Writers' & Artists' Blog

Is there any job that seems more alluring than that of a travel writer? Spending your days exploring the world’s most beautiful places; eating the most glorious food; and recording it all in a battered, leather-notebook… *sigh*

Yet travel writing is no different from any other kind of writing – it takes skill, practice and talent. 

Taking heed of advice offered in the excellent Lonely Planet’s Guide to Travel Writing, here are six writing tips to help you transport your reader.

1. The Right Subject: A good topic is usually a marriage of passion and practicality. As a writer you want to choose a subject that will allow you to infuse your story with a sense of connection and conviction; at the same time, you need to write about a topic that will capture an editor’s attention and will fit well with the publication you’ve targeted.
2. Staying up to date with travel trends: Finding fresh material, spotting travel trends and keeping up to date with industry and consumer changes …

Like some irresistible, fast-spreading fungal disease, literary festivals have sprung up all over the country in recent years while we weren’t looking.  Every city, town and even large village throughout the UK now boast its own annual literary gathering where, it would appear, the chattering classes meet to listen to an author, drink some indifferent wine, stand in a queue for the obligatory signed copy of an overpriced hardback then disappear into the night wrapped in a cloak of cultural self-improvement.

And this proliferation is not limited to the UK.  Philip Hensher wrote recently about his experience of attending the Jaipur Literature Festival and noted the rapid growth from its first outing in 2006 which “attracted a mere 100 passing customers” to its current attendance levels of “hundreds of thousands”.

So what lies behind this exponential surge in popularity?  What purpose do literary festivals serve?  Wasn't Margaret Atwood right when she observed …

Are you an aspiring author? Do you have a young adult or new adult manuscript polished and ready to go? Well Bloomsbury Spark is ready to accept your submissions!

Bloomsbury Spark is a global, digital imprint from Bloomsbury Publishing for teen, YA, and new adult readers featuring new and established authors. This new venture from Bloomsbury is currently acquiring teen, young adult, and new adult fiction across all genres, including but not limited to romance, paranormal, contemporary, dystopian, science fiction, mystery, thriller, historical fiction, and more—from writers all over the world. Unlike a traditional trade list, Bloomsbury Spark eBooks are published exclusively in digital format first, and sold side-by-side with Bloomsbury print and digital books!

If you’re an author, Bloomsbury Spark is a hands-on, full-service publishing house, not only interested in publishing your book, but also crafting your career.

Bloomsbury Spark is a one-stop shop for getting your book …

Self-publishing can mean doing everything yourself, or it can include a certain amount of sub contracting.  Professional services for the self-publishing author include everything from ghost writing the book itself to formatting, editing and promoting it.

None of this help is cheap and providers range from qualified experts to re-named vanity publishers.  The self-publishing community is very adept at assessing and monitoring the professionals it deals with, another reason to be a part of it.

I always recommend that an author get help with two aspects of publishing – the editing and the cover.  Both these reflect the amount of respect you as an author have for your reader.

Covers are often dismissed, particularly for e-books where a reader doesn’t see it unless they go searching for it.  So why pay out for something so trivial?  Covers are more than just a book’s wrapping, they give out vital information to a potential reader.  There’s a reason why …

Eye the Prize, a new website for the creative community, helps develop skills and advance careers through the world of creative opportunity. 

Launching on Monday 3 February 2014, Eye the Prize will be the first platform to give students, recent graduates, professionals and complete outsiders the chance to engage with opportunities in-depth, across the arts: Built Environment / Dance / Fashion, Arts & Crafts / Film Festivals / Fine Art / Industry Design / Music / Photography / Script Writing / Stage & Screen / Visual Communication / Writing.

At Eye the Prize, members will be able to discover everything they need to support them on their creative journeys: competitions, awards, commissions, funding, professional training, residencies and paid internships & apprenticeships – searchable according to individual requirements. They will be able to put themselves and their creative endeavours in front of leading organisations searching for outstanding work and the brightest …