The Book Publicist EllyDonovanPR talks to Jane Cable

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Jane Cable

What is your book-related job or business?

I am a freelance book publicist carrying out PR campaigns for authors and publishers. I try to obtain reviews, articles and interviews about my clients’ books in newspapers and magazines – and on the internet, the radio or television. This type of publicity can help boost book sales as well as raising the author’s profile: a good review, an article or an interview in the media is more likely to get a book (and its author) noticed than expensive advertising might do.

Nonetheless, book publicity is an extremely competitive and there are no guarantees of success. With approximately 500 new books published every single day in the UK (yes, 500 every day!) it is impossible for every new book to get the media attention it may deserve.

Every day, busy journalists and broadcasters are inundated with communications from publishers and authors who are trying to grab their attention with news of forthcoming books. A professional PR campaign may improve an author’s chances of success. A professional book-publicist knows and understands the media – and knows how to give a book the best possible chance of media coverage in this tough industry.

What is the most rewarding part of it?

It is very satisfying to help authors make the most of their PR opportunities (eg: helping them with their interview technique or advising on their use of social media etc). New authors soon discover that writing their book is just the first step in a long journey. These days, authors are also expected to be experts at marketing, sales and PR – as well as being good writers. It can be an extremely frustrating and bewildering experience for some novice authors.

Assisting authors by carrying out their PR campaigns and then supporting them in the lead-up to publication and during the first few months after is extremely rewarding for me. It is always a pleasure to hear an author’s reaction on receiving their first good review or when they hear themselves performing well on the radio or when their TV appearance gets lots of ‘Likes’ on social media. And, naturally, the lovely comments, thank-you cards and testimonials that I receive from authors also mean the world to me.

What do you consider to be your major successes?

With so many books being published, only a tiny percentage of books achieve any nationwide publicity at all. This is why it is always a thrill when I see or hear my authors appearing in the national media as a result of my efforts. Even after all these years in the business, I still get a ‘buzz’ from seeing one of my authors on TV or hearing them interviewed on the radio or reading a good review of their book in a quality newspaper. However, my successes are not always measured in circulation figures or audience numbers. Sometimes niche coverage in the right publication can be an even more effective way to reach the perfect book-buying audience for a particular book.

Have you always loved books and what are you reading at the moment?

I’ve always loved reading so studying English literature at University was a pleasure, not a chore. In my professional life, I make a point of reading every one of the many books I promote. (It may surprise you but not all book publicists read the books they promote.) Currently, for my work, I am reading one novel and one memoir written by my clients. In my free time, I am also enjoying Jeremy Paxman’s autobiography, A Life in Questions.

Brighton-based EllyDonovanPR has worked in publishing and PR since graduating in 1980. She is a Member of The Publishers’ Publicity Circle;

and a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors.

To find out more about EllyDonovanPR ‘s services for authors and publishers, visit her website ellydonovan.co.uk

You can connect with Elly on social media:

twitter: @EllyDonovanPR facebook.com/elly.donovan.7

Linked-In: Elly Donovan PR

For further information, authors & publishers can email: elly@ellydonovan.co.uk

Seafood Tarts

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Christian Gott

Spring is in the air so I have a doozy of a recipe for you today, Seafood Feuillettes, deliciously tasty, puff-pastry cases full of delicious seafood in a creamy vermouth sauce. Now before we start I don’t want you to panic at the thought of puff pastry, I’m going to put up my hands up right now and admit straight away few of us are lucky to have the time and patience to perfect the technique of making puff pastry at home, even after hours of practice I struggle to get an even rise and perfect bake. The solution, used correctly the bought-in product is practical, versatile and very labour saving. Rich, buttery and flaky, ready-made puff pastry can top a rich fish pie, enclose marzipan and fruit for a luxurious dessert or make simple crisp cheese straws to nibble.

Puff pastry can also be used to make savoury hors d’oeuvre or bite sized appetisers. The most famous of these being little-stuffed Vol-au-vent cases topped with a little lid or delicate Crolines, small lattice topped parcels. My recipe today is how to make the third, great little tartlet case that can be used in a savoury starter, light lunch or filled with whipped cream and fruit as a simple, elegant dessert.

Feuillette Pastry Tarts
I have used many fillings in Feuillettes, roasted Provençal vegetables topped with whipped Goat’s cheese and a little rocket dressed with sea salt and Balsamic, creamy garlic mushrooms or a seafood medley as well as fruit purées and Confectioner’s custard, glazed poached peach halves and raspberries.

Puff pastry ( ready made or homemade )

Egg wash

Preheat your oven to 400F / 200C / Gas Mark 6. Roll out your pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Cut into squares 4 by 4 inches for a large case 1 1/2 inch squared for smaller bite size tarts.

Carefully cut two L – shapes into the pastry like the picture above. Make sure to you leave to small pieces of uncut pastry to hold the edges together. Egg wash the pastry square the fold over the cut pastry strips.

Egg wash the tart case again including the sides of the pastry. Dock or prick the center of the case with the tines of a fork, this will prevent the center rising. Transfer to a non-stick baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes to relax the pastry. This will help prevent the pastry from shrinking. Place in your heated oven and bake for between 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size of your feuilette, until crisp and golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and cool. You can make your cases ahead of you needing them and store in an airtight container.

For the Filling

6 -8 Gamba’s or large Shell on Prawns

500 gr Fresh Mussels Fresh Clams

500 gr Fresh Clams

12 Scallops

6 large Banana Shallots, peeled and finely diced

3 cloves of Garlic, peeled and crushed

A small handful of fresh Dill

200 ml thick double cream

50 ml of Vermouth ( White Wine is a great substitute )

25 ml Olive Oil

25 gr Butter

Juice of one fresh Lemon

Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

In a large, heavy-bottomed pan ( with a tight fitting lid ), melt the half of the butter and add half of the oil. Over a medium heat soften the shallots for ten minutes without colouring. Add the garlic and cook out for two or three minutes stirring continuously. Tip in the mussels and clams and add the Vermouth place on the lid add steam the shellfish for five to six minutes. Carefully holding the pan with a heat proof cloth remove from the heat. Place a colander in a large glass bowl and tip in the mussels and allow to cool. Reserve the cooking liquid to be used to make the final sauce.

When cool pick the majority of the mussels and clams from their shells leaving a handful for garnishing. Carefully pour the cooking liquid through a fine strainer into a small pan and place on a medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce the volume by half. Add the cream and simmer for a couple more minutes before seasoning with a generous grind of pepper. Melt the remaining butter and oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan and saute the gambas, over a gentle heat, for three minutes before turning up the heat and adding the scallops, turn over the prawns and the scallops as soon as they are brown. After two more minutes remove from heat, squeeze over the juice of one lemon and keep warm.

Heat the mussels and clams gently in the sauce. Take care not to boil or the shellfish will toughen, add the remaining lemon juice and finely chopped dill, taste and add more pepper if required. Place a warm pastry case onto a deep lipped plate and carefully spoon in the picked mussels and clams. Add a couple of scallops then fill with sauce and top with the prepared lids or a large prawn. Spoon around a little extra liquid and the retained shellfish in shells and sprinkle with a little extra dill to garnish.

La Source by Crabtree and Evelyn – Perfect for a Mother’s Day Mini Spa

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Tracy Baines

It’s officially spring and Mother’s Day is fast approaching. If you’re still stuck for gift ideas to show your mum what she means to you why not give her a taste of summer.

That’s what the latest products from the La Source range at Crabtree & Evelyn reminded me of.

Formulated with restorative mineral salts and nutrient-rich seaweeds the range smells of the ocean, time on the beach and fresh, clean air. It totally lifted my spirits and reminded me of carefree summer days. Exactly what I needed during the last grey days of winter.

The La Source collection is designed to restore, condition and rejuvenate the skin from head to toe. Formulated with a blend of ingredients including underwater algae, mineral salts and seaweeds the products in this collection allow you to immerse yourself in spa-like rituals.

The products I tested were perfect for pampering myself with on a quiet night in.

Overnight Hand therapy

Treat your hands to an intensive “beauty sleep” therapy with this specially formulated night-time preparation. A concentrated complex of vitamins and amino acids, including arginine, enhances the skin’s natural barrier, maintains its natural moisture levels and soothes dryness.

The rich and easily-absorbed formula contains a concentrated complex of vitamins and amino acids to enhance the skin’s natural barrier functioning, protect and restore dry skin, soothe and maintain its natural moisture levels

Apply nightly and awaken to smoother, softer, nourished hands.

£19 (75g)

Refreshing Body Mist

I soon worked through the full bottle. It smells fresh but exotic – think Bahamas, blue sea and sky, white sand. I kept the spray on my desk as I worked. A quick burst on my arms now and again woke me up and made me feel much more refreshed and alert. Try it for yourself. It features an anti-oxidant-rich green seaweed extract, and an amino acid blend to condition the skin leaving it soft and revitalised.

Botanical notes including sparkling citrus and green herbaceous tones are embraced by musk and fresh scents of peppermint.

£15 (120ml)

La Source Effervescent Sea Foam Foot Soak

A luxurious spa experience for beautifully revived feet. Featuring a refreshing marine blend of anti-oxidant-rich green seaweed extract and purifying brown algae extract. Pour the contents of one packette into a foot tub filled with warm water and it quickly foams and bubbles up. The citric acid acts as gentle exfoliator and the mineral-rich dead sea salts leave your feet soft and fragrant. Great for when you’ve been on your feet all day.

£12 (5 x 30g sachets)

www.crabtree-evelyn.co.uk

1/3 of Females Put Off STEM Careers

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Frostie

A THIRD OF UK FEMALES INTERESTED IN STEM CAREERS ARE PUT OFF BEFORE LEAVING SECONDARY SCHOOL

46% OF UK FEMALES AGED 16-24 HAVE CONSIDERED A CAREER IN A STEM INDUSTRY, BUT ONLY 13% ARE IN STEM ROLES TODAY*

31% OF FEMALES AGED 16-24 BLAME LACK OF ‘REAL-LIFE’ CAREERS EDUCATION FOR THE LACK OF FEMALES IN STEM CAREERS

23% OF FEMALES AGED 16-24 SAY THE WAY STEM SUBJECTS ARE TAUGHT AT SECONDARY SCHOOL PUT THEM OFF A STEM CAREER

13% THINK STEM INDUSTRY WORK EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE MANDATORY

Debut, the student and graduate careers app has today published a report that reveals the reason why females aged 16-24 are not pursuing career aspirations in STEM industries. The report reveals that despite almost half (46%) of all females considering a STEM career while at school, only 13 percent make it through to fulfilling their plans.

The research, which involved 500 females aged 16-24 revealed that their interest in STEM careers ended before leaving secondary school. According to the females asked, the top five ways that secondary schools could fuel their interest in STEM careers more are as follows:

1) Provide ‘real life’ STEM careers education, such as ‘a day in the life of’ videos (31%)

2) Make STEM subjects more interesting to learn (23%)

3) Make STEM industry work experience mandatory (13%)

4) Promote the fact that STEM careers pay better salaries (10%)

5) Promote the fact that career progression is better in STEM industries (9%)

The Debut app, which has been downloaded more than 50,000 times, has seen 88 percent of students register a profile, and from those registered, only 16 percent are females studying or graduating in STEM subjects, compared to 22 percent of males.

Since its launch 12 months ago, Debut has showcased 432 STEM roles on the app, however only 34 percent of all applications received were from females.

Debut has fast become the recruitment method used by most the UK’s leading graduate employers, includingEY, Microsoft, Barclays, Capgemini, Rolls-Royce, L’Oréal, and General Electric – they benefit from being able to ‘weight’ applications, especially in the STEM industries, to promote equal opportunities.

“It would be great to see more STEM employers going into primary and secondary schools, or better still, live streaming direct from their organisations into the classroom, to give young people an insight into what STEM careers involve. Companies would benefit from this time investment in the long-run.”

More Mother’s Day ideas…

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Margaret Graham

I would still like to beseech you to buy tickets for The Girls Musical by Tim Firth and Gary Barlow. I know I’m going on about it, but you’d all enjoy it, laugh, cry and come out feeling wonderful. But also buy your mum a book, or several.

My daughters’ nightmares all at once: Turing into Your Mother. It’s so funny, that even Mother (me) laughed.

The Mills and Boon Modern Girl’s Guide to Turning into Your Mother by Ada Adverse is a hoot. Horribly astute as well. Read it, and laugh, and then have a good think, and have a gin, a large one. Then another… Please read it. It will do you good.

Turning Into Your Mother by Ada Adverse Mills and Boon. £6.99

What else?

CORPUS by Rory Clements . Quite different, but just as gripping, and you might well need a bit of a refresher during it. Very tense, not a lot of laughs, but a really good read, and concept.

It’s 1936 – Europe is on the brink of a cataclysm. The Nazis have marched into the Rhineland, in a country house near Cambridge, an elderly couple are discovered brutally murdered. Has it anything to do with the looming abdication of Edward V111 and the unstoppable march of fascism?

Fascinating times, great book. So often they are from this publisher.

CORPUS by Rory Clements. Zaffre. £12.99

So, CORPUS is the middle of the sandwich.

The Lavender House is the last slice. By Hilary Boyd

Looks lovely, and is another great book, especially for Mother’s Day as its theme is how much duty do we owe to our families as we get older, and how much do we owe it to ourselves to chase happiness?

This really is a conundrum because we’re so much younger when we’re older, these days, if you get my drift. Is it enough to be granny, or should we still be dancing on table tops? Or if not that, surely we have the energy and wits to carve a third phase interesting life?

The Lavender House Hilary Boyd. Pb £7.99. Quercus.

Mother’s Day Gift Discount On Ancestry DNA Kits

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Frostie

Genealogy is huge right now so this Mother’s Day, give your mum the exciting opportunity to discover more about herself and the unique stories hidden in her genes with the AncestryDNA test.

The perfect gift for the most important woman in your life, AncestryDNA provides a personal ethnicity estimate from up to thousands of years ago from 26 separate regions across the globe (including Great Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia, Middle East, Asia Central, East and South and nine African regions). She can also uncover new family connections as the test matches users with a database of more than 3 million people worldwide who have taken the test.

The kit is very easy to use, you activate the kit online, gather your DNA – which is just some salvia, and then you send it away. You will then find out where you and your ancestors were from. Pretty exciting.

Available at www.ancestrydna.co.uk for £79 + postage but there is a special Mother’s Day gift discount up until March 26th: £69 + postage. That is £10 off.

Happiness tips for parents and their kids on International Day of Happiness

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Frostie

Happiness tips for exhausted and over-worked parents and their children on International Day of Happiness

International Day of Happiness – Monday March 20^th 2017

Natalie Savvides is a married Mum of two young children under five who lives in South-West London. She is also the author of Full Circle, published in 2016 by Pegasus, which is a memoir with a difference. Natalie Savvides, now in her early 40s, has been called ‘the real Bridget Jones’ on many occasions, but the difference between her book – Full Circle – and the likes of Bridget Jones is that it’s 100% real!

Her book is packed with unedited extracts from her diaries from the age of 13 through to when, through a chance meeting, she fell in love with her husband, as well as memories and reflections on the different times of her life – from school playground politics to leaving home for university, finding her place in a different town, then in a different country, meeting new friends, discovering truths about people she thought were friends, battling an ongoing problem with her weight by eating erratically and drinking too much, the infamous dating game we are all too familiar with, launching onto the career ladder, burning the candle at both ends, and much more, Natalie’s life story is told with such raw authenticity thanks to the diary extracts.

Natalie hopes her book will be read by teenage girls so they know they are not alone in their thoughts and feelings, and for their Mums, so they can remember a little of what it used to be like growing up!

International Day of Happiness is coordinated by Action for Happiness, a non-profit movement of people from 160 countries, supported by a partnership of like-minded organisations.

Five of the suggested ten changes you can make TODAY to help you feel happier

International Day of Happiness – Monday March 20^th 2017

1) Talk To Yourself: “It’s going to be a good day!”. Believe it. Every time something appears to get in the way remind yourself again: “It’s a good day”. Positive psychology can be powerful. Convince yourself that all is well and you will create a sense of wellbeing. Take time in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening, even just a minute each time, to be mindful of where you are and what is happening around you. Tell yourself: “It’s OK, it’s a good day, I’m OK”.

2) Smile: It sounds like a cliché, I know, but it really works. Even if you don’t feel like it – smile. The act of smiling is proven to release stress. Smile at yourself in the mirror (force it if you must…), smile at others in the street. When you feel yourself getting stressed or anxious, stop and smile. You will feel the benefit throughout yourself.

3) Stop The Comparisons! Don’t compare others’ external worlds with your internal one. Lots of people project images that are not a true reflection of their real selves or lives. Social media is a perfect example of how we often only project the best version of our life – the happies photos, a comment about the best part of a day. People rarely share photos of themselves at their unhappiest. You don’t truly know what is happening in other people’s lives…Comparisons are the thief of joy!

4) Be Grateful: Gratitude cannot be underestimated. Focus on all the good things in your life and feel real gratitude for them – your health, the roof over your head, the hot cup of tea you just drank. Feeling grateful and appreciative sparks happiness and it builds momentum over time. The more you do it, the more it will come naturally.

5) Take A Deep Breath: Remember to breathe, take deep breaths from the bottom of your stomach, not shallow, quick breaths from the top of your chest. Be still and listen to your breathing for a few seconds and take a big, deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth: five seconds in, seven seconds out. By doing this regularly, you will feel more relaxed and energised. The deep intake of oxygen circulates and energises the body and mind.

Natalie now dedicates her time to helping others with their problems, much like a ‘happiness coach’. While she may have been brought up in a ‘nice’ part of London, given opportunities to go to university, travel and enjoy exciting new experiences, Natalie also went through myriad challenges of growing up, finding her place in the world, and looking for love, like so many of us do (and quickly forget/erase from our memories as we get older!).

Her ability to recall the exact language and feelings of times in our lives that so many of us choose to forget gives her an incredible empathy with teenage girls, those in their early 20s living away from home for the first time, through to women in their 30s on the dating bandwagon trying to find love after a string of bad relationships!

In honour of International Day of Happiness Natalie will, on the morning of March 20^th, be giving away free copies of Full Circle to teenage girls, career women and Mums on Kensington High Street. Her aim is to show these women that they’re not alone in their problems, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and to give people another reason to feel happy on this International Awareness Day.

Natalie is also going to be visiting secondary schools throughout south-east England, during the summer term and new academic year, to talk to them about the experiences and emotions that are so overlooked and not commonly discussed in schools, from bullying to eating issues, drinking to friendships, drugs to anxiety. She will be gifting each school a copy of her book – Full Circle – for the library. She aims to continue this connection with the teenage students by returning to the school to answer their questions after reading the book (the content usually sparks a series of questions) and to offer one-to-one support when required.

Global heroes battling censorship announced in Index Freedom of Expression Awards shortlist

Posted on March 17, 2017 by Catherine Balavage

Judges include actor Noma Dumezweni; former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown
Sixteen courageous individuals and organisations who fight for freedom of expression in every part of the world.

A Zimbabwean pastor who was arrested by authorities last week for his #ThisFlag campaign, an Iranian Kurdish journalist covering his life as an interned Australian asylum seeker, one of China’s most notorious political cartoonists, and an imprisoned Russian human rights activist are among those shortlisted for the 2017 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards.

Drawn from more than 400 crowdsourced nominations, the shortlist celebrates artists, writers, journalists and campaigners overcoming censorship and fighting for freedom of expression against immense obstacles. Many of the 16 shortlisted nominees are regularly targeted by authorities or by criminal and extremist groups for their work: some face regular death threats, others criminal prosecution or exile.

“The creativity and bravery of the shortlist nominees in challenging restrictions on freedom of expression reminds us that a small act — from a picture to a poem — can have a big impact. Our nominees have faced severe penalties for standing up for their beliefs. These awards recognise their courage and commitment to free speech,” said Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of campaigning nonprofit Index on Censorship.

Awards are offered in four categories: arts, campaigning, digital activism and journalism.

Nominees include Pastor Evan Mawarire whose frustration with Zimbabwe’s government led him to the #ThisFlag campaign; Behrouz Boochani, an Iranian Kurdish journalist who documents the life of indefinitely-interned Australian asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea; China’s Wang Liming, better known as Rebel Pepper, a political cartoonist who lampoons the country’s leaders; Ildar Dadin, an imprisoned Russian opposition activist, who became the first person convicted under the country’s public assembly law; Daptar, a Dagestani initiative tackling women’s issues like female genital mutilation that are rarely discussed publicly in the country; and Serbia’s Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK), which was founded by a group of journalists to combat pervasive corruption and organised crime.

Other nominees include Hungary’s Two-tail Dog Party, a group of satirists who parody the country’s political discourse; Honduran LGBT rights organisation Arcoiris, which has had six activists murdered in the past year for providing support to the LGBT community and lobbying the country’s government; Luaty Beirão, a rapper from Angola, who uses his music to unmask the country’s political corruption; and Maldives Independent, a website involved in revealing endemic corruption at the highest levels in the country despite repeated intimidation.

Judges for this year’s awards, now in its 17th year, are Harry Potter actor Noma Dumezweni, Hillsborough lawyer Caiolfhionn Gallagher, former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, designer Anab Jain and music producer Stephen Budd.

Dumezweni, who plays Hermione in the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, was shortlisted earlier this year for an Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress. Speaking about the importance of the Index Awards she said: “Freedom of expression is essential to help challenge our perception of the world”.

Winners, who will be announced at a gala ceremony in London on 19 April, become Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards Fellows and are given support for their work, including training in areas such as advocacy and communications.

“The GreatFire team works anonymously and independently but after we were awarded a fellowship from Index it felt like we had real world colleagues. Index helped us make improvements to our overall operations, consulted with us on strategy and were always there for us, through the good times and the pain,” Charlie Smith of GreatFire, 2016 Freedom of Expression Awards Digital Activism Fellow.

This year, the Freedom of Expression Awards are being supported by sponsors including SAGE Publishing, Google, Vodafone, media partner CNN, VICE News, Doughty Street Chambers, Psiphon and Gorkana. Illustrations of the nominees were created by Sebastián Bravo Guerrero.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony at The Unicorn Theatre, London, on 19 April.

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