By Tom: For most busy people, a free afternoon is an unbelievable treat. A block of time with no meetings, childcare, or other responsibilities – nothing but the promise of “me time”. It could be a chance to de-stress and relax with a good book, but it could also be a chance to get creative; […]
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Publishing demystified – an interview with Teika Bellamy
by Teika After I gave my short course, ‘Publishing Demystified’, at Swanwick Writers’ Summer School last month I was interviewed by Steve Barnett of the Southampton Writers’ Circle. Steve asked me various interesting questions about the publishing world and put the whole thing on camera. So here are some of my thoughts on the complex […]
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On Fear
By Tom: Lots of people want to write a book. Of those people, a certain fraction feel capable of writing a book. A smaller fraction still actually do write a book. And the smallest fraction of all publish their book to a professional standard. So, the question arises: what is it that causes people to […]
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Q&A with J.S. Emuakpor of Afrocentric Books
by Teika I am delighted to welcome J.S. Emuakpor of Afrocentric Books to the blog today to talk about all things publishing. And as Afrocentric Books are currently open to submissions for short stories for AfroMyth Volume 2, I hope it inspires some writers to check out Afrocentric Books and get subbing! Huge thanks to […]
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How to overcome (or, at least, sneak past) writer’s block
by Teika: Pros write every day Experienced writers – certainly those who depend on book royalties to pay the bills – know that writing is work, and that like any kind of meaningful employment, it is done every single day. Of course, a commute may not be necessary – they may simply wake, open up […]
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Q&A with Jane Spencer of Eyrie Press
by Teika I am ever so happy to be able to welcome the wonderful Jane Spencer of Eyrie Press to the blog today, and since Eyrie Press has just now opened to new submissions I hope that this Q&A inspires some writers to get submitting to them. Many thanks to Jane for taking the time […]
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Fairy tales wanted! A list of places to submit to
by Teika The other day on Twitter a writer friend of mine asked for recommendations of literary magazines or publishers who welcome submissions of fairy tales. Off the top of my head I supplied her with a few names, but then I thought that really, what I needed to do was compile a more detailed […]
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What’s more precious? Time or money?
by Teika Recently, I’ve led a spate of workshops to do with the business of getting published. One question that’s cropped up a lot is whether it’s worth paying for editorial, mentoring or publishing support. My answer, in essence, is yes. But, it does come with a question – what is more precious to the […]
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Q&A with Jennifer Grigg of Green Bottle Press
by Teika Jennifer Grigg of the wonderful Green Bottle Press was kind enough to answer my questions about poetry publishing. Huge thanks to Jennifer for her thoughtful and insightful answers. 1. Why poetry publishing? Or, to put it another way – if, a decade ago, you were asked the question: ‘What do you […]
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Fairy tales and the lessons they offer writers
By Teika As someone with a keen interest in fairy tales and their psychological richness, I cannot help but be aware of their continued applicability, even in today’s publishing world. We make sense of the world through stories, so I thought it may be of use to run through some common narratives to glean some […]
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