The Business of Books: The Feeling’s Mutual

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Jane Cable

The Business of Books: The Feeling’s Mutual

Jane Cable muses support from other writers

I had a very interesting conversation on Thursday. At the Romantic Novelists’ Association Cornish Chapter lunch we fell to talking about how best to market our books. None of us felt we had a firm grasp of what worked and what didn’t, but all the same I was adamant that doing something was better than doing nothing.

Take the RNA’s #TuesNews initiative. On Tuesdays a number of us (probably about a hundred or so of the full membership) retweet each other’s posts carrying the hashtag. As a result our Twitter feeds fill with the latest news from romantic novelists, some blatant promotion and some a bit more interesting, but we do it to support each other. And actually, for readers and bloggers with an interest in the genre it’s a good place to find out what’s going on in the world of romantic fiction.

You also come to ‘know’ the regular retweeters and interact with them in other places and in other ways. Writing can be isolating and it’s good to know there are people around you sharing the same experiences, even if it’s in a virtual sense. Whether or not there are sales to be gained from the exercise is perhaps less important than the feeling of being part of something larger.

I belong to a number of groups of writers, formal and informal, and all have their own character. The No 1 Author Buddy Ladies on Facebook has become a real place for mutual support. We have just over 100 members covering multiple genres and writers at different stages of their careers help each other out. We celebrate when someone has their first deal, help them to see the wood for the trees with potentially dodgy contracts and chip in on all sorts of subjects from naming characters to helping to promote special offers.

All the same it’s still helpful to meet other authors face to face, like at the Cornish Chapter lunch. The problem is that finding mutually convenient times for meetings is hard, and even local groups need to be flexible. Take Chindi Authors – formally Chichester Independent Authors and now rebranding as Celebrating and Helping Indie Authors with a stronger online presence and virtual meetings. Chindi has always existed primarily to help with publishing and marketing indie books and to gain real depth of experience across all genres we needed to extend our reach beyond the confines of our corner of West Sussex.

I still have a hunch that the authors you support the most are those you actually know. Certainly when setbacks come they are the ones you turn to for advice and – let’s face it – sympathy. Although when I recently parted company with my agent because she didn’t rate my current manuscript my loving husband cracked open the champagne (literally!), it was author friends who provided solid advice and shored up my wavering confidence in my work.

In the digital age writers can’t afford to be isolated and selfish with their time and a large number aren’t. I suppose there are those who are, but we simply don’t know them. There is huge generosity out there, such as JoJo Moyes on Twitter offering a week in her holiday home for an aspiring writer to work in peace and Chindi Authors pulling together to raise almost £1,000 for Words for the Wounded.

The world of publishing is getting tougher and it’s up to writers to work together to make the best of it. So if anyone is reading this in a lonely garret – reach out – you’ll be surprised what you find.

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

The Business of Books: #AMREADING

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Jane Cable

Jane Cable starts working through her ‘to be read’ pile

Two weeks ago I wrote, with some trepidation, about my slightly difficult relationship with reading now that I’m a writer. I have to say I was really pleased by the positive comments I received from other authors feel the same – I certainly don’t feel so much of a freak. But nevertheless I made a decision: this month I’m not going to write – I’m going to read.

I have, however, imposed a basic rule: the books I choose have to be in my genre – contemporary romance. Of course this exercise is for pleasure but it’s also research into how other writers and their publishers achieve excellence. So, what have I been reading? And what have I learnt?

The Girl on the Beach by Morton S Gray (Choclit)

You simply can’t be a romance author and ignore Choclit. They have such a huge presence in the market it felt irresponsible not to have read anything they’ve published. I decided to start putting that right with The Girl on the Beach because it was a mystery as well as a love story so right up my street.

It was completely different to my own books in that much of the intrigue was fairly obvious and initially I wondered how it was going to hold my attention. But it did – largely because of the wonderful characters; I cared about Ellie and as with every great romance, even fell for Harry just a little bit myself. The writing was crisp and unpretentious and I found it hard to put this book down. It re-enforced my belief that well written mainstream romance will never die.

Last Dance in Havana by Rosanna Ley (Quercus)

I have been a big fan of Ley’s for some years and was delighted when she provided me with some lovely cover quotes for Another You. Last Dance in Havana flips between Bristol (which I know) and Havana (which I don’t) and tells the story of a step-daughter’s and step-mother’s searches for love. Ley’s descriptions brought both places to life to the point I could feel the Cuban sun on my back but it was her superb characterisation that made the book for me. In particular Rosa, the older woman, will remain in my head and heart for a very long time.

Writing as well as Rosanna Ley takes years of experience but thinking about this book (and her others) they show me that with a good story, great characters and an amazing sense of place you don’t need gimmicks to write a first class commercial romance.

Sealskin by Su Bristow (Orenda Press)

Sealskin is the book everyone is talking about at the moment. It’s a re-telling of a Scottish legend about the selkies, seals which can turn into people, and is a fairly short but thought-provoking read. I was completely transported to a remote Scottish fishing village and one of the really clever things about the book is its timelessness – there isn’t a clue about when the story takes place and it actually doesn’t matter. It’s a multi-layered romance which sits equally well in the realms of literary fiction which is where its publisher’s interests lie.

It’s also been marketed incredibly well by Orenda and I’m delighted that the dynamo behind this amazing independent publishing house, Karen Sullivan, will guest on this column in April. In the meantime I’m trying to work out what I would need to do before I’d even consider sending a manuscript to them. Although I can recognise literary fiction when I see it, how to create it is another matter entirely. Definitely something to aim for, though.

The Business Of Books: Writing In Balance

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Jane Cable

Author Nikki Moore tells Jane Cable why she never quite wants to give up her day job.

How much of your working life does the business of books take up?

The honest answer is, quite a bit, but not as much as I’d like. I have a full-time HR day job, so writing has to slot around that, as well as my children. Of course there’s also seeing my boyfriend, friends and family, housework, food shopping etc. I have the same commitments as everybody else. I’ve had to be very disciplined and maketime to write. I set several evenings a week aside and also write on weekends; I watch a lot less TV than I used to (although my boyfriend and I are newly addicted to The Walking Dead). When I’m working under deadline – 2015 was a busy year as I delivered five novellas and a 100,000 word novel for the #LoveLondon series – I write any spare moment I can, whether it’s during lunch breaks or into the early hours of the morning. As well as working on manuscripts, I also have to promote my books so I blog when I can, as well as tweeting and Facebook posting regularly.

I used to want to give up the day job to write full-time, but I’ve realised I need to be around people in order to write believable characters and compelling storylines, so now the dream is to scale back the day job to 1-2 days a week and write the rest of the time.

What’s your business model to earn a living from writing?

I’m not a best-selling author – I hope to be one day – although I’ve sold more books than I ever imagined I would when I started out. However, like many authors, I don’t earn enough to give up the day job yet; my HR career pays the bills. So my business model is to stay passionate and keep working hard to write the best books I can for my readers, get them published, earn good reviews, promote my books through as many forms of media as possible, interact with my audience including bloggers, build networks… and cross my fingers for luck.

What do you write and what do you consider to be your major successes?

I write romantic fiction and am hoping to move into women’s commercial fiction. In terms of successes, before being published I was a finalist in several writing competitions including the RNA’s Elizabeth Goudge trophy (judged by the fabulous Katie Fforde) and Novelicious Undiscovered. Some of the #LoveLondon novellas have been in the Top 100 short story charts on Kobo and Top 20 in the Amazon UK bestsellers Holiday chart. Having a short story in the bestselling RNA/Mills & Boon anthology Truly, Madly, Deeply alongside best-sellers like Adele Parks, Miranda Dickinson and Carole Matthews was amazing. My debut novel Crazy, Undercover, Love was shortlisted for the RNA Joan Hessayon Award and Valentine’s on Primrose Hillshortlisted for a Love Stories award. But there are other measures of success too; the thrill of a message from a reader telling me they stayed up until 2.00 a.m. to read my book and cried when it was over; being interviewed by my local paper; being asked to co-tutor a workshop with my aunt Sue Moorcroft at Purbeck Literary Festival last year. And sometimes, just finishing a book is a success.

Tell me about your latest project.

I’m currently finishing revisions on a women’s commercial fiction book I’ve been working on in the background for several years. I can’t say much, other than people who enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love or Me Before You, or The Fault in Our Stars may enjoy it. I’m also working on an outline for another exciting project. One thing is for sure; whether its revisions or writing something new, as long as I’m writing, I’m happy.

Nikki Moore is a Dorset girl and social media addict who loves reading and writing. Published mainly by HarperImpulse, she is the author of the #LoveLondon series. A member of the Romantic Novelists Association, she is a firm supporter of aspiring writers and is always happy to share her writing experiences. She encourages readers to get in touch too!

The Business of Books: Writer as Reader

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Jane Cable

Jane Cable admits to sometimes having a slightly uneasy relationship with other writers’ books

Writers are by our very nature readers. We tend to have fallen in love with stories at an early age and as children at least devoured every book we could lay our hands on or persuade someone to read to us. We disappeared into the magic of lives so very different to our own, travelling time and the globe with the carelessness of youth. Except that I was terrified of swings for a long time after reading What Katy Did.

I suppose it is no surprise that one of the first characters I can remember really relating to was Jo in Little Women. When Amy burnt her story I felt real anger and cried bitter tears. I guess I was already sucking my own pencil and waiting for the words to come.

From teenage years onwards real life started to intervene in my bookish world. In sixth form I still bought a paperback every week with the money I earned from my Saturday job at BHS and wherever I moved to for college and in early working years the first thing I did was join the local library. But as life became busier time to read became increasingly rare and I relished holidays where in pre-Kindle days my husband and I would almost literally pack a case full of books.

In my forties I started writing my first story which turned into a full length novel and here the dilemmas began. First, there was time: I really didn’t have enough to read and to write. Secondly was the fact that my head was so full of my characters there just wasn’t room for anyone else’s.

Now most writers read voraciously (apparently) and certainly everyone tells you that as a writer you should, but I have to admit to struggling. While I am living and breathing my story, how can I do anyone else’s justice? I suppose I never could read more than one book at once and it used to completely do my head in that my mother always used to have two on the go; one upstairs for light relief and nodding off to sleep with and another, normally something a little more demanding, by her chair in the living room.

So reading has been pushed to the margins of my life, to the rare times when I’m not working on anything new. An advantage of this is that the great books, such as The Time Traveler’s Wife, really stand out. This one in particular opened new doors creatively speaking because it showed me that if your characters were strong enough you could take your readers anywhere. As a writer, it made me brave and I do wonder what else I would learn if I had more bandwidth to read.

I’m also aware of the need to read successful authors in my genre and books which break out of the ordinary and get talked about. Then there’s the guilt-induced consumption of books by authors you know and feel you should review. So is reading purely for pleasure a thing of the past for me?

Thankfully, no. I have learnt to be incredibly selective and not to finish a book if I’m not enjoying it. There is a difference between books I read for research and books I read for pure joy. And in the last few weeks I actually became very excited about the launch of a new novel for the first time in years. But more about that anon, because Su Bristow’s Sealskin deserves an article all of its own.

Business of Books: Jane Cable talks to Lucy Williams of Honno

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Jane Cable

This week Jane Cable talks to Lucy Williams, a committee member of Honno, the independent co-operative run by women to publish the best of Welsh women’s writing. Honno has recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary.

What is your book related job or business?

In my day job I am an in-house technical author and a freelance Italian translator and copywriter. I am also a published creative writer. As well as being on the committee for Honno, I volunteer with the National Autistic Society helping autistic children and adults with their written communication.

I have been a committee member of Honno Welsh Women’s Press since August 2014, and have been involved in a variety of work with them including, in 2016 alone, attending Tenby Book Fair, representing Honno at the New Welsh Review’s Travel Writing Awards at Hay Festival, and being at the very special Honno 30^th birthday celebrations in Aberystwyth.

As well as face to face promotion of the Press and getting to know other publishers and authors, I have had the chance to read a number of manuscripts to comment on their suitability for publication with Honno, and my fair share of proofreading.

What is the most rewarding part of it?

I think it has to be seeing a published author’s face when they see their work in print and on the shelves. I met a couple of Honno’s authors at the Tenby Book Fair, and to be able to be involved in the behind-the-scenes process which helps authors get their stories out to the world is a real privilege. I have also found it fascinating to meet the other member of the committee who come from all different walks of life but who share the same passion for creating a platform for Welsh women writers.

What do you consider to be your major successes?

Honno has seen many successes: We celebrated our 30th anniversary last year and were interviewed on Woman’s Hour. Over that 30 years our success has been recognised in a number of literary awards from the Pandora Award to CWA dagger nominations, Wales Book of the Year and the Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing. Several of our books have been dramatised on Radio 4, and we recently sold the TV rights for Walking to Greenham. We are very proud of our investment of time and effort on behalf of beginning women writers who go on to achieve mainstream success. Writers such as Tessa Hadley – Booker nominated author – Julia Gregson and Kitty Sewell have moved from publication with Honno, to houses such as Vintage, Orion and Simon & Schuster. We may be small but we are determined!

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

Books have been an important part of my professional and personal life for a long time. I have loved them since I finished my first book by myself as a child, and always knew I wanted a career which involved reading them, selling them, editing them, translating them, anything to do with literature really, and I always knew I wanted to work with others who feel the same way. I have worked for Elsevier in the Global Rights Department drawing up author contracts, and for Oxford University Press as an International Sales Rep selling their work to schools in Europe, and have proofread for the University of Wales Press. And in case I was in danger of not having enough books in my life I set up a book club called Reading Between the Wines who meet every month in South Wales.

I am currently reading The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh, a wonderfully rich novel set in Bangladesh, and The White Camelliaby Juliet Greenwood, a Honno novel about the search for freedom and self-fulfilment, set in 1900s Cornwall.

About Lucy:

Lucy currently lives in Wales and spends her time as an Italian translator, technical author, and creative writer. She has had poetry published by The Emma Press, and Hysteria, and was recently a judge for the Hysteria Short Story competition.

As well as being on the committee for Honno, Lucy volunteers with the National Autistic Society as an e-befriender where she helps autistic children and adults with their written communication. When not in front of the computer with writer’s block Lucy can be found hosting her tipsy bookclub Reading Between the Wines.

www.lucyrosewilliams.com

Another You By Jane Cable Book Review

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Catherine Balavage

I have long been a fan of Jane Cable. I loved her two previous books The Cheesemaker’s House and The Faerie Tree. Each book she has written has had an interesting premise and Another You is no exception. Jane’s debut novel The Cheesemaker’s House had a strong voice and was written with incredible talent and each book since then has just got even better. It is fascinating to see how each novel sets its location and theme so well.

Jane Cable writes for this magazine and that is no accident. She is talented beyond measure. Her books are always riveting and easy to read. Not all books which are good are easy to read. It is her excellent pacing, but is also how she drives the story forward. She uses every word well.

Another You is set in Dorset and focuses on Marie Johnson who is trapped in an abusive marriage and a job as a chef in the family pub. It is the 60th Anniversary of D-Day exercises and Marie bumps into a soldier on the beach. Little does she know this chance meeting will change her entire life. Another you blends military history, PTSD, romance and family dynamic all into one novel. It is an entertaining novel that leaves you guessing and has a fair amount of twists. I highly recommend this well researched and enjoyable novel. It is yet another triumph.

Sometimes the hardest person to save is yourself…

Marie Johnson is trapped by her job as a chef in a Dorset pub and by her increasingly poisonous marriage to its landlord.

Worn down by his string of affairs she has no self-confidence, no self-respect and the only thing that keeps her going is watching her son, Jude, turn into a talented artist.

But the 60th anniversary of a D-Day exercise triggers chance meetings which prove unlikely catalysts for change.

First there’s Corbin, the American soldier who she runs into as she’s walking on the cliffs. He is charming and has a quaintness about him, calling her an ‘English rose’.

Then there’s George the war veteran, who comes to dine at the pub, and his son Mark. George fascinates Marie with his first-hand accounts of the war, whilst Mark proves helpful in making sense of the pub’s financial situation.

And there’s Paxton. Another American soldier with an uncanny resemblance to Corbin. Young, fit and very attractive, Marie finds him hard to resist. But little does she know Paxton is also battling some inner demons.

As the heat of the summer intensifies, so do the issues in Marie’s life.

Why is Corbin so elusive? Why is the pub struggling to make ends meet? Why has Jude suddenly become so withdrawn and unhappy?

Can she help Paxton open up and begin to deal with his pain?

Or will she be shackled to the pub and her increasingly spiteful husband forever?

But as events unfold, Marie finally realises that she is not trapped, but stuck, and that it is down to her to get her life moving again.

Perfectly blending the complexities of twenty-first century life with the dramatic history of World War Two, Another You is a charming tale that will warm your heart.

Another You is available here.

The Business of Books: Back to Basics

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Jane Cable

Jane Cable reaches a scary moment with her next manuscript

More often than not my own blogs for The Business of Books focus on the process of being published and on marketing, marketing, and more marketing. For any writer, particularly one clinging onto a day job as well, it sometimes seems that the actual business of creating something new is relegated to the margins.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t important. In fact writing the next novel is the most important thing an author can do. If readers don’t love your book then no amount of marketing is going to put that right. And all the time I’m up to my neck in marketing Another You, my agent Felicity Trew has been waiting patiently for my next manuscript.

The working title has changed a few times so I’ve taken to calling it my Lincolnshire novel because it tells the story of an archaeologist who is sent to work in that wonderful county and discovers more about herself than she does about the site she’s digging. The settings came to me on a weekend away to celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary when we stayed first in Lincoln itself (which oozes history from every brick) and then at the amazing Winteringham Fields restaurant and rooms on the banks of the Humber.

Getting the manuscript to a fit state to share with Felicity has taken about eighteen months. I desperately needed clear space in my diary and in my head to finish it and make sure that the plot hung together and the main characters at least were well drawn. The obvious answer was to do it on holiday.

Now I understand this wouldn’t suit everyone but it worked for me. I am blessed with an undemanding husband who is more than happy to do his own thing while I write. Even better we’d booked a two week chill break in St Lucia in preparation for what is going to be a hectic and potentially stressful year so suddenly the time I needed was there.

When the domestic and workaday issues are removed from your life (even temporarily) it is easy to feel creative. I’d been struggling with a final twist for the book (Felicity wasn’t keen on my initial idea) and something came along which while not perfect, is good enough for a draft and at least points in the right direction. Without this I hadn’t been able to finish the manuscript – I knew where I was heading but I was a few chapters short. But as I sat on my terrace overlooking the sea chapters kept falling off the ends of my fingertips and the story ended up about 10,000 words longer than I intended.

At this point, length doesn’t actually matter. This draft is so early that it will be unrecognisable by the time the book is ready to be presented to potential publishers. But nevertheless the manuscript had to be polished, the story had to be coherent, and the characters’ journeys real. I found myself almost living inside the mind of one of them, trying to see and feel the world through his eyes, and sure enough he came alive on my keyboard too.

It was almost the end of the holiday before I was ready to send the manuscript to Felicity. Much as she was dying to read it this is the scariest moment for me and I felt sick to my stomach as I pressed send. What will I do if she doesn’t like it, or doesn’t think it’s sufficiently commercial? I feel a little queasy thinking about it now, to be honest. But one thing’s for sure – whatever may be wrong with it I need to trust her judgment and work as hard as I can to put it right.

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