Manifesting 101 for writers & meet journalist and children's author Jon Peake
News, events and opportunities including The Lakeland Prize, World Book Day, AI for journalists, Book Tok wins & more
My dear wordsmiths,
Another week, another opportunity to say hello to you lovely lot. I’m British, which means I must mention the weather immediately, so I’ll point out the snow right away which was beautiful if inconvenient and brief. The pheasants are not impressed and it’s already melted - much like my 2024 resolutions, extreme gym schedule, and the pile of leftover Christmas chocolate. I clearly didn’t set my goals properly or didn’t really care..
What I am really feeling re-inspired by is my own novel-writing so I’m, as a wise person told me, ‘manifesting that sh**’, as at the end of the day it’s a mixture of goal-setting and intention and achieving your dreams. It’s rare after all - if you think about it - to achieve something meaningful by accident. Instead, life’s up and downs are an opportunity in themselves, just ask this week’s writer guest Jon Peake.
Jon is my former journalism colleague who found himself at the sharp end of a restructuring programme and was made redundant - one of many experienced professionals facing similar in this difficult media climate. He’s taken the opportunity to achieve one of his lifetime goals of writing and publishing a children’s book - but I’ll let him tell the story.
But first please share!
Huge thanks if you have. Now, you may think this is woo woo or you may swear by it, but here’s..
Manifesting for writers & sceptics (an inexpert guide )
WHAT IS IT? Manifesting is the act of making something happen by imagining it and consciously thinking it will happen (Source: Oxford English Dictionary) It is based on the idea you can turn your dreams into reality. Yes, a manifest can also be a detailed document itemising everything on a ship - that’s different 😊
IS IT MADE UP? Look, it’s not a science, but it is a practice that many highly successful people find useful. At the very least it helps you visualise what you actually want from life but it can also be very life-affirming. It’s very trendy across social media at the moment and the practice has exploded/ been commercialised. That doesn’t mean the basics are bogus.
WHAT ARE THE BASICS AND HOW CAN IT HELP WRITERS? A spot of manifesting is likely to be useful to writers as a tool but it’s best not to go overboard - you need to spent that time writing after all and if you are like me - prevarication is the enemy. (Evidence, this newsletter) But to get started, creatively visualise your end goal including what it is, what it looks like, what it will feel like and write it down (‘scripting’ is the manifestation lingo) somewhere you will see frequently.
HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT? To manifest you must intentionally think, act, and live in the way that ultimately leads to what you want. It’s more than positive thinking and willpower. You can’t just say you want to be a best-selling writer and forget about it. Instead adopt that thought - write down your intention and then write regularly, learn about the industry, and reach out. It sounds obvious, but it’s a state of mind, not just an action and you must feel and believe it can happen. Reminder - you are just as capable as anyone else.
WHY IS IT SO POPULAR? In 2020, Google searches for manifesting shot up 669% (source, Vox), and it’s been rising in the years since as the new age practice shot into the mainstream. Interest in the subject actually first began in 2006 with Australian Rhonda Byrne’s controversial The Secret - fast forward to 2024 and books on manifesting are amongst the most popular on the non-fiction shelves of mainstream booksellers.
DOES IT NEED TO BE SPECIFIC? Yes. Don’t just hope for a random writing career for example - you must know exactly where and when and how. Vision boards work well and help you build you goals into your routine with specific, conscious, actions.
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? You need to acknowledge every milestone reached in the process, this is not just wishful thinking but a means to an end. Use of a gratitude journal is a popular practice.
There is much more to Manifestation and I’m no expert - there are lot of books on the subject including:
Manifest - 7 steps to living your best life (2022) by Roxie Nafousi
The Secret (2006) by Rhonda Byrne
The Little Book of Manifest (2022) by Astrid Carvel
The art of manifesting (2022) by Carolyn Boyes
Meet.. children’s author and journalist Jon Peake
'“Self publish if you need to, if you don't try you'll never succeed”
Jon Peake
Tell us about you
I've been a journalist all my working life, from leaving college a year early at 17 to being made redundant last year at 50. I worked for the same company all that time, albeit under a variety of different owners, and had roles as a sports reporter, news reporter, sub editor, editor, digital editor and SEO editor.
I've got three sons and when my youngest two were little they always asked me to make up bedtime stories for them. I decided to try and write one down and ended up with a pretty decent rhyming story based on my middle son Jacob, who was seven at the time, called The Adventures of Jacob McFee - Jacob and the Pirate Ship. He loved it and the colleagues at work I showed it to who had little children said their children loved it as well and that I should try to get it published.
I was busy working six days a week and never got round to it, though I did send the manuscript off to a couple of publishers, who accepted it but wanted me to part fund the project and I didn't have that kind of money at the time. Fast forward a decade or so and with a bit of redundancy money in my back pocket - the book is now self published on Amazon as a paperback and ebook. And it looks great and has had some really amazing feedback.
How did you first develop an interest in writing?
I used to write stories when I was a kid myself on my dad's old typewriter. I've always had a pretty active imagination and daft stories just seem to pop into my head. When I had children of my own I read to them every night. They liked Julia Donaldson's books (The Gruffalo, Tabby McTat, Stick Man etc) and I thought I'd be pretty decent at crafting a rhyming story. I wrote the first Jacob McFee story and then another two, Jacob and the Dragon and Jacob and the Magic Rainbow, which features his brother Ethan (or Goobs as I still call him!) If Jacob and the Pirate Ship does well, then I'll get those illustrated and published too.
What do you consider your biggest achievement so far?
It has to be getting Jacob and the Pirate Ship finally illustrated and published.
It wasn't the easiest of processes to get the illustrations exactly as I wanted them as the freelancer I was using was based overseas, so communication was difficult. I think there were six or seven drafts before I gave it the green light .Then there's a bit of faff involved in self publishing through Amazon KDP, but it's worth it when you finally see your work for sale on the platform.
I don't expect to become a rich man from it as the children's book market is incredibly competitive - my main objective was just to tick it off my list and have a physical product I could read to my grandchildren - when I get some, that is! If it makes me a quid or two, that's a bonus.
I'm still playing around with marketing the book and it's still pretty early days in terms of sales, but it's done ok so far and I've been asked into a couple of schools to read it to the children on World Book Day.
Who is your writing hero?
Well Julia Donaldson is the queen of children's books in my eyes. She's pretty much cornered the market! In terms of who I read, I'm a big fan of Lee Childs - I've read most of the Jack Reacher books - and I like Dean Koontz' style of writing.
What gives you the most joy?
Just hearing that someone's child has enjoyed my book. Isn't that why you write them. I'm not sure how I'd handle negative feedback. I haven't had any yet, so hopefully I won't find out!
What would be your dream career high?
Well it would be lovely for the book to be a huge success and then I could publish the other two and write some more. Then seeing children with Jacob McFee, Fred and Fred's pet flea on their lunchboxes on the way to school. Films, toys - you get the picture.
Top advice and tips
Well, to quote Field of Dreams "If you build it, they will come" - which roughly translates to - if you've got a good idea for a story, write it, get some feedback and if it's positive, give it a go. Self publish if you need to, if you don't try you'll never succeed. And don't neglect the marketing. A book is no good sitting on the shelves or virtual shelves if nobody knows it's there. Get advice, get as much help as you can, but most of all, enjoy yourself.
More details: www.theadventuresofjacobmcfee.co.ukYou can buy The adventures of Jacob McPhee - Jacob and the pirate ship via Amazon HERE
Thanks to Jon and good luck with the book career!
News, events, opportunities & reads
NEWS BookTok strikes again: A London bookshop says TikTok has revived its fortunes through the BookTok hashtag trend. The Notting Hill bookshop, made famous when it inspired the bookshop owned by Hugh Grant’s character in film Notting Hill, went viral on the social app, pushing up profits as young people flooded through the doors to discover new books and authors. Read my beginners guide to BookTok here
NEWS Bill Knox fiction to be republished: Plans to republish the ‘godfather of Tartan Noir’ Bill Knox’s crime fiction classic Thane & Moss have been announced today by Zertex Media, publishers of the popular DCI Jack Logan series. The first of three novels to be reproduced, Deadline, is set for release on January 30th, with the New York Times best-selling series now including a foreword from Scottish author JD Kirk. Known for being a figurehead in Scottish crime writing and reporting for STV’s ‘Crime Desk’, Knox’s thrilling novels will be reintroduced for generations new and old to enjoy, with Deadline originally being published in 1957.
OPPORTUNITY Lakeland Book of the year: Run by Cumbria Tourism, Lakeland Book of the Year celebrates top quality writing inspired by the Lake District, Cumbria. Grace Dent, Rory Stewart and James Rebanks are among the many talented writers who have previously scooped the overall title of ‘Book of the Year’. The 2024 Award will be held at The Castle Green Hotel in Kendal on Tuesday 9 July. To enter, your book must have been released in 2023 and must feature Cumbria in some way. See website (linked above) for how to enter.
EVENT World Book Day 2024: This is your reminder that World Book Day is Thursday March 7. Run by the National Literary Trust, the event provides an opportunity to focus on reading for pleasure, supporting children's autonomy in book choice, and embedding a habit of reading that brings a wide range of benefits. There are lots of events and resources via the website (linked above)
READ Journalist opportunities through AI? Nearly three quarters of news organisations believe generative AI presents new opportunities for journalism, says report. The new report, Generating Change: A global survey of what news organisations are doing with AI, from the JournalismAI initiative at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) surveyed over 100 news organisations from 46 countries about their engagement with AI and associated technologies.
As always, thanks for reading. If you want to feature- just reply to this email or leave a comment. Have. great week and please SHARE! 😀 Love ya, Nicola