Features – Page 15 – SIMON WHALEY

Understanding Your Contract

19 February, 202113 April, 2016

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 Human. It was a day of mixed emotions. There was uncontainable excitement that I was having a book be published. And then, as I flicked through all 14 pages of the contract, a sense of horror overwhelmed me as I appreciated what was at stake.

Life After Death

19 February, 20217 March, 2016

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 to be a wise move, because one month later he was dead. Reading through his will (a copy of which can be viewed on the National Archives website, http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/museum/additional_image_types.asp?item_id=21&image_id=29&extra_image_type_id=2), he made several interesting bequests. He left thirty pounds to his sister Joan, ten pounds to the poor of Stratford, and to his wife, Anne, he left his second best bed … as any decent writer would.

Productivity Leap

19 February, 202129 February, 2016

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 money whether there are 28 days in February, or 29. For self-employed people, things are a little different. A leap year gives us a whole extra day in which to write something and, hopefully, earn more money. But it doesn’t matter whether you write full time, or in your spare time, this February we have all been allocated an extra 24 hours. So how are you going to make the most of yours?

Business of Writing: Press Trip Protocols

5 February, 2016

BoW - Press Trip Protocols — Press Trip Protocol – published in Writing Magazine – March 2016

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.

New Year, New You, New Pseudonym?

19 February, 202130 November, 2015

Is there a business case for using a pen name? Simon Whaley chats to three writers about the pros and cons of a split writing personality.

My name is Simon Whaley, and that’s the name I write under. Although there was that time when I entered the National Association of Writers’ Groups’ mini-tale competition and I had to use a pseudonym (entries had to be judged anonymously). So, for a couple of hours, I became Milo Swahney. I used an anagram of my real name on that occasion because when I entered the competition the previous year I’d used my porn-star name. Suffice to say that was memorable for the wrong reasons, and I had to come up with something different.

Business of Writing – Christmas Gifts

19 February, 20214 November, 2015

Christmas Gifts - Writing Magazine - December 2015 issue — Christmas Gifts – Writing Magazine – December 2015 issue

What do professional writers get in their Christmas stockings? Simon Whaley unwraps a few ideas from Christmas past to sneak onto your list this year.

BoW – Coping With A Crisis In Confidence

19 February, 20211 October, 2015

Dark nights and negative demons can quash a writer’s confidence. Simon Whaley finds two writers who’ve trained their demons into submission.

(Published in Writing Magazine – November 2015 Issue)

Keeping It Local

19 February, 202118 September, 2015

Simon Whaley explores the benefit of authors getting involved with their local literary festivals …

Keeping It Local was published in the Autumn 2015 issue of The Author, the Journal of the Society of Authors

Keeping it local

Phyllis Blakemore will always remember her appearance at the Wellington Literary Festival’s ‘Meet the Local Author’ event, in 2014. She sold three copies of her book, Gentlemen of the River: The Last Coraclemen of the Severn Gorge, to the same reader who’d bought a signed copy from her at the 2013 local author event. The reader wanted signed copies to give as gifts and, knowing Phyllis was local, had searched specifically for her in the new festival brochure.

The People’s Friend Special – Issue 110

29 April, 20205 August, 2015

Check out Issue 110 of The People’s Friend Special, which not only has one of my short stories in it, but it also has an article about my visit to …

Another Visit to Age UK

29 April, 202019 July, 2015

Pick up a copy of the 18th July 2015 issue of The People’s Friend to see the latest monthly instalment of a year in the life of an Age UK …

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