My path to publication
By Amanda Sington-Williams
firstwriter.com – Tuesday July 27, 2010
Whilst writing the first draft of my novel I won an award from The Royal Literary Fund which provided me with a mentor. This was a tremendous boost to my confidence as the award was very competitive. I’d never embarked on a novel before and writing it was a steep learning curve. I thought that having won this award that I would easily get it published, but in fact it took me two years and a fine collection of rejection letters before I found an independent publisher who took me on very quickly.
The value of your words
By Anne Jones
firstwriter.com – Saturday May 29, 2010
She’s one of Britain’s best-selling authors and a respected complimentary healer, but Anne Jones’ journey into the literary world has not been easy. In the second of a series of articles for firstwriter.com, she looks at making money from the value of your words.
How I got a publisher - An interview with author, Paul Edwards
firstwriter.com – Tuesday April 27, 2010
Paul Edwards recently secured a publishing deal through a literary agent he found in firstwriter.com's database of over 800 literary agents. We asked him about his writing, and how he found success.
Getting your dream into print
By Anne Jones
firstwriter.com – Tuesday April 27, 2010
She’s one of Britain’s best-selling authors and a respected complimentary healer, but Anne Jones’ journey into the literary world has not been easy. In the first of a series of articles, she reveals the trials of tribulations of becoming an author – and getting your work into print.
The write stuff
By Steve Myers
firstwriter.com – Saturday February 27, 2010
For a start, what they don’t tell you is that writing is bloody hard work and you need a little bit more than just a good imagination and access to writing materials. They are the tools, but you can’t go from imagination to page without spending the time putting it all down and refining it. Added to that, getting "discovered" is like trying to get Victoria Beckham to smile. So you need to be passionate about your reason for writing.
E-books – A profitable way to publish?
By Jonathan Miller
M-Y Books
firstwriter.com – Friday January 29, 2010
It is widely accepted now that the e-book is settling in comfortably as a companion format to print for the mid and long term future. The publishing industry has made a complete about face in its attitude towards electronic publishing over the last two years driven by economic and environmental influences as well as the public’s apparent willing to read books on small screens as well as the more comfortable dedicated e-book readers becoming increasing available in the United Kingdom and Europe. For myself as a regular trade visitor to Frankfurt Book Fair over many years I have seen the growth in the digital section of the fair and the amount of attention it gets from all elements of the industry increase incredibly.
How I got a publisher - An interview with author, Lorna Elliott
firstwriter.com – Saturday November 28, 2009
Lorna Elliott recently acquired a publisher using firstwriter.com's database of over 1,200 publishers. We asked her about her writing, and how she found success.
The story of Tarantula Tide, an award winning children’s novel
By Sharon Tregenza
Award-winning author and longstanding firstwriter.com subscriber
firstwriter.com – Saturday October 31, 2009
Sharon Tregenza has been a firstwriter.com subscriber since 2004, and has described the site as an invaluable boon for writers. In this article she shares the experience of the publication of her first novel, Tarantula Tide, which won the 2008 Kelpies Award and has been short-listed for the Heart of Hawick children’s book award 2010. If you'd like to follow in her footsteps, you can subscribe now at www.firstwriter.com/subscribe
Why is it so hard to sit down and write?
By Emily Hanlon
Writing and Creativity Coach
firstwriter.com – Sunday July 26, 2009
Creativity is a subtle and magnificent dance between the rational and the intuitive, between the left and right parts of the brains, between technique and imagination. Both partners in this dance are absolutely necessary and are needed in equal proportion, which means that imagination is not more important than technique and visa versa.
A matter of perspective
By J. Paul Dyson
Managing Editor, firstwriter.com
firstwriter.com – Friday June 26, 2009
Any time you begin to write a piece of fiction there’s a decision you have to make before you can even write the first sentence. It’s a decision which will determine the complexion of the entire story, and which you will have to stick with from its very start to its very end; it’s a decision which has repercussions that will reach into almost every sentence you write, and as such it’s one of the hardest things to alter if you change your mind later. The decision is your choice of perspective.
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