Dotterel Press

Foyle Young Poets Awards

2011-07-14T00:35:00.000-07:00

The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2011 DEADLINE is fast approaching. The closing date for a chance to be discovered is 31st July 2011.

The Foyle Young Poets Awards is open to writers worldwide aged 11-17. Last year they had over 20,000 entries (a huge increase from 2009 where there were around 14,000 - which was itself an increase from previous years) and a number of international winners from such places as Athens, Mauritius and the US, who managed to attend the prize giving ceremony in October 2010 as part of National Poetry Day.

This year's judges, following previous ones including Lemn Sissay, Luke Kennard and Jane Draycott, are Glyn Maxwell and Imtiaz Dharker.

Last year's judges, Luke and Jane, commented on the winning poems that there was a distinctly musical, rhythmic element perpetuating their work, a theme strengthened by the fact that the survey carried out recently by the Poetry Society revealed an intrinsic relationship between the young poet's musical tastes and their poetic style. Bob Dylan was named by far and away as the most influential musician in terms of their poetry. And as one of this year's judges, Glyn Maxwell, says: "The best young poets remind me how to have no fear, how to make awe seem cool, how to know nothing again, like the best poets do. I simply know that we will find some born writers."

Individuals can enter online or download an individual postal entry form while Teachers can download a class set entry form.

World Book Day Writing Competition

2011-03-03T03:24:00.000-08:00

Today is World Book Day, and we're marking the occasion by unveiling our first ever writing competition. It's for children, it's free to enter and we're planning not only on awarding a prize for the winner (plus two runners up) but to publish all the best submissions in a special World Book Day anthology.

There are any number of events this year from performances by Welsh schoolchildren of Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes at the Millennium Centre to a 'Human Library' day at Birmingham Central Library. And the dressing up of primary school children as various book characters seems to have become an annual event up and down the country, all in the cause of getting children reading. And if your children are inspired by reading, why not encourage them to have a go at writing? Children are often natural story-tellers; part of play involves the creation of imaginary worlds with accompanying narratives and we're trying to capture the spirit by providing an incentive to get writing.

There's no limit - other than your child's imagination - to the subjects he or she can write about, but we are limiting the number of entries to three per child. And by child, we're taking entries from everyone up to (and including) the age of 16.The closing date is 1st September 2011, and we're asking for submissions by email (dotterelpress@gmail.com) with 'World Book Day Writing Competition' in the subject line at any time up to that date. Please include your child's story either in the body of the email or as an attachment, and include their name and date of birth, plus the name of the school they attend.

And finally, please help spread the word. We want as many children as possible to be able to take part, to have a chance of winning a prize and be published in the conmpetition anthology. There's no entry fee, and proceeds from the sale of the anthology will help support future World Book Day events and giveaways.

Now available on the Kindle!

2011-02-14T00:25:00.000-08:00

Small publishers like ours can never hope to compete with the 'big boys' in terms of paperback and hardback sales. We can't afford the discounts, the distribution fees or the 'sweeteners' to get our books into the likes of Waterstones. (Did you know it can cost several thousand pounds to get a major bricks-and-mortar bookstore to sell your book? And then, it has to be so heavily discounted that costs are barely covered.)

The problem is, unless readers see your book, they can't buy it. And they buy books they see. And here's a question posed recently by Joe Konrath: is a book a bestseller because it's good, or because people can buy it? What makes a bestseller? And who decides? As Joe puts it, 'I don't believe an author becomes a bestseller, and then becomes available everywhere. I believe an author is available everywhere, and that's why they're a bestseller.' It's a chicken-and-egg situation, and one that's been determined by the traditional gatekeeper - the publisher.

But with the advent of the e-book, the playing field is starting to level out quite nicely. Ebooks ARE available everywhere - at least to those with a suitable ebook reader - and on the biggest online bookstore in the world - Amazon. And - as recently reported with varying degrees of trepidation recently - sales of ebooks on Amazon outstripped those of paperbacks for the first time ever.

So we're pleased to announce that our first two titles are now available in ebook format - which means, of course, everywhere and on the same terms as those applied to everybody. Click the links below if you're interested in having a look - you can try before you buy, too. And if you haven't got a Kindle, don't worry: the books are formatted for the Kindle app on the iPad, iPod and iPhone too.

An exciting opportunity!

2011-02-07T04:37:00.000-08:00

Are you an aspiring author? Would you like some help polishing your writing? Do you want to find out more about the Holy Grail of getting published? Maybe you'd like to receive some mentoring from a published author, someone with experience both as a teacher and as a writer, someone who could give you the benefit of supportive criticism to help your development as a writer?

If you've answered 'yes' to any of the above questions, then you might be interested in our special offer. You'll have heard, no doubt, of Tiny Acorns, the course anthology of new writing that was generated by the e-course offered by Tim Atkinson last year. What you might not realise is that the entire course - all ten lessons - in printed in the book as an Appendix. Now when the course first ran, students were allocated to on-line peer mentoring groups where they could submit their work and receive feedback from their fellow students. But although the course includes all the writing exercises that the would-be authors did, there isn't really any way of getting the same kind of feedback on them. Until now. Because Tim has generously offered to take ten lucky authors under his wing and provide e-coaching to them as they work their way through his writing course. This offer is open to anyone who buys a copy of Tiny Acorns direct from us (and not through Amazon or Lulu) during the month of February. In addition to making your purchase here, you'll need to send us an email (dotterelpress@gmail.com) informing us that you'd like to participate. Clearly not everyone who buys the anthology in February will want or need such free tuition. But if you do, then simply buy a copy of the book, and let us know. It's as simple as that. And if you know somebody who you think would appreciate such help, then let them know. Or maybe even buy them a copy of the book!

Good luck!

*Offer open to ten purchasers of the anthology 'Tiny Acorns' when bought direct from Dotterel Press during February 2011 and who follow the creative writing course as printed in the book's Appendix. This offer includes personal feedback on each on the course units (one per unit) plus general advice and support on various aspects of the student's writing. At the end of the sessions, the student will receive a report based on the progress they've made together with an action-plan detailing the steps the student should consider taking following the successful completion of the study programme. If more than ten qualifying entries are received, the offer will be available to the first ten purchasers drawn at random on March 1st 2011.

Have you been published?

2011-02-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

If you were one of the lucky writers included in the 'Tiny Acorns' anthology, here's a badge you might like for your blog. It's simple: grab the code and paste it as an html gadget in your side-bar and everyone will know that you're a published author.

Me and my big mouth...

2011-01-22T00:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's where Tim was earlier this week - guest-posting on Scott Pack's blog. And this is what he wrote...

So you want to be an author. Who doesn't? And once you are, you'll want to be published won't you? Who wouldn't? I did. And I know a lot of others in the same position. Which is why - with a friend - I decided to do a bit about it last year.

First up came a bit of author training. Everyone does creative writing courses these days; someone I knew signed up for one, but it was cancelled. She was devastated. Hastily I promised to write her a set of online lessons and, well, the rest is history. Over 100 people formally registered and completed my creative writing e-course. Most were allocated to one of several online peer support tutorial groups, but many hundreds more followed the lessons informally week-by-week, or downloaded them direct from my Bringing up Charlie blog.

The next problem was what to do with all the top-quality writing the students had produced. We decided to publish an anthology, and at the same time start a tiny publishing venture that might just help bring new authors to the attention of a small group of discerning readers. So Dotterel Press was born and our first publication was the charity anthology ‘Tiny Acorns’. Featuring the work of several new, unpublished authors and covering genres as diverse as flash-fiction, more traditional short stories as well as life-writing, humour, poetry and autobiography, it's an inspiring read. And if you are, the book contains the entire ten part creative writing course so you can have a go yourself.

We're not going to make anyone any money. In fact, what we do make we're going to give to charity. But we are going to get the best new writing into print. And we're looking for something different, something big publishers in the current climate couldn't hope to take a punt on, something good that nobody else could've written.

It's a bit like the theory of evolution, as applied to publishing. Not all our literary mutations will survive; but those that do will change the world! Which is another way of saying that we're doing what 'big' publishers used to have the time and cash to do - to gently 'grow' new authors and, perhaps, start new careers.
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2011-01-04T01:49:00.001-08:00

First, let me wish you all a Happy New Year. 2010 was exciting, what with the publication of our anthology and the launch of what we think is the only charity fundraising publishing initiative in the UK. But we want to make 2011 even better, and we've got some exciting news to reveal later in the year.

But first, we still have several dozen copies of the initial print-run of Tiny Acorns in stock and we've decided to extend our offer of free UK post and packing. We'd really like to be able to say we've sold out of the books soon, not least so we can donate a healthy sum to Children in Need. If you watch BBC's Countryfile you'll know that they're still selling their 2011 calendar and making a virtue of the fact that £4 of the proceeds from every sale goes to Children in Need. Well, £5 from the sale of every copy of Tiny Acorns bought direct from us will go to Children in Need. And although donations can be made throughout the year, we'd really like to make ours soon.

So here's the challenge. If you are a contributor you'll obviously want your work to be read as widely as possible; as a student of creative writing you might want a reminder of the e-course that ran on Tim's blog last summer; and as a writer you'll want to support the work of your fellow scribblers and spread the word far and wide. So we'd like each one of you to try and secure just one more sale during January. If you know a keen reader, tell them what a feast awaits them; or if you know a budding writer, persuade them how the book and course might inspire and direct them. Use your powers of persuasion to try and sell just one more copy; if you can sell more, so much the better. But if everyone thought long and hard about a bit of gentle arm-twisting we'd soon be able to get that cheque written.

Finally, a word about international sales. These are available through POD publication via Lulu all over the world. Our stock - and our offer of free postage - is intended for UK customers. But thanks to Lulu nobody need miss out on an opportunity to support a worthy charity as well as read some top quality writing.

Tiny Acorns in the news!

2010-12-18T05:13:00.000-08:00

Our debut charity anthology Tiny Acorns has begun to receive a little local publicity. The Boston Standard ran a piece on it this week You can read the article on-line here: Boston blogger launches charity anthology. Every little shout or mention, however brief, helps us sell more copies and raise more money.

Have you seen 'Tiny Acorns' in the news? If so, leave a comment with the link and tell us all about it.

The Hating Game

2010-12-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Talli Roland's debut novel The Hating Game is out today! And Dotterel Press is pleased to be helping Talli hit the Kindle bestseller list at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk by spreading the word today. Even a few sales in a short period of time on Amazon helps push the book up the rankings, making it more visible to other readers.

No Kindle? Download a free app at Amazon for Mac, iPhone, PC, Android and more. Coming soon in paperback. Keep up with the latest at www.talliroland.com.

About THE HATING GAME:

When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she's confident she'll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she's perfected from years of her love 'em and leave 'em dating strategy. After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £200,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it's revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end?

NaNoWriMo

2010-11-28T03:25:00.000-08:00

Well, the novel-writing month that is November is nearly at an end. If you're a NaNoWriMo writer, here's a tempting offer: we're offering one lucky writer a direct route to publication. Yes, your NaNoWriMo novel could soon appear in print, and sooner than you think. All you have to do is make a bid below. We're auctioning the chance to fast-track your novel into the hands of our avid readers. The highest pledge made to this year's Children in Need Appeal as part of our auction, wins the coveted prize of publication. If you're not sure what Dotterel Press is about, check out our website. We're small; we're not-for-profit. But we are for high-quality,our original writing. We like to think our books say something different. We like to imagine that our writing is unique. We hope our authors are as committed as us to saying something that might never have been said before.

So, if you think you're novel fits the bill why not give it a go? Leave a comment below with your bid, and we may be in touch. It could be you!

*we reserve the right to refuse publication on the grounds on offensive or otherwise unsuitable material. All pledges must be paid before production can proceed. For a novel to qualify for print-run publication the pledge must also meet production costs. Otherwise publication will be 'print on demand' and distribution through our on-line store.

We've published!

2010-11-19T06:44:00.000-08:00

Our debut publication - Tiny Acorns - has been launched at last, and on Children in Need day! Here are some pics of the product just to whet your appetite.

And if you want to browse inside the book, you can do that too. Just head over to our Online store and have a scroll through the pages. It's just like being in a bookshop!

Buying options are as follows: click the PayPal 'add to cart' option, select the quantity required and we'll have them parcelled up and dispatched within the UK as soon as possible. For our international customers, click the 'Buy Now' button at the top of the preview (it appears when the mouse/cursor moves to the top of the display) and our print-on-demand book or downloadable e-book will be delivered courtesy of Lulu.com, who are acting as our printer and distributor for international sales.

And don't forget, every copy you buy helps BBC Children in Need. If we exhaust our print run we'll be handing them over £500, not counting e-book and international sales.

Tiny Acorns

2010-11-11T02:58:00.000-08:00

We've had a lot of fun with this project, never more so than when handling the finished product (albeit only as a proof) which arrived in the office yesterday. It's now in the tender care of our printers, MPGBiddles Ltd and should - fingers crossed - be out in time for the official launch day next Friday, November 19th. Why next Friday? Well, because that's BBC Children in Need day, that's why.

More details soon...

Things are happening

2010-10-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

Tiny Acorns

an anthology of new writing

Looks good, don't you think? And - with a couple of exceptions - every one of the authors included has been informed as is even as we speak checking and re-checking their submissions. The quality of submissions has been impressive; the result is a varied and entertaining book covering the genres of fiction, poetry and life-writing. And all proceeds from its sale are going to the BBC Children in Need appeal. We really couldn't have asked for a better cause to support, and we're delighted to be 'doing our bit'. All of which means, of course, that the book will be available shortly. It's looking tight to get it produced in time for this year's televised appeal, but we're confident we can have it in the (virtual) bookshops in time for Christmas, priced £9.99 inc. P&P.

Most pleasing of all has been the enthusiasm, support and appreciation of the students and writers involved. Almost without exception people have been so positive about the venture, it's made the hard work at this end more than worthwhile.

But of course, you can't please everyone. Even a free writing course, created in what little spare time Tim Atkinson might possess, and an offer of publication isn't enough for some people. Ok, so there were problems with the (voluntary) e-support network, and the type-setting might not be to everybody's taste. But what can you say, other than that a full refund is guaranteed?

Some people, publishers, and writing course tutors are paid to be good; we, evidently, are good for nothing.

At least, we like to think so.

News of the anthology

2010-10-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

First, just a quick reminder: the submission deadline has now closed although we are still holding space for one or two pieces where authors have contacted us prior to the deadline. And having sifted through the entries and begun the process of editing and type-setting, I can tell you that there's some extremely fine writing. The entries range from poetry (taking many different forms) to flash and longer fiction; some works are clearly part of a larger project, others are stand-alone pieces. All have the hallmarks of well-crafted and original pieces of writing, and we're really looking forward to the finished project.

We had hoped that, by now, a partner charity would be on-board and we'd be at least some way down the road of teaming up in order to provide them with the profits from this little enterprise. Unfortuantely, things have not gone smoothly and we've been somewhat let-down by our first choice. This is where you come in. If anyone out there - either connected with the anthology or not - has contact with a charity that they think might be a willing partner, then please let us know. It can be large or small, but preferably national so that buyers across the UK can identify with it and support the cause. Please either email or leave a comment below; we'll do the rest.

Further details of the anthology to follow. Watch this space!

Want a career in publishing?

2010-08-13T05:42:00.000-07:00

We can't offer you a job, not yet anyway. But we can offer you the chance to develop valuable skills, gain experience and add to your CV. At a time when the publishing industry is more competitive than ever, jobs are being shed and getting that all-important breakthrough can seem impossible, getting the kind of experience that might help get you noticed can be difficult. Here at Dotterel Press we can't offer much, but we might be able to help. We're looking for proof-readers, copy-editors and readers prior to the launch of our first publications. As a non-profit social enterprise, we're not able to offer payment. Well, not in monetary terms. But we can guarantee you'll be paid handsomely by your experience. You'll get vital insights into all aspects of pre-publication, working with authors and editors and helping shape a book from proposal to print-run. It's an exciting opportunity, and if you think you've got what it takes, email me - Gareth Dearson - at dotterelpress@gmail.com for further information.

Exciting news!

2010-07-08T03:51:00.000-07:00

A brief up-date, just to let everyone know that anthology submissions are arriving by the inbox full, and we've already got some really high quality writing. At this rate, we might even have to start thinking about bringing the deadline forward but at present it remains September 30th. We've got poetry, short fiction, life writing, and humour and it's looking very good indeed so far.

If you haven't submitted, but you'd like to, there are two ways of going about it:

If your work is finished, and you're happy with it, email it as a word or text doc. to dotterelpress@gmail.com;
If it's not yet ready, but you want to submit and you're sure it'll be done by September, please email a brief outline (subject, style, approximate number of words etc.) to dotterelpress@gmail.com

It's as simple as that.

And if anyone's planning to submit a full-length piece of writing or a poetry collection to Dotterel Press, please have a look at the Dotterel Press website where our submissions guidelines can be found.

Anthology ahoy!

2010-06-23T00:06:00.001-07:00

As most of you will know, my business partner Dotterel has been running a creative writing e-course for the past few weeks. At the last count there were almost 100 people taking part, and we're hoping all of them will be able to contribute at least one piece of writing, maybe more, to the course anthology. So today we thought it might be a good idea to go through some of the details.

The book has already been assigned its ISBN (978-0-9562869-1-8) and we've got an idea for the title (based on something Tim said when the writing course was beginning to take off - any guesses?) and the cover. We have an account with printers MPG Biddles and plan to have the book out in time for Christmas. What we need, of course, is content.

All rights to your work will remain with the author: you will retain copyright and have permission to reproduce, resubmit and seek remuneration from your work at all times, just not in the format published in the course anthology. (For example, we wouldn't like you photocopying the pages and sending them to another publisher - mind you, neither would they.) I'm afraid - in keeping with our aims as a social enterprise publisher - there'll be no payment, and profits from the sale of the book will be donated to a charity.

Obviously we hope everyone will want to take this opportunity to have a piece of writing published. We're hoping it will make a great Christmas present; we'll be selling copies of the book directly from our website and we're hoping to get it listed on Amazon too.

If you have any questions about the anthology, please submit them below in the comments box. And keep checking back here for further news.

Welcome!

2010-06-18T06:03:00.000-07:00

The Dotterel Press blog is now live, although we're not quite ready yet to take submissions yet you can check out our new Dotterel Press website and discover all there is to know about a brand-new publishing initiative.