I became aware that I might have a kind of writerly synaesthesia the other day, when I was trying to think of titles for my second novel, and realised that I thought of the book as a cobwebby, sort of a shape, with the main character, who is something of a matriarch, at its centre.

And then I started thinking about it, and the other ideas that I am currently mulling over have the same kind of ghostly structure in my mind.  One novel that I plan to write has always been, very clearly, the shape of one of those circles of plastic divided into wedges that you use to play Trivial Pursuit.  Five rounded triangles with a little core of something different at their centre, joining them all together.  My first novel, Luxury, was more of a series of islands, interconnected, yet warring. 

Sometimes, when I am writing, and trying to get the sense of something that I am struggling to pin down, I find myself with my hands in the air above the keyboard of my computer, forming a shape or a sense of a shape with them, without quite knowing I am doing so. 

Sounds mad, doesn’t it?  Maybe it is.  But I know I’m not the only person who sees the week as having a shape, for instance; and I know some see letters as having colours, or numbers as having smells.  So, I prefer to think of my book shapes not as a sign that I’ve spent too much time by myself, going a bit bonkers, but as a particular kind of synaesthesia.  And, if it works, it works.  Right?

Jessica Ruston

1/Give us a brief biog. of you/your work? And a little about Two Associates?

I started my design career in the Penguin art department. At that time it was on the Kings Road and Peter Mayer had just taken the helm. It was a designer’s paradise within a paradise, sketching ideas on specially printed tracing paper pads the size of an A format paperback (111 x 181). Phoning through copy to the typesetters only to have it miraculously appear on your desk a couple of hours later. I was lucky to work for two very different art directors, one of whom wore a spotted bowtie. They both taught me rules that I still apply to this day.

After 4 years of this bliss I left to start a design company called the Senate with another Penguin, Stuart Brill. We had no idea how to run a business but amazingly people gave us work. With a combination of learning from mistakes and very long hours we managed to work on some pretty high profile projects for corporates, the music business and publishing. After 14 years of this we started to get the hang of running a business, then crashed and split up.

I then started Two Associates, this is our sixth year of trading. As Ira Glass says you have to have a volume of work behind you in order to understand how it hangs together (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hidvElQ0xE). We are a seven person team, each with our own skills so I think it works well and I don’t dread Monday mornings.

2/What are you working on at the moment?

We have quite a few different projects on the board at the moment, a launch identity for a new piece of audio equipment which has to be heard to believed. We also have various publishing projects, large and small, I also have an ongoing consultancy with Ebury Press for whom I have worked for many years.

3/How has digitalization influenced covers in your view?

I could rattle on about this for hours. It’s all about the time it takes to build a finished piece. When I first started out the craft was in drawing and making, it’s still the same ethic but it’s now contained in the software. I still scribble out ideas first, finding it faster but once the route map is made, I’ll find the detail in the mac. Hopefully the ’scribble first ,then mac’ process stops my stuff from becoming too digital. Have a look at (http://prezi.com/) an all swirling media presentation tool, fabulous gizmo but without the surprise that a designer can bring, the samples all look a tad similar.

I embrace eReaders, I have a Sony and use it but it is rather clunky and the Kindle looks like it should be sold in Homebase so for me the iPad will change everything, it will enable good contributive design to emerge for the eBook.

4/What cover do you wish you had designed?

Anything that John Gorhamtouched but really so many beauties and so little space to list (see: http://johnsonbanks.co.uk/thoughtfortheweek/index.php?thoughtid=392) 

5/What are the components of a great cover?

Surprise, well spaced type and good colourways.

6/You work on the ‘inside’ of a book as well – what makes a great text design?

Understanding the voice and sensibility of the author’s intent, it’s a honed jazz trio, author on piano, publisher on drums and the designer colouring in on bass. You hum it and I’ll follow. Also a good knowledge of type could prove useful.

7/Are there trends in covers? If so, what trends are you seeing at the moment?

Hand drawn type, there are even books about books with hand drawn typography, can a trend improve with age? there are some howlers out there.

David  Eldridge Two Associates

www.twoassociates.co.uk

Fresh from giving her Fiction Masterclass on How to Get an Agent, Kirsty Mclachlan offers these great tips for synopsis writing:

A synopsis is not a retelling of your book – it’s a stand-alone tool – and will help the agent to decide if they want to see more of your book.

The chapters is the sample of your writing – but the synopsis is the outline of your narrative. A good list of questions to ask yourself when
writing a synopsis is:

1. What is the story about?
2. Who are the main characters?
3. What do these characters want?
4. Why do they want it?
5. What stands in their way of getting it?
6. What is the theme of the novel?
7. What is the novel about?
8. What is their journey?
9. What happens to them in the end

Don’t leave any cliff-hangers – you must include the whole story.

Read your synopsis aloud so you get a sense of how the words flow.

It must make sense – I read a synopsis that I just couldn’t understand and I had to ask the writer to explain – when an agent’s time is short, you don’t want this happening.

Synopsis are told in the present tense.

Some further helpful tips when writing a synopsis are:

• trim it down by taking out all adjectives and adverbs, unless really vital
• don’t include secondary characters or plots
• find someone who has a good ear to talk through the synopsis with and in trying to make them understand the story, you will hit all the right points
• take a look at the backs of other books, TV listings and film blurbs.  They all manage to refine a story right down to the bare skeletons.

Covers we love

Last week, Jacq and I, ventured down to Richmond to visit David Eldridge, of Two Associates, one of the best book designers in the UK. He has designed books for all the major publishers – and their bestselling writers – and also designs books for small presses and self published authors. His inspiration and intuitive way of working, are second to none and as I had a nosey in his office, I wanted to share a few thoughts about book covers.

For every writer – and agent – a book cover is incredibly important but I feel that book covers in this digital age are now more vital than ever. Book sales happen for a number of reasons – firstly, the reader knows and loves the writer, they buy the book whatever the cover, secondly, the reader sees PR, say a tube ad, or is advised to buy the book and is directed to the book, again the cover is of less importance, thirdly, the reader stumbles across the book on Amazon or in a bookshop – the book cover suddenly becomes part of the selling package – it is a marketing tool for this reader. Many a time, I’ve picked up a book because of the cover – I am that shallow – I do buy a book because of its cover. I want a book – in a bookshop – to call over to me – well yell actually and tell me to pick it up. Covers do that. Bad covers don’t.

With digitalization, comes a dumbing down of covers – publishers have less time and money to put towards cover design and at DGA, we are constantly having to fight the publisher to ensure that the writer gets a good cover for their book. Perhaps, publishers feel that covers are no longer important – books are sold in different ways now – bookshops are closing and there is no longer that need for books to be so ‘touchy feely’. I would disagree, when readers buy printed books – as opposed to downloads and ebooks – they really do want a special experience.  The design of a printed book will become more important, there will be limited editions of specially bound books – if people buy less printed books, the ones they buy should be extraordinary, rather than bland.  The average person looks at a cover for 10 seconds – 10 seconds to make an impact then. Even if the book is sold online or as an ebook, the cover is vital as part of the selling package – an ebook is intangible, so the cover needs to make a statement, and quickly.

There has been a lot of talk about self publishing, new models of publishing and small presses – many writers are feeling positive about taking the reins and having more control. But that doesn’t mean less attention to the book design. Many self published books or books published by small presses have failed to gain attention in the past, because the book design has failed to shine. Those writers who choose to go that route need to buy in the experts to design their cover and to ensure that their books can happily sit on the shelf with trade published books.

Book covers tell stories, they dig themselves into genres and they serve as a marketing tool. If you are writing chick lit, your cover needs to tell that to your audience. If your book is a thriller, then your cover needs to let the reader know that the writing is in that genre before they even open the pages. Again, literary novels have their own ‘type’ of cover. Publishers acknowledge these points but are often lazy in producing a different cover, a cover that successfully makes the book stand out.  You don’t want a clone for a book – just one that nods to the right place in the bookshop. Traditionally, in a book contract, authors are given right of consultation but time and again, we’ve found at DGA, this has resulted in little more than the publisher showing the cover to the author – after it has been shown to the sales team and the bookseller – and saying this is the one we are going with. We are going to fight for right of approval in contracts – it’s a way of ensuring that the cover that goes on the writer’s book is considered and imaginative.

Too often, a publisher will get a number of designs, choose one and show it to their sales teams and booksellers – it is only at that point that the author is shown the cover. If they don’t like it, then tough, it’s already passed the test of the sales teams – the publisher might jiggle it a bit but ultimately, they hold fast and won’t change the design completely. Often this leads to a diluted cover – and has less impact. What the publisher will refuse to do is to go back to the drawing board and start again. Time is short and they don’t place enough importance on covers to try to please the author and agent, and their sales teams. But remember, the sales teams often haven’t read the book – they have a blurb and that’s it – so the author might argue that the cover doesn’t fit the book (we’ve had occasions when the location is completely wrong – beaches when beaches don’t even appear in the book) but as the sales teams don’t know the book, there is no comeback. Of course, there are exceptions to this, and some publishers are working hard to make their covers stand out – and I think this applies more to independents than to the bigger publishing houses.

The internet has not diminished the importance of book covers, for me, it has only increased it. The sooner all publishers realise this, the better. The reader is a discerning person – if a cover is great, the book will be picked up. Time is short and those split seconds when your book is shouting for the reader’s attention are crucial. Books should always be a thing of beauty and even a short ebook, deserves a wonderful book cover.

Last night we had the final masterclass in the 4-week series from Literary Agent and co-founder of London Writers’ Club, Kirsty McLachlan.

Described by one participant as a ‘brilliant speaker’ Kirsty gave the lowdown on how to capture the eye and the commitment of an agent.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the London Writers’ Club Fiction Masterclass.

The teleconferenced lessons set out all everything you need to do to make your writing really work.
The advice from our publishing professional gave a real insight into how the publishing industry works today and some excellent questions from
the participants, further illuminated the writing process.

If you participated in the masterclass please leave your comments here on the blog.
Share with us all:  what you are writing, what stage you are with your writing and what your next writing goal is.

And also tell us how you found the course. And come along to the London Writers’ Club to meet us and the other writers who attend and to hear our
wonderful expert guest speakers.

Good luck with your novel.

Jacqueline Burns and Kirsty MacLachlan
Founders, London Writers’ Club

More Help for Writers:

If you missed out on this series, we will run a new masterclass starting on April 19 and running for 4 weeks.

If you need further help, perhaps try out a telephone or in-person session with one of our experts
to discuss your writing.

We also offer manuscript and pitch appraisal - we will assess your pitch letter and synopsis or even
some of your manuscript if you would like us to.

Yesterday evening, author and co-founder of Queen Bee Press, spoke to LWC. She was inspiring and informative and gave our members lots to think about.

Miranda’s background was as an editor of nonfiction, a magazine publisher and also a publisher at 21 Publishing (a publisher of art books, co-founded by David Bowie). But following a local writing course, she decided to begin to write novels and her first book was called Masterpiece – about the Brit Art scene. It was sold to Transworld and translated into 12 languages. Her next book was Soulmate – family life about bringing up twins and her most recent book is Meanwhile Street.

When Miranda moved from London, she started up a writing group and they named themselves, The Contemporary Women Writers Club – made up of journalists, published writers and also first time writers. They would meet every three weeks, around Miranda’s kitchen table and used the internet as a documentation tool to share their work before meeting so they were able to criticism each other’s writings – constructively, of course!

Each meeting would have the same format:

*10 mins criticism of each of the writers’ work

* theory of the next writing exercise and then putting it into practice with some writing

* discuss what to do next

The structure meant that they were able to move their writing forward and to use the criticism to shape their writing. One important thing that came out of their meetings was the ability to hear their own voices more clearly through seeing the differences in each others’ writing.

A few tips if you are considering collaborative writing or a writing group:

* don’t use the time as therapy

* prioritise your writing time – don’t meet in the evening unless there is a strict alcohol ban

* criticism can be tough so learn how to give it – and take it – constructively

* take the personal out of the situation – try and always concentrate on the writing

* tensions might arise – talk through them and work them out.

From the ‘kitchen table’ meetings came the idea for a short story collection (to be entitled Leap Year). Each writer wrote two short stories – based on a transformational moment. Each would write about a different month and set the story in a different country. The group then made the decision to self publish – they used Grosvenor House Publishing – this meant their book would be listed on all book buying sites (Amazon etc) and would be available everywhere.

Publicity is vital if you decide to self publish – but by writing and publishing as a group – this means you have more hands on deck (and hopefully more contacts). The publicity was huge for Leap Year – partly because of their existing contacts, but also due to their passion and enthusiasm for the book. The local support was huge in Oxfordshire – just two examples, they gave 20 books to Oxfam and gave a reading there and this generated lots of local press, and they also have been speaking to reading groups which have really supported them. Leap Year hit no.4 on Amazon’s short story bestselling list – a great achievement.

So what is the future for Queen Bee Press?

• they are currently writing their second collection of stories – to be published later this year.
• they are sharing their model for collaborative writing and publishing with others and hope to have an imprint which enables them to publish other collections by groups.
• Miranda is also planning to publish her own novella with the Press.

If you’d like to buy a copy of Leap Year – please click here – it’s a great read and is a wonderful example of what collaborative writing (and great self publishing) can achieve.

Miranda will be writing our first guest blog – so watch this space. She is a thoroughly modern writer – combining all that is good from self publishing and trade publishing – and coming out the other side with a positive beam on her face.

There is a ‘tick list’ that all writers should know by now – write the first draft, write a killer proposal and a great query letter and send it out to a dozen agents. In theory this results in at least one agent offering you representation but unless you are extremely lucky, the reality is very different.

Without being too woo-woo, writers need to learn how to mentally prepare themselves for the knock-backs and ‘no’s’. It’s inevitable that even the best writers will face a few rejections.

Stephenie Meyer sent 15 query letters about her teenage-vampire saga. She got nearly 10 rejection letters; one even arrived after she signed with an agent and received a three-book deal from Little, Brown. Harry Potter was submitted to 12 publishers (by an agent), all of whom rejected it. A year later, Bloomsbury published it in the U.K. Kathryn Stockett’s The Help sold more than a million hardcover copies. It was rejected by nearly 50 literary agents.  These are all bestsellers – all bestsellers which have been rejected more than once, more than 10 times.

Getting an agent or publisher is a bit like the dating game – it’s all about timing and being in the right place at the right time – like dating, you wouldn’t want to go out with everyone you meet, and in publishing, not every publisher or agent will suit your book (or you).

You need to start seeing rejections simply as bad matches for your writing (and you) rather than failures of your writing. If you do, you will start to learn from the responses and treat them as a constructive criticism.  I’m an agent in my day job and I have a very small stable of writers so I have to politely say ‘no’ to a lot of writers. If they ask, I always tell them why I’ve said ‘no’ and if they ask for advice, I will always give it to them. I will also give them a few names to go to. So they turn a rejection around and the silver lining becomes a clutch of names, some advice and some constructive criticism – which can be taken or freely ignored at their will.

Have you ever thought to thank an agent for their time when they reject your work – they’ve read your book – taken time out of their daily work to read your book (this can take four/five hours) and then taken the time to write to you. Thank them and ask them for some advice – some recommendations then next time you go to an agent you will be able to say, Big Cheese Agent told me to send my work to you – tah-dah! Instant steps up the ladder on the priority list.

Submitting your work to agents is a bit like the initiation process in publishing – it will be the first time you’ve had to take a big breath and show your book to the outside world.  Many writers will fall at this first hurdle – they will get five or so rejections and then put their book away into the bottom drawer. I wish I could give them all a big Angel-Prod at this point and tell them its just a few ‘no’s’ – get your big boots on and get out there again. Those rejections might have saved you from being represented by an agent with too many clients, an agent who wouldn’t have had enough time for you, an agent who wouldn’t have felt as passionately about your work, as you do, an agent who just wouldn’t have championed your writing as they should have done…..I could go on but you get the point. Some agents just won’t be right for you and your work.

Sometimes, you have to listen hard to what is written between the lines of rejection letters – the words ‘this isn’t working’ is different to ‘this doesn’t work for me’. There are times when you have to consider whether or not you should continue submitting your work – this is down to you to decide but it may be that your first work should be put in that bottom drawer and you should begin writing the next one. Sometimes, writers should use the first book to learn the craft of writing and then it’s only when they complete the second book that they have produced a publishable work.  It’s a tough call and if you are unsure, get some advice on this.

I meet a lot of writers through the London Writers’ Club and via the agency who have all been really good writers but just not right for me. If I don’t hand on heart really love someone’s work, I can’t sell it. I’m a seller and a dealer but only in things that I love. Many unpublished writers believe that their work should appeal to everyone – all agents, all readers – but they need to realise this is just not the case.  Every writer has an audience and it’s a specific audience so it’s very likely that it will take some time – and patience – for your book to reach the right agent.

I once found one of my rejection letters online – frightening especially as I’d written it over ten years ago – but why the author had kept the letter, I’m not sure. Read the letters and then file them away somewhere dark. Do not keep returning to them. Take whatever gems you can from them and then move on. The next submission might just turn into a happy ending.

1/Please give us a brief description of your job?

I sit in a room and publish things.

2/How did The Friday Project begin?

Before my time. Two cool people thought it might be neat to turn web content into books.

3/What are you working on at the moment?

About to announce a publishing industry first. Very exciting and top secret.

4/What inspires you in a writer?

I look for storytellers rather than show offs.

5/What could writers do to win you over?

Include cake with submissions.

6/What top tip would you give to an unpublished writer?

Choose a book by your favourite writer and then type out a few chapters. You’ll learn lots.

7/What writer would you like to have round for tea?

Julianne Moore. Has she written anything? I don’t care.

8/How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next five years?

Almost beyond recognition. But no jet packs.

9/What’s the future of The Friday Project?

Watch this space.

10/What one book would you have liked to have published?

Pinball 1973 by Haruki Murakami. But there’s still time.

Writing groups are springing up all the time – these are creative groups of writers who meet regularly and share their work with each other. They offer constructive criticism and can be a great way of moving a writer’s work forward.

Or you can consider joining a writing community – LWC was set up to provide writers with a mutual space to network, share experiences and inspiration and to give writers face-to-face access the experts or gatekeepers of the publishing industry.

Another way of joining forces is through direct collaboration – whereby writers actually write a book together. This can be harder as it’s tough to make sure you get the mix right but if works, it can be a great way of brainstorming pieces. Scriptwriters often write together and it can sometimes speed the process up.

LWC Live in February is with the writer, Miranda Glover. Her recent project, Leap Year, was a collaboration with five other writers who together form The Contemporary Women Writers’ Club.

Leap Year is an anthology which ‘charts transformational moments in 12 women’s lives over the consecutive months of a year. Each story is set in a different country and considers a particular life stage. The ‘leaps’ in the book are sometimes physical or emotional and always psychological. Common themes recur: self-recognition, re-evaluation and reinvention.’ Leap Year was written – and discussed at length – around kitchen tables. The writers would meet once a month and go through their stories over cups of tea.

If you enjoy multi-tasking, and enjoy writing different things at the same time – then collaboration with one other person could work. Some writers work on their own pieces for half the day and then brainstorm and write with another author. NB you can do this virtually as well, via the web – remember to check out the different ways of storing documents on the web that can be accessed by each writer.

So what can you do to ensure collaboration with one or more writers really works?

Pick your collaborators well – don’t pick your mates (unless they are great writers). Think about if the other writer will have integrity as well as ability. Will they be honest and give you clear, unbiased feedback on your writing? But you must like your collaborators – it must be a fun process.

If you are planning on actually writing together and want to sell what you write, decide upon how the money will be divided up – if possible jot down a quick agreement – so if it sells, the income will be split say 50/50.

Think about the credit as well – will your names be credited together? Some writers have used a synonym when they write together.

Be flexible and open to suggestions. Easier said than done but use your writing mates’ comments and take on board any useful advice. 

Sometimes, writers collaborate as each have a different strength – some may be good at dialogue, others on the narrative etc. and with non-fiction you may have different expertise that could join forces in one book. Discuss your strengths before hand and read samples of each others’ work so you are prepared.

A great benefit of writing together is that the number of collaborators amplifies the amount of word of mouth and publicity ie so if 10 people each write a chapter that’s 10 people promoting the book. Can’t be bad.

Writing together can be great fun, inspiring and in the case of The Contemporary Women Writers’ Club can really succeed. Above all, it’s the talking about your writing, exploring different directions and avoiding the loneliness of a writer’s life, which seems to bring writers together.

All together now

1. You’ll make more money per copy – a traditional publisher will offer an advance against future earnings but those advances are decreasing sometimes by up to 50%. The royalty income on a £10 book from a publisher is approx 50-70p per copy sold. If you self publish you can make as much as 6 to 7 pounds per copy sold. NB Publishers are offering between 15%-25% royalties for ebooks – sell on your own site and you get 100% of any income after any cover design costs.

2. Ownership - You will own the rights to your book absolutely. You can spin off the content of your book into many further products. If you are canny this means more money. For example, you could sell the ebook version from your site, and translation and US book rights can be sold on to other publishers.

3. Greater control - You will control all aspects of the publishing process - from the cover to the publication date; all decisions will be made by you. Time and again, authors get into disputes with publishers about the way a book is published especially concerning covers – if you self publish; you take control of the publishing process completely.

4. Shine in your niche - Instead of being rejected by publishers for being too specialised, you turn this into a strength and hit your target market head on. This is vital for non-fiction writers but we are finding more and more fiction writers who are making the decision to self-publish or go with a small, independent publisher.

5. Use it as a launch pad – If you self publish your book successfully and the sales are good but you have exhausted your immediate database and means of selling, you might want to consider approaching a traditional publisher. The author of Imagine This, Sade Adeniran self-published her first novel before she managed to secure both an agent and a traditional publisher.  

6. Speed is of the essence – traditional publishers have a timeframe of anywhere between 18 months and two years from delivery of manuscript to publication, depending on the available slots, with self publishing, your book could be ready for selling within a month or two of your final edited manuscript.

7. Blow your own trumpet – with the growth of social networking, it’s become far easier to be in touch directly with your audience. Twitter, facebook and the use of author websites, means that the big boys of publishing can be cut out of the equation if needs be. Time to stand up and shout a bit.