Saturday 22 August 2009

THE PERFECT BLOG-READER ...


... is one who comes to my workshop, asks no stupid questions (actually, no one did - hooray for sensible workshoppers) and brings me chocolates. And chocolates of a very superior quality, too.

THANK YOU SUZANNE!

Although Toffee is Not a Way to Get Published, chocolate is a way to make me happy. If I were an agent or editor, it would consequently be hard for you to know whether chocolate would be an appropriate thing to send me in a submission, but my advice would be to wait until I've said I love your work and want to agent or publish you.

Since I am not an agent or publisher and never plan to be, chocolate is absolutely a very delightful thiing to bring me. However, please don't feel you have to, or I am going to put on too much weight.

Also, those of you who live too far away to come to Edinburgh, don't worry. I do not think any the less of you. Because really the perfect blog-reader is one who listens, joins in, is engaging and personable, does not leave spam (note to "glovin" - your ill-disguised spam is not appreciated) and then follows all my advice and gets published.

Can anyone bring me that happiest of all presents yet: one of you obtaining a contract?

Well, until then, I am grateful to Suzanne for today's lovely gift! It will certainly keep me going until that wonderful moment.

Meanwhile, please go and read today's main post, below. It's a long one. DOT - you especially should read it ...

13 comments:

D said...

Thanks for the interesting post(s) - all highly readable, full of information and inspiration, and much appreciated! I thought a lot of the suggestions had validity, and were interesting. Congratulations to DOT!

PS Any more comps or challenges coming up? Lol. I followed your lead on making a 'movie', and put it up on youtube. Great fun!

Suzanne Jones said...

Fantastic workshop, Nicola. Thank you so much.

Nicola Morgan said...

Thanks, D - Submission Spotlight coming soon. And yes, I need a competition. But am somewhat tied up. Will put my mind to it. Soon ...

Suzanne - thank you! It worked well, mainly because there were no idiots. I do have a habit of attracting idiots. It was nice to meet you and put a name to your face, though i know I've seen you before. And thank you again for the chocs!

j purdie said...

This comment is nothing to do with the post - just, England and Wales License? Really?

http://creativecommons.org/
press-releases/entry/5712

catdownunder said...

I promise to bring you chocolate (without cat hairs) from Adelaide when I eventually come to Edinburgh...will it be safe to leave it with Vanessa? (Do not label it 'chocolate'?)

Nicola Morgan said...

j purdie - good point! Oddly, the list of countries wasn't alphabetical and I didn't see "UK: Scotland" in a completely different place. You'll see I've now changed it anyway. Thanks!

Catdownunder - no, if you attach a label to it saying "poison", that should be ok.

Caroline Storer said...

Hi Nicola. I'm new to your blogsite - I found it via Suzanne! But I've now added it to my favourites! Thanks for all your helpful advice - I am now going to read all your backlist blogs - a good a way to spend a rainy afternoon over here in north Wales. Take care. Caroline x

catdownunder said...

Poison? Vanessa might throw it away! This needs thinking about.

David Griffin said...

Hi Nicola, I would love to obtain the services of another agent for my writing. If that happened, I'd want to skip down the road with a silly grin on my face and, at my age, that would look highly peculiar!

Enough to say that if that does happen (touch wood, fingers crossed and all that), you would be one of the first to know.

Helen said...

Thank you for such a lively workshop yesterday and thank you for the inside information so generously given to us would-be authors.

Graeme K Talboys said...

Don't suppose I really count as I am already published (although still trying to persuade an agent of my merits). But after a long, dry spell (probably caused by clichés and over use of parentheses) - two contracts.

Nicola Morgan said...

In haste as about to go and do event but a) thanks all b) welcome new readers and c) graeme - oh fear not: lots of readers are already published, as being published is (sadly, or not sadly) the end of the story!

Katherine Langrish said...

I dunno...18 and 23?

I recommend Lucy Boston's Green Knowe books for her lovely, pure prose style.