Bernie pic

Bernie pic
Bernie

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Publish your anthology Part 2


Now available world-wide in every format
Now available world-wide in every format
by Bernie Dowling
Our first thrilling episode on how your group can produce your own anthology ended with the cliffhanger of your being on the threshold of publishing.
As with those ancient pre-movie serials we quickly replay the action from the first episode. Our Writers Anthology Group (WAG) of the Arts Alliance Pine Rivers decided to do an anthology. We set up an editorial committee and found a sponsor, the late Peter Campbell.
We drew up a leaflet inviting writers to enter a short story and/or one or two poems. A  payment of $20 would buy one copy of the anthology if the story was accepted. If it was rejected the $20 would be returned.
We distributed the leaflets in libraries, our local art gallery and among writers’ groups.
(Anyone who buys a copy of either of our anthologies Serendipity (2013) or Alpha and Omega (2014) will have access to all out support material. Email bentbananabooks@gmail.com)
In the first instance, we requested the unpublished story as a print copy.
In earlier anthologies we asked for the phrase which was the book title to be included in the story.
For Sweet and Sour we asked for a comic story and/or a drama/ thriller. Each writer had only one story published.
The past two anthologies had broad options asking only that story in some way relate to the book title.
Our editorial committee edited the hard copy with two editors assigned to each story. Suggestions were sent to the submitters. Further edits were done through email.
After the initial run of the anthology, copyright reverted to the authors with Bent Banana Books and WAG retaining publishing rights for reprints with no further royalties paid.
Authors could pre-order further copies, last year at $15 each.
We had enough money in the kitty to order one copy for each author, 10 copies for our sponsor, the pre-order copies and copies for sale and giveaways to our local libraries and sometimes to our illustrators.
The editorial committee worked without pay as did out illustrations editor/ cover designer, Ken Armstrong. Not-for-profit WAG holds excess funds on behalf of writers. Last year we invested in trophies and prizes for senior high school writers.
Out editorial committee for at least the past two volumes has been Myself, Vera Murray, David MacLaughlin, Anne Olsson, Lorraine Noscov and Ronald Holt.
We send out our call for submissions in November and December and have the book launch 10-11 months later. It gives us plenty of time to get it right.
So how did we physically publish the anthology? That’s where we leave you on the edge of your chair, eagerly awaiting Part 3.

Here is our song about the contest for meaning.

Friday 14 November 2014

Publish your short story



Available world-wide from October 25
Available world-wide
Part 1
Alpha and Omega is the fifth annual anthology by writers from my area of Australia.
We have more than 20 writers each year contribute short stories and poetry.
As a  journalist, I am the only professional writer in our group but we have produced a good-looking   product with some cracking yarns and thoughtful poetry.

Wednesday 12 November 2014

When Arthur Met Trudy

The first critic declares
The first critic declares
The first customer review of Jane Sharp’s Vision IV: The Reluctant Psychic Blooms is in..
We will let reviewer Arthur speak for himself

Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful! November 10, 2014
By ArthurW
What a shame this is the last one in the series! I really like this author’s style. Her characters are ‘real people’ – what they think, what they say, how they feel. The descriptions of the locales make you feel you are actually there. And the story line is not just real-world but allows me, the reader, to use my own imagination to add to the content – one of the qualities I look for in books.
Trudy, the heroine, is starting a new life – following her passion, I suppose, and immediately meets situations that key in to her special abilities. Danger, nastiness, evil but also friendship, caring and protection. The full spectrum is here. I must be changing into an old romantic (something for which I blame Trudy and her powers!!!)
There have to be more in this series, Ms Sharp.

Vision IV: The Reluctant Psychic Blooms is available from
KOBO

Before I introduce our song, I would like to share some amazing sculptures from World War I soldiers. These photographs were release to coincide with Remembrance Day, November 11, this year, commemorated by Commonwealth countries.
Now for our song which references both Jane's book and war.

Wednesday 5 November 2014

Save the Book: Vision of a new star writer

Save the Book: Vision of a new star writer: Vision of a new star writer Bent Banana Books is proud to announce the 4 th  and final eBook in Jane Sharp’s Vision series. ...

Vision of a new star writer

Vision of a new star writer
Vision4 cover
Bent Banana Books is proud to announce the 4th and final eBook in Jane Sharp’s Vision series.
Jane is a rare talent soon to be praised as an exponent of popular literature.
To celebrate Vision IV: The Reluctant Psychic Blooms, Vision I and Vision III are available for 99 cents from November 6 (US time) at 99 cents for a limited time.
Here are the details of the Vision series.
VISION
Vision
Vision: The Reluctant Psychic introduces police detective Trudy Harper who battles with acceptance of her erratic ability which she knows will be lampooned by her hard-bitten colleagues.
Five graphic and sometimes macabre short stories bring the mundane and the Otherworld together.
Author Jane Sharp brings refreshing realism and splashes of humor to a popular genre.
Meet chilling and heart-warming spirits as Trudy battles for justice in this world and its parallel.
Vision II
Trudy, she’s back.
Reluctant psychic, Detective Trudy Harper, is back with her paranormal “gifts’’ stronger but still beyond her conscious control.
And that could be deadly for the living and undeadly  for troubled spirits.
Vision II: The Reluctant Psychic Returns follows the ghost mystery series debut of suspense stories which gathered reader praise including favorable comparisons with police procedural television shows, The Mentalist and Law & Order.
Viswion III cover
Psychic detective Trudy Harper flees Australia to England after the murder of her police partner.
She has surrendered her badge but she cannot set aside her troublesome psychic gifts.
In more psychic mysteries, Trudy finds anguish, horror and suspense amid scenes of ordinary domesticity.
Trudy is called upon to use her police procedural skills administer justice across two worlds and the “in-between”. Her own romantic happiness, her loved ones and her physical safety are in jeopardy as the psychic detective finds you can fly but you cannot flee your inner world or the supernatural one.
Everybody loves Trudy Harper. Except for the living and the dead who want to kill her.
The Reluctant Psychic Blooms is the final eBook in the popular Vision series starring Jane Sharp’s psychic detective Trudy Harper.
Trudy moves to the country and makes a new friend in female vet Gus who needs help.
Gus’s father Paul is a skeptic and 15 years older than Trudy. But they become a psychic crime fighting duo. And perhaps more?
These tales set in Australia carry the Sharp signature of suspense, the clash of the domestic and the supernatural, and off-beat humor.
Here us our song, one of my faves. Pretend it's Jane
.