20 November 2023 - What's new
20 November 2023
- ‘My success, I believe, stems from a combination of factors. Firstly, the freedom of self-publishing allowed me to explore and cater to my niche without being constrained by traditional publishing expectations. This direct connexion to readers, without intermediaries, provided invaluable feedback, enabling me to refine and better my work. Secondly, being proactive in leveraging social media and other marketing tools has enabled me to build a strong reader community. Authenticity and a strong personal connection with my audience have been key...' L J Ross, author of 29 books, including 20 books in the J C Ryan series, 4 in the Dr Alex Gregory series and 4 in the Summer Suspense series, in an article entitled 'The Freedom of Self-publishing' in the Bookseller.
- In the eighth article in our Ask the Editor series the editor writes: 'Assessing a manuscript for editing is a skill all of its own. Individual editors may have different routines for assessing a text but we are all aiming for the same goal; a realistic grasp of the work that's required to bring a book up to a professional finish. In this article, I'll explain how I go about assessing editing jobs, and why... The condition of the manuscript tends to influence an editor's assessment and, more to the point, it influences estimates of fees. If I know I have to spend a lot of time and effort fixing basic errors, that time will be reflected in the price. On the other hand, if I'm looking at a clean text, I know I can move on to a more advanced reading. I feel like I'm dealing with a more professional writer...'
- If you've come to the site looking for a report on your manuscript, how do you work out which one would suit you best? Which Report? includes our top-of-the range service, the Editor's Report Plus, introduced by popular demand to provide even more detail. This very substantial report takes the form of a chapter-by-chapter breakdown and many writers have found this detail helps them to get their book right.
- Our first set of links are from the publishing world: on AI, the issue of the day, Self-Publishing Writers and Publishers Weigh In On the Use of A.I. | Observer; how listening to an audiobook compares with reading a physical book on the platform, The Bookseller - Books - Books on BookTok: the rise of audio? Amid historic disruption in the publishing industry, big questions are - rightfully - being asked, What's the Future of Books? The book-tracking platform is coming under fire for its decision to eliminate several categories, Goodreads Awards Category Removal Sparks Outcry.
- The Selfies Book Awards UK 2024 have just opened. Authors who have self-published adult fiction, children's fiction or adult non-fiction in the UK between January and December 2023 are eligible. The entry fee is £35 per title to include a six-month subscription to Bookbrunch and there is a £750 cash prize for each category plus other prizes. Closing on 7 January 2024.
- So you have finished your book, but it is too long; how do you go about reducing the word count without losing important parts of your work? We're here to help. Our experienced editors will work with you to reduce the word count of your book while preserving the main narrative elements and your individual style. This service is available for both fiction and non-fiction. The Cutting edit is just one of our eight copy editing services.
- The last part of our series An Editor's Advice deals with Manuscript Presentation: typefaces, layouts, page numbers, putting your material into one document and spell-checkers. 'So far, in these columns, I've been talking about the nuts and bolts of writing, and about the ways in which people come unstuck in terms of content. This time, I want to talk about the ways writers can make life easier for editors and readers like me. Considering the reams of advice that exist about how to lay out a manuscript I find it truly staggering that many writers still seem to have no clue about how to do it...'
- Links relating to writers' issues: writers consider the threats and thrilling possibilities of artificial intelligence, ‘It is a beast that needs to be tamed': leading novelists on how AI could rewrite the future | Books | The Guardian; five important insights from the first cohort of Orion's debut writers' academy, The Bookseller - Comment - How to help debut writers fly; "If I'm not just supporting myself by writing, to those who don't know the reality of it, it seems like it's a failure in some way." Why It's Never Been Harder to Make a Living as a Writer; and a concern for all writers, NEA Finds Worrying Drop in Reading Participation.
- From our Endorsements page: ‘WritersServices editors are not just excellent professionals, they are persons of letters involved in helping the writers who are trying to enter in the world of British books... I am impressed. I am grateful. I'm delighted. Thank you so much.' Daniela Stanciulescu, Paris.
- An essential read for children's authors is Suzy Jenvey's special series for WritersServices, the four-part Essential Guide to Writing for Children. The first article looks at the all-important question of age groups and what you should be aware of in writing for each one. The second part is Before You Write: What is My Story Going to be? The third part deals with Starting to Write and the fourth part is about Submitting Your Work to Agents and Editors. This series by a hugely experienced children's editorial director and agent helps you get started on your own story or develop what you're already working on.
- Our Children's Editorial Services offer three levels of report and copy editing from specialist children's editors. Use their expertise to help get your work ready for publication in this tricky but potentially huge market.
- Links on writers' craft: my friend insisted anyone can train themselves to discern fast speech, How to Read (and Retain) Research Material in Less than Half of Your Usual Time | Jane Friedman; it may just be a perfect antidote to these charged times, Why Historical Fiction Is Going Mainstream; what is it about true crime that keeps me coming back to the well again and again? Showing the Human in the Inhumane: Why Lindsay Hunter Loves True Crime ‹ Literary Hub; and a wonderful resource for British poets, providing details of small presses and poetry magazines you can submit your work to, Where to Submit Your Poetry in 2023-2024 • Poetry School.
- If you are submitting your work to an agent or directly to a publishing house, check through our guidelines to give it its best chance. Making submissions
- Are you ready to submit your synopsis and sample chapters to agents or publishers, but worried about whether you are presenting your work in the best possible way? It's dispiriting to receive rejections just because your submission package is not up to scratch. Our Submission Critique has helped many authors to improve their submission packages, helping them to get published.
- Rotten Rejections provides a note of the things publishers wish they'd never said: on Animal Farm by George Orwell ‘It is impossible to sell animal stories in the USA' and Carrie by Stephen King 'We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.'
- Our final set of links are to writers' stories: how one bestselling author rode the literary roller coaster through rejections and into a career, My First Thriller: Joseph Finder ‹ CrimeReads; my name has always felt, somehow, apart from me, M.C. Benner Dixon on Creating Persuasive Metaphors ‹ Literary Hub; Ashleigh Nugent on his transition from criminal with one GCSE to BA Hons, acclaimed writer and mentor, It all starts with your story; and three titles selling a million copies between them, Nielsen Bestseller Award winner: Mark Billingham.
- Have you managed to find a publisher for your work and are you now enjoying the thrill of knowing that your book will soon be published? If you're wondering what happens next, here is a helpful outline of the processes involved. Preparing for publication
- 'Being a good writer is 3% talent, 97% not being distracted by the Internet.' Wise words from Anon in our Writers' Quotes.
