Francesca T. Barbini's Blog, page 15

Working From Home & What to Claim

My two pennies.The way we work is changing, and even when I consider my parents' generation (those born in the forties) things couldn't be more different. For starters, permanent contracts are mostly limited to the public sector, and even there things are shifting.Gone are the days of 'a job is for life'; we are a people on the move, changing employer frequently, country and even career. And it's not just the 'recession's fault'. I think at the heart of the matter there is the need to step back from the Monday to Friday routine, the commute to the office and the countless memes about how much we hate Mondays.More often we find ourselves looking up to those countries where they only work four days a week, and wish we were there. And we should be. In case you haven't noticed, and even if you live a healthy full 90 years of life, it doesn't amount to too much in the grand scale of human evolution. So why should we waste our pitiful handful of years doing something that feels like a drag just so we can pay, pay and then pay some more, to the disadvantage of our wellbeing? I am confident that people wouldn't 'hate' their job, or Mondays, if they had a more balanced work/personal time life.They day I went down to four days a week (thanks to Tijaran Tales), I felt like another person. I started enjoying every day I had and stopped wishing my life away (I wish it was Friday... I wish it was summer...). In fact, when Luna Press came to life, time started to accelerate in a frightening manner, and I began to wish I had more hours in the day and that time would slow down (never happy, are we?).Rant over.The internet has given us the chance to change the way we work. Private companies keep their employees at home, working and talking to each other remotely. It saves money all around, and it means that the individual can make better use of those hours which would have been otherwise spent in commuting. And when your work is done, you are more inclined to get out for a walk and to be more sociable, or at least is how I find it. I couldn't recommend it enough.Back to claiming expenses.Authors can work from home (from wherever really), and even though most will also have another job to pay the mortgage, the home becomes their place of work. And that is good because it means they can claim expenses for it.As always, I'm not a tax-man, just someone who does the tax return every year. Check the tax website of your country and don't get caught out.There are two primary ways to claim expenses, the simplified expenses method and the proportion of home method. Knowing what they entail, will help you decide which is best for you.For the purpose of comparison let's assume that you write 4 hours per day, so an average of 122 hours a month.Simplified expenses methodThis is the easiest of the two, saving you time and headaches when it's time to do your tax return. It uses a flat rate instead of actual business costs. You must be working from home a minimum of 25 hours a month in order to use this method.If you work between:25-50 hours a month, you can claim £10 p/m51-100 hours a month, you can claim £18 p/m100+ hours a month, you can claim £26 p/mRemember that the flat rate doesn’t include telephone or internet expenses. You can claim the business proportion of these bills by working out the actual costs.Since you write 100+ hours a month, you are entitled to £26x12=£312 plus a proportion of your phone/internet bill.Proportion of Home MethodI hope you kept your yearly bills handy and ready for inspection.Costs can include: Heating, Electricity, Council Tax, Rent / Mortgage interest (just the interest part of your payments, not the capital), Home insurance, Water, Phone and internet (you can add these in with your office costs total, though I would keep them separate as they are not really related to the space you use, so the percentage of business use might be different).The important thing is to find a reasonable way to do your calculations, and stick to it. One such way could be to divide your total costs by the number of rooms used for business and by time spent working from home.Example:You have 4 rooms in your home, one of which you use only as your office. You write 4 hours per day, which is 1/6 of the day (24 hours / by 6 = 4 hours of writing per day)Your total bills for the year come to £800.£800/4 rooms = £200£200/6= £33.33£33.33 x 12 months = £400 and that is your actual proportions of expenses.ComparisonIt is often the case that the Proportion of Home Method gives back more than the simplified expenses, but it really comes down to you: have you got all the bills filed and ready for inspection should they ask you, and are you bothered with the calculations?As always with these things, I can only set you on the right path, but it's up to you to make sure you are ready for yourtax return.

Introducing Chapter One

Luna has always been about opportunities. We also have a soft spot for giving and, together with some of our authors, weshare our profits with charities.As a self-published author, I had to learn many technical skills pertaining to the creation of PDF and e-pub files. Ultimately, these are the files that will be uploaded to Kindle or Lulu, etc.I often get asked questions about 'how to' create such files. For some it's a fun challenge, but for others it's a nightmare! Often people don't have time, or feel that learning technical skills will detract from writing, which is really all they want to do.At one of our latest conventions, I was approached by two people. Their requests created the seed for Chapter One.The BackstoryThe first person was a self-published author. I had just finished my panel appearance, when I was approached by a man in his thirties. Discussing the step-by-step process of book file creation, he told me in no uncertain terms that he had no intention of investing his already short time in learning IT skills, and no inclination to pay monthly subscription fees for a DTP (Desk Top Publisher). He was a writer and wanted to write. However, thecosts of hiring file creators were often prohibitive.Later that day, a lady in her mid-forties told me how, upon returning to work after raising her children, she was struggling to catch up with all the latest technical advances. She wanted to freelance and was looking foropportunities to learn new IT skills. I explained how I also went through a huge learning curve to master Adobe InDesign, first for myself, then for Luna Press. 'Do you, or someone from your team, mind teaching me?' she asked. I couldn't commit outright, so I left her with a 'leave it with me'.​Talking to the Luna Team, later on, we considered several factors: finding time for pro-bono work, but also what to do to make the experience memorable and worthwhile for the learner. The solution wasChapter One - A Training Programme with a Heart.What's in it for the learner?Chapter One is more than just 'publishing services'. It is atraining programme. Chapter One supports the training oflearners, irrespective of age, who want to work with DTPs. Under the supervision of the Chapter One team, they will learn the skills for successfully using Adobe InDesign in the preparation of PDF and e-Pub files,earning experience and money in the process.What's in it for the self-published author?Self-published authors are in the safe hands of the professional Chapter One team which won't leave you out-of-pocket:it costs only £50to have a manuscript converted into both PDF and e-Pub files, according to the author's specifications.Join us in empowering people and strengthening the workforce.Help us spread the word!VISIT THE CHAPTER ONE PAGE​

Interview with the Boss & Giveaway

Last week I managed to corner Francesca, get her to relax long enough to interview her - not an easy task for a busy bee like her.You canread the interview here. There is also a giveaway. Email prizes@thesffn.com for a chance to win your free copy!Above it's the trailer for The Girl from the Sky, made by Luna artist John Cockshaw, and of course the gorgeous covers created by Luna artist Jay Johnstone.Enjoy!

Ten Strong Voices Join The Luna Family

This is no April fool's joke! One year ago, Luna opened its very first Call for Papers. Under the umbrella title of"Gender identity and sexuality in Current Fantasy and Science Fiction: do we have a problem?", we invited writers to explore the theme from their own personal perspectives and inclinations.The result was as incredible as it was diverse. The book will feature papers exploring how society, as reflected in real life, literature, movies, games and cosplay, is currently dealing with gender identity and sexuality in speculative fiction. Or is it?With their various backgrounds and interests, I am proud to introduce you to our ten writers, some new to the Luna family, some already part of it, who have shared their research with us all. Clockwise from top left:Anna Milon(Russia), English Literature, current Education Officer of the Tolkien Society. Researcher.Cheryl Morgan(UK) SF critic and publisher, owner of Wizard’s Tower Press and Hugo Award winner. Researcher.Hazel Butler(UK) MA Celtic Archaeology, Academic Researcher (Gender identity and Iron Age archaeology). Fantasy Author and Copywriter.Alina Hadîmbu(Romania), MA in Comparative Literature and Cultural Anthropology. Writer.Juliet McKenna(UK) Greek and Roman history and literature. Fantasy Writer.Rostislav Kůrka(Czech Republic/Finland) MA Theology. Researcher, Writer.Lorianne Reuser(Canada) English Literature, Greek and Roman studies. Researcher.Jyrki Korpua(Finland), PHD in Literary studies and Lecturer. Researcher.Kim Lakin-Smith(UK) MA in Journalism and Creative Writing, Fantasy and Science Fiction writer.A J Dalton(UK), PhD Creative Writing. Fantasy author with Gollancz.The book will be out this year - exact date TBC. Before the summer we will share more details about the individual papers, so stay tuned!The Call for Papers 2017 will be announced on the 1st of May.

She Said, She Said, She Said...

The joys of attributives and three techniques to improve your writing.Practice makes perfect. Well, at the very least it makes you better at something. As a writer, you must have heard the old advice,'the more you write, the better you get at it'. And I do think it's good advice.Writing is like a journey with perks. Every word you write gives you 'word miles' - when you have accumulated enough you are able to trade them for goodies. Unfortunately, I don't necessarily mean heaps of publishing contracts, but certainly 'power ups' of sorts. Things like an eye for sentence structuring, the ability to spot repetitions, clunky dialogues, openings and closings that work, etc.One of the writing obstacles I learned to tackle during my journey with Tijaran Tales, was the 'he said/she said/they said' issue. These are what we callattributives. They attribute a line of dialogue to a specific character.Generally speaking, these simple attributives are established and accepted part of dialogues, and many writers enjoy their transparency and usefulness; the problem for most people is where to put them and how many time to use them.WHERE TO PUT THEMDon't break the dialogue up.'We may be late,'saidJed, 'but at least we made it.' This sounds correct, as opposed to: 'We may be,' said Jed, 'late, but at least we made it.'Your inner ear should tell you which of the two flows smoother.At the end of a short line.'I wish you were taller,'saidMary.WHEN TO USE THEMIf you are writing a dialogue between two people, you can use them when the characters first speak. After that, the reader will be able to keep track using formatting and logic, like so:'I loved that ice cream parlour,'saidTim.'I preferred the pizzeria,'saidJohn.'Surely not!''Surely yes - I die if I eat dairies!'USING VERBS OR ADVERBS INSTEADIt is certainly common practice to use verbs or adverbs in dialogues. If you write dialogues for graphic novels, then you won't have to worry about attributives of any kind - speech bubbles, images and facial expressions will tell you all you need to know.A verb essentially tells the reader how to interpret a line (it/he/she/they grumbled, hissed, spat, shouted, cried, roared, etc.). Take the following example:'Go wash your toes, son. I'm not going to ask you again.''Alright, Mum,'groanedAttila.Adverbs have the same function as verbs, in that they tell the reader how a line is meant to sound (it/he/she/they said thrillingly, sadly, fiercely, naturally, etc.). A drawback is that they can slow the flow down, and some, like thrillingly, are a bit of a mouthful even if you are not reading out loud.HOW TO AVOID THEM (IF YOU WANT TO, THAT IS)When you have two or more characters, you can avoid using an attributive by inserting the name of the object in the line.'Pass me the bread,Jack.''Here you are,Sarah.'If you feel the need to use too many verbs or adverbs to help the reader understand your mood, perhaps it's time to look at your dialogue again and do some re-writing. Aside from the fact that a reader will naturally fill in the blanks, therefore owning a story, you shouldn't forget that it's your story, to begin with - say what you mean to say clearly.TRY SOMETHING NEWThat said, there are some techniques you can practice to improve this aspect of your writing.1. Using an existing page of dialogue, try to re-write it but removing some of the simple he said/she said and replaced them with some of the alternatives seen above.2. Write a brand new dialogue trying not to use it/he/she/they said - not even once!3. Reflect on your use of verbs as substitutes for attributives.Precede or follow lines of dialogues with an action. They keep saying that writers are supposed to show, not tell, so try this out.Mark shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. 'Can you give me some space, please?'AND FINALLY...A blend of different attributives, as seen above, seems to work well for most writers. There are not hard and fast rules about the use of attributives. Wait a day and read your dialogues again, out loud if you can. If something is out of place or clunky or it springs out at you because it has been overused, then you'll need to address it.

Writer's Tax Return: What Can I Claim?

You are a writer.  You work for yourself. Therefore you’re classed as a sole trader. This means you’re self-employed - even if you haven’t yet told HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). You are a business, and as such, you have to file a tax return.Last week I wrote an introduction on self-assessment and writing a tax return. Having started as a self-published author myself, I understand that it can be a little daunting, especially the first time. Remember that I don't work for HMRC, nor is this a tax website; detailed information will be found on their pages. This is an overview, based on my experience only.A couple of years ago I was leading a workshop on self-publishing during an Eastercon, and I distinctly remember the face of surprise and joy on an author who didn't know they could claim back items.Keeping track of all the money spent and gained in the course of a year is an essential part of running a business. You must also keep records of your personal income (from your day job perhaps, but it can come from inheritance, rent, etc.).I mentioned last week that you must choose how to make up your records before you start: cash basis or traditional accounting. With cash basis, you only record income or expenses when you receive money or pay a bill. With traditional accounting, you record income/royalties and expenses by the date you invoiced or were billed.If you have other sources of income (e.g. the day job that most author will have), you can consider traditional accounting, as you can offset losses against other taxable income (‘sideways loss relief’).You must keep a record of all personal income and business sales and all business expenditures. You don't need to send them to the Inland Revenue, but they may ask for it, so the records must be stored safely for a certain number of years.To note: there is a difference between capital allowance and business expenses. Capital allowance includes assets that you keep using in your business, such as a laptop or a computer, a printer, a desk and a chair for your studio. Business expenses are those incurred in the daily running of your business (including interest payments or finance costs for buying assets), which I have listed below.There are several business expenses you can claim as a writer, and I will mention them in their categories:office, property, equipment: e.g. laptop, ledgers, ink cartriges, paper, phone bills, internet bills, rent, insurance, electricity (obviously your mobile bill will not just be business expenses, and neither is your rent - you must calculate a percentage for the business), etc.travel expenses: e.g. petrol, train/plane tickets, hotel rooms, food when you are away from home on business, etc.reselling goods: e.g. copies of your books you have purchased to resell at conventions, raw materials, etc.legal and financial costs: e.g. lawyer to go over contracts, fees to maintain a business account, etc.marketing, entertainment and subscriptions: e.g. advertising, subscription to societies or association related to your business, website costs, free samples, etc.And before you buy champagne for all your friends at your next book launch, remember that you cannot claim it! Event hospitality or entertaining customers do not count. And neither does your gym membership (you know, in case you figured that all that time sitting at your desk for work justified the gym fees...)The IR call centre will be able to give you all the info you need if you can't find them on their website.Feel free to ask questions under this thread :)Don't get caught out and do your homework!Here are some links to get you started:More details on what to claim.How long do you need to keep your records for?

Self-Assessment for Writers: An Overview

The 5th of April is coming closer. If you own a business and live in the UK, then it means only one thing: self-assessment time.You may think I'm bonkers, but I actually look forward to this annual encounter with the Inland Revenue. In a strange way, there is something cathartic about going through your INs and OUTs of the year: every entry is a reminder of your accomplishments and all you've done to grow your business, even when it's more about costs than profits. As a writer it is also extremely satisfying: let's face it, even a single Kindle revenue should make you happy because it means someone out there is reading your work, and you can buy a celebratory Latte with the £1.20 you just received...)Keeping in mind that my experience is based in the UK and that I am not a tax advisor, I can share my experience to give you an overview of what needs to be done.If you are a new author, receiving royalties for the first time, you must be all set up on the tax front, least you find yourself in trouble. If you start working for yourself, you’re classed as a sole trader. This means you’re self-employed - even if you haven’t yet told HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). I am not discussing Limited Company here, as it goes out of topic.You should pick up the phone and register as a sole trader, with your name as your business name, or a made up one. They will ask you what you do and, puffing your chest out, you should answer: "I am a writer!"They will ask you for a starting date of your business. From the moment you begin writing your book with the purpose of selling it and generating income, your business begins. Most of the costs incurred in the creation of the book should be collated and documented, just as any business would.Registering will provide you with your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) – you’ll find your UTR on the registration letter HMRC sends you. This code will be needed when you register online. Doing your self-assessment online is really helpful and quick.How do you keep track of the INs and OUTs? Plenty of choices. Buy yourself a paper ledger; buy a folder to store the invoices, receipts, etc.; create a spreadsheet on your computer to record the data; invest in a book-keeping software that keeps tracks of expenditures and incomes; pay an accountant.You don't need to use all of the above, but no matter what digital method you use, I would recommend to always keep a paper ledger as a backup, and a folder for the bits and pieces.Next week I will talk more about what can be claimed, expenditures and capital allowance.You will need to decidehow to work outyour income and expenditures: cash basis or traditional accounting. As someone who has had a day job as an employee as well as running a business at the same time, traditional accounting helps greatly as you can offset losses against other taxable income (‘sideways loss relief’).This is terribly important. For the first few years, the losses will outweigh the gains, as editing, cover design, marketing, networking, etc., are not cheap.I have been doing self-assessment for several years now, and I have built my own method which allows me to work through the online form in a painless and efficient fashion. Once you start, you'll get the hang of it too.On the 5th of April, you tally up your income and your expenditures, profits and losses. The tax return will allow you to declare profits and losses in one bulk sum or you can be as detailed as you wish. This will depend on personal choice and circumstances, so make sure you do some research on this first.If you also are an employee, you will need to wait for your P60 to arrive, before you can complete your self-assessment, as it needs to be included. Remember that the self-assessment will also include other types of income, from the profit of ISAs to donations, to foreign income. These incomes will be part of your overall gain if you have them, not just the money from your writing.The online form will guide you through the process, and if you are still not sure, there is a designated phone number you can use.  When you finish, you are allowed to save a PDF form of the file. Tip: don't be shy and take a picture of every screen you fill as you fill it - it will make the job easier the following year, but don't forget to change the figures...)If you are a person who likes to keep track of things, create a spreadsheet and add a chart/diagram to record the losses and the income for every year you work. Even if the losses are larger, you will watch them diminish as time goes by - truly satisfying!I always complete my form in May, once all the bits and pieces have come in. I get the OK in the space of 48 hours, and it's me done for a whole year. No rush, and no last minute hurry.This also means that if you have a day job, and offsets losses against other taxable incomes, you will get some money back, normally a month later or thereabout (I have actually received money within a week or two, even). I find this a lovely cash present to start the summer off!The Inland Revenue has a dedicated page for self-assessment, and all links and info can be foundhere.Don't be scared and be prepared!Next week, same day, same time, we'll take a look at what to claim. See you then.

Are You Missing Out On Money From Your Book?

When I was a self-published author, I did a lot of background research on all things marketing, revenues' avenues, etc. I have said that before: unless you write purely for kicks, self-publishing must be treated as you would any other jobs. You work, you get paid. A customer uses your services, you get paid. Often, though, authors are not always aware of all the revenues' avenues available to them and risk losing out.One such revenue stream is what we call PLR, or Public Lending Right. Essentially every time someone takes a book out of the public library, a small amount of money is allocated to the author/editor/artist, etc. The Rate Per Loan for this year's (2017) UK PLR payments is 07.82 pence. It's not mind-boggling, but every little helps, as they say. More details can be found on their website.Since my first book came out in 2012, I have registered all my books, and all editions of the same book, with the PLR scheme, and every year, in February, I regularly receive a compensation proportionate to how many times my books have been taken out on loan.Now that I am a publisher, I cannot claim money for the books we publish, of course, but our authors can do so. The percentage of how much money you are due is also dependant on your role in the book. For example, an editor of an anthology will be able to claim 20% of the allocated amount, while the authors of the stories will share the remaining 80%; if you are the sole author,  you can claim 100%, and so forth.The first thing you need to do is to register. Now, the following apply to UK and Irish authors, but your country will have a similar scheme (hopefully!)Visithttps://www.plr.uk.comand apply for an online account.You will be asked for payment details, as the money will be sent to you through it.Every time you release a new title, you add it to your list - the online instructions will guide you through this process quickly.They then review your request, message you if they need to clarify any point until the title is added to your 'approved registrations' list.The statement arrives in January, and it covers the period 1 July of a year to the 30 June of the following year. Keep this in mind when you register a book.This year they have also approved the inclusion of the remote lending of ebooks. Don't forget to register those too!Public Libraries have come under a lot of pressure, with spending cuts a go-go. They will acquire titles from specific distributors and wholesalers, but it is also possible that they will consider gladly accepting a donation of a free copy or two. Whether you are self-pub or are published by a company, keep this in mind, as authors' own self-promotion is very helpful.So, if you have books roaming the world, but you have not yet registered with PLR, DO SO NOW! It's your money after all.

Meet AJ Dalton @ York Pubmeet!

In association with the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) and the British Fantasy Society (BFS) we are pleased to announce the second York Pubmeet for 2017. Guest for the evening is Luna fantasy author A J Dalton, author of "The sub-genres of British Fantasy Literature", and whose other work includes "The Book of Angels", "The Book of Orm", "The Chronicles of a Cosmic Warlord" series and many more.It takes place from 5pm to 8pm-ish on Saturday 11th March 2017, in the back bar at The New York Club, 22-26 Blossom Street, York – turn right out of York station, and right again at the traffic lights, and it’s about 200 yards down the road.As part of the evening, A J Dalton will also be doing a presentation on fantasy sub-genres and their sociohistory, as well as reading from his own work.You can discover much more about A J Dalton and his love of fantasy on his website: http://www.ajdalton.euAs always, we will open the floor to questions from the audience, and you’re more than welcome to bring along books to be signed, etc. And there’ll be the usual FREE raffle – with less books this time, ‘cos we gave away at the last event!THIS EVENT IS FREE TO ATTEND BUT PLEASE DO BOOK A (FREE) TICKET!For further info, updates and/or queries, please contact:@YorkPubmeet@mangozoid (organiser)@BSFA@BritFantasySoc

Michael Haldas and Elaina Olga Join The Luna Family!

Academia Lunare is proud to welcome American writer Michael Haldas, who will be publishing his book, "Echoes of Truth: Christianity in the Lord of the Rings" with us. The text will be enriched by the beautiful drawings of artist Elaina Olga, who joined Michael on this fantastic voyage of discovery.Let me introduce you to our new family members!Michael Haldas is an author, religious educator, speaker, and a life-long fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and similar works. He told us:"Echoes of Truth: Christianity in the Lord of the Ringswas a true labour of love honouringthe work and the man who created it."Before this work, Michael wrote the book,Sacramental Living: Understanding Christianity as a Way of Life, which he presented special leather-bound editions of as gifts to both Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in private audiences at the Vatican and the Patriarchate.In addition to writing, Michael also does twice-monthly podcasts for Ancient Faith Radio and a blog series for the Orthodox Christian Network's (OCN). He is published monthly in Theosis Magazine, and his articles have been featured in several other publications. He is also a member of the Orientale Lumen Foundation, an organisation dedicated to Catholic and Orthodox unity; the Orthodox Speakers Bureau; and is on the board of the Washington Theological Consortium. Michael teaches adult religious education at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in Bethesda, Maryland, and his class is streamed live through OCN to thousands globally. He has a degree in English and has completed graduate level studies in world religions. Michael has also published short stories in the fantasy and dark fantasy genres and wrote the fantasy fiction novel,Avatar Dawn.Elaina Olga is an artist and art historian. She received a B.A. in Art History with a focus on Mediterranean and Byzantine Art, as well as minors in Archaeology and Chemistry. As a child, she was deeply affected by the iconography that surrounded her in church, as well as the art of animation, video games, and books, all of which would sparked a life-long love of the visual arts and the meaning instilled within them. Her love of God and her passion for the human spirit inspires her to search for the deeper meaning in the subjects she illustrates."My hope is that my passion shines through the work I createand speaks to the heart of the individual."