Night Publishing

Oops! Missed a few!

2010-09-27T13:41:00.000+01:00

Catherine Chisnall has been stacking up the reviews, but I didn't get them until now ... so here they are:

http://www.examiner.com/writing-careers-in-boston/new-author-catherine-chisnall-discussing-her-novel-descending-1

http://www.all-review.co.uk/book-reviews (third one down)

http://stuartaken.blogspot.com/2010/08/catherine-chisnall-author-interview.html?zx=767c187a6edf3fd4

Tim Roux featured on Authors On Show

2010-09-27T12:44:00.000+01:00

This week, we’d like to take the opportunity to thank Tim Hewston le Roux of Night Reading and Night Publishing.

We are great supporters of Tim, his sites and what he is doing for fellow authors. They are kind enough to mention us regularly, as we do them on here. This is what promoting is all about. We are all after the same thing – supporting and promoting other writers as much as we can. Sites like ours work together, not against each other. Though I have to say, we’re slightly jealous of his active and popular forum. Well done Tim!

Tim Hewston le Roux

Tim Roux

Where publishers fear to tread …..

Once upon a time, publishing was a religious vocation, sneaking printed copies of the bible off secret presses so that you could be arrested and burned at the stake. (click on the link to read more!)

Today is "Descending" day on The Indie Spotlight. Yay Catherine!

2010-09-27T12:32:00.001+01:00

featured TODAY (Sept 27) on

"Simon's Choice" is a 'wondrous ride' ...

2010-09-25T20:06:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Sheila Deeth at Books.Gather.com for this beautiful review:

..."Simon’s Choice by Charlotte Castle is a wondrous ride through the comedy and terrible tragedy of family life and death. The dialog’s spot-on, from careless remark, to kindly encouragement, to condemnation and despair. The background is picture-perfect England. The characters are entirely believable, and the agony all too real. It’s a novel that will leave you crying at the end, and remembering forever. If you want to know how you would feel if a child were dying, if you want to know why “I’m sorry” is so inadequate, and “Life goes on” so like a dagger to the heart, or if you just want a marvelously powerful uplifting read, this is the book for you."...

More to Teresa Geering than meets the Eye (of Erasmus!!)

2010-09-25T12:50:00.000+01:00

This is from www.All-Review.co.uk

... a terrific new interview/book review site...

Our current meet the author interview is with...

Teresa Geering

Author of: Eye of Erasmus. 

AR. How did you first become a writer?

TG. I started writing in my early teens to amuse my younger brother. It wasn’t anything very special just my thoughts and ideas.

AR. So what inspired you?  What books, Movies, Authors?

TG. From a very young age I was always a very avid reader, but I have never been much of a movie buff. I do recall reading The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCulloch in one sitting when it was first released. I just worked past that sleepy faze to finish it. However nothing as such has inspired me.  

AR. How did Eye of Erasmus come to you? How did you find writing it?

TG.  Quite late, one hot summers evening, I was sitting among the Shasta daisies in my garden with the proverbial glass of red wine.

I was suddenly aware of a spider spinning a web. It was beautiful to watch, so intricate it was almost sensuous. I started to think about faeries and time travelling. I grabbed a note book but couldn’t write quick enough so I exchanged it for my trusty tape recorder. From this, Shasta was born. Then I realized another character was lurking in the shadows and my fingers helped to introduce Erasmus.

AR. Did you base your characters on anyone you know?   

TG. Haha, no not really but there have been some suggestions that Erasmus has a few traits of a close friend I work with.

AR. Can you explain how the story went/did it flow? 

TG. I started to write the first story which was Shasta and The Enchanted Garden. This involved her present life plus a flavouring of her past.

The second story Shasta Village is the story of her past life. She discovers she has a hidden heritage.

The third story in the trilogy is The Eye of Erasmus of course. Due to popular demand the Eye of Erasmus was published first.

The complete trilogy took me a year to write, and yes it did flow very easily. I think the storylines had just been laying dormant waiting for my fingers to get moving.

AR. How would you sum up Eye of Erasmus in one sentence?

TG. Erasmus is a time travelling lover with attitude!

AR. Have you plans for any other books? Are you working on anything else? 

TG. I have another book in the series which is racing about in my brain at the moment. It features another of the characters from the trilogy. I’m eager to get down to writing it, but being published generates a lot of extra work. I had no idea I would be this busy and in all truth like most authors I just want to write.

Actually there are several characters from the books that would make individual novels, and I have ideas for at least another ten!

I was working on another novel completely unrelated to the series, but that has had to go on the back burner for the time being to make way for the fourth in the series.

AR. Does all of your work have a supernatural/fantasy background?  

TG. I would say primarily yes to that question. However … the book idea on the back burner is slightly different. The element of fantasy is there though.

AR. Who published the Eye of Erasmus? What obstacles did you have if any?

TG.  The Eye of Erasmus is published by Night Publishing. http://nightpublishing.com This came about because both the manager of the Publishing House (Tim Roux) and I were exchanging reviews on a Harper Collins site called Authonomy. I asked Richard of Struggling Authors if I could interview him on our behalf and he agreed. During the interview he made his feelings quite plain as to how it was cheap enough to get books published. The hard part was selling them.

He and another writer Bruce Essar were fed up with so many ‘celebrity press’ books, flooding the market. In their opinion many fantastic writers were being overlooked and needed to be published. From this conversation Night Publishing evolved. They have published at least twenty books so far. The Eye of Erasmus included.

Basically Night Publishing uses a monthly voting system. The members on the site have an opportunity to vote for the most outstanding book each month and the outright winner is then published. Alongside this Tim and Bruce get to cherry pick their own favourites. They head hunted me for the Eye of Erasmus and the rest is history as they say.

Many thanks go to Teresa Geering for the interview, to find out more on Teresa`s work and interests follow the following links.

Teresa Geering Blog

Struggling Authors website

Night Publishing

What Am I Doing Wrong?

2010-09-24T13:17:00.000+01:00

Recently I happened on a conversation on NightReading.ning.com (started by Jonathon Hopkins), bearing the excellent title: "To critique ... or damn with faint praise?" It was agreed by all that unmerited compliments do no one any good.

Later on in the conversation, a new member named "Nenno" said something I've heard this many times. She said she wants to improve - needs to improve, but has no idea what she's doing wrong. She said what she could really use is a good "nit picking" site. I recommended Scribophile.com, and George suggested YouWriteOn.com, both of which are good because the reviewer gains and loses nothing by contributing ... whereas on Authonomy, 'backing' and 'critiquing' can often be for selfish gain.

Nenno suggested we form a sort of crit circle, in which we all have assignments and deadlines. Personally, I can't do that - at the present time I'm editing two Night Publishing books, just finished one, promoting NP books, teaching piano, looking for editing jobs that actually pay (!), running a household ... and working on my own novel. But everyone is definitely encouraged to form their own circles. You never know who you might meet, and where that might lead.

But George and I thought it might be a good thing to offer kind of a "Editing Tip of the Week" or something on here. Some of them you may already know, some of them may offer an *aha* moment, but all of them are tried and true. There are, of course, thousands of sites which already contain tips, and I'll link to some of those on occasion, but it can also be overwhelming.

I thought I'd start the ball rolling with my own favourite tip, which I learned from Stephen King's "On Writing" - in my opinion the BEST book on writing ever written. This was my very first lesson, and has influenced everything in my writing.

LESS IS MORE

We're good writers. We love words. But why do we need to junk up our work with too many of them? It's because we want to make sure everyone reading our book understands exactly what we mean. But too many descriptive words cut up on the piece, shoving speed bumps all over the place for the reader to navigate.

I'll never forget what my mentor, Rona Altrows asked about the first battle scene of mine that she read. She shook her head and said, "This character is amazing. How did he survive all those adjectives?"

So what King suggested (and at first I said Pshaw! I'm not doing that! ... but I did, and wow) was:

1) Take the first page of your book. Read it - out loud.
2) Delete EVERY SINGLE adjective and adverb (of course I don't mean delete permanently. Do this on a separate document. Never delete anything you've written).
3) Now your first page is 'naked'. Read it - out loud. Doesn't that sound cleaner?
4) Read it through slowly again, adding in any descriptive words you feel are imperative. But don't layer it on thick. Don't use three adjectives when you could use one more effectively. For example: It was a hot, humid, oppressive day. Change to: It was a muggy day.
5) Apply this technique to everything you write.

My original first novel was 150,000 words long, and I loved every single word. Using the above technique (and a few others), I cut it to 75,000. And you know what? They're way better.

So that's Tip #1. Hope this helps.

If you have a tip to share, please email me at genevievesawchyn@nightpublishing.com and I'll add it to our blog. Thanks, all!

Have you read this amazing book by our fearless leader, Tim Roux?

2010-09-21T12:11:00.000+01:00

If you have ever read one of George Polley's reviews, you know he is particular and to the point. Here's what he said about "Dance of the Phaesodile". He's bang on, too. Incredible book that took me someplace I had never been before.

..."Part romance, part paranormal crime thriller, it is a wonderful read. There are laugh-out-loud scenes in this book, some chilling ones and some very poignant ones. I won’t say more, because I don’t want to give too much away in this intriguing, funny and well-told story.

I give it a AAA+"

A note from SenoraG ...

2010-09-21T11:30:00.000+01:00

My Two Cents:

..."This was such a fun book to read. It has a little bit of everything, murder, ghosts, romance, friendships, parents, funerals and so much more."...

Dancing In the Dark authors featured on Authors On Show

2010-09-20T00:26:00.000+01:00

This week, we have not one guest author, but six...

The authors of Dancing in the Dark are featured on Authors on Show: Sessha Batto, John Booth, Robb Grindstaff, Diane Nelson, Noelle Pierce, JD Revene, Kate Rigby, T.L Tyson

Soooz Says...Stuff.: Interview with Brendan Gisby author of "The Island...

2010-09-20T00:09:00.002+01:00

"Join me in welcoming Brendan Gisby author of~ ‘The Island of Whispers’~ ‘The Olive Branch’~ ‘ Ferry Tales’ and ‘The Bookie's Runner’. Meet Brendan Gisby..."

Soooz Says...Stuff.: Interview with Brendan Gisby author of "The Island...:

Night Publishing is pleased to be publishing "The Bookie's Runner".

"The Wedding Gift is truly an enthralling read."

2010-09-19T17:19:00.001+01:00

Thanks to Misha from "My Love Affair With Books" for her review!

... "There is a foreboding feeling , of something horrible to come, right from the start. The title of the book is truly ironic. Who would want such a wedding gift? Eventually this "gift" turns out to be Leann's worst nightmare. I have never believed in ghosts , but the plot was so believable that I could not sleep two nights in a row.

The Wedding Gift can be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys a well-written supernatural mystery."...

Kathleen McKenna on "One More Page" blog

2010-09-16T22:53:00.000+01:00

Today is a momentous occasion on One More Page as I publish my first author interview!

Kathleen McKenna emailed me last month to see if I’d like to review her latest book, The Wedding Gift. In Kathleen’s own words, the book is

“A Southern Gothic paranormal story (ghosts, no vamps) told in the voice of a crazy charming small town beauty queen who runs for corn princess, loses the boy she wants and marries the idiot son of the towns richest family all before senior year is over. Marrying for money can be really dangerous. Leeann’s new mother in law is beyond horrible and the wedding gift she receives is a little off too. Mrs. Willetts, Leeann’s new in law is appalled at her son’s choice so as a tongue in cheek wedding gift she gives the newlyweds a fabulous antebellum mansion, one still occupied by an earlier beautiful unwanted bride who lived there and killed there.”

I loved the book (you can read my review here) and have been chatting to Kathleen over email ever since, so a couple of weeks ago I asked her if she’d let me interview her for One More Page and she very kindly agreed.

Amanda : I loved The Wedding Gift; what inspired you to write it?

Kathleen: I had spotted this gorgeous antebellum house once in New Orleans, I wanted to live there! Anyway I started thinking about the people who DID live there, were they happy, or what if a beautiful girl from the wrong side of the tracks got to live there and then what if there was a ghost? LOL! As you can see I’m somewhat demented, anyway it built on that, I had fun writing that book!

Amanda: Lead character Leeann is very funny – describe her in five words.

Kathleen: Confident, beautiful, loyal, selfish, sweet.

Amanda: Who was your favourite character to write and why?

Kathleen: Hands down Jessie. Before I started writing I was an adolescent counselor; Jessie is every tough sweet kid I ever worked with all rolled into one. I loved her so much that I had to give her, her own book and that’s The Comeback (the follow up book to the Wedding Gift, due for release later this year!)

Amanda: The Wedding Gift features a very feisty ghost in Robina, have you ever had a ghostly encounter of your own?

Kathleen: Well I have, or I think I have on a few different occasions, none of them were good; seeing things move that you didn’t move yourself or hearing things drop in another room – it’s not nearly as much fun as it sounds. Actually everyone I’ve ever met has a creepy little story. All of them seem to be kind of negative so my impression of ghosts is that overall they are scary and so I took it up a notch with Robina - Miz Willets makes an uhm….charming ghost.

Amanda: The Wedding Gift combines chick lit, horror, mystery and comedy – are your own reading tastes this varied? What are your favourite books?

Kathleen: Oh geez, varied is an understatement for my tastes! I love history, horror, biography, humor, mystery … My fave book of all time is The Cider House Rules, but last year what made me happy were the Charlaine Harris books and Audrey Niffengers fabulous ghost story Her Fearful Symmetry. I have to recommend the scariest book I ever read; it’s called Come Closer by Sara Gran, overall my taste pretty much runs to if its a book I want to read it.

Amanda: There are two more books planned in the series, can you tell me a bit about them.

Kathleen: Heck yes! The Comeback is about Jessie and Mark’s adventures in leasing a very famous Beverly Hills Mansion, once owned by Desiree Danforth. The thing about really famous beautiful women is that being dead sucks for them, and dead stars are no different than say Lindsay Lohan; everybody wants a comeback.

The House on Easton Drive takes my crew back to Dalton to reunite with old friends and with Miz Bethany, then through circumstances I can’t relate for spoiler reasons Jessie manages to find a house that makes Willets House look like a nice place to live by comparison!

Amanda: Do you have any plans to write other types of books in the paranormal genre (vampires, angels etc?)

Kathleen: I wont write vamps; two women I admire own the genre to me. Anne Rice’s soooo sexy vampires, and Charlaine Harris’s hilarious and also smoking hot Sookie Stackhouse books. I’m a straight up ghost girl. I have two other novels that are supernatural – well actually they are horror. One is about the Manson family and is ironically named Family Matters, the other one Dead Town combines a serial killer and a ghost town and I wrote it based on some very creepy stuff that went down just eighty miles from where I live. Then there are my other books about rich, beautiful women who’s lives went straight to hell (and usually to the grave) based on some baaaaad marital choices.

Kathleen – thank you very much for agreeing to be interviewed and good luck with The Comeback!

Reviewers are loving "The Wedding Gift"

2010-09-16T16:26:00.000+01:00

..."In this book you get some paranormal but also some mystery. Just when you think you have it figured it out. You don't. Definitely check it out if you're a paranormal and mystery fan."...

"No Death By Unknown Hands": a 5 star masterpiece!

2010-09-14T11:54:00.000+01:00

Minnette Coleman’s No Death by Unknown Hands – A Compelling, Five Star Masterpiece

Have you ever read a story that is told so well and so moving that when you’re finished, you’re so filled with it that you hardly know what to say? That is how Minnette Coleman’s No Death by Unknown Hands affected me. Reading it I wept, laughed, smiled and felt deeply saddened. The systemic racism of Georgia and the U.S. in the 1950s is something I knew about second hand from my best friend Claude. The hurt in his face and voice still brings tears to my eyes. Thanks to Minnette Coleman’s skill as a story teller, I know it more intimately.

This is a book that I will read over and over again. If you love a good, well-told story that’s so real that you feel as if you’re there, order your copy today. Then settle back, make sure you have some tissues nearby, and read.

I have both the paperback and Kindle editions, which is especially nice.

Spooky story about The Wedding Gift ...

2010-09-13T15:18:00.000+01:00

A very strange thing happened two weeks ago. Somebody hacked into Kathleen McKenna's e-mail and told Amazon to suspend the sale of her 'The Wedding Gift' because it was up there in breach of copyright. Amazon, rightly, did just that, and it has taken two weeks of protesting to get it back into circulation again.

The good news is that it has 18 reviews on Amazon, 14 of them 5-stars, and it is a must read ...

Amazon.com: The Wedding Gift (9781453701973): Kathleen McKenna: Books

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: The Wedding Gift (9781453701973): Kathleen McKenna: Books

On Amazon.com: The Wedding Gift: "5 stars x 5 stars easy!"

2010-09-12T19:09:00.000+01:00

5-stars x 5-stars, easy, September 10, 2010

By	M. Rulli "Author" (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wedding Gift (Paperback)

It took me a while to finish reading this work by Kathleen not only because I had to make use of spare moments to find reading time but also because I didn't want it to end ... it is a work to savor.
While I was reading, my guy Bob asked me, "Is it good?"
I smiled as I answered (verbatim), "It's more than 'good.' It's enlightening, absorbing, FUNNY, scary as hell, and profound all at once! To capture all those things simultaneously takes a writer with more than expertise and talent. It takes a genius."

------> lots more of this great review here

Paranormal Haven likes The Wedding Gift

2010-09-10T17:00:00.000+01:00

..."This was different than anything I’ve read before. It was a quick interesting read. I would be interesting to see what will happen next in the sequel."

COLT The Author reviews: The Eye of Erasmus

2010-09-10T14:19:00.001+01:00

COLT The Author: SA Books- The Eye of Erasmus:

I intend to devote this page to published books from SA (Struggling Authors). I don't necessarily mean from the SA site but from authors who are struggling to sell and promote their books in a hostile world.

The Eye of Erasmus written by Teresa Geering. Not my genre at all. When I started to read the sample chapters from this book, I did so with trepidation. When I found myself at the end of Chapter four I knew I was 'hooked'. Teresa has the gift of drawing you on with subtle hints as to what is to come. It starts with a baby, born in a thunderstorm and destined to become a special person with special gifts. The book has been highly rated by published authors.
The Eye of Erasmus is the first of a series of books entitled Shastas and Erasmus, a trilogy of fantasy.
A visit to www.nightpublishing.com/index.html will give you the opportunity to read the first four chapters before buying the book.

"Show vs Tell"... Ok. But what does that mean?

2010-09-10T12:54:00.001+01:00

Here's a good article I found on someone's fb wall - I think it was Soooz' - she always has the best blogs posted. Anyway, there are a couple of fantastic examples on here that really paint a clear picture. Take a moment and consider your writing. Are you a shower or a teller?

Guide to Literary Agents - What ''Show, Don't Tell'' Really Means, by Agent Mary Kole

It’s the old adage you hear in every writing class, workshop, critique group and probably on some things you’ve had edited, rejected or submitted in your lifetime.“Show, don’t tell,” says the editor or agent or well-meaning crit partner. “You know, this really is an issue of showing versus telling,” says the writing teacher. Well, we all know that showing is good and telling is bad. But do we really know what that means?

Soooz Says...Stuff.: Interview with George Polley author of "The Old Ma...

2010-09-09T12:05:00.001+01:00

Soooz Says...Stuff.: Interview with George Polley author of "The Old Ma...:

"Occasionally we are privileged to find a book that makes us sit back and simply say, “Ah … yes,” in awed tones of satisfaction … and the gu..."

Promoting Your Book

2010-09-07T19:52:00.000+01:00

Twitter and Facebook and Blogging…Oh My!

Do you know how many times I hear, “I don’t have time to blog, or post on Twitter or Facebook.
Too many times to mention!
The fact is, being an author is a business and this is part of the business. I tell my clients all the time that they have to make time. We never say we don’t have time to do our day job. Well sometimes we do but we go and do our job anyway. Your book business is no different. You will get out of it what you put into it. You have to make time.
Let’s think about it a minute. The exposure is amazing. You are now able to reach people you were never able to reach before.
That being said, isn’t it worth it to spend a little time updating your blog?
Let your publicist know every time you update your blog. They will know how to get the word out to others and it takes a bit of the pressure off of you.
I believe that to be successful in the book business, you can’t throw money at it. Spend some time and it will grow.

Happy Writing!
Denise
Progressive Book Marketing, LLC
Remember book publishing and marketing doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive.

Reading Out Loud - one of the best editorial tools I know.

2010-09-07T15:46:00.000+01:00

The QueryTracker.net Blog is part of QueryTracker.net. Learn more About the QT Blog Team, check out Essential QT Blog Posts, or Subscribe to our Feed!

Reading Out Loud: An Effective Editorial Tool

Posted 9/06/2010 09:45:00 AM by Mary Lindsey

One of the best self-editing tips I can give is to read your manuscript out loud. It feels silly, I know, but the benefit outweighs the awkwardness.

The human mind compensates for errors. When reading, mistakes are missed because the brain anticipates patterns and corrects inconsistencies automatically. Reading out loud forces the reader to slow the rate, which helps identify errors.

Read the words inside the triangle below silently.

Did you spot the error? Your chance of spotting the duplicate "the" is higher if you read it out loud. This kind of mistake happens all the time in manuscripts, primarily because of cutting and pasting. It is the type of error for which the mind compensates.

Check this out:

Aoccdrnig to a rseearch sutdy at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny improamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.

Could you read that? I had no trouble. Amazing what our mind can do, huh?

For me, the biggest benefit to reading my manuscript out loud is spotting unnatural or rough sentences. The rhythm and inflection in my head is different than that of the spoken word. Things that seem natural, particularly in dialogue, often are stilted when read aloud.

I also recommend having someone else read the manuscript to you. Because the characters in one of my novels are teens, I had teens read it to me. Talk about a wake-up call to bad dialogue! Mercy.

I like this editorial tool so much, I read almost everything I write out loud now--manuscripts, letters, emails, blog posts... It not only helps me spot errors, it annoys my family! Who could ask for more? *wink*

Mary

Latest review for "The Wedding Gift"

2010-09-06T12:45:00.000+01:00

Thank you Saranna DeWylde from Culinary Carnivale blog!

... "I’m not sure what I would compare it to that’s currently out. It’s like a YA version of Stephen King’s ROSE RED. So, if you like that sort of story, then I think you’ll like this."...

Catherine Chisnall: Interview with L. Anne Carrington, author of 'The ...

2010-09-05T00:23:00.001+01:00

Catherine Chisnall: Interview with L. Anne Carrington, author of 'The Cruiserweight"...: "Today, I’m delighted to interview L. Anne Carrington, author of ‘The Cruiserweight’. Her book is due to be published by Night Publishing in ..."

Catherine Chisnall: Interview with Suzanna Burke, author of 'Empty Cha...

2010-09-05T00:13:00.001+01:00

Catherine Chisnall: Interview with Suzanna Burke, author of 'Empty Chairs...: "Today I have the privilege of interviewing Suzanna Burke about her forthcoming biography ‘Empty Chairs,’ an intense account of an extremely ..."

LA Dale: Spoilt

2010-09-04T15:12:00.001+01:00

LA Dale: Spoilt: "A year or so ago, I was a member of the website Authonomy, run by Harper Collins. This was the first time I met the author of 'Spoilt' - J..."

50/50 ... what's it mean for publishing?

2010-09-03T13:12:00.000+01:00

Kinda cool that NP philosophy is the same as that of HarperStudio ... other than the advance part! :)

HarperStudio - Overview

by Editor on Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Bob Miller, President of HarperStudioshares his views this week withPublishingPerspectives.com on how he sees the need for the relationship between publisher and author to become more of a partnership of commitment.

[...]"I believe that publishers and authors should be equal partners, sharing profits fifty-fifty, as we are doing in all of our deals at HarperStudio. The author brings their creative work to this partnership, and their commitment to do everything in their power to help their book succeed. The publisher brings their financial risk (under our model, the publisher puts up the publishing costs, including the advance to the author, from which the author can decide to help the marketing effort if they’d like, or not), their passion for the project, and their staff time (we don’t charge any overhead to the profit split; the authors don’t charge for their time spent marketing the book either)."[...]

The cynics will say that a 50/50 share of profits should also mean a 50/50 share of expenses in the publishing relationship between author and publisher. This is a fair and reasoned argument and in fact there are publishers pursuing this model of business like Matador and Pen Press in the UK, Moorsgates, an imprint of the now defunct Cold Tree Publishing tried it in the US (see article). Partnership publishers existed long before HarperStudio's arrival in 2008, and it should be remembered that they are only just starting to publish the first of their imprint titles this year. But where HarperStudio and Bob Miller's business philosophy and modus operandi differ to many preceding partnership publishing models is that the author is spared from reaching for the wallet, pulse or credit card. This is the first time partnership publishing under these kind of terms have been adopted inside the family home of 'traditional' publishing (HarperStudio being an imprint of HarperCollins).

Bob Miller, and much of the publishing fraternity, might baulk at the idea that paid-for partnership publishing is actually part of the traditional publishing industry--if perhaps, at best, being on the outermost peripheral--then, is all publishing not a partnership of a kind to greater or lesser degrees? Miller is content that the author keep their credit card tucked away in their jackets, but encourages and looks for perspective authors who have a unique book and voice and an understanding of how to sell both. Some of the debate following Miller's piece in PublishingPerspectives.com centres on the shared responsibility between author and publisher. There are publishers with--shall we say--less than 'nouveau' ideas about the place for the modern author in the marketing and promotion of a book - believing they still know best. The changing world of publishing and a reeling global economy may soon see the last of the great publishing pretenders.

Sometimes a business model and philosophy can be easier to change and re-invent than a strident and steadfast attitude. There is a 'call to arms' in publishing at the moment, and change is often most directly coming from smaller, independent publishing houses who through sheer want of survival are exploring every publishing niche; maximising all they can from what e-publishing will yield; deep-mining regularly the estuaries and flowing waters of communication which have become the sea of social networking. The responsibility lies equally with author and publisher because the once viral highways of business must now share the opens roads with the new forward-thinking commuters as well and the inexperienced Sunday drivers out for a view of the scenery rather than the road ahead.

My own thoughts are that the borders of the publishing industry are seeing two distinct types of authors. Those who are naive and have little understanding of the industry and how it works, like adolescent teenagers--they look the part, speak the part, but their writing and actions show a distinct lack of streetwise nuisance. They may learn, but then, they may also continue to make the same mistakes and misjudgements over and over again. Then, we have the the new breed of self-published writers--versed in the dreams as well as the realities of being an author. Some of them--just a few--will not tire of the frustration and the rejection and every step along the way will be a seed and something more learned. This paradigm is not an ideal for being an author, but rather a framework to elevate and educate an author enough to become a part of what the publishing world is not at the moment--should be--and one day will be.

One of the strongest points brought up by the comments on Bob Miller's piece for PublishingPerspectives.com is the analogy that publishers and authors do not approach the imminent launch of a book in the way a new film might be promoted. Certainly there is a strong argument that a film has a greater 'wow' factor due to its inherent visual medium, but then, that is the imagined vision, as, like all expectations and Christmas presents, we will only have been indulged in the snippets and teases of what is beneath the wrapping. The reading public is on a par with the cinematic-going public, and given so many crossovers, it is hard to see why publishers do not explore this kind of pre-publication promotion a lot more. When a forthcoming film is promoted, we are indulged in directors, producers, screen writers as well as actors doing their all in partnership for the good of the 'product'. How might this work with a book? Can we see the day, when, in partnership, author, publisher, book designer, hell, even the editor and literary agent get to herald their stamp on the book project? What is so alien about this to us?

Publishing has become too 'departmentalised' over the years and through tradition rather than inspiration, we authors, publishers, designers, editors, marketeers, clink to 'our piece', 'our offering', never once seeing the creation and publication of a book as a wholly glorious partnership for us all. Ask any truly self-published author who has acted as business entrepreneur, played all the roles above, and they will pay testament to the critical part each and every one of them has to play in the writing, production and publication of a book.

What is important about the idea of author/publisher partnership that Bob Miller puts forward is not necessarily who does what or who pays for what, but that there is a fundamental understanding that the relationship of author/publisher goes beyond the 'you do this bit and I will do that bit', and never the twain shall meet. Good business doesn't work that way. It is time both publisher and author looked beyond the confines of contract and tradition to a new understanding and partnership for the good of publishing, but more importantly, they should do it for the books and their readers.

Sometimes I wonder if all this social media is working. This guy says it is!

2010-09-03T12:04:00.000+01:00

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 02, 2010

GUEST BLOG | Using Social Media Sites for Self Promotion

by Editor on Thursday, September 02, 2010

The rise of social media sites, such as Facebook and Digg, has presented publishers with an opportunity for self promotion that has never been seen before. Due to the popularity of social media sites, publishers have a huge group of people to promote their sites to. Using social media sites to promote blogs and websites can be accomplished with no money and just a little time.

Using sites like digg.com,reddit.com, or stumbleupon.com to push traffic to a person’s blog or site can cause huge increases of traffic and readership. Simply posting a link to a website or blog post on one of these social news sites will cause a large spike in traffic to the link posted. The key to using social news sites correctly is to post quality content. Quality content will quickly become popular on these social news sites and will push nearly 100 times the amount of traffic to a person’s site than would be pushed by simply adding a random, low quality link.

Social networking sites, such as facebook.com and twitter.com, are another avenue that publishers should take advantage of. By creating a Facebook or Twitter page for their blog or site, publishers can use the social network’s services to connect with readers about any updates, start discussions, and increase overall reader activity. Using these social networking sites can also help increase traffic, as people often view things that their friends talk about and are members of.

With a little practice, publishers will find the tricks needed to successfully use all social media sites to their advantage. Becoming an active member on any of these sites for a short time will give publishers a feel for the site and a better understanding of what is needed to successfully use the sites for self promotion.

James Mowery is a technology writer, design enthusiast, entrepreneur and computer geek. His articles have appeared on Mashable, CMSWire, and his own blogsite, LEDTV.

Here's a good, comprehensive article about the benefits of publishing with a Small Press (i.e. Night Publishing!!)

2010-09-02T15:48:00.001+01:00

GUEST POST: Publishing with a Small Press by Lori Calabrese
The road to publication for many is often a bumpy one, and it’s ultimately up to you the writer, to decide which way you want to steer. Should you turn that wheel and head toward the bright lights of New York City, gleaming skyscrapers and huge corporations? Or should you turn that wheel toward the cottages and bed & breakfasts that line rural America? Unfortunately, there isn’t a road map or GPS guiding an author to their destiny. It’s up to you, the writer to decide which direction you’d like to go.
Sure, we would all love an urban oasis where our books are abound, line endcaps across America’s bookstores, and grace the bestseller list, but not every author has the same fate as Suzanne Collins or Stephanie Myer. Just as in any business, you must start somewhere, and not only are small presses accessible to beginning writers, they also provide opportunities during a fickle economy. The odds of getting published by a “major” publishing house are dwindling because of a failing economy. But there are so many wonderful stories that need to shared and that’s where small presses come in.
While the big publishing companies have been merging, the number of small presses has been increasing. Small presses are independently owned; they are not part of a corporation, and many if not most of them are devoted to a specific mission other than, or in addition to, maximizing profits.
Small presses tend to fill the niches that larger publishers neglect. They can focus on regional titles, narrow specializations, niche genres, and books that do not fit neatly into a commercial mold. And big presses seem to have a pretty specific set of molds right now. In a troubling economy, some big publishers are leery of taking on an unknown author, but it’s small presses that are taking a chance on new authors and championing new voices.
In the little-guy economy, the personal wins and this is one of a small press’s strengths. There’s a premium on the individual and getting an e-mail from somebody who says, ‘Hey, check this out,’ means a lot more to the recipient than a mass e-mail from the publicity department of a large corporation.
A writer can expect to work closely with the publisher, editor, and perhaps cover artist of a small press. Getting more personally involved with the publishing experience, having more input and control, dealing directly with their own contracts, and marketing their books provides a learning experience, one that provides a great stepping stone for eventually working with the Big Guys.
And last but not least, there’s the reward of seeing your work in print. As in any endeavor, writers need encouragement, one of the reasons why most of us continue to write. If your book is accepted by a small press, chances are they’ll be extremely enthusiastic and carry that enthusiasm all the way through to publication. In other words, you won’t be competing with 1,000 other books for in-company attention.
Small businesses face considerable challenges, and you don’t get any more small business than a small press. Big publishing houses can’t possibly publish all the books out there which is why the small press is an important engine for writers. So when you rev your own engine and hit the pedal to the metal, be sure to analyze your dreams of publishing and your goals for literary success. You might find yourself off the beaten path, but at a small stop that offers BIG rewards.
==========================
Lori Calabrese is an award-winning children’s author. Her first picture book, The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade, was named Dragonfly Publishing Inc.’s 2009 Best Children’s Book. She writes for various children’s magazines, is the National Children’s Books Examiner at Examiner.com, and enjoys sharing her passion for children’s books at festivals, schools and events. Visit her website to learn moreloricalabrese.com.

Dancing In The Dark to be featured on Authonomy.com blog on SEPT 27!

2010-09-01T14:13:00.002+01:00

Dancing In The Dark: An Erotica Anthology [edited by Diane Nelson]

Eight authors from around the globe unite to bring you a cornucopia of delights. Stories to titillate, enthrall, enrapture. Explore, if you dare, dark, dangerous worlds where passion reigns supreme, where lust and love meet in a pas de deux of wanton desire and longing.

Sip from a frothy mix of delicious seduction. Eyes blind, your senses fly free, yearning, seeking, believing. Savor the re-imagining of ancient tales, brought to life with a modern twist and often bawdy humor. Tread carefully down a dangerous path of deadly seduction. Open your mind to new possibilities, indulge the senses.

Welcome to Dancing in the Dark – feel the subtle sway, the press of hot flesh to hot flesh, embrace the intricate weave of pleasure and pain, body and soul, heart and mind. Do you know the steps? Are you sure? When the music starts, who will lead, who will follow?

Hard Workers by Kate Rigby: Hard work and dedication should count for something, shouldn’t it?

Dance Macabre by Diane Nelson: Angel, former mob enforcer, damaged body and soul, must find release from her demons. What happens when you dance with the devil -- who leads, who follows?

Without a Spark by JD Revene: One man dances to remember. A love story.

Delectable Deviations: An Erotic Adaptation of Hansel and Gretl by Noelle Pierce: Getting lost in the woods is more wicked than you think.

Stella and Bailey by Robb Grindstaff: Stella cooks dinner every night. Bailey, a Goth fantasy writer, stays out all night. What’s the only thing these two sisters have in common? Me.

Wintersong by Sessha Batto: In the winter of their love, all Armand wants is to reconnect with Peter. In the end, some obstacles are too big to easily overcome.

Suckers Sometimes Get Lucky by John Browne: When seven young men hire a stripper for a party, they never expected they would get Snow White.

Sweet Seraphim by T.L Tyson: How do you learn to see when your blindfold can't be removed?

Book Trailer by Sessha Batto: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tmb8CH1euI

This information will be posted to http://blog.authonomy.com/ as of September 27, 2010!

Thanks,

One Page at a Time - 4.5 sapphires!

2010-08-31T20:59:00.000+01:00

..."I don’t necessarily believe in ghosts, but the story was written with such vivid descriptions that I could see, hear and smell everything the author described. Kathleen McKenna has written a great ghost story that captures the readers and places them in the town of Dalton where everything is happening."...

I give this story:

Simon's Choice is a "rare gem".

2010-08-31T12:53:00.000+01:00

..."I have already recommended this book to my friends and will continue to do so in the future, it is a must read. Be sure to keep the Kleenex close by, you may need a tissue...or two. There are few books that leave me in awe days after reading it, but Simon's Choice did exactly that. This book is a rare gem."...

Rave Reviews for THE WEDDING GIFT

2010-08-31T12:50:00.000+01:00

..."I loved this book – it is quirky, original and a great story with one of the funniest and believable female lead characters that I’ve come across this year. Leeann Worthier is a 17 year old small town southern girl. The story is told from her perspective and Kathleen McKenna has given her a fantastic voice – the book is written as if Leeann is writing in a diary or talking to you and although it took me a little while to get used to her style, once I did, I really took to Leeann and reading the book was like having a really good gossip with a friend!"

The Wedding Gift - Caught Between the Pages

2010-08-31T12:39:00.000+01:00

..."I think that The Wedding Gift is a great novel for anyone who loves a great ghost story combined with a murder mystery. The ending is greatly unexpected, and I have to say that it completely made the whole story for me."...

Charlotte sits down to chat with the fantastic Jane Alexander

2010-08-26T21:05:00.000+01:00

WEDNESDAY, 25 AUGUST 2010

Would you 'go to heaven' with your child?

Okay, so a while back I told you about a book I read called Simon’s Choice. I met the author, Charlotte Castle, on Authonomy, while I was garnering opinions on my YA novel, Samael.
Simon’s Choice is an unusual and very brave book that deals with one of the great taboos – a child dying. But there’s a twist.... here’s the pitch....

ATTN Book Reviewers! Have you seen our Relax At Night blog?

2010-08-23T13:13:00.000+01:00

The best possible advertising? WORD OF MOUTH.

So we want the words of every book blogger out there!

Every month Night Publishing (through Relax At Night) will offer five books for free download so they will be reviewed on book blog sites and on Amazon.com.

Relax At Night: Our books under review this month::

"We would really appreciate your reviewing any of these books which interest you and your posting your review on the relevant Amazon.com page..."

The deliciously poisonous words of Steve Jensen ...

2010-08-22T19:38:00.000+01:00

From Jennifer Wylie's blog:
"I know you’ve been waiting for this! I’m so excited to share with you this interview with the super talented Steven Jensen! You can find a sneak peek of his soon to be released book The Poison of a Smile on his website!"

"The Wedding Gift" getting great reviews all over the place.

2010-08-22T13:44:00.000+01:00

..." Overall The Wedding Gift is an amazing novel full of twist and turns. There is one major twist that I didn't see coming (sorry I don't want to spoil it so you will just have to read it.) Trust me even if Leeann does seem shallow at times it is worth the read."...

and again ...

2010-08-22T13:36:00.000+01:00

..."You really were at the edge of your seat for the entire book. The story was spooky even if you don't believe in ghosts...."

"The Wedding Gift" is a HIT!

2010-08-22T13:19:00.000+01:00

..."McKenna created this completely plausible scenario and then writes with such fluidity that you can practically see it as a motion picture in your mind's eye. If you like a good ol' ghost story, this is it!!"

and the rating is ...

Kathleen talks about Writing - and here's a peek at her FUNKY new cover!

2010-08-19T19:29:00.000+01:00

Please welcome today's guest author Kathleen McKenna! Kathleen is the author of the paranormal mystery The Wedding Gift.

EJ: When did you begin writing?

Kathleen: I started my first book fifteen years ago with a paragraph. That was it for twelve years. Then finally I wrote a second paragraph...

Rave Reviews for SPOILT

2010-08-19T14:07:00.000+01:00

If you like scary murder mysteries that are also romantic and sexy..., August 18, 2010

By	G. Polley "blogger and writer" (Sapporo, Japan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Spoilt: Joanne Ellis (Paperback)

... you'll love this.

I love a good mystery, and Joanne Ellis has written an excellent one. Her new novel, "Spoilt", is a gem. A serial killer begins killing beautiful young women and, after torturing them, carving the words "SPOILT BITCH" on their chests. Two homicide detectives, Lucas Hudson and Maggie Johnson, are assigned to the case. It becomes obvious to the detectives that the killer has a specific target, and that none of the victims is it. What is he working up the courage to do ... or is he just "practicing"?

Tantalizing, sexy, romantic ... and scary, Spoilt is all a good mystery should be. If you haven't read it, you'll find it - in paperback and Kindle editions - at Amazon.com. Rush there and buy a copy, settle down for a good read, put some spooky music on ... and call a friend. This one is a winner.

We keep hearing about Geering!

2010-08-18T19:51:00.000+01:00

All Reviews: Book Reviews & Author Publicity

..."Teresa Geering has written an enthralling story with incentive to continue reading the series. The Eye of Erasmus will appeal to all ages alike. It is a book that you will read on more than one occasion and I would recommend this book to all readers."...

Tidd's having fun disagreeing with Kate on a few things ...

2010-08-18T19:23:00.001+01:00

A Book review from Tidd:
"You'll never have so much fun disagreeing with an author. And that's really the point with Kate Rigby's "Little Guide To Unhip" ...

No Tree Bookclub: Interview with Author Catherine Chisnall

2010-08-16T19:30:00.001+01:00

No Tree Bookclub: Interview with Author Catherine Chisnall:

"Each month The No Tree Book Club brings you books from fabulous new authors. So that you can learn more about them, we are featuring interviews with some of the Authors as they are featured. This month, Suzanna Burke interviewed the author of Descending, Catherine Chisnall...."

Upcoming Event for Kathleen McKenna

2010-08-16T17:17:00.000+01:00

Event for E.J. Stevens

date:
venue:
location:
type:
website:
added by:

August 19, 2010 11:59PM
From the Shadows
The United States
author appearance
http://www.FromTheShadows.info
E.J. Stevens

description

Join us at From the Shadows Thursday August 19th as E.J. interviews paranormal guest author Kathleen McKenna.

Kathleen McKenna is the author of the supernatural mystery The Wedding Gift.

Babbling with Kathleen McKenna

2010-08-16T17:14:00.000+01:00

The colourful Kathleen McKenna talks about who she is, why she writes, being published and more.

Teresa Geering ... on the radio!

2010-08-15T14:57:00.000+01:00

Great job, Teresa. There's nothing like Local Celebrity to interest buyers! All authors should be exploring this route! Call your local radio stations and ask if they have a local "spotlight" show, because you are a published author and would like to tell their listeners all about it! You might want to also think about offering one autographed copy of the book as a giveaway, if the radio folks will allow it.

"My local radio station on Sundays have a sort of tell us about yourself. This is a brand new 'slot' and I happened to be the very first to ring in. (I also got to know the DJ quite well).

They were very interested in the Eye of Erasmus and have been reading passages out on air from a book I left in the studio, also they are pushing NP as my publishers. I have also been featured on their blog which will now become regular.

This link (if it works) is Emma the producer reading an excerpt. (The death of Agastines' sister Drendell the witch.) Unfortunately Adam - a notorious giggler - played Fleetwood Macs' Albatross as a background to it. Adam completely lost it and cracked up but Emma bravely carried on. I must admit I also cracked up.
As a bit of P.R. i'm giving them a signed copy each. No money for me but publicity all over Kent makes up for it. AND of course NP."

"Little Guide to the Unhip" offers some real belly laughs ...

2010-08-15T13:58:00.000+01:00

"Whether or not you've ever wanted to be, tried to be, or been hip, cool or "in", read K. J. Rigby's "Little Guide to Unhip". It's a frolic through all the silliness that "hip", "cool" and "in" mean in every generation. Have fun with it. It'll give you a lot of chuckles and some real belly laughs." ...

More rave reviews for "Simon's Choice"

2010-08-15T13:54:00.000+01:00

..."This was a very touching book. The characters could be almost anyone in any family. Parents all over the world every day face the possibility of their child dying. How do they handle it? The characters were realistically depicted. Each person had their own way of dealing with their grief. Like in real life, this grief can sometimes be a wedge between people."...

Tiffany's Bookshelf: Monday Afternoon, by Stephen Sangirardi

2010-08-15T11:15:00.002+01:00

Tiffany's Bookshelf: Monday Afternoon, by Stephen Sangirardi:

"Angelo Aiello. The perfect name for a man who is quintessentially male, Italian, and Roman Catholic. Married to his wife, Alice, for fifte..."

Review for Spoilt from Wicked Lil Pixie

2010-08-14T14:43:00.001+01:00

... "Spoilt is one helluva ride, filled with twists & turns. I had no clue what was going to happen & for me that is one of the big requirements I have with a thriller. I hate when I can spot who the bad guy is from the beginning and Joanne Ellis totally messed with my head in that respect." ...

How can a father ever let go? Free Press Release for Simon's Choice

2010-08-13T17:19:00.001+01:00

Not exactly sure I did this right ... but we'll see!

Success - Free-Press-Release.com

Why I had an affair with my student, by Emily Walker. - sex, controversial, forbidden

2010-08-13T16:53:00.001+01:00

Here's a very cool, easy, FREE way to promote books. I'll have to start putting those together for everyone! Good job, Catherine!

- G

Why I had an affair with my student, by Emily Walker. - sex, controversial, forbidden

Author, Steven Jensen, Interviewed.

2010-08-13T15:42:00.003+01:00

Author, Steven Jensen, Interviewed.

Steve Jensen's "The Poison Of A Smile" is soon to be added to the Night Publishing rosters, and I, for one, am very much looking forward to reading it in its entirety. I read the first chapter on Authonomy and Steve had me captivated from the start. Steve is also amazing with all things Social Media, and is a very enthusiastic contributor to author sites. And as you'll see, he's super intelligent and eloquent. All in all, a terrific guy I can't wait to work with.

- G

Tiffany's Bookshelf: Little Guide to Unhip, by K.J. Rigby

2010-08-13T12:08:00.001+01:00

Tiffany's Bookshelf: Little Guide to Unhip, by K.J. Rigby: "Many people strive to be cool, hip even. In fact, hipsters are all the rage these days. So, hipness, well, that is the goal for most peopl..."

Hi-Liters are our Friends

2010-08-13T00:51:00.000+01:00

Just found this terrific article about editing by Jim Warner. The blog's no longer alive, but Jim is, and seemed kinda pleased I wanted to run this. I thought it was great. When I was on Authonomy I had a few arguments - let's call them discussions - with people about editing. I decided I was only going to 'back' books if they were "editor-ready", meaning well edited, etc. After all, that's what I thought mine was. The people who disagreed with me figured that's what editors were for.

Well, turns out I was right. Editors are, like the rest of us, overworked and underpaid. If you want to make your writing tempting to them, make it as perfect as you can. If you offer someone a gift, do you just roll it up in a wad of paper towel or toilet paper? No! You wrap it up nicely - even if it is in a recycled gift bag (ahem ... works well for me). Don't make the editors work. Get them to say 'yes', get them to like your book, get them to publish it.

Do the work.

Beck's Book Picks: Review---The Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna

2010-08-13T00:08:00.002+01:00

Beck's Book Picks: Review---The Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna:

"Quick Summary: It is a spine-electrifying supernatural tale where a huge Southern States mansion contains one of the most terrifying, viole..."

Latest Review for "Simon's Choice"

2010-08-12T21:27:00.002+01:00

Big thanks to Amanda at www.OneMorePage.co.uk!

One Page At A Time: I LOVE A GOOD MYSTERY

2010-08-11T21:16:00.002+01:00

One Page At A Time: I LOVE A GOOD MYSTERY:

"Review: Spoilt – Joanne Ellis Book Description: Synopsis Passion turns to envy. Love to murder. O..."

Catherine Chisnall: Night Publishing

2010-08-10T00:02:00.001+01:00

Catherine Chisnall: Night Publishing:

"Night Publishing is my publisher, they are going from strength to strength. Run by Tim Roux and Bruce Essar, this is their philosophy: ......."

Relax At Night - what do you think?

2010-08-08T14:53:00.000+01:00

As you know, we at Night Publishing are devoted to getting great writing out there so that people can read it, regardless of commercial and market opportunity, and regardless of whether we publish it or not.

To this end we have just set up a new concept and would really appreciate your feedback.

Physically publishing books is quick, cheap and easy. Promoting them is spectacularly hard. To succeed we have to get ourselves in front of serious readers - book reviewers, members of book clubs and those lone book readers who devour 50-100 books a year.

We have to overcome 'threshold effects' - the moment when a series of squeaks transforms into a united roar.

This is where Relax at Night comes in.

The Relax at Night blogspot is a site where any serious reader can download in any e-book format our featured books with the request that they review them on Amazon.com, in their blogs and anwhere else they can think of.

And the books we will showcase each month are not just our books. We are more than happy to include books of 'fellow-travellers' - our friends who have published their books themselves or elsewhere. We are not trying to rule the world, we are simply trying to make it better for great, honest writers.

Immediate feedback from book bloggers is that they would also like a site where they can meet each other. We thought that this is what Book Blogs does, but apparently not, so we have set that up too.

Here are the sites. Please tell us what you think:
Intro site: http://relaxatnight.weebly.com/
Main Relax at Night site (blogspot): http://relaxatnight.blogspot.com/
Relax at Night social media site for dedicated book reviewers: http://grou.ps/relaxatnight/home

As with most of our stuff, this is an experiment. What do you think?

Tim Roux & Bruce Essar.

Special limited time offer - Blog setup for only £20

2010-08-04T16:31:00.000+01:00

I've been wandering around the web following various bloggers and looking at who is following them and I noticed a few authors who don't yet have a web presence. In the spirit of getting as many people out there as possible online and linking up, I've decided to do a limited offer to ANY author who wants/needs a Google blog setting up.

The offer is:

Until 31st August 2010

Struggling Authors will setup an author blog on Google's blogger network (including a few links and followers to get them started) for only £20. If you, or someone you know, are interested and want more details then please email me using this link > Richard - I will include 4 pages - incl HOME and Twitter integration for this price.

For examples of recent blogs created see below:

http://tgeering.blogspot.com/

http://genevieve-thewritemove.blogspot.com/

http://colintheakston.blogspot.com/

http://charlotte-castle.blogspot.com/

http://divisionofthedamned.blogspot.com/

http://camerisknight.blogspot.com/

Richard

Strugglingauthors.co.uk

Review by Tiffanys Bookshelf for "The Old Man And The Monkey" by George Polley

2010-07-30T12:04:00.002+01:00

"Gorgeous.

That is the only word that adequately describes this novella by George Polley."
- Tiffany Harkleroad, TiffanysBookshelf.blogspot.com

Beck's Book Picks: Review---Simon's Choice (Your gonna wanna read thi...

2010-07-30T12:00:00.001+01:00

Beck's Book Picks: Review---Simon's Choice (Your gonna wanna read thi...:

"Simon's Choice by Charlotte Castle. Seriously....your gonna wanna read this one. Wow, what an awesome book! Due out August 2010 Quick Summa..."

2010-07-18T00:40:00.008+01:00

Demanding The Best

by Tim Roux

For me, literature comes in three forms – prime Argentinian steak, the sort of cheap steak that requires someone competent to perform the Heimlich Manoeuvre on standby, and hamburgers.

The most popular form of literature is the hamburger, as indeed burgers are more popular than prime steak worldwide. This is what is pumped out – and that maybe the right expression – by the mass publishing houses in branded packaging, e.g. Tom Clancy, John Grisham, Dick Francis, Arthur Conan Doyle etc. These authors may mostly be dead, but they are sure as hell all still writing for an eternity to come until readers do them depart.

While I, along with most parents of small children, am entirely happy to slum it eating out at McDonalds, hamburgers are not my preferred form of literature.

Rumour in the publishing industry is that all other literature is either so highbrow as to be unsellable or made up of unchewable steak – what I call ‘Grandfather Memoirs’ – stuff banged together to … ahem … ‘entertain’ the family.

Yes, these do indeed exist, but the truth is that there are tens of thousands of superb books out there – testament to a quantum leap in global literacy - which remain either unpublished or are self- or niche- published. My big discovery of a couple of years ago was that these books are massively more interesting (at least to me) than those pumped out by the major publishing houses. Maybe they are not all Argentinian beef, but they are very often Aberdeen Angus at the least.

Thus Night Publishing was born – to publish the quality of books that would rarely be even considered by the major publishing houses because they just don’t look like they have hamburger potential and, as I keep repeating, the majors are looking for new authors like banks are looking for new sub-prime borrowers.

So what do we publish? Well, the great news for us is that the supply of excellent books is almost inexhaustible, and we have already signed up over seventy of them in our first few months.

To give you a couple of succulent tasters, here are quick descriptions of the last two of our books I have personally edited.

‘You Can’t Polish A Turd’ is a civil servants’ handbook, written by Australian public servant George Fripley, about how to survive and thrive in a government bureaucracy, or even a corporate bureaucracy I would say. As you might expect, it is a thoroughly cynical overview of the environment any unlucky civil servant is likely to find her/himself enmired in, born of a lifetime of professional frustration on George’s part. Luckily, all such jobs in Brussels are almost certainly of a different, and indeed superior, ilk but if you want to poke your nose into the daily lives of your more unfortunate cousins, and sniff and gasp at the shit they have to sit in, here is your chance.

The other book I have just edited, and which seems to have sold quite a few copies before we have even published it, is Kathleen McKenna’s ‘The Wedding Gift’ which straddles a plethora of literary categories with ease and elegance, and manages to transcend them all. My last attempt to describe it was as ‘murder mystery – haunted house – social satire – comedy’. Built around the story of a beautiful young girl marrying into a rich family where someone has just apparently murdered five of her children and her husband, it is probably one of the funniest books I have ever read. If a quiet chuckle is worth one point, an out-loud snicker ten points and a full-on guffaw twenty, then I reckon this book delivers about forty points an hour, and it has some very scary moments too.

Did I suggest that you should consider buying local? Well, that is a little tricky with our books. They are actually published globally out of the US, but they do trickle into every sales outlet in the world over time – the Book Depository is particularly good in that it offers free delivery worldwide for books which are generally cheaper than on Amazon. Or, you can buy the Kindle versions or indeed you can usually download them for free for a limited period via Smashwords.

Fast food fills a craving. It's easy, quick and filling, though it can often leave one feeling hungry about an hour later. Steak is something special, each morsel cooked to individual perfection. But here is where Night Publishing books abandons the metaphor. Our books cost less than most of the 'mainstream' books out there. Where else can you get a steak for less than a burger?