Upcoming Events

I've got some very exciting events coming up so I thought I'd share them with you so you can get your FREE tickets.

ReadFest: The Writing Journey - A Conversation with Claire Buss, Howard Linskey and Juneha Chowdhury

September 10th, 3.00-4.00pm

Pen to Print’s Write On! Magazine team partners with authors, editors and agents to present eight workshops, over two days, during ReadFest this year.

Write On!’s Deputy Editor and indie author, Claire Buss discusses ‘The Journey of a Writer’ with a successful traditionally published author, Howard Linskey and unpublished writer Juneha Chowdhury.

Claire is the Deputy Editor of Write On! Magazine and continues to welcome features, opinions and essays from the writing community.

Howard is the author series of books set in the northeast of England. He was first published in a football fanzine, later becoming a journalist and now a full-time author.

Juneha is a long-standing Write On! team member and regular contributor. She is also the 2018 Book Challenge winner.

Get your FREE tickets here.

Self-Publishing For Beginners - a 6-week course

23rd September, 30th September, 7th October, 14th October, 21st October, 28th October

6.00-8.00pm

Week 1: Getting your book ready part 1

You’ve written your novel, short story or collection of poems and now you want to publish it but how do you go about getting your words on paper into a professional-looking published book? In the first of six sessions, self-published author Claire Buss will show you how to prepare your book for market and look at your genre and/or niche, your brand, cover design and the editing process your book needs to go through.

Week 2: Getting your book ready part 2

Your book has been edited, the cover designed and you know your genre – what’s next? In the second of six sessions, self-published author Claire Buss will explain how to correctly format your book for both paperback and ebook publication as well as how to write front and back matter including the all-important book blurb. 

Week 3: Publish with KDP (Amazon)

There are two options for self-publishing – go through Amazon and go wide. In the third of six sessions, self-published author Claire Buss will take you step by step through uploading your book through KDP, Amazon’s free publishing platform, in both paperback and ebook format. 

Week 4: Go Wide!

Do want to see your book in Waterstones? Would you like to create special edition hardbacks or ensure your book is available in wider ebook markets in foreign countries? Perhaps you’d like libraries to be able to order your book. In the fourth of six sessions, self-publishing author Claire Buss will explain how you can ‘go wide’ and get your book in as many marketplaces as possible. 

Week 5: Marketing 

Now that you’ve published your book you want people to find out about it and generate some sales but without the powerhouse of a traditional publisher behind you, how can you do that? In the fifth of six sessions, self-publishing author Claire Buss will provide an overview on author marketing – how to build your author platform, grow your social media presence, establish a newsletter and get reviews for your book.

Week 6: Royalties and Rights

Self-publishing can be a minefield if you do not understand your rights as an author or how the different royalty systems work. In the last of six sessions, self-publishing author Claire Buss will take you through your author rights including foreign rights, screen adaptions and audiobook options as well as explaining how royalties work and what to expect. There will also be an in-depth Q&A session about self-publishing to make sure you are ready to publish your book. 

Book your FREE place here.

Also coming up in the future are a Fantasy workshop with me as part of Pen to Print's Fantasy Month and my next Book Surgery which will look at advertising your book. Keep your eyes peeled on the Pen to Print Events page for lots more free goodies. See you there!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me. 

Guest Post: Introducing Write On! Extra

Introducing Write On! Extra: daily posts for unprecedented times

by Madeleine White, Editor, Write On! magazine

Hello, I’m Madeleine and I’m the editor of Write On! magazine, a quarterly magazine published by Pen to Print. When we introduced Write On! nearly a year ago we did so based on the following ideas and ideals:

“Publishing lies at an intersection of entertainment, information and education and is the method by which we record our culture. Our culture is shifting and diverse communities such as the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, supported by the Arts Council under the Project Banner Pen to Print, are creating structures that ensure everybody can participate. “

Sadly we will not be printing Issue 4 of Write On!, as all the distribution points, including libraries, are shut down. However, you will still be able to flick through the pages online from the 2nd April. Alongside this though, our team of volunteer writers and editors will be working with you, our loyal readers and contributors, to extend the reach of the printed magazine into a daily online digest – Write On! Extra. We are aiming to bring people together to share their experience strength and hope, as well as having a bit of a laugh!

Kick-off is next week (week commencing 30th March) and our initial plans are for Write On! Extra to be a one month pilot. We are hoping to extend this beyond the crisis though. For those of you who had been looking forward to your printed editions, we are aiming to publish a bumper edition in June, comprising issues 4 and 5.

Write On! Extra extends the current weekly offering of showcased creative writing, features and interviews on our website into a comprehensive daily schedule which everyone is invited to participate in, whether as readers or contributors. We are happy to accept video or spoken extracts/ snapshots as well as written pieces.

Monday Memoirs – Stories and experiences from the past to inform our future.

Thoughtful Tuesdays – Thought for the day, mindfulness, inspiration, quotes and spiritual ideas shared to create leadership and hope to see us through the week.

Write On! Showcase – This creative writing showcase will include poetry, short stories, flash fiction and book extracts, all reflecting the weekly theme.

Thursday Connectors – How is your country/community coping with the crisis? Everyone and everywhere has different experiences and different ways of dealing with what is happening. Here we pull these together in one place.

Write On! Features – Essays, opinions and features. In Write On! Extra the subject matter  will be extended beyond the current focus of publishing and writing to include content from different sources that are relevant to our times.

Saturday Spotlight – Books are still being launched at the moment, with many publishers too committed to pull back now. Spotlight will therefore shout out a book launch a week as well as a roundup of releases, with social media activity being used to showcase the post as well as inviting other launch tags.

Write On! Interviews– This section usually features writers, publishers, editors and agents. In Write On! Extra this Sunday profile opportunity will also be extended to council and front-line staff, creative project leads and Arts Council England representatives as well as local organisations.

All will be aligned to a weekly topic. Illustrated below, these month’s themes will be starting from next week (WC 30th March),

From Head in the Clouds to Feet on the Ground – making sense of it all.

We Need You!– coming together for a purpose, how and why.

Then and Now– what is was like, what it is now, how are we going to describe this to our grandchildren when its all over. What are the core lessons that we’ve learned the core values.

Keep Calm and…..?-  what are we learning, how can we use what is happening to renew our way of life in order to grow into a better, stronger community.

Submissions should be no longer than 2000 words and if possible, fit the weekly themes. Please submit any images you have permission to use and that illustrate your work. Write On! Extra will also happy to accept video or audio content. Please also include contact details and any relevant social media IDs, such as Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Submit via pentoprint@lbbd.gov.uk, adding in the day you are submitting for in the subject line of your Email. Further guidance can be found on the themed pages. All submissions are subject to Pen to Print terms and conditions. 

Our culture is shifting at the moment. The worlds we create do therefore not just serve us. Make a difference to your community from your own four walls and get creating and writing.

We invite local people get in touch. We also welcome partnership discussions for organisations wishing to contribute, so the voices of their beneficiaries and teams can be heard. Details will be published on pentoprint.org.

Write What You Want, Be Who You Are

(re-published from Write On! magazine with permission)

Ensconced in Howard Linskey’s ridiculously comfortable sofa, I cast an appraising eye over the stack of DVDs, a pre-release copy of his new book Alice Teal is Missing and of course, the wonderfully stuffed bookcase hinting at delicious home cooking, World War II histories and naturally, crime fiction.

I’ve travelled two hours to meet with crime writer Howard Linskey. A recent Achilles tendon break has left him sporting a leg brace. Quite apt really, as our issue theme is all about what needs to be broken to create good writing. I’m here to find out what boundaries he has broken in his writing career to date. So, with his long-haired and incredibly vocal dachshund, Bonnie, joining in when she feels a bit of support is needed, we start our conversation.

I first met Howard in 2016, the inaugural year of the Pen to Print competition. I was an aspiring author and he was one of the judges. Howard’s generosity was immediately apparent as he freely gave advice on what to do once your book has been written, the intricacies of finding an agent and the importance of hanging on for dear life for that book deal.

Since then we’ve crossed paths a few times; I’ve congratulated him on subsequent Penguin book deals, and he’s agreed to be interviewed for my blog. We’ve also met at a number of Pen to Print events and will, from time to time, swap a Tweet or Facebook message. Along with an affable nature and generosity of spirit, it’s this approachable quality that sets Howard apart. 

Am I even an author?

I steer our conversation towards the obstacles Howard has had to overcome in his writing career. As a young lad from the North East of England, a writing career seemed beyond reach. He blames this on the imposter syndrome which dogged him for a long time before his work was read and applauded by the publishing world. And it’s been a long road... For example, despite securing agent Phil Patterson with his historical novel pitch in the early 2000s, getting a publishing deal proved much more elusive. Eventually, Phil suggested Howard try ghostwriting crime novels for Harlequin and he jumped at the opportunity, which led to him finally being published in 2009. He remembers attending the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate with this one book in the bag but still riddled with self-doubt.

Since then Howard’s book, The Drop, was voted as Top 5 Thrillers of the Year by The Times and has been optioned for TV by Harry Potter producer, David Barron. Unsurprisingly, his writing confidence has continued to grow, securing first a three-book then two, two-book deals from Penguin.

Bonnie barks at us from time to time, to remind us to throw her favourite toy – a soft blue whale - and helps to keep me on track with the interview. I could listen to, and be inspired by, Howard’s writing journey all day long but I really want to find out more about his writing habits. We move topics. 

Quality is key

Howard’s first crime novel, Streetwise was penned under the name, Chris Freeman. It was about a Nigerian detective who’d fled his war-torn country to become a cabbie in the Bronx. Harlequin had provided the pre-set topic; one Howard freely admits did not sit in his comfort zone or immediate knowledge base. Despite this, he set to researching everything he possibly could. Even though this wasn’t his story of choice, Howard decided to write the best book he possibly could; his mantra for every subsequent novel.

The first draft of The Drop, book one of his David Blake thriller series, was so highly polished that it was snapped up by independent press, No Exit Press. These days the first draft sent in to his editor might not be quite so polished, but the depth of research remains the same and the quality of writing is still evident. 

“An important thing to bear in mind for writers looking to be picked up,” says Howard, “Even though you may have to change it, it’s crucial you make what you submit as polished as you possibly can. When you’ve built a relationship, the polishing process is a joint one with the editor, but until then you’re on your own.”

So why crime?

Lulled by Howard’s northern accent, Bonnie snoozes on the floor as I ask him why he chose to write crime fiction novels in the first place. His answer is simple; “I wanted to read something that was more film-based, with a grittier underworld.” 

Unencumbered by the rules of writing crime or bogged down by trying to avoid tropes and clichés, he tells me he has continued to write what he wants to write – interesting characters, a good dialogue and conflict for the characters to resolve. 

“A Howard Linskey book is about quality of writing.”

He wants his readers to be certain that they can expect the same workmanship every time they pick up something he has written, no matter what the genre. 

His focus is currently split as he is working on three different projects. He tells me this is proving tough, especially with the highly demanding Bonnie and of course family life with his wife and daughter. Howard feels though, that his somewhat different writing style keeps him on track in terms of his 1000-word daily count. He usually sits down to write after the school run in the week and carves time out on weekends. Avoiding the temptation of social media is also important, as he writes individual scenes rather than sequential prose. Howard begins each book with a pre-determined beginning and ending so that all the clues and foreshadowing can be worked into each mystery as each scene is revealed. As a writer, I was suitably impressed. Howard did confess though, that trying to fit these separate scenes into one cohesive story was an interesting process in itself.

Boxed In or Boxed Out?

Howard has always taken charge of his author identity and writing career. He stopped pursuing the ghostwriting because he didn’t want to be the ‘Nigerian crime guy’. Deciding that three books in the gritty, white-collar, underworld gangster, David Blake series were enough he moved book type again to create a North-East of England crime series, gaining him Penguin as a publisher. To them, of course, he has become that ‘North East crime bloke’. 

Despite his successes, Howard refused to be boxed in. Seventeen years after writing the first draft, Howard went back to his historical fiction novel, Hunting the Hangman, featuring high-ranking German SS official, Reinhard Heydrich. Penguin had first refusal but interestingly enough No Exit Press wanted it and offered him a publishing deal. Hunting the Hangman will also be published in America along with his second WWII novel, Ungentlemanly Warfare. Howard feels that working with multiple publishers allows him to take greater creative risks; meaning he can write what he wants to write. 

Penguin are also revisiting the ‘box’ they assigned to Howard. His latest novel is being published under H. A. Linskey. Howard tells me this is a typical publisher ploy; playing to the supermarkets' love of a debut book and rebranding him in the process. 

Sadly, all conversations must come to an end and while our attempts to get Bonnie up on the sofa for a photo were an abject failure (she posed after we left!), we did have a wonderful conversation. Howard’s single-minded, unshakeable belief in his dream of being an author is something that can inspire us all, it certainly did me!

Connect with Howard on Twitter @HowardLinskey and visit his website www.howardlinskey.co.uk for more details about his books. Ungentlemanly Warfare came out in June 2019 and Alice Teal is Missing comes out in November 2019.

Find out more about Pen to Print and Write On! magazine at www.pentoprint.org.

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.