Friday 18 October 2013

BOOK NEEDED REVIEWING , ASAP

hiya guys , i just wrote my first novel and i am not sure what to do , i think ill need someone to review my book first , so if any1 is out there i need my book reviewed quickly and this book if called , The four guardians , the crystal shards , the book is teenage fantasy , so i need some reviewers , or if you know anyone 

Thursday 17 October 2013

Top Tips For Writing and Selling Your Book

So here are some top tips.
Research The Market: Is there an established genre into which your book might fit - or is there a chance you could establish your own? Fifty Shades Of Grey broke new territory in many respects and now many are galloping alongside. Jane Eyre Laid Bare looks set to rattle Bronte bones later this year.
Establish The Team
Editor: Quite a number of freelance editors have previously held positions in major publishing houses. Source one that specialises in the sort of book you are writing. A good editor will oversee the whole work, spot flaws in, and help to tighten the plot, advise on structure and, if necessary, suggest better phrasing and words. Authors, by nature, have an editorial mind to a degree, so comments can lead to lively discussions!
Designer: Similarly, like the editor, a number of designers are now freelance having honed their talents with established publishers. Designers will help with layout and with the cover. Check out the designer's style - is it in keeping with what you are hoping to achieve? A specialist in Disney style illustrations may not necessarily help a book on erotic fiction for women - or would they?
Find A Printer and Distributor: Lots of stories abound about 'vanity publishers' but there are reputable companies out there. I sourced one that, in addition to publishing, would store and distribute, had an established reputation with the major chains and would ship abroad. For a modest monthly fee this means my spare room isn't stacked out and I can get on with other things rather than search about for jiffy bags.
Nielsen Book Data. Register with these and add in the book details. Authors and publishers who supply Nielsen with new product information "immediately gain visibility for their books on the international market" including Amazon. The resource is available to booksellers, libraries and publishers worldwide.
Proof Reader: Proofs will be supplied by the printer for checking before the final print run goes ahead. An effective proof reader will spot the minor errors that may have been overlooked and also, like the editor, comment on structure and plot. They are the attention to detailers who will make sure the grammar gurus don't go twittering when the book is out there.
PR and Publicity: This, together with marketing, is highly valuable. A good PR firm will have established contacts, check on lead times with major magazines and newspapers for previews and reviews, liaise with tv, radio and online sites and look for potential news angles and hooks as well as source opportunities such as appearances at literary festivals. Not everyone feels comfortable behind a microphone but no one would object to being Book Of The Week in You magazine.

Marketing: Whereas PR deals primarily with the consumer, marketing agents will focus on the trade and will liaise with retail outlets, wholesalers such as Gardners and Bertrams, which then sell on to Waterstones, Smiths, Amazon, independent book shops and library suppliers. Often PR firms will take on some of the marketing and vice versa. It should be noted that Waterstones is more than a bookseller. They have a highly effective department that helps small publishers and local writers.
Website, tags and keywords: Establishing a website is a great anchor to showcase your work. Reviews and latest news can be featured together with background to the book and details of you as the author. A good web designer will not only advise on style but also research the keywords and tags that will help your title leap out in a google search.
Foreign rights: My foreign rights agent sold the rights to The Copper Tree within six weeks of publication to Korea and Thailand and there is more interest from other countries as I write. With stands and meetings arranged at major bookfairs such as Frankfurt, Bologna and London, foreign rights agents can be the icing on the cake in the sense that the selling of rights to other countries can help to undercut the unit costs.
Consultants: Even though my picturebook was a work of fiction I was dealing with a real and sensitive issue - grief and loss in terms of how it can affect children. The book was also, in a sense, designed to help parents, teachers and carers as well. I write from instinct but I asked bereavement consultants, psychologists, families and teachers to consider my work and I took on board their comments.

Finally don't lost faith. It might be necessary to maintain the day job and it may be foolish to invest life savings but with careful management and constant monitoring publishing your own book can be an exciting and rewarding venture.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Chapter I – Lincoln High

Our story starts at Lincoln High School, in Los Angeles, USA. It’s a nice suburban High School, packed with kids going about their daily lives. You don’t have to worry about who I am, I’m just the narrator. We’ll just leave it at that, for now. So, Lincoln High is just your average school from the suburbs: cliques and divas, jocks and bullies and of course, geeks and outcasts.
The story begins with a group of outcasts that had no idea what was going to happen to them. I’m going to tell you the story as I’ve heard it and seen it myself. Let’s get to it, then.

It was a hot autumn morning when school started. People had mixed feelings about the school’s start: the popular kids couldn’t wait to get back to school while the least popular were not that anxious to return to class. By far the least anxious to get back to school were a group of three teenagers that huddled in the corner of the school yard, waiting for the principal’s speech to be over.
- This year is going to suck the most. I can see it all now.
- Come on, Ben. It can’t be worst than last year.
- Guys, just shut up. The principal has just about finished his speech and we can get to class and be done with it.
It was then when they met the final addition to their group: a short, blonde girl that wore a pair of wide-frame glasses, named Chrissie.
- Uhm, hi! Do you guys mind if I sit over here with you?
Ben looked at her with distrust, but nodded his head.
- Sure. You can sit with us.
The other boy smiled and reached out a hand.
- Hi, I’m Albert. This is Camille and this guy over here is Ben. He’s a bit…
- A bit what?
- A bit weary of strangers?
- Guys, be nice, will you?
- Uhm, I’m Chrissie. I’m new to this school. I don’t know anybody around here. I saw you guys hanging around and I thought I should hang with you. You seem…
- What? Do we seem geeks to you? Or losers?
- Calm down, Ben…
Albert shuffled on his feet and grabbed Camille by her shoulders, trying to hide behind her.
- Calm down, let’s hear what she had to say.
-I wanted to say that you seem to be nice people.
Camille smiled.
-Thanks. We’re a nice bunch. Ben has a more…”fiery” temper.
- Why do you guys hang out so far away from the others.
Ben put his hands in his pocket and looked to the crowd of teenagers gathered in the yard.
- Why do you think? They’re a bunch of rich-kid jerks, that’s why.
- Uhm, Ben’s kind of right. They don’t like people like us.

Chrissie scratched her head and straightened her glasses. Camille put her hand on Chrissie’s shoulder and smiled.