News Archive

We're currently reorganising the site, so this page currently contains all our archived news stories.

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Autumn 2009

Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass...

Anton Chekhov 1860–1904 Playwright (Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters, The Seagull)

This month's quote was inspired by our work on The Novel – A Perfect Recipe by prize-winning author Carolyn Lewis. Carolyn has written a comprehensive guide to polishing your novel to perfection, complete with hints, tips and exercises. This is a must-read for anyone who truly believes they have a book in them. Carolyn demonstrates how to breathe life into your characters, successfully map your plot, and make a scene real for readers by 'showing' them a scene rather than 'telling' what's happening in dry reported prose. The Novel – A Perfect Recipe will be available in January 2010.

SilverWood site redevelopment
Our design partners Redwing are currently working on a redevelopment of the SilverWood Books website and online bookshop. We're really excited about it, and hope you'll keep any eye on our progress by dropping in to silverwoodbooks.com over the next few weeks, where you'll see a smart new homepage and increased functionality in the bookshop.

As part of the website redevelopment, we've also revamped some of our services, especially the pre-press packages and printing options. We're now offering Bronze, Silver and Gold pre-press packages, and – in order to offer you some cost-effective deals in the current harsh economic climate – we've adjusted some of our prices to offer better value for money.

And with pinched pockets in mind, we're running a Buy Now, Publish Later promotion. Sign up before 30th October 2009 and get £50 off any of our pre-press packages... don't worry if your next project isn't quite ready yet, simply buy your pre-press package before the closing date and submit your manuscript when it's completed.

New book promotion tool
We're delighted to introduce a new 'see inside' function using BookBuzzr, courtesy of fReado.com. Clicking the see inside link lets you flip the pages of some of our titles, read extracts, zoom in or out, and generally get a taste of a book before you decide to buy. Bookbuzzr also has great advantages for our authors because if they have accounts with Twitter, Facebook and other social network sites, they can share the BookBuzzr widget with all their contacts and spread the word about their book.

See BookBuzzr in action or read what the Press are saying.

Finally, if you're stuck for Christmas gifts you might like to take advantage of our special offer price on Maggie Ashford's colourful Memories of a Piermaster's Mistress – reduced from £20 to £16.95.

August

We're currently updating our website and services to make publishing with SilverWood Books easy, quick and better value for money.

Please sign up for our newsletter to be notified of all the exciting changes and a chance to get £50 off one of our new publishing packages!

July

This month's quote is from the brilliant Stephen King, who says, "Books are the perfect entertainment – no commercials, no batteries, hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent. What I wonder is why everybody doesn't carry a book around for those inevitable dead spots in life."

With that celebration of books in mind, it's pleasing to report that the list of titles in the 'Coming Soon' section of our homepage continues to grow, with forthcoming projects to include a new novel by Alec Wright. Deadly Hazard promises to be as much of an exciting page-turner as the excellent Double Hit... move over, Dick Francis!

Alec Wright's previous novel Double Hit was featured in the June edition of Golf News and also appeared on the Number 1 golf blog golfblogger.co.uk. Now the book looks set to be featured in the next issue of Golf NorthEast. Double Hit is great summer read, described by Golf Monthly as "one of the best golf novels we've read in ages". But you don't have to be a golfer to enjoy the masterful twists and turns – this is recommended reading for fans of Dick Francis and Robert Ludlum!

Earlier in the month, Redland High School held their annual induction morning for new Year 7 pupils. Headmistress Caroline Bateson gave each girl a copy of the new edition of Getting it Right at Redland High School. Now in its third year of publication with us, the book is written from the point of view of a fictional Year 7 pupil and is an entertaining but essential guide to life in the senior school.

Tina Coulsting Carter's Get the Presentation X-Factor! received a centre-page feature in Western Daily Press on 8th July. The author is due to give two seminars at Borders on 15th and 22nd October. So if you're interested in finding out more about presentation skills, or want to pick up some tips about how to conquer nerves before your next public speaking engagement, then get yourself along to Borders, Queens Road, Clifton, Bristol (15th and 22nd October 6.30pm).

On 11th July, Waterstones in Bristol played host to an awards ceremony which announced the finalists of The Bristol Short Story Prize. SilverWood's Helen Hart has been involved with the prize for two years now, this year on the official reading team. A full write up of the ceremony and launch of BS2, this year's anthology of the Bristol Short Story Prize, will be in our August newsletter.

We're currently trialing a new online preview site where you can read the first 20 pages of some of our titles at fReado.

Finally, don't forget that ordering books from our online bookshop is secure and easy – and we've reduced our UK p&p to only £1.25!

June

We've chosen Margaret Atwood's words for our June quote: "Writing is not a job description. A great deal of it is luck. Don't do it if you are not a gambler because a lot of people devote many years of their lives to it (for little reward). I think people become writers because they are compulsive wordsmiths."

Do you Twitter? We're tweeting regularly now, so if you do too then please follow us: SilverWoodBooks.

Earlier this month, author Graham Cawley (Fatal Retribution) gave a talk to the Ealing branch of The University of the Third Age (U3A), the nationwide learning cooperative of older people who share educational, creative and leisure activities. Graham was asked to deliver his talk in two half-hourly sessions, the first being about his career in Lloyds Bank and the second about his second 'career' as a writer. Graham says, "These two sessions gelled nicely, because my first two crime novels have a retail banking background and their 1950's setting in South Devon is where I started my career." Although not autobiographical, the novels' main protagonist is a small-town bank manager who is faced with and then solves a variety of banking-orientated crimes - with a little help from the police. Not only did Graham talk about his books (resulting in encouraging sales on the day), but he was able to give writing tips to his receptive audience of some 80 members. In particular, he covered the need for effective openings; simplicity in language and style; life-like, but not like-life, dialogue; and the importance of not mixing viewpoints. Graham was also able to give a good plug for SilverWood Books!

Graham Cawley giving his talk at U3A:

On June 19th we took a day trip on the world's only sea-going paddle steamer, PS Waverley, to promote Memories of a Piermaster's Mistress with author Maggie Ashford. The officers and crew were very welcoming, and we had a fantastic day despite having to abandon a return to Clevedon due to rough sea. A coach ride home from Penarth wasn't in the original schedule, but everyone stayed cheerful to the end. We sold some books too! If you haven't bought a copy of Maggie's memoir of her 12 years as manager of Clevedon Pier, then for a limited time you can grab a copy at a 25% discount from our online bookshop - just enter code MPM617B when prompted.

The view from the top deck of the Waverley:

We've just taken delivery of boxes of newly-published Overpaid, Over-sexed and Over There in which former Professor of Tourism Management Chris Holloway reveals all about his adventures as a 'limey' in the US Army. Despite being a UK citizen, he was drafted into the US Army in the 1950s and spent two years carrying a Colt 45 and eight rounds of ammunition! We'll be promoting the book over the summer, and hope it gets the Press attention it deserves.

Also this month author Nicholas King (A Decent Deceit) exhibited at the Weaver's Gallery in Ledbury, alongside his wife Helen Dufal King (whose original painting was used for the book jacket). Nick says, "All round it was a positive experience and a good opportunity for further publicity." There was a steady flow through the gallery all week. Helen's painting was much admired and she received a commission for something similar, while Nick sold almost a dozen books and has plans to place further copies in a bookshop in Ledbury town centre.

And finally – in Stop Press News – the ink is just drying on the signed contract for Shaun Ivory's The Judas Cup, a fast-paced thriller in the tradition of The Da Vinci Code. We're aiming to publish in time for the Christmas market.

May

We always seem to start our newsletters by saying how busy it's been this month... so, time to ring the changes! We're going for a different approach by starting with a quote: Edwin Way Teale (naturalist and writer) said "All things seem possible in May" and that's certainly how it feels here. We've been publishing, promoting, and planning...

Early in May, we launched the paperback edition of Alec Wright's thriller Double Hit, a novel which garnered fantastic reviews for the hardback version. Click here for more information or to order your copy, especially if you're a golfing enthusiast or a Dick Francis fan (although neither is obligatory!).

Mid-month, Maggie Ashford was a 'music milestones' guest on Nancy Jackson's 5am Sunday show 'The Alarm Call' on BBC Radio Bristol. Her interview was split over two weeks - 17th and 24th May - and Maggie talked about her life as a grandmother and author, her memories of wartime, and her time working as a fashion buyer, but most of all about her involvement with the restoration of Clevedon Pier.

Dennis Shrubshall's A Tapestry of Verse received some excellent publicity during May. First, the book featured in the book review section of the spring edition of 'Blesmag' (the magazine of BLESMA The British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association). Then Dennis and his work were the subject of an article in the Essex Evening Echo titled 'Poet Dennis donates royalties to charities'. Dennis reports that - so far - he's raised well over £200 for his charities and is heading towards the £300 mark. Keep up the great work, Dennis!

On 21st May our book jacket designer Adrian went to London to attend The Bookseller's Cover Design Seminar. He says, "I was relieved to discover that we're doing a lot of things right with our book jackets – but we can definitely make SilverWood's book jackets even better and improve the way they attract readers in their particular marketplaces." The event featured talks from leading designers and marketing experts including Jon Gray of Gray318 and Duncan Spilling, creative director of Little, Brown.

And finally... two forthcoming events. Nicholas King, author of A Decent Deceit, will be at the Weavers Gallery in Ledbury 8-14th June. The Gallery is open daily 10am to 5pm (12pm to 4pm on Sunday). Nick will be signing copies of his book alongside Helen Dufal King's art and ceramics – which will include the original painting used for the jacket of A Decent Deceit. Also Graham Cawley, author of Fatal Retribution, will be giving a talk at his local U3A group on 11th June. We wish both authors the best of luck, and hope to include a write-up on each event in our newsletter at the end of June.

April

One of the highlights of the month was our visit to the London Book Fair. We visited the Independent Publishers Guild (IPG) stand and made plans for a SilverWood Books profile there next year. We spent some time on the Bowker stand learning how to make our bibliographic data available to the US. And finally we marvelled at the Espresso Book Machine, which is soon to be installed in Blackwell's Charing Cross branch (you'll be able to choose, pay for and see your book printed in less than 5 minutes!). See what the Times Online says about it.

The new novel from Northern Ireland author John Rogers, Marriage Secrets, received a favourable review in the Belfast 'News Letter' on April 4th. Reviewer Louise McIvor says, "This is a comic novel from local author John Rogers and the story fairly zips along, helped by some cracking dialogue, a golf course stripper and much, much more."

Memories of a Piermaster's Mistress author Maggie Ashford was interviewed on the Graham Torrington Show on BBC Radio Bristol on April 20th. Maggie chatted with Graham about her new life as a published author and recalled events from her time at Clevedon's historic Pier.

Kevin Emery, author of The People You Don't See, was featured in the Mercury in his home town of Clevedon, North Somerset on April 23rd. In an article titled "Seven years of work was worth it" Kevin talked about the length of time it took him to research and write his screenplay, which examines the issues surrounding domestic violence.

And finally this month, SilverWood Books has commissioned prize-winning author Carolyn Lewis (Missing Nancy, Accent Press) to write a series of books for creative writing students. The first in the series will be The Novel – A Perfect Recipe, an easy-to-use guide which will help aspiring writers to sharpen their dialogue, hone their plot and breath life into their characters. The Novel – A Perfect Recipe will be launched in early January 2010.

March

March was another busy month which saw us signing Publishing Agreements on several exciting new projects including an intriguing memoir of life in the US Army and an anthology of poetry with an antiquarian quarter-binding, for which we'll be working with binding specialists Bristol Bound.

On Saturday 21st March The British Library played host to our literary lunch which celebrated the launch of Dennis Shrubshall's A Tapestry of Verse. More than a dozen friends and supporters came along to give Dennis's first anthology of poetry a real boost. Documentary photographer Giles Penfound (who wrote a foreword to the book) came along to capture some images of the special day which can be seen below.

This month we went to press with two books: Tina Coulsting Carter's excellent Get The Presentation X-Factor! which is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt nervous about making a presentation or speaking in public. The book is intended for the business community, but its easy-to-understand prose and fun illustrations by Øivind Høvland means that it should appeal to a far wider readership. Kevin Emery's hard-hitting screenplay The People You Don't See went to press in mid-March and we're receiving orders even before publication!

Marriage Secrets by John Rogers is now being stocked by two East Sussex libraries. The book is a comedy-thriller set in Rye with lots of local flavour and familiar locations to amuse residents of the area.

Maggie Ashford's Memories of a Piermaster's Mistress is selling extremely well and is now being stocked in WHSmith's in Clevedon and Roundtrees in Tickenham. A review of the book in the Spring 2009 edition of The Bristol Review of Books says, "The story that Maggie really tells is that of a community which comes together to work towards a single goal. [Her] style of writing is positive, prosaic and forthright, and reinforces the feeling that nothing would have stood in the way of them completing the project once they had decided to become involved".

And finally this month, Nicholas King's A Decent Deceit was mentioned in the March 2009 Newsletter of the Friends of Bristol's Museums, Galleries and Archives:

February

After a busy and productive start to the year, we've made some changes to our pre-press packages and printing options, making our publishing deals increasingly easy to understand.

Our pre-press packages and printing options are modular, so it should be simple to get a rough idea of costs at a glance by selecting what suits you best and adding modules together (pre-press package + printing option + items from the Silver Service menu).

Of course we're always here to prepare a full and detailed estimate when you're ready. All you need to do is email, or telephone during office hours.

We're also preparing a comprehensive Marketing Tips hand-out which will be sent to all future authors with their first print run.

And finally, we've just gone to press with Dennis Shrubshall's A Tapestry of Verse. Dennis is currently arranging a literary lunch at the British Library in London to celebrate the publication of his poetry anthology. Proceeds will be divided between three Forces-related charities, Combat Stress, BLESMA (The British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association) and The National Gulf Veterans and Families Association).

January 2009

Happy New Year to all our authors and readers!

December 2008

After a successful first year in business, SilverWood Books is supporting The National Forest by planting a tree for every title published.

Helen Hart explains, "So many people associate books with trees, and trees with the production of paper. Nowadays, books are generally printed on paper from sustainable sources, but we wanted to make a positive contribution to the environment that still kept that traditional link – so SilverWood Books decided to become involved with The National Forest. Our tree-planting visit to Poppy Wood was extremely enjoyable. We planted a mixture of Ash, Oak and Birch trees, and it was great to get out of the office and use a spade for a change!"

November 2008

Thursday 27th November saw the launch of our latest title, 'Memories of A Piermaster's Mistress'. This delightful new book by former pier manageress Maggie Ashford features an energetic 'Cheers for the Pier' by scientist and broadcaster Adam Hart-Davis.

In her 'Memories...' Maggie recalls her 12 happy years as the manageress of the UK's only fully-restored Grade I listed Victorian Pier in Clevedon, Somerset. She tells the story of a beautiful Pier, the warm friendships that were made, and the people and events that are at the heart of a wonderful seaside town in Somerset.

The colourful book jacket was designed by Bristol-based design company Redwing (red-wing.com) who also produce posters, advertising and literature for The Royal International Air Tattoo, City of Bristol College and Redland High School For Girls.

Voices of the Poppies
On Saturday 1st November, SilverWood Books hosted the launch of Voices of the Poppies, a new anthology of Forces poetry, at the award-winning Jubilee Library in Brighton, with 91 year-old Dame Vera Lynn 'The Forces Sweetheart' making a rare and exclusive appearance.

Read more about the event on the BBC's website.

Photojournalist Giles Penfound, whose photograph of a crouching soldier features on the cover of the book, captured the event. Local photographer Henry Bruce also covered the event - his photos are published on the North Laine Community Association website.

You can buy a copy of Voices of the Poppies through this website, in both hardback and paperback.

Proceeds go to charity FLOW for All - The Forces Literary Organisation Worldwide, who have produced the book which has been released to coincide with Remembrance Day.

Visit The Royal British Legion to make a donation to the Poppy Appeal.

See the Shropshire Star's support for FLOW for All on the Shropshire Star website.

Read what poet Jan Hedger said to her local paper Bexhill Today about the book.

The following images taken at the launch are copyright Giles Penfound.

October 2008

SilverWood Books will host the launch of Voices of the Poppies at the award-winning Jubilee Library in Brighton at 3pm on Saturday 1st November 2008, where 91 year old Dame Vera Lynn 'The Forces Sweetheart' will make a rare and exclusive appearance.

Dame Vera has written an introduction to Voices of the Poppies which has just been published by SilverWood Books to coincide with this year's Remembrance Sunday.

Voices of the Poppies features contemporary work dedicated to and written by current and former Service men and women as well as their friends and families. Several of the poems have been written by children and some are pieces inspired by the First and Second World Wars, as well as current conflicts.

Award-winning photojournalist Giles Penfound will also speak at the book launch, sharing some of his experiences as Chief Press Photographer for the British Army.

This is a free event but guests are welcome, and must have a ticket as numbers at the venue are limited.

For your ticket, please telephone the Jubilee Library in Brighton on 01273 294071

***STOP PRESS***

Voices of the Poppies is featured in the November issue of Best of British magazine:

September 2008

SilverWood Books is delighted to announce the forthcoming publication on 1st November of Voices of the Poppies - an anthology from Forces Poetry.

Dame Vera Lynn (known as the Forces Sweetheart) wrote the wonderful introduction to the book and is to be the guest of honour at the official launch event in Brighton on Saturday 1st November at 3pm.

Two forewords have also been contributed to the book – the first by Deborah Tainsh, mother of US Sergeant Patrick Tainsh (33) who gave his life for his country; the second by Graham Knight, father of UK Sergeant Ben Knight (25) who was one of the 14 servicemen killed when an RAF Nimrod exploded in mid-air over Afghanistan in 2006.

One of the most eye-catching features of the book is its jacket cover. Award-winning photojournalist Giles Penfound, who was the Chief Press Photographer for the British Army for many years, provided the evocative image of the contemplative soldier for the publisher's designers to work with. Giles's work is currently on view and sale at the newly opened Household Cavalry Museum in Horseguards Parade London.

Everyone involved with the publication of Fifty/50 – A Memoir has been so sad to learn that author Lin Sheffrin passed away on Tuesday 9th September 2008.
Rest peacefully, Lin.

August 2008

Two SilverWood authors have recently sent news items to the SilverWood office:

Graham Cawley, author of Fatal Retribution, has raised over £1,600 to date for his chosen charities, and sent a photograph taken with Helen Hart at the London Book Fair earlier this year,

Also this month, Lin Sheffrin, author of Fifty/50, was featured in the current edition of Writers News:

SilverWood Books author in Writers News

June 2008

Graham Cawley, author of Fatal Retribution, was featured in this month's edition
of Writers News, the subscribers section of Writing Magazine

Graham donates the proceeds of his book sales to various charities, including Leukaemia Research and Headway Tunbridge Wells.

So far he has raised £1,200 from sales of Fatal Retribution since the book was launched in April.

Fatal Retribution is a thriller set in a quiet Devon town in the 1950s: when warning of a raid is quickly followed by a threat to his family, David Goodhart, manager of the Barnmouth branch
of National Counties Bank, fears trouble with a capital T.

**STOP PRESS**
JULY 2008 – Graham Cawley's sales receipts top £1500.

Photo-Call on the Pier

Friday 23rd May 2008

SilverWood Books spent the afternoon at Clevedon Pier in Somerset, taking photographs of author Maggie Ashford and her volunteer pier helpers.

After the photo-call, Maggie and publisher Helen Hart were interviewed for a feature
in the Clevedon Mercury

BBC Radio Bristol

Thursday 22nd May 2008

Author Maggie Ashford was Richard Wyatt's guest on BBC Radio Bristol's Breakfast Show, talking about her new book Memories of a Pier Master's Mistress which is due out early next year.

New Author signs Traditional Book Deal

May 2008

New author Maggie Ashford has become the first 'SilverWood Original', offered a traditional publishing deal for her forthcoming book Memories of a Pier Master's Mistress.

Friday 23rd May 2008 marks the tenth anniversary of the re-opening of the
newly-restored Victorian Pier in Clevedon, Somerset.

Maggie Ashford, Pier Mistress for more than 12 years, has written a delightful and absorbing account of her time at Clevedon Pier from 1990 to 2002. In her book, Memories of a Pier Master's Mistress, Maggie recalls her happy and eventful life with her late husband Ivor (the Pier Master of the title) as well as a host of volunteers and local people who generously helped with the day-to-day running of the Pier – welcoming ships and passengers, establishing and managing the Art Gallery and Toll House Shop, and of course coming up with original and exciting ideas to raise the large sums of money needed for the restoration of the Pier.

Memories of a Pier Master's Mistress will be available from early 2009.

Please email us to reserve your copy or to be sent our newsletters, and to keep up-to-date on book launches and signings.

For more information about Clevedon's historic Pier, please visit www.clevedonpier.com

The London Book Fair

18th April 2008

This year publishers, booksellers, literary agents and industry suppliers from all over the world gathered at Earl's Court from 14th to 16th April.

The busy and vibrant London Fair was quite different from the Paris Salon du Livres, with a marked absence of children despite the wealth of colourful and exciting stands devoted to children's publishing.

There was an emphasis on digitisation (where book content is offered electronically) and encouragement to trade publishers to follow the lead of their academic colleagues by making more use of online marketing and social media. The charity English PEN maintained a high profile, lobbying for the rights of persecuted writers around the globe.

SilverWood Books went along to meet authors, distributors and book production specialists.
Mooti PR networked in the Press Room and made sure plenty of press releases were handed out.

We were delighted to have a cup of coffee with Graham Cawley, author of Fatal Retribution and Chain of Events. We also discussed some our forthcoming projects with various publishing industry suppliers.

SilverWood Originals

14th April 2008

SilverWood Books is soon to offer traditional publishing deals to new authors who show considerable commercial appeal.

If you are interestered in submitting work for consideration (fiction or non-fiction) please send a two-page outline, the first 50 pages of your manuscript in double-spaced 12pt type, plus a covering letter telling us about yourself and your writing.

Please include a large SAE with the correct postage and allow 4-6 weeks for a response.

Supporting The National Forest

30th March 2008

After a successful first year in business, SilverWood Books decided to support The National Forest by pledging to plant a tree for every title published.

Helen Hart, Director of SilverWood Books explains, "We encourage our authors to specify Forest Stewardship Council certified paper wherever possible. But we wanted to go further to support responsible forestry and the management of natural habitats for wildlife – so we decided to become involved with The National Forest. SilverWood Books is really excited to be taking part
in the next National Forest tree-planting event in November 2008."

For more information about The National Forest, please visit www.nationalforest.org

Paris Book Fair

SilverWood Books was at the Salon du Livres in Paris on Wednesday 19th March 2008.

We marvelled at some of the beautiful and innovative book jacket designs, walked wide-eyed around the Manga Village, and shook hands with friendly and creative literary people.

165,000 visitors thronged the wide aisles of the spacious Hall 1, Porte de Versaille, despite a hoax bomb threat on the Sunday, which meant the hall was cleared for over an hour.

The week-long fair was organised by the French Publishers Association, and saw authors, publishers, editors and book production specialists gathering to meet each other and the reading public, as well as take part in lectures, seminars, readings and debates.

French publishing is a vibrant, sophisticated and thriving industry, with a focus on content and broad social interest rather than merely maximising commercial sales. There seemed to be something for everyone. Children were actively welcomed, and encouraged to meet authors and buy books (there were 11,500 visiting school children to this year's fair, a rise of 14% on last year).

On the eve of the fair, French ministers signed a deal to support independent bookshops
in France. France's Culture Minister has pledged to make funds available to purchase small bookshops and help them maintain their independence, rather than allow them to be taken over by larger chains.

We took special interest in the French approach to self-publishing, which has more emphasis on content over presentation, but is enthusiastic about individual author promotion, with signings and a proud celebration of self-published works.