Sarah Marie Graye's Blog, page 5
April 20, 2018
GDPR – and what it means to indie authors
Today, over on the Pict Publishing blog, I’ve had two GDPR articles published.
The first is an overview of what GDPR is and how it affects indie authors and the second is a “how to” article going through the steps of making sure your email newsletter list is ready for the data changes in March.
READ: What GDPR means to indie authors READ: Getting your email newsletter GDPR readyThe new laws come in on 25 May and you have to be ready before this date.
And the rules affect US authors too. If...
April 17, 2018
Northern Quarter nostalgia captured in Manchester novel
The Blue Pig may have closed, but it lives on in The Second Cup.
As a Mancunian author, capturing the essence of the city in The Second Cup – and specifically the sights and sounds of the Northern Quarter – was very important to me.
My novel was completed prior to The Blue Pig announcing its closure in January, and the bar features in my novel in all its glory – from its varied clientele to its oversized chandeliers.
So anyone missing being able to pop to the corner of High Street and Back Tu...
March 28, 2018
Other authors: Susannah Cahalan
This is part of my Other Authors series, where I share dissociated voices written by a number of different novelists.
Today is a little bit different as I’m sharing my thoughts on Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, which is an autobiography, not a novel. I’m making the exception for Susannah Cahalan’s book because the writing is as poetic as any novel.
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness follows a very personal descent into madness. Susannah Cahalan goes from fully functioning adult to wakin...
The Amazon algorithm monster
Having to offer your debut novel – your baby – for free is a mental barrier that every new author needs to overcome.
It’s the only way for Amazon algorithm to understand what sort of people want to read your book. And for that, the algorithm needs large numbers of readers.
The idea behind a free book is to tempt those people who like the idea of your novel to download it and actually give it a go.
So if you are one of those readers who think The Second Cup is something you’d like to read, the...
March 23, 2018
Taking your Amazon reviews with you
Want to leave your hybrid publisher? Find out what you need to do to move your Amazon reviews from the version of your book published by your hybrid publisher to the self-published version of your book.
Please note: This post is not about how to terminate a contract with a hybrid publisher because different publishers have different contracts, ranging from allowing you to give 30 days’ notice to being tied into your contract for the publication in question for you lifetime plus 70 years.
If...
March 21, 2018
Other authors: Janice Galloway
This is part of my Other Authors series, where I share dissociated voices written by a number of different novelists.
Today I’m sharing my thoughts on The Trick Is To Keep Breathing by Janice Galloway.
Joy, the protagonist in The Trick Is To Keep Breathing, doesn’t seem to connect with other people and we learn a lot about her from her interaction with inanimate objects – such as her need to interact with a can of soup which leads to the delusion that she doesn’t need food.
“The next thing I...
March 20, 2018
March Indie Book Giveaway – ENDS MIDNIGHT
Today is the last day to enter the March Indie Book Giveaway and get a chance to win a signed copy of The Second Cup.
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
And good luck!
March 14, 2018
Other authors: Paul Sayer
This is part of my Other Authors series, where I share dissociated voices written by a number of different novelists.
Today I’m sharing my thoughts on The Comforts of Madness by Paul Sayer.
In The Comforts of Madness, the protagonist Peter is in a fixed catatonic state – and it’s something he explains that he chose: “I could not move, had no strength, no desire to. Nothing was left in me at all [but I] allowed myself one last act, one last indulgence before the years that followed: I smiled....
March 7, 2018
Other authors: Patrick McGrath
This is part of my Other Authors series, where I share dissociated voices written by a number of different novelists.
Today I’m sharing my thoughts on Spider by Patrick McGrath.
It came as no surprise to me to discover Patrick McGrath grew up around people with severe mental illness. (His father was Medical Superintendent at Broadmoor Hospital.)
In Spider, McGrath inflicts a persecutory delusion upon his protagonist – called Spider – who no longer trusts his parents: “Hilda and my father wou...
March 6, 2018
What I learned from the novel writing process
This article was originally published on Shona Kinsella’s blog.
The most important part of writing is getting everything down on the page; while it’s still in your head it’s no use to anyone.
I don’t think you can be too hung up on what you initially write because you’re very much sorting out the words you’re going to write with – and they’re not necessarily in the right order yet.
I decided to study an MA Creative Writing to get some guidance on my novel.
I was lucky enough to get a place o...
