The 3 Things That Make My Head Buzz Today

Blog-time again. Lots to say, little time as usual.

First, editing novels is a joy but it can also be a very long, dark tunnel from which I wonder if I’ll ever emerge. That’s not to do with the style of the writing (well, OK, a bit) but with the immersion that’s required to make a cracking job of it. Wrinkly finger-ends are the least of it. Frazzled brain is what concerns me; it’s very important when editing to keep fresh, and this means having breaks between passes. (That’s right, you don’t edit in just one go; you have at least two edits of the full thing and sometimes, depending on the density and complexity of the work, rather more.) And that means the tunnel seems to get longer and the light at the end never grows larger than a pinprick. Oh well. I’m still enjoying it and I’m more satisfied than ever that my current author is going to get a very good job. That’s what it’s about.

Second, reviewing unpublished writing is also a joy – especially when it’s good. When the novel’s not so good, and you suspect that the writer has never read a novel themselves, let alone attended a writing course or seminar, it can be torture. We get very few like that at Fiction Feedback for which I’m eternally grateful. So many of our authors write books that, with a little help, deserve publication.

Which brings me to item three. We are looking at an association with a new ebook publishing company that launches next year. They’re adopting a new style of business, yet they are traditional publishers in the sense that authors pay nothing for editing, marketing, production and distribution, and are rewarded with royalties. A high percentage, too. So there might, there, be some good news for our authors, especially in the genre of crime which will be their main focus. And in which, coincidentally, we get most submissions.

Back to editing for me. Enjoy the Bank Holiday: if the weather is as lousy where you are as it is here – I can’t see through the window pane, the rain drops have formed one amorphous splatter – then maybe a good book calls.

Book Shows, Editing and Tennis

Book Shows, Editing and Tennis

Apologies for been away so long. I’m battling away editing a historical novel, which is fascinating in many ways but problematic on others, as well as organising sets of critiques for customers at a time when a lot of reviewers are either on holiday or inundated because everyone else is. Sigh…but it is nice to be busy. I had a little break in June, another reason why the blogging stopped, first at Eastbourne for the tennis, which I was able to visit with an editor friend, and then one lovely day at Wimbledon. Then there was catching up…

I’m now having a look in my diary to see what’s around the corner. A writer friend and I had hoped to go the Harrogate for the Crime Writing Festival this week, and were bitterly disappointed that they’d run out of tickets. So I had a look to see what else was out there…

Coming up on September 22^nd is something called The Book Show, taking place for the first time, at Luton. It’s a one-day event and is run by digital publishers Andrews UK. From the website – which is all I’m going on here, I have no inside knowledge – the focus is unsurprisingly on self-publishing, although they do say agents (Watson Little, no less, and Brie Burkemann) and authors will be speaking. The authors, so far as I can tell, are all writers of celebrity biography or of erotic fiction; an interesting mix. Some are self-publishers. So, for writers of mainstream fiction, I don’t think you’re going to find your idols here, and Fiction Feedback won’t be attending. Still, it looks like a nice way to spend a day, if you happen to be near Luton – and if you have quite a bit of dosh to spare. Ninety quid seems a bit steep, although that does include breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. If you buy before August 1^st, you get an early bird discount and pay £80. Check out the website and see what you think, www.thebookshow.co.uk

I’ll be back soon to report on any more unusual shows or festivals I hear about, and let you know the latest news at Fiction Feedback.

Opportunities for Unknown Authors

London Book Fair, my impressions. It was very busy, and the stands of the major publishing groups were heaving. Mostly they were discussing rights and all meetings were by appointment. There was a massive poster of JK Rowling on the stand of Little, Brown, promoting her new book for adults, The Casual Vacancy, and she looked rather smug in a heavy gold necklace, like the cat who’d got the cream. No reason why she shouldn’t, of course, if anyone has the right to look like that she has and good luck to her too, but from a PR point of view I wouldn’t have chosen that photo. Anyway, to me it typified how the stands of the big publishers came across. But of course that was an entirely superficial reaction and for all I know in reality they’re terrified the twin monsters of  Amazon and self-publishing are going to get even bigger and gobble them all up.

That to me was the interesting element to the Fair. So many of the seminars and talks were dedicated to self-publishing – and not just the digital side, either. Matador I’ve known for a while; they conducted talks several times a day about self-publishing so plenty of other people got to know about them too. They have a good, professional offer, and reassuringly they understand the publishing trade. Their background is in academic publishing. Indepenpress, who had a stand close to the front door, also had plenty of good things to say and had an author singing their praises and giving away his books. New to me was an outfit called Acorn, started in autumn 2010, and owned by a brother and sister team, the Dewjis. They ran an hour-long seminar. Ali had worked in sales at Emap whereas Leila’s background was Scholastic, Orion and heavyweight literary agents Sheil Land. If I were considering print self-publishing, they too would be big contenders.

If people are interested in publishing ebooks rather than printed there were plenty of opportunities, and lots of seminars by the likes of Kindle Self Publishing. A company called Autharium, which I’d not come across before, did some talks with Matador; they were an online community-based publishing outfit, focusing only on ebooks. Again, very interesting. If there was a trend, it was very much that authors are doing it for themselves. If they pay for professional distribution and marketing, and can help themselves by setting up a good following with a blog and using social media, they have a chance of earning more than with a traditional publisher as royalties are so much more generous. Acorn said some established authors were coming to them because their traditional publishers wouldn’t let them write what they wanted to, or had withdrawn support, so it’s not only debut authors who believe self-publishing with a reputable company has a lot to offer.

The other thing to hit me was how many independent publishers there are in the UK. Lots and lots. They were very busy too. I had several good experiences on their stands; one publisher which I followed up later said they’re considering launching a fiction list and would be interested in Fiction Feedback submitting my authors’ work to them. They’ve not yet told me what kind of fiction, but if I sensed anything, it was that the independents were sniffing opportunities. One (very, very small publisher) actually said to me they preferred authors without agents. Now, I guess for established writers, that would simply sound warning bells. To unpublished authors, who have tried without success to get an agent, it’s heavenly music. Other independent publishers whom I spoke to seemed more receptive, more ready to consider unknown authors, and can point to a catalogue that shows they’ve put their money where their mouth is, sometimes with spectacular, award-winning results. It certainly makes you think about where the best home might be for your masterpiece.

Fiction Feedback is busier than we’ve ever been. One author is almost certain he wants to self-publish, and we’ve certainly noticed an increase in demand recently for our editing services as well as our critiques. I hope this is partly because unpublished authors are realising they need to have a very polished manuscript with near-perfect prose to tempt literary agents and traditional publishers. I’m sure it’s also because authors are recognising self-publication as a valid alternative and want their work to be as good as it can be. A professional attitude which can do the reputation of self-publishing nothing but good.