Sorting Out the Admin
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Lifestyle, Non-writing, Resources on June 21, 2024
Being a writer isn’t just about the writing. Being a writer is like a running a small business, which is why all the big name authors employ assistants to help them. Those of us without the financial resources to do that, have to do it all ourselves! I’m currently taking a break from getting the words down while I wait for an editorial decision from my publisher and I’m using that time to get some of that admin done.
Firstly I’ve checked that all editions of my books are registered with the UK’s Public Lending Right. This is done via the British Library and ensures that authors receive a small amount of money every time their book is borrowed from a library. I’d like to say that this money is payable every time a book is borrowed from ANY UK library but the payments only apply if the books are borrowed from a sample of libraries across the UK. This sample changes from year to year and you can see which libraries are included this year and next on the website and scrolling down to the bottom of the page. Unfortunately for me, Birmingham Libraries (where I know there are several copies of my books and they do get borrowed!) is not in any of the recent samples. But maybe a library elsewhere has copies too!
I’ve also made sure that all editions of my paperback books are registered with ALCS. One of the reasons for doing this is to ensure I receive a small royalty if any of my books are sold secondhand via the World of Books website. More details about how this works can be found on the Society of Authors website. In the future it’s hoped that more secondhand booksellers will join the scheme. Fingers crossed!
I’m also going to be running a free prize draw in the next edition of my newsletter to win a signed (or unsigned if you prefer!) copy of The Promise. At the moment brand new paperback copies of The Promise are only available exclusively from me (there are a couple of secondhand copies on World of Books!) and it is also available on Kindle with an updated cover. If you’d like to be in with a chance, please sign up for my newsletter ASAP and before 26/6/2024. My newsletter is published less frequently than this blog and contains more general content for readers rather than specifically for writers. I’d love to have you on board!
Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Authors, Books on June 7, 2024
As an author I found the premise to Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang intriguing:
A struggling writer, June Hayward, is friends with a bestselling author, Athena Liu. Athena dies in a freak accident while June and Athena are alone in Athena’s apartment. June spots Athena’s just-completed, latest manuscript and steals it. This paper copy is the only one in existence – despite this being the age of the internet, Athena works on an old typewriter.
June edits and tweaks the manuscript and then passes it off as completely her own work. Publication of the book causes social media uproar but not, at least initially, for the reasons you might expect.
Most of us writers have, at one time or another, felt some degree of envy at another’s success. But how many of us would be prepared to take the same action as June? Hardly any of us, I imagine (and hope!). That is what makes this book so compulsive – it tips us into somewhere we dare not tread.
Yellowface would make a great book club read (or it might be something you discuss within a writers’ group) because it encompasses so many issues. The following discussion prompts popped into my head as I was reading:
- Can/should an author create a character from a background of which they themselves have no experience, e.g. a different race, sexual orientation etc. ?
- What makes someone keep working towards their ambition despite numerous knockbacks?
- Does it matter if your family are ambivalent/disinterested in that ambition?
- Would there ever be a circumstance in which the stealing of a manuscript was acceptable?
- Was Athena also a thief? Did she deserve to have her novel stolen?
- How would you feel if someone used part of your life story in a novel without asking permission?
- Social media plays a large part in the book. Has it become too powerful?
If you’ve read Yellowface and would like to add to the list of issues it raises, please leave a comment in the box below.
On the subject of book clubs, a reader has told me that they have suggested Waiting for a Bright New Future as a possible read for their book group. If it gets through, I’ll be both intrigued and apprehensive to find out what they discuss and the verdict on the book!
A Bit of Glamour!
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Events, Poetry on May 24, 2024
Contrary to popular belief, an author’s life is more hard slog than glitzy glamour but once in a blue moon we do get the chance to raise a glass and to nibble canapes. One such occasion arose this week for me – my first ever publisher’s party.
All the Joffe Books partygoers!
Joffe Books (of which Choc Lit are part) held a garden party in London to celebrate their tenth birthday. It took place at the swish Six Park Place next to Green Park. We Choc Lit authors met in a pub beforehand and made our grand party entrance en masse (safety in numbers!).
There were bubbles, nibbles and lots of chat. 
It was great to meet the Joffe/Choc Lit team in person and put faces to names. The weather stayed dry, if not exactly warm and there were ‘going home’ presents of a Joffe birthday mug and tote bag. But the best takeaway of the evening was the feeling of camaraderie between the Choc Lit family of authors and the knowledge that though we may write in our individual garrets, others are going through the same trials and tribulations as us.
Finally, a competition I spotted (that’s right, I haven’t quite unsubscribed from all those newsletters!):
New Writers are running a free-to-enter poetry competition with the theme of ‘Summertime’. Poems can be up to 20 lines long and the closing date is 20th June 2024. First prize is £50 and publication on the NewWriters.org.uk website (and the inaugural issue of the New Writers Anthology) plus a copy of Jordan Hamel’s debut poetry collection.
How to enter: Send entries as attachments (MS Word or PDF) to competitions@newwriters.org.uk and use “Summer Poetry Competition” as the subject of the email. Use your poem’s title as the file name (avoid calling it ‘Summertime’). Ensure your name or other details are not written on the entry (and no need to add a word/line count).
Now all we need is the sunshine back for some summer inspiration!
Some of the ChocLit authors enjoying the party vibe!
Streamlining and Focusing
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Lifestyle, public speaking on May 10, 2024
I’m on a mission to focus my mind and become more productive. But there are hurdles. And the biggest hurdle is email. I’m not talking about personal emails from people I know or from those who want to invite me to speak to their group or who need to contact me personally for some other reason – I love getting those! I’m talking about all those email lists I (willingly!) signed up for which send me down a rabbit hole of clicking whenever they arrive in my inbox.
I’m immediately drawn to the prospect of a holiday in the sun, a designer handbag at a bargain price or the ‘last’ chance to secure £60 off a spa weekend experience. I can spend a good fifteen minutes drilling down into all the detail and then always decide the offer is not as good as the headline promised.
And I’m addicted to those emails filled with writing opportunities and competitions. There is always the feeling that this could be the one action I need to take to catapult me to stardom. So I read all the entry requirements, debate with myself over the entrance fee and then try to work out whether there is enough time to craft something new before the deadline. After wasting all that energy I either decide against entering or I write it on my ‘To Do’ list and don’t look at the list again until the closing date has passed.
If those offending emails never arrived in my inbox, think how much time I would save and how much more productive I could be!
So I am now in the process of unsubscribing as each time-wasting missive arrives. However, the ‘unsubscribe’ option is always buried somewhere near the bottom of the email and I have to try to scroll past all the enticing stuff to get there. I fear it won’t be a quick job.
Please tell me that I’m not the only one who has this problem?
In other news, my author talk, ‘Richard Osman and Me’, is now up and running. It’s gone down well with the community groups I’ve visited so far and some of them even bought books (which is always good). I talk about the real-life inspiration behind Little Museum of Hope, my roller coaster journey to traditional publication and about writing in general. There’s a photo of me in action at the bottom of this post (courtesy of Conrad Palmer).
And today I received a surprise parcel from my publisher ChocLit – a bright new mug to celebrate the bright new cover on Little Museum of Hope (and, if you’re quick, you might catch the Kindle edition still on offer at 99p).
Finally, if you’re passionate about libraries, here’s a competition for you (and, yes, it came from one of those pesky emails!): The Europe Challenge Writing Competition is an opportunity for fiction and non-fiction writers on the theme of ‘How a Library Changed My Life’. 3,000 words maximum and there are 5 prizes of 500 Euros plus the possibility of travelling to Amsterdam for an event and book launch in September 2024. Closing date is May 20, 2024 (so not long!)
A Birthday Relaunch and 2 Book Competitions
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Books, Competitions, Successes on April 30, 2024
Little Museum of Hope was published in April 2023. To celebrate its first birthday, Joffe Books have given it a fantastic new cover. Don’t you love the little cat staring into that beautiful, positive blue sky? 
I feel like that cat is a metaphor for all of us who are looking for a better future after a difficult time. And that is what Little Museum of Hope is all about: shedding reminders of broken relationships and tough times so that we can find renewed enthusiasm for life.
If you want to dip your toe into the Museum, the Kindle edition is currently only 99p! (I don’t know how long that offer will last).
By the way, that new cover matches very nicely with that of Waiting for a Bright New Future. I’m beginning to feel a bit like a brand!
And talking of books – I have a couple of free book-related competitions for you:
Marlborough LitFest is running its annual Love Books Competition. They want to hear about your favourite book, poem or play in 750 words or less. Explain what you love about your chosen read, highlighting key areas of interest, and why you think others should try it. Entry is free. The winner in each age group receives £300 and the runner-up receives £100. The closing date for entries is Friday 28 June 2024.
My publisher, Joffe Books, is running a competition to celebrate its tenth birthday. Tell them in no more than 50 words your favourite Joffe book of the last ten years. The best entry will win a year’s worth of books (in the form of a £500/$600 Amazon voucher)!
RULES
*The 50 words (well-expressed/heartfelt) can be about any book published by Joffe/Lume/Choc Lit in the last ten years.
*Entries must be a maximum of 50 words. And submitted by email to: readers@joffebooks.com. The email subject should be: “Win a year’s worth of reading” plus your name.
*Entries can be made between 23 April and 31 May.
Happy Reading!
Linktree, Amazon Book Recommendations and a Competition
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Promotion, Resources, Short Story on March 26, 2024
Most writers have a presence on several social media sites as well as an Amazon page, a website and possibly other types of internet presence as well. We want to make ourselves easy to find and contact via whichever channel our readers prefer. However, listing all these links in a profile or biography looks messy, as well as using up valuable characters where there is a length limitation. 
To solve this problem I’ve recently started using Linktree. Linktree provides one link to insert into your bio, profile or social media post. When clicked, the link will take users to a list of all the ways to connect or contact you. To see a working example, click through to my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sallysjenkins7. There are various price points offered by Linktree but the basic version (which I’m using) is free. If you’re fed up of listing your different internet connection points, it might be worth a try? One piece of advice if you do set it up: I found that the second half of the link (sallysjenkins7 in my case) needs to be first part of your email address.
One of the things included in my Linktree is my Amazon Author Page. Amazon now encourage authors to add book recommendations to their page. These recommendations can include your own books and those of other authors. Amazon says, “If you submit at least three or more new book recommendations, we will consider sending your recommendations to your followers through email and/or push notifications.” For an example of what these recommendations look like, click through to my page and scroll down. It’s then possible to scroll across the page to see all my recommendations. I’ve done six, three of mine and three from other authors.
The New Writers 1000-Word Short Story Competition 2024 is open for entries until April 30th 2024. There is a top prize of £1,000, a second prize of £300 and a third prize of £200. The entry fee is £10.00 and £1.00 from each entry goes to First Story (England’s leading creative writing charity for young people). There is a 1,000 word limit and stories can be on any theme. Remember to check the full terms and conditions before entering. Subscribers to the NewWriters.org.uk monthly newsletter gain access to exclusive free-to-enter micro, flash and poetry competitions (with cash prizes), book giveaways and the latest writing competition listings.
Finally, the cat illustrating this post, was spotted on a holiday to Madeira earlier this month. My daughter thinks he looks evil. What do you think?
On the panel . . . with cupcakes!
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Authors, Events, Promotion, public speaking on February 27, 2024
Despite having researched tips for panel events for Public Speaking for Absolute Beginners, I’d never actually taken part in such an event until last Friday night when I was part of a Women’s Fiction Panel. I sat alongside the charismatic Kim Nash and the fabulous Florence Keeling at The Museum of Cannock Chase. 
Kim was a very able chairperson with a wonderful flow of writing-related conversation starters which showed differences and similarities in the way the three of us approach our work.
Florence is a pantster who sallies forth with no definite plan about where the story is going. I plan but mostly veer away from it once the characters start appearing on the page and I realise that what I planned for them won’t work with their personalities.
Kim lights a candle on her desk to signal the switch from working at home in her day job to embarking upon her ‘writing time’. Florence doesn’t have space for a dedicated writing area and so you’ll find her on the settee with the laptop on her knee and a Harry Potter film on TV as background. I work in the smallest bedroom in silence – any music or radio noise is too distracting.
Kim and I write the first draft without reading back and editing what we’ve done the day before. Florence edits each section as she goes.
Florence and Kim both started writing initially as an escape from tough times in their lives. I got addicted after seeing my name and contribution in print on a women’s magazine letters’ page and receiving a cheque in the post for my trouble.
Florence and I have each self-published several books, as well as having novels traditionally published.
A very exciting part of the proceedings were the cupcakes(see above!) Each one sported a little cocktail stick holding one of our book covers – fantastic!
Did I learn anything about panel events?
If you’re worried about your mind going blank when faced with a question (as I was!), ask the chair for a list of possible question areas in advance. I felt more comfortable knowing the subjects that might be covered. This is also gives you chance to think about how you could turn a question around if it’s one you might find awkward.
Remember to talk to the audience. It’s OK to glance at your fellow panelists occasionally but the audience wants to see your face and hear your answer! Without the audience there would be no event.
If the venue is plying you with tea and coffee, don’t drink too much before the event starts – a toilet visit part way through the discussion might be frowned on.
Find out what the arrangements are for selling books. The lovely Press Books and Coffee Shop kindly attended my event to sell copies of all of our traditionally published books. But I only discovered later that I could have taken my self-published books to sell directly as well.
Relax. It’s not the Spanish Inquisition! The rest of the panel are human too and it’s always a lot of fun talking about writing and books with others who are passionate about the subject.
All Change at Jenkins Towers …
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Events, Lifestyle, Non-writing, public speaking on February 6, 2024
There’s been a bit of stuff going on around here lately, which is making my long held vision of becoming a fulltime writer hover on the horizon. This is NOT because I have suddenly hit the New York bestseller lists and the money is pouring in, although as I write, Kindle Direct Publishing for Absolute Beginners has an orange ‘bestseller’ flag in Amazon’s Electronic Publishing category – which may have disappeared by the time you read this.
119419479 © Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime.com
My current situation has arisen because of redundancy from my part-time job in IT and being at very high risk of losing my library position as well (due to council cuts). On top of this, the gearbox in my old car is making clunky noises and will cost more than the car is worth to replace. So, there’s been a lot to think about and not a lot of writing or blogging has been happening.
However, I have not been totally idle. I’ve been preparing an author talk based around the inspiration for Little Museum of Hope. The first outing for the talk is Friday 9th February at Mere Green library in Sutton Coldfield – I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will be well received!
And on the evening of Friday 23rd February I will be taking part in a Women’s Fiction panel at the Museum of Cannock Chase, organised by the lovely Kim Nash. It’s the first time I’ve been involved in a panel event so it will be an interesting experience.
Moving away from my life, I’ve spotted an unusual ‘competition’ for historical fiction writers from Sapere Books. On their website are a selection of outlines for historical fiction series. Choose one of the briefs and write a synopsis and the first three chapters of the first book in the series. As the prize will be a contract for a five-book series, ideas and outlines for the next four books in the series are also welcomed. The competition appears to be open to all writers, published or unpublished but do check all the details. The closing date is 31st May 2024.
Finally, if you enjoy reviewing WWII sagas, take a look at Helen Yendall’s latest book on Netgalley. I think it might tempt you!
Three Free Opportunities for Writers
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Events, Resources on January 16, 2024
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve come across a few free opportunities for writers.
119395801 © Pras Boonwong | Dreamstime.com
Firstly, Indie Novella is offering a nine week online writing course free to successful applicants. It starts on 30th January 2024 and the deadline for applications is 29th January 2024. It is a self-paced course with learning material and writing exercises posted each Tuesday. Participants will have until Sunday night to complete each short assignment and interact with other writers on each exercise. Participants will have access to the learning materials for the entire course and beyond. At the end of each week Indie Novella editors will provide their feedback on a handful of assignments. Applications can be made now via the Indie Novella website.
Secondly, author, Freya North, is running a series of Instagram Live chats with writers on a Wednesday at 1 pm. Seek Freya out on Instagram, where she is @freya_north_author and find out who she’s talking to next.
Thirdly, here is an opportunity for new writers that has been bouncing around social media for the last couple of weeks. The Peoples’ Friend magazine is offering one lucky writer a £10,000 writing bursary! Unfortunately for me, entrants must be amateur, unpublished writers.
To enter, submit a short story of up to 2,000 words in the genre of either romance, thriller or comedy. The closing date is Monday 5th February 2024.
As always, read all the terms and conditions before entering.
Finally (and unfortunately this is not free!), those interested in cracking the short story market might find the short story collection, Hit or Miss?, useful. It contains a range of short stories and invites the reader to play magazine editor and competition judge in order to work out which stories were successful in print or competition and which didn’t quite hit the mark.
To Blog or Not to Blog?
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Non-fiction, public speaking, Resources, Self-publishing on January 2, 2024
To blog or not to blog?
That is the question many are dwelling on at the moment. Some bloggers have given up, some have switched to Substack and some have decided to concentrate on newsletters.
I started this blog in the autumn of 2010 and love the fact that many subscribers have been with me since then (thank you! – and I hope we’ll continue to be virtual friends). I’ve gained a lot from blogging, including discipline (it’s not easy to dream up topics to blog about), contacts (it’s so lovely when people take the time to ‘like’ or comment, especially on a regular basis) and knowledge (from the lovely guest bloggers I’ve hosted and from research I’ve done for my own posts). I hope you’ve all gained something from it too!
For me, the answer to my initial question is: Continue to Blog.
I’ve thought about Substack but don’t know enough about it or how it beats a standard blog. If you’ve got experience – please enlighten me because I never seem to have the time to investigate it fully.
I have a newsletter but, so far, I’ve only used that for significant book or writing news rather than the general information and titbits I put on here. If you’re curious, signup here. Plus casual browsers stumble across this blog in a way that they wouldn’t find back issues of a newsletter.
I don’t want to abandon communicating with writers and readers because it’s taken a long time to capture you all (!) and I think an online presence is important.
So, you’ll find me here for a bit longer.
I’ve just looked back through my WordPress statistics to find out which have been my most popular pages over the last 13 years. Here are the top four:
Icebreakers for Creative Writing Adult Education Classes
The Seven Sisters Series by Lucinda Riley
The statistics for 2023 show that I wrote 31 blog posts and August 15th was the day this site got the most hits, which was also the day I published the post about My First RNA Conference and an Award.
Finally, given this is the start of a brand new year and many of us are setting goals and challenges, here are a few publications that might be useful:
For those dipping a toe in the world of self-publishing – Kindle Direct Publishing for Absolute Beginners and Kobo Writing Life Publishing for Absolute Beginners.
For those wanting to build self-confidence or to promote their books via author talks:
Public Speaking for Absolute Beginners.
Sally Jenkins 