The Importance of Networking

It is important that a writer meets with readers, other writers and representatives of the publishing industry, which is why Keith Jahans is representing Peatmore Press Ltd at the London Book Fair 2022.  Writing fiction is a solitary pursuit so it is easy for an author to loose contact with others and become unaware of those he or she he writes for.

The publishing industry does not stand still and neither does the technology it uses.  Readers’ tastes change so does the way they interact with the written word and there is a need to keep abreast of current trends.  It is imperative to understand how people feel about books and how they interact with writing.  The only way to be sure that authors are not left behind is to get out and meet readers to find out how they feel about fiction.  But one important fact that remains constant is that everyone enjoys a good story.

 

 

 

 

The worst thing that can happen to a writer

The worst thing that can happen to writers is that nobody reads their work.  I used to get upset when I found some of my books were being pirated, but then I realised that I was getting free publicity.  Many readers, when they finish a book they have enjoyed, pass it to friends or family members.  The book often ends up in a second hand or charity shop.  Authors have no choice but to accept this, but what is unacceptable is that there are unscrupulous individuals out there who exploit the endeavours of an author for their own gain.

Sometimes a reader will not like a book and may leave an unfavourable or even a bad review.  It happens as a writer cannot please everyone and hopefully those occasions will be very few.  But at least this person will have read the book.  Of course, if it happens too much then the author must seriously rethink how they go about their trade.  A new author or even an establish author will give away free copies of a new book in exchange for a review.  It is very unusual for a reviewer to take advantage of this and sell the book on, but it can happen.

I have been surprised to find some of my books for sale online for far more money than they are advertised by my own website or reputable book stores.  There is a market for early editions, especially those signed by the author.  Some early copies of my first books, complete with typing and formatting errors, have even ended up online for exorbitant amounts.  There is nothing an author can do about this.  But it is publicity and how much income authors can loose must be offset against the free publicity they get.

Most authors earn little from selling their work.  I know very few who earn a living from their writing full time.  They write because they enjoy their craft, but above all they love to bring enjoyment to readers.  The best thing that can happen to a writer is when a reader who you have never met picks up your book and writes to you to say how much they have enjoyed it.  Those are the moments I savour.

Keith Jahans

Write what you know

This is a good maxim for any fiction writer because when one does not know a fact there is a big temptation to make it up.  Even fantasy writers base their stories on some element of knowledge which can be scientific or more commonly mythological.  As a former professional scientist I sometimes place some science into my narratives.  In the early days of my writing, I consciously steered away from this as I did not want the science I published to be confused with my fiction.  I even published my fiction under two pennames to make doubly sure that this confusion did not happen.  But now more than ten years have passed since I retired from my microbiology job so I have started to write under my own name.  This is not only because I want to be recognised by what I have achieved but it allows friends and family to easily find my work.

I am used to research and I know where to go to find the information I want.  The internet is a brilliant tool to enable this.  In my younger days I spent hours in a library to research a topic before embarking on an area of scientific study and even after the study was completed I had to spend more library time in checking that the references I used in my written reports were sound.  Then later on time spent doing this on a PC made the whole process simpler and quicker.  There is now a whole growing branch of study involved with this known as Informatics.

But the best way to seek the knowledge needed for a piece of written work is to utilise your own experience.  This may be by recalling the geography of the area where you were brought up or by remembering the characters you have met.  The latter should be carefully portrayed to avoid offence and the best way to do this is to only select some of their traits, to mix these with those from others and never use the real names of people you know.

Keith Jahans

Self Promotion

One of the biggest challenges an author has to face is to advertise his or her writing.  It often goes against the grain and in my case this is certainly true.  Writing is a lonely art and means that the writer is more than likely shut away on their own with whatever tools they use (pen, paper, typewriter, PC) and don’t emerge with a final product until it is felt that the time is right to show it to someone.

Leonardo da Vinci has been quoted as saying that Art is never finished, only abandoned.  This is certainly true of my written work as it goes through draft after draft until I feel I can take it no further.  So by the time I have finished with a manuscript and my book is published I can hardly bare to look at it again let alone discuss its creation with others.

But those who especially enjoy reading fiction are likely to be fascinated by the creative process, particularly if they are engaged by a particular writer’s work and want to find out more.  So about a week ago when I was given the chance to discuss my writing in an online interview I jumped at the opportunity, because not only did it give me a chance to demonstrate the motivation behind my writing process but it also provided me with a great opening to promote my books

Keith Jahans

The full interview can be seen at:

http://www.thecrazymind.com/2017/05/peatmore-press-interview-with-funder.html

The Blurb on the Back

The most blatant piece of advertising connected with a book is the blurb.  With the traditional hardcover and paperback formats it is on the back of the jacket with sometimes the addition of a catchy one liner on the front.  With the ebook and audiobook, where to put it is not so clear but to gain the most benefit it must be placed on the website and all flyers, posters etc. where information about the book is displayed.

The blurb should entice the reader into wanting to read the story. It should never give away the ending.  It differs markedly in this respect from a summary sent to a prospective literary agent or publisher who should always be given more including the ending.

Great tips for writing blurbs can be found at http://www.prarts.com/news_view.aspx?articleid=15&LessonID=2

A good account of the history of blurb writing can be found at http://www.themillions.com/2012/02/i-greet-you-in-the-middle-of-a-great-career-a-brief-history-of-blurbs.html

Examples of what some consider to be the best blurbs can be viewed at http://www.rtbookreviews.com/content/writing-stars-vote-best-back-cover-blurb

Opening sentences

Opening sentences are important they must grab the reader’s attention.  They litter the great works of fiction.  To see a list of some excellent examples go to http://www.openingsentences.com

Peatmore Press has done its best to make these stand out well in its published novels.  Whether they work or not will only be born out if the reader carries on reading and then comes back for more.  Only time will tell.

Corgrill’s Mill:
George Cogrill was uneasy.

Victim of Compromise:
The naked body of a young woman lay face down on the double bed like a discarded doll, a towelling cord wrapped tightly around her neck.

Gifford’s Games:
Guy sat back from the computer screen, folded his hands behind his head and sighed with satisfaction.

However, the first sentence may not be enough.  The real proof may be in the first paragraph.  It is the words at the beginning which must hold the reader’s attension.

Corgrill’s Mill:
George Cogrill was uneasy.  It was a bright sunny day in June and it was his birthday, but he had received a summons from his aunt.  No matter what the weather, or the occasion, his aunt always made him feel uneasy and a summons from her could not be ignored.

Victim of Compromise:
The naked body of a young woman lay face down on the double bed like a discarded doll, a towelling cord wrapped tightly around her neck.
“Dressing gown cord,” explained Donovan.  “The ‘otel supplies gowns for their guests.  The room’s been checked and photographed.  Mr Wallace said everything should be left as it was found till you arrived.  The doctor’s been and gone, and Forensic are waiting to move in when you’ve finished.”

Gifford’s Games

Guy sat back from the computer screen, folded his hands behind his head and sighed with satisfaction.  “Great, I’ve just withdrawn five billion from the Bank of England.”

Why Self Publish?

If you feel that self publishing is an easy way to make money then forget it.  Until you become an established writer or unless you are a celebrity then you will start out by making a loss.  This is the gamble that large publishing houses make.  They can afford it as they have a large stable of successful writers.  They also work with editors and agents who they rely on to know what the market wants and spot talent.  But the stories of them missing gifted authors are legion.

The novelist with a story to tell and faith in his or her own work will keep trying and eventually someone in the industry may take notice.  To write a narrative of 80,000 words plus and reach a satisfactory ending if only for ones self is no mean achievement.   It is only natural to want to share this with others even they number only a few.

It is not surprising that most authors survive on the proceeds of the “day job” in order to earn a crust whilst satisfying the urge to write.  The compulsion to share their writing with others is much stronger than the financial and physical effort exerted in its making.  As the saying goes “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”