publishing – Page 3 – Ruth Livingstone

The unexpected downside of an ISBN number.

I dipped a toe into the murky pond of self-publishing a few months ago.

My aim? Not to sell a book, but to see how easy – or how hard – it was to convert a document into a printed book, using Amazon’s CreateSpace service.

The final result is a 36 page non-fiction booklet of 8,000 words, based on one of my walking experiences. Soggy Socks is not a masterpiece. But it’s OK. As I said, my aim wasn’t to sell any copies, but to experiment with the process.

I did order a single copy for myself.
(Well, OK, two copies actually.) Continue reading “The unexpected downside of an ISBN number.”

Stuck in the mud: July

I’m no nearer to my goal. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy writing.

5 Year Writing Goal: July update

I’m taking part in Misha and Beth’s Five Year Project and my five-year goal is to write a novel and get it published.

I have been looking for an agent for my historical novel, The Reluctant Scribe. But, after four standard rejection emails, with no requests for the whole manuscript, my search has ground to a halt.

A way forward?

Thank you for everybody’s suggestions and advice last month. I’m now convinced I need to revamp the opening of the novel. Continue reading “Stuck in the mud: July”

Copy-editing: more difficult than it looks…

One thing I’ve learnt during this process is that spelling is fluid, despite what we were taught at school.

What’s so difficult about copy-editing? All you need is a dictionary, a style guide, and a red pen.

I’m working with a group of fellow Birkbeck students on our final assignment before graduation. Our task is to put together and publish a journal: 46 Square, an anthology of non-fiction pieces.

We are currently at the copy editing stage.
Copy editing? Or, is it copy-editing? Or even, copyediting? Continue reading “Copy-editing: more difficult than it looks…”

5 Year Writing Goal: June update

Apparently, I have “created a compelling narrative, with a well-drawn setting and a beguiling central character.” But still not publishable.

Five Year Writing Goal

I’m taking part in Misha and Beth’s Five Year Project and my five-year goal is to write a novel and get it published. This is my update on progress this month.

Feedback on The Reluctant Scribe

A children’s literary agent kindly read my manuscript, The Reluctant Scribe, and she gave me very encouraging feedback. She said I have “created a compelling narrative, with a well-drawn setting and a beguiling central character.” This is fantastic news and really boosted my confidence. Continue reading “5 Year Writing Goal: June update”

Writers Conference 2014: truth and lies in self-publishing

“Writing the book is easy. The difficult part is selling it.”
What I learnt about self-publishing at the Writer’s Conference 2014.

I guess when it comes to self-publishing, the greatest proponents are going to be those who have done it successfully. The failures slink back into the shadows.

With this in mind, I went along to the panel entitled “The Truths and Lies About Self-Publishing” with some degree of cynicism.

The discussion was chaired by Alex Davis and it was interesting to hear why the panelists, all very different authors and very different people, had decided to self-publish their books. Continue reading “Writers Conference 2014: truth and lies in self-publishing”