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book promoting

YouTube for Authors

July 16, 2021 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

Image Credit:  Most pictures created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos, others direct from Pixabay.

I’ve mentioned before that what goes around comes around in writing circles. A great example is my recent interview with Helen Matthews as she wondered about how an author could use a YouTube channel. Now I know the cue for another Chandler’s Ford Today post when I hear one so away we go.

I’ll take a look at how I use my channel and share what other authors do. I hadn’t anticipated using visual media to help my writing but I have found YouTube easier to use than expected and it is now a regular part of my marketing work.

[Read more…] about YouTube for Authors

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Tags: book promoting, creative marketing, creative writing, social media, videos, writing advice, Youtube, Youtube for Authors

Seasonal Books

October 2, 2020 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

It is always the season to be enjoying books of all kinds but from now to the 24th December is the “big push” for the Christmas market. What with delays in publishing due to You Know What, recent news has been of 600+ books published in one day.

According to a recent article I read, that figure is up by about one-third from what usually comes out in early September. Not a good situation but the publishers are contractually obliged to produce and the inevitable delays meant there would have to be a catch-up time at some point.

This time of year is the big money earner for the publishers. And it makes sense. What is nicer than being cosy at home with a lovely new book to read? (Answer: being tucked up at home reading an old favourite…! Yes I know!).

Feature Image – Seasonal Books. Pixabay

[Read more…] about Seasonal Books

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Tags: book promoting, books, books in lockdown, seasonal reading, Tripping the Flash Fantastic

Love’s Greatest Gift – Remembrance, by Margaret Doores

September 21, 2018 By SO53 News Leave a Comment

Have you ever walked past the war memorial outside St. Boniface Church and stopped and wondered about the lives that lie beneath the names? Where did they live? Were they born here in Chandler’s Ford?

What sort of work did they do before joining up or were they career soldiers? And who was Margaret Caswell? She’s the only woman who is remembered here.

Well, now’s your chance to find out. [Read more…] about Love’s Greatest Gift – Remembrance, by Margaret Doores

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Tags: book promoting, Chandler's Ford, community, culture, education, history, Hursley Road, local interest, memory, St. Boniface Church, war memorial, World War One

A Look Back at the Hursley Park Book Fair

July 13, 2018 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

A Look Back at the Hursley Park Book Fair. Image by Allison Symes

This is my look back at the recent Hursley Park Book Fair.  Many thanks to Glenn Salter (aka author Simon Fairfax) for organising the Fair.  So much hard work (and generally unseen at that) goes on behind the scenes to make these events happen.  For an inaugural event, I thought the Fair worked well but more on that shortly… [Read more…] about A Look Back at the Hursley Park Book Fair

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Tags: book promoting, creative writing, event, fiction, Hursley Park Book Fair, non-fiction

Reminder Post: Hursley Park Book Fair – 23rd and 24th June 2018

June 22, 2018 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Feature Image - Hursley Park Book Fair Reminder

Don’t forget the inaugural Hursley Park Book Fair takes place this weekend.

Amongst the authors taking part are Richard Hardie and I. Two former interviewees of mine, Anne Wan and Felicity Fair Thompson, will also be at the event. [Read more…] about Reminder Post: Hursley Park Book Fair – 23rd and 24th June 2018

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Tags: Anne Wan, book promoting, books, fiction, Hursley Park Book Fair, non-fiction, reading, Richard Hardie

Hursley Park Book Fair – 23rd and 24th June 2018

June 15, 2018 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Feature Image - Come to the Inaugural Hursley Park Book Fair

Richard Hardie and I are amongst the 40 or so authors taking part in the inaugural Hursley Park Book Fair over the weekend of 23rd and 24th June. (Felicity Fair Thompson and Anne Wan, both of whom I interviewed for CFT, are also taking part). [Read more…] about Hursley Park Book Fair – 23rd and 24th June 2018

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Tags: Anne Wan, book promoting, books, fiction, Hursley Park Book Fair, non-fiction, Richard Hardie

Authors Reach Update – Allison Symes with Richard Hardie

June 8, 2018 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Feature Image - Authors Reach Update June 2018

One of the problems facing writers with books out there is how to promote your books. A lot depends on what budgets you have (and on the time you’re willing to commit to this. Marketing work gobbles up a lot of time and this shouldn’t be underestimated).

With self-publishing being so more readily accessible and acceptable, how does an individual author make themselves heard? Sometimes the answer is to be part of a larger group of writers. What happens here is that the writers “cross-pollinate” the other authors in their group in terms of publicity and the end result is you reach more people than if you were going it alone. The Book Fair held in Chandler’s Ford last year is a good example of writers being able to hold an event at all because there were several of us involved. [Read more…] about Authors Reach Update – Allison Symes with Richard Hardie

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Tags: book promoting, books, Richard Hardie

Local Author News – Richard Hardie at the Winchester Discovery Centre

March 29, 2018 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Local Author News - Richard Hardie - Winchester Discovery Centre - Easter 2018. Image kindly supplied via Richard Hardie

I am pleased to share news that local author, Richard Hardie, of the Temporal Detective Agency Young Adult fantasy series, will be at Winchester Discovery Centre on 3rd April 2018.  He will be running two free interactive story sessions.  More details below. [Read more…] about Local Author News – Richard Hardie at the Winchester Discovery Centre

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Tags: book promoting, book signing, creative writing, Richard Hardie

Val Penny – Her Writing Journey Part 2 – Allison Symes

February 9, 2018 By Allison Symes 1 Comment

Feature Image - Val Penny Interview Part 2

Following on from Part 1 of my interview with the lovely Val Penny last week, here comes Part 2!  I first met Val at the Swanwick Summer Writers’ School in 2016. I’m delighted to say since then Val has come south and discovered the joys of the Winchester Writers’ Festival, but more on that a little later. [Read more…] about Val Penny – Her Writing Journey Part 2 – Allison Symes

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Tags: book promoting, books, creative writing, writers, writing

Hunting Out a Career in Crime Fiction – Allison Symes interviews Val Penny

February 2, 2018 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Feature Image - Val Penny - Her Writing Journey Part 1

I met Val Penny at the same Swanwick Summer Writers’ School as when I met Jennifer C Wilson, who I interviewed last year over her paranormal historic fiction.

Val saw one lost looking author (me!) wondering which way to turn out of Derby Railway Station to find the coach to go to Swanwick and promptly took me under her wing! [Read more…] about Hunting Out a Career in Crime Fiction – Allison Symes interviews Val Penny

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Tags: book promoting, books, creative writing, literature, writers

My 2017 Writing Journey

December 22, 2017 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

Feature Image - My 2017 Writing Journey

Image Credits:  All images, unless otherwise stated, were taken by Allison Symes

Towards the end of each year, I make a note in my new writing diary as to what I’d like to achieve in the next twelve months. I also review what I’d written for the current year and tick off achievements. Many things are long-term goals so carry over. I’m always going to want to have short stories and flash fiction “out there” no matter what the year is! [Read more…] about My 2017 Writing Journey

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Tags: book promoting, creative writing, flash fiction

Stepping Back in Time: Part 2 of Jennifer C Wilson Interview

December 15, 2017 By Allison Symes 8 Comments

Feature Image Part 2 Jennifer C Wilson Stepping Back in Time

Last week’s post was part 1 of my interview with Jennifer C Wilson, author of the Kindred Spirits series and also of The Last Plantagenet? She writes paranormal historical fiction. It’s not often the heroes of a story are the ghosts but Jennifer specialises in this and the books make for a great read. I met Jennifer at Swanwick in 2016. [Read more…] about Stepping Back in Time: Part 2 of Jennifer C Wilson Interview

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Tags: book promoting, books, fiction, Jennifer C Wilson, reading, writing advice

Ghosts, History and What Might Have Been: Introducing Jennifer C Wilson

December 8, 2017 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Feature Image Part 1 Jennifer C Wilson

I first met Jennifer C. Wilson in 2016 at the first Swanwick Writers’ Summer School for us both. We became friends and this year we had the great joy of “racing” each other to Swanwick’s Book Room to put our books out for sale! [Read more…] about Ghosts, History and What Might Have Been: Introducing Jennifer C Wilson

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Tags: advice, book promoting, books, creative writing, fiction, history, Jennifer C Wilson, writing advice

Winchester Discovery Centre – 10th Anniversary Celebrations

December 1, 2017 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Feature Image - Discovery Centre

Image Credit: Unless otherwise stated, all images were taken by Allison Symes.

A group of regional writers took part in the Winchester Discovery Centre’s 10th anniversary celebrations on Saturday 25th November. [Read more…] about Winchester Discovery Centre – 10th Anniversary Celebrations

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Tags: book promoting, books, celebrations, flash fiction, reading, Winchester, writers' co-operatives

How was the Book Fair for You?

November 3, 2017 By Allison Symes 11 Comments

Feature Image - How Was the Book Fair For You

The first Chandler’s Ford Book Fair was on Saturday, 28th October 2017 between 10 am and 12 noon at the Age Concern Centre in Brownhill Road. I hope it will be the beginning of many Book Fairs here.

Many of us miss The Arcade Bookshop which had been our lovely independent book store for decades.  Those behind the Fair hoped it would provide a place for local people to browse and buy books with the bonus they were written by regional writers (and many of them local to Chandler’s Ford specifically). [Read more…] about How was the Book Fair for You?

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Tags: Book Fair, book promoting, book signing, Chandler's Ford, Chandler's Ford Library, fiction, flash fiction, non-fiction, writers, writers' co-operatives

Book Signing Report: Richard Hardie and Eastleigh Library

October 20, 2017 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Eastleigh Library - Feature Image - Richard Hardie October 2017

Image Credit: Unless otherwise stated, all images were taken by Allison Symes

Book events can be like buses. None for ages, then two at once! This week’s post is about Richard Hardie’s book signing and reading event at Eastleigh Library last Saturday, 14th October. I was able to get to this event and was promptly enrolled into Richard’s Temporal Detective Agency as a result but more on that later. [Read more…] about Book Signing Report: Richard Hardie and Eastleigh Library

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Tags: Book Fair, book promoting, book signing, reading, Richard Hardie

Book Launch Report: Anne Wan at Waterstones, West Quay

October 13, 2017 By Allison Symes 3 Comments

Shooting Star - Feature Image - Anne Wan Book Launch at Waterstones 2017

Image Credit:  All images kindly supplied by Anne Wan.

This is a slightly strange post from me as  I’d hoped to go to Anne Wan’s recent book launch in Southampton but was, unfortunately, able to do so in the end.

However, I share my thoughts below on what a book launch means to an author and the work involved behind the scenes.  I then hand over to Anne for her report on her special night.
[Read more…] about Book Launch Report: Anne Wan at Waterstones, West Quay

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Tags: Anne Wan, arts and crafts, Barbara Large, Book Fair, book launch, book promoting, book signing, creative writing

Writers Getting Out and About: Book Fair 2017

September 29, 2017 By Allison Symes 9 Comments

Feature Image Book Fair 2017

It is one of those oddities where writers, so often renowned for leading a solitary life chained to their desks scribbling away for all their worth, also know they have to “put themselves out there” and spread the word about their writing. Well they do if they want any sales!

Some writers take to the spreading the word idea readily and get right into the spirit of things by taking along props. I know a crime writer who takes a noose to her events – and you should see what is on her tablecloth. Let’s just say it wouldn’t pass the old Daz advert for being “whiter than white”! [Read more…] about Writers Getting Out and About: Book Fair 2017

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Tags: Age Concern Centre, Book Fair, book promoting, book signing, books, creative writing, event, fiction, reading, writers' co-operatives

Writer Co-operatives

July 28, 2017 By Allison Symes 14 Comments

Feature Image - Writer Co-operatives (image via Pixabay)

Given publishing is a tough business and it is the hardest it has ever been for a writer to find a publisher and/or agent, why on earth would writers want to form groups? Surely they should focus on their own books?

Ironically, it is because the world of publishing is so tough, that writers forming co-operatives is (a) becoming more common and (b) a fantastically sensible thing to do. [Read more…] about Writer Co-operatives

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Tags: book promoting, Chapeltown Books, creative writing, fiction, writers, writers' co-operatives

Why have Book Signings? Report from the Station – Allison Symes

July 14, 2017 By Allison Symes 5 Comments

Feature Image - Why have Book Signings?

Image Credit:  Many thanks to Janet Williams for taking the signing photos at the railway station.  Like many women, I can multi task but there is a limit and even I couldn’t take a picture of myself signing a book!

Many thanks to all who came to my book signing at our lovely railway station on Saturday 8th July. Particular thanks go to Mark Miller and Nick Farthing of the Three Rivers Rail Community Partnership, Hilary Stone for “manning” the drinks and snacks bar, Janet Williams, Richard Hardie and Daniel Symes.
[Read more…] about Why have Book Signings? Report from the Station – Allison Symes

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Tags: book launch, book promoting, book signing, Chandler's Ford Railway Station, Chapeltown Books, event, From Light to Dark and Back Again, local interest, writers
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History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

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Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

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