Read on for news about my new books-related newsletter. Reviews of books and bookshops, new book announcements, writerly tips, and news about my own works.
Read MoreReviews
What I've been reading: Waterhouse on newspaper style
This book may be thirty years old, but its advice is still pertinent. If you want to have a blitz or crackdown against, or shake-up of, bad writing (all examples of 'tabloidese'), then this is the book for you.
Read MoreReview of Baking with Kafka, by Tom Gauld
Baking with Kaka is a great book, especially if you're a writer and an avid reader.
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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.
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?
Read MoreWriting and maps: some ideas
How might writers make use of maps to convey information (besides geographical information)?
Read MoreA universal URL for your Amazon books
Booklinker is a brilliant url shortener for your Amazon books and Amazon author page.
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Photo by Alan
A brief review of the Electric Speed newsletter
A quick heads-up about a newsletter I find quite useful, and mention of a couple of books.
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So many books, so little time...
5 types of book review
When it comes to writing book reviews books, I've found that a one-size fits all approach not to be very useful. Here are the 5 types of review I write, ranging from the full length, everything but the kitchen sink version, to zero words except to say "This book exists"!
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What I'm reading: Write Tight
Thumbnail sketch of a very useful book I came across recently. If you want to tighten up your prose, this is the book for you.
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What I've been reading: Killing Hope
OK, so this is a review of a fiction book -- but I think we can learn a lot about great use of language, convincing research and pace from reading it.
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What I've been reading: Something nasty in the slush pile
How should you pitch a publisher with your book proposal? Or, to look at this another way, how should you not do so? This book answers that question.
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What I've been reading: Borges
It goes without saying that in order to write well you have to read well. This slim volume of Borges' essays is perfect for the creative non-fiction writer.
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A resource base for writers.
A resource base and more for writers
A specialised writer's search engine, and a free novel organiser.
Read MoreQuick look: Publishing 101 by Jane Friedman
My thoughts on this book for would-be published authors, having read around a third of it up till now. Executive summary: so far so good.
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Review of How to make a living with your writing
Writing full time is not likely to earn you a living. Best-selling author Joanna Penn shares her ideas and experience of using her writing to earn money in other ways.
Read MoreShould book reviews be detailed or concise?
in Reviews, News & views
The long and short of book review lengths, or why I decided to start writing thumbnail sketch book reviews instead of full length ones.
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You could let Grammarly take some of the strain of proofreading. Photo by Pink Sherbert Photography https://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/
Review of Grammarly -- and a competition
in News & views, Reference, Reviews
Read about a great proofreading tool, and maybe win a year's subscription!
Read MoreReview of Help! for Writers
Writers' block is just one of many writerly ills. In this book, Roy Peter Clark offers over 200 practical tips.
Read MoreReview of Discoverability
How can a self-published author get noticed these days? Kristine Kathryn Rusch has some surprising answers.
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