Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts

Wednesday 4 January 2023

Do You Know I’m On Twitter? And Two Other Things You Should Know.

Twitter logo
Find Me On Twitter

This is my first post of 2023 and I hope you’re all busy writing, earning, and working hard on your New Year’s Resolutions, which hopefully include a plan for being a wealthy (or maybe even a wealthier) writer this year.

I thought that perhaps this New Year is a good time to mention 3 things I’ve done that I haven’t mentioned before.

Firstly, I’m on Twitter. I have been for a while now (10 years, in fact) but I keep forgetting to mention it.

It’s worth following me on Twitter because it’s where I share ways to earn more money writing, as well as sharing current writing markets, writing quotes, funny writing memes, and a whole boat-load more writing related things.

My Twitter name is @RuthIsWriting and the direct link to my account is https://twitter.com/RuthIsWriting

My second thing to mention is that I’ve resurrected my publishing company, Cheriton House Publishing, and it’s back online at https://cheritonhousepublishing.com.

This is where you can find all my books as well as plenty of free eBooks you can download straight away (I’m going to be adding another one today).

The third thing is something that I haven’t done yet but I’m working on it, and that is, I’m going to be re-vamping my RuthIsWriting.com website.

It’s getting a huge upgrade as well as new pages being added, including a page of free writing resources. I want RuthIsWriting.com to be one of the best websites for writers who are serious about writing and earning money.

I’m also creating a whole new slew of emails for writers that are packed with dozens of ways that you can start writing and earning money, and they will be sent out soon. If you’re not already subscribed to my list, you can do so at RuthIsWriting.com. You’ll also get a free ebook.

So while I might not have seemed busy online lately, I’ve been busy behind the scenes making huge changes to help you write more and earn more.

And of course the most important thing for you to do, is write more than you ever have before.



Friday 23 April 2021

A List of Writing Inspiration and Writing Markets

 Hi

I hope you're having a productive writing week.

Below I've gathered a list of writing articles to help inspire you and keep you writing and earning more, and a few freelance writing markets.

Enjoy. :)

How to Create the Mental Space to Write

Elements of Suspense: How Mystery and Thriller Writers Grip Readers

Discover an untapped goldmine of content ideas
Online app. Just type in your keywords and see what readers are looking for online.

The 24-Hour Book Writing System
Currently reduced in price to only $27

How To Make Money Freelance Writing: Websites That Pay Writers $50+

Publish  a Book With Trigger
We look for books that offer help or advice to our readers, with a focus on mental wellbeing, and Mind, Body, Spirit. 
Submit synopsis plus the first 2 chapters of a 40,000-word manuscript.

Writers Call for Submissions: True Crime/Nonfiction
Nonfiction, true crime accounts featuring lawbreaking couples who have joined forces to commit crime.
Word count: 4,000-7,000 words
One-time payment per story: USD $130, and 2 print copies of the book.
Deadline for submissions: June 1, 2021

Call for submissions for 'Escapism' issue: Moonflake Press
This can be escaping worlds, cities, identities or however else you interpret it.
Minimum 100 words
Maximum 2500 words
Deadline: 1st September 2021
Payment: £25

Classic Monsters Unleashed anthology: Crystal Lake Publishing
 We’re looking for dark, scary stories featuring a classic monster or monsters (think famous creatures from pre-1960 horror movies).
Length: 1500 to 5000 words
Submission Period: April 8 to May 30, 2021
Payment: 6 cents a word



Tuesday 6 April 2021

Writing News, Opportunities and Competitions April 2021

To help with inspiring you to write and earn more money this month, I've gathered a list of writing news,  plus a couple of free writing competitions and freelance opportunities.

Enjoy. :)

Bookselling Ireland calls for Taoiseach to make bookshops 'essential'
Bookselling Ireland has asked that bookshops be classed as "essential" retail and allowed to open, or be granted special dispensation to offer click and collect services.

Books Most Wanted Banned in 2020
The American Library Association reported more than 270 challenges to books in 2020, from Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” to Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” compared to 377 the year before.

Free Short Story Competition
Your Story #111
Write a short story of 650 words or fewer based on the photo prompt provided. You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc. Whatever you want.
The winner receives publication Writers Digest Magazine. No monetary payment, but a great addition to a resume to be published in such a prestigious magazine.
Deadline: 26th April 2021

Coping with the Monkey Mind
Having a monkey mind is a meditation term indicating an “unsettled; restless; capricious; whimsical; fanciful; inconstant; confused; indecisive; uncontrollable” mind — is one of the biggest obstacles to meditation and mindfulness practice in Buddhism - and writing.

It’s Not About Routine, But About Practice
If you find yourself unable to stick to a writing routine, remember it's more important to keep up the practice of writing daily, rather than trying to stick to the exact time you do it.

Free Writing Competition
Imagine 2200—Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors (worldwide)
Imagine 2200 calls for short stories (3,000–5,000 words) that envision the next 180 years of equitable climate progress. What will our planet look like in the year 2200 — or anywhere between then and now? How will we move around the cities of the future? What will we eat, drink, wear, use, and live in? 
$3,000 first prize, $2,000 second, $1,000 third, plus 9 x $300 prizes
Deadline: April 12  2021- be quick

Bedtime Stories Wanted For Mslexia
A submission slot for short stories written to be read aloud to a child at bedtime. They can be on any subject, but no more than 250 words long, please.
Deadline for online submissions: April 12 2021 - be quick

Children's Books Are Dominating The Market
The Corona Virus panic has caused a surge in the sale of children's books as parents look for ways to keep their kids educated and entertained at home. See what's selling.

JK Rowling’s Writing Process
Have you ever wondered how JK Rowling does it? Ever wondered what her writing process is that helps her to pump out so many successful books? Here are 9 principles that may help and inspire you.

What Is Developmental Editing?
What makes it different from other kinds of editing, like line editing, copy editing, or proofreading?

Freelance Ghostwriter Needed for a Dog Website
"We’re looking for a skilled writer who can help us expand our site. We have hundreds of topic ideas that we’re ready to start producing. For this, we need a writer with some experience with dogs."
Payment is 4 cents/word for articles ranging from 1,250 to 3,750 words, writing 3 to 4 articles/month.


Now it's time to write, submit, earn money, and enjoy.



Tuesday 22 September 2020

New Markets For Horror Writers

 Today I added a new market to my Writing Markets page of my website.

It's a link to a website where you can find current and updated links to horror writing opportunities from all over the world, with horror writing submissions for websites, magazines, podcasts, anthologies, book publishers and more.

You'll also find links to hundreds of other opportunities for all different types of freelance writing markets, including '101 Sites That Pay You $50-$3000 per Blog Post.'

So if you're currently sitting at home wondering what to write about and how to earn money from your writing, just use the link below to click over to Writing Markets and start writing and submitting.

Just browsing this long list of writing markets will fill you with inspiration and ideas.

And don't forget that there is also a link to the amazing writing course, 'How To Make Money Writing Easy, 350-500 Word Web Articles.'

This one page alone on my website can help you to earn more money from your writing than you ever thought possible.

Take a look now.

https://ruthiswriting.com/writingmarkets.html


Sunday 1 December 2019

Self-Help Products For a Lifetime

I'm always talking about how I use self-help audios to help me write more and to stop my monkey mind from driving me crazy. Once my little old monkey head gets crazy thoughts in it, it's hard to get them out. I go over and over problems in my mind till it annoys me.

That's when I turn to my audios to help me clear my head so that I can get on with the things I have to do.

Two of the audios I listen to on a regular basis are from the Self Development Network.

And right now they are having a huge sale that ends on Cyber Monday (tomorrow).

What they're offering is lifetime access to not only over 50 products in their library (not all are audio programs), but also access to new ones that may be added in the future.

And the cost?

Only $99

And below is a list of just some of what you'll get:

Lifetime Access to a library of 50+ Courses from the world’s leading Personal Development experts.
Over 500 hours of top-rated teachings in all aspects of Self Development
A new course added every single week
$5000 worth of life-changing content for just $99 
100% Money-back Satisfaction Guarantee

Don't forget that the 100% money-back guarantee means that if you're not happy, you can have your $99 back. So you're money's safe.

And you'll gain access to over $5000 in courses if purchased individually:
  • Gaining Financial Freedom outside of a 9 to 5 job
  • Mastering skills like hypnosis, meditation and mind control
  • Manifesting love, happiness, and passion in your life
  • Changing your life through hypnosis
  • Improving your memory 
  • Quitting your 9-5 job and obtaining financial freedom
  • Becoming a “Speed Reader”
  • Mastering Mind Control techniques

I've never seen this offer before and it may never happen again, so it's worth taking advantage of it right now.

Don't forget it ends soon so be quick.

Just Click the Link below and when you go through to the checkout, add the coupon code:

LIFETIME99

That will instantly bring the price down to only $99.

And your membership will last a lifetime.



Monday 27 November 2017

Big Changes Are Coming

The past few weeks I’ve been working away feverishly on the new plans for my writing.

The reason for the changes that I’m making is because I’m moving away from freelance writing because I don’t do much of it at all anymore.

So I’m changing direction to talk about the writing I do now, which is online writing, book writing and self-publishing.

There are a lot of different facets to this kind of work such as writing books, ebooks, SEO, email marketing, self-publishing, blogging, article writing and online content writing.

And it’s important to know how to do all these things if you want to be successful.

I earn all my income from my writing and I’m going to help you do the same.

So watch this space because soon I’m going to start spreading the joy.

In the meantime, you can shoot over to http://ruthiswriting.com and see the changes I’ve made there including my new web pages of writing resources and writing courses.

http://ruthiswriting.com/writinghelp.html

Plus there’s plenty more to come.




Thursday 15 December 2016

Writing News November/December 2016

Here are some of the latest writing news and writing information from around the world.

Brooklyn Beckham to publish photography book What I See
Brooklyn Beckham is to release his first book - publishers Penguin Random House have announced.
What I See, which will be released in May 2017, will consist of 300 photographs taken by the 17-year-old alongside new images of him.
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38149735

Spider-Man Writer Creates Transgender Superhero
Meet Chalice, the world's newest transgender superhero. The dude dressed in a miniskirt is set to be the central hero in the Alters series, a comic ironically about societal outcasts who end up with superpowers.
http://www.charismanews.com/culture/59007-spider-man-writer-creates-transgender-superhero

A Look Back at the (Business) Year That Was
From Brexit to brand rehab to virtual reality, all the big developments in 2016 offer us lessons for 2017.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/286094

YouTube's Highest-Paid Star Just Trolled Everyone. Here's What You Can Learn.
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, known as PewDiePie to now more than 50 million YouTube subscribers, posted a video earlier this week announcing he would exit the platform that made him famous if he reached the 50 million threshold.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/286344

Selling My Books With CreateSpace
I’ve been writing and selling books for years and until recently I’ve had my own books printed and sold and shipped them myself.
But last month (November) I began to use Amazon’s POD publishing site, CreateSpace.
http://ruthiswriting.com/articles/2016/createspace.html

5 Ways to Trick Yourself Into Being Productive When You're Just Not Feeling It
Writing notes, taking a walk and allowing yourself simple rewards are little hacks that can increase your motivation.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/286003

IDW and DC Partner Up For a Graphic Novel to Honor Pulse Nightclub Victims
IDW Publishing and DC Entertainment have formed a partnership to publish Love is Love. More than 200 writers and artists have joined together to create an anthology graphic novel that honors those who suffered from the tragic shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub in June 2016.
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/idw-and-dc-partner-up-for-a-graphic-novel-to-honor-pulse-nightclub-victims/125232

Smashwords Self-Published Bestseller List, October 2016
while the vast majority of bestsellers at Smashwords are romance -- only four of the books on this list are not -- Hal Elrod continues to chart, coming in at # 13 this month with a work of nonfiction: The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM).
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/72173-smashwords-self-published-bestseller-list-october-2016.html

My wife likes your colouring-in books, Prince William tells author
Johanna Basford was picking up an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to art and entrepreneurship when the Duke of Cambridge revealed that Kate likes to colour.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/29/wife-likes-colouring-in-books-prince-william-tells-author/

Iran jails author for unpublished story on stoning
An Iranian author and human rights activist has been jailed for writing an unpublished novel about stoning.
Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee had returned home after being convicted by a revolutionary court for “insulting Islamic sanctities” when her house was violently raided.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-writer-jailed-golrokh-ebrahimi-sentence-stoning-story-unpublished-amnesty-a7379556.html

Goosebumps Author R.L. Stine to Write Series of Marvel's Man-Thing Comics
Famed Goosebumps author R.L. Stine has joined the ranks of well-known writers turning to comics, with an upcoming five-issue comic for Marvel based on Marvel’s Man-Thing character. The first issue comes out in February, and the collected edition will be available in summer 2017.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/72267-goosebumps-author-r-l-stine-to-write-series-of-marvel-s-man-thing-comics.html

Get More Joy Out of Sundays by Doing Week Prep First Thing In the Morning
Taking a little time on Sunday to organize the coming week is a great way to get ahead. But Sundays should also be relaxing so you’re primed for the Monday morning rush. Here’s a way to have the best of both worlds.
http://lifehacker.com/get-more-joy-out-of-sundays-by-doing-week-prep-first-th-1783615592

Strange, Surreal Cookbook by Salvador Dalí an Improbable Holiday Bestseller
In a season of blockbuster cookbooks, there has been one unlikely hit—a reprint of an opulent cookbook by Salvador Dalí that's been out of print for 40 years.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/cooking/article/72213-strange-surreal-cookbook-by-salvador-dal-an-improbable-holiday-bestseller.html

Bana Alabed, seven-year-old tweeting from Aleppo, goes quiet
A seven-year-old girl whose tweets from besieged eastern Aleppo drew worldwide attention has disappeared from the social network amid an army offensive.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38205889

The Crazy Egg Guide to Conversion Copywriting
PPC campaigns, email marketing, social media management, SEO optimization or good old fashioned word of mouth.
All viable and potentially profitable methods to grow your brand. But they’re also all very different.
https://blog.crazyegg.com/guides/conversion-copywriting/

U.S. Supreme Court backs Samsung in smartphone fight with Apple
The U.S. Supreme Court sided with Samsung in its big-money smartphone patent fight with Apple, throwing out an appeals court ruling that the South Korean company had to pay a $399 million penalty to its American rival for copying key iPhone designs.
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN13V1XL

Award-winning Australian author Shirley Hazzard dies in New York aged 85
Shirley Hazzard, the celebrated Australian writer whose 1980 novel The Transit of Venus won the US National Book Critics Circle Award has died at the age of 85.
http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/books/awardwinning-australian-author-shirley-hazzard-dies-in-new-york-aged-85-20161213-gtan4p.html

Microsoft-LinkedIn deal cleared by regulators, opening new doors for people around the world
It was roughly six months ago, on June 13, that we announced that Microsoft would acquire LinkedIn.  At that time, we said that we aimed to close the deal by the end of the year. Today, the European Commission announced that it has cleared the acquisition. As a result, we’ve now obtained all of the regulatory approvals needed to complete the acquisition, and the deal will close in the coming days.
http://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2016/12/06/microsoft-linkedin-deal-cleared-regulators-opening-doors-people-around-world/#sm.00000w1k6htseud3azh1zdjc0knme

Amazon unveils its Amazon Go grocery, where you just take things from the shelves and walk out
Its new physical store uses a mobile app, computer vision and other technologies to track every product and then charge your Amazon account.
https://martechtoday.com/amazon-launches-physical-grocery-store-just-take-things-shelves-walk-192990

Free eBooks
Free ebooks to help you make money from writing. Download immediately no email info required.
http://cheritonhousepublishing.com/free-ebooks.html

How To Write A Sex Scene: Three Authors Weigh In
Garth Greenwell, Jade Sharma and Rebecca Schiff on tackling the taboo.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/how-to-write-a-sex-scene_us_583f2981e4b09e21702c3740

Overdue Library Book Returned After 120 Years
The granddaughter of a man who attended Hereford Cathedral School in Hereford, England, returned a book to the school’s library earlier this month, which was only about a century overdue.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/12/12/overdue-library-book-returned-after-120-years/

The best thing you can do in 2017
An inspirational and motivational article by writer Mridu Khullar Relph to help you be more productive in 2017.
http://www.mridukhullar.com/best-thing-2017/


Wednesday 19 October 2016

Latest Writing News - October 2016

WP Kinsella, whose book became 'Field of Dreams', dies at 81

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37395028?

Aldi is the latest company to branch out into ebooks
http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/10/10/aldi-open-ebookstore-germany/

Harper Lee Announces Third Novel, ‘My Excellent Caretaker Deserves My Entire Fortune’
http://www.theonion.com/article/harper-lee-announces-third-novel-my-excellent-care-50840

He's CFO and CFW: Chief Fortune Writer. Donald Lau has been writing fortunes for 30 years
http://www.localsyr.com/news/hes-cfo-and-cfw-chief-fortune-writer

Kenny Loggins’ Footloose is Now a Children’s Book
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/kenny-loggins-footloose-is-now-a-childrens-book/126066

The Authors Guild is opening up membership to new and unpublished writers
http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2016/authors-guild-opens-membership-new-unpublished-writers/

John Lennon Is Getting a Comic Book Biography
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/john-lennon-is-getting-a-936643

Salinger’s House is Now an Artist’s Retreat
http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/salingers-house-artists-retreat

How Kickstarter became one of the biggest powers in publishing
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/14/how-kickstarter-became-one-of-the-biggest-powers-in-publishing-crowdfunding

Even Stephen King Thinks Those Creepy Clown Sightings Are Scary
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/stephen-king-creepy-clown-sightings_us_57d30366e4b03d2d459a545c

Joyce Carol Thomas Has Died
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/joyce-carol-thomas-has-died/124015

37th Anniversary of The Neverending Story's First Publishing
https://www.google.com/doodles/37th-anniversary-of-the-neverending-storys-first-publishing

15 Expert Hacks for Wannabe Successful New Writers
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yusuff-busayo/15-seriously-important-ex_b_10083562.html



Tuesday 26 July 2016

Writing News for July 2016

Experimental Writer Dennis Cooper’s Blog Pulled by Google
Novelist/poet/performance artist/ blogger Dennis Cooper’s work is definitely not for everyone, and it’s not meant to be. Almost a decade and a half of original work, including a gif novel-in-progress, might be lost forever.
http://www.craveonline.com.au/culture/1011245-experimental-writer-dennis-coopers-blog-pulled-google

How Sydney author Liane Moriarty sold six million books and inspired an HBO series
She's sold six million books about the darker side of suburban life. So why is Liane Moriarty the most successful Australian author you've never heard of?
http://www.smh.com.au/good-weekend/how-sydney-author-liane-moriarty-sold-six-million-books-and-inspired-an-hbo-series-20160701-gpw7ul.html

Warner Bros. to Host 2 Breakfast Receptions at Hogwarts
Harry Potter fans of all ages are invited to watch dawn break over the Hogwarts castle model while enjoying an exclusive breakfast reception. The iconic castle took a team of 40 people seven months to build from scratch with over 300 fibre optic lights installed to simulate lanterns and torches.
https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/breakfastathogwarts

'Eat, Pray, Love' Author Elizabeth Gilbert Splits From Husband José Nunes
Gilbert announced the news in a Facebook post on Friday, writing, "I am separating from the man whom many of you know as "Felipe" — the man whom I fell in love with at the end of the Eat, Pray, Love journey. He has been my dear companion for over 12 years, and they have been wonderful years. Our split is very amicable. Our reasons are very personal.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/elizabeth-gilbert-separates-josé-nunes_us_5776d10ae4b0a629c1aa05e6

Yet Another Kindle Unlimited Scam – Prawns!
Many innocent self-published authors, and especially those publishing non-fiction, were caught up in the attempts by Amazon to rid Kindle Unlimited of scammers who were using a weakness in the way Amazon pays for an ebook read in Kindle Unlimited.
http://www.justpublishingadvice.com/yet-another-kindle-unlimited-scam-prawns/

Author Michael Herr Has Died
Author and war correspondent Michael Herr had died at the age of 76.
Herr is best known for his 1977 memoir Dispatches, as well as co-writing the screenplay for Full Metal Jacket.
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/author-michael-herr-has-died/121784

Nook pulls out of UK
Nook is pulling out of the UK and transferring its UK customers to Sainsbury's.
The e-reader and tablet company owned by American bookselling chain Barnes & Noble told customers it would stop trading in the UK, effective as of 15th March 2016, via a notice posted on its website
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/nook-pulls-out-uk-323820

Simon & Schuster launches Salaam Reads imprint for Muslim children
A glaring lack of diversity in children's books has led Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers to launch an imprint centering on Muslim characters and stories, The New York Times reports.
http://theweek.com/speedreads/608364/simon--schuster-launches-salaam-reads-imprint-muslim-children

Crime writer in court over a thwarted bank robbery that was exactly the same as the plot of one of his novels 
The wordsmith, who was struggling financially, broke into a branch of Sparkasse bank before it closed in his native Leipzig in eastern Germany.
Wearing a mask, he yelled at customers to lie on the floor and pointed an alarm gun at staff, demanding they fetch him money.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3704492/Crime-writer-court-thwarted-bank-robbery-exactly-plot-one-novels.html

World's 'smallest hard drive' means every book written can now be stored on a stamp
When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press he changed the world.
Now a team of scientists in the Netherlands has taken this to the ultimate extreme. Through the manipulation of single atoms they have made the world's smallest hard drive. It is so dense the technology could store all the world's books on device the size of a postage stamp.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/worlds-smallest-atomscale-hard-drive-means-every-book-written-can-now-be-stored-on-a-stamp-20160719-gq8o0l.html

Thursday 16 June 2016

Latest Writing News June 2016

Here is the latest list of writing news from around the web.

Amazon is suing people who buy fake reviews
Over the course of the last two years Amazon has been on a rampage, suing companies that sell fake reviews. They have brought court cases against dozens of companies that target authors to professional reviews written for their e-books.
http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/amazon-is-suing-people-who-buy-fake-reviews

Saturday 19 March 2016

Latest Writing News March 2016

AWARDS. R.L. Stine Wins Chicago Tribune YA Prize
R.L. Stine, author of the bestselling Goosebumps series, has won The Chicago Tribune’s 2016 Young Adult Literary Prize.
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/r-l-stine-wins-chicago-tribune-ya-prize/117671

Father of a Scientology Leader Lands a Memoir Deal
Ron Miscavige has signed a memoir deal with St. Martin’s Press.
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/father-of-a-scientology-leader-lands-a-memoir-deal/117653

Google's got it right: Instead of bribing bloggers, sort out your website
On Friday, Google explicitly stated what it expects from bloggers who receive free products
https://econsultancy.com/blog/67645-google-s-got-it-right-instead-of-bribing-bloggers-sort-out-your-website/

Books Inc. Named 2016 PW Bookstore of the Year; Solomon Rep
In a California sweep, 165-year-old Books Inc., the oldest bookstore in the West, will receive this year’s PW Bookstore of the Year award, while the Karel/Dutton Group's Lise Solomon has been named PW Sales Rep of the Year. The honors will be handed out at BookExpo America in May.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/69672-books-inc-named-2016-pw-bookstore-of-the-year-solomon-rep.html

JK Rowling's 'Harry Potter chair' goes up for auction
Expected to fetch $45,000, the simple wooden chair on which the author wrote the books has traded hands a few times in recent years. Who will buy it now?
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/mar/04/jk-rowling-harry-potter-chair-auction

President Trump episode 'warning to US', says Simpsons writer
Writer of Bart to the Future episode, aired almost exactly 16 years ago, says idea was consistent with vision of US ‘going insane’
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/mar/17/simpsons-president-trump-prediction-was-meant-as-warning-to-us

New Collection of Original Writing from J.K. Rowling Goes Live
The first installment in a collection of new original writing from Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling releases.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/69606-new-collection-of-original-writing-from-j-k-rowling-goes-live.html

In the Age of Typewriter Apps, This Historic NYC Typewriter Repair Shop is Running Strong
Like most other New York City businesses that have been handed down through generations, The Gramercy Typewriter Company has been keeping tradition alive year after year despite the continual threats of technology.
http://www.solidsmack.com/culture/67986historic-typewriter-repair-shop/

FreeWrite Distraction-Free Typewriter Is Now Available For Purchase
The good news is that if you have been waiting since 2014 to get your hands on the device, you won’t have to wait much longer because the company has officially put the typewriter up for sale. It will be sold under a different name as the FreeWrite, but essentially it is more or less what we have seen when it first launched.
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2016/02/freewrite-typewriter-available-for-purchase/

BBC UK seeking unsolicited comedy scripts for TV, film, radio, stage or online. Deadline 4th April 2016.
BBC Writersroom's regular window for unsolicited scripts is open between 10am on 14th March and 5pm on 4th April 2016 for Comedy scripts (TV, film, radio, stage or online).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/script-room

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Apple’s Appeal in E-Book Pricing Case
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday refused to review an appeals court’s determination that Apple had conspired with book publishers to raise the prices of digital books.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/08/technology/apple-supreme-court-ebook-prices.html





Thursday 28 January 2016

Latest Writing News From Around the Web

Double your sales by making small changes in just 7 key areas of your business
http://tinyurl.com/j69zst8

Want to Work as a Published Author?
http://aweber.com/t/6LUlA

Soon You Can Read Beatrix Potter’s Lost Story About A Black Cat. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/beatrix-potter-new-story-cat_us_56a7a855e4b0b87beec61107

 How To Find Your Voice In Blogging.
http://www.tinterocreative.com/how-to-find-your-voice-in-blogging/

J.K. Rowling to Receive PEN/Allen Foundation Award
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/j-k-rowling-to-win-penallen-foundation-award/115435

Amazon.com : Kindle Instant Preview for your website
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=13489836011

From Indie Author to 6 (and 7!)-Figure Traditionally Pubbed Book Deal
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/indiereader/from-indie-author-to-6-an_b_9028534.html

1150 Free Online Courses from Top Universities.
http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses

The Next Big Step for E-Books in Libraries
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/69153-the-next-big-step-for-e-books-in-libraries.html

Five Marketing Models for Self-Publishing Success
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/69158-five-marketing-models-for-self-publishing-success.html

At Platform 9 3/4, 'Harry Potter' Fans Remember Alan Rickman
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/alan-rickman-platform-tribute-harry-potter_us_5698aaade4b0778f46f8f338

Generating Story Ideas
http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2016/01/generating-story-ideas.html


Wednesday 13 January 2016

Latest Writing News

Here are some of the latest writing news and writing articles from around the globe.

I hope you find it useful.

More Than 500K Readers Take Goodreads Reading Challenge
More than 500,000 readers have signed up for the 2016 Goodreads reading challenge.
The challenge allows readers to set personal reading goals for the year. So far, 28,723,103 books have been pledged and 243,287 have already been completed. The average books pledged is 49 books. Fifty-nine challenges have already been completed.
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/more-than-500k-readers-take-goodreads-reading-challenge/114544

Hong Kong Booksellers Go Missing
Hong Kong legislator Albert Ho believes that Chinese security officers kidnapped five publishing company/book store employees in an attempt to censor their work.
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/hong-kong-booksellers-go-missing/114540

10 Reasons You Should Write a Children's Book in 2016
A decade ago, I was dating a physician. He was a nice guy, but I knew the relationship was doomed the night he asked: "So, when are you going to write a grown-up book?"
I laughed, unsure how to answer. But as I was driving home, I realised what I should have said: "Do people ask paediatricians that? When are you going to start seeing grown-up patients?"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-klise/10-reasons-you-should-wri_b_8910290.html

Help Wanted: Gothamist Is Seeking A Copywriter
Gothamist LLC is looking for a copywriter to write paid and internal editorial efforts across all five of its properties.
http://gothamist.com/2016/01/06/help_wanted_gothamist_copywriter.php

A Shade of Vampire Leads Self-Published Bestsellers List
A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest leads the Self-Published Bestsellers List this week.
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/a-shade-of-vampire-leads-self-published-bestsellers-list/114655

Science can help you beat writer’s block
Lots of people want to write—but many find the process of actually getting words on the page to be pure torture.
http://qz.com/587053/science-can-help-you-beat-writers-block/

Penguin Random House Sells Vanity Press Author Solutions
Penguin Random House announced on Tuesday that it had sold its vanity press operation to Najafi Companies for an unknown sum.
http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/01/05/penguin-random-house-sells-vanity-press-author-solutions/

Best Recurring Affiliate Programs: Make Free Money For Life [2016]
One of the highly profitable parts of affiliate marketing is recurring income. I’m sure you are aware of how affiliate marketing works. You get payment when somebody buys a product using your affiliate link & the commission is really high.
http://www.shoutmeloud.com/best-recurring-affiliate-program.html

NYPL’s Public Domain Digital Collection Now More Accessible
The New York Public Library is making high resolution images from its digital collection available for free download from its site for the first time.
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/nypls-public-domain-digital-collection-now-more-accessible/114669

Best-selling books for the week that ended Jan. 3
Here are the best-selling books from Publishers Weekly for the week that ended Jan. 3.
http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/books-and-literature/best-selling-books-for-the-week-that-ended-jan/article_68be1732-bb7a-5e0e-9cad-28aeec152024.html

The Screenwriter's Simple Guide to Formatting Television Scripts
What’s the difference between a feature film script and a television script?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/screencraft/the-screenwriters-simple_b_8923734.html

Writer's Market 2016 Has Been Published
Breaking into the writing field is difficult when you don't have an established network. The 2016 Writer's Market contains thousands of publishing opportunities for writers of a variety of genres.
http://www.linkconnector.com/traffic_affiliate.php?lc=013918068196004693&atid=

NY Times Launches New Sci-Fi Book Column
The New York Times is launching a new bi-weekly column dedicated to book reviews about works of science fiction and fantasy.
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/ny-times-launches-new-sci-fi-book-column/114400

Writer's Yearbook 2016 Now Available
Writer's Yearbook 2016: Get an expert’s take on the latest developments in the book and magazine industries - and how these trends bode for your writing in the year ahead by Jane Friedman
http://www.linkconnector.com/traffic_affiliate.php?lc=013918068194004631&atid=


Thursday 9 April 2015

I Feel Like I'm Working For Google

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles, FreeDigitalPhotos.net
For the past few days (well, a week really) I've been busy working away making all my websites "mobile responsive."

This means that they have to be flexible, and morph into shape to fit any screen size from mobile phone to desktop computer.

I have several websites so it's taking me quite some time to do it. So far I've already completed half of my sites (phew! She wipes the virtual sweat from her brow) but it's taking a lot of work and a lot of working out.

The reason I'm doing it is because Google says I have to.

On 21st April 2015 they are bringing in new rules about search results and say that they won't include  non-mobile-responsive websites in their mobile results.

The reason I want keep my rankings in the Google search results, is that for several keywords I'm on page one of search results and for one, at least, I'm number one. (Yay! Go me!)

So this past week of working flat out, and with the pressure from Google, who keep emailing me about my website problems, I feel like I'm working for them. And they are bad payers because I'm not earning more money for all my extra effort and I'm not getting my own work done either.

On the other hand, making my websites mobile responsive is something that I've been thinking about for a while now. Thinking, but not doing anything about it.

But now the pressure is on. I have to get things finished in less than 2 weeks - or else.

And it's not just mobile responsiveness that Google is looking at. They are also concerned about sites with too many broken links amongst other things.

You can read more about Google's new rules at http://www.webpronews.com/things-to-avoid-for-googles-mobile-friendly-update-2015-03.

And if you have websites, or just one website, and you want people with mobile phones to be able to find your site using the search engines, then you'd better make sure it's fluid and that all your pages are completely up-to-date with no issues.

If you have a WordPress site, you need to make sure that you're using a theme that is mobile responsive.

If you're like me and you use HTML static web design, then you need to redesign your site to make it change layout for different media (screen size).

I use Adobe DreamWeaver for all my website designing, except for this blog because it's owned by Google and so they keep the design up to date for me so that they don't break their own rules.

DreamWeaver has built-in "fluid grid" web page software which basically means that when I build a webpage for mobile viewing, the design automatically filters though to the other 2 screen sizes - desktop and tablet. So all I have to do is a bit of tweaking here and there to get my web pages exactly how I want them on all 3 screen sizes, and it can all be done without coding.

But in the meantime, I'm missing being a writer because although web page designing is something I can do (although this type of designing has been quite a bit of a learning curve), it's not my favourite job. That's why I count myself fortunate to be able to use Adobe DreamWeaver software to make the task quicker and easier.

And speaking of which, it's time for me to get back to work and make my web page designs really sing.

Good luck with your own websites.

:)


Thursday 2 April 2015

Google Demands Responsive Websites or Sites Won't be Indexed

Google is currently pushing all website owners to make their websites responsive (or fluid) so that they can be viewed on all Smart Phones.

What Google considers a Smart Phone is any phone running on Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone operating systems with web browsers that work similar to desktop computer browsers and are able to display webpages that conform to HTML5 specifications. In other words, most modern phones.

They will also penalise websites that have what Google considers to be "common mistakes" which includes slow-loading mobile pages and making Flash video the majority of a page’s content.


But they do provide a page where you can test your website to see if it comes up to their new standards at.

https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

The biggest push of all is that the deadline for getting websites up-to-date and Smart Phone responsive, is 21st April 2015.

So that's less than 3 weeks from now.

And what is it that they plan to do to hurt websites owners without responsive websites?

They won't include your website in their mobile search results.

My problem with all this, is that only one of my websites is responsive. And that's this one.

So now my challenge is to redesign all my websites (and I have several) by 21st April.

Google keeps emailing me and listing all the problems with my current websites (thanks Google).

And I don't want to lose my spots in the search results because for many keywords and key phrases, I'm on the first page of Google results, and for one I'm actually at the number one spot.

Which means, that to stay afloat in the crazy ever-changing online world, I have to knuckle down and work hard to bring my websites kicking and screaming into responsive design.

Sadly, the only way to do this is to let all my other work slide for the time being while I crack on with this.

Hopefully, I'll have it done in one week (ha, ha, ha...I'm so damn funny sometimes) so if you don't get any emails from me or blog updates in the near future, that's why.

Damn you Google!!!!

But I guess it was only a matter of time until this all caught up with me because I really should have taken care of this problem months/years ago. I've been thinking about it for a while now. But that's all I've been doing. Thinking.

And as they say, a goal without action is simply a dream.

So now here I go with my first of many website redesigns.

See you on the flip side.

You can read more about this Google Push at

http://insideout.com/blog/2015/03/24/google-mobile-friendly-algorithm-is-your-website-ready/

And if you have any websites that aren't mobile responsive, now would be a good time to change that.

Friday 22 August 2014

Writing News and Weekend Reading

Another hectic week is over.

The weather is grim and it won't stop raining so it's a good time to kick back and catch up on some writing news and weekend reading.

Monday 21 July 2014

Latest Writing News - July 2014

South Africa's Nobel-winning novelist Nadine Gordimer dies
Amazon Tests ‘Kindle Unlimited,’ A Netflix For Ebooks And Audiobooks
Amazon might give readers something to get really excited about: A digital ebook and audiobook subscription service that provides Kindle users with all the content they can consume from a potential library of over 600,000 titles for just $9.99 per month.
http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/16/amazon-tests-kindle-unlimited-a-netflix-for-ebooks-and-audiobooks/


Patreon
Patreon enables fans to give ongoing support to their favorite creators. A place where writers can upload content in return for monthly donations/subscriptions.
http://www.patreon.com

Lady Gaga's Former Assistant Writing Tell-All Book
Jennifer O’Neill has signed with Atria Books to write a tell-all book about the musician. Jennifer O'Neill, who sued the singer for $393,000 in unpaid wages, is reported to have gotten as much as $1 million to spill about working for the singer from 2009-11.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lady-gagas-assistant-writing-tell-719402?

Sherlock Heirs Lose US Supreme Court Test
Justice Elena Kagan dismissed a plea by the Scottish author's heirs, who aimed to delay another writer's ability to use Holmes and his loyal assistant Dr Watson in a new book.

Kagan provided no comment as to why the request by the inheritors of Doyle's literary rights was turned down.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/entertainment/a/24493670/sherlock-heirs-lose-us-supreme-court-test/

South Africa's Nobel-Winning Novelist Nadine Gordimer Dies
Johannesburg (AFP) - South African Nobel Prize-winning writer and anti-apartheid activist Nadine Gordimer, who became an icon through her unique insights into the country's social agonies, has died at the age of 90.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/news/a/24458257/south-africas-nobel-winning-novelist-nadine-gordimer-dies/

22 Lessons From Stephen King On How To Be A Great Writer
In his memoir, “On Writing,” King shares valuable insights into how to be a better writer. And he doesn’t sugarcoat it. He writes, “I can’t lie and say there are no bad writers. Sorry, but there are lots of bad writers.”

Don’t want to be one of them? Here are 22 great pieces of advice from King’s book on how to be an amazing writer:
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/stephen-king-on-how-to-write-2014-7