Author: Sailing Titanium

Bookshelf Beauties

Bookshelf Beauty – The Complete First Edition of The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

Like all writers, I LOVE a great story. That’s why one of my favourite bookshelf beauties is The Complete First Edition of The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. It’s such a wonderful book! The introduction is informative and interesting, it explains how the original tales were rediscovered. I learnt a lot about the brothers and realised that they didn’t actually travel … Continue reading Bookshelf Beauty – The Complete First Edition of The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

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Blog to Book, Writing

Blog to Book (Part 7) – Marketing and Publicity

The marketing and publicity for Bailey Boat Cat – Adventures of a Feline Afloat was one of the most fun aspects of the whole Blog to Book process. Bloomsbury have offices in London, Sydney and New York and each team had people dedicated to marketing and publicising the book in their area. Bailey Boat Cat – Adventures of a Feline Afloat was the first Adlard … Continue reading Blog to Book (Part 7) – Marketing and Publicity

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Bookshelf Beauties

Bookshelf Beauty – Wonderbook

I have a whole shelf on my bookshelves dedicated to writing books and my favourite by far, in terms of beauty, is Wonderbook – The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer. It’s a fantastic book to pick up and flick through to get the creative juices flowing. The book can really turn your ideas upside down and inside out leaving you with … Continue reading Bookshelf Beauty – Wonderbook

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Travels

Hemingway’s House – Key West

I’m currently reading Earnest Hemingway’s On Writing which is a book compiled of Hemingway’s comments and observations on writing throughout his life and career. I’m throughly enjoying it and I think it’s a great book that I’ll dip in and out of again. Its next to my new Bonsai tree which I’m in love with. I’ve wanted a Bonsai for ages but until this week, … Continue reading Hemingway’s House – Key West

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Blog to Book, Writing

Blog to Book (Part 6) – The BLAD and First Proofs

Until the Bailey Boat Cat Blog to Book process began, I’d never heard of a BLAD. I didn’t even have a clue what a BLAD was! As I’ve said before, I was so lucky that my editor and the team at Bloomsbury were very patient with me and they kindly explained that a BLAD is a printed sales tool. (BLAD = Basic Layout And Design) … Continue reading Blog to Book (Part 6) – The BLAD and First Proofs

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Bookshelf Beauties

Bookshelf Beauty – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Illustrated Edition)

I love Harry Potter. I grew up reading the series and waited impatiently with millions of other fans for each new book to be released. I was already an avid reader, but Harry’s world captivated me and I wished so hard for a letter to arrive inviting me to Hogwarts. (There’s obviously been some sort of terrible admin error, but I’ve still got my fingers … Continue reading Bookshelf Beauty – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Illustrated Edition)

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Travels

Acciaroli, the secret to a long and healthy life?

Last August, I had the pleasure of staying in the gorgeous hamlet of Acciaroli for a week. The place has a sleepy charm during the day and a vibrant community spirit that comes alive as the sun goes down. This week, Acciaroli has been making headline news around the world because of its large concentration of centenarians. One in ten residents is over the age … Continue reading Acciaroli, the secret to a long and healthy life?

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Blog to Book, Writing

Blog to Book Series (Part 5) – The Book Cover

One of the most exciting moments in the whole of the Blog to Book journey was when I first saw the cover. I’d been asked to provide a choice of full body shots of Bailey. The designer could then choose an image to use for the cover. I was told that the designer would likely cut out Bailey and position the various photos of him … Continue reading Blog to Book Series (Part 5) – The Book Cover

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Bookshelf Beauties

Bookshelf Beauty – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Other Stories

I’m a real sucker for pretty books. Not only do I love reading but I also appreciate beautiful books both old and new. In this new series, Bookshelf Beauties, I’m going to highlight some of my beautiful books and why I love them so much. To start with I had no choice but to share this stunning Barnes and Noble Leatherbound Classic Collection copy of … Continue reading Bookshelf Beauty – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Other Stories

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Blog to Book, Writing

Blog to Book Series (Part 4) – The manuscript

Once the contract for Bailey Boat Cat had been approved by all parties and signed, I got to work on the actual manuscript. During the contract stages we’d discussed deadlines, and initially I was quite surprised by how quickly Bloomsbury wanted the manuscript written. In total, I had about two months to get the manuscript of around 10,000 words written. I also had to do … Continue reading Blog to Book Series (Part 4) – The manuscript

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