Publishers are busy people, so it should stand to reason that around 10% of the books submitted to them are even looked at. When they do pick up a manuscript, they don’t always read the entire book before deciding to publish it. Publishers don’t always read the whole book or manuscript before giving an author … Read more
You’ve submitted your manuscript, and you’re waiting for the agent, or agents, to make an offer on it. But how long can you expect to wait? It can take a literary agent a few months to a few years to make an offer. But this can vary dramatically and is one of the most drawn-out … Read more
Getting a book published can seem impossible. Some agents only work with published writers, and many publishers will only look at manuscripts submitted by agents. Is it possible to pay a publisher to print a book? Publishers usually do not print books for you because they don’t print books at all. Instead, publishers mostly work … Read more
You come to the end of your paperback novel, and there are blank pages. But why is that? The reason is simpler than you might think. Novels have blank pages at the end to avoid wasting money and paper. Blank pages in books accommodate the book’s signature, which is the way pages are grouped to … Read more
Genre fiction, sometimes referred to as ‘category fiction’ or ‘popular fiction’, is a term used to describe books which are written to fit the expectations of certain ‘genres. The best genre fiction writers know what their audiences are expecting, and serve it up to them in a way that keeps the reader returning for more. … Read more
After writing and editing your book, it’s ready to be published. However, do you have the rights to publish it? More importantly, do you need permission to publish it? You do not need permission to publish a book, as anyone can publish their own works at any time they wish. You only need permission to … Read more
We’re living in the time of Covid, of pandemic, but should you write a novel, play, or screenplay about your experiences of the pandemic, or provide your audience with a piece of escapism, to give them a break from the world of disease? First of all, it’s important to understand that disease has played a … Read more
Writers of fiction, plays, and screenplays should be aware of the rich tradition of story telling that is centred around conspiracy. The QAnon movement took America by storm, demonstrating again the public’s obsession with tales of conspiracy and intrigue. Remember, a conspiracy is just a secret plan between two or more people to get things … Read more
Lin-Manuel Miranda took seven years to write Hamilton and an entire year just to compose the song My Shot. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera took four years from its inception to Broadway, as well as his famous Broadway spectacle called Cats. If musical theater is your passion you might wonder how long it … Read more
This article introduces and provides information about the most common mythical creatures used in story telling, and should be useful for writers of fiction, plays, screenplays, and poetry! Some of our favourite stories feature mythical creatures prominently, right? For instance Harry Potter, or Lord of the Rings, or Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. Let’s dive right … Read more