So anyways, November is around the corner…and if November is around the corner, so too is NaNoWriMo. Nano wtf? National Novel Writing Month. Essentially the challenge is to, along with a few hundred thousand other people, get 50,000 words out … Read More
3 steps to project management for indie authors…
For much of the last twenty years I’ve wrestled with project plans for a living. What’s that got to do with writing and indie publishing? Quite a lot as it happens. Being an indie publisher isn’t just about writing a … Read More
Am I in it?
Am I in it? It’s one of the most common questions I get asked- although one of my closest friends doesn’t bother to ask…he tells anyone who’ll listen that he’s the lead character in each of the books. Life is … Read More
Wish You Were Here: a sneak peek…
Below is a sneaky peek into my new novel Wish You Were Here…on sale at the end of October… ‘When that kettle comes to the boil, can you move it to the window for me, please?’ I asked, fiddling … Read More
Wish You Were Here: the copy edit…
So anyways, my copy edit* came back during the week and, as always, it looked scarier than it was. My editor (Nicola from ebookedit) marks up the document in word, inserts comments here and there, and even occasionally makes me … Read More
What is an ISBN and why do you need one?
My copy edit should be back soon, but in the meantime, there’s plenty of getting ready to publish stuff I can be getting on with. Now that the cover has been decided, let’s talk numbers. If you’re publishing your book as an … Read More
Waiting for the muse- and why I don’t…
It’s 5am and I’m propped up in the spare bed tapping this out while the rest of my family sleeps. My alarm went off at 4.30. I’ll get up in another 30 minutes and be on my way to work … Read More
The best ever chocolate bread and butter pudding…
Max (Maxine) Henderson is the protagonist in my upcoming novel Wish You Were Here. She writes a monthly column for Blossom and Buds- a garden centre in Brookford- about what’s in season and what you can do with it. I … Read More
What To Expect From A Copy Edit…
Wish You Were Here is about as done in the structural editing stakes as it can be. I’m doing a final pass through for the big stuff and then it’s off for copy edit. I’m also sending it off to … Read More
6 Places To Find Names For Your Characters…
Rhonda and Wanda came along with us on our recent road trip. Rhonda was the Google maps lady on my phone, and Wanda was on Miss T’s phone for those occasions when I had no cell reception. After all, I … Read More