by Teika ‘Strange days’, ‘unsettling times’, ‘unprecedented situation’. These are just a few of the phrases that most of us will have come across on a regular basis in recent weeks. It’s almost becoming clichéd to use these words about the current Covid-19 pandemic, and yet those phrases do adequately describe what we’re living through. […]
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Q&A with writer Jonathan Pinnock
by Teika Today, I am very happy to welcome Jonathan Pinnock to the blog. I’ve known Jonathan “virtually” for what seems like a fair while in the world of the internet, so it’s great to finally get him over here answering my many nosy questions. Thanks again Jonathan! 1. How, when and why […]
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Are you honest about your writing goals?
by Teika January, of course, is the month for setting goals. Many of us have plans for ‘getting that novel published’ or ‘acquiring an agent’ or ‘finally doing something about that poetry pamphlet’ in the year ahead. Goals are good. Dreaming big is good. They are both incredibly useful since they enable you to make […]
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Q&A with writer Tim Major
By Teika Today I am ever so pleased to welcome speculative fiction writer, Tim Major to the blog. Considering the fact that Tim hasn’t been writing for all that long, he has achieved a considerable amount of success in a variety of forms. Huge thanks to Tim for answering my nosy questions. And I quite […]
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What’s in a cover price? And why should authors care? (Part 2 – the indie/small press scene)
By Teika: At the end of this blog post (Part 1, in which I explained how the traditional publishing model works) I promised an exploration of some other models. Some *ahem* months later I’ve finally gathered together the relevant information and herded my unruly and disparate thoughts into some kind of order. And as the […]
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Squandering a free afternoon
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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