Category Archives: Libraries

The Journey into Publishing Part 2 ~The Mission Statement of Eventispress

Once you have made the decision to set up your own publishing company you need to make some fundamental decisions:

1. The name of the company. I found the name ‘Eventis’ when browsing through an obscure book of Roman and Greek Deity. I cannot find reference to it on the internet but the book just listed it as a Goddess of opportunity and news. It suited my needs, continuing in my Roman theme for titles, which I will write about in another blog. I really wished I had written down the name of the book now but at the time I was waiting to have a meeting with Mike Buchannan, a man who has set up his own company, in a small library north of Bedford and put the book down just as he arrived.

a.  Carry out a search to see if anyone else is using it

b. Register the name as company (through Company house or other if in another country)

c. Claim your websites. I claimed http://www.eventispress.co.uk and http://www.eventispress.com

2. The Logo. I chose an obscure font for the logo called Marquisette Bin Lined rather than a picture or symbol.

3. Your Vision. For this you need to answer a few questions:

a.What the ethics of your company?

b.What are you striving to achieve and for whom?

c.What is your ultimate motivation? – Seeing your book in print? – Making money? – Finding a readership who appreciates your writing? – Finding like minded writers? – being more in control? – an awareness of environmental issues?……..

d. Are you only going to publish your own books?

e. If the answer to (d) is ‘no’ then who else might you be willing to publish and under what terms.

f. Are you going to publish e books only?

g. If the answer to (f) is ‘no’ then are you going to just go with POD (Print on Demand) or have a print run

h. Are your target audience more likely to buy paperbacks or hardbacks?

i. If you decide on ‘paperbacks’ who is going to sell it? This subject will be a blog in itself but you may decide to keep costs down and have a website in order to send out the books yourself. This has advantages and disadvantages.

j. How do you intend to market the books?

k. Do you hope to get your books into bookshops?

4. Website Have a company website designed. Ours is still in progress although there is a holding page which explains what the company stands for and how to contact. www.eventispress.co.uk

I am sure I could write one hundred questions and there would still be more. If you find this all a bit daunting then I suggest you look back at Part 1 of this series of blogs and find a company who will do all this for you. Taking this step is not for the feint hearted, I can assure you!

And so what is our vision or the mission statement for ‘Eventispress’?

“Eventispress aims to work with experienced people in order to publish professionally produced quality books in paperback, as e books and in some cases in hardback. Once established, the aim is to publish work of local people initially, working more in the form of a cooperative, where the author takes an active part in the experience. Eventispress sells books both on the internet and through bookshops.”

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Filed under Book Shops, Libraries, Publishing your novel, Writing a novel

Book Launch ~ Ancasta Guide me Swiftly Home on 7th July 2012

The second in the Riduna Series will be launched this Saturday 7th July 2012!

It seems fitting that the launch of my second novel should take place in Woolston, Southampton. In fact there will be a morning of events in Woolston and Bitterne, just over the River Itchen from Southampton.

10 am to 10.50 am                Woolston Library

11 am to 11.50 am                  Bitterne Heritage Centre

12 noon to 1pm                        Bitterne Library

At each venue I will give a short talk and opportunities to answer questions and to sign copies of both books in the series.

Why Woolston?

Ancasta ~Guide me Swiftly Home is a historical saga of a family living in Woolston between 1910 and 1920. It was an era of contrasts, with the exciting birth of Supermarine and the development of flying boats and sea planes marred by the suffering each family faced through the Great War.

Why Ancasta?

Ancasta was the Goddess of the River Itchen from which this novel flows, as family members and other key characters in the story journey to the Channel Islands, France, Turkey and even India. The Romans used to pray to Ancasta for the swift and safe return of travellers leaving the port of Southampton, in the same way as Harriet prayed for the swift and safe return of her family and loved ones.

The cover was designed by a local artist and historian, Colin van Geffen, a well known character in the area who gives talks on the Schneider Trophy and who very kindly supported me while checking the facts in my manuscript also writing a forward, a quote from which you can find on my Ancasta page on this blog.

Come and say hello to me in Woolston or Bitterne this Saturday if you are in the area, where I will be signing copies of Ancasta.

If you cannot make it this Saturday, then watch out for news of further opportunities during the summer and autumn or the novel can be pre ordered on Amazon.

Many thanks to Martyn in the Bitterne Heritage Centre for organising this morning of events!

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Filed under Ancasta, Historical Fiction, Libraries, Southampton, Woolston

To The Shuttleworth Archives ~ Many thanks!

Diana with the Avro504K

In the first few months of my research I spent several days at the Shuttleworth Collection Archives under the guidance of John Benjamin and Richard Greaves. I skimmed through many books about early flight, especially flying boats, Supermarine and the first sea plane carriers used in the Great War. I was also very kindly allowed to bring home a couple of books I wished to read in more detail. (I will write some book reviews later this year)

I believe I’m no different to any other writer of historical fiction in that I only expect to use about 5% of my research materials. At first I use the books as a guide to writing my plan and developing the first draft. During the first draft I found myself homing in on certain aspects and needing to return to the archives for more specific information.

It may seem a little bit strange that I should go to Shuttleworth, especially for information about the history of flying boats, but the main reason is simple; I am fortunate enough to live near-by and their planes often fly over our garden. Once I became a member of the SVAS I was allowed to gain access to the archives and I was greatly impressed by the extensive range of books and other resources available. It is open on a Tuesday, being manned by enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers, meaning that my visits had to coincide with my holidays. This had the bonus of giving me enough time to assimilate my materials, consolidate my ideas and be increasingly specific about my queries.

Both John and Richard were extremely patient with me, often answering emails with smaller queries in the meantime. I was so grateful that, on asking if they would mind checking through my relevant chapters, both gentlemen were willing to check through the complete document. Their support, input and encouragement was invaluable and I can’t thank them enough.

I supplemented these visits with walks around the aircraft in the museum, getting into conversation with the people carrying out maintenance, who give me snippets of detail about the manufacture of the planes, for example the distinctive style of stitching on the wings.

Shuttleworth is unique in that, the majority of the aeroplanes you see in the museum, you can also enjoy the pleasure of watching them fly on one of their monthly air days through the summer. I have written a couple of blogs about these memorable days, and it is certainly a thrill to see planes like the Avro 504, similar to one featuring in my novel, taking off and soaring above our heads. Amazing!

Here is the Shuttleworth Website.

I am pleased to announce that the bookshop at Shuttleworth have agreed for me to do a pre- launch exclusive book signing for 

Ancasta ~ Guide me Swiftly Home

at their

Air Pageant Day

on July 1st

one week before the national launch on July 7th!

Fingers crossed for the weather.

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Filed under Ancasta, Book Shops, Early Flight, Flying Boats and Sea Planes, Libraries, Research, The Shuttleworth Collection, Writing a novel