I’ve just been featured on Christian Bookshops Blog talking about getting my new book, David and the Hairy Beast, into independent bookshops. If you are thinking of doing the same, drop by and read about my recent experience. For a list of independent bookshops in the UK, visit Local Bookshops.co.uk
Five things you need to know about getting your book into indie bookshops:
- Your book must have an ISBN number and barcode and be Nielsen registered.
- Be prepared to give 35% – 40% wholesale discount off the cover price.
- You need to phone first then ask if you can send a sample to them (be prepared to lose this stock if they don’t want to order more).
- If they do stock your book they’re not likely to take more than a handful in the first instance.
- Terms offered should be 30 days.
For more on publishing your own book and getting it to market, read Anna Crosbie’s How to Publish Your Own Book.
As we all know e-books are the new big thing. Traditional publishing houses churn out e-versions of their print books as a matter of course these days. And while the jury is still out on whether or not electronic books will completely replace the paper variety, no one can argue that they aren’t here to stay. I’ve been wondering how easy it is to go down this route so when I heard that a Creative Writing MA student of mine (in script, not prose) had just published his young adult novel for the Amazon Kindle, I asked him to tell me about it. Khaled Mukerjee writes as Art Epstein. Chak Chak the Last T-Rex is available for download now. Now over to Khaled: Continue reading ‘Kindle – an author’s story’
In my university writing classes my students frequently ask me what they can expect to earn. Well this varies depending on the kind of writing they intend to do. Below, I have outlined the main areas of work for a writer. Note these are British rates. For American writers please consult the Writers’ Guild of America. For other writers, consult the relevant writing body in your country. Note too that I am not covering copywriting or business writing in this discussion (ask your favourite search engine instead). Continue reading ‘What do writers earn?’
As the end of the financial year is looming I’ve been wondering whether or not I need to declare my very nice cheque from the People’s Play Award as taxable income. Asking my writing friends and searching the internet has not made it any clearer. Some say awards or competition prizes are exempt for tax purposes. Some say only ‘occasional’ awards are exempt – whatever that means!
The Writer’s Handbook tells me that ‘most prizes and awards are not taxable, though it depends on the conditions in each case’. But it doesn’t specify what these ‘conditions’ are.
I then found a helpful thread on the British Comedy Guide which says that the tax man differentiates between ad hoc wins and prize money earned by people who pursue writing as a ‘trade’. So I’m beginning to get a bit worried.
I then decided to bite the bullet and call the HMRC. They directed me to their website which gives me a very clear answer. The key it seems is whether or not the award is ’solicited’. If I didn’t enter my work into the comp and they just decided to give me the award (such as the Booker Prize; Best Young Playwright of the Year award – not that I’d qualify for that anymore!) then it would not be taxable. So damn, I’ll have to declare it. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
If you would like to find out more about managing your writing earnings, please see my post on finance and tax for writers. Please note this article was originally written for freelance magazine writers, but the same rules apply to people submitting fiction or any other form of written work for remuneration.
Salt Publishing, one of the UK’s most respected independent publishers, faces closure. The Bookseller reports that Salt has relaunched its “Just One Book” campaign after a tough first half of the year has left them with “less than one week’s cash left”, despite its grant from Arts Council England.
The company needs to sell roughly £45,000 worth of books to keep afloat for the rest of the year. Publishing director Chris Hamilton-Emery said the company had not wanted to repeat the initiative “because we thought it was unrepeatable, but we have just reached crunch time this week”. He added: “We realised if we didn’t get some sales, we would probably go bust very shortly.”
Hamilton-Emery said a number of factors had contributed to Salt’s financial woes, including the recession, the World Cup and the demise of Borders UK late last year. “They were a good customer of ours, so that was a real blow,” he said.
The Crafty Writer’s guest poetry tutor, Andrew Philip, is published by Salt. He says: “It’s harder and harder these days for authors – début authors and mid-listers in particular – to find publishers. The big houses are taking on fewer writers and concentrating their marketing power on certain titles in their lists. So writers need publishers such as Salt more than ever. Publishers who don’t simply bend to the howling winds of celebrity memoirs. Publishers who will take a risk on writing they simply believe in. Publishers who believe in you and give readers the chance to let your voice enter their hearts and minds. If Salt goes, we all lose.”
Writers and book lovers are being asked to buy just one book to help save Salt, Andy recommends:
It’s the age old question, isn’t it? But more importantly perhaps is what they don’t want. Gemma Noon over at the Literary Project asked top agent Carole Blake this very question. It’s a great interview and well worth the read. Note this is a literary agent not a script agent. If you’ve got any insight into what they want, please let us know!
Whether we like it or not, stories in the form of books and broadcast programmes are commercial products. This crossover between art and commerce is perhaps most evident in children’s stories and their subsequent product ’spin-offs’. As writers we need to be aware of what those spin-offs may be and whether or not we are comfortable being used to flog them to children. The Crafty Writer asked Dr Dan Acuff, a marketing consultant for companies such as Nickelodeon, Disney, Hallmark, Warner Bros., Scholastic and Lucas-Speilberg, what a writer needs to consider.
Continue reading ‘Commercial exploitation of children’s books’
One of the most time-consuming task of any freelance writer is looking for and following up leads on new markets. I’ve just come across a website that helps you find paying outlets in fiction, poetry and non-fiction writing. You can also sign up (free) for a weekly newsletter that provides you with a round-up of market opportunities. Visit Worldwide Freelance Writer for more information. There is also a dedicated European sub-division called EU Writer.
It used to be vanity publishing, then along came self-publishing, now the buzz word is ‘co-publishing’. What is it, and is it worth it from a writer’s perspective? The Crafty Writer investigates.
It’s not vanity publishing
Well firstly, let me say that it is not vanity publishing. In fact, since the self-publishing revolution, brought on by Print on Demand (POD) technology, the charlatans who preyed on desperate writers seem to have scurried back into their holes (although I fear, some of them may have re-emerged as ‘co-publishers’). Vanity publishers will print anything. They claim to be ‘real’ publishers but there’s no editorial input and, apart from a post on their website, no marketing or distribution either – and you of course foot the whole bill. In addition, you have to buy your own books from them, albeit at wholesale discount or ‘cost’. For more information see this article by the Society of Authors.
Continue reading ‘Co-publishing – pros and cons’
If like me you’ve written a screenplay and been lucky enough to have had it made, you’ll be wondering what to do next. Does your film have a life beyond the first screening? Yes, on the festival circuit. But some producers and / or directors may not seem too keen to do the legwork involved in getting it onto the circuit (fortunately my director is, and ‘Enemy Lines’ has just been nominated for the Best Short Film at this year’s Rushes Soho Short Film Festival - but more of that in another post). If that’s the case with you, perhaps you should consider distributing your film yourself (check with your producer first that you have the right to do so). And of course, if you’re an independent who has written, directed and produced your film, you’ll need to do it anyway. Screenwriter Keith Jewitt gives us some advice on how to go about it.
Continue reading ‘How to get your short film onto the festival circuit’
Welcome to The Crafty Writer, published by Fiona Veitch Smith, a freelance journalist, editor, author, playwright, screenwriter and writing teacher. This site is full of information and resources to help you to become a better writer. 
