Authors Electric

My new updated cover I self published my first collection of short stories, Anansi The Trickster Spider  in January 2014. Since then I've self published a further four collections of short stories. With each one I've discovered something new. So, this month I decided to share some of my those things with you. So, in no particular order: One: It always takes longer than you think! So, be patient you'll get there in the end. Two: Take time to get the right cover and if you can then get someone to design it for you. Also remember to think about what it'll look like as a thumb nail image. Three: Keep up-to-date with all your paperwork. Especially the important stuff for example W-8BEN (this ensures you don't pay US tax). To find out how to complete this form  click here . Four: Keep an eye on your sales. The resellers for example KDP don't always get it right and don't be afraid to get them to check. I've done this three times and on one occ...

I recently read a book written by Diana Kimpton ( Plots and Plotting - How to create stories that work - read my review here ). In it she suggests when working on a story it may be helpful to draw a map. This idea obviously resinated and without realising the idea had planted itself somewhere in my  subconscious.   Because when I was working on a new story for my latest work in progress (Fox of Moon Meadow Farm) a nagging voice started telling me I needed a map.  You see I was working on a chase scene which wasn't going to plan. I eventually stopped and listened to that nagging voice.  So, I grabbed a piece of A3 paper and started to sketch a map of Moon Meadow Farm. Once I'd sketched in a few important landmarks, the farm house, the courtyard, the lane, the river and the orchard I realised I couldn't remember all of the places I'd mentioned in the first book ( Hedgehog of Moon Meadow Farm ). So, I started to read the book and as I did I realised I'd put some...

For the last few months I feel that all I've done is send random ideas and suggestions to the wonderful cover designer I have the pleasure in working with. You see at the moment we're working on our fourth and fifth cover designs. Thankfully the cover for my latest title 'Fox of Moon Meadow Farm' (a follow on from  Hedgehog of Moon Meadow Farm ) has reached a stage where we've agreed on the final design and she can start to add colour and make her fab design come to life.   First sketch of my latest character Fox of Moon Meadow Farm Whilst she's been working on this cover I decided (in my wisdom) my first collection of short stories ( Anansi The Trickster Spider  - published 2014) needed a revamp. We've agreed on something totally different, something modern. So, off I went looking for ideas. I sort of remembered I had some books that would help but couldn't find them. I assumed that during my last book purge I'd given them to charity, so...

Warning: spider picture below!  I’m fascinated by spiders and love this time of year as  they're everywhere hanging in the middle of their webs.  I'd heard reports  the fantastic wasp spider, which is a new arrival to our shores (1920s) had  been seen in a new area, so off I went. Sadly I wasn't as lucky as I've been in previous years, when I'd managed to see some and take some photographs.  One of these previous photographs I'd used as the front cover for my Anansi the Trickster Spider stories. Now, while I was  researching Anansi I discovered a few proverbs that related to the skills spiders have in forecasting the weather.  As I haven’t had an excuse to use these and feel they’re relevant to this time of year I thought I’d share some of them with you. “Spider webs in the air, or on the grass and trees, foretell much fair weather.” From: ‘The Husbandman’s Practice or Prognostication for ever, with the Shepherd’s Perp...

My first traditionally published picture book featuring a hedgehog and mouse I started writing non-fiction 20 years ago and I continue to write non-fiction magazine features to this day.   I've always strived to write features that are as accurate as possible. Even though I know (I heard it on the TV programme QI, so it must be true) that facts normally have a shelf life of five years. This desire to get facts correct crosses over into my picture book and short story writing. I've had many a discussion with editors on getting the 'facts' right. I understand in my picture and short story collections we're dealing with talking animals or creatures that don't exist. However, having studied environmental geography at university I prefer to try to ensure the life science elements of a story are as real as possible. For example in my first picture book ( A Book For Bramble ) Bramble the hedgehog is hibernating under an upturned wheel barrow. This is ba...

When I’m not writing about those crafty critters Anansi the Trickster Spider , Coyote and   Brer Rabbit  I’m writing non-fiction activity based features for magazines such as Practical Pre-school and Child Care magazine . Usually my topic is based around something real, for example animals, modes of transport or historical events. However earlier this year I was commissioned to use picture books as a basis my non-fiction activity features. So having recently received a copy of the picture book Three Billy Goats Gruff by our very own Susan Price I’ve decided to show you how I use a picture book as a basis for a non-fiction feature. So here goes. Many of my features will include a little life science, Any excuse to ensure I didn’t waste three years at university studying Environmental Science. So a book about goats provides me with a great opportunity to do this. So if I were using this book as a basis I’d need to know what type of goats I’m writing about...