Today is National Writing Day!
Read MoreGetting The Most Out Of Education Conferences -- Now Available On Kobo!
Information about my ebook, Education Conferences, plus where to buy it on Kobo.
Read MoreBread and books: Karma Bread, Hampstead, London
Where to have coffee and buy books in Hampstead, London.
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Review of Dear Reflection
‘Dear Reflection’ is the memoir of Jessica Bell, author, graphic designer and musician. I think many of us are interested in the ‘back story’ of people we admire: how did they come to be the person they are today? How many years did it take for them to become an ‘overnight success’? What hurdles did they have to leap over in order to arrive here?
Well, with this book Jessica has obliged, and shared her story with us. The ‘reflection’ in the title refers to her inner voice. I thought this was a clever device, the idea of one’s reflection having a life of her own, but whose very existence would not be possible without us. In literature the idea of another world that awaits you through the mirror is a well-known one, but in this book the concept is more personal, and more original for that.
Jessica portrays very well the voice of the young child, teenager and young woman as her story progresses. That’s quite a feat, and helps to involve and engage the reader on an emotional level.
On that score, the book is not exactly an easy read. It made me feel, at various times, anguish, sadness, anger and relief. Given that my starting point with any memoir is ‘why should I care?’ and my immediate response to people emoting is ‘pull yourself together’, that is an achievement! At times while reading the book, I wanted to give Jessica a big hug.
But the book is by no means all doom and gloom. In fact, ultimately it’s a testament to the power of the human spirit, and my firm belief that everything happens for a reason. Anyone aspiring to be successful in life should read this book, which is honest, and hopeful.
Dear Reflection is available on Amazon (affiliate link).
Great news! Jessica will be in London in September '17, running a self-publishing master class. Click the link for details.
Read anywhere and everywhere. Photo by Pexels. CC0 licence.
Read a lot, read fast
How to read a book a week.
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Freelancing is not a bed of roses
All freelance writing success is a mixture of luck and hard work -- especially hard work. I came across a good article by travel blogger Rachel Jones about what's involved.
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The default screen on Joe Coleman's site.
The hard sell
It's always difficult to get the balance right between hard sell and soft sell. Joe Coleman's website allows you to choose your own level of (dis)comfort!
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Don't lose your work!
National Backup Day
A fifth of Americans never make a backup apparently, according to a recent survey.
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Comprehensive data on your Kindle book sales
A quick look at Book Report
Here's a handy tool for analysing your Kindle ebook sales.
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High Street Kensington: more than just a station. Come out of the station, turn left, and it's a nice walk or short bus ride to Olympia, where #LBF17 was held. Photo by Terry Freedman 2017
London Book Fair 2017 Bulletin #3
What I learnt on the last day of the London Book Fair 2017.
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The London Book Fair 2017 Photo by Terry Freedman
London Book Fair 2017 Bulletin #2: Nothing is ever wasted
Imagine ditching 20,000 words of your novel! Insights from Rosanna Ley, Cally Taylor, Gabriel Mercer, Jessica Bell and others.
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The London Book Fair 2017: vibrant as always. Photo by Terry Freedman 2017.
London Book Fair 2017 Bulletin #1
The London Book Fair is on this week. If you're a self-published author, or hoping to be, here are three seminars you may wish to attend today. They are concerned with self-publishing, research and copyright issues, and the creative writing process.
Read MoreThe What Works Education Conference at the London Book Fair
Alongside the London Book Fair is the What Works education conference. As you may have surmised from its proximity to the LBF, it focuses on educational publishing.
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With apologies to Edvard Munch
5 Ways to guard against losing your work
What could be worse than losing all of your carefully crafted work? Here are 5 ways to protect yourself against that happening.
Read MoreWhat I use for writing: a review of the Kindle Fire
I recently purchased a KIndle Fire so I could write while travelling and in cafes. So what I do I think of it?
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The iCloud.com dashboard
A big problem with iCloud
If you use the Notes app on an Apple device like an iPad, and wish to access your notes from an Android device, such as an HTC smartphone, here's a work-around.
Read MoreWriting and maps: some ideas
How might writers make use of maps to convey information (besides geographical information)?
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Now there's someone who seems pretty laid back. Photo by Terry Freedman 2017.
Everyone needs a special writing day
What's a special writing day? And what's so special about them?
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Start the presses rolling! Photo by Mustang.Joe pixabay.com CC0
Amazon streamlines self-publishing
I've never really understood why Amazon has two self-publishing systems: one for e-books, and another for printed books. Having two systems doesn't exactly double the workload, but it doubles the amount to think about, and adds to the number of hoops you have to leap through.
Well, those days could be over soon because Amazon has launched a trial version of a paperback publishing tool within KDP, its e-book publishing tool.
There's some more information on this initiative here: Amazon paperback printing.
Jotterpad is a brilliant writing app.
Review of JotterPad, a writing app
If you're a writer, and you travel a lot on buses and trains, Jotterpad is just the phone app for you. It;s so easy to use, and has great functionality. No more excuses!
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