As someone who’s spent 30 years as a journalist, I find writing fiction immensely freeing. At work, much of my time is devoted to researching, fact-checking and rigorous editing: when I’m writing a novel, I can just make stuff up. Fiction gives you the freedom to create your own universe, populated with people who’ve sprung from your imagination.

That’s all well and good, but the truth is that there’s actually a lot of overlap between the two worlds, and acknowledging that is important if you’re going to write, and publish, something people are going to want to read. Here are five things I’ve learned.

1) Writing means rewriting

Every writer has their own way of getting from a blank page to a finished manuscript, but I guarantee they all involve more than one draft.

My method is to spend the first draft getting the story down, without spending too much time honing my prose. I then go back through it and rewrite thoroughly, sentence by sentence, looking out in particular for clichés, repetitions, redundancies and all the other hallmarks of bad writing.

After getting a second opinion (see below), I work on a final draft until I’m absolutely happy with every word.

2) A second pair of eyes

Even the most successful authors have their work scrutinised by an editor, and you should too. However talented you are, the chances are that your manuscript contains a few structural flaws, logical inconsistencies and characters behaving, well, out of character.

The trouble is, you’re too close to your own work to spot these things. So identify one or two trusted friends (preferably people who read a lot) and ask them to read your manuscript closely and mark up their comments.

This only works if you have an open mind. You might not agree with all their observations, and you’re free to ignore them, but you should at least consider them. If two people tell you your lead character, who you’ve conceived as a charismatic maverick, comes across as an irritating buffoon, maybe you need to look at him again.

3) Use a proofreader

I’ve spent much of my career as a sub-editor, and I pride myself on my ability to spot a typo at 50 paces. But the truth is, no one can properly proofread their own work.

I learned this the hard way when I rashly failed to get my second novel proofed. At the launch party, I was halfway through a reading when I noticed a typo. I recovered my composure, but I’m still irritated by it today. Even if it’s the only spelling mistake in the entire book, it’s still one too many. It looks unprofessional.

So get your manuscript proofread. If you don’t know anyone with the necessary skills, it’s easy to find a professional who will do so for a modest fee.

4) Think about the package

When you self-publish a novel, you have to think about the bits that go round the actual story, the most important of which is the blurb on the back cover.

There’s a useful exercise that’s often recommended for aspiring writers; summarise the contents of your book in a page, then in a paragraph, and then in a sentence. It’s worth spending time doing this, as it focuses the mind on what your book is actually about, and what will attract readers to it. Use the results to write your blurb.

5) Don’t forget the cover

The most important part of the package is the cover – the first thing readers will see, whether you’re marketing your book online or in person.

I self-published my first novel through a US-based company: I simply uploaded my manuscript and they did the rest. The resulting cover was a murky abstract pattern that had nothing to do with my story, using a typeface I didn’t like.

So for my second book, I contacted a small company who specialise in book design. I met a designer, talked through a few ideas, and a couple of weeks later I had a front and back cover I loved. They also handled all the typesetting.

If you’re thinking, “I can’t afford to pay a designer”, fair enough – there are other routes. Maybe you know someone with a flair for drawing or photography who you could ‘commission’ for the price of a nice dinner. Or you could approach a local art college and see if they’ll set it as a challenge for their students. Just remember to credit their work.

Tim Turner is Content Director at Wardour Communications and the author of two self-published novels.

Follow Tim on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The Independent Publishers Guild’s 2022 Spring Conference in Nottingham on 8 and 9 June discussed a wide range of opportunities and challenges facing the independent publishing sector as we approach the second half of the year. Here are five of the most pressing issues raised by more than 30 speakers and several hundred delegates at the event, both in-person and online.

1. Costs

There is no escaping the mounting cost pressures on publishers at the moment. A panel session on the supply chain with David & Charles’ James Woollam, Clays’ Vicky Ellis and Swift Press’ Diana Broccardo highlighted steep increases in prices across paper, printing and distribution, and agreed that the problems would get worse before they get better. But the trio also suggested various ways to mitigate the rises, like staying close to supply-chain partners, shopping around for deals, avoiding reprints where possible, and reducing paper and print specifications. Raising the prices of books would be another way to protect profit margins, but another Conference panel agreed this was a tricky issue and carried the risk of damaging sales and partnerships with retailers. Educating readers about the value of books – especially compared with other purchases and forms of entertainment – could smooth the way for increases.

2. Communities

The event was the IPG’s first in-person Spring Conference for three years, and reminded publishers of the huge value of getting together in person to share ideas and experiences. The importance of community was picked up in a keynote speech from Ben Keene, the founder of the Rebel Book Club. “You can build a book club community around any niche you want,” he said. Specialist publishers including Jon Barton of outdoor adventure publisher Vertebrate highlighted the importance of getting to know their close-knit communities of readers and authors, while The Guardian’s media editor Jim Waterson emphasized the huge value of online social communities – especially TikTok, which has transformed the sales of many books in recent years.

3. Sustainability

The IPG has been closely involved in publishing’s efforts to make itself more sustainable, especially via the award-winning Book Journeys Project. The Project aims to increase awareness of environmental impacts in publishing and provides tools to help companies make informed buying decisions in print and production. Its next phase of research will look at ways to reduce the environmental impacts of returns and other ways unsold books are treated. The Conference also introduced a new toolkit to help IPG members on their journeys towards zero-carbon status. Social pressure is building on businesses to act responsibly, but several speakers acknowledged that good practice isn’t always cheap. “Producing books more sustainably requires extra cost, and we need to explain that to consumers,” said David Graham of BT Batsford.

4. Formats

The multiple formats available to publishers was a recurring theme of the Conference. Videl Bar-Kar of Bookwire showed how the audio market continues to soar, while Ingram Content Group’s Ruth Jones discussed how print on demand has opened up new possibilities for publishers. Several speakers noted that Covid lockdowns had increased the take-up of digital forms of content – especially in the academic and educational sectors. Amanda Ridout, chair of the IPG and founder of Boldwood Books, said her new business had a strategy of simultaneously publishing every new book in no fewer than ten different print, digital and audio formats, giving people the wide choice they demand now.

5. Metadata

The IPG’s events have always emphasized the importance of metadata to the visibility and sales of books, and the Spring Conference demonstrated the impact they can make. Kate Pearce of Phoenix Publishing House said good metadata practice had been a “gamechanger” for her new business, and Martin Klopstock of Kogan Page highlighted the helpful resources that are available to publishers from EDItEUR and BIC. “Metadata isn't as scary as you might think… don’t put it off,” Pearce said.

The Spring Conference also stressed the importance of good training and leadership as publishing deals with these and other challenges. 

Tom Holman is the IPG’s Head of Communications

You can read more about the IPG’s Spring Conference via the #ipgsc hashtag, and see photos from the Conference in this Facebook album.

The IPG provides a wide range of events, resources and services to help independent publishers do better business. For more about its work, visit its website.

The global pandemic nudged the publishing ecosystem to rapidly adopt digital technologies to keep books in the hands of readers. These digital workarounds accelerated global publishing industry trends that have been evolving at a much slower pace. About 15 years ago, digital disruptions like e-readers, audiobooks, and online sales started to affect the types of skills required to be successful in the publishing industry. Whereas discussions about the publishing workforce skills gap generally focused on the digital skills needed to adapt to online sales and digital formats, the global pandemic exposed a skills deficiency that runs much deeper.

The global pandemic is an industry inflection point that will lead to more abrupt market shifts than publishing has previously experienced, producing a skills gap that extends far beyond digital skills. Of course, workforce skills needs differ by market maturity and digital development, with developing markets generally requiring more support. However, I believe current industry concerns about the skills gap differ significantly from previous discussions. The publishing ecosystem now faces the challenge of upskilling and adapting to Millennial and Gen Z employees who are tech savvy, independent, and have a unique perspective on how to define success in life and the workforce.

Over the last two years, I have spoken to over 150 senior publishing industry executives – including publishing houses, distributors, authors, educators, book fairs, and literacy and free-expression advocates – in more than 40 countries. These discussions formed the basis for the International Publishing Association (IPA)’s groundbreaking research on the impact of the global pandemic on publishing and the workforce skills development needs to enhance industry resilience and sustainability.

Bridging the publishing workforce skills gap

In February 2021, IPA adopted the recommendations from its From Response to Recovery study, establishing the Inspire Initiative, to lead global publishing’s recovery and create the IPA Academy. With development starting in March 2021, the IPA Academy was envisioned to support members in developing core business skills to build more resilient and sustainable organizations as well as develop new leadership and management skills to capitalize on post-pandemic opportunities.

The IPA Academy, which was soft-launched on 7 March 2022, provides publishers with the tools to adapt to a quickly changing market in which the full impact of the global pandemic is still not clear. The Academy is unique in that it seeks to meet the skills development needs of IPA members and their members in both developed and developing publishing markets.

The Academy is initially focusing on the priority skills development needs of national publishers associations and publishers uncovered in IPA’s research. It offers emerging publishing ecosystems the foundational skills to respond to digital acceleration, while those in more developed markets can build competencies in emerging fields at the cutting edge of the industry like implementing sustainable business practices.

Going live

With the generous sponsorship of the Sharjah Book Authority, the IPA Academy was soft launched with courses co-developed with content partners like the Center for Publishing at New York University, Oxford International Centre for Publishing, and the Publishing Training Centre. In addition to providing early access to IPA members, the Academy is also open to an estimated 15,000 publishers who are members of IPA’s members. In this way, the Academy is already reaching IPA members and publishers in more than 70 countries. Initial Academy offerings, which include talks by leading industry executives and specialized, modular publishing skills courses, will be broadened quickly in response to initial user feedback.

I am very happy to work with IPA Academy partners who see how critical publishing workforce skills development is to the industry’s post-pandemic recovery. Leading the IPA Academy’s development has provided me with an opportunity to engage senior publishing executives globally on the future of our industry and the skills it will take to get there. From these discussions, I learned that, while some publishing markets have fully recovered, other markets still face a very tenuous situation in building the workforce skills and competencies to rebound.

Throughout the pandemic, I have been inspired by many examples from the publishing industry in leveraging agility and ingenuity to keep books in the hands of readers in an environment of rapid, uncertain change. This innovation in adversity has pushed me to embrace business model pivots, seek learnings from others, and share my knowledge. Our colleagues across the publishing industry need our support now more than ever, and the IPA Academy is just one way to step up to the challenge.

Update: The IPA Academy closed on 31 October 2023.

Bodour Al Qasimi is President of the International Publishers Association (IPA), online atwww.internationalpublishers.org and on twitter @IntPublishers.

The IPA Academy closed on 31 October 2023.

The MA Publishing course at the University of Derby was set up in 2016 by Alistair Hodge. Alistair had been running his own small press, Carnegie Publishing, based in Lancaster – but had spotted the lack of any Midlands-based publishing courses. There were (and still are) very good courses at universities such as University College London (UCL), Oxford Brookes, University College Lancaster (UCLan), and Stirling and Napier in Scotland, but nothing remotely local for any students who might be based in the East Midlands, West Midlands, or South Yorkshire.

The first intake of students arrived in September 2016 and I joined as Senior Lecturer in February 2017, having recently left my role as Publishing Director at Bloomsbury Academic. Having never worked in Higher Education before, I was immediately struck by the energy and enthusiasm of the students. What I love about teaching publishing at Masters level is that the students come from different educational backgrounds: as undergraduates, they’ve studied subjects as varied as history, journalism, creative writing, marketing, fashion, psychology, medicine, English and politics. What unites them, however, is a passion for reading, a love of books, and a desire to work in the industry in some capacity.

That desire leads to an interesting debate around our MA Publishing course at Derby (and at other courses around the UK): to what extent should our teaching be vocational and skills-based, as opposed to more “academic” and theoretical? There is no clear answer to that, as different students have different needs. Some genuinely enjoy the challenge of tackling marketing theory, book history, and of engaging with the growing body of scholarly literature in the field of Publishing Studies, while others are more focused on learning about the dozens of imprints at PenguinRandomHouse (PRH) or Hachette, getting to grips with using Nielsen BookScan, and becoming proficient InDesign users.

Choosing publishing as a career

When I interview applicants for the course (I do about 40 of these interviews every year, via Teams or Zoom), I’m struck by two things: the fact that no careers advisers ever mentioned the publishing industry to them at school or even during their undergraduate degree course; and how many of them express a desire to work in editorial. Young people who are seen as bookish, and who are avid readers, are often pointed in the direction of either teaching or creative writing – and they only stumble across the possibility of a career in publishing through their own curiosity about how books are made, or via bookish content on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. And once they do start thinking about working in publishing, most applicants are initially drawn by the allure of reading manuscripts as editors (more often than not in their favourite genre of Young Adult fiction).

On the teaching team at Derby, we see it as a key part of our role to disavow our students of the notion that working in editorial is the obvious path to follow in publishing. (Despite the fact that I spent 21 years working in editorial, and obviously think it’s a great way to earn a living!) Our role is, as far as we can, to demystify the industry, to explain and define the many different roles and departments within it, so that students end up with a sense of the many options available to them – whether that’s working as a regional sales rep for an academic publisher, in a metadata role for a big commercial house, as a publicity assistant at an independent children’s press, or working in production for a university press.

The course and after

Studying for an MA Publishing degree is intense. (We hear this from our students all the time!) Because nobody has studied publishing at undergraduate level, we have to pack a lot of knowledge and learning into the first teaching term, and then consolidate and expand on that in the second semester. And when so many students have part-time jobs on top of their studies, it can become a crash course in managing deadlines, prioritising tasks, and coping with a seemingly never-ending workload: all of which are skills very much in demand in any entry-level role in the publishing industry. (Whatever one’s views on how realistic or sustainable those workloads are…)

However, the rewards for most MA Publishing students are, from what I have seen, worth it. Not all students who take these courses end up working in the industry. We have former students at Derby who now work for hotel chains, medical companies, even the police force – all doing interesting roles and making use of the transferable skills from the course. But for those students who do end up working at PRH, Bloomsbury, Oxford University Press, Taylor & Francis or Pan Macmillan, in whatever roles, they have forged lifelong friendships and connections which can help them as they grow in the industry.

David Barker is Senior Lecturer at the University of Derby, where he runs the Publishing MA course.

Connect with him on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @DavidBarker33.

It is May 2022, and the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) is running its first live training event since 2019, at the Bristol Watershed. Editorial and commissioning staff covering the humanities, social, environmental, life sciences, technology, engineering, medical and business are gathered after a two-year hiatus. It’s a full house of recent starters and early career professionals. The buzz is palpable and overwhelmingly positive. Their enthusiasm and appetite to engage, learn and employ newly acquired knowledge and skills is evident.

The purpose of the course

As a result of the global pandemic and ensuing lockdowns, new starters and early career staff had been unable to experience and access the physical workspace and its advantages. In-person support from peers or line managers, the inclusiveness of a shared office space and interfacing with colleagues in roles not directly related to their own, were lacking for many. The ALPSP Training Committee resolved to deliver a practical career development course that equipped early careers editorial and commissioning staff and those who were moving into a new position, perhaps their second job in scholarly and academic publishing. The course set out to address and distinguish internal communications from external communication; how to build effective relationships with colleagues and line managers, while accessing support and training. 

Remote working has brought challenges in building and maintaining successful external relationships, for example with editors, authors, and researchers, in the absence of attending meetings and industry events. Offices have since re-opened, but hybrid working practices are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, perhaps as the ‘new normal’. So how best to navigate your career development in this new work dynamic? 

ALPSP runs and manages 36 virtual training courses annually. We sought to compensate for lack of in-person training and development by offering this course as an in-person event. It was important that experienced publisher panellists could share their senior management experiences and decisions during the pandemic, and also draw on their careers. The panellists represented a large academic journal, books and conference proceedings publisher and a university press publishing books and journals in humanities, arts, and social sciences.

The event aimed to deliver five objectives:

• How to prepare and conduct in-person meetings, conferences, hybrid events and campus (faculty) visits
• Effective follow up
• Communications and relationship management
• Build your community
• How to network productively

This is in keeping with ALPSP as a collegiate membership; sharing information and knowledge is key to the strength of the scholarly publishing community. Practical career development courses such as this act as an introduction to other professional development and career support that ALPSP provides to all professionals, whatever their career stage. This includes the ALPSP mentorship scheme to drive engagement and learning, proven and relevant training courses, member webinars and the ALPSP Careers Hub. The Careers Hub is a growing resource which provides essential introductions to a wide selection of topics across scholarly publishing and is highly commended. 

Five key take-aways from the day

• You are not alone. From small group to whole room interaction with like-minded peers from similar career stages, the realisation that we face the same issues and experiences emerged.
• Insightful, reassuring practical career advice by leadership in academic publishing on networking, commissioning across all publishing products including journals, books, and edited collections.
• Rome was not built in a day. ‘Relationship building’ rather than the ‘intimidation’ of ‘networking’ is arguably a more appropriate expression of our career development and navigation. Build out your community on trust over time and with increasing confidence. 
• Internal and external relationship building are equally valuable. 
• Find a mentor or seek mentorship whatever your career stage.

Jeremy Brinton is Head of Sales: Education | Academic | Professional at Glassboxx, Trustee of The Book Trade Charity and a Training Committee Member – ALPSP.

For more information about similar events and other ALPSP training, visit the ALPSP website. You can also follow ALPSP on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Every month hundreds of people give up their job and go freelance. What are the pros and cons of freelancing? What advice would the seasoned freelancer give to the uninitiated? Here are ten tips to get you off to a good start.

1. Don’t give up the day job (at first)

Ideally, gain in-house experience before starting your freelance career. Work in your spare time, or part-time, until you have established some contacts and made your name known. It takes a while to build up a list of clients. Freelance work – particularly proofreading and editing – is rarely full-time or consistent.

2. Sell yourself effectively

You may have the best skills in the world, but clients need to be made aware of them. Many freelancers create their own website, to showcase their skills and services and allow people to get in touch to discuss these in more detail. Others use LinkedIn, social media, or word of mouth. Many send out a regular email to contacts to remind people of their existence and enhance their brand.

3. Behave professionally

Remember that your clients will value qualities such as reliability, promptness, flexibility, good communication skills and knowledge of the latest technologies. Always honour deadlines, or re-negotiate with ample notice.

Maintain a positive and professional impression through your appearance, your correspondence, your work and even your invoices. Practise what you preach – and what you sell.

4. Acquire the right resources

As a freelancer, you are responsible for your finance, HR, IT, marketing and office management, as well as offering your own specific skills. Make sure that you are equipped in these areas to do your job. You may need to invest in business cards, computer equipment, reference works, software, stationery, a telephone and the like.

5. Become financially literate

Even when you are established, you must budget for lean periods, time off for sickness or holidays, and time spent searching for work. Keep a record of your work-related outgoings and expenses, including equipment, insurance, pension, stationery, telephone, training and utilities. These can be deducted from your taxable income. Remember that you can often charge expenses, such as travel to meetings, to the client.

You will be responsible for your own tax and National Insurance, so set aside a percentage of each payment, and consider hiring an accountant if you are not good with figures.

In terms of fees, the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) recommends minimum hourly rates for proofreading and copy-editing. In other roles, such as marketing, you are more likely to charge by the project or a day rate.

The PTC’s course Successful Editorial Freelancing works through the intricacies of finance and helps you to answer questions about how much to charge and how to organise your money.

6. Use networking and membership organisations

Networking is a vital way to stay in touch with existing contacts and find new ones. Join membership organisations such as the Society of Young Publishers, CIEP, Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers, ELT Publishing Professionals, Institute of Data and Marketing, Chartered Institute of Marketing and others. You can claim tax back on their fees, and they may well pay for themselves if you attend conferences, events and training as member rates will be lower.

Go to the London Book Fair, events and conferences if you can. Think of every meeting and interaction as a potential opportunity. You are always selling, and the product is you!

7. Avoid social isolation

With freelancing, there are no office politics to contend with, but you need to be able to work without interaction or others to motivate you. You must be strongly disciplined, self-motivated, and able to manage your time effectively.

Offer to communicate with your clients in person, by telephone or on Zoom/Teams, rather than email. Get to know other freelancers, join local groups and go out of your way to meet new people. Join groups outside of work interests to widen your social circle.

8. Continue with your training

Publishing changes constantly, with new technologies being introduced all the time. It’s worth investing in yourself to stay up to date. Clients will be impressed if your skills are relevant.

Many organisations, including the PTC, offer discounts for freelancers. Remember that you can claim back the cost of training as part of your work-related outgoings when you submit your annual tax return. Have a look at the PTC's recently updated e-learning modules for a start.

9. Adjust to a different working rhythm

As your own boss, you are working from home and free to choose your working hours. You have a greater variety of work, and more control over it, and potentially higher earnings. But you must be prepared for slow and hectic periods, and the irregular income this can bring.

You may need to work unsociable hours to meet deadlines or attend meetings outside of your normal working hours. Gone are the commute and social aspects of working. Freelancing is much more intense, as there can be few stimuli to break up the day or week. Each day can be different, and each week or month unpredictable.

10. Look after yourself

Create a positive work environment – adjust your chair to have your eyes level with the top of your screen, invest in a chair that will support your spine, and buy an anti-glare screen to protect your eyes.

Take regular breaks. Go outside for a walk at least once a day. Remember to eat and drink regularly. Turn off your machine at the end of the day and leave work where it belongs. One of the main advantages of freelancing is that it offers a better work-life balance. Make sure that you make it work for you.

Petra Green is Head of the PTC and a freelance publishing consultant.Follow her on LinkedIn.

This blog was originally published in 2011. It has been updated and expanded by Petra Green, Head of the PTC and a freelancer for three years.

15 December 2022

There are certain things that everyone who rewrites for a living, or who calls themselves a substantive editor (I’m not sure that anyone does, mind you), does so instinctively that they can’t see the need to tell anyone about them. As somebody who runs the PTC’s Rewriting and Substantive Editing course, there are four that stand out for me. (I’ve conflated writing and rewriting here, but I think these four apply to both.)

1. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough

The first is Albert Einstein’s famous saying: ‘If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.’ This should be written in bold outside every university or all those other establishments that routinely produce documents in which the simplicity of the idea has been buried under the complexity of the utterance. If you’re an editor asked to work on any text written by someone who’s not absorbed Einstein’s doctrine, the correct riposte to any attempt on their part to intimidate you with their intellectual sophistication should be ‘It’s not big and it’s not clever’.

2. Don’t put anything on your screen until your thoughts are clear

The second is, for anyone who’s producing the writing rather than working on it, think about how long you spend preparing to write, and then treble, quadruple that time. Writing – and editing too, in fact pretty much anything else – is unaccountably better the more time you spend thinking about what you want to write before you actually put finger to keyboard. You don’t want anything on your screen before your thoughts are clear; even the tritest sentence, when there on your screen, becomes the starting point for the rest of your writing – and sorting that out can be a nightmare.

3. Focus on your reader, not your knowledge

The third is, what you want to say about something is neither here nor there. The important thing is what your reader needs or wants to know about it. So forget about parading all your voluminous knowledge on a subject; just think about what the person who’s picking up your document/paper/book wants to know. As with any relationship, the more you think about what the other person wants to get out of it, the richer the relationship will be for both of you.

4. Take a break, then review your writing

And the fourth is twofold. You need to review your writing. But you need to review it in a way that is not just rubber-stamping. You need to be as critical of your own writing as you would be of any other writer whose work you’re editing. What are you actually saying here? Does the reader really need to know that? Is that the clearest way to express what you’re on about? Is that the order in which they need to receive the information? These can’t be idle questions: they bring the possibility that you tear up everything you’ve written to that point and start again.

That’s the first part of the twofold. And the second is, don’t ever hope to get any sensible idea of how good your rewriting or writing has been by looking at it immediately after you’ve completed it. If you do, guess what? It’ll look just brilliant – because all the thought processes that led you to write it in that way are still present in your mind, and all they’re doing is standing up and applauding what you’ve done.

Look at it the next day, however, or after you’ve gone for a walk or skived off to watch a bit of tele, and you will suddenly notice things that acutely embarrass you. Did I really write that? I can’t honestly have thought that was an improvement on the original, can I? We all rail against time, but time, as in the sense of time elapsed, is a brilliant editor in its own right, shyly pointing its finger at embarrassing repetitions, really unfortunate choices of phrase, constructions that are laboured and heavy-handed.

Yes, of course, your manager’s looking over your shoulder and saying, ‘Well? Well? When will this be ready?’ But you just need to have the courage to say to them, ‘Well, you can have it now, if you’re so keen to – but it won’t be anything like as good as it will be if I give it to you tomorrow midday when I’ll have had the chance to look at it after a good night’s sleep. Your choice.’

Okay, that last advice about responding to your manager? Maybe hold fire a bit. You might need to be sure of your ground before you take it to that level. I don’t want anyone to be shown the door as a result of following this advice . . .

Andrew Steeds is Director of Simply Put Ltd and Founder of The Writing Clinic. He runs the PTC course Rewriting and Substantive Editing (Non-Fiction). Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Avoid retelling the story

It’s easiest to begin with what to avoid when writing a review, so I’ll start with a personal bête noir: please avoid retelling the story.

Are you fascinated when people regale you with their holiday itinerary, in blow-by-blow detail? Is your interest piqued when your friend begins a conversation with ‘Oh my God, I had the most bizarre dream’? Perhaps you don’t mind the monotony of someone telling you the entire plot of a film they just saw, but most readers don’t want a summary. If they want the full story, they can pick up the book.

However, you do need to give a flavour. Sketch a little of the outline, evoke the atmosphere of the book, without getting out the sledgehammer.

Convey the heart of the book

Often you won’t remember exactly what a book was about years later, but you will remember how it made you feel. Ask yourself what lies at its heart — and how to convey this — without stopping it beating. How did the book affect you, what questions did it provoke, what lasting images remain?

Talk about the writing — the language, style, narrative structure, whatever makes it sing.

Aim to write clean copy, including correct punctuation; I could opine about misplaced semi-colons but it might take over this blog post.

Avoid author comparisons and clichéd descriptions

It’s easy to spot a lazy review. Two things will often happen: the first is a comparison, like ‘Jane Austen meets Donna Tartt’. Avoid comparing one writer with another unless it’s meaningful, and you can say how and why. I’ve lost count of the number of ‘new Sally Rooneys’ I’ve read about recently. It’s dispiriting to writers who like to cling to the illusion that, while we might be influenced, we are all unique. However, if you’re examining themes, for example how the dystopia of Atwood might speak to Ishiguro, then this opens up your text and lets it breathe.

The second thing is something which led Paraic O’Donnell to create book review bingo. Some examples include: ‘haunting and lyrical’; ‘unputdownable’; ‘at the height of her powers’ — and, my personal favourite, ‘lingers long after the last page’. It’s the old joke about writing ‘a heart-breaking work of staggering genius’ — probably best to avoid these clichéd descriptions as the words have lost any real currency.

Bring your own voice and style to the review but remember that the book is the focus, not your own work or soapboxes.

Good, tasty quotes are a godsend. However, check you are reading from a proof you are allowed to quote from: if in doubt, ask. Having said this, don’t overquote: it’s not a Google Books sample. 

Writing online reviews – keep it short

For online reviews, keep your sentence length in mind; often online articles work better with shorter paragraphs, and perhaps will have pull quotes interspersed: if you’re going to write five-line sentences — a little like this one — which, although coherent and with a perfectly acceptable rhythm, bear in mind that it might make your editor’s job a little trickier. So change it up.

Use tact and sensitivity

Writing a critical review takes sensitivity and wisdom. My reviews are usually so short that I’m not obliged to get involved in any tearing-apart-of-dreams, as there isn’t space for a balanced article. As a writer, I’m acutely aware that the fact any work of fiction has got to publication is a minor miracle; who needs me to say I found it obvious or dull, or that ubiquitous term, ‘overrated’? The subject has been beautifully examined by Kevin Power in his essay for The Stinging Fly.

However, readers want to know if they should click ‘Buy’ on their local bookstore’s website. They are asking the same question as those in Facebook reading club groups: ‘Is this any good?’ How long is a piece of string? One way you can frame criticism is by engaging with what the author aimed to accomplish, and perhaps examine how they have — and might not have —achieved this. It’s a tricky one, as social media has its share of writers scorned, so a degree of caution is advised. Truth, yes, but also tact.

But to end — as many reviews will — on a good note, when you get to talk about a book you really loved, there is nothing quite like it. Here, you say, look, this is something that brought me transcendence, or melancholy, offered insight or laughter — I hope you find it too.

Ruth McKee writes short reviews for The Irish Times, is the editor of booksirelandmagazine.com and a researcher for RTÉ Arena.

Follow her on Twitter @RuthMcKee.

Gain practical tools to write copy that inspires, persuades and sells with the PTC’s virtual course Copywriting for Publishers, or the self-study course Creative Copywriting for Publishers.

‘Wellness’ has been a hot topic in the media, and on social media, recently – particularly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns. It feels as if everyone is exhausted, and lacking in motivation and creativity. A recent survey from The Bookseller reveals that publishing is facing “industry-wide burnout” – with 89% of staffers reporting experiencing stress, and 69% burnout, during the course of their work over the last year.

TLC’s mission is to support writers at all stages of their professional development. So, when planning this year’s summer event, we looked for a way to remotivate writers. Thus, the Being a Writer Festival was born – to help writers be creative, feel well and thrive.

The Being a Writer Festival puts wellbeing and creativity at its heart, focusing on how to write well and feel well. It will provide writers with an event series that allows them to develop their writing craft and learn more about the publishing industry, while gaining ideas on how to really look after themselves, as they write.

Research-backed sessions, designed to inspire

The Festival programme embraces the themes and findings of Being a Writer, TLC’s membership community platform. The platform is designed to help writers sustain and protect their creativity and cultivate resilience in a range of settings. It spans events, interdisciplinary learning, research collaboration, podcasts, and digital content – including monthly writing clubs, workshops with inspiring tutors, prompts and courses hosted on the platform itself.

This content has been inspired by TLC's founding psychoanalytic principles ('Is There Anybody Reading Me', 1999, available as a free ebook), and our work as consulting partners on academic research into barriers to writing, including the Royal Society of Literature ('A Room of My Own', June 2019) and Kingston University ('What Makes A Writer', May 2019).

The central concept of these principles and research is that, in order to develop and flourish, writers need to have their work taken seriously by a sympathetic editor who gives constructive, objective advice. TLC also acknowledges the role of the publishing industry in this process, and that finding an audience (of any size) is a challenging goal for many writers.

In a world where competitive industry standards mean that the focus is often on what is written, Being A Writer instead helps writers understand why they write, and offers creative and practical solutions to help them to keep going.

The festival is structured to fit into the busy lifestyles of the writers we work with. Zoom fatigue is real, and overwhelm and burnout seem to be affecting many people, so moving away from a condensed format into one that gives writers more space to breathe between events, felt logical.

A stellar line-up of speakers

When choosing the speakers for the Festival, it was important to achieve a balance between the writing and wellbeing elements. With a wealth of talent to choose from, we were delighted to secure sessions with some top speakers. For example, professional psychotherapist Dawn Estefan specialises in therapeutic work with creative minds. Poet and creative facilitator Khairani Barokka will lead an interactive workshop to help develop better creative habits. Novelist and activist Nikesh Shukla will give a keynote on ‘How to Be a Writer’.

A Festival for anyone who wants to write well and feel well

The Festival is not just for members of our Being a Writer platform, but for anyone who wants to develop their writing craft, write well and feel well. You’ll learn tips and tricks to maintain a creative mindset as you write, and to live more sustainably and consciously as a writer, reader, and human being. Discover more about the author journey and the state of the publishing industry from demystifying sessions with publishers, agents and authors, and a roundtable with debut novelists. Even if you’ve never picked up a pen before, we think you’ll get a great deal out of the festival programme, to reawaken your creative self.

Joe Sedgwick is the Head of Writing Services at The Literary Consultancy.

Follow him on Twitter, @JoeSedgwick20 or @TLCUK. 

The Being a Writer Festival runs from 20 June to 21 July 2022.