Newsletter Signup Freebie!

Have you signed up to my occasional newsletter yet? As a thank you, you’ll be sent a link to download a free collection of some of my previously published short …

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Whixall Moss

My 8-mile walk exploring Whixall Moss and Bettisfield is in the April 2026 issue of Country Walking magazine. Here’s a ten-minute overview of the route: (There’s also one of my …

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Ask The Agent – Jodie Hodges

Simon Whaley chats to Jodie Hodges of United Agents about writing for the graphic and comic book market. Jodie Hodges joined the Peter Fraser and Dunlop (PFD) agency in 2006 …

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Write Streaming

One of the many things I enjoy most about being a writer is shutting myself away from the world when I write. But perhaps that’s because there’s nobody to watch …

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Through the Ceiriog Valley

As hotel names go, this one’s a little unusual. Across Church Street, in the Welsh Border town of Chirk, is the Hand Hotel.  Parts of it date back to 1610, …

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Permission Procedures

Every time we put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, our words are automatically protected by copyright. This means that nobody else should use our work without our permission, …

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Ask The Agent – Francesca Riccardi

Simon Whaley chats to Francesca Riccardi at the Kate Nash Literary Agency about High Concept Zeitgeist Crime Thrillers. Francesca Riccardi’s journey into the publishing industry began at the RNIB, transcribing …

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Clever Connections

Although self-published authors can benefit from selling their books internationally, it also creates issues. For example, if I advertise one of my books with an eBook link to the UK …

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Braggers Hill and Coalbrookdale

My six-mile stroll along the River Severn and up to Braggers Hill before exploring Coalbrookdale is in the latest issue of Country Walking magazine!

Beta Feedback

Simon Whaley chats to one author about how beta-readers can lead to better books. Someone once said to me, “Beta readers are an author’s crash-test dummy. They take your book …

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Beautiful Bath

Dear Reader, As any Jane Austen fan knows, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a visitor in possession of some free time is in want of a day out …

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