#NaNoWriMo 30-day writing bootcamp (Week 2)
Are you surviving NaNoWriMo? Here’s your second week of writing prompts from Sarah Salway to keep you going!
Read More
Latest Posts
How to write an Amazon bestseller – advice from JD Kirk and LJ Ross
The 2025 London Book Fair included a panel discussion featuring two hugely successful independent crime fiction authors: JD Kirk and LJ Ross. They shared their self-publishing journeys and insights into creating bestselling books.
Masterclasses
MASTERCLASS: How to Build a Writing Habit That Lasts – with Bec Evans and Chris Smith
Get your writing year off to a flying start with this masterclass packed full of advice and inspiration from the
Getting Published
How many words in a novel? Average word count for books by genre
How many words in a novel? Here are the average word counts and page numbers by genre – so that you know what to aim for!
Writing
How to write an Amazon bestseller – advice from JD Kirk and LJ Ross
The 2025 London Book Fair included a panel discussion featuring two hugely successful independent crime fiction authors: JD Kirk and LJ Ross. They shared their self-publishing journeys and insights into creating bestselling books.
Marketing
10 ways to market your book if you really don’t like marketing
You need to market your book. But what if you really, really, don’t like marketing? You became a writer to write, after all – not to sell. Here are some ways to approach marketing if you really don’t like marketing.
Ask an Agent
MASTERCLASS: How to Perfect Your Submission to Agents and Publishers – with Scott Pack
If you want to get traditionally published, you need to submit a compelling book proposal to agents or publishers. This masterclass with Scott Pack will maximize your chances of success.
Self-Publishing
How to write an Amazon bestseller – advice from JD Kirk and LJ Ross
The 2025 London Book Fair included a panel discussion featuring two hugely successful independent crime fiction authors: JD Kirk and LJ Ross. They shared their self-publishing journeys and insights into creating bestselling books.
Interviews
INTERVIEW: Kindle bestseller Nicola May considers the pros and cons of self-publishing v. traditional publishing
Nicola May is a self-publishing sensation, and the author of a dozen romantic comedies. In 2019 she hit the #1 Kindle bestseller spot in the UK with The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay. Now she’s signed a three-book deal with Hodder. Jon Reed asked her why.
Are you doing #NaNoWriMo? Here’s your 30-day writing bootcamp! (Week 1)
So it’s November, that month when many writers start an annual obsession with word counts and sleep deprivation! Whether or not you’re joining in the annual novelathon, boost your productivity by taking Sarah Salway’s challenge to write something every day for the next 30 days.
Read More
The Accidental Author: How Kerry Wilkinson conquered the Kindle charts
Kerry Wilkinson is something of an accidental author. His debut, Locked In, was written as a challenge to himself but, after self-publishing, it became a UK number one bestseller within three months of release. Then he signed a six-book deal with Pan Macmillan. Jon Reed asks him how he did it.
Read More
9 muses for self-publishing success
Have you been visited by the Muse lately? If you’re an indie author, you need more than one source of inspiration. Tom Evans looks at the Nine Muses needed for self-publishing success.
Read More
How does a literary agency sell its authors?
How does a literary agency sell its authors? Bestselling agent Andrew Lownie says there are three elements to selling books to publishers: 1) an agency needs to have saleable books in the first place; 2) the proposals need to be the best they can be; and 3) one needs to know the right editors to approach and not give up too easily.
Read More
Do I really need an editor for my self-published book?
Writers with a trade-publishing deal get automatic access to professional editors and proofreaders, but self-publishers have to source their own. Some writers think it’s fine to scrimp on this, but the truth is that every book needs to be edited and proofread, says Lucy Ridout.
Read More
How to build an effective content strategy
For authors and publishers, content is our bread and butter. But content no longer just mean the products we publish – it also means marketing. So how do we build an effective content strategy? This question was addressed at the 2015 London Book Fair Publishing for Digital Minds Conference.
Read More
How social media is changing language
From unfriend to selfie, social media is clearly having an impact on language. The words that surround us every day influence the words we use. Since so much of the written language we see is now on screens, language now evolves partly through our interaction with technology.
Read More
How to write sex scenes – without cliché or embarrassment
If you’re writing romantic fiction, sooner or later you’re going to have to write a sex scene. How can you avoid cliché, embarrassment – and a ‘Bad Sex’ award? Write in your usual style, and stop worrying, says Mitzi Szereto.
Read More
7 ways to increase your chances of being taken on by a literary agent
What can you do to maximise your chances of having your submission read and being taken on by a literary agent? We asked bestselling agent Andrew Lownie of the Andrew Lownie Literary Agency to share his top 7 tips.
Read More
How to create an on-trend book cover in 5 steps
An effective book cover can make the difference between obscurity and bestseller. Sarah Juckes shows you how to create your own in five steps.
Read More
Top 3 self-publishing mistakes – and how to avoid them
There are more choices than ever for self-publishing authors – but that means the burden of getting it right is also greater. Leila Dewji identifies the top 3 mistakes to avoid.
Read More