Tag Archives: Kindle

Amazon’s Kindle Storyteller Award celebrates independent writing talent with £20,000 prize

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An exciting new writing competition is here!

Kindle Storyteller Award returns to the UK for third year, recognising the best talent
in independent publishing

Amazon today announced that the Kindle Storyteller Award, recognising outstanding work by independent authors with a £20,000 cash prize, will return for its third year in 2019. The award is open to all authors who publish their book through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon.co.uk from 1st May 2019 to 31st August 2019.

The prize will be awarded to the work that garners praise not just from the judging panel of book and publishing industry experts, but also from readers. The shortlist will be compiled on the basis of a number of factors, including reviews, sales and pages read in Kindle Unlimited.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London this Autumn, and awarded the cash prize of £20,000, a marketing campaign to support the book on Amazon.co.uk, and the opportunity to have their book translated for readers around the world.

The award has been won previously by contemporary fiction author Hannah Lynn and action thriller writer David Leadbeater. Since winning the Prize, Leadbeater has sold more than 165,000 books, and Lynn has gone on to publish three further novels.

Other Kindle Direct Publishing success stories include LJ Ross, who has had seven Kindle number one bestsellers and five books go to number one on pre-orders alone, and Rachel Abbott, who has sold over three million books to date.

Alessio Santarelli, Director, Kindle Content said: “Following the enthusiasm and huge number of entries in 2018, we are delighted to bring the Kindle Storyteller Award back for its third year. The encouragement and support of aspiring authors is an endeavour we continue to champion at Amazon. Publishing a book has never been easier and we are proud to provide a service that allows for a breadth of diverse stories to be told.”

Hannah Lynn, winner of the 2018 UK Kindle Storyteller Award said: “Hearing my name called out last October for The Afterlife of Walter Augustus was incredible. To receive such recognition for only my second book was such a fantastic confidence boost that has made me all the more determined to keep writing. I wish the best of luck to the 2019 entrants and urge any writers who are on the fence to enter – you never know what might happen!”

The Kindle Storyteller Award will be open to submissions of new books in the English language, published using Kindle Direct Publishing. Titles must be previously unpublished, with a minimum of 24 pages in paperback. Readers can access all titles entered into the prize in print or on the Kindle store on any device with the free Kindle app for iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, PC and Mac, and on Kindle e-readers and Fire Tablets.

The Kindle Storyteller Award 2019 opens for entries on 1st May 2019, and titles must be enrolled in KDP Select while they are in the competition. For further information, authors can visit www.amazon.co.uk/storyteller.

It Takes Two – The Idea Behind KISHBOO by Sharon Boothroyd

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It was my husband Keith who had the idea of producing an e-magazine in the summer of 2014. He has pro web design experience and I had written all the text for his corporate client websites, so we were used to combining our skills and working together as a team.

We called our publishing brand Ryecorn Digital Publishing, after Ryecorn, the fictional Yorkshire town in my kindle chick- lit novella.
Keith designed all the unique graphics for the chapter headings and he also designed the book cover for me, too. I was really pleased with his design. The free android app version looked great too.

To keep costs down, we set up a free website to help promote it: www.ryecorn.orgfree.com

We had already enjoyed minor success with another online project of ours called ‘A quick read.’ This entailed uploading stories onto our website and onto the accompanying free android app.

We didn’t charge writers a fee for publication, and the website cost around £60 a year. Even though we were overwhelmed with work, as time passed, we couldn’t see how the project could develop, so sadly in 2014, after two years, we decided to close it down.

So – we had published online,on kindle and on the android app format. We both really warmed to the idea of publishing an e-mag on 3 digital platforms.

It Takes Two - The idea behind KISHBOO by Sharon Boothroyd


What could we call our magazine though? We thought of hundreds of names, but the domain names were all taken, so we hit upon the idea of blending our names to create something truly different. We really hoped that the name ‘KISHBOO‘ would stick in people’s memory.

It would be non- profit making project. We’d fund the competition prizes through the competition entry fees, and we now realised that we could use online advertising to help cover the cost of our website.

pic.KISH_2In August 2014, we were ready to launch the project! However, the actual magazine wasn’t published until October, as we needed stories and articles to fill it.

I began to send press releases out and my network of writer friends helped spread the word  for us via social media. Keith worked hard on search engine optimisation, and I began to tweet for the first time in my life.

I was worried that we would receive no articles at all because at the moment, we are unable to pay writers. However, we can offer them free promotion of their kindle books and blogs within their articles. I wasn’t even sure we would get anyone entering our competition. I needn’t have worried – the comp entries and articles began flooding in!

Back issues are easily available – here’s what the first KISHBOO looked like:

pic.KISH3Here’s the cover of the second issue, which was published in January 2015: pic.KISH4

We are now very working hard on our third issue, which will be published in April 2015. It’ll be packed with even more features.

Please visit: www.kishboo.co.uk
Find us on facebook: www.facebook.com/kishboo.mag
Follow us on Twitter: @KishbooMag

 

 

American Actors Can Get How To Be a Successful Actor For $1.99: One More Day Only

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acting, acting advice, how to be an actor, how to be a successful actor, hollywood, castings, auditions, casting directors.American Actors Can Get How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur For $1.99: One More Day Only

Fresh from a Kindle Countdown Deal for British actors which was very successful, now American actors can get my book for only $1.99 for a limited time only. How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur has been getting rave reviews in America and it has already been selling stateside.

This is what American actor Tom Shafer had to say about my book: “An excellent guide for the entertainment professional

I found this book to be an excellent companion to Bonnie Gillespie’s ‘Self-Management for Actors’, which I am also currently reading. The first half of Catherine’s book does a excellent job of distilling a seminar’s-worth of material into a manageable bit. The second half, the interviews, felt more conversational. What was clear, the recommendations made in the first half came, in part, from these interviews. This is an excellent technique, since it reinforces the validity of the recommendations as having come from entertainment professionals who have achieved a perceived level of success. (I like that the definition of “success” was open for discussion, since it can mean different things to different people.)

As an American reading this book, I did find some UK-centric resources and references. But, in this era of global Internet access, I found just as many that were valid for US readers. I was able to take this in stride and see this as a valuable tool in my self-management as a working actor.

Thanks, Catherine, for writing this excellent guide.”

 

What are you waiting for? Get your copy now.

 

 

Top 10 Books Most Commonly Left On Flights | Holiday Reads

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holidayreadssummerbooksA good read is one of the essential ingredients for a relaxing holiday, according to 80 per cent* of holidaymakers who always pack one for their travels. Despite this, around 600 books and 1,400 kindles are left on board British Airways flights every year.

 

The most common is The Holy Bible, accounting for six per cent of books left on board. Some of the more unusual books which have been found include notebooks, personal diaries, wedding sketchbooks and even a cheque book!

 

The British Airways survey found that books were still the most popular form of reading with three in five taking a book, compared to one in five taking an e-reader. Women are also more likely to own an e-reader (20 per cent) compared to men (15 per cent).

 

British Airways has compiled a list of the top 10 books most commonly left on flights over the past three months, as inspiration for good holidays reads this summer:

 

  1. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn (Fiction, Thriller)
  2. King and Maxwell Series, David Baldacci (Thriller)
  3. The Fault in our Stars, John Green (Novel)
  4. Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty (Business/Economics)
  5. Alex Cross, Run – James Patterson (Thriller)
  6. The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton (Novel)
  7. Michael Lewis, Flash Boys (Non-fiction)
  8. Fifty Shades of Grey (Freed), EL James (Romance)
  9. Arthur Conan Doyle, The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Novel)
  10. The Racketeer, John Grisham (Thriller)

 

Novels are the most common type of book found on flights (22 per cent), followed by crime thrillers, study and learning books, travel books, non-fiction and business and economics. The least likely genre to be left behind are ‘chick flicks’.

 

Some of the most popular biographies found on board were by John Bishop, Muhammad Ali and, no surprise during the Wimbledon Championships – tennis player Rafa Nadal.

 

The survey also found that Scottish travellers were the most likely to own an e-reader (28 per cent) – the least likely were East Anglia (nine per cent). Nine out of ten people from the East Midlands were likely to take a book on holiday, compared to just a quarter from the North East. Those from the South East are the biggest readers, taking at least two or three books on holiday.

For those prone to losing books, British Airways has a selection of audio titles in its extensive library collection. It includes Jennifer Saunders biography ‘Bonkers; My life in laughs’, Virginia Woolf ‘The mark on the wall’, Roald Dahl ‘The Great Automatic Grammatizator’, Anton Chekhov ‘The Chorus Girl’ and Charles Dickens ‘Great Expectations’ among many others available on selected long-haul flights in July.

 

*1,000 people surveyed by OnePoll

 

 

Five Mistakes Actors Make That Stop Them Getting Work

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Getting work as an actor is hard. With long periods of unemployment and vast competition. This was the main reason I wrote my book How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming An Actorpreneur. The odds are not good but you can tip them in your favour. You can make your own work, work on your skills, get your name out there. They say success is opportunity meets preparation. So here are my top five tips to make sure you are prepared and stop making the mistakes that stop you having the best career you can. Here are five mistakes actors make in their career that stop them being successful.

 

howtobeasuccessful_actor_book become How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur

Arrogance

Far too many actors are arrogant. Especially just after they have left drama school. Thinking you are the best actor that ever walked the earth is not going to convince anyone else to hire you. No one likes arrogance. Always under-promise and over-deliver. Be humble and modest. The traits that make a good human being also make a good actor.

 

Marketing Yourself Wrong

Yes, you are an artist but you are also a product. You have to brand yourself correctly so people know what you are ‘selling’. If you are Irish and want to market yourself as an Irish actor you must be prepared for only getting Irish roles. People will try to put you into a box but you can do yourself a favour by making yourself versatile. If you don’t want to be known as a certain type of actor, (like Australian, Irish, etc) don’t market yourself that way. Play up to your strengths and downplay what will limit you getting mainstream work.

You must also update your head shots, CV and showreel at least yearly. Don’t forget to update the various online acting sites you may be on every time you get a job.

 

Not Continuously Working On Your Skills

Actors can go months, and even years without working. If you do not work on your skills when unemployed not only will you be rusty when it comes to audition and getting work, but you will also not be as confident. Your CV will also be lacking. You are a business, invest in yourself. Even if it is getting a camera and making some short films with friends.

 

Thinking The World Owes You a Living

You are not special. You do not deserve to be a super-successful world famous actor. The world does not owe you anything. A sense of entitlement is not going to do you any favours. This was the main piece of advice American casting director Daryl Eisenberg gave me for my book on becoming a successful actor. Don’t think you are better than anyone else.

 

Being a Jerk

No one wants to work with horrible people. The film industry is tiny, as is the theatre and TV industry. If you are rude, horrible and difficult to work with then you will have a pretty short career. Be nice. Manners cost nothing.

 

Catherine Balavage is an actor and writer with over ten years of experience in the industry. Her book, How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur, came out in June this year. She also co-directed and wrote her own feature-length film, Prose & Cons, which will be out later this year.

 

 

Frost’s Editor Catherine Balavage Writes How To Be A Successful Actor Book

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Frost’s Editor, Catherine Balavage, has written a book on How To Be A Successful Actor. It is called How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur. It has gotten as high as number 5 on the Kindle charts under Stage & Theatre. It will also be released on paperback and Smashwords soon. Handpicked Future did a great piece on it and Catherine was on the front page of the Entertainment section in The Huffington Post with her Actors Who Make Their Own Work article. You can also read an article by Catherine written on her own blog.

howtobeasuccessful_actor_book_cover The book is available here for UK readers and here for US readers. It is also available worldwide.

Cover art by Steve McAleavy

 

 

Affordable And Amazing Wedding Cakes | The Wedding Diary

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The craziness of the wedding industry really shows up in the price of wedding cakes. When my fiancé and I first started looking, we couldn’t find one for less than £350, and most of them weren’t even nice. If you take away the fact they have the word ‘wedding’ in front of them, would anyone actually pay thousands of pounds for a cake? I think not.

In saying that, there are a lot out there with the craftsmanship and design that makes the price worthwhile. If you want great design at a good price then I recommend going the supermarket route. My fiancé and I got our wedding cake from Waitrose.com. Marks And Spencers also do great, affordable wedding cakes.

Here are some beautiful wedding cakes from Waitrose.com

Fiona Cairns Ivory Rose Petal 3-tier Wedding Cake (mixed filling)

fionacairnweddingcakeFiona Cairn is the Royal wedding cake maker. So if she is good enough for Kate and William….

Fiona Cairns Vintage Fairytale 3-tier Wedding Cake (Sponge)

waitroseweddingcakeChocolate Wedding Cake – Gold – 3 Tier

chocolateweddingcakeIf chocolate is your thing and you don’t want a traditional cake.

And (drum roll) here is our wedding cake. It matches our wedding colours of pale pink, pale green and white. We love it and got it in a mixed filling of vanilla sponge and fruit cake.

wedding cakeWhen buying a wedding cake make sure you check how many people it serves. The website should tell you or ask your baker. Another thing to check is if decoration is included. Some cakes look amazing but the small print says that the decoration is not included. This is also an easier way to get a cheaper cake, if you decorate it yourself, it costs less. Although there is the added stress.

While researching wedding cakes I saw a lot of gorgeous wedding cake toppers on ebay and ribbon is very cheap to buy from a haberdashery. You could also make your own or get a relative to make one. Although I would not do this if you weren’t brilliant at baking. Waitrose.com also have some guides on decorating your wedding cake and the BBC also have a great blog on making your own wedding cake.

Good luck and let us know about your wedding cake choices.

Where will you get your wedding cake?

If you are planning your wedding then get your hands on The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity. It has great advice on every aspect of wedding planning and lots of great advice on choosing the perfect wedding cake. 

 

 

Wedding Ideas: Vintage Shoot Part One

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We have a gorgeous vintage wedding shoot. Full of sigh-worthy dresses, hairpieces and cakes. It’s the stuff dreams are made of. Time to start pinning. Part two is here.

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Wedding shoot credits:

Photography and Art direction: Emma-Jane lewis of Emma-Jane Photography
Model: Nicky Robinson (Miss Deadly Red)
Makeup: Mel Kisman of Mel Kinsman bridal make-u artist
Hairstyling: AnneMarie Lawson stylist
Flowers: Liz Inigo Jones of Blue Sky Flowers
Cakes: Charlotte Geen of Langs of London
Dresses: ONEofOne by Maibritt Kokholm
Headpieces and jewellery: Rosie Weisencrantz Vintage Jewellery

 

If you are planning your wedding then get your hands on The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity. It has great advice on every aspect of wedding planning and lots of great advice. It includes an interview with amazing photographer Emma-Jane Lewis. The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity is available in print, ebook and Kindle. The Kindle version is only £2.99.