By Teika Seeing as my last post was about how to get the most out of conventions I thought I’d write about my time at FantasyCon, the inevitable comedown that occurs straight afterwards and the not unconnected issue of writer’s despair. FantasyCon was great, it really was. Catching up with many of my indie publisher […]
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How to get the most out of conventions
By Teika In less than a week’s time I’ll be at FantasyCon, one of the major genre events of the year. With my publisher’s hat on I’m preparing by making sure I have enough books, plenty of change in my float and all the necessary information so that I know how to get there, where […]
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Q&A with Jennifer Crispin of Dancing Star Press
By Teika: The wonderful Jennifer Crispin of indie press Dancing Star Press was recently kind enough to take our Q&A challenge. Many thanks to Jennifer for taking part! 1. Why publishing? Or, to put it another way – if, a decade ago, you were asked the question: ‘What do you see yourself doing […]
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The psychology of “editing limbo”: how to get out of the loop of doom (part 2)
By Tom: In the last post, Teika discussed the challenge of being trapped in a cycle of editing and redrafting. In this post, I’m going to work through some of the psychological implications of finding yourself in this trap, some of the likeliest causes, and some practical steps that can be taken to break out […]
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Editing, revising, redrafting – how to get out of the loop of doom (part 1)
By Teika: The Book Stewards is about helping writers. We want to hear about your writing problems so that we can offer a helping hand by sharing some of our hard-won wisdom. After our latest newsletter dropped into the inbox of one of our excellent subscribers, she got in contact with us and shared her […]
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Buzzing with creative back-to-school energy? Time for a plan…
By Teika: So, the season is turning, the kids are back to school and the stationery sections in shops are looking particularly lovely and alluring… Yes, it’s the start of the autumn term and for many writers it’s accompanied by a rush of energy and a renewed desire to get back to their writing. This drive […]
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Writing for love or money?
By Tom: Following on from previous deliberations about how to choose a project, another common dilemma that writers face is whether to write for love or write for money. Framing the question in that way is a misrepresentation, of course, as the most desirable outcome is to do both. However, most writers feel this conflict. […]
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How to impress a publisher
By Teika: Most writers are aware that, nowadays, building a following is part and parcel of the business of writing. But to what extent? After all, if cultivating a following detracts from time spent writing, then surely it’s simply time wasted? Well, yes and no. You see, like many a small press publisher I have […]
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Choosing what to commit to
By Tom: Some of my earlier posts have focussed on how to use your time wisely, and how to cope with rejection by directing your effort on improving your craft. For those of us who want to make a living out of writing, there is inevitably going to be some mismatch between the art we […]
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Eight low-cost ways to improve your editing skills
By Teika: As I wrote in an earlier post, hiring a professional to edit your book can really improve your manuscript and make it shine. However, money can often be an issue, and although there are various schemes to help out writers, they’re not right for everyone. Also, what about the writer who likes DIY? […]
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