What's New in 2022
- ‘I never planned to be a writer at all. For years, maybe even today, sometimes I think, "What exactly am I going to do with my life What is my career going to be? I'm only 80, for God's sake!... I am fascinated by endurance. Human beings really do lead lives of quiet desperation. It's admirable really. Families are basically the only group that can't easily split up. It is my version of a disaster movie, you put people in a burning building and see how they behave under duress...' Anne Tyler, author of 26 novels, including The Accidental Tourist, Ladder of Years and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, in the Sunday Times Culture.
- For anyone thinking about or embarked on self-publishing, our ten-part WritersServices Self-Publishing Guide by Joanne PhillipsUK-based freelance writer and ghostwriter. She has had articles published in national writing magazines, and has ghostwritten books on subjects as diverse as hairdressing and keeping chickens. Visit her at www.joannephillips.co.uk is an essential starting-point, taking you through the process step-by-step. 'Self-publishing has changed so much over the past few years it's hard to believe it was once looked down upon by the publishing industry as the last resort of the vain and desperate. At the time of writing many self-publishing authors are identifying with the term ‘indie author', which acknowledges that to professionally publish today, you don't actually have to do everything yourself!' Articles include Formatting your book for Kindle and Marketing and Promotion for Indie Authors: Online.
- Closing on 1 June, the 2022 Times/Chicken House writing competition is open to unpublished, unagented children's writers based anywhere in the world. Entry fee £20. First Prize: a publishing contract with Chicken House with an advance of £10,000, plus the offer of representation from literary agent Louise Lamont at LBA Books, Second Prize: a £7,500 publishing contract plus an offer of representation.
- As well as our highly-regarded Copy editing service, which will help you prepare your manuscript for submission or self-publishing, we have Manuscript Polishing, which provides a higher-level polishing service, English Language Editing for those for whom English is not a native language, our latest new service Writer's edit, providing line-editing, and Proof-reading. Get the right level of editorial support for your needs from our professional editors. Our low-cost services represent exceptionally good value. Contact us to discuss what you want.
- Links from publishing, bookselling and reading: celebrated authors used to write essays chronicling the horrors of their tours, What Do We Lose-and Gain-As Book Tours Move Online? ‹ Literary Hub; a different point of view, The Bookseller - Comment - The wonder years: why adults should read kids' books; just a prejudice? I'm sure rightwingers read books. But you'll never meet one at a literary festival | Zoe Williams | The Guardian; and 89% of staffers responding to the survey had experienced stress, The Bookseller - News - Trade facing industry-wide burnout, Bookseller survey finds.
- It may surprise you to know that the first of Julie Wheelwright's Top Ten Tips for Nonfiction Writers is: 'Story, story, story. Make sure that your story can sustain several chapters and tens of thousands of words. Keep asking yourself: Why would anyone want to read this story?'
- Do you want some help with your writing but don't know quite what you want? Choosing a service can help you work out which service is right for you, or you could just email us.
- Writers' links: why did this bestselling author end the Falco series and switch to his adopted daughter, Flavia? Amphitheaters of Blood: PW Talks with Lindsey Davis; after all these years I can actually call myself a professional author, but The Bookseller - Comment - Should writers ever engage with trolls? Useful tips for writing any novel, How to write a Mills & Boon book - by Marguerite Kaye | Metro News; how difficult it seems, gazing back just seventy years to the late 1940s and 50s, to truly appreciate what a confusing and fraught era it was for our grandparents, Writing History When the Crime Is Stranger Than Fiction ‹ CrimeReads.
- How to get your book translated into English (without it costing the earth) asks writers who are not native English speakers with a manuscript which needs polishing or translating: "If your English is good enough, what about translating your book yourself or writing in English, and then getting your work polished and copy edited by a professional editor who is a native English speaker?" This could be a cost-effective way of reaching the international English-speaking market.
- More writers' links: how writers and others have contributed to change minds, Economics: too important to leave to the economists; I flip the page, my heart in my throat, as the modern world vanishes in the foul-smelling mist, 10 Reasons Why Victorian England Is the Perfect Setting for Murder ‹ CrimeReads; the work of the curator of the Instagram account @allwaysblack, on behalf of publishing giant Penguin Random House, All Ways Black: How one Instagram account is championing Black literature : NPR; the poet who's published 6 books of poetry, but still doesn't think she knows how to put a collection together, Ada Limón on How to Write a Poetry Collection ‹ Literary Hub; the fascinating identity people get from their families, Ten Close Families in Literature ‹ CrimeReads.
- Why has my manuscript been rejected? It is demoralising to get your manuscript rejected by publishers or agents. Here are some of the reasons why this happens and suggestions of what you can do about it. Avoiding rejection
- 'The most helpful quality a writer can cultivate is self-confidence - arrogance, if you can manage it. You write to impose yourself on the world, and you have to believe in your own ability when the world shows no sign of agreeing with you.' Hilary Mantel in our Writers' Quotes.
- 'In our world authors may grumble at poor advances, royalties and meagre sales, but at least - in the main - the money flows, as it should, towards the author and availability in shops is a given. In the alternative reality of hybrid, subsidised or contributory publishing, it is authors who provide the investment in return for giving up their rights. The rewards can be dubious... I take an old-fashioned view of such things. If authors are having to invest their own money in their publishing then they need to be clear on their goals and how their money is being used...' Philip Jones, editor of the Bookseller, in his editorial.
- From our nineteen-part Inside Publishing series, you can read up on Advances and royalties: 'Publishers usually offer to pay authors advances against royalties. How do you work out how much money you might earn from your book? You need to understand for yourself how advances and royalties work and what they mean for you...'
- From the same series, Copy editing and proof-reading explains the difference between the two. Copy editing is the painstaking job of going through a manuscript line by line to correct the spelling, grammar and punctuation. Proof-reading at a later stage is a separate check through the book when it is set up in pages, before it goes to press or is finalised for ebook publishing.
- If you're looking for a report on your manuscript, how do you work out which one of our three reports would suit you best? Which Report? includes our new 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. Through our specialist children's editors we can offer reports on children's books.
- Links to articles about publishing: all told, it's rarely had a better decade, The Bookseller - Editor's Letter - Book publishing will have rarely have had a better two years than during the Covid-19 pandemic; the US Big Five and how they got there, Over the Past 25 Years, the Big Publishers Got Bigger-and Fewer; a challenging article about the UK Publishers' Association, Is the PA's leadership representative enough of the industry it serves? It's amazing just how much there is still to talk about, and how vital book publishing remains even as many newer technologies have come along, Book Sales in the U.S. Are Stronger Than Ever; the impact of the pandemic and continuing efforts to make the industry more inclusive, Michael Pietsch on Publishing at BISG: 'Best of Times, Worst of Times'; and an overview of how book fairs are doing now, International Book Fairs Still Thrive in the Digital Age.
- The Novel Prize 2022 is open to a book-length work of literary fiction written in English by published and unpublished writers from round the world. There's no entry fee and the winner gets $10,000 and publication of their novel by Fitzcarraldo Editions in the UK and Ireland, Giramondo in Australia and New Zealand, and New Directions in North America. It closes on 1 June, so not long to submit.
- Other competitions which are still open.
- Are you struggling to get someone to look at your poetry? Our Poetry Critique service for 150 lines of poetry can help. Our Poetry Collection Editing, unique to WritersServices, edits your collection to prepare it for submission or self-publishing. Both can provide the professional editorial input you need.
- Links from writers: many UK authors end up out of pocket if they sign deals with ‘hybrid' publishers, The Bookseller - Features - Author unions call for reform to address concerns over paid-for publishing deals; some of my readers don't seem to think that I should have been allowed to write the book that I wrote, Let Fiction Be Fiction; why should your average non-author know what an author actually does in the process of writing, publishing, and promoting a book? The 9 Biggest Myths About Nonfiction Trade Publishing, Debunked; and a survey shows an 11% increase in children's reading, The Bookseller - News - Children reading more books but enjoyment levels in 'worrying decline', report suggests.
- Have you been working on your book? Are you now ready to submit to publishers or to self-publish? We offer the widest range of editorial services on the web, tailored to writers' requirements and carried out by our professional editors, Our Services for writers.
- From our Endorsements page: 'The copy-editor perfectly captured the spirit of my story, making not only pertinent corrections, but also a string of brilliant suggestions and comments that inspired me to improve the text on my own. So happy I chose Writers Services. Rasmus, Chile.'
- More links from writers: the long, rich history of private eyes - and why contemporary novelists keep on turning to them, Why the Mystery Novel Is a Perfect Literary Form ‹ CrimeReads; Swiss author tries his hand at publishing his own work, Bestselling Swiss author Joël Dicker tries his hand at self-publishing - SWI swissinfo.ch; how do you portray violence with some sense of morality? The Complicated Ethics of Writing Violence in Fiction | Time; and a real problem relating to writing fiction involving cutting-edge technology, How to Fictionalize New Technology Even As It's Constantly Changing ‹ Literary Hub.
- 'I don't choose my characters, rather, they come to me. Books choose their authors, at least that's what I believe.' Suzy Davies in our Writers' Quotes.
- ‘And then I was away, because you've got that structure with traditional crime fiction. You don't have to worry about the plot, really. You've got a body, you've got a limited number of suspects. And you've got some form of resolution. Somebody said it's like a corset to hold you up.' Ann Cleeves, author of 39 crime novels, including the Palmer Joe, Vera Stanhope, Matthew Venn, Jimmy Perez and Inspector Ramsay series in the Bookseller.
- From Tom Chalmers, formerly of IPR, two articles about rights for self-publishers, Self-publishing - the rights way and How to get your book in the hands of an international audience. 'It's a fact that most self-published authors understand the process that takes them from a written manuscript to a published book, but few realise the additional elements that make publishing a profitable business. Rights licensing is arguably the most vital element in this equation. Whether it's selling translation rights, audio rights or optioning the film rights, these all help balance the book's books...'
- WritersServices can provide a range of services working on your manuscript, to help you get it ready for submission or self-publishing. We are UK-based, offer exceptional value and our skilled professional editors have been working on writers' manuscripts for over 20 years. We have introduced free samples and free assessments on most of these services, please see the individual service page. Copy editing services.
- Closing on 30 June, The Moth Short Story Prize 2022 is open to all writers over 16. The entry fee is €15 per story. 1st prize €3,000, 2nd prize week-long writing retreat at Circle of Misse in France plus €250 travel stipend, 3rd prize €1,000.
- Links from publishers and bookellers: not so much a business meeting, more a family reunion, LBF: The verdict; it has grown from a weekly trade circular edited single-handedly into a publication that has recorded the history of the American book publishing business for a century and a half, ‘Publishers Weekly' at 150: Anatomy of a Magazine, 1872-2022; unit sales of print books in the US fell 8.9% in the first quarter, The Book Sales Boom Is Over; visiting Ukraine during the Soviet era, and searching in vain for Ukrainian books to read, and now Ukrainian publishing industry upended by Russian invasion : NPR; and 'we set up our tiny bookshop on a 1920s barge 12 years ago', Indie View: Word on the Water.
- If you're planning to submit to agents, you'll want to get your submission package into good shape before getting started, to give your book its best chance.
- 'Today I only want to say, "thank you". DM has done a truly great job. I have worked with her suggestions which have brought clarity and depth to my subject. Her work on my punctuation is brilliant. As I read through the manuscript now, it is like gliding on silk.' Helena Dodds on our Endorsements page.
- Links about writing: we all use it daily, but First Person Point of View: What it is & How to use it - The Art of Narrative; every writer I know has a finely honed system for avoiding writing, For This Historical Novelist Writing About Gilded Age New York, There's Always More Research to Be Done ‹ CrimeReads; writers have long been fascinated with themselves and their craft, 10 Essential Books About Writing | Bitch Media; why must you tell THIS story? What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? Why Write This Book? | Jane Friedman; and I had never written about the mysterious death of my mother - quite possibly at the hands of my father. My first true crime, On Writing and Living True Crime ‹ CrimeReads.
- Which service? provides a run through of our services so you can check what's right for you.
- Our printing and pubishing glossary is a useful tool for every writer.
- A miscellany of links: an interview with the bestselling children's writer, Jeff Kinney on his rise from ‘Wimpy Kid' to celebrated children's author | PBS News Weekend; so what did we learn from the deals made at LBF? What will we be reading next year? Five biggest trends from the London book fair | Books | The Guardian; the well-liked HarperCollins Children's executive publisher on her job, Questions for: Cally Poplak; and an ominous attempt to give politicians control of libraries, New Kentucky Law Hands Control of Libraries to Local Politicians.
- A cynical note in our Writers' Quotes from the bestselling thriller writer Jack Higgins, who died this week: 'The one thing you learn is that nobody knows what will sell.'
- The more I know about the characters, the easier it is to find the humour. How do I make it more exciting, funnier, more heartwarming? I'm aways asking myself these questions. The message of the book is finding friends who accept you for who you really are. It's about loving people even when it's hard, about doing the right thing even when it's scary.' A F Steadman, whose debut children's novel Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, the first in a five-book fantasy series, is published this month, in the Bookseller.
- Tips for writers is our 8-part crash course for writers who are starting out, taking you from Promoting Your Writing (and Yourself) to Self-publishing: is it for you? from Keep up to date to Submission to publishers and agents. 'Be prepared to redraft your work and to rethink it. Many new writers assume that their work will immediately be ready for publication, but the truth is that many highly successful writers produced several drafts of their first work before they got it published.' and 'When you've got your work into the best state you can, put it on one side for a few weeks and then look at it afresh. You'll be amazed what difference a fresh eye will make.'
- Are you getting ready to publish your book - perhaps planning to self-publish? WritersServices offers a suite of nine services which help writers get their work into shape before they self-publish. Services for Self-publishers
- Links from publishing: the first in-person fair for three years, London Book Fair 2022: Back to Britain; a spirit of international collaboration was in the air, The Bookseller - News - Excitement and international buzz in the air as publishers flock to LBF; some progress, but still a way to go, The Bookseller - News - Progress made on diversity but socio-economic background still 'major barrier', PA survey finds; and a graphic account from the front line, Ukraine's Vivat Publishing House Fights to Survive.
- From our Endorsements page: 'I cannot emphasise enough my gratitude to writerservices.com. I more or less expected that they would treat me and my texts professionally - after all, this is what the site offers. What I haven't expected was the extra mile they were prepared to go on my behalf, their beautiful attention to both the letter and the spirit of what I had to say. My manuscript has now found an agent - a happy development in which they have definitely played a role. All I can say is that if I ever produce anything else, I will definitely be their client again.' Sveta, Windsor, UK
- Advice for Writers is a really useful page which takes you into our archive and helps you explore our more than 8,000 pages of information for writers.
- Links from the Society of Authors and bookselling: a clash between personal views and organisational responsibility, The Bookseller - News - Philip Pullman quits as Society of Authors president in wake of Kate Clanchy criticism; customers can receive a full refund within 14 days of purchase, even if they have read every word, depriving authors of royalties from those sales, The Bookseller - News - SoA calls on Amazon to cut e-books refund window as petition against policy passes 33,000; in order for bookstores to thrive in the 21st century, we must rethink the whole enterprise, The endurance of good bookstores; and maybe booksellers have been written off too soon, Bookstores Tap Nostalgia for Borders, Barnes & Nobles - Bloomberg.
- If you are not a native English speaker but you want to publish your book in English to make it available to the international market, what do you do? If your English is good enough, what about writing it in English or translating your book into English yourself, and then getting your translation polished and copy edited by a professional editor who is a native English speaker? The result should be a publishable manuscript at a relatively low cost, provided by our English Language Editing Service. How to get your book translated into English (without it costing the earth).
- Links from writers and about genres: labels are fraught, but they are "highly useful" and we "actually need them more than ever", How Important Is Genre When Pitching and Promoting Your Book? | Jane Friedman; writing books that sell, How Writing a Serialized Novel Helped Carley Moore Connect With the World During a Time of Disconnection ‹ Literary Hub; is this a new genre? The Disaffected Narrators of Internet Gothic Fiction; and a fascinating account of how new covers - and a TV series - worked, Bridgerton's Netflix book covers reflect changing attitudes toward romance over the years.
- Have you ever wondered whether there's any point in entering competitions? Someone must be winning, but why is it somehow never you? Here's some tips to help you achieve a better result. Entering competitions.
- And finally, more links from writers: "Writing is a business and a business needs to be promoted or it will fail."My Tips on Public Speaking for Authors - Caroline James Author Blog; the ways adult gatekeepers encourage girls to read books about boys but discourage, prevent, or even shame boys from reading about girls, Soapbox: Have We Solved the Problem of Boy Books and Girl Books? How are stories about diversity, sexuality and even contemporary world events being deemed inappropriate for younger readers? ‘Out of touch': children's authors describe increasing censorship of books on diversity | Books | The Guardian; a poet describes how her poem reached a huge audience, When Poetry Goes Viral; and in the global refugee crisis millions of young people are in need of books, Book Aid International: now more than ever, books are a lifeline.
- 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.'
- 'Writing after many years becomes a place you can hide. Because you acquire a certain amount of craft, it allows you to do something while not revealing yourself.' Anne Carson in our Writers' Quotes.
- 'After all, one of the great things about books is that they don't disappear after the first year of their publication - barring floods and thieves, they can loiter forever on your shelves, waiting to be picked up and rediscovered, manic publicity cycle be damned. They can be revisited, loaned out, traded, forgotten and found. They can have strange, long lives.' Emily Temple, managing editor at Lit Hub and author of The Lightness.
- From our 19-part Inside Publishing series, Subsidiary Rights: 'My first job in publishing was in a subsidiary rights department. I'm ashamed to admit that I accepted the job without having much idea what subsidiary rights were. Many writers may feel just as vague about this part of publishing, so here's a quick breakdown...' and The English Language Publishing World: 'Why does the traditional publishing world get divided up into publishing territories? How has this come about? How does it affect authors?'
- As well as our highly-regarded Copy editing service, which will help you prepare your manuscript for submission or self-publishing, we have Manuscript Polishing, which provides a higher-level polishing service, English Language Editing for those for whom English is not a native language, our new Writer's edit, providing line-editing, and Proof-reading. Get the right level of editorial support for your needs from our professional editors. Our low-cost services represent exceptionally good value. Contact us to discuss what you want.
- The Laurel Prize 2022 closes on 17 April. Entries are open to all poets writing in the English language anywhere in the world. Self-published collections are not eligible. No entry fee. UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage is supporting this prize of an annual award for the best collection of nature or environmental poetry to highlight the climate crisis and raise awareness of the challenges and potential solutions at this critical point in our planet's life. First Prize - £5,000 Second Prize - £2,000 Third Prize - £1,000. Prize for Best First Collection - £500
- Links from publishing: People in the book community have strong feelings about it, Is Goodreads a good thing? | Book Riot; and reading is cool again, The reading renaissance: could the #BookTok bump save publishing? A local school board had voted to remove Art Spiegelman's Holocaust classic Maus from its curriculum, ‘It's a culture war that's totally out of control': the authors whose books are being banned in US schools | Books | The Guardian; until I started doing research for this article, I had no idea that Book of the Month is almost 100 years old, The Effect of Book of the Month on Book Sales | Book Riot; two links to articles about the key international children's book fair, Bologna 2022: The Bologna Book Fair Is Back for 2022; and Bologna 2022: Quieter Fair, But Good to Be Back; and from the largest trade publisher in the country, Russia's Eksmo Asks World to Rethink Boycott
- How to market your writing services online is a useful article from Joanne PhillipsUK-based freelance writer and ghostwriter. She has had articles published in national writing magazines, and has ghostwritten books on subjects as diverse as hairdressing and keeping chickens. Visit her at www.joannephillips.co.uk about selling yourself as a writer. 'Recently someone commented to me that I seem to be doing a pretty good job of promoting my writing services on the internet. I was touched by the observation - we writers get so many rejections that a little praise is especially gratifying. And I began to wonder - what does it take to market yourself successfully as a jobbing writer today?...'
- The most recent addition to our range of reports is the Editor's Report Plus, a substantial report which offers chapter-by-chapter commentary on your manuscript, with a helpful blueprint for any further work which is recommended. It gives you the kind of expert advice which is usually only available from an in-house editor, which is why it has quickly become our most popular report.
- Links from writers: I never once aspired to be a screenwriter in the glamorous world of film. It simply didn't occur to me. Until I moved to Los Angeles. Novels, Screenplays, and the Writers Who Do Both ‹ CrimeReads; it is a truth universally acknowledged - at least among romance readers - that whenever someone brings up the Regency romance, the sentence that follows must inevitably mention Jane Austen, When will Hollywood discover Georgette Heyer? - Vox; there was nowhere else Saunders would rather be than here, chopping it up with commenters young and old, near and far, longtime fans and first-time callers, Why Novelists Are Embracing Substack - Can Substack Reinvent the Social Internet? Crime fiction, what is it, anyway? The Two Camps of Crime: Christie's Cool, Cozy Tales of Ratiocination and Highsmith's Psycho-Sexual Deep Waters ‹ CrimeReads.
- Working with an agent: 'Don't ever take on an agent you don't like or don't trust, however desperate you may feel. You have to be able to work with them in what should be an extremely important relationship for you as a writer. You must also feel confident that they are competent, enthusiastic about your work and can be trusted, both in terms of the advice they offer and in relation to handling your money...'
- More links from writers: it's no wonder that so many spy writers have tunnelled their way into East Berlin over the years, Can Contemporary Spy Novels Ever Live Up to the Cold War Classics? ‹ CrimeReads; a writer on the fascinating subject of writers' relationships, ‘I couldn't face the resentment and rage': can artistic couples have successful relationships? | Books | The Guardian; Nancy Allen urges readers not to turn away from the dangers women face, In Defense of a Thriller Trope: "Damsels in Distress" ‹ CrimeReads; and Scotland's western metropolis, Glasgow: City of Business, City of Crime ‹ CrimeReads.
- 'An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment the world hands out and the punishment he inflicts upon himself.' Irwin Shaw in our Writers' Quotes.
- ‘There are moments when I'm writing a character, who might be from a different ethnicity to mine, or a different sex or gender or background. I start worrying about what the reaction might be because it's so unfathomable. And that is scary because writers shouldn't be following the agenda, they should be setting it. But that's not happening any more. You get writers making extraordinary statements, like Sebastian Faulks who said he would never describe what a woman looked like any more because that's objectifying...' Anthony Horowitz, author of 36 novels for children and adults, including The Magpie Murders and the Alex Rider series, in the Sunday Times Culture.
- An Editor's Advice on planning, part of our 7-part series, 'Some people like to know exactly what they're doing before they start writing. They make very elaborate diagrams of the plot, note what each character is doing and when - this is particularly useful if you're writing a story which depends very heavily on a complex series of events coming together at just the right moment. Some writers focus on building detailed descriptions of their characters, so they know how they will react in any given situation, and then put them into the action. Once they've made a plan, they stick to it, but they then make a note of the ideas they have as they work, and then go back later and see if they can be incorporated into the story. If not, they might be worth using elsewhere...'
- 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. Through our specialist children's editors we can offer reports on children's books.
- Links from the publishing and bookselling worlds: US bookshop giant scores with backlist sales, Barnes & Noble's 'Solid' 2021; surprise closure of internet retailer's bricks and mortar outlets, Amazon to Close All Bookstores; 'I fell in love with the business all over again as I experienced what the bookshop meant to me, our staff and our customers', Indie View: Chepstow Books & Gifts; and since the two skill-sets are becoming increasingly similar, The Bookseller - News - Pandemic and long hours prompt editors to turn to agenting.
- Here's a detailed article on how to prepare Your submission package - 'Given the difficulty of getting agents and publishers to take on your work, it's really important to make sure that you present it in the best possible way. Less is more, so don't send a full manuscript, as it's very unlikely to be read. Far better to tempt them with a submission package that will leave them wanting to see the rest of the manuscript...'
- Are you having difficulty producing a really good blurb to self-publish your book? Or do you need a synopsis to submit it to publishers? Our services can help.
- Links from writers about writing: her breakout book was a bestseller described by Stephen King as a "true nerve-shredder", Catriona Ward: ‘When done right, horror is a transformative experience' | Horror books | The Guardian; packaged in many ways, truth is the backbone of every story that satisfies the reader, no matter if we write murder mysteries, thrillers with its many subgroups, historical suspense, or real-life crime novels, Fiction, History, and Truth ‹ CrimeReads; it's natural for authors to wonder if their own work is suitable for adaptation, What Kind of Book Translates Well to the Screen? | Jane Friedman; a novel solution for a writing riddle, Having Trouble With Novel Structure? Look at It Like a Mixtape ‹ Literary Hub; and my favourite part of writing, The Joy of Researching Historical Fiction ‹ CrimeReads.
- Our 20 Services for writers - just a list of what we offer at WritersServices.
- We have a new page which gives an editor's take on using pdfs, So what's wrong with PDFs? 'If you need your file to be edited, PDF is not the ideal format; in fact, it is practically the worst format you can choose. Why? Precisely because PDFs are designed not to be tampered with or changed. When you stop to think about it, editing is no more or less than a process of changing - and correcting - your file...'
- More links from writers: no city has been a deeper well for espionage fiction, Why Berlin Is the Mecca of Espionage Fiction: A Conversation with Joseph Kanon and Paul Vidich ‹ CrimeReads; 'Ah yes. Writing. Life... That's the problem. You can have a life or you can do some writing, but not both at once...', "When? Where? How?" Margaret Atwood Considers the Burning Questions of the Writing Life ‹ Literary Hub; Grace Paley once said, "Women have always done men the favor of reading their work and men have not returned the favor." Why Are So Many Men Still Resistant to Reading Women? ‹ Literary Hub; and other writers on the late, great children's writer, Shirley Hughes remembered: ‘Everything she shone her attention on turned to gold' | Shirley Hughes | The Guardian.
- From our Endorsements page: 'The copy-editor perfectly captured the spirit of my story, making not only pertinent corrections, but also a string of brilliant suggestions and comments that inspired me to improve the text on my own. So happy I chose Writers Services. Rasmus, Chile.'
- 'Always thought being a writer would be one of the most useless things you could be in a zombie apocalypse, but it turns out arts and culture and storytelling is what helps us get through. Along with science, doctors, nurses, delivery people, farm workers and supermarket cashiers.' Lauren Beukes in our Writers' Quotes.
- 'Normally agents and editors read a book thinking. "Do I love this, would other people love this?" Now a new concern has sprung up: "Will other people object to it?" You're worrying about whether what characters say can be taken out of context, screengrabbed and put on Twitter, and that the author will be punished. Books are judged by people who haven't read them more than ever before...' An unnamed publishing editor in the Sunday Times Culture.
- How to get your book translated into English (without it costing the earth) asks writers who are not native English speakers with a manuscript which needs polishing or translating: "if your English is good enough, what about translating your book yourself or writing in English, and then getting your work polished and copy edited by a professional editor who is a native English speaker?" This could be a cost-effective way of reaching the international English-speaking market.
- English Language Editing is a polishing service for writers writing in English who are not native English speakers. It is specially designed to help non-native speakers of English to find success in the international publishing market. If English is not your native language, you may require extra help to take your work to a professional standard and a native level of fluency.
- The 2022 Page Turner Awards are open to all writers over 18 across the world in five categories. Entry fees and £35,000 prize fund. Closing 31 May 2022.
- Other live competitions.
- Links from the publishing world: encouraging news about US book sales, Bookstore Sales Rose 28% in 2021; a few years ago, I dove into romance novels again with absolute delight, How to get into romance books - and why you should - Polygon; more on romance, the romance sector from a representation point of view, The Bookseller - Features - Love without limits: editors and authors on the barriers to a diverse romance sector; and one author's experience of having her prize-winning book assessed by experts who would detect and reform its problematic racism and ableism, How sensitivity readers corrupt literature - UnHerd.
- WritersServices can provide a range of services working on your manuscript, to help you get it ready for submission or self-publishing. We are UK-based, offer exceptional value and our skilled professional editors have been working on writers' manuscripts for 17 years. We have introduced free samples and free assessments on most of these services, please see the individual service page. Copy editing services.
- Health Hazards is our special series about the various health risks for writers, including the dreaded Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. If you know you're spending too much time at a keyboard, it's worth making sure you're being careful about how you're sitting, your eyes and your wrists. Although Coronavirus may be the main health risk you're focused on at the moment, these special dangers writers face are worth thinking about.
- Links about writing: are authors artists who should worry first and foremost about creating the best art they can, or is it more important to understand the business side of the equation? Some Words About Word Counts - by Lincoln Michel; a strong character arc really is the key to an emotionally affecting novel, one that will make a strong connection with readers, Want to Write a Great Novel? Be Brave. | Jane Friedman; five poets on their work, A Zoom of One's Own: Poetry 2022; and "I don't remotely feel as if I've been ‘cancelled'", Author Joanne Harris turns down US book deal over censoring of ‘f-bomb' | Joanne Harris | The Guardian.
- Poets are naturally keen to see their work in print but it's actually quite hard to get a first collection taken on by a publisher. This is because most poetry lists are pretty small. Poetry is not in general given much space in bookshops and it is difficult to achieve any sales for first collections. Self-publishing offers a good approach and the live poetry scene is much livelier than it used to be. Getting your poetry published
- More links from writers: the author who had his manuscript knocked back by publishers 44 times, The Bookseller - Author Interviews - Douglas Stuart | 'Mungo was a way to explore masculinity and how we teach little boys how to be men'; the freedom for anyone to reproduce or reimagine books once they are out of copyright is corrupting classic texts, The Great Gapsby? How modern editions of classics lost the plot | Publishing | The Guardian; the difficult set of decisions which face a literary executor, When a Writer Dies: Making Difficult Decisions About the Work Left Behind | Jane Friedman; and I've found darkness lurking in some of the most unexpected places, The Darker Side of Jane Austen ‹ CrimeReads.
- Our 20 Services for Writers.
- ‘Words may, through the devotion, the skill, the passion, and the luck of writers prove to be the most powerful thing in the world.' William Golding in our Writers' Quotes.
- ‘We are getting more and more manuscripts in English from all over the world. A decade ago we'd get two but mostly from scientists or journalists but now we get a lot in fiction and YA... But also with a lot of fan fiction in Holland and Scandinavia, these people will write in English straight away because they also want to get published in the UK or US. Back in the day the largest goal for authors was to be published in their own language but nowadays... if they write in English, the world is their audience.' Paul Sebes, founder of Amsterdam-headquartered Sebes & Bisseling Literary Agency, which has just opened a London office, in the Bookseller.
- A must-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 Writer's edit is a top-level new service for writers who want line-editing as well as copy editing. Does your manuscript need skilled professional input from an editor to help you get it into the best possible shape for submission or self-publishing? This may be the service for you, offering the kind of editing which publishers' senior editors used to do in-house on their authors' manuscripts and which is now hard to find. Our other copy editing services.
- The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2022 is for adults writing poetry for children. It's open to all poets across the world over the age of 16. The entry fee is €14 per poem and the prize is worth €1,000. Closing 31 March 2022.
- There's an interesting crop of links this week. From the publishing world: not unexpectedly, year one of the pandemic was an e-book bonanza, The Bookseller - Features - Digital sales contract by 13% at the Big Six as large houses report e-book dip; the hot topic of the week is AI and audiobooks, AI Influence on Audiobooks Grows-As Does Controversy; more on this, Synthetic Voices Want to Take Over Audiobooks | WIRED; at last there's some movement on improving accessibility, Publishers Are Increasing Accessibility to Content; and the extraordinary growth of a challenger to Amazon, Interview: Andy Hunter on Bookshop.org's Second Anniversary.
- From our Endorsements page: 'I am delighted with the feedback and so pleased with all the great suggestions which were so much more than I expected. A really brilliant service.' Sally Gibbins , Birmingham, UK, on her children's copy editing.
- Are you struggling to get someone to look at your poetry? Our Poetry Critique service for 150 lines of poetry can help. Our Poetry Collection Editing service, unique to WritersServices, edits your collection to prepare it for submission or self-publishing. Both can provide the professional editorial input you need.
- Links about writing: a surprising new trend, Tales of the unexpected: the surprise boom in UK short stories | Short stories | The Guardian; beware sites which charge thousands of pounds upfront for ghostwritten books, The Bookseller - News - Okri warns authors over ghostwriting sites claiming to have written string of bestsellers; you'd think that being a senior publicity manager at a children's publisher, I'd be in a great place to do PR for my own book, Putting on my second hat; and the ring of the doorbell, the pop of a champagne cork, a peal of laughter from another room, The Art of Throwing Truly Memorable Parties - In Suspense Novels ‹ CrimeReads.
- Why has my manuscript been rejected? It is demoralising to get your manuscript rejected by publishers or agents. Here are some of the reasons why this happens and suggestions of what you can do about it. Avoiding rejection.
- More links from writers: they're often the star of the show, but Why Do We Feel So Much Empathy for Villains? ‹ CrimeReads; a desperate resolution - get up an hour earlier than necessary six days a week and spend those sixty minutes writing short fiction, Here's What Can Happen When You Resolve to Write a Little Every Day | Jane Friedman; those who have mastered the art of influence, attracting social media followers and fame, do have a book inside them - and it seems publishers don't want to let it stay there, Writing under the influence: how social media stars are taking over publishing; and an extraordinary story from WWII, The Diabolical Witchcraft of MI9: How British Intelligence Encouraged POWs to Escape and Gather Intelligence ‹ CrimeReads.
- Which service should I choose to help me get my work into good shape for submission or self-publishing? Our editorial services have been added in response to demand, so whatever you want we've probably got it covered with our 20 different services.
- 'Our lives are spent plopped on the gluteal upholstery for eight hours a day with only imaginary friends for company, spinning lies, marinating in envy, and wondering when the Pulitzer committee is going to twig to our brilliance.' Sarah Bird in our Writers' Quotes.
- ‘There's a whole debate about... whether we're just constrained to write about ourselves. But it's always seemed to me to be an absolute base fundamental that imagining my way into somebody's else's consciousness and what makes them yearn, what makes them happy, what makes them anxious - this kind of projection into another soul's being and, in many cases, into people's consciousness who are very unlike me, a different gender, a different age - has always been what writing has been about. Supposing Dickens had only written about himself?... Rose Tremain, author of 15 books, including Restoration, Sacred Country, Music and Silence and The Gustav Sonata.
- My Say gives writers a chance to air their views about writing and the writer's life. So we have Lynda Finn about the isolation of New Zealand writers and their problems with getting published, British author Eliza Graham, author of Playing with the Moon, on her route to publication and Zoe Jenny, who is Swiss, on writing in English and why it was liberating. Send us your contributions, ideally 200 to 400 words in length and of general interest. Please email them to us.
- The BBC National Short Story Award 2022 is open to British nationals and UK residents, aged 18 years or over. There's no entry fee and the winner gets £15,000 plus 4 shortlisted authors receive £600. There's lots of publicity through the BBC. Closing 21 March.
- Three other competitions are closing very shortly.
- As well as our highly-regarded Copy editing service, which will help you prepare your manuscript for submission or self-publishing, we have Manuscript Polishing, which provides a higher-level polishing service, English Language Editing for those for whom English is not a native language, our new Writer's edit, providing line-editing, and Proof-reading. Get the right level of editorial support for your needs from our professional editors. Our low-cost services represent exceptionally good value. Contact us to discuss what you want.
- Links on writing: don't forget: all great writers (and many of their now-beloved books) have been rejected, some of them many, many times, 20 Famous Writers on Being Rejected ‹ Literary Hub; Guadalcanal Diary made a steady climb up the bestseller charts, Creating a Classic of Military Literature; since the pandemic arrived in early 2020, the publishing community has turned its eye toward online events as a key way to spread word of mouth about books, How to Plan and Host Worthwhile Online Book Events | Jane Friedman; publishing has seen any number of innovative ideas that for one reason or another failed to thrive, Five Obscure But Interesting Publishing Experiments | Tor.com; and a long article about an extraordinary man, The Story of 18th Century England's Booming Graverobbing Industry, and the Man Who Inspired ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' ‹ CrimeReads.
- From Joanne PhillipsUK-based freelance writer and ghostwriter. She has had articles published in national writing magazines, and has ghostwritten books on subjects as diverse as hairdressing and keeping chickens. Visit her at www.joannephillips.co.uk, The Business of Writing for Self-publishing authors offers terrific advice for all writers: 'Self-publishing authors - also known as ‘indie' authors or author-publishers - have had a steep learning curve these past few years. Getting to grips with the various sales channels available to them, producing top quality ebooks and paperbacks, and finding a place in mainstream outlets have left many writers struggling to keep up with the paperwork. What follows is a brief guide to the essentials your self-publishing business needs - because it is a business, even if you only publish one book!'
- Authors often find it difficult to write their own synopsis for submission to publishers, which is where our Synopsis-writing service can help. If you're preparing to self-publish and having difficulty with your blurb, our Blurb-writing service from a professional copy-writer will make your book stand out.
- Links from the publishing world: after authors including Kate Mosse and Philip Pullman warned that proposals to change the UK's copyright laws could be "devastating" for writers, Government pauses plans to rewrite UK copyright laws after authors protest | Books | The Guardian; a children's author has a seemingly unstoppable record-setting run of earning eight figures in the UK, Donaldson reigns supreme as backlist surge sees new authors make top 50; there's good news and bad news, Americans are buying more books-but reading fewer of them than ever. What gives? ‹ Literary Hub; are we confronted with an unprecedented "new illiteracy"? The History of Book Banning; and how publishers with a very local brief are thriving, Hackney author talks independent publishing | Hampstead Highgate Express.
- 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.
- Links from writers: what I want to do here is poke around a little bit in the who and the when and the how of writing these murder scenes, On Where We Get Our Ideas ‹ CrimeReads; what some call science fiction, I prefer to call science possible or sometimes science probable, Malorie Blackman on seeing her sci-fi novel about a pig heart transplant come true | Malorie Blackman | The Guardian; is he the quintessential Californian crime fiction writer? California Son: A Conversation with T. Jefferson Parker ‹ CrimeReads; like listening to your own soul speaking quietly as you turn the pages, My Year of Reading Every Ursula K. Le Guin Novel ‹ Literary Hub; it takes years to write a book, Annie Dillard on How Writers Learn to Trust Instinct ‹ Literary Hub.
- Advice for writers gives you access to the mass of information on the Writersservices website in our more than 8,000 pages.
- Hanya Yanagihara, who has just published To Paradise gives us the counter-approach to finding your audience in this week's quote: 'It never occurred to me to write something people want to read.'
- ‘If there is anything I believe to be foundational to the business of writing then it is this: writing is work. To frame it in this way is to acknowledge that good writing doesn't come out, fully formed, at two in the morning; and nor does it require anything extraordinary in the way of genius or education, although of course it's possible to have an aptitude for it, and reading helps. Instead, good writing happens, in increments, between everything else that needs to be done... Jessie Greengrass, author of Sight and The High House: A Novel in an article entitled Learning, Practice, and Repetition: Why the Act of Writing Is Work.
- Our article on How to get your book translated into English (without it costing the earth) asks writers with a manuscript which needs translating or has been written in English by a non-native speaker: "if your English is good enough, what about translating your book yourself, or writing in English, and then getting your translation polished and copy edited by a professional editor who is a native English speaker?" This could be a cost-effective way of reaching the international English-speaking market.
- English Language Editing is our polishing service for writers who have translated their work into English or written it in English when it is not their native language. If you need to make sure it's good enough to publish, or send to a publisher, this service is for you. Acknowledging the growth of world English, English Language Editing is designed for the many non-native English speakers throughout the world who want to publish their work in English.
- Other editing services.
- It may surprise you to know that the first of Julie Wheelwright's Top Ten Tips for Nonfiction Writers is: 'Story, story, story. Make sure that your story can sustain several chapters and tens of thousands of words. Keep asking yourself: Why would anyone want to read this story?'
- Our links from the publishing world: good news that there's a booming appetite for crime, sci-fi and romance and it's driving fiction sales, UK book sales in 2021 highest in a decade | Booksellers | The Guardian; a major win against book piracy, Authors Win $7.8 Million Default Judgment in Global Piracy Lawsuit; the stagnation in the industry was stark and filled me with despair, As a black literary agent, I despair at UK publishing's lack of diversity | Natalie Jerome - Verve times; as the London Book Fair announces a face-to-face fair, Bologna Affirms In-Person Plans, Opens Awards to Non-Exhibitors; and it's not always so predictable what they're going to say, 2022 predictions: Industry leaders look at what lies ahead | The Bookseller.
- A new comment from a writer on our Endorsements page: 'Many thanks to you and the Editor for the edits, and the comments. I am really pleased with the services of your company. Will definitely use it again.' Merlin, India
- Our 19 Factsheets from the legendary Michael Legat are full of tips for the new writer or anyone who is trying to get their book published. From Literary agents to Copyright, from Libel to Submissions, this series is full of essential background information.
- Links from writers: 'a blazing book of rage and light, a grand opera of liberation from the shadows of indifference and oppression', Joelle Taylor wins TS Eliot poetry prize for ‘blazing' C+nto & Othered Poems; here's a writer who loved how her book was adapted for the screen, I Wrote A Book. It Was Adapted Into a Movie. Everything Went Really Well. ‹ CrimeReads; what on earth was he doing it for? For want of a motive for the book thief, let's run through some possibilities | Stephanie Merritt | The Guardian; conventional wisdom in the Western literary tradition holds that character determines plot, I'm not mad about Ben Smith; I'm mad at all of this - Poynter; how her teaching career affected her writing, Joanne Harris on how her career as a teacher shaped her career as a writer ‹ CrimeReads; and some writers won't read a word of any novel while they're writing their own, Zadie Smith on Reading While You Write ‹ Literary Hub.
- Working with an agent: 'Don't ever take on an agent you don't like or don't trust, however desperate you may feel. You have to be able to work with them in what should be an extremely important relationship for you as a writer. You must also feel confident that they are competent, enthusiastic about your work and can be trusted, both in terms of the advice they offer and in relation to handling your money...'
- Our Services for Writers is a simple list of the 20 services we offer.
- More links from writers: "Isn't that just vampire romances?" is what they say, but YA is leading the way | The Bookseller; it just shows how much money authors can make, Revenues up £1.3m at Roald Dahl Story Company before Netflix deal earned £370m | The Bookseller; for the boy who would one day become Lee Child, reading was all about escape, The Obscure French Thriller That May Hold the Secrets to Jack Reacher's World ‹ CrimeReads; a 2022 Audit Wish List for publishers, Richard Charkin: A 2022 Publishing Resolution; and my psychotherapy training has been the best preparation for becoming a writer - even more so than my publishing career! Psychotherapy and fiction.
- 'Half the people I know want to be writers... Why do you say want? If you're already doing it, then it's not about the future. It already exists in the present.' Paul Auster in our Writers' Quotes.
