This ranks high in the list of titles to which time has not been kind. The delicious Richard Ingrams mentioned this on Quote Unquote the other day, and now it is flying round the internet:
Mr. Pink-Whistle Interferes
Author: Enid Blyton
1st Edition: 1950
Publisher: George Newnes
Illustrator: Dorothy M. Wheeler
Genre: Fantasy
Book launch - want to come?
The next launch – for Mersey Minis Vol 2 LIVING) is on Tuesday 26 June, and if you'd like to come I'd like to see you there. But (here it comes, the catch) we don't have unlimited space and the invitation list is long. If you'd like to come, contact me by posting a comment here (say if you don't want it published - I see all comments before they go on here) and telling me why you should be at the launch. If you have a convincing reason, I'll be delighted to send you an invitation. Convincing reasons include a promise to buy books, for instance, but I'll look forward to your imaginative justifications.
Have a look at the volume 2 LIVING blog (link opposite) to see how cute these little books are, and how much people love them already.
Hell's bells and buckets of blood
Jumpin Jehosephat.... It's more than a month since I last posted. Just show how angst-ridden the publishing life must be.
We're coming up for the deadline of the Mersey Minis competition - only a few days to go – and the entries are now pouring in from anxious writers longing to be in LONGING (volume 3). There's some great stuff, some dull stuff, and some odd stuff. Good odd, and bad odd. But by and large the standard is pretty damn good.
It's been fun getting entries, since I get a sneak preview before they all go off to the judges next week. I've tried to give people hints in the blog (www.merseyminis.com) as to the prevailing trends, and what is still virgin territory, and it seems that people are reading and – huzzah! – taking note.
We're getting wonderful compliments about Mersey Minis from every direction – which is delightful, heartening, and augurs well for the series. Have a look at the various book blogs (see links opposite) for the ones that have come in via email.
On 20th June there is an event in Liverpool to celebrate the first volume and give the audience a sneak preview of the second volume which will be out on the 26th. Tickets from The Italian Club on Bold Street...
We're coming up for the deadline of the Mersey Minis competition - only a few days to go – and the entries are now pouring in from anxious writers longing to be in LONGING (volume 3). There's some great stuff, some dull stuff, and some odd stuff. Good odd, and bad odd. But by and large the standard is pretty damn good.
It's been fun getting entries, since I get a sneak preview before they all go off to the judges next week. I've tried to give people hints in the blog (www.merseyminis.com) as to the prevailing trends, and what is still virgin territory, and it seems that people are reading and – huzzah! – taking note.
We're getting wonderful compliments about Mersey Minis from every direction – which is delightful, heartening, and augurs well for the series. Have a look at the various book blogs (see links opposite) for the ones that have come in via email.
On 20th June there is an event in Liverpool to celebrate the first volume and give the audience a sneak preview of the second volume which will be out on the 26th. Tickets from The Italian Club on Bold Street...
John Kremer on how to get published
people often asked how they can get published, and many assume that there is only one way – getting a publisher to accept your manuscript. Due to advancing technology and evolving trends in the publishing, bookselling and reading worlds, there are now many options. John Kremer, whose weekly (free) ezine on book marketing is always worth a read, has produced a list of eight ways to get your book into print:
"You have eight options in publishing a book:
1. Self-publishing. Getting your own printer, publishing your book, and marketing it. That's how I've published six editions of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books.
2. Set up your own publishing company. For example, my company: Open Horizons.
3. Print-on-demand printer. You self-publish but you use a POD printer to produce copies 1 to 100 copies at a time. For example, Lightning Source or AdiBooks.
4. Print-on-demand publisher. You pay a POD publisher to publish your book. For example, iUniverse, Lulu, Xlibris, Infinity Publishing, etc. For example, Infinity publishes John Kremer's Self-Publishing Hall of Fame (also available as an ebook download from BookMarket.com).
5. Sell rights to a small publisher and let them publish and promote your book. For example, New World Library, Santa Monica Press, etc. I sold the rights to High-Impact Marketing on a Low-Impact Budget to Prima Publishing (now part of Random House).
6. Sell rights to a large publisher and let them publish and promote your book. For example, Simon & Schuster, Random House, etc. I sold rights to The Complete Direct Marketing Sourcebook to John Wiley.
7. Self-publish your book only as an e-book. For example, my new ebook on distribution: Book Marketing 105: Choosing a Book Distribution System — This vital mini-guide includes criteria for deciding how you will distribute your books. Also includes complete information on 30 book distributors, 4 library distributors, 89 book publishers who also distribute for other publishers, 3 sales representatives to the chains, 27 bookstore wholesalers, 34 library wholesalers, and 23 Spanish-language wholesalers. Plus a sample book distribution contract. Ebook download, $30.00.
8. Blog your book. Rather than publishing your book on paper, you could simply blog it using a free or paid online blogging service. I'll be doing several books like this in the coming months."
John adds that he could write a book about each option. Each has pros and cons, and apart from major strokes of luck each option needs some (actually, quite a lot of) knowledge to get the best result for you. The option you choose will depend on your objectives, your personality and the book(s) you want to publish. As John points out, he has used different options at different times.
You will hear stories of being stung - or completely screwed - by hard nosed or (at worse) amoral operators, be they mainstream or niche. You will also hear stories of happy experiences and successes ranging from the modest to the headline-grabbing.
Some of it is luck, most of it is about hard work, research, and contacts. There is masses of information – much of it honest and helpful – on the net and on bookshelves; there are lots of people in the publishing, writing and selling worlds who are generous with advice and concrete help.
The aggravating facts are that no-one but you can make the decision; that whichever route you go for, it will mean lots of work; and that before you talk to anyone in the publishing world it's essential to have done your initial research. t the very least, this means snooping around bookshops, online or 3D, to see what's already out there, and to see what the fashions are in book design, hot topics and so on.
You can sign up for a free sub to John Kremer's book marketing ezine at http://www.bookmarket.com
"You have eight options in publishing a book:
1. Self-publishing. Getting your own printer, publishing your book, and marketing it. That's how I've published six editions of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books.
2. Set up your own publishing company. For example, my company: Open Horizons.
3. Print-on-demand printer. You self-publish but you use a POD printer to produce copies 1 to 100 copies at a time. For example, Lightning Source or AdiBooks.
4. Print-on-demand publisher. You pay a POD publisher to publish your book. For example, iUniverse, Lulu, Xlibris, Infinity Publishing, etc. For example, Infinity publishes John Kremer's Self-Publishing Hall of Fame (also available as an ebook download from BookMarket.com).
5. Sell rights to a small publisher and let them publish and promote your book. For example, New World Library, Santa Monica Press, etc. I sold the rights to High-Impact Marketing on a Low-Impact Budget to Prima Publishing (now part of Random House).
6. Sell rights to a large publisher and let them publish and promote your book. For example, Simon & Schuster, Random House, etc. I sold rights to The Complete Direct Marketing Sourcebook to John Wiley.
7. Self-publish your book only as an e-book. For example, my new ebook on distribution: Book Marketing 105: Choosing a Book Distribution System — This vital mini-guide includes criteria for deciding how you will distribute your books. Also includes complete information on 30 book distributors, 4 library distributors, 89 book publishers who also distribute for other publishers, 3 sales representatives to the chains, 27 bookstore wholesalers, 34 library wholesalers, and 23 Spanish-language wholesalers. Plus a sample book distribution contract. Ebook download, $30.00.
8. Blog your book. Rather than publishing your book on paper, you could simply blog it using a free or paid online blogging service. I'll be doing several books like this in the coming months."
John adds that he could write a book about each option. Each has pros and cons, and apart from major strokes of luck each option needs some (actually, quite a lot of) knowledge to get the best result for you. The option you choose will depend on your objectives, your personality and the book(s) you want to publish. As John points out, he has used different options at different times.
You will hear stories of being stung - or completely screwed - by hard nosed or (at worse) amoral operators, be they mainstream or niche. You will also hear stories of happy experiences and successes ranging from the modest to the headline-grabbing.
Some of it is luck, most of it is about hard work, research, and contacts. There is masses of information – much of it honest and helpful – on the net and on bookshelves; there are lots of people in the publishing, writing and selling worlds who are generous with advice and concrete help.
The aggravating facts are that no-one but you can make the decision; that whichever route you go for, it will mean lots of work; and that before you talk to anyone in the publishing world it's essential to have done your initial research. t the very least, this means snooping around bookshops, online or 3D, to see what's already out there, and to see what the fashions are in book design, hot topics and so on.
You can sign up for a free sub to John Kremer's book marketing ezine at http://www.bookmarket.com
Launching LANDING
The first of our delectable Mersey Minis is launched.
Everyone turned up, and drank, and ate, and listened, and clapped, and chatted, and bought books, and queued for Deb's signature, and stayed for more wine and food and chat, and had to get turfed out so the BBC could go home.
I crawled home on hands and knees, no longer capable of standing upright. Not from quantities of vino (evening's total was three glasses of water and one of Asda's orange&grapefruit) but just complete knackeredness.
Am really chuffed that lots of friends and most favourite brother in law made sterling efforts and got through the building site that is Liverpool to join us.
Will reflect more, but not till I get back from Transylvania. Taxi due in 3 hours with plenty still to do. eek.
London Book Fair
These massive events are not a great draw for me. I always dread going, and I always find at least one really useful/interesting/amusing person there, often several. There are always ideas sparked, sometimes a real winner of a spark. I always come back exhausted but happy. I still dread going to the next.
Yesterday I dragged myself out of my pit at 4.30am to get to Earl's Court for 9am, so I was in a commuting daze before I started, and headed straight for the first available source of coffee. A woman grabbed the spare seat at my table, and we swapped condolences on lack of sleep (she has a small child with early rising tendencies). This bright spark, who works for the BBC, met all the criteria mentioned, so I could, at that point (9.23am) happily have gone straight back home after a good day's work.
However, there were people to see and books (about 3,549,721) to drool over, so we had a busy day meeting and drooling, with not enough stops for tea. The best meetings were the chance ones, and it will be fun to see what comes of two, in particular.
I left at five for another meeting, with a charming and enthusiastic and amusing fellow called Graham, and then slid back to Euston for the last meeting, this one purely social, with another amusing and charming chap called Nigel, whose daughter has just finished her first novel.
After waving goodbye to Nigel, I fell to my knees and crawled back to the station, on to the train, into a seat designed for a humanoid with no need for sleep, and slept. I was woken periodically by a pain in my neck - metaphorical, caused by whingeing infant opposite, or physical, caused by alien-designed seats that encourage head to fall sideways, foreward or backward at unhelpful angles. Not altogether bad, since it meant I woke up just in time to hear the warning of arrival at Runcorn, rather than a rude awakening at Lime Street, where my car wasn't.
This morning I have a stiff neck and bags-for-life under my eyes, but a sheaf of eager little business cards jiggling about on my desk for attention. And a stolen book (thanks, Hodders) in case my eyelids stay open for more than 3 seconds tonight.
Yesterday I dragged myself out of my pit at 4.30am to get to Earl's Court for 9am, so I was in a commuting daze before I started, and headed straight for the first available source of coffee. A woman grabbed the spare seat at my table, and we swapped condolences on lack of sleep (she has a small child with early rising tendencies). This bright spark, who works for the BBC, met all the criteria mentioned, so I could, at that point (9.23am) happily have gone straight back home after a good day's work.
However, there were people to see and books (about 3,549,721) to drool over, so we had a busy day meeting and drooling, with not enough stops for tea. The best meetings were the chance ones, and it will be fun to see what comes of two, in particular.
I left at five for another meeting, with a charming and enthusiastic and amusing fellow called Graham, and then slid back to Euston for the last meeting, this one purely social, with another amusing and charming chap called Nigel, whose daughter has just finished her first novel.
After waving goodbye to Nigel, I fell to my knees and crawled back to the station, on to the train, into a seat designed for a humanoid with no need for sleep, and slept. I was woken periodically by a pain in my neck - metaphorical, caused by whingeing infant opposite, or physical, caused by alien-designed seats that encourage head to fall sideways, foreward or backward at unhelpful angles. Not altogether bad, since it meant I woke up just in time to hear the warning of arrival at Runcorn, rather than a rude awakening at Lime Street, where my car wasn't.
This morning I have a stiff neck and bags-for-life under my eyes, but a sheaf of eager little business cards jiggling about on my desk for attention. And a stolen book (thanks, Hodders) in case my eyelids stay open for more than 3 seconds tonight.
grrrr sound of grinding teeth between laughter
Pointed at this brilliant site I was laughing, out loud, on a Monday morning, when I should be en route to the London Book Fair but due to circumstances I shall not relate for entirely personal reasons am 24 hours late leaving for London.
Please come back to this blog after watching the 5-minute stop-frame animation (nearest concept I can find to describe it) of Miranda July's kitchen sink (well, fridge and stove) comedy-drama. She is either a genius (probably) or has a publicist of remarkable talent. What I really envy is how clean her cooker is. Mine is newer, dark green (hides dirt better) and still not as squeaky. Congratulations, Miranda. Hope you sell a shed-load.
Please come back to this blog after watching the 5-minute stop-frame animation (nearest concept I can find to describe it) of Miranda July's kitchen sink (well, fridge and stove) comedy-drama. She is either a genius (probably) or has a publicist of remarkable talent. What I really envy is how clean her cooker is. Mine is newer, dark green (hides dirt better) and still not as squeaky. Congratulations, Miranda. Hope you sell a shed-load.
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