Nail Your Novel
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Nail Your Novel
10h ago
Sara Hosey says her stories arise from obsessions. So far these have been ADHD, The Twilight Zone, feminism and places that are gritty and unexpectedly beautiful. She once stayed for months at a cottage on an island in the middle of a lake, reachable only by boat, with an intrepid cat for company. I began by asking ..read more
Nail Your Novel
1w ago
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an author should send a regular newsletter to tell readers about special offers and news of upcoming releases. It is a truth less universally acknowledged that this is really awkward for some authors. If you aren’t releasing books frequently or making things that are suitable for special offers ..read more
Nail Your Novel
1w ago
I’ve been editing a novel where the author dearly wanted to explore weighty themes. But they were suffocating the book. What do I mean by a theme? It’s a meaning, an ordering force, that shines out of the book’s content, bigger than just the story. Often writers consider the theme to be the most ‘serious ..read more
Nail Your Novel
1M ago
Alan Humm has been in the creative arts all his life. He’s the driving force behind the poetry magazine One Hand Clapping, which has featured well-known authors such as Hilary Mantel, Ali Smith and Colm Toibin next to those who are less well known. This year he has several projects of his own that are ..read more
Nail Your Novel
1M ago
This is the International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition, sponsored by Vine Leaves Press. I’m one of the judges!We’re looking for unpublished memoirs, poetry, personal essays, vignette collections and creative non-fiction – all stuff I love to read, so I’m looking forward to the manuscripts. And the deadline is fast approaching. Doors close on July ..read more
Nail Your Novel
1M ago
It’s really tough for authors to sell their books at the moment. And there are people who are hoping to make money from this. I get approached almost daily by people on Linked In or Facebook who ask to connect with me, then try to sell marketing services of dubious value. Or I get emails ..read more
Nail Your Novel
2M ago
I thoroughly enjoyed the Channel 4 series Masters of Sex, about Dr William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the pioneers of sexual research in the 1950s and 1960s. I then read the factual book it’s based on by Thomas Maier and was surprised by how different it is. While the drama feels very faithful to the ..read more
Nail Your Novel
3M ago
‘I realised I came from an unusual family,’ says Charlie Young, and in that moment came another realisation – there was a story to be uncovered and told. That story became a historical novel, Houdini’s Last Handcuffs, co-written with his sister Cheryl. But to begin at the beginning, I asked Charlie where the idea of ..read more
Nail Your Novel
3M ago
Here’s a thing you learn as a novelist: stamina. Revising a novel is often a lengthy process and a real test of motivation and dedication. When you’ve gone as far as you can with your own edits, comments from beta readers and editors can derail you all over again. Sometimes they’re revelatory – you knew ..read more
Nail Your Novel
3M ago
Earlier this week I took part in an event to showcase a few authors from Vine Leaves Press. I’ve never done an online reading before so this was a first. Usually at readings, one can’t see the audience members’ faces so close. Sometimes what I saw wasn’t faces, but ceilings or thumbs or travelling ground ..read more