Write-Place

Came across this post of mine from 12 years ago : Battle of the Hard Copy   Write-Place (wwwrite-place.blogspot.com   in which I write that in the battle of 'book versus e.reader', I would argue for the case of The Book, to the bitter end.  Granted, I was talking about something called a 'View Quest Mediabox' which at the time was £52 and half the price of a Kindle, but oh, how new technology and age changes one's views. Apparently, at the time this 5 inch wonder could not only store hundreds of books but you could watch videos, listen to music and use a voice recorder on it. Clearly in 2011, the Smart Phone as we know it today had not reached me, or at least, I could not afford one then. I did get a Kindle like this  which a quick Google search tells me was brought out by Amazon in September 2011. I soon lost interest in it as I could not get to grips with the turning the page buttons forward and back and as the device does not have a touch screen, for me the '...

     “I write fiction  and I’m told it’s autobiography. I write autobiography and I’m told  it’s fiction, so since I’m so dim and they’re so smart, let them decide.” Philip Roth 1933 - 2018 One of the signs of my advancing years and certainly since I began life in my 6th decade, is that I discover great writers, only when they have died.  Sometimes I have read something of theirs over the years, during enforced study or just through recreational reading. Sometimes, I have not known who the writer was at the time. But more often, I haven't heard of the author or their works.  This sends me into a kind of panic, that there is so much wonderful literature in the world that I can't hope to get around to reading, appreciating and maybe be inspired by.  Perhaps, if I had been an "academic" for longer, this might not have been the case. Before the technological age really kicked in and we only had real books to inform and entertain us, ...

 There is something about a real book that is unique and gives such pleasure to reader and author alike. By real book here, I mean one made of paper that you can hold in your hands, feel the pages, smell the newness of and watch grow older and change as you do. Of course, the benefits - and drawbacks - of ebooks and digital technology is constantly discussed and the 'which is better' debate I think, will always be with us. Most of us have our views on which is 'better' but also most of us these days appreciate that all formats of written words have their place and deciding which is appropriate for which occasion is a personal preference. The One Word Anthology by Talkback Writers  was published as an ebook in  November 2012 by Alfie Dog Ltd  and is available there. It can also be purchased at  Kobo Books  and at  Amazon The authors, editors and publishers of the One Word Anthology are now very happy to announce the publishing of the real Pa...

Just received this email from createspace.com and find it interesting especially after me going on about information overload etc in my last 2 blogs. I might pledge a couple of the suggestions (not saying which though- someone might try and hold me to it ! ) "They say that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Marketing your book shouldn’t be a task you dread. It should be a habit that comes to you easily. Pledge to do the following 7 steps everyday for the next 21 days, and form a habit that is going to strengthen your online presence and create a community around yourself and your book that will continue to grow over time and ultimately help you get in the habit of selling books. 21 Day Book Marketing Pledge 1.) I pledge to give one book away to a charity, friend, or organization. The book I give away will be signed by me with all my online contact information and a handwritten invitation to review the book on Amazon. 2.) I pledge to write an entry for my blog. 3.) I pledge...

Recommendations. Can you resist them ? I think I have an innate inability to NOT resist when something is recommended to me, no matter who is the recommender. Well, not everything. Films, TV programmes, music, restaurants, holiday destinations, shops – with these I can listen to someone extolling the virtues of the item or place in question then forget about what they have said, but with books … no chance. Suggest that I would like a particular book or that you like it yourself, and regardless of whether we have anything in common or not, I am likely to seek it out. If not actually buying the book then certainly searching the library for it. Needless to say this has resulted in me reading and owning a multitude of books that I may not necessarily have chosen myself, but feel obliged to read because someone suggested it. Of course, sometimes this is a great blessing as I might have otherwise missed out on a great read, but sometimes it seems like a mania that I have. Amazon (thou...