Spiderwize's Self Publishing Blog

Edinburgh International Book Festival is held from 14^th to 30^thAugust 2010 in Charlotte Square Gardens, Edinburgh from 9.30am to late. Admission is free. To book phone 0845 373 5888 .

The Edinburgh International Book Festival is not just for those with a love of reading but is also inspiring for writers no matter how inexperienced or how young. Learn from the masters. What better city to rub shoulders with legendary authors like Fergal Keane, Carol Ann Duffy and Fay Weldon.

Listen to readings by the authors, take a masterclass in illustrating, writing workshops, book reading and activities for children and much more.

One of the exciting aspects of this year’s Festival is the First Book Award 2010 where the readers are given the chance to select the winner of this fine prize. This is your chance to support first-timers (debut novels) and those less well known – if you like their writing then give them a leg-up. You will find novels, novellas or short stories in this adult programme. Voting closes on 30^th September. As a bonus, if you voted for the winning author your name will go into a prize-draw, which if you win, you’ll get a signed copy of every one of the forty-five books in this entry.

Hear free readings of micro-stories every day in the Bookshop from Sat 14 to Mon 30 August at 4pm.

The RBS Children’s Programme has masses of events, workshops and activities with the best writers of children’s literature to Scotland. You will find contemporary and classic literature, technology and scientific. The illustrator-in-residence this year is Tohby Riddle, who has four events at the festival including an illustration masterclass for adults – who can resist!

Here are a few of the temptations awaiting you at the Edinburgh International Book Festival:

Saturday 14^th August:

12:00 FERGAL KEANE EPIC STORY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE’S LAST STAND
SCOTTISHPOWER STUDIO THEATRE, £10 [£8]
Having tackled personal demons in his memoir All of These People, the BBC’s war reporter returns to the battlefields of history with Road of Bones: The Siege of Kohima 1944. Outnumbered, British and Indian troops went up against the brutal might of the Imperial Japanese Army. The pitiless horror of war is given the typically humane Fergal Keane treatment. In conversation with Antonia Swinson, whose father, Arthur Swinson, fought in the battle of Kohima.

12:30 SARAH IRVING & SHARYN LOCK THE HORROR OF LIFE UNDER ATTACK IN GAZA PEPPERS THEATRE, £10 [£8]
Former volunteer aid worker Sharyn Lock visited the Gaza Strip in 2009 as part of the Free Gaza Movement. Shortly after her arrival, Israel launched a relentless assault on Gaza, unleashing what Amnesty International described as ‘twenty two days of death and destruction’. Gaza: Beneath the Bombs, written together with Sarah Irving, is an eyewitness account giving insight to horrors the mainstream media was unable to offer.

15:30 EVA HOFFMAN HOW KEEPING TIME KEEPS US SANE SCOTTISHPOWER STUDIO THEATRE, £10 [£8]
‘When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second,’ claimed Einstein, explaining relativity. ‘But when you sit on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour.’ In an age when we live longer yet suffer desperate shortages of time, our relationship with all things temporal is fundamental and may even be at the core of our sanity, argues Eva Hoffman in her intriguing new book, Time.

18:00 MAIRI HEDDERWICK MASTERCLASS: THE ART OF ILLUSTRATING
RBS CORNER THEATRE, £10 [£8]
Children’s writer and artist Mairi Hedderwick talks about what inspires her intricate watercolours and explores the creative journey she embarks upon when illustrating. She draws you into a world shaped by the tranquil quality of the Scottish landscape and the wonders of the natural world.

For children – just one idea of many:

10:30- THE MOOMINS11:15
RBS WORKSHOP TENT, £4 AGE 3-5
Some of the very bestselling books of all time, Tove Jansson’s classic Moomin series celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. Come to this lively event of dance, songs and games inspired by these classic characters. Tickets sold in pairs of one adult and one child. Maximum 2 pairs per person.

Sunday 15^th August

11:00- WRITING WORKSHOP12:30 SNAPPY START, RACY STORY, GREAT ENDING
WRITERS’ RETREAT, £15 [£12]
Bestselling author Sara Sheridan works in a variety of genres. Here she gives a guide to story construction and the inside track on writing fiction which you won’t want to put down. In association with the Society of Authors.

15:00 THE TIMES EVENT FATIMA BHUTTO THE TRAGIC STORY OF PAKISTAN’S GREAT POLITICAL DYNASTY RBS MAIN THEATRE, £10 [£8]
When Fatima Bhutto’s father was murdered by Pakistani police in 1996, Benazir Bhutto – her aunt – was Prime Minister. Fatima became a passionate critic, claiming that Benazir had ordered her father’s murder. A decade later, Benazir herself was assassinated. Now, in Songs of Blood and Sword, Fatima Bhutto reveals the tragic history of a political dynasty whose fate mirrors the tumultuous events of Pakistan itself since its independence in 1947.

16:00 RON BUTLIN & REGI CLAIRE A TASTY SWISS-SCOTS MELANGÉ OF POETRY AND PROSE
PEPPERS THEATRE, £10 [£8]
The Edinburgh Makar (Poet Laureate) Ron Butlin is widely acclaimed both for his poetry and his novels, while his wife, Swiss writer Regi Claire, has twice been shortlisted for a Saltire Scottish Book of the Year award. Together they weave an entertaining hour of poetry and prose, which puts Scotland into a truly international context.

18:30 CAROL ANN DUFFY NEW WORK FROM THE POET’S FORTHCOMING COLLECTION
RBS MAIN THEATRE, £10 [£8]
Carol Ann Duffy will be reading from her collected poems and also reading a lot of new work from The Bees which will be published in 2011. She will be joined by the musician John Sampson in the presentation of poems which celebrate and elegise the public and the personal. In association with Scottish Poetry Library.

19:00 MARY CONTINI RECIPES FROM THE FAMOUS EDINBURGH FOOD STORE
SCOTTISHPOWER STUDIO THEATRE, £10 [£8]
Mary Contini is a leading member of the celebrated food dynasty behind Edinburgh institutions such as the famous delicatessen Valvona & Crolla. This year she has assembled a book of 200 Italian recipes and sprinkled it with personal anecdote and history, and we are thrilled that Contini will discuss some of these in Charlotte Square Gardens.

For children (and adults) a flavour:

14:00 MOG WITH JUDITH KERR SCOTTISHPOWER STUDIO THEATRE, £4 FAMILIES & 8+
A delightful treat that unites generations, Judith Kerr’s creation Mog the Cat has been entertaining parents and children alike for decades. Join her in this unique event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Mog (gosh, can she have grown that much?), an event which coincides with the retrospective exhibition of Judith’s work, currently touring the UK.

Monday 16^th August

13:30 FAY WELDON WHEN THE KEHUA ARE WHISPERING IN YOUR EAR, WHO SHOULD YOU BELIEVE?
RBS MAIN THEATRE, £10 [£8]
Hot on the heels of her bestselling Chalcot Crescent, Fay Weldon returns with Kehua!, bringing her trademark tongue-in-cheek perspective on suburban London to Muswell Hill. Here, a young New Zealand woman has fled to escape a past involving a murder and a suicide. But she brings with her the kehua – Maori ghosts of the dead New Zealanders – who have followed her across the world.

14:30 HILARY SPURLING CELEBRATED MATISSE BIOGRAPHER TURNS HER HAND TO PEARL BUCK
PEPPERS THEATRE, £10 [£8]
In 1938, Pearl Buck was the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, for her ‘epic descriptions of peasant life in China’. Yet, as Hilary Spurling argues in her biography Burying the Bones, Buck is now virtually forgotten: ‘She has no place in feminist mythology, and her novels have been eliminated from the American literary map.’ Spurling’s biography reaffirms Buck’s status as a literary superstar.

18:30 THE TIMES EVENT IAN BLAIR
THE INSIDE STORY OF THE FORMER MET POLICE CHIEF
RBS MAIN THEATRE, £10 [£8]
When Boris Johnson ousted Sir Ian Blair in a political coup in 2007, the Metropolitan Police Chief’s turbulent career came to an abrupt halt. That turbulence had reached its peak in 2005, when London endured tragic deadly terrorist bombings and, only a few weeks later, the accidental shooting by Met officers of an innocent man, Jean Charles de Menezes. And yet during this period Blair can also claim to have achieved some notable successes. Hear Blair’s own version of events in this session.

For children and more:

12:00- STORYTIME12:45 RBS IMAGINATION LAB, FREE: TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE BOX OFFICE ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT ALL AGES
Daily storytelling to lift the spirit and spark the imagination. All ages welcome but particularly suited to 3-10s. Today: Tony Bonning.

Tuesday 17^th August

12:00- STORYTIME12:45 RBS IMAGINATION LAB, FREE: TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE BOX OFFICE ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT ALL AGES
Daily storytelling to lift the spirit and spark the imagination. All ages welcome but particularly suited to 3-10s. Today: Tony Bonning.

12:00- STORYTIME12:45 RBS IMAGINATION LAB, FREE: TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE BOX OFFICE ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT ALL AGES
Daily storytelling to lift the spirit and spark the imagination. All ages welcome but particularly suited to 3-10s. Today: Tony Bonning.

14:00 JOHN BURNSIDE & DAVID VANN FATHER AND SON: GIVING BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY
SCOTTISHPOWER STUDIO THEATRE, £10 [£8]
Two stellar writers, two sons, two fathers. Legend of a Suicide depicts a boy’s fraught relationship with his suicidal father, and many of its mysteries appear to be drawn from the real-life voyages of its author, David Vann. With its astonishing layering of different ‘truths’, Vann’s book shows a story turned inside-out, experienced from both sides at once. John Burnside’s two recent memoirs tell the haunted, mesmerizing story of his relationship with a difficult, alcoholic father, and its effect on his own personality and addictive behaviour. Chaired by Ruth Padel.

19:00 REGINALD HILL DALZIEL & PASCOE WRITER DELIVERS A PACY PSYCHO-THRILLER
SCOTTISHPOWER STUDIO THEATRE, £10 [£8]
It is forty years since Reginald Hill started his Dalziel and Pascoe series with The Clubbable Woman and he’s celebrating by giving his cops extended leave and penning a stand-alone thriller, The Woodcutter. This fast-moving psychological tale features successful entrepreneur Wolf Hadda, thrown into prison for a vile crime he claims no knowledge of, and from where he quietly plots vengeance.

For kids and more:

13:30 JOHN FARDELL RBS IMAGINATION LAB, £4 AGE 4-10
Royal Mail Children’s Book Award-winner John Fardell brings his unique mix of live drawing and passion for wacky inventions to this event. Help him dream up a few more out-of-this-world machines and gadgets and see them coming alive on the page!

Wednesday 18^th August

14:30 DAVID SHENK EVERYONE IS BORN WITH THE CAPABILITY TO BE A GENIUS
PEPPERS THEATRE, £10 [£8]
The simplistic debate of nature versus nurture may be discredited, yet it is now commonly assumed that intelligence is more driven by genetics than by the environment. David Shenk argues that while genetics plays some part in intellectual aptitude, it is in fact our environment that makes the biggest difference.

If he’s right, Shenk’s ideas have profound implications for education and social policy.!

18:30 THE CORNELIAN ASSET MANAGERS EVENT MARTIN BELL
HOW WE CAN REBUILD FAITH IN POLITICS AFTER THE EXPENSES SCANDAL
RBS MAIN THEATRE, £10 [£8]
It may have been published on April Fool’s Day but the subject of Martin Bell’s A Very British Revolution raised a few smiles among the British populace. Subtitled ‘The Expenses Scandal and How to Save Our Democracy’, it focuses on the moment when the public’s confidence in their elected representatives plumbed new depths. But could it also be a golden chance to cleanse political life?

Thursday 19^th August

11:30 MARGARET DRABBLE HOW LANDSCAPE AND LITERATURE HAVE SHAPED BRITISH IDEAS
RBS MAIN THEATRE, £10 [£8]
For hundreds of years, landscape has played a leading role in literature from the British Isles. In the new edition of A Writer’s Britain, Margaret Drabble’s highly praised appreciation of British writers and their love of landscape, she argues that not only have writers such as Wordsworth, the Brontës, Scott and Orwell been inspired by their experiences of landscape, but that their writing has in turn shaped our relationship to nature. Supported by the Hawthornden Literary Retreat.

16:30 ROBERT WINSTON WHY SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD
RBS MAIN THEATRE, £10 [£8]
For every great invention, there is the equal possibility for that invention to be misapplied. That is the thesis of Robert Winston, Professor of Science and Society at Imperial College, and he has plenty of evidence to back it up. Relativity gave us nuclear weapons as well as nuclear energy; antibiotics can kill just as easily as they can cure; and genetics raises the spectre of cloning and eugenics. Join Lord Winston for a fascinating discussion of the ethics of innovation.

18:30 THE EXPERIAN EVENT IAN RANKIN
THE LEGENDARY CRIME WRITER IS LOVING LIFE AFTER REBUS
RBS MAIN THEATRE, £10 [£8]
He’s the UK’s number one bestselling crime author and a perennial favourite of audiences at the Book Festival: this year, as Ian Rankin celebrates his 50th birthday, he is very much at the top of his game. We welcome the Diamond Dagger-winning author back to discuss his police procedural thriller The Complaints and to explain why, with or without Inspector Rebus, Edinburgh offers the perfect backdrop for his stories.

Children

16:30 RETURN TO THE HUNDRED ACRE WOOD RBS IMAGINATION LAB, £4 AGE 5+
Rediscover the foibles and frolics of Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and their friends in this delightful family event. Meet David Benedictus, author of Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, and revel in his a collection of brand new stories starring your favourite characters as well as some new faces. This interactive storytelling event celebrates a family classic

Friday 20^th August

20:00 THE DM HALL EVENT CAROL ANN DUFFY
NEW WORK FROM THE POET’S FORTHCOMING COLLECTION
RBS MAIN THEATRE, £10 [£8]
Carol Ann Duffy will be reading from her collected poems and also reading a lot of new work from The Bees which will be published in 2011. She will be joined by the musician John Sampson in the presentation of poems which celebrate and elegise the public and the personal. In association with the Scottish Poetry Library.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival goes on until 30^th August. There are many more events. Why not take a look at their web site: http://www.edbookfest.co.uk to see what else they have to offer.

Image by The Edinburgh International Book Festival

The following tip is taken out of our “Tips for Editing your Manuscript Guide”

Avoid writing long sentences. Short sentences are easier to control. The meaning can be lost in a long, drawn-out sentences (what we call ‘high tension’ sentences). Especially in novels, shorter sentences help the action to move forward quickly. Also, always use a verb in your sentences! Authors often think it’s fine to leave out the verb is or was. [‘Feeling tired.'] is not a sentence, unless it’s a part of dialogue. [‘The man was feeling tired.'] is a complete sentence.

The following is not a complete sentence:

So, hardly an encouraging atmosphere then, and not a very good foundation upon which to begin one’s education on the pleasures of the table.

The following is a complete sentence because it includes the verb was:

So, it was hardly an encouraging atmosphere, and not a very good foundation upon which to begin one’s education on the pleasures of the table.

If you are editing your manuscript and you think the sentences are too long and unwieldy, consider breaking them up into smaller sentences. (It’s like uncoupling the coaches in an overlong train! Make sure that each uncoupled part has it’s own ‘engine’-i.e. verb and full-stop etc.)

Free Manuscript Editing Guide

The above editing tip is part of a collection of free tips to helping you edit your manuscript. Download our free tips for editing your manuscript.

Self publishing fully by yourself (Do-It-Yourself) can be interpreted as the author taking charge of working out each process of their book production. From finding their printer, getting an ISBN number, formatting the inside, designing their book cover to book distribution. Some may call this fully Self Publishing.

Below we have listed some of the main items (an overview) you will need to be aware of when you are self publishing fully by yourself. This is not a comprehensive list but will give you some pointers.

Editing
If you decide that your work requires someone to edit your manuscript then the first course of action would be to ask friends or writing contacts of anyone they can recommend. Also, you can search for an editor on Google, but make sure you pay close attention to the editor’s credentials. Whoever you choose to edit / proofread your book, make sure they have the skills / experience / qualifications.

ISBN
First you will need to decide if you require an ISBN number. For more info read our Does my book require an ISBN number guide. Only publishers can purchase ISBN numbers from the ISBN agency. So for you to purchase the ISBN number you will need to set yourself up as a publisher. This means you need to think of an imprint name you want your book to be published under. You will need to purchase yourself an ISBN number from your local ISBN agency. Each country has its own agency. If you are located in the UK you will need to purchase a minimum block of 10 ISBN numbers from Nielsen. Their website: http://www.isbn.nielsenbook.co.uk/

Printer
It is a good idea to find the printer you are going to use early in the self publishing process. This is because the printer you decide to go with may have their own formatting rules and specifications that your book will need to have. By finding this out now before you format your book interior and design your book cover will help to save delays and extra cost in the future.

Formatting
There are many aspects of your book to think about when your book is being formatted. You will need to make sure your formatting includes any setting that your printer requires. You could format your book yourself but we always recommend getting an experienced formatter to do this for you.

Cover design
As with formatting, we would recommend that you hire a designer to do this for you (preferably someone experienced in cover design). The designer will need to make sure that they include any settings that your printer requires which will include setting the correct bleeds at the edges of the cover. You will also need to make sure that your back cover includes a barcode of your ISBN number (if you book requires one).

Print ready files
You will need to check with your printers which formats they will accept the print-ready files in. In most cases this is in PDF format but some printers will also accept files in design program formats including Adobe Indesign. When saving to your printer’s preferred format (your cover designer and interior formatter should be able to help you with this – that is, if you outsourced) make sure the files are saved with any needed settings.

Book distribution
If you are looking for comprehensive distribution where someone else takes care of this for you, then you may wish to see which printers offer this service. There are a couple of POD (print-on-demand) printers that may offer authors that are self publishing a distribution service. Other alternatives are to find a third party book distributor who will stock your book and send out copies when there are orders – though this could be a disadvantage if your book is POD as you may have to supply the distributor with a number of printed copies.

Spiderwize Publishing

Thinking of Self Publishing? We have created a all in one self publishing package.

Deciding if you should self publish a book or try to find a main line publisher can be a confusing one. Please see below an excerpt from our “Guide to Self Publishing” which will help you to decide what method of publishing to choose.

Is Self Publishing right for me?

This depends on what you hope to achieve from publishing your book. What are your expectations?

If you are expecting the publisher to take charge of your book, pay you an advance fee before the book is published, take charge of marketing your book; sell/promote your book to distributors / bookstores, then clearly the traditional way of publishing your book is what you are looking for.

If you have never tried submitting your book to a traditional publisher and feel your book would be marketable to a wide audience, then we encourage you to submit your book to the most suitable publisher. Traditional publishers will always have more marketing clout. Please be aware that most publishers will not accept book submissions direct from authors. You will probably need to use an agent. A list of mainline publishers and agents can be found in the latest copy of The Artists’ and Writers’ Year Book, which you can obtain through most bookstores, and certainly from Amazon. A word of warning, however: finding a mainline or traditional publisher that is willing to consider your book is like searching for a needle in a haystack – which is why finding a reputable agent is probably the best route to choose. An agent will know which publishers are most likely to look at your book, in terms of genre or category. The Artists’ and Writers’ Year Book also has a section on how to present your manuscript.

Seeking a mainline publisher (or even an agent) can be an exhausting process, and requires commitment, perseverance and a firm belief on the author’s part that his or her book is genuinely saleable. In days gone by traditional publishers placed as much emphasis on the quality of the writing or narrative, whereas in today’s world with its economic pressures, saleability is the main factor for most mainline publishers. In other words, will the book sell, and to whom? (What constitutes the target audience?)

If your book is repeatedly rejected by mainline publishers, that does not mean it is not a good book, and that it does not deserve to be published. That is where self publishing comes in and it has happened more than once that a self-published book is eventually discovered by a mainline publisher who publishes it with successful sales. Some best sellers began as self published books.

If your target audience is made up of your own family and circle of friends, then self publishing is the most logical route to follow. The book is made available to order either from on-line bookstores, through bricks-and-mortar bookstores (if it has an ISBN number), or from stocks that you have purchased at the author’s discount from the printer / publisher.

Top image by Eleaf

So you are an author in the UK and have a book, perhaps a novel, to publish. Self Publishing in the UK is not difficult as it used to be with today many companies offering self publishing services for authors. Though you still need to be wary of what services / companies you use. Please see some tips below regarding some of the main items to be aware of when self publishing in the UK:

Proofreading / editing
What can be a major downfall for a self published book in the UK is the spelling, grammar and other types of errors. For your book to be well received and have a chance of good sales / distribution, it is imperative that your book is well edited.

Copyrighting your book
Copyright is an automatic right and arises whenever an individual or company creates a work. Though, if you wish, you may register your copyright with a registration service. This is not a requirement but registering your copyright makes it easier to prove your claim if your work is plagiarized – this is entirely up to you. You may wish to take a look at the following UK service that provides a copyright registration service: www.copyrightservice.co.uk

Formatting your book’s text
There are many aspects of your book to think about when your book is being formatted. You will need to make sure your formatting includes any setting that your printer requires. You could format your book yourself but we always recommend getting an experienced formatter to do this for you – preferably a formatter in the UK.

Designing your cover
As with formatting, we would recommend that you hire a designer to do this for you (preferably someone experienced in cover design). Badly designed covers have been another downfall for self published books. The designer will need to make sure that the book conforms with any settings that your printer requires, which will include setting the correct bleeds at the edges of the cover.

Getting an ISBN number
When self publishing you will need to ask yourself if you require an ISBN number? See our blog post on Does my book require an ISBN number? If you do require an ISBN number you will need to purchase the ISBN numbers from the UK ISBN agency Nielsen – their website is http://www.isbn.nielsenbook.co.uk. You will need to register yourself as a UK publisher as only publishers can purchase ISBN numbers from Nielsen.

Finding a printer
There are many printers available in the UK and if you are going to use a Print-on-Demand printer then it is recommended that you use a UK POD printer. If instead you are going to use an off-set printer (printing only in bulk), then you may also wish to get some printing quotes from overseas printers, as their prices may be more competitive then some UK printers.

Wholesalers
If you want your book to be available to purchase throughout the UK, then you may wish to look into the possibility of making your book available to the two biggest UK book wholesalers. They are Gardners and Bertrams.

Lets us Self Publish your book

Instead of self publishing yourself you could use a Publishing Service Provider like Spiderwize. Here at Spiderwize we offer full Publishing Packages that include all the necessary services and items an author needs to get their book / novel professionally made and printed. See what Self Publishing Packages we have to offer.

Image of flag by: micora

With books being printed in so many different paperback sizes it can hard to know what the standard size is.

Some of the traditional standard paperback sizes are:

• 110mm x 178mm (4.33″ x 7.01″) – A Format
• 130mm x 198mm (5.12″ x 7.8″) – B Format
• 135mm x 216mm (5.32″ x 8.51″) – C Format (trade paperbacks)

Other popular paperback sizes:

Some other paperback sizes becoming popular are (from my own experience):

• 127mm x 203mm (5″ x 8″) – This is becoming very popular especially for fiction novels.
• 140mm x 216mm (5.5″ x 8.5″) – Again another format becoming popular, especially for autobiographies or longer fiction novels.
• 152mm x 229mm (6″ x 9″) – (US Trade Paperback). This has in the past been a popular format. We find self publishing authors normally choose the smaller sizes for fiction novels though 6 x 9 can still be good for longer fiction novels (especially a large sci-fi) or autobiographies.

Image by: ricoeurian

Spiderwize can offer to publish your book using some of the most popular book sizes (5 x 8, 5.5 x 8.5 or 6 x 9). These sizes are available in all of our Publishing Packages.

We always state a word of caution with anything concerning copyright. Whenever you are using an image that is not yours make sure that you get written permission to print the image in your book from the copyright holder.

We would highly recommend that you do not use any images in your book that you have not had permission to use. Even if the images have been circulated around the internet (and appears on a number of websites) there will still be an original creator attached to the image and if this person finds their image in your printed book then they may take legal action against you.

Ask copyright owner for permission

You should email / write to the legal owner of the image(s) you wish to use and request permission to use the image in your book. You may wish to give them a brief description about your book and mention that you will give them a credit in the book. We would highly recommend that you keep a copy of the emails or letters you receive that gives you permission to use the images. Also keep a copy of the emails / letters that you send to them.

When you add the images that you have been given permission to use in your book remember to add a credit of the copyright owner to the image (preferably next to the image).

If you are unable to trace the legal owner of the image then we would recommend that you do not use it. This may seem overly cautious but we feel it is best to make sure that there will be no legal issues concerning your book that will arise later on.

Image by dichohecho

26^th May to the 6^th of June are the dates for this year’s Hay Festival in Wales (UK).

The Hay Festival is not just for authors but has a mix of writers, comedians and musicians. Because of this mix and diversity of programs available the Hay Festival may be a great place to help give author some inspiration and motivation.

We have hand picked some of the events from the Hay programme that may be of interest to authors:

Fiction Masterclass (26, 27, 28 May. 10AM – 5pm)

Still to write your fiction or have already started but have ground to a halt? The festival has a 3-day fiction masterclass that may be of help. A description from the programme:

“Over the three days Jill Dawson, Tobias Hill and guest tutor Jasper Fforde address the difficult business of starting to write. This lively course offers inspiration and guidance on the matter of getting started with fiction – whether you are an absolute beginner or have started and ground to a halt.”

Fiction: The Long View (Sat 29th May 10am)

McNaughten is set in 1840s London, The Pindar Diamond in C17th Venice and the no.1 bestseller Heresy in Elizabethan England. Chaired by Corisande Albert.

Henning Mankell talks to Peter Florence (Sat 29th May 11.30am)

The creator of Wallander talks about his crime fiction, his novels and his African theatre company.

Fiction: Investigations (Sat 29th May 11.30am)

The Surrendered is an epic of war and redemption set in Korea, Italy and America. Red April is a classic noir thriller set in Lima, and won the Alfaguara Prize.

Nadine Gordimer talks to Peter Florence (Sat 29th May 4pm)

The Nobel Laureate discusses her fiction, particularly her Booker-winning novel The Conservationist and her latest story collection Beethoven was One-Sixteenth Black.

Quality of Life – Alain de Botton talks to Jerry Hall (Sat 29th May 7pm)

The novelist and thinker, author of How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Consolations of Philosophy, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, and Essays in Love discusses life and letters.

Bad Ideas? An Arresting History of our Inventions – Robert Winston (Sun 30th May 2.30pm)

The moment man first converted a stone to a useful tool set him on a relentless path toward greater power over his environment. But have our creative ideas always produced desirable results in line with their original good intention? Chaired by Hilary Lawson, chair of the How The Light Gets In philosophy festival.

The Guardian Interview – Harold Evans talks to Alan Rusbridger (Sun 30th May 5.30pm)

The legendary journalist discusses his memoir My Paper Chase and discusses the future of journalism and publishing with the editor of The Guardian.

Fiction: The Betrayal – Helen Dunmore talks to Antony Beevor (Mon 31st May 2.20pm)

Stalin’s Leningrad in 1952: when Andrei has to treat the seriously ill child of a senior secret police officer he finds himself and his family caught in an impossible game of life and death.

Arctic Labyrinth – Glyn Williams (Tue 1st June 2.30pm)

From the Tudor ice-breakers to modern nuclear subs, The Quest for the Northwest Passage charts the heroism and ingenuity of our search to find a naval route over the top of North America that would open up the fabulous wealth of Asia to British merchants.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen – Ranulph Fiennes talks to Rupert Lancaster (Thursday 3rd June 4pm)

Sir Ranulph Twistleton-Wykham-Fiennes’ personal expedition to trace his extraordinary family through history. From

The Famished Road, Revisited – Ben Okri talks to Anita Sethi (Fri 4th june 2.30pm)

The novelist discusses his Booker-winning masterpiece, the story of Azaro, the spirit child who chooses to stay in the land of the living.

The Dog Who Came In From The Cold – Alexander McCall Smith talks to Paul Blezard (Fri 4th June 4pm)

The grand master storyteller introduces the second book in the Corduroy Mansions series and The Double Comfort Safari Club, the latest investigation of the No1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.

Fiction: Coldest Wars – Grant Sutherland and James Steel talk to Paul Blezard (Sat 5th June 9am)

Sutherland’s The Cobras of Calcutta offers thrilling intrigue among the Decipherers, England’s crack code-breakers warring silently against Napoleon’s intelligence agency, the Cabinet Noir. Steel’s December is a contemporary political thriller set across Russia.

Fiction: Comedy – Jonathan Coe and David Nobbs (Sat 5th June 10am)

The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim is Coe’s picaresque new novel of our times. He talks about comedy and fiction with the creator of Henry Pratt and Reginald Perrin, whose latest book is Obstacles to Young Love. Chaired by Peter Guttridge.

Beatrice and Virgil – Yann Martel talks to Jonathan Heawood (Sat 5th June 5.30pm)

The spirit of his Booker-winning Life of Pi resonates in this new novel, launched at Hay, which takes us on an imaginative odyssey in the company of a donkey and a howler monkey. Martel asks profound questions about the nature of human cruelty, kindness and the liberating power of stories.

Did You Really Shoot the Television? – Max Hastings talks to Anne Robinson (sun 6th June 10am)

The journalist discusses his new family memoir.

Val McDermid talks to Marcel Berlins (Sun 6th June 10am)

Ratchet plotting of her gripping psychological thrillers has established McDermid and her Hill/Jordan detection team at the very top of crime fiction. She talks about writing, morality, crime and punishment.

To view the full programme and more info on the festival visit Hay’s website at: www.hayfestival.com

Image by Hay Festival

An author recently asked us what he/she could and could not say in their book. This is a very good question and one all authors should be aware of.

If your book is a non-fiction book and about true life events, then you to be careful in what you say about the individuals or groups that you mention since if individuals or groups take offence they might take legal action against you.

Fiction note: Even if your book is fictional but you have some characters based on real life people, then we would also give a word of caution.

Written for permission
If your book includes real individuals we would highly recommend that you receive written permission from the individuals or groups you mention to check that they are happy to be included in your book.

Change character names and places
Some authors writing true stores may change the character names and places to fictional names. This helps to protect the individuals / places that you are mentioning but also helps to protect you. Even so, still be very cautious about including any material that puts anyone you mention in a bad light.

You may want to take a look at Ehow Article which gives you some general advice on avoiding a Defamation of Character Claim – though the article is geared not to authors only but also the wider public.

P.S. If you are unsure about anything in your book being legally acceptable, then seek processional legal advice. It is better to take the time to get this right at the outset.

Photo by Orin Zebest

You may or may not require an ISBN for your book. It depends on where and how you will be selling / distributing your book.

Before I explain when you may need an ISBN number you may first be wondering:

What exactly is an ISBN number?

Basically each ISBN number is a unique set of digits that is assigned to a book. The book that is assigned the ISBN number will have that unique number; no other book will have the same number. You may like to see it as a unique address that is only assigned to your book. Though please note all copies of your book will have the same ISBN number (you don’t need a different ISBN number for each copy you print).

What is the ISBN number used for?

The ISBN number is mainly used for commercial trade purposes. It helps to keep your book data assigned to your book in online databases, helps retailers to find your book when searching for it on distribution channels, helps the retailer or wholesaler to keep track of your book when they are stocking it and, of course, as you will be aware, when someone is purchasing your book in a store the ISBN easily helps the store identify the book when they scan the barcode (your ISBN number).

When do I need an ISBN number for my book?

It might be easier to explain this by telling you when you don’t need one: If you are intending only to distribute the book yourself and not have it for sale on retail websites or brick and mortar stores, then an ISBN number is not needed. Also, if you use a printing service like lulu.com and only intend to sell your book through the lulu site (and not any other retail site or shop), then you don’t require an ISBN number (you may need to check with the printing service that you are going to use if they require you to have an ISBN).

On the other hand if you are planning for your book to be available on book retail websites (including Amazon) and /or for sale to wholesalers / brick and mortar retail shops, then yes, your book will need an ISBN number.

P.S. If you were wondering what ISBN stands for: International Standard Book Number.

Photo by BillPe