New Cover Design

http://lousybookcovers.com/

You should definitely check out this link...hilarious!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00G9ITU9O#_

This is the URL of Sarah Swainson's book 'To My Last Friend' on Amazon UK.

General Discoveries

Since beginning this blog a matter of a few days ago I'd say I've been able to find out quite a lot about self publishing, mainly through the use of twitter and following shared links posted by others. If nothing else it means all the hours this week I've spent using social media have been worth it, which is saying something...and cleverly I have bookmarked all my sources of information...

Being quite clueless about the whole issue to begin with in my mind I feel I've come quite a long way to understanding how things are...for example just because you have followers on twitter it doesn't necessarily mean you're reaching a potential audience for your future book...

My next immediate stage is proof reading and getting a trusted person to go over the draft. After that comes the challenge of formatting the eBook, but from what I've heard it should be pretty easy.

I'm also considering going to see an author at my local library on Friday...I'm hoping it will prove to be useful for me...

Just writing here as a note to myself after publishing: Find appropriate reviewers online, online blogs. I have a few bookmarked that I might approach...

Synopsis

OK, so the first draft of the short story Sarah has been writing is complete... and so I worked with her to write its synopsis:

'I did not know why I was brought into a world starved of love, but where my love was unwelcome...'

Jordan Waters, a lonely adolescent with an underlying lack of confidence, is reunited with an old school friend several years after they last parted. But whilst once again getting to know Jon, he quickly learns that the person he used to know is not all that he seemed...

This is a compelling and heart-felt short story, told with great empathy and sensitivity.

Find out what happens when illicit relationships are forged and there's no going back...

I actually found coming up with this blurb style synopsis quite difficult given the complex nature of the story telling in the draft...but here is something summing up roughly how the story will begin...

Araminta Hall: Everything and Nothing (Paperback)

Araminta Hall with my bookshelves in the background

Just finished reading this by Araminta Hall in paperback. It's the sort of emotional journey I would associate reading about by the likes of Anita Shreve, Diane Chamberlain or Jodi Picoult, about a family that employs an unsuitable nanny.

Although some elements of the story might be predictable, all scenes in the book were relevant and therefore it engaged my interest to a reasonable extent throughout. The writing style also managed to conjure some interesting imagery. 

The end of the book was actually quite sad, as the nanny meets her arguably undeserved fate...

Overall I would call it an average and enjoyable read.



Sarah Swainson (Near the bus stop)

New Profile photo I took this morning...could be useful later on...