and retreats to the sea, leaving people wondering if they’ll ever see anything again. I’m writing this … More Nothing
Hubble Bubble Double Trouble
September 27, 2015
You wait ages for a grown-up novel about black magic and two appear at once. Because of logistical issues too complicated to discuss here both Who Among Us… and The One Rule of Magic have been published simultaneously. Who Among Us… is available now, The One Rule of Magic available for pre-order up to it’s … More Hubble Bubble Double Trouble
Blurb request – The One Rule of Magic
September 18, 2015
In a few weeks time I’ll be self-publishing another entry in the TotenUniverse. The One Rule of Magic is the first book in what I call the Reflections strand of novels following the new life of Bamberg witch Frieda Schoenhofer. Frieda was first encountered in Who Among Us… (still doing the rounds with literary agents) … More Blurb request – The One Rule of Magic
Plate Spinning
August 8, 2015
Men cannot multitask. Or so we’re told, but I have a simple method that allows me to multitask: I do one thing at a time. I call this serial multitasking, as opposed to parallel multitasking, which is what women do. (Allegedly.) But even I am starting to come unstuck. Serial multitasking has one fundamental flaw: … More Plate Spinning
I Don’t Know What To Say.
July 19, 2015
Check out any site by or about literary agents and one thing you’ll be told is to include a bit about yourself in the query letter. This is the paragraph where you astound the agent by telling them about the competitions you’ve won, the articles printed in the New York Times; and how you met … More I Don’t Know What To Say.
The Right WordPress Theme
July 11, 2015
Remember the Good Ship Author Platform? My attempt to journey on a sea of mixed metaphors in a quest to build the perfect author platform for agents to be thoroughly impressed by. And do you remember that ship crashing into the harbour wall before it hit the open sea? I’m having another Ed Reardon moment … More The Right WordPress Theme
Author Interview – Rupert Dreyfus
June 21, 2015
‘Electoral democracy, for pretty much the entire nation, is nothing more than a spectators’ sport.’ Rupert Dreyfus’s debut novel Spark explores the individual in the face of big business and reacting against a system geared towards a select self-interested few. In this author interview I asked Rupert about writing, self-publishing and a worldview that led … More Author Interview – Rupert Dreyfus
#Ten #SureFire Ways To #Promote #YourNovel
April 15, 2015
Not all these tips are appropriate for every author. You need to pick the ones you think will work for you. Note: the author accepts no responsibility for any injury or embarrassment sustained in the course of following this advice. 1 QR codes pros – They’re mysterious and people love a mystery. ‘Ooh, where … More #Ten #SureFire Ways To #Promote #YourNovel
Exclusive interview with Toten Herzen’s Susan Bekker
September 23, 2014
Toten Herzen’s lead guitarist and arguably the most famous Rotterdam resident you’ve never heard of talks of small gobby singers, Jimi Hendrix, dog bites and growing very very old in the business of rock music. TheOpeningSentence Will this interview lead to massive recrimination and legal action? Susan Bekker No. TOS So it’s going to be … More Exclusive interview with Toten Herzen’s Susan Bekker
Author advice from YA writer Dolores Beagle
August 14, 2014
The title of her first novel is repulsive, but then it is a horror story. YA author Dolores Beagle is all set to enter the dog eat dog world of self-publishing with her first novel Tapeworm. – Do you follow the advice you read on the internet? There’s really only one bit of advice that … More Author advice from YA writer Dolores Beagle
Author interview – Stevie Turner
June 27, 2014
Novelist and rocker Stevie Turner talks about the process of writing, life in the East End of London, guitar solos and meeting Mathew Manning. Stevie Turner’s website 1. You’ve written four novels. Can you describe the process you use from idea to publication? At the moment I am just dredging up memories from yesteryear and … More Author interview – Stevie Turner
The Opening Sentence 