Welcome - The International Writers Magazine - Editorial 2011
Welcome to the June edition of Hackwriters.

Just back from Canada and spectacular Montreal Jazz Fest - but having to care for a friend who has kidney stones. If you have never had them you won't know the agony she is undergoing.
More later. Enjoy the July edition there's some good stories and adventures up there. Thanks for submitting writers and readers enjoy and spread the word

Meanwhile if you were at the Winchester Writers Conference last week- well met and I think there were a significant number of writers there this year who connected with agents. A good sign.
July 9th
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* The good news is my Sherlock Holmes novel The Curse of the Nibelung is now available as an e-book on itunes. Download here. or here
**Also available as an e-book Diamonds - The Rush of '72 be the first to download

I have to go house hunting all over again. Is selling your house the most stressful thing ever? No, buying one is. Nothing quite beats the stench of damp in the morning. I am shocked at the state of some places I have seen. Is no one house proud anymore? Rising damp has new meaning on the Isle of Wight and carpets with burn holes. I suspect I may not buy there.

Some vendors of course go the other way and put in crazy inappropriate kitchens or wet rooms in awkward places. I am not sure anyone sits down and works out how to actually live in a house with the most convenience. Certainly not architects who clearly never live in anything they build. I am looking forward to seeing this flat (see adjoining image) tomorrow. But note the tiny windows. A flat fit for a Hobbit you might say but would I go crazy having to get down on all fours to see out the window? Yep. On viewing you'd need to be crazy to buy it.

One of the key questions often asked in the one to one sessions at the Winchester Conference is 'How do I get an agent?' The answer is - with difficulty. Clearly the writing has to be strong and immediate, but the writer needs to be matched with someone who is enthusiastic with their ideas. Sometimes you end up with an agent who takes you on who isn't really keen and that can be fatal. You need one who will defend you, encourage you and engage with the text so much so you won't mind when they make suggestions to make it all more saleable. I know I was trying to get a new agent these past few months and when she finally showed interest (after five months of not reading the material) she excluded the very book I wanted to sell as it might conflict with another author. So lesson learned, even when they say yes, clearly this would have been a fraught relationship from the outset. It was a pass.

Clearly there is resistance out there from agents wanting to take new people on - but the market needs new writers and new ideas, so there is always room for a new voice to come through. In fact I think publishers are desperate for new writers but at the same time print runs are down, the e-book is clearly not good value as they stand (sometimes more than the print price) and without proper marketing how will new voices be found?

Adrienne Dines, the writer was telling me last week that she has a friend who only sells by way of e-books now and is making a living - but this is self-help, not fiction and I think there is always a market for self-help. I might add that I have been trying to get an e-book listed by way of Lulu since January and still no joy, so I'm not sure it is even possible now or to be found once you are.

In August I will be running an intensive weekend course on dystopian fiction for teens at West Dean College (nr Chichester) enroll now and get your next book started. For beginners and experienced writers who need a jolt. I know there are places left so sign up. I promise I will help you get started. (Come with blank page or ibook it's best to start from scratch.)

Meanwhile if so inclined order my novel Mean Tide. A personal haunting with a difference.

See you in Winchester or at West Dean. (or before if you are an estate agent)
Cheers

Winchester Writers Conference 2011 - Enroll now and improve your chances of getting published -35 workshops, 60 lectures, 500 one-to-one appointments and 18 writing competitions. 2nd July

**Hackwriters exists to give a platform for emerging writers and a forum for our regulars. If you find something you like let the writer know and spread the word.
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© Sam North June 15th 2011
Author of 'Diamonds - The Rush of '72'
The Fantastic True story of the 1872 Diamond Rush in the USA

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Editor – Hackwriters.com

Many thanks to all those who have contributed to this April edition from all over the world. Many thanks too to those who have bought my books recently (Discounts now available via Lulu). Another Place to Die has passed the 3000 figure now and that cheers me up. I will be discontinuing this title soon as I am in the process of selling a new version of it to a mainstream publisher. Now if I could get Mean Tide or Diamonds to sell as well, I'd be really happy. It really does help keep Hackswriters going. Take care out there.  Get writing.

By the way enjoy Modern Thai Food. Read Oi's fantastic recipies

Mean Tide by Sam North *Buy now and get 25% off Mean Tide - a tale of spiritualism and a young boy's fascination with a murdered man. Lulu Press - ISBN: 978-1-4092-0354-4 Review: 'An engaging, unusual and completely engrossing read' - Beverly Birch author of 'Rift' His father has disappeared, his mother is sick. Oliver, recovering from chemo, is sent to live with his psychic Grandma by the river in Greenwich. Oliver quickly discovers he is living with a world of strange people. When he finds a dog with its throat cut on the riverside, everything changes. Oliver wants to find the people who did this terrible thing and discovers the terrible truth about himself. (Now a Young Adult Mystery e-book)

The Curse of the Nibelung - A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Sam North *Buy now and get 25% off e-book ISBN: 13: 978-1-4116-3748-1 302 pages - Lulu Press USA 'Chocolate will never be the same again' - Sunday Express Buy from your favourite on-line retailer * New revised ebook edition now available June 2011 here - Amazon UK Amazon USA Barnes and Noble & Waterstones

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