Image Credits:-
Many thanks to Val Penny for supplying author and book pics and images of Edinburgh. Other images were created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. The photo of Val Penny about to run a workshop at The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick was taken by me, Allison Symes. Other photos from Swanwick were taken by me or by kind writer friends using my phone!
I’m delighted to say Scottish crime writer, Val Penny, has excellent news to share with regard to her Hunter’s Revenge. Its second edition was published on 30th November 2022 by Spellbound Books.
To find out more about Val’s DI Hunter Wilson do go to her book page on her website
There is also a buy link at geni.us/a13c
What exactly is meant by a second edition?
A second edition is a book which has had significant changes compared with the first edition. This can range from revising text (significantly) to changing the book cover. The latter is often done with an author moves publishers, taking previous works with them to the new publisher.
A second edition is rightly treated as a new product and must have its own ISBN (International Standard Book Number). ISBNs are the 13 digit numbers which booksellers, libraries etc use to identify a book, not just by title but by format too. Any book prior to 1st January 2007 has a 10 digit ISBN (which is why you still see those). Any author bringing out a book in paperback, hardback, audio etc must have different ISBN’s for all formats.
When I tell the Authors Licensing and Collection Society (ALCS) of anthologies in which I am published, I must give them the ISBNs of all the formats that anthology appears in to ensure I get the right remuneration from them in due course.
Welcome back to Chandler’s Ford Today, Val.
Val: Thank you so much for inviting me back to your blog, Allison. I am so excited to be able to tell your readers about the new edition of Hunter’s Revenge and how that came about.
Val, can you tell us how a second edition of Hunter’s Revenge came about? I assume it is linked to your move to Spellbound Books. Can you tell us about why an author would move publisher and what that has involved for you? It isn’t always because of problems between author and first publisher. There are sound reasons for a writer to move to a second publisher and things a writer needs to weigh up before doing so. Can you share something about that with CFT readers?
Thanks, Allison. It is lovely to be able to talk all things books. I was happily published by Crooked Cat Books and their crime imprint darkstroke for many years. I was very happy there and they are an excellent independent publisher. I learned a great deal during my time with that group.
However, as I became a more established author, my professional needs changed. That was the point at which I moved to SpellBound Books. The move from darkstroke was most amicable and they have smoothed my transition. For that I am most grateful.
Writing and publishing are small industries, and it is not wise to get a reputation for being unpleasant or difficult to work with. When I moved to SpellBound Books, the company not only expressed an interest in republishing my whole back catalogue, but also accepted the next four outlines I have for new books. Now all I have to do is write them!
Can you share with us the blurb for Hunter’s Revenge and how did you find writing the second book in your DI Hunter Wilson series? They often say the follow up is harder to write than the original so did you find this to be the case?
The Blurb
Hunter by name – Hunter by nature.Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson is a loyal friend and a fair leader. He is called to the scene of a murder in Edinburgh where the corpse has been fatally shot. He is dismayed to find the victim is his friend and colleague, George Reinbold.
Hunter must investigate Reinbold’s murky past in Germany to identify George’s killer. At the same time, Hunter is tasked with looking into a previously undetected criminal gang supplying drugs from Peru. There seems to be no connection between the murder and the drug supply until Hunter unexpectedly secures help from inmates of the local jail.
Hunter’s investigations are hampered by distracted members of his team and unobservant witnesses. Reinbold was not the quiet, old man Hunter believed him to be and his killer bore their grudge for a lifetime.
If anything, I enjoyed writing this second book in the series more than writing the first because I had the story in mind and now knew better what I was doing. I’d also attended classes on how to plot a novel run by Sue Moorcroft at The Writers’ Summer School that takes place each August at The Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick. That has been most helpful to me in preparing manuscripts for publishers.
How have you found the transition to a second publisher?
I found leaving darkstroke stressful, because I had been with them for the whole of my writing career to that point. However, I knew that to develop professionally, I needed to move. Darkstroke made it as easy as it could be and SpellBound have been more professional and welcoming than I could ever have hoped.
It can be expensive moving publishers if you have to buy back the rights to existing books and, I understand, some publishers make it difficult for authors to leave their stable. I have been fortunate to negotiate a mutually acceptable move.
Have you had second chances in the writing life you’re glad you’ve taken up and can you tell us something about those? For me, my second chance was discovering flash fiction and then discovering I liked it!
I feel I have really had a second chance at life, Allison, because I took early retirement when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and there were times when I suffered severe side effects from my treatment.
I could not go out, spend time with friends, or indulge in many of my favourite hobbies, but watching daytime television got very old very fast, so I turned to reading. It was the only thing I had the energy to do and could do safely. When even reading began to lose its lustre, my husband suggested I write a book, and here we are!
Secondary rights are something authors should look out for. These are defined by ALCS (Authors Licensing and Collection Society) as when a third party uses a work already distributed to the public – such as when schools photocopy books they own or libraries lend books. Royalties from ‘secondary rights’ are paid to writers via ALCS and can amount to a reasonable sum each year. Now I discovered ALCS thanks to my membership of the Society of Authors. How did you discover ALCS, Val? What would you say to anyone thinking of joining them (other than “do it now”!).
I discovered ALCS through my membership of CWA (the Crime Writers’ Association). I am surprised and saddened by how many writers, especially self-published authors, don’t know about it. It brings in a tidy sum each year and always feels like free money.
Moving on to writing, a writer can use a “second person” point of view? This is where the author uses the pronoun “you” and is seemingly addressing the writer directly. It implies whoever is “speaking” is the character in the tale. Have you used this viewpoint, Val? (I have for some of my flash fiction, makes a change mixing up character viewpoint which is why I did it). If not, can you share something about the point of view you do like to use for your books and why you think this works for you?
I have rarely used the second person point of view in my writing. I usually use third person omniscient interspersed with first person for emphasis. I did, however, once read a book written in the second person. I found it uncomfortable and rather strident. I’m sure it would work in short passages, but for a whole book, I found it harsh.
Name your favourite character produced by another author and name the runner-up! Now do the same with your own characters, Val! Which of your “secondary” characters do you most value and why?
I most like DCI Alan Banks as created by Peter Robinson and the runner-up would be the investigator Will Trent created by Karin Slaughter. From my own books, I like Jane Renwick so much I have given her her own series of books. The first in that series, The First Cut, will be republished by SpellBound in 2023.
You often run workshops on aspects of writing (and very good they are too). Most writers need to do other things to support their writing and it often is going into coaching and/or editing. How did you discover the joys of running workshops, Val, and can you share two top tips for writers to make the most of these? (From the viewpoint of those who GO to the workshop AND those running it. I would say one thing for the latter would be to prepare and practice your workshop material well ahead of when you’re due to deliver it!).
I run workshops and also run the writing group in my village. I was a university lecturer in a former career, so preparing for and delivering workshops is second nature to me. I think when attending a workshop, delegates should not be shy about asking questions. They should also take notes because although they may think they will remember what they hear, they won’t!
When delivering a workshop, the presenter should make sure they have the right level of content for their audience. There is no point in offering an advanced workshop to beginners. The presenter should also leave time for questions at the end of the session and hang around to speak to delegates who may be too shy to speak in front of the group.
Last but not least, you and I met at The Writers’ Summer School. I got a lot from my first attendance there but even more from my second one given I knew what to expect from the School and, of course, I’d made friends, including your good self by the end of the first. Did you find the same to be the case for you? What TWO tips would you give to someone going to Swanwick for the first time? What TWO tips would you give to someone going for the second time?
I agree with you entirely about The Writers’ Summer School. It is amazing to think the school is entirely run by volunteers.
The most important thing for any first-time delegate there is not to try to do everything. There is such a wealth of things to do, not just opportunities to learn, but also entertainments and social events. The other thing I would advise first-time delegates to do is to network. Get to know the other delegates, speak to the tutors and workshop leaders, and make contact with the speakers. They will usually be found in the bar!
Once you have attended The Writers’ Summer School it will get into your blood, so when you go back for a second time I would recommend delegates show the same generosity of spirit and inclusion to newcomers that they received on their own first visit. I would also ask returnees offer to pay back to the School by offering to help. This can be done by being an ambassador, helping in the book room, or just by directing someone who is looking lost to where they want to be.
I find attending The Writers’ Summer School extremely rewarding and I’m sure your writing readers will too, Allison.
Allison: I know I find the School very rewarding!
Conclusion
Many thanks, Val, for coming to join us again at Chandler’s Ford Today and good luck with the second edition of Hunter’s Revenge. Many thanks for sharing your insights into the writing life here with us. It is also good to put in a word for ALCS too, something I did not know about until well in to my own writing life.
Author Biography
Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store.
Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction, and novels.
Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.
Related Posts:-
Hunting Out a Career in Crime Fiction – Allison Symes interviews Val Penny
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
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At writers’ schools, I have found tutors who give you a recipe for how to do this or that. Others strive to give you inspiration. If you are fortunate, there is someone who will do both. I found one of these and imagined he must have written lots of books – just one, in fact. Most of his writing was commissioned by broadcasters and magazines.
Good tutors involve their audience with a sense of togetherness – We could do it this way – or – shall we try that?
A good audience will ask clear and concise questions at the end. Sadly, many mumble inaudibly and discursively about their personal problem. The rules should be, Stand up, Speak up, Sit down.
Many thanks, Mike. I’m sure the tutor would have had useful experience to share from his broadcasting and magazine work as well as his book. Every writer I know has to do other “stuff” as well as the books! The tutor may well have found some tips that came up from their broadcasting work helped in other area of their writing life. My learning to write tight for flash fiction has spilled over to my blogs and short stories for example, all to the good here.
My own approach to workshops etc is to show people what has worked for me and why but I also set exercises for them to have a go at often during the session. I also join in with this myself and I deliberately don’t pre-prepare that. I want to do “live writing” too. I then share what I’ve done, stressing it is a very rough draft, and then invite others to share. I find people usually do, encouraged by the fact nobody expects perfection. Get one person to join in and that encourages others.
Thank you for hosting my on your blog today, Allison. I very much appreciate your support.
You are most welcome, Val. Good luck with the launch of Hunter’s Revenge!