Playing Together

 

How we came to publish this one

We have already published Linda Flynn multiple times; we are familiar with her  work and we also know that she works well with us during the editorial process. This  is hardly surprising; she also edits for us.

 

The title

It is such an apt title; the book shows lots of examples of how children can play together rather than being glued to a screen 24/7.

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Some notes about the process

This text was submitted as an author and illustration collaboration. So the book was in effect designed as well. Certainly we proof read the text and then some more time was spent in design making sure the pictures and text work well, that the pictures bleed where they need to and that pages work correctly.

The cover

The cover illustration was of course provided by the illustrator. It is the same as one of the illustrations inside but perhaps because it is bigger and printed on glossy card it is lighter and brighter.  

Some notes about style

As ever with picture books the illustrations tell far more of the story. The text is minimal in any case. Pictures are sometimes several to a page. Sometimes a picture takes up a whole page. There are a few examples of pictures bleeding across two pages but there are no complete double page spreads.      

Who we think the reader is

This book is good for the preschool child who will “read” the text with the aid of a caring adult. Certainly the pictures offer opportunities for conversations be shared between child and adult. The author and illustrator have taken the book into schools where it has been well received and in some circumstances it may be suitable for Key Stage 1. .  

What else

A percentage of the royalties goes to Medical Detection Dogs. This charity trains dogs to detect the odour from disease in the fight against cancer, Parkinsons disease and bacterial infections, as well as training Medical Alert Assistance Dogs.    

 

Review copies

It’s always great if you can buy the book and give us a review. Just click on the link to be taken to our bookshop. If you would like to review and you are strapped for cash, just get in touch for a free PDF. 

Find your copy here  

 

Lancashire Writers of Today 2023

 

How we came to publish this one

The LAA took the decision to publish its competition entries in an annual anthology.  2022 was successful so we followed the same pattern again.     

The title

The committee thought of a few and then we voted on it. The replaces the former The Record.   

Some notes about the process

Once the stories were formatted in a Word document, we did a quick proof read. Then we prepared the camera ready PDF which we passed to the authors to proof read.  Once any alterations were made according to the authors’ suggestions, we produced a second camera ready PDF which one of our editors proof-read.  

The cover

This was from our photographic competition. One of the instructions was to have a focal point on the right with plenty of space on the left for the blurb. We said that it would be fine to have the focal point on the left and we could flip the picture round. If you look carefully at the cover you will see that the picture is flipped; you can’t get that view of the Blackpool Tower. No one has commented yet!. Just a few days before the book was due out I attended a book event of one of our members. His cover had almost the same view of the Blackpool Tower. Ah well. There is no copyright on subjects for book covers.     

Some notes about style

This quote form Nick Oldam’s Foreword probably says enough: “And this year’s anthology is a stunning reflection of those talents, in which you will find a plethora of work which by its very nature showcases both the aims of the LAA and the individual creativity of writers who are members of an association which gives voice and opportunity to so many.”

Who we think the reader is

No doubt the friends, family, fans and followers of the authors in the collection will be interested in this and all those other people who care about Lancashire and what it  can produce.  

What else

For the 2024 collection we are going to include author bios.

Review copies

It’s always great if you can buy the book and give us a review. Just click on the link to be taken to our bookshop. If you would like to review and you are strapped for cash, just get in touch for a free PDF or Kindle file.      

 Find your copy 

Cover image competition 2024

Find out more about the LAA 

  

 

Old Man Jasperson by Jim Bates

 

How we came to publish this one

Jim submits to us often and is a frequently published by us. This is one of our ‘fast track’ books; all of the stories in the collection have bene pre-edited, either by us or by another publisher.

The title

This is the title of one of the stories in the collection. This is a common way of finding a title for a collection of short stories. Often it will be the same as the title of the first story as is the case here. Sometimes it might be a story from elsewhere in the book, perhaps the strongest story or the most representative one.    

Some notes about the process

As the stories were pre-edited we only needed to do a proof read. Well, actually four. The author does one and an editor does another after the author has completed theirs. We also run a couple of technical edits before the author and editor check.  

The cover

Jim’s brother supplied the art work for the cover. It is rather an effective impression of Old Man Jasperson.

Some notes about style

There is quite a mixture of stories here though all of them are told in Jim’s distinctive voice.   

Who we think the reader is

Jim has many fans and followers. Those readers who like a literary voice may also be tempted by these.

What else

This is one of the first of our ‘fast track’ books. We’ve used Amazon KDP for the paperback. We nearly always do this for fast track though there are a few exceptions. In addition, it’s easier to sell overseas via Amazon KDP so it’s a good option here.  

Review copies

It’s always great if you can buy the book and give us a review. Just click on the link to be taken to our bookshop. If you would like to review and you are strapped for cash, just get in touch for a free PDF or Kindle file.         

Find your copy here 

Author Kit

 

We tend not to write this into contracts as we keep tweaking the methodology but if you are planning a series of events – for example, perhaps you’re arranging a series of school visits -   and book signings, we can work with an author’s kit for you. This means we can let you have a set of books upfront and you pay us after you have sold them.

We normally suggest supplying twenty and we top them up for you between visits. This could bring you into the 50+ bracket that means you buy the books at 65% of RRP.  

It’s important to remember that we use print-on-demand and so you should allow at least ten days for this initial order and between orders; two whole weeks may be better.   

You pay us the 65% / 75% of RRP once you have it.

If you don’t manage to sell all of the books and you can’t afford the 65% / 75% of RRP, no worries.  We just allow it against royalties until it has cleared. And only on that book; you still get your royalties on the other titles you have with us.

We can also work directly with a bookshop or other retail outlet at 65% of RRP. This is on a sale or return basis but we ask that you pick up the returns. Otherwise the shop may just bin them! I’m afraid we can’t afford that.   

It may be that even if you supply the books yourself, the retailer likes them to go through their till. You might invoice them for the books then pay us or we can invoice them directly. Unfortunately this often means we have to chase.  

You can also get people to order directly from us at:  https://www.thebridgetowncafebooksshop.co.uk/

Again we need a ten day lead. 

All worth considering?

Tales from the Upper Room

 

How we came to publish this one

Our own Debz Hobbs-Wyatt put this one together. It is a compilation of work from a creative-writing group that she runs near her home.  

The title

The “upper room” come for the place where they meet: in the upper room of St Nicholas’ Church on Canvey Island.     

Some notes about the process

Three editors, three members of the Canvey Writers St Nicholas Group worked on editing this. Contributions are also by its members and much of the editing no doubt also went on informally as part of the normal activity of the group.  

The cover

The cover’s intriguing staircase invites you into the book; what awaits in the upper room? Which stories and poems will delight you in the book?

Some notes about style

There is quite a mixture of pieces here – stories, poems, flash fiction. Each piece is different and each piece has the unique voice of its author.  

Who we think the reader is

Certainly these stories are for readers who like to be intrigued. No doubt friends, family, fans and followers of the Canvey Writers will enjoy these offerings as will many of our fan base of readers.   

What else

The profit share on the book supports a charity: Havens Hospices:
www.havenshospices.org.uk who help adults and children in Essex. Their message is simple, but one we should all heed. It’s about ‘making every day count.’

Review copies

It’s always great if you can buy the book and give us a review. Just click on the link to be taken to our bookshop. If you would like to review and you are strapped for cash, just get in touch for a free PDF or Kindle file.         

Find you copy here