I’m a bit frustrated that the Winchester Writers’ Conference still hasn’t published its programme for July. With Ailsa almost ready to go out to ‘critical friends’ I am determined to take her along this year. Even if I don’t get any interest, I can at least achieve my lifelong ambition of seeing an agent (any agent!) in the flesh. I know of only one who is giving interviews there this year and hope the timeslip (we were promised a programme in March) doesn’t signal any difficulty in getting people to attend.
Meanwhile, followed a link from Helen Scott Taylor to Publishing Talk which has lots of useful news on social networking and takes the view that publishing is set to go off in some new directions any minute now. I don’t dispute there are lots of ways to publish now (inculding the humble blog!) but while there are new models available, I have to agree with Jane Smith when she reminds us that, despite a lot of talk to the contrary, the ‘old’ way isn’t actually broken, not, at any rate, from the point of view of publishers who are still making money and readers who are still buying books.
A new writer trying to break in to the market, may of course take a different view, but given the choice of editing, typesetting, designing and selling my own book (with no guaranteed return) or having the whole process done professionally by a company who will pay me for the privilege, sorry, I know which I’d choose. The fact that so few new writers are given this option doesn’t mean it isn’t still the best one out there – and the most highly prized.
With fantastic timing, WordPress has added a Twitter widget just when I needed one. I am also using Twitterfeed to post from the blog. Hope this circularity doesn’t result in a some kind of blogging melt-down!
Ali Bacon / Books and Other Things 