A pervasive characteristic of the digital shift in publishing is the attempt to connect directly with readers. Every publisher, and every self-publishing author, is urged to consider carefully not only who their target readers are, but also how to reach them directly.
For years now, niche bookstores (specializing in mystery, sci-fi, kids’ books, etc.) have been seen as better positioned than most indie bookstores to survive the changing book retail landscape. In a piece about the upcoming closures of Oscar’s Art Books and Toronto’s Cookbook Store, we write about whether niche stores are still the future.
When we launched Page Two, we crafted our mandate carefully. We wanted to attract writers of upmarket, accessible non-fiction that challenges current conceptions. We love working with authors who are entrepreneurs and innovators in their fields; people who have big, new ideas to express.
You’ve been offered your first book deal, for your novel. Congratulations! Now that you’re looking at the publisher’s draft contract, you’re concerned because it includes an option clause, requiring you to send your next manuscript to this company too.
A friend recently attended a lecture given by a well-known Canadian novelist who stated that it’s virtually impossible to earn a living writing books. It was not a surprising statement to make, but coming from this particular author – an award-winning novelist with a significant profile in Canada and abroad – it was jarring to many in the audience.
You’ve probably heard of David Chilton, author of The Wealthy Barber. Maybe also Janet and Greta Podleski, authors of the Looneyspoons cookbooks. But have you heard of their publishers, Financial Awareness Corp.
The holidays are approaching, and we’ve got gift-giving on the brain. We’re thinking about writers and what’s on their wish lists. And we’re thinking about what we want most for the writers we support. In the spirit of holiday cheer and New Year’s wishes, here is Page Two’s adaptation of The Twelve Days of Christmas:
In our last blog post we explained the different stages of editing. This week we’ll explain what a freelance editor costs and how to find a skilled editor.
When a reader comments that a book was poorly edited, usually she means she found typos or grammatical errors – the kinds of things a proofreader should catch before a book goes to print. But proofreading is just one level of editing.
People often ask us if we’re aspiring writers, or if we ever wanted to be. It always feels like a bit of a shocking question. We understand why people ask: a strong admiration of a craft often leads to a desire to practice it.
If you want to get a traditional publishing deal for your non-fiction book, the good news is that you can get one without writing an entire manuscript first. Publishers evaluate non-fiction based on proposals. The bad news is that proposals take a lot of work to write, sometimes many months.
At an International Festival of Authors party this week, a young writer approached one of us with the line “Aren’t you the sister of Mrs. Grimshaw, my grade six teacher?” A bit confused, we stopped and explained that no, we didn’t know any Grimshaws.
