The Agatha Christie Miscellany by Cathy Cook (The History Press, £9.99) is just out. There’s a good piece in the Independent on the book and on Agatha’s writing methods by the ‘Blagger’. Crime is an interesting genre from the point of view of the self-publisher, it has the advantage of a well-established niche.
Wellcome Trust Science-Writing Prize 2013
To date we have helped with the publication of little that could be considered scientific, but there’s no harm aiming high. The Wellcome Trust are finalising plans and procedures for the Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2013. Publishers are permitted to submit up to three books or manuscripts. The Trust is obliged to narrow the field but since only 1% of manuscripts submitted to publishers are subsequently published by them (historically this includes books self published by Jane Austen, James Joyce, Beatrix Potter and Edgar Allen Poe to name but four of many), the Trust is using a very blunt instrument in order to reduce its workload.
Apple apologises to China
Given the number of e-books being read on iPhones and iPads and other such Apple devices, Apple’s relationship with Chinese readers is no longer a matter of of purely academic interest to self-publishers. There’s a good piece in today’s Huffinton Post regarding Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook’s recent apology to Chinese consumers. Writers of e-books are in the hands of some very large slavering beasts these days when it comes to territory and availability.
Royal Ballet
A new book by the injured ballet dancer Andrej Uspenski Dancers, published by Oberon Books, gives an unusually informal record of ballet dancers behind the scenes. For those of use who like dancing but are overawed by the professionals, it’s good to see their human side. There’s a good review by Jane Shilling in the Telegraph.
Fay Kanin
Fay Kanin
Fay Kanin the Hollywood writer, died 27 March 2013, was blacklisted by House Un-American Activities Committee in the early 1950s. There’s an excellent obituary by Ronald Bergen in the Guardian.
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Self Publishing, the first Five Thousand Years
Self Publishing
A Short History, from the Ten Commandments to Kindle E-Books
Why do some people get to speak and others only to listen? Who controls the written word? On Friday 22 February at 2.00 pm, at the Castle Hotel Bishop’s Castle, Bob Fowke will be tracing the history of self-publishing (and publishing) from the Word of God to Kindle E-books, with a sideways swipe at censorship through the ages, the Inquisition, Louis XIV, intellectual snobbery and Rupert Murdoch. From King Enmebaragesi of Sumeria to Mark Twain via Daniel Defoe, no stone is left unturned – well, quite a lot of them since he’s only got an hour.
The Jewel of Barthimia, Athena’s Descendants
The Jewel of Barthimia, Athena’s Descendants
Some of us are born slow and some of us are born precocious and there can be no doubt which side of the scale Callum Epsley Clegg was born on. It has been a real pleasure to help him with his first novel The Jewel of Barthimia, a 70,000-word tale of young people and ancient Greek gods. Callum is thirteen years old.