Simply submitting your story to be read by someone who knows talent when they see it is important for so many reasonsWriting prizes are massively important for aspiring and emerging writers. I think they are vastly more important than literary prizes. So many aspiring writers don’t have access to publishing intel, or connections to agents or editors. Instead, they have manuscripts containing worlds and characters we haven’t yet seen, stored away on their computers (or indeed in their drawers; let’s not forget that not everyone has a computer). Being able to bypass the machinations of the publishing industry by simply submitting your story to be read by someone who knows talent when they see it is important for so many reasons. Even if you don’t win, there’s something to be said for finishing a piece of writing and just sending it off.I say all this because last week, Merky Books, the imprint launched by rapper Stormzy, opened applications for its new writers’ prize for the second year in a row. The winner is published by Merky, and all of the longlisted authors are invited to a writers’ camp which is effectively the place to learn pretty much everything about writing and publishing. Trust me, I was on a panel at the writers’ camp last year and stayed there to learn about an industry I’d been in for just under a decade. And the greatest thing about entering these prizes is that even if you don’t win, your words are still seen. You are still seen. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-10-03 07:00:18 UTC ]
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Headline has acquired a humour title by comedy writer Dale Shaw. Editor Richard Roper pre-empted world rights to F**k This Journal (Betterness Through Bitterness) by Dale Shaw from Jamie Coleman at Greene & Heaton. Headline is describing the book as a “hilarious and subversive take on the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Coram Williams, global and U.S. CFO of Penguin Random House, has been promoted to CFO of PRH parent company Pearson, effective July 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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I’ve met, interviewed and shared stages with many authors over the years, and seen all too many signs of pride and oversensitivity to criticism. There is an inherent egotism in believing your voice matters – but that’s no reason not to put pen to paperMany years ago, when I had just started... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Martin Amis, Sarah Waters and Jessie Burton have made the 15-strong longlist for the 2015 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. The longlist has been released for the first time following a 40% increase in entries this year. Amis is longlisted for his dark love story set in a Nazi... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Campaigns for The Miniaturist (Picador), H is for Hawk (Jonathan Cape), There’s Something I’ve Been Dying to Tell You (Hodder & Stoughton) and Half Bad (Puffin) were among the winners at the 2015 Publishers Publicity Circle (PPC) Awards. The awards honour publicists in nine categories, and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David McConochie has won the fifth annual Book Illustration Competition, beating nearly 400 other entries. The Book Illustration Competition is a partnership between The Folio Society and the House of Illustration gallery in London. McConochie was presented with his prize, a commission worth... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books by Sophie McKenzie, David Walliams and Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers were today (21st February) announced as winners at the Red House Children’s Book Award 2015. Walliams’ Demon Dentist (HarperCollins Children’s Books) won the Books for Young Feaders category, while Split Second by... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The award will be presented at the opening ceremony of New York City's Festival Neue Literatur 2015 on February 19. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pharrell Williams is transitioning from pop singer to children's author. Will the cross-over translate into success? Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Little, Brown has acquired a book in a “hotly-contested five-way auction” by former England cricket captain Mike Brearley about being “in the zone”. Andreas Campomar bought UK and Commonwealth rights to On Form from Matthew Hamilton at Aitken Alexander Associates. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publisher Deborah Emin argues that as publishing professionals, we should want writers to understand each stage of the process: how they are acquired, marketed and sold. The post Why Writers Need to Know the Publishing Business appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The web has simultaneously enabled an accelerated cycle of untrue stories and rumour, and the ability to debunk themEvery journalist is familiar with the type of story that is “too good to check”. It is a warning label on tales that beg to be true but probably aren’t. In the pre-social-media... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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William Collins has signed a book on German-born Jews in the 1930s who escaped Nazi Germany, only to return to fight on the front-line. Editorial director Martin Redfern signed UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada in The Ritchie Boys by Bruce Henderson in a deal with Don Conaway at... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Atef Abu Saif, Jana Elhassan, Lina Huyan Elhassan, Shukri al-Mabkhout, Ahmed al-Madeeni and Hammour Ziada are the six authors shortlisted for the 2015 International Prize for Arabic Fiction. The shortlisted was revealed by a judging panel chaired by Palestinian poet and writer, Mourid... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 2015 Salon London Transmission Prize has been split between two winners this year– Margaret Heffernan and Julian Baggini. The winners were both given a case of vintage wine awarded at a Big Ideas Salon at Foyles flagship Charing Cross Road London bookshop tonight (12th February). The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Veteran literary agent Susan Golomb, whose clients include Jonathan Franzen and William T. Vollmann, will be starting at Writers House on March 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Female authors account for the vast majority of this year’s Waterstones Children’s Book Prize this year, with 15 of the 18 titles written by women (see full shortlists below). The prize is divided into three categories – best illustrated book, best fiction for 5-12s and best book for teens –... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Three male authors are among the many writers shortlisted for the Romantic Novel Awards 2015 (full lists below), which are traditionally overwhelmingly dominated by women. Stephen Burke is shortlisted in the Historical Romantic Novel category for his novel The Good Italian by (Hodder &... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent publishers have come out on top in the shortlist for the 2015 Folio Prize for Fiction, with Faber and Granta getting three books each on the list. Faber’s three titles are All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews, about sisters, suicide and how to carry on after grief; Family Life by... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Discover the 20 longlisted contenders for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2015, including former children’s laureate Anthony Browne, Mini Grey, Jim Kay, Catherine Rayner, Shaun Tan and Chris Riddell (with two nominated titles on this year’s longlist)Find out about the 2015 Carnegie medal... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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