Legend Press

Review of Seven Days

The second short story reinvented series title has been reviewed on www.laurahird.com.

"Now here is a book with an agenda, as hinted at by its subtitle and expanded upon by Legend Press MD Tom Chalmers in his introduction: ‘Seven Days’ is an attempt to help revitalise the short story 'by offering an original format, specifically designed for today's reader'. That format consists of relatively long pieces (about 30 pages) that each follow a single character over the course of one day..."

Click here to read the review in full.

The website also features Josie Henley-Einion's story from the collection 'Sunday' which can be read in full by clicking here.

If you haven't already - Order your copy now - £7.99 

Lucy

Remarkable Everyday front page news!

The fantastic Remarkable Everyday was relaunched last month and the most committed of Legend Press following will immediately remember that this book was how it all started out - a short story collection based on an idea when picking up a pint of milk, when Labour were ahead in the polls, I looked young(ish) and Big Brother was still popular.

It's great to relaunch this book but, rather than for nostalgia reasons, because it is such a fantastic collection of stories (if I'm allowed to say so myself) - there really aren't that many ways it could be improved, such is the variety and talent within those eight stories. The subsequent collections in the series have all taken a different angle from the foundation of that very first The Remarkable Everyday.

And it's also great to see it still receiving in press, in fact front page press focussed on one of the contributors, Sarah James.

If you have other Legend Press books, or if even if you haven't got one yet (how could you?), you simply must order this collection (at special offer price):

Order your copy now - £5.99 

Tom

Remarkable Everyday republished on 30th August

News of the relaunch of Legend Press' first ever book 'The Remarkable Everyday' is spreading on strugglingauthors.co.uk

The website also advertises the call for submissions for our 2009 Short Story competition, guidelines can be found through the link on the right.

‘Overlooked for far too long, the short story can encapsulate everything literature has to offer into a concentrated nutshell. Not only that, but when placed side-by-side, as a collective force, the stories can offer a unique diversity and range simply not possible in the standard novel, for all the latter’s great merits. Particularly in a society that is less inclined to wait and one that is in love with the quick and snappy, the short story seems designed to fit.’ Tom

Pre-order your copy now - £5.99 

Lucy

SPECIAL 'word of mouth' OFFER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To celebrate the re-launch of 'The Remarkable Everyday' on 30th August we have a special offer for those who order from our website! Simply get 3 people to order a book from www.legendpress.co.uk, and we will send you a free copy of our other two very popular collections of short stories, Seven Days and Eight Hours. Simpy email info@legend-paperbooks.co.uk the names of the people you have referred and we will send you your two free books!

Pre-order your copy now - £5.99 

Lucy

The Remarkable Everyday re-published...

Here is the brilliant new cover of the new edition of 'The Remarkable Everyday', which is published on 30th August. This is the first book in 'The Short Story Re-invented series', and the first book ever to be published by Legend Press. The new cover fits perfectly with the whole collection, and we are looking forward to getting more publicity for this great collection. Guidelines for the 2009 short story collection will be posted up soon.

This new edition can be pre-ordered now from the shop

Pre-order your copy now - £5.99 

Lucy

An interesting pairing

We have already seen some interesting Amazon pairing of books – the bringing together of William Coles and The Well-Tempered Clavier with a book by Bill's ex-wife immediately comes to mind. Therefore, it was with interest when a friend emailed me over the weekend with this forwarded on from Amazon:

Greetings from Amazon.co.uk,

We've noticed that customers who have purchased or rated The Remarkable Everyday have also purchased OCR GCE Critical Anthology (Ocr). For this reason, you might like to know that OCR GCE Critical Anthology (Ocr) will be released on 2 June 2008.  You can pre-order yours for just £9.50 by following the link below...

As I guess they are both anthologies so not that unusual but nice to see The Remarkable Everyday in such scholarly company. I wonder how the two compare. If you were one of the people that bought both then please let us know. In the meantime you should all order the fantastic The Remarkable Everyday (first book ever published by Legend Press and  a brilliant collection). Can order as part of our current equally fantastic sale:

Order your copy now - £5.99 

Tom

Eight Hours is off to be printed

Getting our next short story collection Eight Hours off to the printers has been a bit of a whirlwind due the immense number of submissions we received this year and the extra time we had to find to read through them all and select the final eight. But we've done it (or, at least, we will have done by the end of the day) and now we can look forward to all the promotional activities and events that we've got planned for each of our wonderful new authors.

But there's plenty of time to tell you about all that, first I wanted to show you the cover and a bit more information, and also give you all the first opportunity to pre-order your copy!

A continuation of the successful ‘Short Story Reinvented’ series, Eight Hours is a dynamic cross between the novel and the short-story, showcasing new writing from eight talented authors.

Each story follows a different main character for a single hour and, from a fifteen year old girl who is so tormented she can’t sleep, to a man who experiences counselling for the first time, the collection reveals an intriguing mix of powerful snapshots. This is modern-day fiction at its immediate and vigorous best.

Pre-order Eight Hours now

£7.99   

And, for those of you that don't already know all about it -- here's a bit more information about the series as a whole:

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Legend Press’ unique short fiction series, ‘The Short Story Reinvented’, is designed for today’s busy, but discerning, reader. Short fiction is a perfect answer in a world where everyone wants things to be easily accessible, sleek and tailored to fit their needs.

High-quality, thought-provoking short fiction can perfectly fill what before may have been an enforced gap of ‘dead-time’ in a daily routine. Dipping into short fiction on a commute or during a lunch break is not as daunting as delving into a thick novel when you know that you might soon be interrupted mid-chapter; yet the subject matter in this popular series is weighty and meaningful, providing something new to think about and feel inspired about for the rest of the day, week, month and year.

Legend Press receives hundreds of submissions for the collections, from all over the UK and around the world including the US, Norway, Italy, New Zealand and South Africa. The successful entries for each book are chosen so that the stories combine and contrast compellingly to make the most varied, yet at the same time the most cohesive, collection possible.
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It's something I've been very proud to be involved in, and I can't wait for Eight Hours to hit the shops (on 29th March) so everyone can see just how great it is!
Emma

PS -- you can find out more about the eight authors on our Authors biographies page - just scroll down to the short fiction section.

Number three in 'The Short Story Reinvented' series

We are delighted to announce that Eight Hours, the third in our short story series, will be launching at the end of March.

We had hundreds and hundreds of remarkably strong entries and had the extremely hard task of whittling them down to just eight. We'll look forward to giving readers of this blog some sneak previews as the launch date gets nearer and nearer and we'll be arranging some exciting events around the country too, as well as being very involved with the upcoming 'Get London Reading' project.

I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome six new faces to the growing team of Legend Press authors and also to welcome back two of our short story writers from previous collections.

So - a warm welcome to Daniel Gothard, Hilary Lloyd, Kevin Chandler, C L Raven, Nick Tylor and Jackie Blissett. And an equally warm welcome back to Josie Henley-Einion and Emma Seaman, it's great to be working with you both again.

Eight Hours looks set to be a fabulous collection, the fact that each of the eight stories take place in just one hour gives the collection a very immediate, almost 'real-time' effect -- though Jack Bauer doesn't make any appearances here (I'm referring to the hit series 24 in case anyone was wondering?!).

As I say, more details will follow soon and the book will be available to pre-order shortly too. Exciting stuff! And if you'd like to wet your appetite by reading the first two books in the series then just click on the links below and we'll get them sent to you. And if you want to take advantage of our short fiction offer in our January Sale and get them both at a reduced rate, you've got a few more days to do that too!

Emma

Seven Days
published in February 2007

Buy now £7.99

The Remarkable Everyday
published in October 2006

Buy now £7.99

Buy the Short Fiction Gift Set NOW   Special offer for just £10.99 

Short Story Reinvented, 2008 collection announcement

Many thanks to the hundreds of people who have submitted fabulous short stories for our 2008 collection, the third in our acclaimed 'Short Story Reinvented' series. The response has been amazing and of incredibly high quality.

We had hoped to have responded to all entrants by now but because of the high numbers of submissions, coupled with a backlog in our novel submissions process as well, we haven't quite finished reading all the stories yet. We'll let everyone know at the same time when we have come to our final decision. Sorry for the wait and thank you for your patience!

In the meantime, if you haven't yet read the first two collections in the series (Seven Days and The Remarkable Everyday) why not take advantage of our special short fiction Christmas gift set? It's available now via our online shop.

Happy Birthday to The Remarkable Tom

Tom probably won't want to admit this (he seems to be having a slightly strange and premature mid-young life crisis) but it is his birthday today -- he's 28. Happy Birthday Tom, you old codger!! It's a good job you got nominated for the UK Young Entrepreneur Award this year as it seems you don't have long left to remain eligible!

Of course I'm only joking, 28 is incredibly young still in anyone's book, and is an especially young age by which to have achieved everything Tom has achieved with Legend Press so far. I'm allowed to pull his leg about it though because I am still a mere baby compared to him, I'm 26 for almost another whole month...sorry to rub it in Tom!

The other birthday to mark today is that of Legend Press' first published book --The Remarkable Everyday. Two years ago on this very day it made history as the first title to be published under the mighty Legend Press mantle and, especially seeing as Legend Press was then run by Tom in his spare time while he held down another full-time job, it truly was a remarkable achievement.                           

It's a brilliant book and showcases the work of eight very talented writers; Justin Elliot, Emma Seaman, Brett Pransky, Sarah James, Lea Hurst, Miguel Ylareina, Joel Willans, and Sophie Mackintosh. You can read more about all of them on the authors page on our website. As well as being a great read in its own right, The Remarkable Everday was also the creator of the Legend Press short fiction series, which has now become known as the 'Short Story Reinvented'. The excellent and culturally-diverse Seven Days was second in the series (we published it in February) and the third collection will be published in March next year.

So happy birthday Tom, and happy birthday to The Remarkable Everyday and all its authors.

Here's a link to the foreword for The Remarkable Everyday to give a taster for all those who haven't yet read it... and of course the best way you can help mark its birthday by ordering a copy from our online shop.

Emma

Seven Days - the blurb and the story behind it

In today's world we want everything in a quick and compact form, and today's reader is no different. Seven Days consists of easily accessible yet powerful snapshots of life from seven very different angles. A unique cross between the novel and the short story, seven intriguing authors each delve into the consciousness of a character depicted on a single day.

The story behind it:

Seven Days followed on from Legend Press' first ever publication The Remarkable Everyday and further developed the theme of stories following a single character for a single day. Named after the day described, each of the seven stories offers an insight from an individual cultural perspective and together they weave a powerful and gritty portrait of human experience. This collection is designed for the busy modern-day reader and is an illustration of the unexpected wealth that the repackaged short story can offer.

Why Legend Press chose to publish it:

When books stood alone, publishers become understandably lazy, but now with an array of different entertainment sources to compete with they are having to look at what best fits modern society. We wanted to build on the success of The Remarkable Everyday and show that short fiction thoroughly deserves to reaffirm its place in the mainstream books market. Seven Days offers a diversity that any reader, no matter what age or gender, can enjoy.

Some reviews of Seven Days

‘Absorbing and surprising… a heartening testimony to the health of the new-writing scene today.’
Roundtable Review

'The collection touches on a wealth of human experiences and has something to which every reader can relate.'
Western Mail

‘The stories offer a surprising range of cultural perspectives…the writing feel[s] very fresh off the press, full of energy and exuberance.’
Pulp.Net

'There is something for everyone in this book and I have recommended it to everyone I know!'
Amazon.co.uk

The Remarkable Everyday - the blurb and some reviews

THE REMARKABLE EVERYDAY

The Remarkable Everyday proved extremely popular as a bridge between the novel and the short story and became the start of Legend Press' 'Short Story Reinvented' Series.

The book consists of eight stories by different authors, each one portraying a character for a single day, complete with an introduction by short story scholar Nena Skrbic.

This was the first book published by Legend Press and its great reception announced the arrival of a dynamic and fresh upcoming independent publisher.


Some reviews:

'A book you simply have to read.'
Amazon.co.uk

'Very good, very fresh.'
WHSmith website

I haven’t been this excited about fiction... ever

'I have to tell you, I haven't been this excited about fiction... ever.'

This is from a message from Jen in America who came across our call for submissions on the US fanstory.com site and who is submitting to us not one but several short stories for our 2008 collection. It's so good to see that we're generating this much passion, creative spark and yes...well, excitement! That sort of thing makes all the hard work that we do at Legend Press feel all the more valid and vital -- especially as we know that Jen isn't the only writer (or reader) we've made feel like this.

So...join in the reinvention guys and get writing.

Call for submissions – help us revitalise the short story

We are publishing the third in our acclaimed series of short story-collections and are looking for talented, vibrant authors to be a part of the Legend Press drive to reaffirm the short story’s inimitable place in the mainstream market.

Our short-fiction series, which has become known as ‘The Short Story Reinvented’, is designed for today’s busy, but discerning, reader. Short fiction is a perfect answer in a world where everyone wants things to be easily accessible, sleek and tailored to fit their needs. 

We plan to publish the new collection at the end of March 2008 and are calling for writers to send in their submissions by 1st October 2007. A summary of the brief is given below, for a full description email emmahoward@legendpress.co.uk or view the document on scribd.com. We look forward to reading, and hopefully publishing, your work!

Summary:

·         Short-story of approximately 9,000-12,000 words
·         Following a single main character
·         Actions/thoughts to occur/take place during a single hour
·         Stream-of-consciousness-style
·         Non-genre-specific
·         Thought-provoking and original.
          We want to feel moved and inspired by these stories.

Please send submissions to Emma Howard, Publishing Executive, at 13a Northwold Road, London, N16 7HL by 1st October 2007 or as soon as you like. (If you would like your work to be returned or would prefer us to contact you by post please include an SAE. Otherwise, if you are happy for us to respond to you by email, please give us your email address.)

Any questions or queries, just let us know and we’ll try to get back to you as soon as we can – email emmahoward@legendpress.co.uk

Visit our online shop to buy discounted copies of the first two collections in the series, The Remarkable Everyday and Seven Days.

Seven Days has 'something to which every reader can relate'

Following the hugely successful book signing held with one of the Seven Days' writers Josie Henley-Einion at The Hayes Waterstone's branch in Cardiff, the store's event organiser Gareth Davies has reviewed the book in his regular column in The Western Mail.

Many thanks to Gareth for this great review, and to Josie for having hosted such a wonderful book-signing event.

Video footage of Seven Days launch

The Society of Young Publishers (the SYP) were special guests at the Seven Days launch party and two SYP members, Kevin Mahoney and Jon Slack, were on hand to conduct exclusive video interviews with Legend Press' managing director Tom Chalmers and the three UK-based authors from Seven Days.