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Insider tip
How to Get an Agent: "Follow your instinct – more often than not it will be right." » Read more on securing the services of a good agent by Philippa Milnes-Smith-
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Win tickets to Latitude festival!!
Hurrah, the festival season is well and truly here and our colleagues at Bloomsbury are running a competition for writers to win tickets to Latitude. Check it out below!
Write your own Tiny Play about Britain and you could win weekend camping tickets for two at Latitude Festival 2010.
As part of the prize you will see your Tiny Play performed in a set by Craig Taylor, the author of One Million Tiny Plays About Britain, and actors on Saturday 17 July at 9.40pm in the Latitude Literary Arena and Sunday 18 July at 6.20pm in the Latitude Theatre Arena. Read more
How do you begin a novel?
Filed under: Authors and Books, Writing Advice
A guest post from Bloomsbury author Katie Hickman, who is speaking on ‘How I Got Published’ at the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook writers’ conference on Saturday 19 June:
When I first started writing I used to think that there was nothing in the world quite as intimidating as a blank sheet of paper. A thought I was reminded of only a few days ago when staring at one myself, waiting for the inspiration to begin my new novel, the next in the series after The Pindar Diamond.
There is something about it that Read more
Working under pressure
Filed under: Festivals and Events, Writing Advice
At the recent Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook conference, we heard a fascinating talk from Julie Myerson about how she got published, and how she works.
She felt the impetus to get started on her first novel when she had two small children and was pregnant with her third. She was also working. Overall – not ideal! But the urge to write Read more
Must you write?
Filed under: Authors and Books, Writing Advice
This is the 2nd in a series of guest posts from Thomas E. Kennedy, each focusing on questions that have empowered him – and could also empower you – as a writer.
Q: Must you write?
Thomas E. Kennedy: This is a question that I learned to ask myself from the great Austrian poet R. M. Rilke from his marvellous Letters to a Young Poet (there is a photograph of Marilyn Monroe reading it by the way).
What Rilke said to the young poet he was mentoring was, ask yourself, ‘Must I write?’
If your answer is no, you have gained important self-knowledge; if you are able to quit writing, perhaps you Read more
New video featuring award-winning author Justin Cartwright
Watch our new video to hear Justin Cartwright talking about the inspiration for his latest book, To Heaven by Water, as well as his advice for aspiring authors.
To Heaven by Water was published by Bloomsbury in July 2009. It’s a wonderful story of friendship, forgiveness and of love which comes from unexpected directions. It is an exploration of what we might hope from this life and in particular, the possibility of transcendence. Read more
How author Will Davis started out
Filed under: Authors and Books, Digital publishing, Getting Published
Back when I first started sending my work out, after the initial telephone-book-sized pile of rejection letters, I stumbled across a web company called Nooza who offered to review segments of novels and give reports on their appeal, market and saleability – for a small fee of course.
The idea being that you would then be able to attach the report to your covering letter (or begging letter as I used to think of them) to literary agents and publishers in the hope this would Read more
Kaye Umansky: How I write
Filed under: Authors and Books, Competitions and Offers
Guest blogger Kaye Umansky has written over 130 children’s books. How did she find writing a story for Bloomsbury’s 247tales?
Author Kaye Umansky
Write a story in 247 words. Phew! That’s a tall order, right? I write longer notes to the milkman.
I was given the title “Spring Cleaning” and the suggestion that the story should centre on Pongwiffy, a witch of dirty habits. Seven books are coming out about her this year, so it made sense, as I am currently in the Pong Zone, as I call it. Read more
FREE download from Bloomsbury – be quick!
Filed under: Competitions and Offers
For 24 hours only, the Orange Prize shortlisted Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie will be available to download absolutely free free free!
You’ll be able to access this credit crunch offer from 12 noon on 22nd April to the same time on the 23rd, so you’ll need to work fast. Just go to the Bloomsbury website and follow the easy peasy instructions. You’ll even be able to read it via your iPhone if you’re lucky enough to own one (Grrr … I want one). Read more
Can you make Twitter work for you?
Here’s an idea: why not search the latest Tweets to discover up-to-the-second trends, thoughts and ideas that could help your writing?
This is a suggestion from Nick Stewart in his You Tube video How to do Research for Your Writing Project Using Twitter and it could take you in all sorts of fun and unexpected directions. Not all of them terribly productive, granted. But still. Read more
Buy the 2011 Yearbook
The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook is available at a discount from our online bookshop. Get all the information, contacts and advice you could need.-
Win, Win, Win! We are giving away 5 copies of Qatari Voices, a collection of essays which will inspire new writers. For details of how to enter this giveaway go to 'The Accidental Writer' >
On camera: Jon McGregor
"Being longlisted for the Booker Prize changed everything - it was the launchpad for my writing career." Click to view our video with novelist Jon McGregor »
On camera: Justin Cartwright
"Just write... If you're any good you may not know it, but certainly someone else will." Click to view our video with novelist Justin Cartwright »
On camera: Julie Myerson
The novelist and journalist Julie Myerson on how she got that all-important first publishing deal. Click here to view our video exclusive »