What's new 05

Writers' magazine

What's new 05

Log of the weekly changes on the site on 2005

This week's changes 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Some of the links are broken when items are archived - Please check the page address (url) and it should be fairly easy to find the original page or section.

19 December 2005

	'Perhaps, as an author, you feel you do not understand what copy editing is, or why you should need it.' The 16th article in the Inside Publishing series looks at Copy editing and proof-reading and when writers need them.
	If you're interested in this, check out Preparing for Publication for a run-through of what will happen after you find a publisher, with specific information on the stages your manuscript goes through on its way to publication.
	Author of six unpublished novels Sarah Wray has hit the jackpot by winning the WOW competition. Her book, The Forbidden Room, sounds a bit of an unlikely winner, but perhaps that’s precisely why it beat off the opposition. News Review investigates.
	Making an Index using Word If you wan to create your own index for your book, you can do it using Word by following the instructions.
	'I don't begin a book until I have an idea that really excites me. I open my imagination and wait for it to come. Up till now, it always has. But I never get a new idea when I'm writing. P D James in the Sunday Times, quoted in our Comment column.
	T S Eliot Prize Readings Poetry lovers who are within reach of London can look forward to an annual treat on January 15th, when the shortlisted poets will read from their work.
	'i never think at all when i write nobody can do two things at the same time and do them both well.' Don Marquis, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.

12 December 2005

	The Waterstone’s bid for Ottakar’s has been referred to the Competition Commission by the Office of Fair Trading. News Review looks at this surprising turn of events.
	*Bob on noms de plume,* using other people's identities and the way newspaper articles are, well, based on other people's newpaper articles - a tendency which proliferates on the web:** 'A TV programme about how to use eBay actually recommended creating a false identity for oneself. That way no one can get hold of your real email address, personal details, credit card, etc.'
	Identity fraud Watch out for the Christmas fraudsters! Chas Jones give some clear guidelines on how to deal with this threat.
	We have adopted Book Aid International again as our Seasonal charity. Take a look at their brilliant Reverse Book club, which enables you to join a book club where the books are sent to people who really need them.
	'Huge financial investments are staked on the gut feelings of one or two people who sometimes get it right but more often get it wrong... sooner or later, the money men will demand a better strike rate, which will trigger a rush to understand what consumers really want from their reading.' Damian Horner, writing in the Bookseller about book acquisition, quoted in our Comment column.
	Check out our fifteen part Inside Publishing series, which tells you what's really going on in publishing. Articles range from Advances and Royalties to Subsidiary Rights, from The Relationship between Publishers and Agents to Children's Publishing.
	From our Writers' Quotes: 'If publishers and authors don't worry about our language, it will be drained of moral content.' Nick Webb, author of The Dictionary of Bullshit: Self-defence for English Speakers, just published by Robson Books.

5 December 2005

	The launch of the Poetry Archive: the world's premier online collection of recordings of poets reading their work goes live with 80 poets already recorded.
	News Review looks at deep discounting in the high street, and layoffs and cuts in publishers' output in the run-up to Christmas.
	Offering advice which is useful to any writer, the sixth excerpt from Novel Writing deals with finding the time to write and managing the creative flow: 'Make a promise to yourself that, whenever possible, you’ll take advantage of the pieces of writing time you’ve carved out for yourself throughout the day.'
	'in our Comment column: 'I think they're just considered too subversive. But it's a very conservative climate there now and children's books are invested with great power; there's this idea the child might copy something.' Francesca Simon, American author of the Horrid Henry series, on why her books have been published in 20 countries but not in the States.
	'If you had won the Booker prize and your name had been plucked from relative obscurity to national prominence what is the last thing you would do? Answer: change it...' The Editor's View, from the Editor of Writers' Forum magazine.
	'Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down.’ John Steinbeck, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.
	'It has a great resource section.' Rave review of WritersServices. Philippa Johnston, Director of literaturetraining.com, chose WritersServices as her top website.

28 November 2005

	Bob muses on when writers are in their prime: 'Unfortunately most writers (and their wives) are poor judges of their own work... there’s no rule that says we get better as we get older.'
	'Recent events at the Crime Writers Association read a bit like the plot of a conspiracy thriller but behind it all may lurk no more than a preference to support British – or at least English language - talent.' News Review investigates.
	'If Google succeeds with this project... it will be able to offer the most seductive information service on the planet... (but) by plundering history, it undermines the economic basis of a market that in its bumbling and inefficient way has served as a repository of culture and learning... for centuries.' Nick Webb, publisher turned author, comments on the debate in Googleworld.
	Chas Jones's Google Print article offers a different perspective, updating writers publishing their books through WritersPrintShop on how Google Print will help to sell their books.
	‘Supporting young people as they find their creative voice is an inspiring business. All of us - writers, teachers, and project co-ordinators - are thrilled by the sheer adventure of it. Mandy Coe and Jean Sprackland in the foreword to their book Our thoughts are Bees: Writers Working with Schools, quoted in our Comment column.
	'A good book is the precious life-blood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life.' John Milton, quoted in out Writers' Quotes.

21 November 2005

	*Press releases and how to write them - we reproduce Chas Jones's Writers' Forum* article with guidelines for producing an effective press release which will get coverage for your book.**
	'I cannot abide those writers who go out of their way to make what we do sound deeply magical; who, in doing so, mystify the craft of writing, going so far as to suggest that it is a vocation rather than a job.' Mark Billingham, in the Bookseller, quoted in our Comment column.
	Droit de Suite - new UK legislation will give artists the right to ongoing income from their work. Chas Jones investigates.
	Irish writers' tax exemption is under threat. But is it justified for writers and other artists to escape paying taxes, so they are subsidised by everyone else? News Review looks at the issues.
	'An autobiography is an obituary in serial from with the last instalment missing.' Quentin Crisp, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.
	Check out our really useful article on using the web as a research tool.

14 November 2005

	The Da Vinci Code has sold 8 million copies sold worldwide, 2.7 million of them in the UK, and has been translated into 42 languages. Now author Dan Brown is being sued for plagiarism. News Review investigates.
	Bob on script editors and what they can achieve, films, theatre, the TV adaptation of Dickens' Bleak House: 'Maybe it is another explanation of why we need art, why we have the irresistible urge to produce music, paintings, stories, though they appear to do nothing useful. For brief moments they give us a kind of peace. '
	'As a retailer you are not just competing against other bookstores, you are competing against everyone else on the high street. It is about how you can convince someone to buy a book rather than a pair of jeans.' Scott Pack of Waterstone's, quoted in our Comment column.
	'Trained to murder standard' Andrew Barrett, Scenes of Crime Officer turned writer, offers free help for crime writers wanting to make sure that the SOCO descriptions in their novels are correct.
	For something to lighten your day, check out our downloadable poster collection, including Getting it Wrong and Computers.
	'Some writers achieve great popularity and then disappear forever. The bestseller lists of the past fifty years are, with a few lively exceptions, a sombre graveyard of dead books.' Carlos Fuentes, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.
	Our new Coaching Service is offered by Julia McCutchen, author of The Writer's Journey: From Inspiration to Publication This new service offers you the opportunity to develop your writing with the benefit of individual feedback, personal guidance and practical advice.

7 November 2005

	News Review looks at the 'Google Wars' and how publishers are seizing the initiative in the face of huge schemes capitalising on book digitisation from Amazon, Google and Microsoft.
	The fifth excerpt from Novel Writing by Evan Marshall deals with Surprising the Reader - the importance of introducing surprises into your storyline: 'For me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of reading a novel is being surprised. I love nothing more than to be shocked by a revelation or story development. I think most readers feel this way.'
	'But there's another kind of block, which is structural, when you've written tens of thousands of words, but can't figure out which are superfluous and what goes where. Something's wrong, but you don't know what it is, and that can make you desperate…' Blake Morrison on why editors can help in the Guardian, quoted in our Comment column.
	*John Jenkins' column from Writers' Forum* magazine** on why women writers are already widely read and why, in spite of all the doomsaying and grumbling, conditions have improved for writers: 'Research is now much easier with the World Wide Web, the agony of editing and re-typing is no longer the problem it once was and the number of books published each year continues to increase.'
	Need your contract checking through but don't have an agent? Publishing contracts can be a bit mystifying, so our contract vetting service may be just what you need.
	'There's no money in poetry, but then there's no poetry in money either.' Robert Graves, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.
	Thinking about subscribing to one of the writers magazines? WritersServices is the only place you can find full reviews to help choose the right one for you.
	The November Magazine is ready!

31 October 2005

	Check out Chas Jones's latest new software review: 'Attaché can help you to organise your sketches, ideas, exercises and essays in a way that will help you extract articles. Attaché is not going to help you write your literary novel but it might be excellent for a work of non-fiction.'
	Our Reviews section includes 26 reviews of books for writers, plus reviews of all the writers' software we've seen including Storybase and New Novelist.
	Seven million adults in the UK have serious problems with reading and two million can barely read. News Review looks at the new World Book Day Quick Reads initiative.
	'Being a romance writer is good and bad news... these are the books women are buying. I know I’m not going to change the world but I am going to brighten your weekend.’ Debbie Macomber at the last Romance Writers of America convention, quoted in our Comment column.
	Try our Problem page to see if we've dealt with your problem - or write to us about it.
	'The book trade is a spiritual barometer of a nation's well-being.' John Buchan, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.

24 October 2005

	We know that 90% of you use MS 'Word', so we have a new series showing how to use some of the more obscure, but potentially useful, facilities. We start off with Auto-correcting.
	*Bob confides the problems of writing a thriller in his journal. 'We are in the world of intending to commit a crime, the world of Minority Report, the world of pre-crime.'*
	The Frankfurt Book Fair themes of business, culture and politics are discussed in News Review, together with the Association of American Publishers' surprise filing of a suit against Google Print.
	WritersPrintShop challenges the so-called 'free offers' to self-publishers.
	Writing is a risky business but working at your keyboard need not damage your health.
	‘The wastepaper basket is the writer’s best friend.’ Isaac Singer in our Writers' Quotes.

17 October 2005

	Our new competition draws on the 2006 Writers' and Artists' Yearbook, which supplies the agents' listings on the WritersServices site. If you get all three questions right you will go into a draw to win copies of the new edition of the book.
	We have revamped our WritersPrintShop and relaunched it in its new improved form this week. If you're thinking about self-publishing, this is the place to find out what's involved. If you're ready to go ahead, our high quality service is second to none and there's an economy version for those who want to tackle some of the work themselves. You can estimate the cost.
	The Man Booker Prize - a triumph for a distinguished author or 'the worst, certainly the most perverse, and perhaps the most indefensible choice in the 36-year history of the contest' News Review looks at the furore surrounding this year's Prize.
	What makes an agent decide to take on a new client?... 'You've just got to fall for it in such a big way that you're bowled over, you have to run with it, it thrills you.' Sophie Hicks of the Ed Victor Agency in Publishing News, quoted in our Comment column.
	If biography is your bag, This week's Writing Opportunity is the Biographers Club Prize for first-time biographical writers, which is open to those who are previously unpublished or uncommissioned writers.
	'If they give me the bloody prize, why can't they say nice things about me?’ John Banville, on the BBC, the morning after unexpectedly winning the 2005 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, in our Writers' Quotes.

10 October 2005

	Bob, finding it hard to sit tight and wait to hear from EastEnders, is finally getting down to his TV thriller and looking at the characters: 'He’s a sympathetic chap, so have decided to kill him off in final reel. Nothing quite like a bit of blatant emotional manipulation to hammer home a message.'
	Checking your email header Chas Jones shows you how to work out where your email has come from to help you identify - and be on guard against - spammers.
	News Review looks all the activity surrounding the short story and wonders whether it will succeed in changing people's perceptions and creating a readership for them.
	'You’ve got to think of your reader – even if you haven’t got one yet. For so many people, the act of writing seems to be enough and I don’t think it should be.’ Charlotte Bingham in Writers' Forum, quoted in our Comment column.
	Sign up for our email newsletter to get regular updates about new material on the site, covering news from the book business, comment from writers, new pages and other interesting developments.
	'While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living.' Cyril Connolly, in our Writers' Quotes
	If you're getting your work rejected, cheer yourself up with Rotten Rejections, including our favourite, 'It is impossible to sell animal stories in the USA’ (on Orwell's Animal Farm).

3 October 2005

	News Review looks at how National Poetry Day and the relaunch of the Children's Poetry Bookshelf are working to make children's poetry fun. 'And does all this activity make a difference? Well, yes, it really does.'
	Google Print - Invasion of copyright or service to authors? Chas Jones delves into the Google Print controversy and explains why WritersPrintShop will be offering this as a facility for writers using our self-publishing service.
	The fourth very helpful excerpt from Novel Writing looks at Getting Off to the Right Start by understanding the classic structure of the novel and determining your novel's ideal length: 'without some kind of plan, a map of the route your story will take, you’re practically guaranteed to start with a bang and, sooner or later, look up and say, ‘Now what?’
	'We need to remind our country that we have an enormous rich and living heritage of writing and illustration for children. It is second to none in the world.' Philip Pullman in the Bookseller, quoted in our Comment column.
	John Jenkins on why Neil Simon's story of signing away the rights on Barefoot in the Park and The Odd Couple was a mistake; why writers should always back up: Terry Pratchett's tips about being a writer; and the battle for Ottakar's. *The Editor's View, written by the Editor of Writers' Forum* magazine.**
	‘If you want a definition of poetry, say: "Poetry is what makes me laugh or cry or yawn, what makes my toenails twinkle, what makes me want to do this or that or nothing" and let it go at that.' Dylan Thomas, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.
	Are critical and creative writing at odds with each other? Where do the roles of writer, critic and teacher overlap? Or collide? Which comes first, your critical or creative self? These are the issues being addressed at this year's NAWE conference.
	The October Magazine is ready!

26 September 2005

	The updated agents' listings from the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook 2006 go up on the site this week. There's the usual fully updated list of UK agents and also a new list of international agents, which range from Australia to Russia, from Germany to South Africa., and also a large listing of US agents.
	See also the information about the 2006 edition of the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook, with the latest listings of publishers around the world and 57 articles about getting published, making it 'a must for established and aspiring writers'. (Society of Authors)
	The Authors Guild of America, with four authors, has taken the extraordinary step of filing a class action suit against Google over its unauthorised scanning and copying of books through its Google Library programme. News Review has the story.
	Bob, just back from a belated honeymoon in South Africa, waits impatiently for the next commission for EastEnders and gets back to basics:'What pleasure is there in writing that can match the pleasure of eating a sweetcorn one has grown oneself?'
	'We need to broaden, not narrow, the gates through which new books, new authors and new ideas must pass before readers can find them.' Anthony Cheetham in the Bookselller on why we need an independent Ottakar's, quoted in our Comment column.
	‘Show me a man or woman who cannot stand mysteries and I will show you a fool, a clever fool – perhaps – but a fool just the same.’ Raymond Chandler, perhaps a little partial, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.

19 September 2005

	The problems and possibilities of print on demand Chas Jones looks at how POD is gradually gaining ground and explains why it is so attractive: 'Corporations, driven by the demands of the balance sheet, have recognised that printing small quantities of a title can make financial sense. '
	'Though twice as many women as men are writing, they are 50 per cent less likely to send off their manuscripts to publishers or agents, or to apply for writing grants.' Debbie Taylor, Editor, in Mslexia, quoted in our Comment column.
	If you're starting a creative writing course or teaching one, check out the nearly 80 pages of resource material in our Education Resource Centre, including Michael Legat's Factsheets, the Inside Publishing series, Health Hazards for writers and masses of other information to help writers get published.
	46,000 unpublished writers entered Richard and Judy's How To Get Published competition - but seven authors 'won' a contract. News Review reports.
	*The latest writers' opportunity we're highlighting is the annual Prose and Poetry Prizes from The New Writer* magazine.**
	'Truth may be stranger than fiction, but fiction is truer.' Frederic Raphael, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.

12 September 2005

	New Coaching Service The author of The Writer's Journey: From Inspiration to Publication, Julia McCutchen, joins WritersServices this week with the launch of our new Coaching service. This new service offers you the opportunity to develop your writing with the benefit of individual feedback, personal guidance and practical advice.
	How coaching can help writers If you're wondering exactly what coaching is, Julia McCutchen's article shows you how individual coaching can help a writer by giving the opportunity to work with a publishing professional, since, given the right circumstances, we can all access our true writer’s voice and have a deeply rewarding experience of writing.
	Bob on the importance of a writer's environment, getting hooked on turning crime novels into TV drama and the amazing fact that there are 200,000 online blogs, which, like diaries, will get few readers: 'See no essential difference between an on-line diary and a hard-copy one... In either case the only readers you’ll get are precisely the people you don’t want: your friends or your mother.' In his Journal
	'With perseverance, you can do anything you want. Just don't give up - you've got to stick with it. When I started writing I sold my first book very quickly. But after that, no one bought my next five books...' Danielle Steel, in her book The Most Important Lessons in Life, quoted in our Comment column
	‘Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down.’ John Steinbeck, quoted in our Writers' Quotes

5 September 2005

	The third excerpt from Novel Writing looks at creating your lead and drawing up a character fact list: 'Your lead is your novel’s most important character, the hero or heroine of your story. Every novel needs a lead; a novel without a lead is like a movie without a star.'
	'We who earn our living by the pen hold the poets in especial awe. We know that in a hundred years’ time, when students of literature are saying "Eh? Martin Who? A N Who? Salman What Did You Say?, they will be reading Geoffrey Hill.' A N Wilson in the Telegraph, quoted in our Comment column.
	John Jenkins looks at Le Figaro's submission of Madam Bovary to 5 vanity publishers, not one of whom recognised it, and the fact that reading makes more difference than anything to educational attainment: 'Surveys so far in Britain indicate that reading has a far greater bearing on academic success than economic and social factors.' In the Editor's View from Writers' Forum magazine.
	Worldwide publishing deals have been achieved for an author who is still only sixteen and for a redundant globe-trotting graphic designer. News Review looks at the latest breakthroughs on the children's front.
	'Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.' P J O'Rourke, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.
	Have you been submitting your manuscript to agents or publishers without success? Check out our tips for Avoiding rejection to give your work its best chance.
	And the September Magazine is ready!

22 August 2005

	Bob on whether writers should reflect the new culture since 9/11 - and whether he's persona non grata at EasterEnders because of his article in the 2006 Writer's Handbook: 'A novelist only engages with real life in order to tidy it up... Should never forget that novels, no matter how ‘engaged’, are primarily works of the imagination.' In his Journal.
	'Open Access is not a business model. It is an expression of the rights of everybody to have access to these resources... If users decide that the work available in open access is not up to standard this model will struggle to grow.' Chas Jones looks at how the open access model really works.
	‘God has a great sense of humour. If I hadn’t got my book deal, I’d be living off £400 a month pension.’ G P Taylor, who has a 9-book deal with Faber, in our Writers' Quotes.
	In what the UK reckons to be the dog days of summer, the most extraordinary dispute looks headed for open warfare... News Review looks at W H Smith's v the publishers.
	New in our Showcase: Aurora has to leave her family to go to Saudi Arabia to work as a housemaid; an excerpt from Christine Lucas's fantasy novel, The Rose of Eden; and chapters from Robert Curzon's epic fantasy The Mythologiser.
	'So, in 2004, do we need science fiction? Some features of the world of 2004 resemble science fictional dreams of the past; some science fiction scenarios are obsolete.' Stephen Baxter in The Times, quoted in our Comment column.

8 August 2005

	Bob on Shakespeare and the English language - and how it got where it is now: 'We can no more freeze our language (Chaucer's? Shakespeare's? the Queen's?) and call only that English, than we can freeze some arbitrary collection of characteristics and call it 'being British'.' In his Journal
	‘In America, there’s a huge schism between literary and commercial, created largely by marketing and by chain bookstores. ' Jodi Picoult in Publishing News, quoted in our Comment column
	Praise for WritersServices 'This is a site that I use a lot in my work with literaturetraining, giving information and advice on professional development to writers and literature professionals... It has a great resource section...' Philippa Johnston. Director of literaturetraining.com.
	Check out the other WritersServices news releases in our Media Centre.
	News Review looks at the wonderful 'books for babies' scheme: Bookstart youngsters were six times more likely to be library members and confirmed that the effect of the early exposure to books lasts and helps with the children's attitudes to reading throughout their schooldays.'
	'No author is a man of genius to his publisher.' Heinrich Heine in our Writers' Quotes

1 August 2005

	The second excerpt from Novel Writing looks at beginning to define your lead and developing your 'Suppose' through what literary agent Even Marshall calls 'the three three crisis criteria': 'The situation the crisis creates must intrigue you. You’ll be with this novel a long time. If you get bored while you’re writing it, you may not finish it...'
	'It's not surprising that many publishers now rate Amazon as their most important outlet as far as backlist is concerned. It is believed to account for up to 75% of Amazon's book sales.' News Review looks at the latest from the Internet giant.
	John Jenkins on the star-studded line-up at the Cheltenham Festival and what judges of writing competitions are looking for. 'So are the characters memorable? Is the dialogue crisp? Could the beginning and ending of the story be polished?' In the Editor's View from Writers' Forum magazine.
	'I feel that anyone who wants to write historical fiction needs to love the genre, rather than be tempted to have a go at historical novels just because they seem to be fashionable right now... But most of all, new novelists need to enjoy what they are doing, because this enjoyment will show in their writing.’ Jude Morgan, author of Passion, writing in Writers’ Forum, quoted in our Comment column.
	‘All fiction is largely autobiographical and much autobiography is, of course, fiction.’ Wise words from P D James in our Writers' Quotes.
	If you're new to the web, check out our Writers' Web Watch for many useful articles, including Looking after your files and Email attachments.

25 July 2005

	Bob on language development in Big Brother, why he doesn't need to buy novels and Tom Stoppard's theory on what is true and what is good. Plus:'the most borrowed author from the UK’s 4,200 public libraries between 2002 and 2004 was Jacqueline Wilson. And I have absolutely no idea who she is.' In his Journal.
	Selling books beyond the traditional bookstore - Chas Jones investigates how self-publishers can extend the market for their books: 'pursuing some of these avenues brings you much closer to your readers and should allow you to learn a lot more about your market'. Part of our WritersPrintshop self-publishing service.
	News Review assesses the Harry Potter phenomenon: 'Rowling has had many critics and many imitators, but none have managed to surpass the sheer page-turning quality of her books. This is the magic which keeps children coming back for more.'
	'The business is so fing hard now, and there's so much pressure on those working inside it,* that either they don't have the time for (shall we say) pro bono discourse about (say) how to do some of the little things better; or they feel that giving away what few secrets they possess will put them at the sort of competitive disadvantage that might, soon, cost them their jobs.’ Blogger Mad Max Perkins of BookAngst 10, quoted in our Comment column.
	There’s still just time to enter the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award, Britain’s most prestigious poetry prize for young writers between the ages of 11-17, but the closing date is 31 July!
	'Well, great authors are great people, but I believe that they are best seen at a distance.' Mrs Mitford in our Writers' Quotes

18 July 2005

	New this week, the fourth in our series of writers' magazine reviews on Mslexia: 'for women writers who take their writing quite seriously and are aiming at the more literary end of the spectrum but who want good practical advice, offered in an accessible and friendly way, Mslexia is perfect. '
	News Review reports on how Londoners have got back to work after the bomb blasts: 'It’s been an extraordinary couple of weeks in London... Londoners, hardened to terror by the IRA campaigns of the past and the clear knowledge that the city was a likely Al Qaeda target, were mostly stoical. '
	Bob Ritchie ponders on the influence of writers and decides that it doesn't amount to much any more: 'Would you rather be a writer in a country where you might be sent to jail for what you wrote, or would you rather live in freedom but have your work greeted with total indifference?' In his Journal.
	'To an outsider the British publishing industry can seem like a conspiracy intent on depriving English-speaking readers of the majority of the good books written in languages other than their own.' John Carey, Chair of the judges of the Man Booker International Prize, quoted in our Comment column.
	Had your book accepted for publication -r just dreaming about it still? Check out our page on preparing for publication to understand what's going on.
	'The possession of a book becomes a substitute for reading it.' Anthony Burgess in our Writers' Quotes.

11 July 2005

	Fay Weldon on the writer's role: ‘The reader is looking to you to provide some meaning and shape to the chaos of real life... The writer’s job is to provide a pattern.' In our Report from the Annual Writers' conference in Winchester.
	Here comes Harry Potter! Outrage has been expressed in the book trade about the ‘wasted’ discount that all book retailers are giving away on a book which is so much in demand that many feel there is no need to cut the price. In News Review.
	'Book reviews should inspire reading. They should excite, stimulate, agitate and empower readers to discover new books and avoid bad ones... But let's be honest. They don't, do they?…' Scott Pack of Waterstone's, quoted in our Comment column.
	'The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-proof lie detector. This is the writer's radar and all great writers have had it.' Ernest Hemingway, in our Writers' Quotes.
	Do you want to know how WritersServices was set up? Check out Chris Holifield's article on our early history.

4 July 2005

	This week we have the first excerpt from Novel Writing by Evan Marshall on why you should first work out which genre you want to write in: 'In today’s sophisticated market of superclassification, the midlist is gone, and every novel must fit into a niche... But a novel written without a genre in mind can be difficult if not impossible to sell.'
	News Review looks at the changing face of bookselling: 'the net effect is fewer bookshops and more power concentrated in the hands of fewer big groups, both booksellers and publishers. Books, like other businesses, are suffering from globalisation.'
	In The Editor's View, the Editor of Writers' Forum magazine, John Jenkins, looks at the creation of Penguin paperbacks: 'Penguins were an immediate success and sold a million copies in four months with sales climbing to 17 million in the first three years...IF YOU were Allen Lane starting today which 10 recent novels would you choose?'
	'Somebody once said that one's real life is often the life that one does not lead... the story of the boy and the wolf sat in my filing cabinet, and came to life only when I realised that this was the world I had lost. This was the life I hadn't led. Michelle Paver, author of Wolf Brother, in The Times in our Comment column.
	Our WritersPrintShop Q & A section answers questions such as Can I have just one book printed? and Who sets the price?. Check it out to find more about self-publishing.
	'Not only should you not accept a prize. You should not try to deserve one either.' Jean Cocteau, quoted in our Writers' Quotes
	The July Magazine is ready!

27 June 2005

	Bob is afflicted by the kind of technical problems which drive you mad - especially when it's just ten minutes to your deadline for delivering your current EasterEnders script: 'Stare at screen in appalled disbelief. Try again. Same thing happens. Feel sweat break out on brow. Tell myself to stay calm... With hollow laugh ask myself which is falling apart faster: my laptop or me?' In his Journal.
	News Review looks at the forthcoming big bonanza of Harry Potter sales, other bestselling children's authors and the new competition for a children's novel.
	Check out our just-overhauled 18 pages of carefully-chosen links for writers, which range from Writers' Online Services to Web Resources. Please email us with any good children's sites you recommend for our new section.
	'Ordinarily it is the dumbest business on the planet, taking nine months to a year - or more - to shepherd a manuscript through editing and production' Jonathan Yardley's views on publishing, in the Washington Post, quoted in our Comment column.
	Check out this new opportunity to win a publishing deal. Waterstone/Faber Children's novel competition
	Have you looked at Michael Legat's 19 Factsheets, which are a terrific resource for writers. Subjects range from Revision to Copyright, Plotting the Novel to Plagiarism.
	'Writing is a strange synthesis between the two parts of your mind: the analytical side and the side that knows nothing at all, and you have to allow the dreaming side free rein.’ Rose Tremain, in our Writers' Quotes

20 June 2005

	Take a look at what the experts say about dealing with criticism in a positive and constructive way in Be positive: coping with criticism.
	News Review looks at two BookExpo panels discussing corporate synergies and world right deals. Stephen Page of Faber thinks: ‘I want to take a big baseball bat to the idea of global publishing. It is fantasy.’
	Calling all black and Asian poets! Your chance to make your views heard in a new survey funded by Arts Council England. But hurry - you've only got till 30 June!
	‘My advice to budding authors is always the same: go the distance on the story. Work over it again and again. Hone your writing until it flows like running water... Above all, develop your own voice.' Tom Bowler in Writers' Forum, quoted in our Comment column.
	Check out the discussion groups in our WritersForum for good and bad news on agents, money matters for writers, advice and cooperation and good ideas, website recommendations etc.
	'Writing is just having a sheet of paper, a pen and not a shadow of an idea of what you are going to say.' Francoise Sagan in our Writers' Quotes.

13 June

	Bob is struggling with draft three of his current EasterEnders script:'despite four hours of detailed discussion, still have not faintest idea how to rewrite main story so it climaxes convincingly in a fight. And filming starts in three weeks.’ In his Journal.
	At BookExpo ‘There's a lot of schmoozing going on, but real work gets done and you can really set up books coming down the pike.’ But new titles in the US soared last year to 195,000, whilst unit sales were down. In News Review.
	We've updated the technical glossary and list of acronyms in our Writers Web Watch section.
	'There's never been a better time for publishers, authors and the book trade... Yet I can't help feeling the industry is still dragging its feet and slow to embrace new ideas.' David Freeman in the Bookseller on why publishers are not using their most powerful marketing tool, quoted in our Comment column.
	Interested in finding an agent for your work? Check out our page of tips for giving yourself the best chance.
	'Of making of books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.' Ecclesiastes 12:12 in our Writers' Quotes

6 June

	John Jenkins looks at unpublished writers' need for stamina and determination: 'How does anybody take 10 rejections and come back to succeed with number 11?... I wonder if authors ever fully cost the time it takes to write a book? In the Editor's View from Writers' Forum magazine.
	'Writing a novel, I discovered then, in that initial fumbling stage, is a test of absolute faith and absolute endurance.' Diana Evans, on writing her first novel 26a, in the Observer, quoted in our Comment column.
	The third of three excerpts from Writing Biography and Autobiography looks at planning the work and finishing it: 'When you do tackle a particular section or chapter it is tempting to sit down before a blank screen, or a blank sheet of paper, and simply start writing. However, a bit of pre-planning can make for a much more productive process...'
	News Review looks at the success of a children's author who is already well-know for her writing: 'We can look forward to a splendid sequence of films – and to the chance to read the books which have now been plucked from the obscurity of the backlist.'
	Check out our list of picture libraries if you need to find some pictures for your book.
	'Once a writer is born into a family, that family is doomed.’ Czselaw Milosz. In our Writers' Quotes.

30 May 2005

	The results of our fascinating new survey show your experiences with trying to get a publishing deal. The conclusions are that you should write what people want to read, be prepared to try up to 10 publishers or agents, and consider ignore self-publishing.
	Bob is stuck on his episode of EasterEnders and longingly considers the quieter life that writers have on Footballers' Wives. 'For some reason finding this one a real struggle, though can’t quite put my finger on the reason why...' In his Journal.
	Visa International recently estimated that global e-commerce sales grew last year by a whopping 56% to £79 billion ($150 billion). News Review looks at how this affects books.
	Check out the new entries to our Writers' Showcase, where writers can still post their work for free, are Zlatko Enev's children's story Red Anne in the Ghost Forest and Joyce Eccleston's Suggestion of an Embrace.
	'Libraries' biggest problem is the neglect of their core area: books. The public library service now holds fewer than two copies for every UK resident, and spends just 9p in the pound on books.' Bookseller editorial, quoted in our Comment column.
	New Writing 14 gives writers the chance to submit unpublished work for the British Council's new anthology.
	'No publisher should ever express an opinion of the value of what he publishes. That is a matter entirely for the literary critic to decide.' Oscar Wilde, in our Writers' Quotes.

23 May 2005

	*The third in our series of magazine reviews deals with Writers' News.* Our reviewer 's said: 'Writers’ News two-in-one package also represents excellent value and is recommended for writers who want to keep in touch, find out about markets and improve their writing.'**
	How good's your spelling? At the age of six, 6 out of 10 children can’t write ten lines without making at least one spelling mistake, often many more, and many adults struggle with spelling all their lives. News Review investigates.
	'The common wisdom is that readers don't have the patience they once did. But underestimating the reading public is a very big mistake.' Dean Koontz, who sells about 17 million copies of his books and gets over 30,000 fan letters a year, in the Wall Street Journal. In our Comment column.
	'Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.' Henry David Thoreau in our Writers Quotes.
	Trying to get your poetry published? Check out the advice from the Poetry Book Society.

16 May 2005

	Our new survey on the future of self-publishing and your attitudes to it is ready to try out. Plus you can look at the results of our earlier surveys.
	Is Macmillan's New Writing scheme ’the Ryanair of publishing; it’s like having to pay for your own uniforms.’ (Natasha Fairweather) or a sensible way for authors to get their work into print? News Review investigates.
	Bob ponders his answer to the question: What good are the arts? 'Yet for all their uselessness, The Arts are practised by almost every person on the planet, from the moment he or she can scribble a mark on a piece of paper or gurgle a few words.' In his Journal.
	'I wanted to remind people of all ages of the power of stories, the joy of simply listening and reading, to do what I could to bring literature back to the heart of literacy.' Michael Morpurgo on his stint as children's Laureate in our Comment column.
	'The really heroic thing about Nick Hornby is that he lives in north London and rarely leaves it... Every English writer needs their corner that is forever England - but only a few brave men choose to make that corner Highbury.' Zadie Smith in our Writers' Quotes.
	*How did WritersServices get started? Read Chris Holifield's account of how we set up the site written for Writers' Forum* magazine in our Media section.**

9 May 2005

	*Read Chas Jones' article Tackling a Biography for Writers' Forum* magazine about his own experience of writing a biography and self-publishing it through WritersPrintShop.**
	Ordinary Heroes, Chas's book, is a wartime account of everyday heroism - 'a fine tribute to a remarkable body of men' Royal Engineers Journal. Buy the book from WritersPrintShop's bookselling site.
	Google Print is under attack by British publishers and the Society of Authors. Is it really a threat to authors and publishers? News Review looks at the debate.
	'English in all its thrilling, international forms, from romance to rap, is finding more colour and expression than at any time since Spenser, Marlowe and Jonson.' Robert McCrum in the Observer, quoted in our Comment column.
	In the light of changes in the way search engines work, we've updated our articles on Researching on the web, Search engines and Advanced search.
	'Some of them say I've got an idealised vision of life... some of them say I use too many adjectives. Well I just say, "My dears! Why should I care? I've got something called readers."' Barbara Taylor Bradford in the Sunday Telegraph on her reviewers, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.
	Opportunities for writers - the chance to get your story published by new publisher Legend Press and the announcement of The New Writer's annual competitions.

2 May

	The second of three excerpts from Writing Biography and Autobiography looks at choosing a subject for your biography: 'Subjects come to the notice of the biographer in a variety of ways, and the more you write in the biographical field the more potential subjects will attract your attention.'
	News Review looks at the Bologna Book Fair, concluding that: 'In this ever more global market British writers do spectacularly well, as children’s books from the UK are reckoned by many international observers to be the most innovative and the best.'
	'What would it take for you to give up a good day job and trust your future and income to life as a full-time author? The answer is easy if you have been given a substantial three-book deal from a major publishing house...' The Editor's View, written by the Editor of Writers' Forum magazine.
	The poet Alice Oswald will read from her new collection, Woods, etc at a Poetry Book Society Choice reading organised in association with the Institute of English Studies on 19 May.
	'I've read books that have literally changed my life - my moral sense is different, my sense of humour is different. These things have very real implications for the rest of the world.' Jonathan Safran Foer in the Bookseller, quoted in our Comment column.
	'Madam, a circulating library in a town is an evergreen tree of diabolical knowledge.' Richard Brinsley Sheridan in The Rivals, in our Writer's Quotes

25 April 2005

	Bob on the amazing development at Oxford's Sackler Library, where scholars have at last worked out how to read 2,500-year old papyrus documents: 'The ability still to read 2,500-year old texts is, of course, a wonderful thing. Suspect, however, in another 2,500 years our descendants may be unable to read the great works of today – if, indeed, they read anything at all by then.' In his Journal.
	News Review looks at the rise of the grey market. ‘The 55 to 74s are buying less romance, cookery, health, business and DIY, and more crime, travel, sport, fitness and diet, humour and entertainment books.’ Richard Samson.
	If you've ever considered self-publishing our WritersPrintShop section gives a full breakdown of what's involved, including the advantages of print on demand, how self-publishing works and how to work out the cost Just thinking about it? Here's some helpful background.
	'America needs a strong voice that addresses everyone who can read, a voice that will say, "Let's explore the books that are coming out today. Let's see what moves us, what delights us, what speaks to us in a way that only fiction does."' A letter to Oprah Winfrey from the Association of Women Authors in the US. In our Comment column.
	'Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children, life is the other way round.' David Lodge in our Writers' Quotes.

18 April 2005

	Have you ever wondered about the difference between 'hits' and 'visitors'? Chas Jones's new article on web metrics - measuring web traffic - explains what it's all about.
	Bob is now a happily married man and feels that the world looks different, 'sharper, brighter, fresher, almost at an angle.' But why do writers concentrate so much on courtship? 'All writers, particularly novelists, seem fascinated by what precedes marriage... Few writers show much interest in what happens after'. In his Journal.
	'Being an unpublished author is a bit like being an asylum seeker. You know this is where you belong - your Promised Land - but the gate is guarded.' Marina Lewycka, on writing her first novel A Short History of Tractors in the Observer, quoted in our Comment column.
	Speaking at the Poetry Masterclass at the London Book Fair, Sophie Hannah said: ‘Know as much as you can about the scene… the more knowledge you have about the poetry world the better.’
	Do you think when you write about work in your blog or your novel it's private? Your employer may not think so - and you may find yourself getting fired. News Review investigates.
	From our Writers' Quotes page, more on poetry: 'One of the ridiculous aspects of being a poet is the huge gulf between how seriously we take ourselves and how generally we are ignored by everybody else.' Billy Collins in the New York Times

11 April 2005

	Check out our report on the Masterclass on writing Historical Fiction at the London Book Fair, involving Bernard Cornwall and Philippa Gregory. Bernard said: ‘How lucky can we be. I don’t have a problem, I have pleasure after pleasure… I’m the luckiest person alive.’
	'We are creating a generation of children who might be able to make the right noises when they see print, but who hate reading and feel nothing but hostility for literature.’ Philip Pullman, quoted in our Comment column.
	We've added to our WritersPrintShop self-publishing service a piece about about International paper sizes.
	News Review looks at small publishers. Martin Ellis of Zymurgy Publishing says: 'Customers in bookshops do not know - or even less care - if a book is published by a large multinational or a small independent... Small can be beautiful, innovative, entertaining, informative - and is almost always more passionate.'
	Are you interested in writers' software? Check out our reviews of the best-known packages and our page of links to useful sites.
	‘There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately no one knows what they are.' Somerset Maugham, quoted in our Writers' Quotes.

4 April 2005

	The first of three excerpts from Writing Biography and Autobiography by Brian D Osborne from the the A & C Black Writing Handbooks series looks at research: 'Always ask yourself why a document was written, why it says what it says, whether its statements are internally consistent and whether they can be backed up by other sources.'
	Are big publishers going to get bigger? News Review looks at increasing conglomeratisation in publishing and what it means for writers.
	John Jenkins, the Editor of Writers' Forum magazine, says: 'All we have to do is ask our readers for a few ideas of what they would like to see in the magazine and the suggestions pour in... Listening to what your readers want is not new but few publications seem to bother today.' The Editor's View
	‘Literary agents once functioned primarily as salespeople. Today, they're taking on the additional roles of editor and marketer... With fewer editors forced to handle more books, agents must do more to promote aspiring authors.' The Washington Post, quoted in our Comment column.
	‘Being a writer in Hollywood is like going into Hitler's Eagle's Nest with a great idea for a Bar Mitzvah.' David Mamet in our Writers' Quotes.
	Have you looked in our Writers' Showcase recently? Check out some new entries, such as Alu Basu's Mercy of the Dream Collector, about a woman who dreams about disasters in the news or Kevin O'Brien's horrifying account of his childhood A Life less than Ordinary.
	The April Magazine is ready!

28 March 2005

Bob on rewriting, writing a wedding speech - and getting paid for writing: 'It’s the best sort of day for a writer. Sure even Stephen King likes receiving his royalty statements. Yes, writing can be fun, but it’s a lot more fun if you get paid for it.' In his Journal

A fan letter to Bob from fellow EastEnders script-writer Pippa McCarthy:   'Just discovered your web page... I've just spent the last hour crying with laughter with periodic yelps of 'been there!'... I'm going to make my entire family read your diary. Then perhaps will understand own bizarre behaviour every time I start a script... Anyway, will shut up now but just wanted to say you have cheered me up no end. It's brilliant.'

'Nowadays you would no more think of going into a bookstore and old-fashionedly browsing than taking a tin-opener into the local supermarket and sampling the baked beans.'     John Sutherland in the Guardian, quoted in our Comment column.

'The greatest explosion of communications since the invention of printing... What's more, this explosion is being conducted in global English… Robert McCrum. News Review looks at the surge in the number of titles published.

‘All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.' F Scott Fitzgerald in our Writers' Quotes.

21 March 2005

Inside Publishing turns its attention to what has long been regarded as the Cinderella of the publishing world. Children’s publishing has enjoyed a remarkable rate of growth and is now seen by many as one of the most exciting areas to work in.

'Assessing a book's financial potential is crucial. Yet, if we are not careful, publishing will become completely over-run by sales and marketing departments, and we may as well start sending our projects direct to them... ' Simon Trewin of PFD, quoted in our Comment column.

How to get published - A report from the Masterclasses at the London Book Fair: 'You have to work out a way of finding an audience for your book... If you don't know where it's going to go in a bookshop, it's going to be a problem... The message is that whatever you're writing... you have to be aware of what is going on in the book trade.' Jonny Geller

News Review reports from the US: two-thirds of people going into Borders stores do so with no specific purchase in mind; 80% are ‘regularly seeking help to frame their buying decision’ and an astounding half the purchases made in their stores are on behalf of someone else.

Is your hand hurting? As writers spend hours at their computers there are new risks such as repetitive strain injury. The seven articles in or Health Hazards series look at are designed to advise and help.

‘I don't believe in children's books. I think after you've read Kidnapped, Treasure Island and Huckleberry Finn, you're ready for anything.'   John Mortimer in our Writers' Quotes.

14 March 2005

Are you struggling to get your submission package right? Our new Synopsis-writing service is introduced by public demand. Now you can commission our editor to produce a synopsis for your manuscript so you send can a professional submission of your project to an agent or publisher.

Expanding the Market has revealed some disturbing facts about British book-buyers. In spite of the fact that 130,000 books are published every year, a third of adults do not buy books at all and a quarter don’t feel welcome in bookshops. See News Review.

Bob on writing SF: 'The writer is allowed only one unlikely or irrational event, then the rest of the story must develop logically; the writer can’t just keep inventing bizarre occurrences... Maybe I should switch to writing SF. No rules there. Those guys can get away with anything.' In his Journal.

'It was making me laugh and cry and stay up all night. I was writing for no other reason but for the fact I was enjoying it so much... Cecelia Ahern, author of PS I Love You quoted in our Comment column.

If you are ready to submit your work, use our Writers' and Artists' Yearbook UK and US agents listings, which are fully searchable to help you find the right agent.

‘For those who can do it and who keep their nerve, writing for a living still beats most real, grown-up jobs hands down.’ Terence Blacker in our Writers' Quotes

7 March 2005

This week we have our last excerpt from David Armstrong's How Not to Write a Novel, dealing with waiting for a response from publishers: 'The thing about trying to get published is that it really is - for most of us - a very time-consuming business.'

The Penguin Group worldwide suffered a 41 per cent fall in profits in 2004 but, surprisingly, this is more due to declining US mass market sales than to the UK's warehouse problems. News Review investigates.

In his second letter on the subject, John Jenkins rates The Da Vinci Code for its opening, plot and theme, action and pace, characters and entertainment value. The Editor's View, from the Editor of Writers' Forum magazine.

Stop Press! Martin Brackstone, a writer who brought his work to us for a Reader's Report, has been short-listed for Lit Idol 2005, the result of which will be announced at the London Book Fair on Monday 14 March. Lit Idol 2005

'The falling cost of self-publishing means that authors whose work has been turned down by literary agents or publishers are now able to prove that their books will sell.' Danuta Kean in the Sunday Telegraph, quoted in our Comment column.

'For nearly twenty years I have been a published author... But I have never yet seen a book of mine offered for sale in a shop window.' George Bernard Shaw in our Writers' Quotes

The March Magazine is ready!

28 February 2005

Bob's Journal: 'Can finally reveal I was actually thrown off my last but one episode, somewhere around the sixth draft, I think, though my memory’s hazy... (and there's) a promise that schedules will be back to sensible levels by April'.

News Review looks at Amazon's growth and stellar results for 2004 and concludes that the online retailer is unstoppable now.

This week we've done a links update, adding 20 new recommended links to our collection. There's also a new listing of book group links.

'I think one should respect someone like mad while they're alive and write what you like once they're dead... Books should not be written to be cathartic for the author but to ring bells with and be entertaining for an audience.' Virginia Ironside, author of Janey and Me in the Observer , quoted in our Comment column.

You can still book for this year's Masterclasses at the London Book Fair.

'First a mistress you dally and play with, then she becomes your master and finally your tyrant.' Winston Churchill on writing a book in our Writers Quotes.

Check out our page on Making submissions for tips on giving yourself the best possible chance.

21 February 2005

In our fourth My Say, Mary Garden shares her experiences with writer's block and how Stephen King and her anger helped her to overcome it.

'I'll probably be completely forgotten... History is like some giant beast - it simply wriggles its back and throws off whatever is on it.' Arthur Miller, quoted in the Independent, in our Comment column.

Successful authors such as Michelle Paver and 13-year-old Emma Maree Urquhart make it look easy to make a fortune out of writing for children - but is it really such a doddle? In News Review

Have you found a publisher, or just want to know what's involved in publishing your book? Preparing for publication explains the difference between copy editing and proof-reading, and takes you through the process to publication.

'A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the lack of the others.'   William Faulkner in our Writers Quotes

14 February 2005

Bob is still mostly confined to the house, recovering from his accident, and trying to write... 'Must also finish terrorist TV thriller, crime novel and ten other projects, but consumed by dread at thought of having to string words together... Stare at laptop screen. Can’t think of a single thing to say.’ In his Journal.

News Review: 'Children’s books are booming... the children of today are reaping the benefit of a flowering of children’s writing of all kinds, such as we have never seen before.'

Book now for the 2005 Masterclasses to be held on 12th and 13 March at the London Book Fair. Organised in association with English PEN and involving many well-known authors, these cover how to get published, fiction, historical fiction and poetry.

'I'm a writer - if I stop writing, I'm nothing.' Wilbur Smith in our Writers' Quotes

Check out our WritersPrintShop sales page - a direct online selling service we offer our self-published authors - where you can buy their books, often at special prices.

'The whole industry is built around writing one book a year, so the next hardcover comes out with the mass market paperback of your previous one... It's not enough time to write a good book.' Greg Iles in the Bookseller, quoted in our Comment column.

7 February 2005

Our eleventh excerpt from David Armstrong's How not to write a novel looks at vanity publishing and self-publishing, warning writers about the pitfalls of each: 'As a last resort; if you can't get anyone to buy (or even read) your book, consider self- or vanity-publishing it.'

News Review looks at World Book Day plans. 'Current statistics show that there are over five million adults in the UK who have limited literacy skills. They are effectively excluded from the pleasures that reading can bring - whether from a novel, a cookery book or a travel guide.' Gail Rebuck

In masterly style, John Jenkins shows you how to use the Da Vinci Code as a masterclass in writing a blockbuster in the Editor's View from the editor of Writers' Forum magazine.

'There is something about the contemporary scene that has made competitiveness, doing the next person down, a central part of the writing business rather than just a sideshow.' Terence Blacker in the Independent, quoted in our Comment column.

Here's our new poster in the Writers on Writing series, which includes gems such as: 'Every time I read a Jane Austen novel, I feel like a bartender at the gates of heaven.' Mark Twain

'A good style should show no sign of effort. What is written should seem a happy accident.' Somerset Maugham in our Writers' Quotes.

The February Magazine is ready!

31 January 2005

	News Review looks at three recent new writers' success stories, including a self-publishing triumph from Ana Fischel with The Zartarbia Tales.
	Check out this year's peculiar winner of the extraordinary Diagram Prize for the Oddest Title of the Year!
	'One of the great cliches of novel writing is that pleasure and happiness don't make good subjects... ' work is 'a defining activity, a source of pleasure and obsession and self-esteem.' Ian McEwan on his new novel Saturday in the Bookseller, quoted in our Comment column.
	New to the web? Check out Web How-to for our 15 pages of advice on how to find your way around and work out how you can use the Internet. If you're an advanced user, there's 13 pages written with you in mind.
	And from our Writers' Quotes: 'It is with books as with men - a very small number play a great part; the rest are lost in the multitude.' Voltaire.

24 January 2005

	Bob is still confined to bed, recovering from his accident and writing his Journal: 'Although mine is the name that appears at the top of the script, I know that nearly all the names that follow make a contribution. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from working on EE, it’s that writers can’t be precious. So am I offended? No, I’m not.'
	News Review on how second-hand book sales threaten authors' income: 'Amazon’s Marketplace facility is thought to be particularly damaging because it displays the second-hand version alongside the new book.'
	‘History is hot... you can't throw a canape in Manhattan after 6 p.m. without hitting a tweedy scholar wearing the dazed expression that comes with a sudden release from the past.’ Tina Brown quoted in our Comment column.
	Newsletter statistics show that half our newsletter subscribers have been signed up for two years and over half are 'workers' or in education.
	Sign up for our newsletter to get weekly updates of what's new on the site.
	'There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.' Red Smith quoted in our Writers' Quotes.

17 January 2005

	'It's not widely understood that titles that fail to earn their advances can be very profitable.' Malcolm Edwards of Orion in our Comment column on why it's the overall profit on a book that matters.
	In our WritersPrintShop self-publishing section, we have a new page on Clearing Copyright, with some useful addresses.
	Christmas sales were better than feared - books proved popular Christmas gifts and the book trade did in fact get its annual bonanza. News Review looks at mixed messages about the trends on book reading and buying.
	We're extending our Christmas support for Book Aid International to publicise their Tsunami initiative to help replenish the 52 school and community libraries destroyed in Sri Lanka.
	'A translation is no translation unless it will give you the music of a poem along with the words of it.' John Millington Synge in our Writers' Quotes.
	Are you a course tutor or a student enrolled in a creative writing course? Make use of our Education Resource Centre with nearly 80 pages formatted ready for use as handouts or in course material.

10 January 2005

	Bob has put himself out of action and is confined to bed. Watching world events he comments 'with the whole world for once united in tragedy, compassion and generosity, it seems an entirely fitting note on which to start a new year.' In his Journal.
	News Review looks at The Da Vinci Code and concludes that, since there's nothing new about the content or scintillating about the writing, it must be the compelling page-turning plots which are making Dan Brown's books into such huge bestsellers.
	The shortlist for the 2004 Diagram Group award for the Oddest Title of the Year is out at last! Judge for yourself between Bombproof Your Horse and Applications of High Tech Squids.
	'Nature, not content with denying him the ability to think, has endowed him with the ability to write.' A E Housman in our Writers' Quotes.
	'Being an agent is a wonderful job and I really believe in it. I’ve found my metier... It’s a selling job, let’s not be grand about it, but you have to have a firm belief in what you’re doing and it’s much more difficult than you think.' Ali Gunn in Publishing News, quoted in our Comment column.
	Read up on what publishing is all about in our thirteen part Inside Publishing series, which covers a wide range of topics from Subsidiary Rights to What the Sales Department Does.

3 January 2005

	Our list of 2005 International Book Fairs gives you the lowdown on this year's fairs across the globe.
	'I think the magic of these dead letters on the dead page is that once you surmount the difficulty of deciphering those characters, there is no boundary.' Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections, on the marvels of the book in our Comment column.
	In our 10th excerpt from How not to Write a Novel, David Armstrong turns to the dreaded subject of the Slush Pile, quoting the American author Jacob Epstein, who says that 81% of Americans feel they have a book in them and that they should write it.
	It looks like a disappointing Christmas in retail, *as online sales boom and, surprisingly, a fiction title, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code,* is the fastest selling book in the UK. In News Review.**
	Are you ready to submit to an agent? Our tips on Finding an Agent might be just what you need.
	'Tis pleasant, sure, to see one's name in print;/A book's a book, though there's nothing in it.' Lord Byron in our Writers' Quotes.
	And a Happy New Year to all our visitors.

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