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Category Archives: Publishing Tips

Somewhere, Over the Rainbow

This was originally written for the British Fantasy Society Journal, and is re-posted here with their kind permission. If you’re interested in joining the BFS, or learning more about the society, you can get in touch with them through their website. At every literary convention in the world there is a panel devoted to one variation or another of the eternal question ‘How to Get Published’. An assortment of editors, agents and authors (often new authors who can speak from fresh experience) show up and answer what are – if we’re honest – the usual questions. ‘Do I need an…

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THE RULES OF WRITING a Guest Post by Myke Cole

A drum roll please, as Gollancz is delighted to welcome a guest blogger, debut author Myke Cole, to our blog today! Some of you may have already seen his fantastic piece about the 18 Rules he has learned as a writer . . . but if you’ve not then you are in for a treat. Read on, for some top authorly tips: I want to talk about the rules of writing that I have learned in my first year as a full-timer. I have heard all of the below at one time or another from major profes­sionals in the field…

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On the ninth day of Christmas…

It’s a moment for New Year’s resolutions. Lose weight, stop smoking, make lunch rather than buy it, buy The Big Issue . . . there are so many to choose from and, of course, we tend to pick resolutions that require us to change a habit. But what about resolutions to change our working habits? Well here are five suggested New Year resolutions for aspiring writers . . . and five is only the beginning! If you have a better one, add it to the comments and maybe we can rummage up a prize for the best suggestion! 1) Write…

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Don’t mention Terry Pratchett! Or: How to submit your comic fantasy novel . . .

With this week’s publication of Snuff, it seems a perfect moment to talk about comic fantasy. There are few submissions that I dread more than the ‘brilliant comic fantasy novel’. If I’m honest, it’s a pitch that makes my heart sink when I see it, because the pitch is always the same: ‘This is my hilarious comic fantasy novel. All my friends have read it, and they think I’m as funny as Terry Pratchett’. For most of the comic fantasy submission letters I see, that’s the only thing they tell me about the novel. Some pitches have promised ‘as funny…

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