Wednesday 18 April 2012

London Bookfair

Did you go to the London Bookfair this year?  Any opinions?  I arrived at around 4pm on Monday and was pleasantly surprised to find that I could actually walk around at leisure. It certainly had a different feel to it this year. Lots of self-publishing companies and e-publishers, as well as a larger number of children's publishers. Unless I missed them, there were quite a few of the more established publishers absent - sign of the times maybe?  Whether you like it or not is seems self and e-publishing are here to stay. It has never been easier for an author to see his or her work in print, but will this ultimately lower the standards I wonder?  I am already hearing complaints from friends who read with a Kindle that the publications by unknowns are badly edited, and the grammar and spelling isn't as good as in a printed copy.  Would be extremely interested to hear your opinions.

Saturday 14 April 2012

FINDING YOUR NICHE

Worthy Words Workshops had another good session on Wednesday 11th April.  Everyone seems to be engrossed in one project or another, but this session's theme, markets and finding yourself a niche appeared to touch a cord with all. Writing takes up so much precious time, yet very few pay particular attention to marketing, which is vital when trying to publish your work.  My advice to anyone wishing to aim for publication is to choose one or two magazines and get to know those magazines really well - noting the length of the feature or story, the style and the content.  Try to imagine your average reader by the following:
How old is the reader - look at the adverts.
What is the educational level - look at the puzzles in the magazine.
What are their hobbies - Do the magazine have knitting patterns, cookery tips or arts and crafts.
What is their marital status - look at the problems page - are the articles about getting or keeping a man?
Where do they live - are there articles about DIY - look at the cost of the suggestions.
Once you have built up a picture of your average reader, then you are able to think of features and stories that the reader will be able to identify with.  Find you own niche in the market place.  If you are confident and happy in what you are writing, it will show in your writing.  Good luck!