Any writers and authors on here?

Hello Artemis1. Firstly condolences to you for the loss of your daughter due to this awful pandemic.

I have written a memoir about running a cattery in Spain, a memoir about a year as a child in Trinidad and am currently writing a memoir about my family driving home from Kuwait to England in 1965. It was winter and we spent many nights sleeping in the car rushing home for Christmas. We didn't get home for Christmas and spent it in beautiful Verona. I have approached about 30 agents but with no luck. I have several blogs and used to write a weekly column about cats for the Euroweekly News in Spain, when I worked for their rivals, The Costa Blanca News. What have you written and have you approached publishers?

I have written three books, and unpublished two of them. They are all set in France. The only one still 'live' is fiction. I hardly sold any copies and I didn't feel that it was worth the effort I put in.
I have the impression that unless you are already famous, or an established author, it's very difficult to succeed as an author.

I've looked into this and you need a literary agent before most publishers will consider you.

I've written a couple of novels which have done quite well and currently write short stories for ladies magazines.
Get the latest 'Writers and Artists Yearbook' for practical and up to date info. There are many more ways into writing and publishing than via the old route of finding an agent. All sorts of types of writing too.

Aveline I'd love to read one of your books! Would you be kind enough to private message me with a title?

If anyone has technical skills it is easy now to self publish using Amazon and Kindle Direct Publishing. You do need some IT knowledge (or someone who can help you) and it's best if you can get someone to proof read your copy before you publish. It doesn't cost you anything. You can advertise your book free on Amazon and you can buy as many copies as you want. I published a local history book just before lockdown and some have sold. I've probably made a small amount of money. I would have been promoting it at Hitory Firs etc but lockdown stopped all that. You can find out about Kindle Direct here kdp.amazon.com/en_US?ref_=kdpgp_p_uk_psg_gt_hv_ad1

That should be History Fairs

Firstly Artemis I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your daughter. ?

My son is a children’s author of over 20 books sold in 22 countries so we as a family have a wide experience of how tough the publishing world is. If I may I will give a few pointers from our experience.

An agent is essential as they do the negotiating with the publishers.

Decide what genre your book is and find a published author who writers in a similar style. Then find out online who their agent is and apply to them.

If the agent is taking on manuscripts follow to the letter how they want it presented.

As soon as a publisher buys a book they want to know when book 2 will be ready. Authors have to work to deadlines.

If you write for children then a way of earning money is to go round schools and libraries offering an interactive session, not just Q and A. If you write for adults maybe your local book shop will let you do a short presentation to promote your book.

If all this sounds hard my advice would be as follows.

Join a writers’ group you will get lots of advice and support.

Go online and read some of the advice the author Stephen King gives. My son followed his advice on writing and found it invaluable.

Self publish.

Best of luck.

You have to write it first of course. Just start writing. NanKate's son is pretty far down the line. Finding an agent as a starting point is a very long shot indeed!
I was very lucky. I had a series of complete flukes which led to a publisher which in turn led to other lucky breaks. I think most authors will say that actually writing the book is the least of it. It's what comes next which is the hardest part. Copy editing, proof reading, then publicity and promotion have to be done. Hundreds of thousands of books are produced almost daily round the world and with Amazon, Smashwords and all the other distributors it is a worldwide business. You might already have a website and a social media presence? An agent once told me that they expect their authors to have at least 10,000 'followers'.
Join a writing group, enter some writing competitions there's a world of possibilities . Self publishing too of course. Beware,though, there are sharks out there happy to rip off keen aspiring authors.
Just plain luck can play a part too! I wish you loads of it

I can recommend Aveline's books

I'd like to write our family history in short snippets without making it dull but keeping accuracy. It would be just for our family as I doubt it would interest anyone else but starting is an obstacle to overcome, I think.

I am sorry to hear about your daughter, Artemis

I don't have any hints except to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and start, then ask for advice.
As trisher says, you can self-publish on Kindle Direct, worth investigating.

And don't use I too much!
Oops

Gosh thanks Callistemon.
It's quite right to think about who might want to actually read or, crucially, buy your books, short stories, scripts or articles.
The first thing is, as she says, to start getting it down. As one of our old lecturers said, ' If you've not written anything down, what have you got? Nothing!'

I'm a lyricist...not sure if that counts here? My songs are sung in musical sessions, which for me is very rewarding. I've had a couple of my poems published - many, many years ago.

Of course it counts Boheminan! There's so many ways of expressing life in words. I can't write poetry but really enjoy reading it.

I write novels, but only for me, I'm not really bothered if they get published. I write because I like it, not because I want, or even can, be a published author.

My 12 year old granddaughter wrote this in response to a “story” about kindness. I thought it was beautiful

“Best Shortbread in Scotland”

Tamzin Parker was a bright, bubbly 26-year-old woman who ran a café in her home village of Cullen. Situated on the North Sea coast of Scotland her café overlooked the beach. As she was cleaning up crumbs from her last customer, she looked around at the empty tables and sighed. At lunchtime on a lovely, warm spring morning, she would usually expect more customers but the covid-19 pandemic had taken its toll. With people staying at home more often and others working from home, many of her regulars had stopped spending their money on her lunchtime specials.
Tamzin slid open the till drawer and scooped out today’s takings. Fifteen pounds and 27 pence was not going to pay her bills.
The café bell rang as a man wearing a blue tailored suit entered. Tamzin couldn’t help but notice his rather expensive looking car parked in the bay outside.
“Can I have a large coffee and one of your shortbread please?” The man asked kindly. Tamzin prepared his order and brought it over to the table in the window, where he had chosen to sit.
The man smiled and said “I love shortbread and I hear that you do the best in all of Scotland”
Tamzin smiled and replied “Aye, we do a great shortbread in here but you should enjoy that piece because I am going to be closing on Friday………….. This pandemic has really affected my business. Its sad but there you go”
The man looked thoughtful and replied “I’m sorry to hear this, maybe things will get better for you soon?”
Tamzin smiled at him and said “as my mum always used to say, what will be will be”
The man turned his attention to the shortbread and polished off every last crumb before drinking down his coffee. He opened up his briefcase, and shuffled about some papers before busily scribbling something down. “can I have the bill please?”
Tamzin passed him the bill, placing it next to his empty coffee cup and next to this she placed a paper bag with a rectangular object inside. “Have a free piece of shortbread on me, to take home. And never forget the café that sold the best shortbread in Scotland” she chuckled.
The Man stood up and after collecting his belongings, waved goodbye “thanks for everything” he said.
Tamzin went to collect the bill and dirty dishes. As she scooped up the money left on the table, something caught her eye. On the table was a Cheque and as she read it, her eyes widened. It was for her!! The Cheque was made out to Miss Tamzin Parker and was signed by a Mr. Lachlan Gibson. Lachlan Gibson? Where had she heard that name before?…..
Tamzin searched her memories and it didn’t take her long to recall his face. Lachlan had been a child at her school. They were just 8 years old when Lachlan moved from a school in Glasgow and joined their class. Lachlan was a small boy with timid brown eyes and messy dark hair that looked as though he had never thought to brush it. Tamzin had remembered that Lachlan had been sat next to her at lunchtimes in the school canteen. He seemed to bring very little in the way of food with him to the canteen. He would finish off his sandwich and still seemed hungry. His eyes would follow every bite that Tamzin took. Tamzin was only 8 years old yet her heart told her that she felt sorry for Lachlan. Each day she would push some of her lunch over towards him. A banana, an orange, a yogurt but Lachlan was never happier as when she would halve her shortbread and give him the biggest half. “I make this with my mum” she said.
Lachlan’s family had been struggling since his dad got fired from his job but even as things did improve for them Tamzin would always bring shortbread to share.
Tamzin held the cheque in her hands. There was more than enough to pay her bills and to keep her café running and to maybe make it through the pandemic. Under the empty coffee cup was a piece of folded paper. It read
“To Tamzin
Thank you for the best shortbread in Scotland.
This is for all of the times you let me have the bigger half.
Kindness never goes unnoticed!
Your old friend, Lachlan”

Tamzin stood in disbelief, holding the cheque feeling excited and overwhelmed all at the same time. Could this really be happening? Had her business really been saved? This is exactly what happened and Tamzin would go on to serve many a shortbread for years to come.
Her favorite customer was the man in the blue suit who always got the bigger half.
By Emma-lee Loveday
Christ the King school- 7D

Yes I had a slimline book published with all proceeds after printing costs taken out going to my local Children Hospice
It all came about when I broke my right hip and left arm. I was about 74 years old then.

My son had already taught me how to use a computer and I had a WW2 website when the accident happened.
When recuperating and sent home I could not do much because my arm was still in plaster and I could neither walk, knit or do much else to relieve the boredom.
It was my son who suggested I write about my childhood and young life because I could still use my right hand to write the tales on the computer.

The book is about the first 20 years of my life and all true which takes in being illtreated by so called Sisters -of - Mercy and then being bombed out twice during the war plus being machine gunned in the hopfields.
Then being evacuated to the Midlands and how we were looked on as foreigners at first and finally finishing back in London up for my farcical Cockney wedding day.

The local paper got to know about it from the chap who printed it and from that the TV contacted me to go for an interview.
I was amazed at the feedback and how the book sold.

I have also had slimline poetry books printed for charity and all my poetry is a true tale put into rhyme. The poetry includes animals and their antics plus children and their sayings or queries also about ordinary life.

I am 91 now and its my computer and I-pad that has kept me in touch with the outside world during the traumatic time we have had worldwide with this blasted virus.
Keep safe everyone.

That is brilliant! You have a very talented granddaughter, ValerieF, she should go far.

Thank you hellogirl1. I too think she should be encouraged to go on to write but no idea where? She wrote this as a school project and when I read it I was so impressed even brought tears to my eyes. Just not sure what “platforms” are out there to forge forward.

We did have a published author who posted regularly, was she called Jane10 ?

I cannot claim to be a successful author, but, for what it's worth, it can sometimes help to start in the middle of the novel, then you have some text written and then you need to write the start and the bit after it need to get you to where the middle starts.

As for publishing, it depends what you want to do. If making money is your aim then that is different from if you just want the satisfaction of your novel being published, which is a perfectly respectable objective.

You can always get a website and some desktop publishing software (budget British stuff is available) and produce files and put them on the web. Do it all yourself and it costs less than many hobbies that people have.

The good bit is that if you do and you are in the UK, then The British Library will conserve a copy at zero cost.

www.bl.uk/help/how-to-deposit-your-print-publications

www.bl.uk/help/how-to-deposit-your-digital-publications

Perceived literary merit does not come into it with legal deposit at The British Library.

There is a widespread popular fallacy that a publisher must be a business or an organization.

If someone makes copies available to the public, (whether free or for sale is immaterial), then he or she is a publisher.

Nana3

We did have a published author who posted regularly, was she called Jane10 ?

She 'flounced' a good few months ago, around the time of The Great MawB Debacle.

Yes and she 'flounced' right back!

So sorry to hear about your daughter.

Writing workshops can be very motivational and also put you in touch with like minded people so as soon as it's safe to do so I would seek one out.

Most publishers won't even look at a book that hasn't been submitted by an agent, and getting an agent to take you on can be very difficult. The Writers and Artists Yearbook would be a helpful resource.

But be prepared for a lot of disappointment. It's very very difficult to get a book published nowadays and quite a sizeable amount of publishers'budgets go towards commissioning books by celebrities (which are often ghostwritten) or marketing books by already well established authors.