Tag: self publishing

Writing Update, June 2017

I just want to get my novels OUT there.

bulletNovels completed

In August 2013, I signed up for Misha’s 5 year project. My goal was to finish writing a novel and to get it published. Since then, I’ve written and published a number of non-fiction pieces, and I’ve actually completed two novels:

  1. The Reluctant Scribe: a historical novel set in the Tang Dynasty, 6th century, China, following the fortunes of a young boy who dreams of becoming a warrior.
  2. The Orbital Contract: a YA sci-fi novel, set in a futuristic world and full of spaceships and danger.

Continue reading “Writing Update, June 2017”

Is Christmas the right time to buy a book about walking?

Stuck for Christmas presents? Try buying books.

Gift ideas for Xmas?

buying books for ChristmasI really don’t know much about selling, but I’ve shifted a few copies of my non-fiction book, Walking the English Coast, in the past few weeks.

People are buying copies as presents for other people, or even as presents for themselves.

In the New Year we start thinking about exercise and make resolutions to get healthy. So, in January I expect demand will go up! Continue reading “Is Christmas the right time to buy a book about walking?”

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.

Soggy Socks cover of booklet by Ruth LivingstoneThe 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.”

Writing Goal and Nano updates

5 Year Writing Goal: November update

do you have goalsI’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.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Absolutely NOTHING at all.

I hang my head in shame, but my excuse is that I’ve been concentrating on NaNoWriMo and on my Birkbeck assignments. So I’ve been doing plenty of writing, but nothing that is focused on my goal.

Continue reading “Writing Goal and Nano updates”

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.

gorilla beating chest 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”