Discovering the Diamond
Published on 30. August 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
90 pages
978-1-78132-128-7 (ISBN)
Description
Everyone can write a book. Not everyone can write a readable book. Writing is the easy bit. Most of the work is in the planning (the thinking), in the structure (the plot), and in turning the first draft into an enjoyable, top quality novel. With the rise in popularity of self-publishing, more 'indie' books are appearing on Internet bookstores, but how you go about publishing your novel is largely a question of what you hope to achieve and how much, both in terms of time and money, you are prepared to invest. Asked repeatedly for advice and tips by aspiring authors about the ins and outs of writing and publishing an indie novel, bestselling author, Helen Hollick, and her UK editor, Jo Field, decided to compile a small book in response. The initial few A4 pages soon expanded into an e-book, which by popular demand has now been published in paperback. The quality of indie and self-published books can be every bit as good in style and production as any mainstream publication. 'Discovering the Diamond' is intended to assist and inspire enthusiastic writers to create a novel of which they can be proud and to achieve their goal of turning a dream into a glittering reality.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Bristol
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
black & white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 133 mm
Thickness: 5 mm
Weight
112 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78132-128-7 (9781781321287)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Helen Hollick has written ten books to date (2013). Her historical novels: 'The Kingmaking', 'Pendragon's Banner', 'Shadow of the King'; 'A Hollow Crown' (entitled 'The Forever Queen' in the US); and 'Harold the King' (entitled 'I am the Chosen King' in the US) were first published by William Heinemann (Random House UK) and are currently published by SilverWood Books in the UK and by Sourcebooks Inc. in North America. 'Sea Witch', 'Pirate Code', 'Bring It Close' and 'Ripples in the Sand', being the first four voyages of Cpt. Jesamiah Acorne, are published by SilverWood Books worldwide. There will be more! 'Come and Tell Me' (for children) published by Harper Collins and then Happy Cat Books UK, now (2013) out of print. Helen lives in Devon with her family and a variety of pets, including a dog, cats, and several horses.
Content
Section 1 Tips of the trade for new novelists Introduction Writing a novel is not just about writing What do you hope to achieve? Where to get published Section 2 Thinking of going self-published? Going 'Independent'? Self- or assisted publishing Print on demand (POD) A word on presentation - some dos and don'ts A warning! Internet publishing - e-books The stages of self-publishing a book Sales and marketing Websites and Blogs A word from the wise Selling your book Seeking advice: one final thing for you to think about Section 3 The basics of writing a good novel - a few tips Beginning the polishing Setting the scene Point of view (POV) and author's voice Third or first person? What about tense? Showing versus telling Common bloopers Check your continuity Fancy words over-egg the pudding! Different voices Dialect and foreign words and phrases Beware repetition 'That', 'and', 'but' Contractions ('hasn't'; 'didn't'; 'wasn't'; 'isn't', etc.) Anachronisms Puzzle time! Sex! A word or two about cutting First chapter A few 'do nots' for your opening chapter A few 'dos' Last chapter The title Plagiarism Your cover design Section 4 So, you've written a book? The importance of editing The final polishing Copy-editing What is a full edit? The final stages - proofreading A couple of confessions Postscript - after publication Recommended reading Epilogue Authors and Contributors Helen Hollick Jo Field Helen Hart Cathy Helms Michelle Kelley Index