I’m A Long Way From New York

I’m A Long Way From New York

My English is a long way from New York. Most authors must have had the thought of having their novels translated into other languages, but in my case this week, my thought was of having my books translated into, um, eh, well, American! Now, of course, this probably sounds really dumb, as I obviously write in English. But when one stops and thinks about the differences between US and UK English, there is a hell of a lot that would need changing to adapt my writing to US reading expectations. So why would I even consider doing this? Well, in all honesty, self-publishing is mostly an American thing. Yeah ok, the

I Write, Because I Want To

I Write, Because I Want To

Why do you write? There are many reasons to want to write but for me, but making a fortune, achieving fame, being awarded glittering prizes or even just being recognised as a half decent author are not. In fact, and you can believe it or not, I’m not even that concerned about book sales. I write because I want to and find immense pleasure in taking the weird, whacky, happy and sad thoughts from my mind and setting them down in a text. In fact, and you can believe it or not, I’m not even that concerned about book sales. I write because I want to, and find immense pleasure

Every Comma Has Its Place

Every Comma Has Its Place

Do you know the punctuation rules for commas? When teaching English writing, one of the most common mistakes I came across was the use of the comma. On asking my students why they had placed a comma in a certain position, they often justified it by saying that it was for a pause for breath. Well, when we read we don’t need to stop for breath so there must be some other reasons. Unlike some Latin languages, English is quite frugal when it comes to the use of the comma. I have used the following guide when I have been in doubt. Quick Guide to Commas 1. Use commas to

How Free Ebooks Make Money – But Not For Authors

How Free Ebooks Make Money – But Not For Authors

Free Ebooks Make Money Every day there are more and more sites, and social media accounts promoting free ebooks. Literally thousands of them. But have you ever wondered why there are so many? More to the point, have you taken a moment to think about why it is such a popular product to promote, and where the benefit lies? How can free ebooks make money? Of course, the answer is money. But how can anyone make money from free ebooks? This is the question I asked myself a few months ago, and once I discovered the answer, it became so obvious. Let me start at the beginning. Some years ago