Paperbooks

Paul Burman's recent reads

We love visiting all our authors' blogs and websites, which give a fantastic insight into the life of a writer as well as it always being interesting to have a nose.

Paul Burman, author of the powerful The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore' has this week been letting us know about his recent reading habits! Nice to see Paul reading Gary Davison's Streakers and also Legend Press book Journey by Jae Watson.

Streakers is a fun read from start to finish, and I got the sense that he had a great time writing it. It comes through every page, which makes it a page-turner! Having had a chat with Gary about this (and who's currently running a short story competition over at his website), I have to agree that it would make a great film: very visual and vibrant - a book bursting with antics and energy. It put me in mind of The Full Monty, even though the storyline is nothing alike; possibly because it shares the same gritty, irreverent humour and is a celebration of determination against all odds.

To visit Paul's blog please click here!

Lucy

Gary Davison launches short story competition today!

We are very excited to help author Gary Davison launch his fantastic short story competition today.

The idea is for you to write a 250 word story based on a photo and opening line chosen from Gary's website. To view details click here!

The winner will receive £250, a pound per word! The deadline is Friday 13th November. The prize is judged by:

- Ray Robinson - bestselling author of Electricity and The Man Without.

- Mike French - Editor of the View From Here literary magazine.

- Tony Horne - Metro Radio DJ and author.

- Kevin Pocklington - literary agent for Jenny Brown Associates.

For further details please click here!

Happy writing!

Lucy

New EI Titles and Call Now Open!

So we are now into the next cycle of Exclusively Independent, and the panel have selected the new titles!

Once I was a Cardboard box, now I'm a book about Polar Bears! by Anton Poitier (Potter Books)

Operation Underworld by Paddy Kelly (Legend Press)

Hector's Talent for Miracles by Kitty Harri (Honno Press)

In Her Element edited by Jane MacNamee (Honno Press)

Bran Hambric The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation (Sourcebooks Inc)

Brushes and Bayonets by Lucinda Gosling (Osprey Publishing)

City-lit Paris (Oxygen Books)

Godfrey's Ghost: From Father to Son by Nicolas Ridley (Mogzilla)

A Woman's Work is Never Done by Elizabeth Andrews (Honno Press)

We hope you like the new selection, we try to keep it as varied and diverse as possible. Do let us know what you think!

The submission call for new titles has now opened. To submit, simply email me the AI and ms of up to three titles. The call closes October 5th.

Lauren

laurenparsons@legend-paperbooks.co.uk

Streakers - Book of the Month

Streakers by Gary Davison has been chosen as book of the month on www.strugglingauthors.co.uk. Earlier this month Gary was interviewed by Richard about his writing and Streakers!

Richard - We last spoke to you way back in January 2008 just before Fat Tuesday was originally due out. It’s now 18 months later and your second book, Streakers, is out and “available at all good book stores”. So, what has life been like since then? 

Gary - Has it only been 18 months? Seems a lifetime ago Fat Tuesday came out! Life has been great, Richard, and from a writing point of view, I’ve loved every second of being published. From being on the radio, in the press, on websites, book signings, colleges, the whole thing has been a great experience. The biggest buzz of all, though, is knowing people are reading your books. Great feeling and hopefully it will continue.

Richard - Please tell us what it feels like to go onto Amazon etc. and see YOUR name and YOUR books up there? Do you find yourself going onto Amazon in the wee small hours to check that it’s real (or is that just what I would do?) Also, when you do a search on Amazon for your books, you're classed as the same category as Nick Hornby. How do you feel about this and have you read any of his work?

Gary - Of course I do! I’m one of ‘us’ and always will be. I’m on amazon all the time and when one of my books shoots up the charts (okay, maybe not shoots, more like nudges up), I’m giddy as hell, thinking ‘Some complete stranger will be reading my book this weekend’.

It is amazing to think my story is available to buy, and sometimes you look back and can’t believe it. But it happened and I’m over the moon it did. The fact is, I was very fortunate, sort of right place right time. I’m self-taught, as you know from when we last had a chat. If I can sneak through the slush pile, believe me, anyone can.

Yeah it’s great to be mixing it with the likes of Nick Hornby. I’ve read quite a bit of his stuff and really liked it. I only wish I was mixing it with him on the promotional front too!

To read the rest of the interview click here!

Lucy

Paperbooks competitions

Paperbooks' two forthcoming competitions 'A Novel Ending' and Gary Davison's blog prize have been featured on popular blog site http://strugglingauthors.co.uk.

The website is a really useful resource for new and established authors, or anyone interested in books and the publishing industry. The site is run by author .

Lucy

Gary Davison Competition

Gary Davison author of the brilliant Streakers is holding a competition on his website. First prize £250, second prize £150 and third place £100, so well worth a punt!

Below are the details:

Start date - Monday 28th September 2009

Format - Paul Burman, author of the Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore, will set the title and first line of four stories with the four photos I give him. Your task, to pick one, and write a 250 word story.

The Judges - Ray Robinson - bestselling author of Electricity and The Man Without. Mike French - Editor of the View From Here literary magazine. Tony Horne - Metro Radio DJ and author. Kevin Pocklington - literary agent for Jenny Brown Associates.

Prizes - The winner will receive £250.00 and will be published in the View From Here magazine. This is both online and in paper form in the UK, Canada and the US. Second place receives £150.00, third £100.00, fourth and fifth places will get three signed novels.

Entry fee - To enter you have to purchase Streakers by Gary Davison on amazon and review it on amazon. PP £5.99.

Closing date - Friday 13th November 2009

Between now and the closing date we’ll be grilling the four judges, as we do, finding out about them, asking them testing questions and generally having a laugh. Should be quite a buzz around the place, hopefully, and paperbooks and legendpress are promoting the competition, and with a few releases in the press and radio, we should be rocking and a rolling.

I only need 500 entries to break even. Truthfully, I will be well happy with half that amount of entries as long as it gets you lot talking about Streakers. And who knows, with all these top judges, from agents to authors, press releases, radio air time, someone might get their heads above the slush pile.

Click here to view Gary's blog!

Lucy  

Writers half book featured in Poets and Writers Magazine

Paperbooks' 31st October release A Novel Ending has been attracting lots of attention in the writers' media recently. The ‘half book’ is an innovative idea to promote novel writing and offer a new way for us to discover writing talent.

The book will begin with 10,000 words written by Gary Davison (author of Streakers and Fat Tuesday), then writers will be invited to complete the story. The winning entry will win a publishing contract with Paperbooks for one novel.

The competition has been featured on The Bookseller and the Poets and Writers Magazine.

Lucy