Brian Moore is launching his second book of poetry, Midnight Highway, this Friday, May 25th.
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“Irish Women Speak” by Alison Wickham
Irish History is vast and rich, and none know that better than the people of rural Ireland. They carry stories of the past with them like old friends. Alison Wickham’s book, ‘Irish Women Speak’, is no exception. It is a fascinating account about the lives of women from the town and hinterlands of Clonakilty. The 240-page collection spans decades of tales on career, family and heritage from more than 36 women, aged 35 to 95. About the book The collection …
Proof-Reading – Our Top 5 Tips
They say you are your own worst critic. And in some ways, that can be the case. However, sometimes editing your own work can be hard and you miss out on little details that can make or break your piece of writing. Here are some of our top tips for proof-reading: Print it People read differently on screen and on paper, so print out a copy of your writing. If you read aloud, your ear might catch errors that your …
Make an Impression – Writing your First Line
Writing your book is brave. Writing its first line is even braver. There is no other way to describe it. From the moment your audience opens your book, you need to hook them in and that can be daunting. This is your first opportunity to hook readers in. That’s why the first line of your book can be quintessential is making it a must read. Check out some of our favourite ways to capture your audience from the get go. …
“The Best Things in Life Are Free” by Margaret O’Driscoll
Margaret O’Driscoll published her collection of poems, The Best things in Life Are Free, with us last year. She recently received a great review for her book and we decided to let you read what this reviewer has to say: Review ‘The Best things in Life are Free is an interesting proverb for a book title, as you get reading the eighty one poems spread over ninety one pages of the book, you find it being reiterated and at the …
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Success Bound – Picking the Right Book Binder & Printer
If you’ve ever spent money on a book that isn’t bound properly, you’ll know all about it when the spine creases or breaks or the pages fall out or when it won’t open flat so you constantly have to hold it in a way that lets you see the words closer to the centre. OK, having a book which isn’t bound properly isn’t huge in the grand scheme of things, but it is annoying, plus if pages fall out of …
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Looking After Your Writing When You Self-Publish
There’s a lot to consider when you take the plunge as a self-published writer. Perhaps “taking the plunge” isn’t the right phrase, as diving in may not be the best tactic. If you are eager to get your work out there, there are probably a few things you need to consider before rushing to print. There are things you just have to do when you self-publish. You spent a lot of time writing your book. You need to look after …
Book Clubs – It’s Not All About the Wine
I’ve seen a lot of stuff online recently about how book clubs are just an excuse for middle aged women to get together and drink wine, like that’s a bad thing in itself. It’s as if coming together to talk books (with or without wine) is a far less noble pursuit than going to the pub and talking football. Going to the pub to watch and talk football is just fine and forms an important cultural role. Let’s face it, you don’t …
West Cork Literary Festival – Some Picks for Novice Writers
Over the last 20 years the West Cork Literary Festival has brought us diversity in writers, events and workshops. Running for a whole week, from Sunday 17th to Saturday 23rd July, its calendar of events is even fuller this year. In terms of heavy hitters, it’s got the lot. From David Mitchell to Marina Warner, Louis De Berniéres, John Banville and Gloria Steinem, there is no shortage of world renowned faces to see. There really is too much to chose just …
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Marketing Your Book – A Guide to Getting Going
Maybe you’ve written your book. Maybe you’re only starting out on the writer’s road. Whether you haven’t put pen to paper yet, or are in the final stages of editing, you need to think about how people will find out about your work. Books need to be marketed and book marketing can take some hard but rewarding work. Even if your main slant in life is creative, this does not preclude your from getting involved in promotion of your work. …