Greetings from Sydney, Australia which is in the throes of late autumn (it’s warm and balmy in case you’re curious!) Things may have been a little quiet at Words Away while I’m on the road but not out of mind. Last month’s Zalon was an engaging encounter with publisher and editor Federico Andornino. Fede is Executive Publisher at Sceptre, the literary imprint of Hodder & Stoughton. He’s published many bestselling and prize-listed books including Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers, Murder Before Evensong by the Reverend Richard Coles and Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason amongst others. If you’d like to catch up with Fede’s talk, laden with brilliant advice and industry insight for writers, you can watch the zalon on demand here.

Fede’s taste in books, he said, lies at the more accessible end of literary fiction, i.e. plot driven with a good story. He likes to publish across genres to include literary fiction with elements of sci-fi or fantasy, crime and stories in translation. Publishing a book is a team effort, he said, and while the moment of acquisition is exciting, his role is to rally the troops and keep that enthusiasm going until publication. Other tasks include nurturing a back list by finding new readers for cherished books like Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell, which is about to celebrate its twentieth anniversary.

The audience had lots of questions too, with interest in how to build a sustainable career to the intricacies of advances, royalties and bidding wars! Fede had some especially helpful advice for writers submitting manuscripts for the first time; what to include in a cover letter, how to pitch your book and for those further along, tackling second novel syndrome. With thanks to Fede for an excellent discussion!

Coming up next at Words Away: 15th May, 7-8pm, in conversation online with Claire Fuller. Her fifth novel, The Memory of Animals, has just been published. We’ll be discussing Imagining and Writing Literary Dystopias and looking at the creative challenges and possibilities of character, plot, structure and pacing. All Claire’s books will be offered at 10% discount on the night, supplied by P&G Wells Bookshop. On the 20th May I’m running an in-person afternoon event, a Four Elements Workshop, led by Andrew Wille at the Phoenix Gardens in Central London: click for more information here. Andrew’s workshops are fun, inspirational and offer new ways to energise your writing practice.

Until then, I’ll be catching up with my Aussie family and friends and posting the odd picture from Aus on Instagram (if you’re that way inclined). Thanks for reading and hope to see you at an event soon!

Kellie

Links:

Federico Andornino