The launch of my first book was to celebrate my achievement, after so many years of wanting to be a published author, it had finally happened. But before you rush in to hosting (and paying for a big event) know why you are thinking of holding a launch for your book.
Knowing why you are having a launch will make it much easier to manage the organisation and stress that goes into a successful event. Because make no mistake about it, it is hard work. From choosing a venue, guest list, the books to sell, practising what you are going to say and all of the other hundred or so details that are all down to you.
So, by the time my first book launch happened I was a bundle of excited nerves. And had to have my hair and nails done partly to keep myself going until the evening! Other than beautification I spent the day putting berries into champagne flutes, and make sure that the raspberry mojito mocktails were chilled and ready to flow. Triple checking gift bags, and answering phone call after phone call about the time, address, parking situation, and everything else. Yes, I did give all those details out - in writing, but it did not stop people asking me rather than looking it up.
My intuition had led me to make a great choice in my venue, one of our local independent books (Jo's Bookshop Station Road, Chingford, London). And both Jo and Pam were enthusiastic and welcoming throughout the process, giving me support in areas that I might otherwise have forgotten, and being fun hosts on the night. I will always be thankful that they were such an important part of this experience for me.
My guests on the evening were from my ideal reader demographic, and it was fabulous to see everyone who came along, I revelled in what was possibly the most surreal experience of my life to that point, which is really saying something - being surrounded by people taking photographs of me with their phones was something that I hadn't expected!
If you are considering have a launch then there is a masterclass for you to consider, and this includes a twelve week to do list that covers every aspect of launching. Created for you because it is what I wish someone had been able to give me.
There are various ways that professional authors get their books finished, and whatever the genre my tips work. Follow the steps to create the book.
Whether you are at the ideas scribbled in a notepad stage, you have started drafting out the story. You have been stuck editing chapter one for what seems like forever, or you have got as far as the end of your first draft.
There are several steps to get you publisher ready, and if you don't know what they are it is an uphill struggle. But you are not alone, and I am happy to share my tips to help you get from where you are to where you want to be.
I use the same checklist that I am about to share with you for each and every book.
If you receive your checklist and find that you are feeling overwhelmed - don’t panic! it doesn’t all have to be done today. Becoming and author is a marathon and not a sprint.
Having a successful author business is like any other - it’s about educating yourself and working at it. Make sure you keep on writing because without that what else is there?
If you want to know how to market a book then you need to know about author websites. There are tons of myths around websites, from they have to be designed by a professional, that they cost thousands of pounds to get looking great, that they just sit online and do not do anything, that authors do not need one so are really a waste of money.
Well, they don't need to be, they can actually be free which is how I started out, until five books in, and after the creation of the Make Your Book A Reality Masterclass Membership, and then it did need some bells and whistles.
And although it's true that if you don't look after the content on your website it will be less than helpful, you will not let that happen now will you?
The point of an author website is to give you a place to have all your information and content in one area that belongs to you, unlike your social media profiles and contacts.
It enables you to build your contact list through subscribers.
So now you know they WHY, you might like to hear the HOW, and if you do pop over to If this article has made you think or raised some questions for you, or you would like some book marketing advice then get in touch.
Here is another way to market your book for free, mailing lists. I have used mailing lists in every business I have ever worked with. And they work just as well - if not better for an author business. People refer to a mailing, email or contact list, but they are all the same thing, whatever you call it what we mean by this is a list of people. They will have agreed to give you their email address, because they are happy for you to contact them via email, for the purpose of giving them information about what you are doing and your books.
Firstly, why would an author need such a thing? especially if they are active across social media platforms? there are loads of great reasons why you need a list, but here are the two most fabulous ones, because you don't, you won’t ever, own your social media profiles, or the connections and contacts that you make through them.
You could turn on your device one day, find things have changed, or you have lost your account and all your contacts will have disappeared. This does happen, that's why it is the first and best reason to create a mailing list.
Secondly, collecting emails from people ensure they want to hear from you, about what you are doing, They have chosen to hear from you, and unless they unsubscribe, or you delete them for some reason you cannot lose them.
To find out how authors build and use their mailing lists click
There are a variety of platforms that you can use for free to set up your list. I personally use Mailerlite, because it is so easy to use, and set up sequence (more about that in my next article) but there are others to choose from if you prefer.
This is my affiliate link feel free to find Mailerlite through your search engine if you would rather not use it
I often write about writers block, ahh the irony, this is one of the most asked about parts of the writing process.
How to avoid writers block, how to develop great writing habits, how to be free from the stress of writers block. Luckily I have some answers! and I am happy to share my experience with you in this LIVE event.
Whether you have been writing for years, or have just started writing seriously I have some techniques that work.
This event is suitable for writers of any age, of any experience whether published or not.
This amazing one hour session will get you on the road to writing happiness - invest in your creativity
You might not think it, but book cover design can be quite controversial, pop into any online writer's forum and there will be a discussion on people’s differing opinions on what makes a good cover.
“Definitely option 1”, “can you do a combination of option 2 and option 3?”, “option 3 without the red lines” etc.
As every new book cover is a different challenge as fashions do change in book covers as well as everything else.
How To Design A Great Cover talks you through what your cover needs to convey, what will appeal to your ideal reader, and how to stand out in an overcrowded market. You’ll also learn how to get reliable focus group and beta reader feedback, and what the benefits of handing cover design over to a professional are.
How do I know this stuff? Because of the big mistake I made on my first cover, excitement and impatience got to me once Down with Frogs was ready to go. So, much so that it didn’t seem a big deal to skip the focus group part of the process. BIG mistake, I ended up with a basic cover that appealed to no-one (not even me!). It said nothing about the modern, quirkiness of the stories within, and if anything, it put prospective readers off – which is not a good look.
When it started to feel embarrassing to show people the book, I knew a change was needed. So, one designer, one focus group, one set of feedback later we arrived at the cover Down with Frogs has now. I love it, I feel proud that this is my book - and I want you to have that same feeling when you get to hold your book in your hand.
For my second book I had two covers designed around it's themes and ran a Facebook poll for the one most loved. However, because of the pandemic there was a delay in going to print, and the publisher suggested an update was needed. It was a bit of a blow after living with the cover that I thought we were using for eight months. The designer’s suggestions went to the focus group made up of my ideal readers, their comments and feedback eased my concerns. I was able to go back to the publisher, give them constructive feedback, and get the (small) changes made, in line with the constructive criticism of the people most likely to buy my book, enjoy it, recommend it, and buy a copy for their friends.
Just another lesson in the author journey, and one that reminds me why cover design needs a masterclass all of its own.
Do not be scared - editing is your best friend, yes really - I have lost count of the number of times I have seen people on writers forum ask “Do I really need a professional editor?”, “Can anyone recommend a good editor?” “Can my friend be my editor?” “How much does an editor cost?”
And this is usually followed by twenty something posts of people saying, “I’ll do it”, “I charge $5” and a barrage of their links etc. This is of no help whatsoever and should not be taken as any sort of recommendation. No offence but who are these people? How do you know the quality of their work? Their reliability? Or even if they are a story thief? If you are a newbie it is easy to be caught out.
Writing your manuscript and working through the process to turn it into a successful book, can be quite stressful enough, without worrying about whether people can be trusted with your work.
My best piece of advice if you want to get a finished manuscript, and you really need to listen to it. Is do not start editing until you have got the whole story as you have it down on paper.
I mean it, and here is why; if you finish chapter one and edit that, redraft it, edit again until you get it just right the chances are you won’t make it passed chapter three. You must get the whole story down on paper (or screen).
Once it’s all written down give yourself a couple of weeks to learn about the five types of editing and editor there are, and then you will be ready to ask the right questions to find the right editor for you.
To learn more about the what, why and how of the editing process
And just in case you go it alone I only ever recommend that you use suppliers and services recommended by The Alliance of Independent Authors, as these have been, and are frequently checked for quality and reliability.
This is my ALLi affiliate link in case you love what they do soi much that you want to join. And if you do a few pounds will help me continue my writing life. If affiliate links are not your thing, feel free to use your search engine of choice to find them.
If you have been beavering away writing and are thinking how to publish, or getting help to publish a book, this is for you!
There are huge differences between Traditional, Self and Hybrid (often known previously as Vanity) publishing. From the process to be being accepted, the rights you sign over in the contract, the royalties you can expect; and the decisions you will get to make for your book.
Don't try to run before you can walk, writing and the process of getting your book 'out there' is a marathon, not a sprint. Rushing leads to sometimes very costly mistakes.
Learn about and consider which publishing route is right for the book you are writing now, because later books might suit a different kind of publishing, and that is ok.
Traditional publishing, this is what a lot of people think of when they talk about publishing. There is still some snobbishness that this is the best route. If you write in a sub genre, or do not want to sign over your rights, then it probably isn't.
Self-publishing, also called independent publishing lets you decide just about everything. Royalties can be significantly more, but that’s because it is a lot more work! average self-published author sells 250 books a year (and only 1000 in a books entire lifetime) and earns £800 a year. No-one is getting rich quick here, and I throw a big pinch of salt at anyone who jumps up and says they have with a first or second book.
Hybrid companies make money from their authors, not from selling books. If you know this and are ok with a bill that ranges from three to ten thousand pounds for getting that one book out, well ok then. My rule has been, and will always be, do not pay to publish!
If you would like to learn a lot more about each kind of publisher, to help you make a good decision there is masterclass for you.
For International Artists day I wanted to share my chat with someone I personally think is a super talented artist and cartoonist, and who (I think) will inspire all aspiring arty peeps, and anyone who wants to undertake creative endeavour.
Here, we go then, I give you... Richard Kemp...
“Like all kids I drew, but unlike most kids I didn't stop! I know that Eden has mentioned the 10,000 hours of work to master a discipline theory before; and I don't know if this is true, but in my case by the time I got to secondary school I was the bloke who could draw - which was great in retrospect, as even the ‘hard’ boys were impressed and decided not to beat me up - perhaps fearing I'd get revenge through caricatures of them.
But then a strange thing happened when I was sixteen, I was at my older sister’s leafing through a coffee table book of Art masterpieces when I came across one of Monet's poppy field paintings. I had an epiphany, suddenly it felt like I was actually in the painting. And I suddenly saw that Art could be a whole lot more than making people laugh; that it could transport you into a whole other world, just as music or stories so obviously can.
My Dad wanted me to be a civil servant, he was a civil servant and told me that come sixty I'd be laughing; with a full guaranteed government pension. Now I am sixty I see that he had a point! but a three month stint in the department of Health and Social security filing death grants made me realise my soul was screaming with a resounding No! No! No!
I was able to ignore the pressure from my Dad because of my loving, wise, practical Mum, from when I was sixteen my Mum would bring home Art books from the local library. She would sit and pose for me before work of a morning, so that I could draw her, and although she never pushed me, she certainly nudged me down the slope she saw me teetering on.
At nineteen I was in my first year of a fine art course, and until that time had mostly still been trying to make my mates laugh, but at the same moment I became an artist, rather than simply aspiring to be one, my second sister Sheelagh died very suddenly. She had been such an important part of my life, there were simply no words to describe my loss. And overnight everything changed, painting truly saved my life. Everything got channelled into painting - and I started for the first time making what people call abstract painting - but it wasn't abstract to me.
All creative practice requires process. When you are in the work one thing leads to another; even whilst working on a piece there is a part of your brain going: What if? Your next work is already underway - there is an easy progression, and hopefully development. But if you've stopped! It is like getting a factory up and running again after a close down. It takes a huge effort of will and a leap of faith. It's not till you're back into it that you remember what the hell you're all about. When I'm painting I try to escape from habit - escape my own handwriting - and give CHANCE a shot at determining where things end up. Chance - or luck - are very important to me.
To try and invoke chance I use processes that themselves came about largely by chance. Something unexpected happens during the making of a painting and I think: hold on - that's got possibilities. Then I try to go with it for a while, develop it and see what's possible. Like all Romantics what I'm after are miracles, but like all Romantics this requires the sublimation of ego and a commensurate need for external forces to come into play. For Wordsworth this was nature (especially daffodils), for me it's lady luck, I'd like to say my inspiration was life and nature but in truth it is chiefly other artists. I teeter on the shoulder of giants. And whilst it's impossible for any artist to sidestep ego (it's a prerequisite for getting out of bed) It's fun to try.. It is fun when you indirectly create something beautiful or interesting but no fun at all when the result is ugly and dull, and I throw a lot of work away.
I change my mind regularly about what my paintings are about, but most recently I have decided to describe them as fictions. Painting is a language in just the same way literature or music are. It has its own unique syntax and vernacular. Just as it would be impossible to accurately describe a musical or linguistic concept in paint, it is impossible to accurately describe a visual concept in words. No one would ever have demanded that Charlotte Bronte do a charcoal sketch of what Jane Eyre was all about.
However, given that I have never accepted the term 'abstract' I will plump for 'fiction' and let people make of that what they will.
As far as titles go, they arise during the process, too. Sometimes they're important to me, sometimes arbitrary. These 3 are all quite specific. ‘Tell it like it isn't’ is pretty much a manifesto statement. Whilst painting that one I knew I wanted to base it on a small wood I visit. It's a fictional version of that wood, yet not that wood. It is my fictional version of it.
‘The Garden Of Earthly Delights’ is called that because - once revealed - I thought Jeez - that looks like the Hironimus Bosch painting of that title.
‘Sebald’ is a tribute to W.G.Sebald who is one of my favourite writers. He writes extraordinary stories that are mainly about walking and what goes on in your head whilst doing so. He spins very slow stories that mix humdrum observation with philosophy. The way this painting both lumbers and fizzes brought him to mind.
‘Tell it Like it Isn't’ and ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ were made using a technique used by watercolourists. Where masking fluid is used to protect highlights and painted over with latex. which can then be revealed at a later stage by peeling off the thin latex. I've put this process on steroids by using industrial latex with oil paint on a canvas.
I paint, then draw with latex, then paint, then draw with latex... and on and on. This builds up a complex relationship between layers. It takes a great deal of time, but I do it because I like not remembering what lies underneath. It’s like painting blind, and although I think I know how the painting might look when I strip off all the layers of latex - I'm always wrong. Always. And I like that.
‘Tell it Like it Isn't’ and ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’
Tell It Like It Isn't By Richard Kemp
Garden Of Earthly Delights By Richard Kemp
The other process, as seen in Sebald, is about floating oil-based paint on a lake of wallpaper paste. I lay a canvas flat, flood it with glue then draw with a syringe filled with gloss paint. Agitating the canvas slightly makes everything go skew whiff. Once the gloss paint has dried, I extract the glue with other syringes. It is a laborious process, but again produces unexpected results - results I could never have planned. That what I want. Things I could never have planned.
Sebald By Richard Kemp
People always want to know how I know when I am finished! The simple answer is - eventually I decide enough is enough, that this here baby's cooked. This is a moment of great anticipation, being the culmination of months of work. I call this moment The Great Reveal. It's exciting and scary. I'm like a kid at Christmas not knowing if that mystery parcel is a new phone or a bundle of school socks. The layers of latex pull away as one amidst a fine cloud of powdered oil paint and I pull it all off before I stand back to see what I've got. If it is after all socks...."
See more of Richard’s paintings on his website: Richard Kemp Art
For Dyslexia awareness week I really wanted to share some stories of the achievements and wonderfulness of my fellow Dyslexics and those with Dyscalculia.
So if you, or your child, partner or friend has recently received a diagnosis take heart! they have just joined an exclusive tribe of wonderfulness. We are amazing people! and I hope that we can encourage people who have either condition. Differently-abled can be a fantastic thing!
As you know I am a Dyslexic blogger and author, speaker and writing mentor - which is why all my books are formatted to be accessible to those with Dyslexia and literacy issues with a larger than average more regular shaped font, wider spacing between lines, shorter paragraphs, and bold titles to show where new stories start.
Some of the notable people I have for you are Spike Lee, Noel Gallagher, Lynda La Plante, Carol Grieder, Anita Roddick, Andy Warhol, if you don't know who they are look them up!
But this article is all about Ashley and her son Adam, told by Ashley their story starts in the 1970's...
“When my son first started school nearly fifty years ago he struggled to learn to read. Each year he got further behind his peers. I can’t remember when I first heard the term Dyslexia but by the time my son reached age eight or nine it was clear to me that he definitely had a problem with reading and I decided to find out more.
The British Dyslexia Association sent me some leaflets that convinced that he had Dyslexia. But when I spoke to the head teacher at his school he was completely dismissive saying that ‘I don’t have disabled children in my school’. His father was also dismissive thinking that our son just needed to work harder.
By ten he struggled to read a book even though he had intellectual curiosity and had problems with his short-term memory. His father insisted that he went to the grammar school where he had to learn French and German, unfortunately this led to his becoming clinically depressed as it was impossible for him to learn either.
Finally, at age twelve with his reading age at around eight, his father was persuaded to let him be tested, and it was clear that he had Dyslexia. His father who had also always had issues with spelling - despite being a successful company director - then also decided to be tested, and found that he also had Dyslexia!
There wasn't really any help and support available in mainstream education, but my friend who was a primary teacher helped him with some extra tutoring. I was delighted when my son went on to study building and fulfilled his dream to become a stone mason, it's an unusual, technical, and demanding job, that he adores! he has had the honour of working on some of the most famous churches and cathedrals in the UK.
I went on a trip to a Cathedral with my friends, and looking up and admiring the stone work at a particular point I was able to say "Adam carved that piece!" seeing things that my son has created that will last for hundreds of years makes me a very proud Mum indeed".
If you would like support and motivation to fulfil your writing dreams click here
If you would like to hear more Eden news then why not become one of my Very Important Reader Gang and get a free copy of Funny Bird here
You probably think that most of an author's time is taken with the writing, right? well actually although that is a very important part of the role there is a lot more to it, especially for independent or self-published authors.
So, I thought it would be a bit of fun to share what my working week looked like this week.
Due to a couple of family crisis, I missed the deadline to get the edits finished for my sixth book. So, the first thing I had to do this week was email my designer and apologise for the delay and set another deadline that I hope will be realistic.
Then I emailed the people who had bought on pre-order to let them know that the book was on its way, but there had been an unforeseeable delay.
Next, I had to check in with all my social media to answer queries, reply to comments, and check messages. This included checking in with my author association.
Then emails, there were sixty across my inboxes, about half of which needed answering immediately as people had been waiting to hear from me. The rest were divided between my answer this week, answer within a month, or moved to trash.
After that was a meeting with my web designer and maintainer, he needed to let me know what had been going on in my absence, and to find out what I wanted him to spend this month's retainer time doing.
Then I had a meeting about a podcast interview that I am taking hosting.
After all the business 'stuff' then I could get back to my edits.
Unsurprisingly a writer's life it isn't all launches, signings, photo shoots, in fact very, very few of them are like that. It isn't even just about writing.
If you decide that being an author business is the life for you, just keep in mind that as it grows and the better you do, the more of a business it becomes.
In no way is being an author a stressful job, and I will not pretend that it is, but it has its ups and downs just like every other area of life. If you follow my author pages social media, you will there are days when my hair is up in an elastic band, and I'm eating chocolate pudding at 11am (albeit an Alpro pudding, 11am isn't really pudding time).
And if you are interested in an author business for yourself you could start here, with my Masterclass Membership, £37 a month to access twenty years of sales and marketing experience and shortcuts.
Are you ready to make your book a reality? To get your ideas out of your head and onto to page? Are you one of the 83% of the world who wants to know how to write your own book? has started writing? Wants to know how to finish your book. Or feels they have a book ‘in them’?
Publishing is a niche industry, but a business like any other which means there are things that you need to know.
Having been this person, and now being a published writer (six books in at time of writing), I love to help other people fulfil their writing dreams.
Make Your Book A Reality is a series of classes that answer the questions you will have at every stage of the process. From writing tips, how to get out of block and stay inspired, to editing, through to publishing, marketing and building a fan base.
The biggest thing I can assure you at this point is that if you really want to do this, then you can. So why not enlist the help of someone who has already done it? made mistakes they are willing to own up to, so that you get the benefits of their twenty plus years experience?
Make Your Book A Reality won’t teach you to write, it’s only practise and lots more practise that will help with that. But it will explain everything else to get you started.
To get you started I have created the How To Finish Your Book Checklist, it’s free and is followed by a regular boost of encouragement by email.
If you are ready to get started and want all the insider what's, whys and how's then look at my Masterclass Membership, this monthly rolling membership of £37 gives you access to the answers you have been asking about making your book a reality, through audio classes and accompanying workbooks.
This month has been all go and we still have a week to go yet, with interviews about how lock-down affected the publishing and eventual release of ‘Laughing at Myself’. Trying to work out whether I want to strike out into the outside world after lock-down, and finding out that I don’t, and have, to my surprise turned into quite the hermit.
We saw family for the first time in four months, with no cuddling, and not being able to stay at their houses. Being in a holiday cottage felt most peculiar, although we knew it was very clean and hadn’t had anyone else staying there. Trying to see three different lots of family in three days was quite a rush.
While we were away my designer took the opportunity to take my website offline for three days, while she gave it an overhaul. During the time the site was offline and being worked on, a technical glitch sent over fifty cheese related emails out to my subscribers, and social media accounts.
So, if you had an inbox full of cheese, I do apologise, we still haven’t worked out quite what happened. Seriously, it could only happen to me, you just couldn’t make this stuff up! so I had to spent the few minutes between time with the family, replying to messages from people who wondered what was happening to their inbox. Facebook still keeps offering me the option to boost posts about Jarlsberg…think I’ll give that one a miss, thanks Facebook.
Despite the hiccups, Jade from Hashtag Web Design worked her magic on my website, and I have since seen my highest ever number of visitors; which as you can appreciate makes it all worthwhile. Take a moment to let me know what you think of the new layout, menus, and design by leaving me a comment below, particularly if you are one of my regular visitors, although I like to hear from you all of course.
Apart from interviews, website and inbox disasters, I have been working on Make Your Book A Reality Masterclass and Mentoring Memberships. Despite thinking it was nearly there, during the recording process it became clear that some of the courses could be broken down further. Making each topic share enough knowledge but stopping before you would experience overwhelm, so that’s slowed things down. But the most important thing to me is to get it right for you.
Writer's block can feel like an inevitability for anyone who writes, whether that’s books, articles, blogs, or essays. Anything that involves you having to translate the myriad wonders of your mind, into simple words that you can put on a page is bound to be tricky isn’t it?Well maybe - if you don't know what block is, and isn't. Block isn’t terminal, it will not kill you, although for some writers it does feel like it might.
What if I said that there are simple techniques that you can use, that actually help understand how your brain processes and churns out information? And what if I said that I had designed an exercise for your brain to train it to be its creative best? Exciting? I think so.
As well as the resources I share on my website, my masterclasses and online through my social media I can send you a free writing prompt with added encouragement to keep your creative juices flowing on a monthly basis. No strings, I just love support fellow writers to fulfil their dreams.
