Hookline Novel Competition

Hookline 2011 final

2011-10-31T10:05:00.000-07:00

We were hoping to announce the winner today, but... one reading group is still to return their ratings. The competition is close, with a fraction of a percentage point separating rating totals.

We hope to deliver a verdict tomorrow - promise!

Digital publishing is not a sausage machine

2011-10-24T04:49:00.000-07:00

Independent book shops are in a panic as they fight against the dominance of Amazon. They know they should have taken the company more seriously when it emerged from the digital test tube 15 years ago. As Amazon now moves now into book publishing, traditional publishers need to rethink how they do business?

Much of the UK book industry operates on centuries old practices that include large print runs and warehousing of books. But predicting print runs is a gamble, and unsold books stored too long in warehouses are likely to be pulped.

However new digital technology means that books can be printed as they are ordered, reducing any need for gauging sales in advance. Avoiding large print runs means that publishers can take chances on new writers who might attract only a small niche of readers.

But mention the technology of print-on-demand (POD) books to many UK publishers, and you are likely to see a sniff rise from a very traditional nose.

The US has range of innovative book publishers taking advantage of digital opportunities:

OR books specialise in fast-moving changes within politics and culture, publishing two titles a month and selling direct to customers who want in-depth analysis of the latest trends. www.orbooks.com

Dzanc books is a non-profit operation working with budding writers to improve their manuscripts. Dzanc publish the best of the polished works. Publishers Weekly in the US hailed them as the future of the industry. www.dzancbooks.org

Amazon itself is offering writers the chance to bypass publishers and use POD to sell their books as they are ordered through the retailer.

In the UK, POD tends to be limited to academic presses.

However, at Hookline Books we too are taking advantage of digital printing.

The UK has more than 50 universities offering MA programmes in writing. Graduates study the concepts of plot, dialogue, character development much as art students study visual concepts. But, as large publishing houses close their doors to submissions, few of these graduates reach publication. Realising that talent was being missed, we decided to accept submissions only from students and graduates of writing programmes. But rather than judge the submissions ourselves, we have a network of 30 book groups who read the early chapters, create a short list and decide the top fiction we should publish.

For four years now we have been bringing together new writers and serious readers in this way. As book groups sift the manuscripts, it is fascinating to watch the fiction that rises to the top. So far we have published a variety of genre from literary, historic to chick-lit.The readers love being involved in the publishing process, and the budding writers feel they are given a fair shot at publication by the people who matter – serious readers.

More than half our sales are now through e-books, but even this digital innovation is treated with disdain by some UK publishers who simply reformat existing scripts and stuff them into a digital sausage with no gamble in content or innovation in voice.

The digital world offers publishers opportunity, but while many in the UK fear the sky is falling on their old book presses, some of us are looking into the dawn of a wonderful future.

Libraries and our communities

2011-08-15T03:56:00.000-07:00

When I was little and wanted to know how to take care of a puppy, I went to the library. If I needed information on China, dolls or hamster habits, I went to the library.

Today, we all go to Google for snippets of information. Libraries are no longer the font of knowledge.

We all love libraries and want them saved, but they do have to change. Not everyone has the internet at home, and I'm happy to see most libraries offer online browsing.

But perhaps they could go further and, in light of last week's riots, become community hubs where people can come together and share information and ideas.

A few years ago, I launched an amateur dramatic group in a village that had become a bedroom community to Cambridge. A brief in the local paper was enough to bring in telephone calls from those interested, but meeting was tough - the local church wanted £20 for one night in their very cold hall. So I squeezed everyone into my house until we grew too big, and by then fundraising meant I could do a deal with a smaller church.

Libraries are about more than books. They are about people. Librarians know this, they are on the front line when it comes to communities and the knowledge they seek.

Many of us who praise libraries, no longer use them - it seems we buy our books (a great thing, no criticism there), but we do have to ask ourselves, 'What would take us back to the library?'

I'd love to hear a debate on libraries in the internet age and how they fit into the community - comments please!

Celebrity and novels

2011-06-22T02:56:00.001-07:00

An interesting debate occurred at the Galley Club a few weeks ago:

Should a publisher use a celebrity's name on a novel when the celebrity didn't write the work?

The publisher in question said 'Yes, it's about branding.' Readers seek to be identified by the celebrity in question.

I, and others, felt it was deceiving the reader - when I buy a novel by John Smith, I would like to know John Smith wrote it.

What do you think?

'was'

2011-06-20T02:56:00.000-07:00

This is a demon word - it's dull, tells nothing and drags out a sentence. But we all use it, especially when feeling lazy.

It is, simply, the past tense of the verb 'to be', but there are so many other words that can be used - more specific words:

He was running - he ran...

I was hoping - I hoped...

You get the point.

So writers, before sending in your manuscripts please use the 'find' function to reconsider each use of 'was'. Readers will appreciate it.

Advice to new writers

2011-06-13T01:33:00.001-07:00

Writers reaching stage two of the Hookline Novel Competition are busy editing their work. What follows is advice we would like to give them and other new writers:

1. It is not about you - the reader is the most important party in the relationship. You write a novel for others, it is not a personal indulgence (although celebrities who turn to writing fiction may disagree).

2. Plot and pace - writing a few chapters is easy compared to spanning the thread of a story through time and place. Ask objective friends to read it and listen to their advice.

3. It is your job to engage the reader - 30 pages is the minimum I ask of our volunteer readers. If a novel doesn't grab them by then, they can justifiably close the book. Don't say, 'They should have stayed with it - the plot improves!' The text is entirely in your hands - use it well.

4. Speling, spellang - Spelling! Nothing turns readers off more than bad spelling.

Hookline 2011 short list

2011-05-31T04:21:00.000-07:00

The reading groups have turned in their results:

Hookline 2011 Short list is:

Shannon Slater-Dent, Bath Spa University, November

Tamara Britten, UEA, Nandi Flame

Sarah Penny, St Andrews University, The Bundu Bashers

Gayle Kennedy, UEA, Underground

Kate Mitchell, Sheffield Hallam University, Shelter

Writers have until June 26 to submit their complete novel. These will be printed, bound and sent to reading groups who will evaluate the works based on plot, writing style, character development and reader satisfaction.

The winner announced November 2011

Hookline - short list announced soon.

2011-05-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

One more book group needs to deliver their results, and we will have our short list for 2011.

It's always an exciting time.

There has been a wide range of work - historical, young adult, fantasy and probably less adult contemporary work than ever before. This all makes it interesting to the book groups.

So watch this space. Five writers need to be ready to submit their complete novel. News on this tomorrow

Bringing readers and writers together

2011-04-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

In an effort to bring new writers and serious readers together, we are experimenting with a Facebook page.

Please visit, become a friend, like or comment at: Hookline Books

or follow this link

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hookline-Books-the-readers-choice/150756874968508

Hookline 2011

2011-02-22T07:27:00.001-08:00

Hookline 2011 submissions have gone out to book groups - always a relief and time for a brief pause .

Unfortunately, we've lost a few of our library book groups - the dreaded cutbacks!

We would love a few more book groups to join us. The competition can continue without them, but we have extra copies of the submission collections and I hate them to go unread and unjudged.

Each book group receives a bound collection of ten three-chapter submissions. Readers have until May 31 to choose the works that hooked them (actually, we ask groups to list first, second and third and then we assign a value and calculate, numerically, the top five works).

If you belong to a reading group that would like to join us, please contact me asap.

Editing, editing, editing

2011-02-10T00:14:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling hugely cross eyed after spending weeks editing and typesetting. Submissions to the Hookline Novel Competition took priority, and we were able to have the manuscripts typeset and off to the printer within three days (a record). With submissions, we change nothing within the text but do sometimes change the font to one the printer will accept.

While this has been going on, we've also been working with last year's winners Rachel Crowther and Ruby Soames on editing their novels. Rachel's novel has been renamed: The Partridge and the Pelican - rolls of the tongue easier than The Baby in the Phone Box.

Rachel's novel will reach publication in April to coincide with the London Book Fair. Ruby's Seven Days to Tell You will be available in June.

In the meantime, the editing and typesetting of these works continues.

Hookline is working

2011-01-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

I am editing Seven Days to Tell You by Ruby Soames and preparing for the arrival of The Partridge and The Pheasant (formerly The Baby in The Phone Box) by Rachel Crowther.

As I work on these novels, I am so proud of what Hookline has produced. There have been many times when I have wondered if I was deluded in thinking that we could approach fiction in a different way - giving power to readers is not a welcome concept in editing circles. But I love what Hookline Books has produced.

The competition has thrown up such a broad range of novels - not all to everyone's taste. But that is the nature of fiction - what one person likes, another will hate! But who decides what gets published? After being sure that the plot is sound, the prose meaningful and the characters worth the work, then isn't it all down to taste?

As we move into our fourth year of the competition, I realise that Hookline is working - we have six varied but very good novels.

May the 2011 competition bring many more.

2011-01-18T02:22:00.001-08:00

Entries for Hookline 2011 are coming in, all while we work on the two selections from last year. Seven Days to Tell You by Ruby Soames (Manchester Metropolitan University) will hopefully be in print soon; while The Partridge and the Pelican (formerly The Baby in the Phone Box) by Rachel Plemming (Oxford Brookes University) will go to print in the spring.

This will bring Hookline titles to six. For me that means some consolidation as we work on marketing and pushing the Hookline brand of reader-endorsed fiction.

Be ready literary world - here we come!

First Lines Competition

2011-01-10T02:34:00.000-08:00

The Hookline Novel Competition is entering it's fourth year - that's amazing!

But this year, we are going to add a twist - The First Line Contest!

First lines are hugely important - I know I am not alone when I say I have been hauled into novels simply based on those entry words. And Hookline book groups certainly seem to be drawn to good first lines.

Bryony Doran's first line in The China Bird reads: 'Edward hoards his mother's letters, not opening them straight away, but sometimes savouring what might be.'

Trevor Bloom begins The Half-Slave with: 'The boy sat in a tree high above the forest, his legs swinging.'

'Playing Mummy's little angel wasn't the ideal way to spend my formative years,' marks the beginning of Jilly Wosskow's A Young Woman's Guide to Carrying On.

'The chicken came first, we know that now,' begins Village Fate by PJ Davy.

These first lines take us straight to the main character and the action and provide some intrigue and inkling to the story ahead.

So Hookline writers be aware - we will copy the first line from each submission, paste it on our website and ask readers and book lovers to vote.

Why can't we use keywords when browsing for online fiction?

2010-12-09T03:17:00.000-08:00

BIC codes are great for print books, especially non-fiction.

Need to find a book on architectural art - your code will be Art; Architecture to create AM. Break this down to theory, and it becomes AMA. A super categorising tool for publishers, booksellers and distributors.

In the eBook age, the BIC codes are still useful for non-fiction. A search online at Waterstones using 'art, architecture, theory' will bring up relevant titles.

But with fiction, the BIC code system is no longer adequate.

Publishers putting out a new title that is 'historical fiction' must still use the same codes that we used for print. As a result, F is fiction; FV is 'historic fiction'. For 'historic mysteries' use FFH; for 'historic adventures' use FJH; for 'historic romance' use FFH.

Where does this leave the Roman romp as opposed to the Tudor tale or the World War I family saga? All could fall into the same category of FV and FFH, which means the consumer looking for historic romance set in a particular era, has to wade through hundreds of online pages before finding a book that might interest her - wading through page after page of book cover jpegs.

I think it is time for eBook retailers to use keywords for fiction - just like we do in any online search. The keywords could be scanned against the synopsis that publishers lodge with Nielsen. (sorry, I know scanned is the wrong word - but I'm not techy enough to know the verb for algorithms).

I love the theory for BIC codes, and they are wonderful for fiction. But they are no longer sufficient for online fiction.

The People's Book Prize

2010-12-06T04:23:00.000-08:00

The Half-Slave by Trevor Bloom is up for vote at The People's Book Prize.

It brought quite a tear to my eye to see the cover posted alongside Andrea Levy's The Long Song.

But now the work begins. The Half-Slave is available as a paperback and an Ebook. If you've read it and liked it, then please place your vote where it matters:

http://bit.ly/28yY40

New face of The China Bird

2010-11-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

When Hookline started we were going to be very democratic - not only would readers choose the novels for publication but they would be consulted on the book cover. This, sadly dear readers, was a mistake.

Book covers send very subtle messages to readers - we know from the colours (pastel or bold), imagery (defined or ethereal) and even the font (serif or non) whether this book is likely to satisfy our needs.

The young book designer who designed us with The China Bird wanted to create a memorable work of art - and so did we. Hence the bold, soaring bird on the black cover. Readers loved the fact that it was slightly avant garde with no hint of 'domestic' for female readers.

Sadly, Waterstones felt it was too Gothic to appeal to women readers. I argued my point that women selected the cover, but... Waterstones are experts in covers, and I, dear reader, saw it as Gothic forever more.

Hence our new, bright cover for The China Bird. Byrony Doran's story is untouched.

We hope you like it.

Hookline Favourite

2010-11-16T02:08:00.000-08:00

A good novel is a partnership between a writer and readers. Writers create, and readers respond to the creation - no response can be a death knell.

At Hookline, we'd originally planned to publish only one winner a year. Until we saw that good works were being left behind.

Hence, the Hookline Favourite. Trevor Bloom's The Half-Slave was our first favourite, and this unusual novel has been praised by the Historic Novels Review, The Slingshot and other history journals on both sides of the Atlantic.

Today, we publish our second Hookline Favourite. Village Fate -A Country Tale of Cooks, Crooks and Chickens by PJ Davy is a comedy set in a very English village. Readers said it made them laugh out loud.

Writers create - readers respond. That is what publishing fiction is about.

Hookline Winners

2010-11-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

The statistics have been analysed and it was close. Four novels, totally different from each other, all offering something unique.

But the readers have spoken.

Rachel Crowther and The Baby in the Phone Box, a tale of motherhood, friendship, secrets and loss came out as the overall favourite.

Readers said it captured the mid-life crisis with characters that they could believe in.

Another hugely popular novel with readers was Seven Days to Tell You by Ruby Soames. This tracks a marriage in crisis, and many readers say they couldn't put it down.

Both works will be published by Hookline Books next year.

The two other novels: Leeward Lady by Rita Wheeler and Apple Castle by Angela Sherlock had solid support from reading groups.

Anyone wishing to read the first chapters of the works can visit:

www.booklinethinker.com/hookline

We look forward to a new year with new titles to show the reading public.

In the meantime, the Hookline Novel Competition starts again next year - details soon.

Hookline Novel Competition draws to a close

2010-10-29T05:56:00.000-07:00

Results from reading groups who judge the Hookline Novel Competition are coming in, and we have no idea which novel will rise to the top.

Which is unusual, most years there are one or two works that simmer above others. This year, however, the four short-listed works are quite different and seem to elicit a polarised reaction - what some groups love, others dislike intensely.

To recap:

Leeward Lady by Rita Wheeler is a detective-style novel set in the Caribbean with enough twists and turns to keep any reader busy.

The Apple Castle by Angela Sherlock follows a dark path through a 1950s institution with secrets.

Seven Days to Tell You by Ruby Soames looks backward at a marriage and leaves the reader speculating on the way forward.

The Baby in the Phone Box by Rachel Crowther looks at three friends through the decades.

I'm trying hard not to give too much away but, if you'd like to read the first chapters then visit the website: http://www.booklinethinker.com/hookline.html

Hookline Deadline approaches

2010-10-18T03:22:00.000-07:00

Reading groups are returning their grading papers and the competition is wide open. Amazingly, some readers say there is a 'clear winner', but each reader who says this nominates a different manuscript as the 'clear winner'.

I love this - it reiterates all I feel about Hookline.

Watch this space

Ebook websites - same old shop front

2010-10-14T03:46:00.000-07:00

Retail figures show that ebook sales figures mimic their print cousins - what makes a best seller in paperback is making a best seller in electronic format.

Ebooks were supposed to be the long tail in publishing - offering small publishers and new writers an even playing board, not having to pay a five figure sum for space in the shop window or on a table.

The news is more than a little disappointing for small guys like us, and I blame the ebook retailers. Look at any ebook website and the front page will be loaded with best sellers. Try to browse for a new and interesting title and you have to wade through page after page of prominent sellers. Want 'historic fiction' - Georgette Heyer and Patrick O'Brien - there is no opportunity to focus on an era in fiction or a type of historic fiction. Same with that broad term 'women's' or 'literary'. So the big guys get the prominent spots and the little guys are relegated to the back shop.

I've talked to ebook retailers about this - ranted, maybe a little - and they simply tell me it is about bibliographic data. We, as publishers, provide this information, and while we specify an era of historic fiction, the retailers still lump all historic drama together and let potential readers sift, like we have the time.

But I've been talking to friends who know the www, and they say that algorithms are the answer - key words that the consumer can use to find a novel of interest.

What do you think? Any ebook consumers or publishers who are as frustrated as I am?

Village Fate - our latest Hookline Favourite

2010-09-03T06:54:00.001-07:00

Choosing a 'winner' among fiction is a tough task. Sometimes it is a fraction of a decimal that separates the novel that comes top to the one that comes second. Unfair!

Which is why we have 'Hookline Favourites' - we don't want to leave a good novel behind.

Last year's 'Favourite' was Trevor Bloom's The Half-Slave. The mostly female book group readership loved it. Some said it was a bit gory at times, but the 5th century tale of young man growing in stature, knowledge and honour was a definite hit. And the Historical Novel Review journal gave it a definite thumbs up.

This year we will publish Village Fate - A Country Tale of Cooks, Crooks and Chickens by PJ Davy. In brief:

Neville would love a woman in his life – until three turn up at once! Cynthia believes Neville is her soul mate. Fliss just wants him to wake up and smell the chickens. Lucy, well, no one is sure what Lucy wants, but it is unlikely to be Neville in his bicycle clips. And then there is Baby Behr and Mummy Behr, who would be happy if Daddy Behr did not spoil their domestic bliss. Nettlecombe Hatchett villagers come together as strange creatures stir in the undergrowth.

Readers called it:

‘Exuberant writing style! The climax had me roaring with laughter.’

‘An amusing take on a serious subject … an enjoyable read.’

‘A light-hearted modern morality tale.’

Look for Village Fate by PJ Davy, published in November

The China Bird takes on new feathers

2010-08-19T01:50:00.000-07:00

We're preparing a new cover for The China Bird. While the current cover with its huge white swan is eye catching, some in the industry don't like it. They say it does not speak to the demographics the title is aimed at - women over 35. I guess this group are supposed to have pastel shades and domestic imaging.

Anyway, we've listened and come up with a new cover - courtesy of Donald McColl.

We've stayed away from pastels and love the new imagery. What do you think?

If you'd like to read an excerpt from The China Bird, click here

Jilly's on air

2010-08-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

Jilly Wosskow will be interviewed on BBC Radio Sheffield this morning by Rony Robinson. He can be difficult at times - he pushed Bryony for details of the death of her father when she was a child although it had no relevance to her novel. Jilly will no doubt be grilled about her accident, the impact on her life and her advice to young women.

Listen with interest!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7gs

Hookline First Chapters Posted For Review

2010-08-03T01:33:00.000-07:00

As promised, the first chapter of each novel on the Hookline short list is on our website for reader review.

The book groups have the works as bound books, but this is the first time we have opened these to general readership.

So look now - http://www.booklinethinker.com/hookline.html

Why suspicion over the academic study of writing?

2010-08-02T02:37:00.000-07:00

Front Row (BBC Radio 4) reviewed the merit of university post-graduate writing courses both in the UK and in the USA.

Unfortunately, the tone of the programme was one of a trial, with the academic study of creative writing coming under serious suspicion.There was only small mention that writing is an art. No one is disdainful of academic pursuits in painting, sculpture or textiles, so why should there be suspicion of the study of words?

AA Gill is a graduate of the Slade but he famously said he didn’t discover his art until he found words.

No one can deny that it is becoming increasingly difficult for new writers to surface. Many large publishers refuse unsolicited submissions, so what is a new writer to do?

The world is changing and new ways forward have to be forged.

The Hookline Novel Competition evolved because of the academic study of words. Why shouldn't new writers who sacrifice time, employment and money be given an opportunity? Our original aim was to uncover good, solid writing, and we believe that through MA writing programmes we are doing exactly that.

Would you like to read the early chapters of the Hookline short list?

2010-07-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hookline's 2010 competition has only four novels in the short list. One writer withdrew as she wanted her husband as co-author. Unfortunately, he isn't studying for an MA in any form of writing, and the rules are the rules - so she withdrew.

The four titles we have are totally different from each other.

The Apple Castle by Angela Sherlock is a mystery set in a reform school shortly after the war.

Seven Days To Tell You by Ruby Soames follows Kate and the decision she has to take about her marriage.

The Baby in the Phone Box by Rachel Crowther is a tale of secrets and motherhood as it follows a friendship.

Leeward Lady by Rita Wheeler tells of suspicious deaths, sinking boats and a detective who won't give up.

If you would to read the early chapters on our website, please let me know and I'll post them on Monday.

E-books need friendlier book shops

2010-07-02T04:40:00.000-07:00

Trying to browse e-titles on most websites is a frustrating experience. If you are going on holiday and want six new novels for your e-reader, are open to trying new authors, even new genre, then browsing is a far from pleasurable activity.

Historical fiction, for instance, throws up thousands of titles with no way of subdividing. It is a huge task to view 10 titles a page with only a thumbnail of the cover, page after page. Contemporary fiction generates even more titles. And even if you find a cover that looks interesting, try reading the blurb or the first page - elementary tasks in a book shop.

I am growing weary of e-book shopping - great for the hunters who know exactly the title they seek; bad for the gatherers among us who like to browse and sample.

As a publisher with e-books, we hear almost daily from new outfits offering to take our e-books and convert them to huge sales. Thankfully, I don't believe them!

Retail websites have to become more reader friendly.

Seductive titles

2010-06-26T00:52:00.000-07:00

The Hand That First Held Mine - how could you not desire a book with this title? The Maggie O'Farrell book is still in hardback, but the urge to start reading a work with this introduction could not be ignored. I paid my money and have not been disappointed.

Other books have had a similar effect on me: Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler, When I Lived In Modern Times by Linda Grant - The urge to take these titles down from the shelf right now still exists.

Other titles that have grabbed me are The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah and Weep Not Child by Ngugi wa Thiong'o, both books offering windows on a land so many still do not understand.

And I guess that is the beauty of the title - it draws the reader forward. But it has to be strong to do this - suggestive of a world within.

Authors need to think of this as they write and use the title as a lure, like you're fishing for readers.

Jilly's first outing

2010-06-17T01:32:00.000-07:00

It's Independent Booksellers Week and Bohemian Books in Castleford will host Jilly Wosskow, author of The Young Woman's Guide to Carrying On.

As many of you know, Jilly has had some bad luck lately - she was stranded in Thailand and missed her book launch (okay, not so awful) but then her the postponed launch was cancelled after she fell and broke her hip (truly awful).

So those around the Castleford area please stop at Bohemian Books, Sagar Street, Castleford in Yorkshire.

www.bohemianbooks.co.uk

Hookline Short list

2010-06-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

The following writers have reached the short list for the Hookline Novel Competition:

Paula McDonald of Manchester Metropolitan University with Lost Myself

Rita Wheeler of Bournemouth University with Leeward Lady

Rachel Crowther of Oxford Brookes University with The Baby in the Phone Box

Angela Sherlock of University College Falmouth with The Apple Castle

Ruby Soames of Manchester Metropolitan University with Seven Days to Tell You.

The short list was based on book groups reading the first three chapters.

These writers will now submit their complete works. These will be bound and distributed to book groups who will rate them on Writing style, character developments, plot and reader satisfaction.

Writers and Readers - you can't have one without the other

2010-06-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

Writing a good novel is an illusive quest. After all, who can declare a novel as good? Certainly not the writer, no matter how much time and anguish have been poured into the plot. Determining a novel as good comes down to the recipient of the work, the reader!

I frequently tell writers that they are not writing for themselves, but for the reader. They often roll their eyes for they see the novel as 'their' work. But without the reader, the work is like a bride without a groom, a bat without the ball, a bike without wheels, you get the picture!

Reader comments are arriving as the Hookline Novel Competition moves to the end of the first stage. Readers have read the first three chapters of submissions, and it is easy to see which works are rising to the top. It is those where the readers have said 'Can't wait to read more!' I so look forward to those.

On the other hand, I feel disappointment for those whose works have attracted negative comments. I hope these writers will not grow angry and defensive - their works have gone before at least 30 readers. Instead, I hope they listen to the reader and look at their work with new eyes. 'Banal' means spark it up. 'Confusing', then restructure and rewrite. 'Laboured', have a glass of wine and start again.

I guess what I am saying to writers is listen to the reader - they are the other half of a beautiful relationship!

Hookline stage one results - still coming in

2010-06-02T01:44:00.000-07:00

Never have a deadline around a bank holiday - responses come in so much more slowly.

The deadline for stage 1 of Hookline was Monday, and we are still awaiting some results. To all the writers who sent in submissions, we apologise. Importantly, we hope to be able to deliver results by Friday. Everyone will be informed by email.

Hookline moves toward a short list

2010-05-26T03:33:00.001-07:00

Results are coming in for this year's Hookline Novel Competition short list. Book groups have been reading the first three chapters of submissions and rating them out of 5. As we enter the results into Excel, it looks interesting with most readers agreeing on favoured books.

We have learned to respect the readers' decisions. They are put off by poor spelling, punctuation and sloppy writing. After that, they generally love a story that grabs them and makes them want to read more. Sounds like a simple task but, as we all know, creating a great novel also requires that magical factor that is so very difficult to define.

The short list will be announced next week.

Screen writing and The China Bird

2010-05-11T02:31:00.000-07:00

I slept late this morning and needed a boost into the day. As I downed my fourth coffee, I watched Lorraine Kelly - her breeziness makes me feel as though a friend is bustling me into action. Lorraine's guest this morning was Ruth Wilson, the actress who played Queenie in the BBC's screen version of Small Island by Andrea Levy. Through my tired haze, I heard Ruth talk about women screen writers, how few there are and how they approach a work differently from men.

Hmmm, sometimes sleepiness diverts the brain cells, and I started thinking about our very own Rachel in The China Bird by Bryony Doran. Rachel is a complex character, thwarted in youth, a compromised marriage but never loosing the drive to attain more than the hand fate dealt her. Ruth Wilson would be great as the young Rachel, teasing but being drawn toward an affair with her uncle. In fact, the whole novel would play well on screen. Art student Angela keen to find beauty in bodies society normally turns away from. Edward looking the world in the eye while he drags around his deformity. Angela persuading Edward to pose for her - first dressed and then shedding his clothes along with his protective armour.

Who would approach such a project with the sensitivity it deserves?

Men with their empathy for Edward who seeks a sexual relationship with this women who has seduced him to nakedness.

Women who understand that beauty and attraction are about more than body perfection?

Or is there no gender basis for this argument?

Answers please!

Historical Novel Society reviews The Half-Slave

2010-05-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

THE HALF-SLAVE

Trevor Bloom, Hookline, 2010, £10.99, pb, 385pp, 9780955563065

This novel, set in 476 AD, depicts the fighting for control between the warring Germanic Saxons and Franks as they journey through Europe to claim the riches, slaves and territories formerly owned by the crumblingRoman Empire .

The Half-Slave, Ascha is on guard for his clan, the Saxon Theodi, whose ship lies anchored whilst the men rest on land.

Ascha’s father, Aelfric,is the hetman, and his older step-brothers are Hanno and Hroc, who are allowed to bear arms, unlike Ascha who is forbidden to as the son of a Pritorian slave. Ascha warns his clansmen of approaching riders. They are Southern Franks, whose Overlord, Childeric had grown more powerful as the Roman Empire crumbled.

Childeric’s son, Clovis , commands Aelfric to meet Childeric at Tornacum, and stays as guarantor for Aelfric’s return. Hroc overhears Clovis questioning Ascha and is about to kill him during a fight when Ascha deflects the blow and saves Clovis ’s life.

Hanno tends to Ascha and explains that a pact has been forged between the two tribes. Childeric demands one of Aelfric’s son becomes a hostage atTornacum, and Ascha is chosen.

He feels an outsider in both camps and tries to reconcile his feelings towards his family, as he strives for a sense of identity. Adversities abound as he travels throughout the territories, relaying reports to Childeric’s agents. He rekindles an affair with Saefaru, who has married his childhood rival, Wulfhere.

Wulfhere’s vengeful schemes undermine Ascha’s efforts and imperil him. When Ascha discovers that Childeric’s plans involve attacking the Saxons, he has to decide where his loyalties lie.

I found the realism in the characters and situations, and deftly woven plot strands made this a gripping story. I appreciated the glossary, map and place name translations.

Janet Williamson

Road to Hookline can be rocky

2010-05-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Poor Jilly! This year's Hookline Novel Winner had intended to party her socks off. With her debut novel - A Young Woman's Guide to Carrying On - out on the first day of the London Book Fair, she planned party after party between London and her home in Sheffield.

But the volcanic ash that grounded all air traffic in northern Europe meant that she was stranded in Thailand (Okay, no great horror there!). But, on her return, Jilly and her family had four launch parties planned. The first was to take place at Sheffield Hallam University on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, Jilly fell on Tuesday and broke her hip!

But she's taking it all superbly. Surgery went well and she swears she'll be back on her high heels very soon.

An inspiration!

The road to Hookline might be rocky but, take it from Jilly, that should not stop any of us!

Carrying on with Jilly Wosskow

2010-05-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Jilly Wosskow missed her book launch due to being stranded in Thailand during the volcanic ash crisis. But she's back and had a radio interview this morning on BBC Radio Sheffield. Talking on radio is not easy, you have to forget about the listener and talk to the host. Jilly's host Rony Robinson asked her some awkward questions about a topic authors dread - does the book mimic your life? NO, NO, NO - authors have imaginations, that's why they write.

Jilly answered questions such as:

Did you have a big fall out with your daughter like the character in the book? NO!

Do you carry on? HMMM, WHAT COULD HE MEAN?

Did you get turned on writing the sex scenes? BEING DISCREET, JILLY REFUSED TO TELL OLD RONY!

So, well done, Jilly!

Some good deflections!

Hookline - verdicts coming soon!

2010-04-29T04:33:00.000-07:00

It's the onset of May this weekend, and the end of the month will see book groups compile their verdicts. It's hard to compare fictional genre - like choosing an apple over an orange, for how can you compare fantasy with young adult or even historical. People often have their favourite genre but, with Hookline, many readers find themselves captured by a genre they wouldn't normally choose. It is not unusual to hear a reader say, 'I wouldn't usually read this but... I enjoyed it.'

Those words bring me huge joy (okay, maybe I should get out more).

So, I've peeked at the entries and look forward to hearing from the book groups. It's a tough competition!

Why do we read fiction?

2010-04-26T02:46:00.001-07:00

It's a fundamental question, but I'm sure we all have differing answers:

1. Escape in a plot - and why not? Isn't this the essence of fiction from ancient times when we sat around the fire and listened to elders tell stories that explained nature, told us why we shouldn't wander into woods alone and how good would always triumph over evil.

2. The beauty of words - the pleasure of the nouns, verbs and adjectives that, when strung together, create a wondrous description.

3. Characters who come to life. Lev in Rose Tremain's The Road Home became so real that I think of him as someone I truly knew when I see eastern Europeans who are in hard times on the streets of London.

4. A habitual hobby - I don't think so. Time to curl up on the couch is valuable, and I hate wasting it on a patent tale that wastes words on vacuous explanations.

Why do we read fiction? Answers in the post please!

All the fun of the book fair

2010-04-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

So many book titles and covers are exhibited at the fair that it is dazzling. Usually, there is little time to browse, but the grounding of aircraft meant that many foreign book publishers couldn't make it and meetings were cancelled.

Our rights agent was stranded in Spain - so no foreign deals at this fair.

Also our new author, Jilly Wosskow, didn't make it to London to celebrate her book launch. She'd been visiting Thailand - and no flights meant no Jilly!

Thankfully, the other Hookline authors, Bryony Doran and Trevor Bloom, came by. Some publishers say authors don't belong at the fair, but without authors - no books!

Otherwise, what did I learn:

Ebook sales via Gardners will get easier - better metadata streaming.

Waterstones have growing awareness of Hookline and provided details of how to approach each store manager.

Book Depository - how to better work with this rival to Amazon.

Social Networking - I am fired and will tweet, blog and link with much more frequency.

A good fair - not a buzz-filled arena - but lots of solid connections made that will be good for the future of Hookline

Ebook shopping - we have a long way to go

2010-04-14T05:24:00.001-07:00

Personally, I love ebooks. I can take a trip knowing that I have seven or eight books to read, all tucked up neatly in my handbag.

And, as a publisher, I love ebooks because they offer a cheaper route to market.

But as a consumer, finding an ebook I want to read is a drag.

Click the ebook page of a retailer and you will see the latest best sellers. But if you want to browse for an interesting read, perhaps by an author you have never read before and you are keen to try something new - then buying an ebook is far from pleasant.

Clicking on 'Contemporary Fiction' turns up thousands of titles with each screen showing only the book cover. After seven or eight pages, I often give up. 'Historical Fiction' again turns up thousands of titles with no way of cutting through to an era or sub-genre you might like.

The reason for this is that retailers are using bibliographic codes assigned to fiction by Nielsen, the book data people. But an ebook retail site should function much like a book shop, and I should not have to wade through Mills & Boon style novels when what I am looking for is more sophisticated contemporary fiction for women. I'm not sure how we do this, but consumers should not have to waste their time viewing the covers of novels they have no interest in simply because there is no filtering system.

And in a further frustration, when I find a book cover that looks interesting, the summary blurb is often absent and I have to go to the retailer's print page to discover what the book is about.

But shouldn't we go further and offer consumers more than the back cover blurb? Frequently I will take a chance on a new author if the first page of the novel grabs me. On ebook websites there is no provision for reading the introductory paragraphs.

As a publisher, I am keen to see ebooks succeed (all our titles go simultaneously to print and ebook). But as a consumer, frustration with the retail websites means that I often buy print - the process is so much easier.

For ebooks to succeed, the shopping experience must improve dramatically.

Reader power

2010-04-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Where would the book industry be without readers?

But, if you go to any book industry fair readers are absent - no one even talks about them! Walk the aisles between the stands of the London Book Fair and you may think that we produce books for ourselves.

At last year's London Book Fair there was a seminar on new writers and where do they come from. There were lots of platitudes on listening to new voices and being open minded to new narrative. But at no point did anyone discuss taking those new voices to the reader. On the panel was Fay Weldon and, at the end, I asked her about readers and letting them choose writers - much as we do at Hookline. She shook her head quite sadly saying that if we left it to readers we would all be reading Jordan!

How insulting. Did Ms. Weldon's books get foisted upon readers by publishers? Or did readers decide they liked her work and give her a measure of success? I think she would prefer to think that readers chose to read her novels.

So I am armed for this year's London Book Fair and promise to put forth the power of the reader!

Time flies

2010-03-26T04:28:00.001-07:00

Busy month editing the latest Hookline Book - A Young Woman's Guide to Carrying On by Jilly Wosskow (note, the title change from a simple 'Carrying On'). We had a few dilemma's regarding the cover - drawing, photograph or a blend of both. The designer came up with a drawing of a bed with pillows kissing. I thought it was clever, but others thought it was too subtle. Anyway, cover and text have been put to bed. Publication takes place on April 19.

Trevor Bloom had a launch party for his novel, The Half-Slave. It was great fun - I always love a party. The Historical Novel Society will carry a review of The Half-Slave in May - how could they not like it?

All is quiet among book groups, so I assume they are busy reading the early chapters. I'm so looking forward to their reviews.

No blog - too much work!

2010-02-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

The Half-Slave reaches the shops this week - yahoo! I love this book.

In addition, we're working very hard on editing Carrying On, the Hookline 2009 publication, and it should be ready for the London Book Fair. We've changed the title to make it a little sexier - A Young Woman's Guide to Carrying On.

The Hookline 2010 paperbacks will arrive from printers this week and, as soon as they hit the floor, they will be repackaged and sent to book groups. We've lost some of our book groups this year due to library closures, which is tremendously sad. Librarians report that the Hookline provided an added element to bring reading groups together. Some even say there were huge arguments as groups had to reach a consensus on who to put forward to the second stage. I love the idea of readers feeling so devoted to a story that they speak out in its defence.

So all work this month - not too much play, but we'll do that after the book fair.

Hookline 2010

2010-02-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

The Hookline 2010 deadline has been reached and there can be no more submissions.

The person who sent a cheque, application form and no script - sorry, what were you thinking? We've emailed you twice as a reminder. And the person who sent a script, payment but no application form - we need you to confirm your university details and that you accept the rules of the competition. Again, two emails as reminder should have been enough to prompt a response.

But the great news about the competition is the range of novels - great titles and intriguing first lines that make me want to read so much more. I love first lines - maybe we should have a sideline competition based purely on first lines. If I only had the time.

bright new cover for The Half-Slave

2010-02-02T01:11:00.000-08:00

We're busy typesetting submissions to this year's Hookline Novel Competition - but I had to share the cover of The Half-Slave by Trevor Bloom.

After readers came back with positive reviews, I had to read this book - even though historical fiction from post-Roman times does not normally give me pleasure. I set myself a course of reading 50 pages a day and then romped through 380 pages in just two days. The flawed hero has a real sense of purpose and at no point do we doubt his pursuit as self-indulgent or contrived.

Trevor has done a great job. I'm proud this title is going out with Hookline Books.

Look for it in paperback and ebook format from February 26.

A new Hookline winner

2010-01-27T04:15:00.000-08:00

Art, like life, is never predictable

We recently announced the Hookline Novel Competition winner. Frank Kennedy’s novel, The Tartarus Machine, is an unusual work uniting Greek drama with greed and the banking crisis. It was no surprise to readers of the work that Frank, who studied for his MA in writing at City University, London, is a post-graduate student at the London School of Economics. Given his studies, Frank wants to be sure he captures the banking field exactly. As a result, he feels he cannot meet the Hookline deadline and has asked to step aside and finish the work later this year. The Tartarus Machine will go to press later as a Hookline Favourite.

The joy of the Hookline Novel Competition is that the novels that rise to the top are always so varied. Last year the top three novels fell into contemporary, historic and young adult genre. This year is no different. The novel we will publish as our Hookline Winner this year is Jilly Wosskow’s Carrying On, a comic novel of love, marriage and family. Both Frank and Jilly are happy with this arrangement.

In the meantime, the Hookline Novel Competition 2010 is proving popular, and we are thrilled to unite serious new writers with the consuming readers who participate in book groups. The original aim was to let readers find fictional gems worth publishing, and we believe they are doing that.

Huge Dilemma

2010-01-26T09:31:00.000-08:00

What to do when a prize is offered, and the recipient says 'maybe later'?

The Hookline novel winner in 2009 isn't sure he is ready for publication - even though the timeline of the competition was clear for all who were submitting - winner announced in November, quick editing and then publication in April for the London Book Fair.

The Tartarus Machine looks at greed and the banking crisis through the lens of Greek drama - heavy but fun. The book club judges were enthusiastic while acknowledging that it needed work. I feel the structure is sound, have given the author specific points and feel it is reachable. The subject matter is topical - greed and the banking crisis, but the author feels in need of more time. I have extended the deadline but there is a definite reluctance to commit.

What to do?

I simply feel a huge sense of abandonment - Hookline is unique - bringing readers to serious new writers, letting the readers find the novels for publication. I have loved this process, watched it excitedly to see what gems the readers will uncover - and they have found gems. You simply have to look at The China Bird and The Half-Slave to see that.

So do I let the author go and dig back into the results for the manuscript that came second? After all, there were only .2 points between them, and the second novel is a well written, humorous tale that made me laugh out loud.

What is an editor to do?

A busy little Hookline

2010-01-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

It's the third year of the Hookline Novel Competition and all three years seem to have converged on January.

1. We are accepting submissions for this year's competition - deadline January 31.

2. We are putting together the final draft of our first 'Hookline Favourite' - The Half-Slave by Trevor Bloom. This was originally submitted in 2008 and, while the novel didn't win, readers loved it so much that we decided not to leave it behind. More Hookline Favourite's will follow.

3. Winner of the Hookline 2009, Frank Kennedy, should be finalising The Tartarus Machine for publication in April.

It is an amazingly busy start to 2010 - cheers!

Why Hookline is limited to MA students and grads

2010-01-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

Writers frequently contact us asking why the competition is limited to MA writers and students. The answer is quite simple, if we opened it up to everyone we couldn't cope with the deluge of submissions. In the early days of conception, we researched writing competitions and were startled to discover the number of submissions - Richard and Judy's competition brought in 30,000 entries. Given that we rely heavily on book groups to read the works, we couldn't have handled a tenth of those submissions. Book groups give a lot of their time when reading for the competition, we have to be careful not to overload them with manuscripts.

So a definitive cut-off point in entries was important.

And while we recognise that many people who don't study post-graduate writing are good writers, we felt that taking the time out of daily life, and coughing up the university fees, showed a commitment to writing. While the MA is not perfect, it provides a degree of legitimacy to the new writer.

So we are sorry to those budding novelists who would like to enter Hookline, but it is the only way we can keep our book group readers happy.

Hookline enters its third year

2010-01-04T03:43:00.001-08:00

The new year brings a lot of work but, I believe, Hookline Books will grow. We have such a broad selection of fiction that it is a testament to readers and their appetite for a well-told tale.

The Half-Slave by Trevor Bloom will be released on February 26 - a well-researched historical novel with a flawed but motivated hero, and characters neither wholly good or bad. Readers loved this story, and I am proud to take it to publication.

The Tartarus Machine by Frank Kennedy will hopefully go to press in April. It's an unusual tale of banking, the credit crunch and greed - all told as Greek myth. I didn't expect to like this story, but readers do find gems. A great and timely tale that will find resonance for readers both familiar and unfamiliar with the banking industry.

We can't forget last year's winner, The China Bird by Bryony Doran. This story of beauty, love, sex and secrets is perhaps more traditional book club fare, and Bryony's poetic prose led to some great reviews.

What will the Hookline Novel Competition in 2010 bring?

Who knows, but it is a great adventure.

Hookline 2009 winner

2009-12-01T03:47:00.000-08:00

This year's winner is The Tartaurus Machine by Frank Kennedy of City University. It's an unusual novel - a fantasy/thriller set in the banking industry but using Greek mythological parallels.
Readers loved it, saying:
"A remarkably quick-off-the-mark and original take on the origins of the credit crunch and the global recession."
"Not the sort of book I would normally read, but I was enthralled – learned something too! I liked the comparison with Hades – thoroughly enjoyed it!"
It is the beauty of the Hookline competition that you never know what will rise to the top. Frank's novel is not a traditional read for book clubs, and it was one of the longest manuscripts submitted, but the majority of readers gave it positive reviews.
However, it was a close competition and watching the results come in - we did almost daily analysis - the lead title changed frequently.
I love watching the process as it truly reveals the subjective nature of fiction - while you may love the apple, others simply prefer the pear.
But watch for news of the Hookline Favourites, we plan on leaving no good novel behind.

Hookline 2010 launched

2009-11-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

While we've been drawing in results of the Hookline 2009 competition, we've also been launching Hookline 2010 - our third year!
We need to launch early to give writers the chance to polish their manuscripts for the January 31 deadline.
But we've made a few changes to next year's competition.
Firstly - It's an all electronic submission, from application form to submission of manuscript as a Word document.
Secondly - Many reading groups have complained that they had too many books to read in the second stage. The book groups are fundamental to Hookline - without them the competition could not function. We have to listen and take care of our readers.
So we are evolving - as always.
During the first year of the competition, we felt that eight short-listed novels were too many for readers, so we sent each book group multiple copies of two manuscripts. However, when the winning manuscript was announced, many book groups were unfamiliar with the work and therefore felt disenfranchised.
In the second year, we sent each book group multiple copies of all short-listed works but reading them took up a huge chunk of leisure life for many readers.
So, next year we will limit the shortlist to five works. Reading groups will still choose the shortlist, but they will be asked to assign a 1st, 2nd and 3rd. These results will be tallied giving 3 points to each 1st award; 2 points to each 2nd; and 1 point to each 3rd place. The top five works in tally will be shortlisted.
Importantly, readers will be able to give each work the time it deserves.
So, while the results of this year's competition are coming in, next year's Hookline is already underway.

Hookline 09 results coming in

2009-10-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

Results of this year's Hookline Novel Competition are coming in, and I love seeing those numbers build. We've no idea which novel will rise to the top - that's what makes it so exciting.
To recap, there were eight novels in the shortlist:
Sinners by Howard Baker, Anglia Ruskin University.
Better Than the Dream by Mary Aherne, Hull University.
Carrying On by Jilly Wosskow, Sheffield Hallam University
The Tartarus Machine by Frank Kennedy, City University
Talk and Walk, by Janice Hurst, Anglia Ruskin University
Working It Out, by Andrew Leigh, Sheffield Hallam Universtiy
View From the Top, by Cara Wides, Brunel
The Sweetest Song, by Penny Hancock, Anglia Ruskin
The novels rang in genre from contemporary to fantasy.
Many of the book groups will host their meetings in early November and the late results should come in then.
I love this excitement - most publishers know exactly what titles they are launching in the New Year. At Hookline, we haven't a clue - it's all in the hands of the readers.

Frankfurt Book Fair

2009-10-19T08:46:00.001-07:00

I'm glad I went, even though my hotel was in a red-light district and going home at night required real bravado. The Frankfurt Fair has a totally different feel to London. Most obviously, it's at least four times the size. But more specifically, it seems that London is about the business of publishing - where it's going and why go there - while Frankfurt is about selling rights. In London, Rights Agents sit with the Gods above a heavily-guarded stairwell. In Frankfurt, Rights Agents have stands like the rest of us - which means they have to pay to display, queue for coffee and eat old bread rolls like the rest of us.
On the first day, I wondered why I was there - Illustrata handle our rights, we don't have too many titles to showcase and the seminars focused heavily on the Chinese and their business models (they were the guest country).
Thankfully, I love walking. So I trekked those long halls, looking at covers, trends and talking to publishers who had the time for conversation - many did!
So I'm home, geared with confidence and lengthening that neverending 'to-do' list.

Frankfurt Book Fair

2009-10-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

I'm a Frankfurt Book Fair virgin, but I'm hoping for good things.
Firstly, Angela of Illustrata, our translation and rights agency, will be upstairs where the Gods trade authors and titles. No one, other than a God, is allowed up there.
I will be downstairs with the mortals where I'll promote Bookline and Hookline books to foreign publishers. I'm there sharing space at the Fair with other members of the Independent Publishing Guild. Between ourselves, we'll trade advice, experience, contacts and, thankfully, some laughter.
So what am I hoping for? Obviously, translation and international rights deals as I really believe the Hookline Novels are great reads - and who could argue that point when they have been chosen by serious readers? But I have a few other meetings lined up that should lead to enhancing Bookline, Hookline and our authors - more later! I'll also visit every seminar that looks useful and ask all the questions I need to move forward.
It's three years now since I visited the London Book Fair and soaked up all I could - Bookline and Hookline had not been conceived, never mind born.

Life's a juggle

2009-10-05T08:01:00.001-07:00

Between negotiating the ebook track, and facilitating the final stages of Hookline, I'm pushing a very exciting project - well, perhaps exciting to 50% of the population.
It's Not Just Lipstick - skin care, make up and other beauty tips by Sarah Skillen is aimed at busy women who want to look good but can't afford the time or money often associated with the business.
Sarah has been a beautician to ordinary women for more than 20 years. I've been going to her for at least a decade, and she's given me facials, pedicures, waxes and more - the woman knows me better than any husband! The great thing about Sarah is that when I've shown up with pimples, unmatched eyebrows or rashes, she's not only told me what is wrong, but also what I could do about it. After the latest facial rash, she advised me to ditch a £30 cleanser and use Johnson's 3 in 1 at £3 a tube - I love it and no more rash.
Sarah is shy about putting her digits to the keyboard, so we've evolved a complicated system whereby she handwrites hints and tips and passes them to me each week. Slowly we have been built up a catalogue of her knowlege that should be ready for publication by Bookline and Thinker next year.
A sidebar to this - with Sarah's advice, my make up looks less clown-like and my husband doesn't mind being seen in daylight with me.

Authors are a book's best friend

2009-10-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

There are so many theories on how to sell books - smooze booksellers, bombard bloggers, and push into newspapers. The most outragious is to have an affair with someone famous but unromantic (someone newsworthy like John Prescott) - but that sounds like a step too far.
Really the best way to sell books is to have a great book to offer and for the author to be out there with book lovers, chatting and letting themselves, and their book, be known.
Mary Cavanagh has written a wonderful guide - A Seriously Useful Author's Guide to Marketing and Publicising Books. It's long on title but big on quality. I gave a copy of this book to Bryony Doran, author of The China Bird, our first Hookline Novel Winner. Bryony has taken up the advice and is out with the reading public at book fairs, book shops and libraries - she's a publicist's dream.
A copy of the book will be going to our Hookline Favourite author Trevor Bloom. His novel The Half-Slave hits the shops in February, and Trevor, a gift from me to you will be a copy of Mary Cavanagh's wonderful guide.

The Half-Slave - a Hookline Favourite

2009-09-29T02:21:00.000-07:00

When the Hookline competition was first conceived, the idea was for one winner and one publication a year. But I hadn't planned on a work being so good, so popular with readers, that it might be hard to leave behind.
Trevor Bloom's The Half-Slave was a surprise favourite. Historic fiction of war, politics and intrigue aren't typically read by book group readers (who are, to be honest, mostly female).
But many readers found themselves impressed:
A very good story. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading it.

This lived up to the reputation raised by the first 3 chapters. Thoroughly convincing recreation of an entirely different era which kept you fascinated by the characters and wholly enjoyed in the fate of the hero, with some gripping situations and moral dilemmas. I found it increasingly hard to put down, so a lot of midnight oil. Variations in pace, tension and vivid description. Engrossing! As an ex-teacher, I cannot see any room for improvement – hence, the perfect score! A really satisfactory action tale. A very plausible recreation of an important period – the beginnings of France and England . Well patterned; the semi-outsider among his own people who saves Clovis’ life at the beginning and the end and works for him but never is able wholly to give himself to that person and developing society. The ‘romantic’ interest is well managed. The confusion of the post-Roman period comes over but the author manages not to let the story become too confusing. The epilogue is an excellent way to end a life still ongoing – the perspective of his outsider mother. ‘Brothers’ theme is always a strong one if well handled as it is here. A refreshing lack of idealisation – even of the hero; I believed in the characters. Action scenes excellent; writing style, appropriate.

I’d happily read the sequel! Very good plot making a fascinating read.

Who can possibly argue with the readers' choice? We're thrilled to publish The Half-Slave. Look for it in February 2010.

E-books here we come

2009-09-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

I've been swimming through X-M-L and T's since deciding to go to ebooks. The problem has been whether to go with XML or non-XML. I truly haven't a clue what the letters mean. My simple interpretation is that they reflect the ability of a page to be seen the whole way across. Non-XML is a photo of a typeset page, but XML allows a line of text to wrap to the screen size. Dull stuff! But boy does it matter. Sony made the XML decision easier last month when they opted for that format, now, it seems, publishers are willing to follow.
The next big decision is distributor. There are three biggies but they all operate with different retailers - Overdrive sells to Waterstones, Gardners to Borders UK and Ingrams Digital to... hmm, unsure. The main point is that there is no central funnel to channel e-books to readers.
Overdrive is a large American company that came to the London Book Fair with a full appointment book and don't deign to answer any email or telephone queries. On the other hand, the Gardners e-book representative has been patient with all my questions.
I think we know who we'll sign with.

Book groups are increasing in value

2009-09-02T03:37:00.000-07:00

Faber and Faber today announced that the next Barbara Kingsolver novel would have an advanced release to three specially selected book groups. The Lancuna will be Kingsolver's first novel for nine years. Her Poisonwood Bible was especially popular among reading groups, and Faber are tailoring publicity of the new title directly to groups by asking them to petition to be part of the advance release.
This all part of the growing importance of serious book groups, with their dedicated readers who love to comment and participate. There have been some who have dismissed the inclusion of readers as judges in the Hookline Novel Competition, but I think that bringing book groups to the fore in publishing is a trend that is only beginning to grow.

The New Delhi Book Fair - really is about books

2009-09-02T03:03:00.000-07:00

The taxi driver pointed toward the Paragati Maiden exhibition hall, and I wondered if we had a miscommunication for there wasn't a smart suit in sight. Instead, it was families and young people herding between faded concrete slabs. I asked a policeman if this was truly the right way to The New Delhi Book Fair. He nodded without a glance to a rusted stall where I had to pay an entrance fee of 20 rupees (about 25p).
The London and Frankfurt book fairs are about deals - who can sell rights to whom and for how much. In Delhi, the deal is about taking books to the consumer - directly. So I thronged among parents looking for an early educational start for their offspring, or for help getting their children through exams. Amongst them women sought how-to titles on growing old and healthy, men looked at tantric sex and dental hygiene. The range of non-fiction titles is immense in range and quality, but when it came to fiction, sadly, British and American writers dominated. One young publisher told me that Jeffrey Archer is more popular than any Indian fiction writer - even Arundhati Roy, the 1997 Booker prize winner with 'The God of Small Things'.
Why? He wasn't sure, but I asked the staff at my hotel.
"We don't have time to read stories," said one waiter who only read books on IT.
"We do like to read but we like the Western culture," said a waitress.
Finally, and under pressure, the staff grouped together to give me a list of good Indian authors:
Ruskin Bond
Advaita Kala
Dilip Cherrian
So tomorrow, I'm off to see the book shops of Delhi.

Words worth studying

2009-08-26T03:06:00.000-07:00

Negative attitudes to MA writing courses persist.
"If you are a natural writer then you don't need to study," say some. "How can you learn writing?" say others.
Yet few argue against the concept of art or music schools - it seems perfectly acceptable to study visual art, learn from a master so that you can emulate and subsequently develop an own style. But isn't this what students of the writtern word are doing? Sitting at the feet of author-lecturers to learn the impact of tone, characterisation, point-of-view, structure - all those nuances of the novel that the reader should glide over in their enjoyment of a work.
Perhaps there are too many post-graduate writing courses, and perhaps they don't all deliver what they promise - but the construction of words, character and plot is an art form that deserves serious study.

What's in a cover?

2009-08-20T01:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I'm back to my little obsession with book covers.
I know the signals can be less than subtle in book design, but the shear fact that we know in a glance whether a book is right or wrong for us amazes me. Are we so easily channelled? It certainly seems so. I watched people in Waterstones - women eyeballed the heavy colours of the historical, sci-fi and thriller table and went straight to the displays of pale tints and pastels. A few did stop but looked only at the back covers of the simpler designs. In my 15 minutes of unscientific research, no female picked up a title heavy on image and colour. The opposite happened to men - who hurried by the pastel displays as though they might catch a disease.
This makes it difficult if you have a fiction title that might appeal to both men and women. What colour and tone should the designer go for? How do we appeal to both men and women?
Answers on a jacket display, please.

Book Groups Be Ready

2009-08-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

Book groups be ready as the Hookline short list is in the mail.
Eight novels have been sent:
Sinners by Howard Baker of Anglia Ruskin University
Better Than The Dream by Mary Aherne of Hull University
Carrying On by Jilly Wosskow of Sheffield Hallam University
The Tartarus Machine by Frank Kennedy of City University, London
Talk and Walk by Janice Parrock Hurst of Anglia Ruskin University
Working It Out by Andrew Leigh of Sheffield Hallam University
View From The Top by Cara Wides of Brunel University
The Sweetest Song by Penny Hancock of Anglia Ruskin University

Two other writers were shortlisted but were unable to submit their complete works.

As before, I look forward to readers' responses - and finding out which novel Hookline will publish next year.

Books, they are a' changing

2009-07-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

I've downloaded the short-listed Hookline novels onto my E-reader and love it - so easy to read. I had worried that the PDFs might not fit on the screen and I would have to scroll sideways - but no problem. Vertically, there is a blank space at each page end and I have to physically push the 'next page' button, but I think I can stretch to that effort.
I've heard a huge amount of criticism of E-readers with people saying: There is nothing like the written page, I love books too much, I love printed paper - well, I do too. But I also love the freedom of carrying a 500g device that holds so much reading material. As long as it is in my bag, I know I will never be bored.
But it is time to convert Bookline and Thinker books to Ebooks - watch this space!

Hookline - is there room for an editor's choice?

2009-07-07T02:50:00.000-07:00

I love the Hookline competition. I love the earnest work by new writers who sacrifice family time, career and money while striving to create a novel that may never see publication. I also love the book groups who read and comment on the Hookline submissions - and whose members sometimes even argue over the merits of a story. I am happy to unite these serious new writers with these seriously dedicated readers.
But there is a problem. Each year, we have only one winner, and I can't help but think about those who almost made it. Agents have contacted me asking to see their work, and one writer, Bobby Darbyshire, has reached that dream of publication. But that leaves a few stirring novels still waiting to capture an editor's eye.
So I am playing with an idea - a radical idea after all this work on creating the Reading Group Choice. I would like to choose one or two of my favourite submissions and publish them through the Hookline imprint, perhaps calling them the 'Editor's Choice'.
But will this contradict the theme of Hookline as being the 'Readers' Choice'?
Perhaps I can publish them six months after the Readers' winner.
I absolutely do not want to compromise the Hookline Novel Competition - the Reading Group Choice of novel should take prime position in our title list each year. But shouldn't there be room in Hookline for the writers whose work gained praise from book groups - work that I don't want to see die?
Answers, please.

Hookline Shortlist

2009-07-01T03:34:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all the Hookline writers for getting their work in on time. It was a harried day yesterday as we tried to get the manuscripts typeset - sorry, no time to create section breaks so page numbers begin on the very first book page. We'd originally thought of having customised covers to match the storyline, but there was a wee bit of a nightmare as our designer hit problems removing the template markings.
But all works were uploaded before the midnight printer deadline. Let's hope the printer approves our efforts.

Publishing Laid Bare

2009-06-26T07:55:00.001-07:00

I love a good conference, and full thanks to Tom Chambers of Legend Press for pulling together Publishing Laid Bare. I left with an energising buzz.
Some of the speakers were terrific - namely Mark and Steve from the Book Depository and Scott Pack from The Friday Project.
The session on getting book reviews was dominated by Amber Pearson of the Daily Mail telling us to send in books and they would all be considered for review. It was all very polite and we listened patiently, but I had to ask why all newspaper book pages reviewed the same books. Sheer coincidence, according to Dear Amber. Thankfully, there was a bit more honesty in the afternoon when literary agent Judith Antell threw up the issue of book publicists and their close relationship with literary editors.
As often happens at these events, you learn so much from your fellow delegates. Niall with UIT Cambridge said his main title received review by all the biggies after a long time of silence - he says it was word of mouth that propelled it forward. Good news there.
I sought out a conversation with Gardners Ebook guy and now I need to do the math - £165 set up and storage costs, £0.30p a page conversion, 45 % terms plus £1.50 with each 3rd retailer sale - plus 25 % author royalties - with those sums, my fizz feels suddenly flat.

Book reviews

2009-06-17T01:54:00.000-07:00

Trying to get a book review in the big press is a bit like throwing knickers at a Tom Jones concert - books get thrown into the air with the hope of some great return. Small publishers are like the the middle-aged women with huge fantasies, the escapade is fruitless. No matter how many knickers are thrown, or books are sent to literary editors, the lack of response will leave you lonely. Saturday and Sunday editors review the same books, it's as if they are all dating the same publishers.
As a result, book bloggers are gaining popularity among publishers - especially those with a large following. But many are growing too popular, are receiving books like knickers thrown on stage and they are spurning the small publisher, like we are mousy housewives.
Thankfully, not all book bloggers have large egos. Robert Burdock of www.robaroundbooks.com has promised a review of Hookline winner The China Bird - as has www.bookgroup.info
We appreciate them and their voluntary effort. They are serious readers, those who make the book business turn. Otherwise, it is just another commercial enterprise.

Hookline Shortlist

2009-06-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

The following new writers have been short-listed for the Hookline Novel Competition:

Leigh Chambers, Anglia Ruskin University
Ngozi Razak-Soyebi, Bath Spa University
Howard Baker, Anglia Ruskin Univeristy
Mary Aherne, Hull University
Jilly Wosskow, Sheffield-Hallam University
Frank Kennedy, City University, London
Janice Parrock Hurst, Anglia Ruskin University
Andrew Leigh, Sheffield-Hallam University
Cara Wides, Brunel UniversityPenny Hancock, Anglia Ruskin University

Good luck to them all. They have until June 30 to email their complete manuscript.

This year we're going to book-bind each work so that readers get an actual book to read for each writer. Last year we simply sent the hefty masses of A4 sheets to an industrial photocopier and he took three days to copy and spiral-bind the works. But they were heavy to post, heavy for readers to hold and not easy for anyone to carry around.
This year will be more like a proper book competition - and, as a special boost, the short-listed writers will receive a copy of their own manuscript in book form. It's the least we can do.

Hookline, stage one

2009-06-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

The deadline for book groups to choose their favourite writer was today - but two groups have still to get their act together. One of the groups meets tomorrow evening - no problem, but the other one! It's a library group, and the librarian who runs it is out of the office.
I am going to go ahead and contact the writers who have already been shortlisted, they can at least begin work on their manuscripts. In the meantime, we wait.

Pushing the wheel uphill

2009-05-20T03:05:00.000-07:00

The China Bird is launched and, apart from a few distributor problems, sales seem to be moving along.
My disappointment however is over the lack of publicity. I expected a newspaper story - one at least - on how Hookline has given power to serious readers. But no newspaper story - not even a column inch. What is an editor to do? I have sent out press releases with varying themes every week alerting literary editors to the merits of the competition - silence! Though, one of my press releases obviously hit a home run as we received a brief but positive mention in The New Yorker. But our home-grown press appears a little sniffy when it comes to reader choice. I haven't given up however. Last week, I sent out a release challenging Fay Weldon's view that readers would choose Jordan over anything more literary (she said this at the London Book Fair during a seminar on 'New Voices'). I asked editors to let their reviewers judge the readers' choice and decide if The China Bird was worthy of publication. A Front Row producer responded within ten minutes asking for a copy of The China Bird. Perhaps all is not yet lost on the publicity front.

China Bird

2009-05-05T03:50:00.000-07:00

So far, so great with The China Bird.
Several reviews have appeared on Amazon, but we'd really love it if some fond reader could post something on Waterstones' website. Thursday night is the big Sheffield launch party for the book, and Bryony has booked the Sheffield-Hallam student hall for her family and friends to celebrate her success.
In the meantime, the Hookline 2009 competition is reaching its midpoint. At the end of May, reading groups will decide which writers should submit their complete work. I so look forward to this point. Like last year, I have my favourite - but last year, my favourite was not shortlisted! So much for my taste in fiction - which proves the Hookline point. Fiction is too subjective to leave to a bevy of industry insiders.

What the hell is a ....

2009-04-08T06:26:00.001-07:00

Literary Scout?
Okay, I do know what an editor, publisher and agent do. I am even familiar with the term literary consultant - I've even blogged about them. But a literary scout! It prompts a vision of a horse rider, hands shading eyes from the bright sun as he scans the horizon for ... a book!
Just what are literary scouts and who pays them?
Any answers?

All is not what it seems

2009-04-08T02:16:00.000-07:00

Q: When is a book review website not a book review website?
A: When it charges publishers to list titles as 'recommended'.
First few impressions of Lovereading.com were absolutely positive - it resembles a wonderful reading community with titles listed and reviewed for all possible personality of reader - and I signed up to receive their newsletters containing lists of new titles that might suit my taste. Professionally, I was keen that they at least see The China Bird and hopeful that they would recommend the novel to other readers.
Response to the preview copy made my heart sing: I enjoyed the novel immensely and found it both deeply emotional but also quite uplifting too. We think it’s definitely a title that would be of interest to members of Lovereading and we think it’s easily good enough to sit alongside the 60 titles we select in any given month (all of which are read and reviewed) to feature on the site and to email to our members of Lovereading.
Then I read further: The costs associated with these two promotions are: £300 for an email/web promotion / £200 for a web only promotion.
I scanned the website carefully - nowhere are readers told that publishers pay for listings.
What's an editor to do?
I wrote a polite note - 'thanks, but no thanks!'

'How to' v 'How not to' write fiction

2009-03-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes writers ask advice on books to read that might help with the novel-writing process. Two books hit the creative writing shelves recently and they could not be more different.
How Fiction Works by James Wood takes the traditional literary criticism route and uses excerpts from classic works to illustrate points of style. But it does feel divorced from a good read as it discusses characters' philosophical dilemmas and zeroes particularly on Flaubert. Great if you are a fan of Madame Bovary.
How Not To Write Fiction goes to the opposite extreme and addresses the writer who barely reads. We have to wade through paragraphs of badly written prose only to be told - don't do it that way! The writers aim for humour, but it sometimes comes out as disdain.
Both books are worth a read, if only for the advice on character props - no dreams and no mirrors!

Pushing the press

2009-03-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I've got to do it!
Press releases have been sent but follow-up telephone calls need to be made. I hate it - cold calling as if I were offering cheaper electricity rather than a book chosen for publication by serious readers.
We've learned not to send out books en masse for review - they end up in a slush pile for reporters to pick over as gifts or worse - to sell on ebay!
So tomorrow - I promise - the task of the day - Push the Press!

2009 Hookline manuscripts off to readers

2009-03-13T06:32:00.001-07:00

Thank heavens!
Beautiful books, each containing six introductions to novels, are off to reading groups. They look so good compared to the hefty A4 photocopies we sent to readers last year - all spiral-bound and unwieldy. It shows how dedicated the readers are that they actually ploughed through them. It has taken longer to have the books printed, but I think readers will love them - and it makes their job so much easier.
In other news, we're set to launch last year's winner, The China Bird, at the London Book Fair - 5pm, at our section of the Independent Publishers' Guild on Monday 20 April.

Printers and the waiting game

2009-02-27T03:30:00.000-08:00

After 16 hour days, it's now time to wait for the book proofs - not easy. We had a hiccup with The China Bird cover earlier this week - the white font on black background made it hard to read the back blurb. It looked dramatic, but reading is everything, so now we are traditional black text on white.
I'm also awaiting bound copies of the Hookline 2009 entries. Last year, we simply photocopied the A4 pages and put them in spiral binding. But readers complained, rightly, that they were heavy and hard to read. So this year, we've had them typeset and bound into traditional book form - six authors' works in each book. This should make it easier for the book groups.
But waiting for the printer to do his job is tiresome after so much activity. And I desperately want to get the Hookline entries to readers in time for their March meetings. Printer promises 'soon'.
In the meantime, I've been redrafting press releases, updating the website, twittering and reconnecting with old friends on facebook. But I really need to be back at work - soon!

Bookshops and beyond

2009-02-25T04:28:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time we browsed bookshop shelves and found what we hoped were little gems to enthrall us. But sometimes the cost of the book didn't pay off. A novel with an eye-catching cover and terrific reviews fell flat, and we were left feeling cheated. So we came to rely on reviews - from newspapers, magazines, friends and now, websites. But what about those novels that don't get those reviews - those that fall behind the cushion of publicity but have all the quality of a great read.
Peripheral Vision by Patricia Ferguson is one such novel. A terrific read that had me marking pages for phrases I always want to remember. But news of the novel reached few readers. In this day of C-lister authors who receive large newspaper spreads in, it seems, every newspaper on both Saturday and Sunday, how can the unknown author stand out?
Should small publishers and authors rely on the traditional model of sales through book shops? Is there another way to spread the word of a good read?
Anwers on a postcard, please!

Patience

2009-02-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

The China Bird has been uploaded to the printers. The Hookline manuscripts have been cut, pasted, typeset, divided into a healthy genre mix and uploaded to the printers. Now I have to wait - and wait. But I've been driving this bus hard. Stillness does not sit easy.

Breathing - at last!

2009-02-16T05:43:00.000-08:00

Hookline '09 entries have been uploaded to printers. We've done it differently this year - no more A4 spirals. Instead the stories are typeset into book form. This will make life so much easier for readers - six writers in each book rather than hefty spirals to read in bed. We did lose some reading groups from last year, and I'm convinced many will come back when they learn about the neat new books we're sending out.
Also, great news, The China Bird has been typeset and uploaded to the printer. But a big hiccup came this morning when the printer emailed to say the cover was in the wrong size, still had template marks and the resolution was too low. Our cover designer hasn't been answering his phone, but I'm staying calm - he'll work on it tonight, I'm sure!
So far, February has been a hectic month, but it's nice to breathe and get back to an all-absorbing occupation - reading and writing on Twitter!

Book covers

2009-01-21T09:42:00.001-08:00

Poor Jason! Our designer has had so many suggestions regarding the design of this book. It's a beauty and beast tale of a lonely disabled man who falls in love with a young artist who sees beauty in his frame.

The plain black cover with the beautiful swan taking off, suggests Edward's foray into the world. I'm not so keen on the dark clouds of the next cover. They seem sinister with a hint of foreboding.

The little pie bird on the white cover has huge appeal to me as it mimes Edward's state as he calls out for the artist's attention. But many people - women - say it is too domestic. I guess that is because they recognise it as a bird that sits in a pie to stop the pastry from deflating - until this book, I had no idea that there was such a thing. So much for my domesticity!

So what to choose? Watch this space.

Book selling and marketing

2009-01-15T07:42:00.001-08:00

I went around independent bookshops today to ask about print on demand and whether it had credibility. Most said it did but said they stocked very few POD books.
'Why?'
They all said it was because they didn't sell very well.
For me, this was quite crushing. Print on demand, for those who don't know, is a relatively new but smart process that allows publishers to upload a digital, typeset manuscript to a printer, who prints out copies as they are needed. Traditional printing requires thousands of books to be printed at one time, stored in a warehouse and shipped out when needed - a costly process.
I immediately began planning who to contact among traditional printers, when the last bookseller interupted my thoughts.
'It's not about print on demand,' he said. 'It's about marketing. Even traditionally printed books from small publishers can't get reviewed because they do very little marketing.'
My eureka moment! The Hookline competition is not about traditional editors and traditional marketing campaigns. Hookline is a bottom-up process - books selected by readers, for readers. This has nothing to do with a printer who has been in business for 200 years or the technological advances in type. It's about how we find books. Everytime we walk into Waterstones or Borders, we find the 'pay and display' titles promoted by big publishers. Some are good, many are mediocre. It's time to look beyond the covers pushed upon us by marketing merchants. Join me in spurning the '3 for 2' deals and digging deep to find the good authors on the back shelves. Share what you find, with me and with others.

What's in a cover?

2009-01-08T04:24:00.000-08:00

Book covers are much more complex than readers know. They send out subtle signals so that, when we browse in a book shop, we know whether to even lift a book and read its back blurb. They also send some indication of the plot content - when you see a river, you can be almost certain there will be a drowning; a gate indicates access to information; sepia tells us we're going back in time.
I love book titles and covers. For Christmas my son bought me: How to Avoid Ships and Other Implausibly Titled Books. It has Tea Bag Folding, Is There Sex After Death and Versailles - The View From Sweden. But my favourite is a children's book called Whose Bottom? A lift-the-flap book of animals.
But we're struggling here with The China Bird. Bryony wants a distorted spine - either in x-ray or drawing; wheras I worry that it may turn off readers and prefer to echo the title by using a china bird. Apparently these were kitchen utensils placed in uncooked pies to stop pastry from deflating. The steam from the pie poured out the bird's beak. I'd never seen one until Bryony's partner sent me a photo. So poor Jason, our book designer, has been given too many ideas, and I haven't heard from him for over a week. Come back to us, Jason!

New Year, New Competition

2009-01-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

Today it's back to work - and there is so much of it.
Bryony and I had a telephone edit session, then I emailed the cover designer with feedback on his ideas - nothing is finalised yet, we're still working just on ideas. But publication is April which is so close, however I know we can do it. We have to, I organised a stand at the London Book Fair and we will launch The China Bird at the end of the first business day.
So, with the first working day of 2009 ending, I feel drowned in typsetting, costings, fonts, isbns, catalogue in publication data, distribution discounts - and all while we're launching the Hookline competition which has a deadline this month.
But we will do it - no doubt about it.

Affirming my faith in Hookline

2008-12-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

I'm on a visit to Seattle, and in the United States - like the UK - it's not always the worthy who receive book contracts.
Joe the Plumber - the man who famously challenged Obama during the election and later turned out not to be a plumber at all - has a book coming out. Heavens knows what on, but he's milking his 40 seconds of fame. But this man is not comfortable among words. In an interview he was asked about his initial contact with Barack Obama and said: I am thinking that the questions being asked were quite silly. I thought what me and my friends had talked about actually asking a politician, and making him answer straightly; usually they have a problem with doing so.
And with publishers bidding against each other for Sarah Palin's words of wisdom, I am losing faith in traditional editors and publishers and affirming my belief in the Hookline Novel Competition - let the readers decide!

Cover issues

2008-12-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

The China Bird is such a simple title - it reflects fragility and the imagery is immediate. But we're getting a little tied up in deciding a book cover image. China birds are obvious. But given that one of the principal characters has a curved spine so severe that he walks with a stick, and the other main character is an artist, another obvious image would be a reflection of his image in art. An alternative image is a thorn tree (you'll have to read the book to understand).
In the meantime, our poor designer Jason is a little confused over where to turn. I favour the china bird; Bryony likes the spine and her partner, Bill, would like to see a tree.
Your thoughts!

From Seattle

2008-12-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

Visiting Seattle and had a lengthy browse around the bookshops. No 'three for two' deals here, but still lots of tables with books on display. These tables do work. We stop and browse these titles because, instead of viewing a dull spine, we see an appealing book cover. I have to remind myself that the books on table display are there because the publisher has paid the bookshop a hefty fee for this premiere sales position. I'm not sure of the fees charged by bookshops in the USA, but in the UK it can amount to several thousand per shop. One small publisher of travel books were hoping WH Smith would stock their titles in airport shops, but Smiths asked for 100,000 pounds as a fee - a "bung" the publisher called it. No more airport shopping at WH Smiths for me!

First outcome

2008-12-04T03:09:00.000-08:00

I’m telling you about the Hookline Novel Competition in retrospect. The first winner has already been announced. Bryony Doran is a graduate of Sheffield Hallam University, and she’s been working on her novel for ten years! ‘The China Bird’ is a beauty and beast tale that follows the relationship between a young female artist and an older disabled man.
The book will be published next April to coincide with the London Book Fair.

The launch

2008-12-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

Coming up with the Hookline name was easy – it rhymed with Bookline – the partial name of our publishing company. Our original idea was to stay away from fiction. Non-fiction books of interest to small groups was our aim. Using Print-On-Demand technology, we knew we could market the right books to the right readers, even if it meant printing only 200 copies.
But the Hookline fiction idea simply called my name. The big problem was spreading the word around writers – and around readers. Most book clubs meet informally in each others’ homes. So I used word of mouth among friends and sent out emails to libraries around the country.
Finding writers was a little easier. Most universities have electronic mailing lists of students and graduates. So I sent out an email alert and printed out flyers that doubled up as application forms.
The result was that by the first deadline of January 31, 2008, we had 30 novels and 22 readers representing at least 300 readers. We were set to go.

In the beginning

2008-12-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time budding writers wrote directly to publishers. Sometimes the publisher’s editor liked what he read, sometimes he made recommendations and sometimes he wrote a rejection.
Then along came agents. They acted as middle men because editors were too busy to read new work. But as agents have become busy, another middle man has appeared – the literary consultant. For a fee, consultants offer to read a manuscript, write a review and, if the work is pleasing, possibly move the manuscript to an agent’s desk.
Through this process, the budding author has been pushed further away from the publisher and from publication.

Novel writing is highly subjective – what pleases one reader, brings out criticism in another. Until now, publishers and editors have acted as gatekeepers in deciding which novels will reach publication and which novelists face rejection.

But what could we do about it?

Not a lot it seemed. And then an idea struck - a novel competition where the judges were not industry editors, but readers who cared about stories and characters. Readers who diligently absorbed a story, relishing all joys while disdaining patent plots with stereotypical outcomes.
So the Hookline Novel Competition was launched. And the big task - rounding up those dedicated readers.