Securing a non-fiction book contract means having a business plan. Simon Whaley reveals what to put into your next book proposal Do you have an idea for a great non-fiction book and want to secure a traditional publishing deal? Then what you need is a […]
Category: Features
Office Locations
Virginia Woolf famously called for a ‘room of her own’ in which to write. Simon Whaley chats to three wordsmiths about where they work and why. A year ago, the Royal Society for Literature released the results of a survey in which 80% of writers […]
A Pride of Barbers
This week’s issue of The People’s Friend (30th May 2020) contains my article about a fascinating organisation: The Lions Barber Collective. It was set up by barber, Tom Chapman, after the sudden death of a friend through suicide. Tom realised that a barber shop was […]
A Bigger Platform
Should self-published authors go exclusively Amazon, or dip their toes into the wider world of Kobo, Apple and more? Simon Whaley explores the pros and cons. Ask any self-published author which ebook platform they sell their books on, and most will say Amazon. It’s easy […]
You’ve Got Mail
The Business of Writing – You’ve Got Mail What makes a good author email newsletter? Two authors tell Simon Whaley how they keep in regular touch with their readers. Mailing lists. Every author should have one. Why? Because once we have our readers’ email addresses, […]
You Can Bank On It
The Business of Writing – You Can Bank On It Has your writing business come of age? Simon Whaley looks at when to get a business bank account. We all remember our first time. It was 1989, I was 18, and I couldn’t believe what […]
Successful Signings
The February 2020 issue of Writing Magazine is out now, and my Business of Writing column looks at how writers can organise their own booksignings in WHSmiths.
Sustainable Snowdonia
Issue 185 of The People’s Friend Special has just hit the newsstands, and it contains my feature on the Centre for Alternative Technology, near Machynlleth, Wales. It really is one of those places that you have to visit for yourself, to get a greater understanding […]
Tinsel-tastic!
In this week’s bumper, double issue of The People’s Friend, there’s an article about my visit to Europe’s biggest tinsel-making factory: Festive Productions, near Cwmbran, Wales. They’re a fantastic bunch of people there, and we had a laugh as they showed me round the factory. […]
Dazzling Displays
Selfridges are well known for their Christmas window displays (Check out this link for this year’s displays). But how much work goes into creating these displays and when do they start planning and designing them? Well, check out the latest issue of The People’s Friend […]
Wallis’s First Dam
October marks the 40th anniversary of the death of one of this country’s most famous engineers: Barnes Wallis. To commemorate this, I’ve written a piece for the October issue of Best of British magazine looking at one of Wallis’s lesser known escapades in the Welsh […]
Pilgrimage to Plymouth
Simon Whaley enjoys a journey around this delightful Devonshire City. ‘Climb the oak tree,’ says the tourist guide, ‘but think laterally.’ She winks as she hands over a map of Plymouth city to help me explore. I have to admit, it’s been a few […]
Firth of Flowers
Check out the April issue of BBC Countryfile magazine for my Firth of Flowers piece in their Great Days Out section.
Coast … ing Along
Check out my feature in the April 2018 issue of Coast magazine, packed full of ideas of what to do with A Weekend in Plymouth.
Understanding Your ALCS Statement
I love this time of year. March is when we get our free money from the ALCS. Free money? Oh, yes! However, from the many comments I’ve seen on social media, not everyone understands their ALCS statement. Many simply look at how much they’re getting […]
Taxing Transformations
Remember the plans for quarterly tax returns? Simon Whaley finds out what writers need to do now, in preparation. If there’s one piece of writing most of us detest it’s completing our tax return. So when George Osborne announced in November 2015 the Making Tax […]
Top Six Literary Lodgings
Fancy sleeping where your favourite writer lived, worked or holidayed? Simon Whaley suggests six of the UK’s best literary stays.
Agent Attraction
Attracting an agent can be the start of a long business relationship. Simon Whaley flirts with two agents to learn more about the wooing process. At this time of year many literary agents are talking Frankfurt. The Frankfurt Book Fair is one of the biggest […]
Clun & Black Hill
Fancy stepping into Bruce Chatwin’s shoes? Explore Shropshire’s idyllic countryside around Clun, reputedly the inspiration behind Chatwin’s novel ‘On The Black Hill’, in the October 2016 issue of Country Walking magazine. TrailZilla ID: TZID31011
Conquering Challenges
Just like paralympians, writers with disabilities strive to achieve their goals on a daily basis. Simon Whaley chats to two writers about how disability influences their writing business. After the spectacle of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games comes the Paralympic Games, where athletes with […]
Going Ape!
“Is it true monkeys like bananas?” my nephew, Ashley, asks as we watch a gibbon swinging on a rope high above our heads. Thankfully, we have an expert to hand.
Festival Fever
Most of us love a good writing workshop, and for an hour or two we’re in heaven. But why go to one when we could have a whole weekend or even a week of them? Three key writers’ conferences take place between the end of […]
BoW – Social Engagement
Check out the August issue of Writing Magazine for my latest article about social media, and how writers might want to consider using it.
Celtic Quakers
As Celtic Life International correspondent Simon Whaley explains, there was once a whole lotta shakin’ going on in the quaint Scottish community of Comrie. It didn’t matter how hard I tried, nothing moved. I stamped my feet. Nothing. I jumped. Nothing. Thinking I needed more […]
Business of Writing – Time Travel
Writing for print publications means working several months ahead. Simon Whaley explains why writers need their own time-travelling Tardis. Doctor Who might be one of the world’s most famous time travellers, but any writer hoping to see their words printed in a weekly, monthly […]
Foreign Export Markets
Writing Magazine – May 2016 The UK magazine market is vast, but there’s a bigger world out there. Simon Whaley investigates exporting to foreign markets In America, May is World Trade Month when companies are encouraged to export their goods and services to new markets […]
Understanding Your Contract
UNDERSTANDING YOUR AUTHOR CONTRACT Secured a publishing deal? Simon Whaley puts on his business head to assess its implications. On 30th April 2003 I received my first author contract. Hodder & Stoughton wanted to publish my One Hundred Ways For A Dog To Train Its […]
Life After Death
Our Last Will and Testament may not be as interesting as William Shakespeare’s, but Simon Whaley chats to two experts about why every writer needs one. Four hundred years ago, on 25th March 1616, William Shakespeare wrote his last will and testament. This turned out […]
Productivity Leap
With an extra 24 hours this month, Simon Whaley chats to three productive writers about making the most of our writing time. When you’re an employee you get paid at the end of the month. Unfortunately, most employees get paid the same amount of […]
Business of Writing: Press Trip Protocols
Travel writing is not all about sipping cocktails on sun-drenched beaches. Simon Whaley packs his bags to explore the business etiquette of the press trip.