Archive for category Lifestyle
A First Birthday
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Books, Computers & Technical, Lifestyle, Self-publishing on January 19, 2014
One year ago this week I published my first short story collection, One Day For Me, on Amazon Kindle.
The book has amassed some great reviews on Amazon and Lee Ashford of Readers’ Favorite said, “Sally Jenkins knows how to build a story. She takes the mundane, and makes it intriguing. She hooks the reader, and reels him in. She proves her talent in each of these eight short stories, making this collection one you will be glad you read.”
Since publication lots of things have happened in my life including a health scare (early stage breast cancer – make sure you go for those mammograms, ladies!) and a complete upheaval in my day job (I was transferred from one company to another under TUPE legislation – don’t ask, it’s complicated!).
I’ve also learned a few things during the past twelve months, such as a book of short stories, all written by the same person is a collection. But a book of short stories, all written by different people is an anthology.
Am I the only person who didn’t know that?
I’ve discovered that I’m not much good at book cover design and also that writing stories is much easier than marketing them! But over the last few months Amazon KDP have introduced a couple of features that make both of these difficult tasks a little bit easier:
- Amazon Cover Creator, which I’ve talked about previously here, makes it very easy for anyone to create an eye-catching cover for a Kindle book
- Kindle Countdown Deals which allow authors to discount the price of books for a limited period
So, to celebrate the first birthday of One Day For Me, it will be half-price (99p) from now until Saturday 25th January.
And those of you in the US can buy One Day For Me for only 99c until 12pm (PST) on Wednesday 22nd January and then at $1.99 until Saturday 25th January.
I hope you enjoy it!
What Am I Working On?
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Lifestyle, Self-publishing, Writing on January 6, 2014
The talented Tracy Fells has invited me to be part of a blog chain, linking writers up across the vast, virtual world that is the internet.
Chain link (Photo credit: Matti Mattila)
Tracy writes short stories, flash fiction, the occasional article plus drama for theatre and radio. Her stories have appeared in Take-a-Break Fiction Feast, The People’s Friend, The Yellow Room, The New Writer and Writing Magazine. If you’ve got a minute drop in on her blog – http://tracyfells.blogspot.com/ – it’s full of good ‘writerly’ things.
My task, as a tiny ‘link’ in this vast chain, is to reveal something about what I’m working on now.
I’d like to tell you how I’m deep into a novel which has been painstakingly planned out, has a perfect story arc and is full of characters that are constantly ‘talking’ to me. Unfortunately, this is not the case. When it comes to writing I’m something of a butterfly. I settle on one project for a while and then I decide that my time might be better spent on a different piece of work, so I switch. Or I spot a competition with a wonderful prize and I drop everything to enter it – fully aware that hundreds of others are doing exactly the same thing and I therefore stand little chance of winning.
So, I currently have a few things on the go:
- I’m working on the third story in the Museum of Fractured Lives series. When that’s ready I will be publishing it as an e-book for Kindle and also producing an omnibus edition containing all three of the stories plus a short prologue about how the museum came into existence. So I’m also thinking about book covers, marketing and other stuff that goes along with putting a new book out.
- On the back burner I have the NaNoWriMo manuscript that I completed in November. Before Christmas I polished up the first three chapters, wrote a synopsis and entered it into the Ian Govan Award. Whatever the outcome of the competition (& I’m not holding my breath!) I hope to get round to finishing this novel at some point.
- I also have ideas for a couple of articles which I’m doing preliminary research for, prior to pitching to editors. I won’t tell you what they are in case anyone out there can write them up better (& quicker) than me!
- I’m also toying with entering the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook and Swanwick competitions because I fancy the prizes.
I just wish I could focus on only one thing and then maybe I’d actually get something done!
Back to the blog chain – the following two links in the chain will all post next Monday (13/1/14) about their current writing projects – but why not pop over to their blogs now and see what they’re up to?
- Debbie Young is a keen blogger and also writes short stories, flash fiction, travelogues, memoirs and non-fiction. Samples and links may be found on her author website: www.youngbyname.me. She is also blog editor for the Alliance of Independent Authors (http://www.selfpublishingadvice.org) and blogs about book marketing on her own website, www.otsbp.com. A keen reviewer of indie and self-published books, when she’s not writing, she’s reading and reviewing.
From personal experience I’ve found Debbie the fount of all knowledge when it comes to book marketing.
- Alison Maynard writes contemporary romantic comedies, and is published by Choc Lit. Her debut novel, Much Ado About Sweet Nothing, is inspired by the Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing. I found it a fun, escapist read.
Are Maternity Rights in the UK Fair?
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Lifestyle, Non-writing on July 28, 2013
How many of us dream of giving up the day job and staying at home to write full-time? Most of us, I bet.
But is our passion for the written word the only reason that we want to wave goodbye to regimented hours and the slippery ladder of promotion?
After reading a survey by Quality Solicitors I think there’s more to it than that – especially for women.
The survey focussed on maternity rights. Apparently 42% of women are nervous about telling their boss they’re pregnant and 39% believe that pregnancy is viewed negatively by employers.
I thought discrimination against women of child-bearing age ended years ago!
Back in the 1980s I experienced it as a graduate on the university milk-round when I was asked by one potential employer, “Do you think it’s worth educating women to degree level if they intend leaving work to have children?”
I argued that an educated mother would make sure her children were well-educated too and thus be a benefit to society.
It happened again a few years later when I tried to change jobs as a newly-wed, one company asked, “When do you intend having children?”
“Not for a long time,” I said but I didn’t get the job.
At an interview most of us are happy to ask about the benefits that come with a position, such as the holidays, pension etc. but, according to the Quality Solicitors’ survey, only 15.4% of women ask about maternity benefits at interview – presumably because they are worried about not getting the job if they indicate an interest in having children.
But, it’s not right to heap all the blame for any unfair treatment of pregnant women on employers.
The survey revealed that 10% of the women questioned had accepted a job knowing they were pregnant. Of these women, just under half had the job offer withdrawn or their employment terminated when the employer found out.
Do you think it’s fair to accept a job without indicating that you will require maternity leave just a few months down the line? A large company could probably manage such a prolonged absence but it would place a heavy burden on a small business.
I think a pregnant woman should be open about her condition or start job-hunting after the birth.
There have been huge improvements in maternity rights over the last twenty years plus the introduction of paternity benefits as well. For example, from 2015 parents will be jointly entitled to one year’s parental leave following the birth of a baby and this leave can be split between the mother and father.
Anyone thinking of starting a family can find out exactly what they’re entitled to by clicking here. The full Quality Solicitors’ survey results are here.
So, am I right, are easier domestic and childcare arrangements part of the attraction of being a full-time writer? And have you ever suffered in the workplace for being a woman of child-bearing age?
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