Finding new authors in unexpected places

I've just been reading about Vala, a brand new publishing house which describes itself as a bold experiment in community-supported publishing
What does that mean?
I'm still finding out but it is co-owned by its members – workers, authors, investors (and potentially anyone reading this, if it floats your boat...) and I'm particularly intrigued by the idea of Grassroots Commissioning.
Vala's members will be encouraged to scout for potential authors and put forward ideas to an elected Editorial Board.
Being a member of Vala community membership also means having the opportunity to take part in the physical making of books. Vala want to reconnect people with production,  in the same way that farmers' markets and vegetable box schemes are reconnecting people with their food...
Like the talent scouting idea and the emphasis at looking in non traditional areas for new writers.  Good readers can spot good writers so it makes sense to develop new ways of allowing  voices outside the publishing industry to be heard. It's immensely cheering that seven out of ten books are still sold by word of mouth recommendation.
Not so sure about everyone getting their hands dirty and making books...can't help being nervous about what the result would actually look like. Every aspect of book making requires a lot of skill from the way the type sits on the page to the choice of cover and I'm not convinced that democracy should play a big part.
But the big question - for writers and readers - is what is this ground-breaking idealistic company going to publish. 
Short answer: non fiction.
Long answer: non fiction with heart.
They seem to be open to many and various ideas. Their first book will be out in November. Called Coming Home to Story, the author is story teller and former policeman Geoff Mead who shares the magic of storytelling and the influence story has on our lives.
To find out more
click on the title of this post to go to Vala's website

Making a living as a writer when you haven't got a publishing deal

This time last year Catherine Ryan Howard was trying to persuade someone to publish Mousetrapped, her non fiction account of a year working at Disney, Florida. 
Twelves months on she still hasn't got a publishing deal.
She has, however, sold over 3000 copies of her self published book, made a modest income from writing and had a helluva journey along the way. 
This isn't about writing. 
It's about what you can do when the writing is done and the doors of agents and publishing companies are still closed.
Click on the title of this post and read Catherine's recent presentation to a writers' conference in Belfast and be inspired...

Obsessed by Someone? A February date not to be missed...

Biography - What Publishers Are Looking For
Thursday 24th February Drinks 6.30 for 7.00 pm start
Organised by The Biographers Club
Swendenborg House, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, London, WC1A 2TH (nearest Tube Holborn or Tottenham Court Rd)
John Blake Managing Director of Blake Publishing, Heather McCallum Trade Publisher at Yale University Press, Alan Samson, Non-Fiction Publisher at Weidenfeld and Paul Sidey Editorial Director at Hutchinson will be discussing how the biography market is changing, what sort of biographies and authors they are looking for and how proposals should be presented.
Chaired by Nicholas Clee joint editor of BookBrunch and former editor of the Bookseller.
Tickets £10.
To book please send cheque [payable to The Biographers' Club] to the Club Secretary Andrew Lownie, 36 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BU, secretary@biographersclub.co.uk

SHORT SCIENCE - a taste of writing creative non fiction

Want to write compelling non fiction? Test out your skills by submitting a short passage on any aspect of science, technology and related disciplines – including astronomy and psychology - as well as scientists (living or dead) to Kinglake Publishing. Short is short: minimum 100 words and maximum 200 words. So you have to be pithy, witty and accurate. It won't make your fortune (in fact I don't think you even get a copy of the book that comes out of this project) but publication might boost your confidence so you feel able to tackle that biography, text book, memoir...and it gives you a deadline...September 24 2010...and we all need those.

Click on the title of this post to go to the website. 

London non fiction workshop -- pitching

I want to tell you about a July workshop being run by a colleague, Susan Grossman. She is a BBC broadcaster, magazine editor, travel writer and author, and is currently lecturer on the MA course in journalism at Westminster University.
Pitching to Editors is for writers of non-fiction, PRs, former editors, staff writers, photographers or freelancers looking to impress editors with their pitches.
The workshop is small so that everyone gets feedback on pitches they want to bring in.  The aim of the workshop is to help people expand their outlets, identify target audiences, re-work existing material and explore the lucrative market of customer magazines (from airline and store magazines to those for banks or businessmen). I gather that the success rate is good and the day is not only motivational but a great networking opportunity.
Next workshop is on Monday 12th July at RIBA, W1.
10 am to 5 pm.
Cost: £105.
Book by email: susangrossman@tiscali.co.uk  
You can also check out Susan's website by clicking on the title of this post.