Why I've been to Parliament and self publishing tips from a best-selling indie writer
PLUS News, events & opportunities and why Write Reject Repeat is changing
My dear wordsmiths,
Happy Halloween and all that blather - in case you’ve forgotten it’s time to turn off all the lights and pretend you’re not in. (Just me?)
Today you can expect:
Why I went to Parliament.
Top self publishing tips from a best-selling indie writer ( as requested by reader Warren)
Why & how I’m changing Write Reject Repeat
Events and opportunities for writers and journalists
It’s been a week. I’ve been back to Parliament (Westminster, London) for a reception for #JournalismMatters week. It’s always fascinating to glimpse behind the veil and see that view from the terrace next to the Thames, meet others from across the industry and hear how politicians plan to support independent journalism. We heard from Lisa Nandy MP - the culture secretary and a northerner - who said the Government will protect “fearless, truthful journalism” which holds power to account and gives voice to the voiceless. Watch this space.
But what was most interesting to me was that Shadow Culture Secretary Julia Lopez MP hosted and also spoke at the event - despite the political divide. Women supporting women? It’s probably no coincidence that journalist safety was on the agenda as a priority, something on my radar again as a journalism leader in the light of threats to female staff and recent riots- and something I’m super conscious of since leading an editorial team locally on the ground during the Nicola Bulley inquiry (and as a woman myself).
I’ve also had a day off in London which was lovely - not counting Euston station or the sweaty train ride home. I revisited Leake Street Arches for the tagging vibes and Borough Market for the mac and cheese.
Also, my car broke down (not lovely). The car mechanic literally turned it off and again (he unplugged the battery and plugged it back again - lol) and it started again. It remains patchy, much like my broadband. Scariest of all - I took my niece and nephew pumpkin carving and they were let loose with a big knife which meant a very near miss for me when my nephew got a little over-enthusiastic. Let’s just say I would have had a ready made pirate costume with my eye patch if he’d excavated my eyeball. Lucky escape.
Making changes
But first I want to be honest with you. This newsletter has now been up and running for more than a year (I missed the anniversary as I was travelling). This will be my 65th edition and it’s a lot of work. Many of you seem to value it as my numbers are on the up - albeit slowly and organically as I didn’t start with a huge mailing list - and my open rate is high even though I have a day job and little time for promotion. So, prompted by some of you - you know who you are - I’ve decided to start charging a subscription fee for Write Reject Repeat.
I have no plans to gatekeep key opportunities for those starting out in writing and journalism as that simply wouldn’t be fair. There will still be some regular free editions and you will get to see previews. And I’m keeping the fee as low as is possible at £4.99 a month.
As a result, plans are afoot to switch up the content and share information, tips and advice from my personal writing journey and day to day in journalism, plus my radio presenting, that I would prefer is only going to people who are willing to invest in the information. A huge thankyou to anyone who has pressed that button - I see and value every single one of you.
Self-publishing tips from best-selling indie writer Gemma Ray:
Last week I was asked by one of you to get some tips on self-publishing. I am not self-published myself so I turned to my former BBC Radio co-presenter and absolute self-publishing legend Gemma Ray - the queen of self development. You can buy Gemma’s titles from Amazon. Here is the link to her first best-seller Stop procrastinating and start living but please check them all out.
Gemma has asked me to re-iterate that technology is moving quickly in self-publishing and every innovation makes it a little bit easier (and cheaper) so it is key to keep up to date with the latest - she last used KDP two years ago - and other publishing platforms are available. This information is from her experience as an author and also from helping businesses produce books and literature as a consultant.
Question from Warren: I was wondering what tips you’ve picked up/heard of for self-publishing. I did a kids book years ago with a friend using blurb but it was so expensive per copy it seemed a waste of time. My wife has written a great wee children’s book (and I’ve read a lot to compare it against the last few years!) and has put it out to a few companies and had no nibbles. It would be a shame to leave it on a laptop tho as it’s really good. Be great to get any thoughts based on what you’ve heard in a future newsletter?
Response from Gemma: (please note this is from one person’s experience only)
I don’t know what blurb is but you can self publish a book without it costing anything. In terms of a children’s book - I had a friend who created hers entirely using Canva for example.
I was also able to make PDF copies of workbooks and upload to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and get them printed. The reason I did this rather than going to a printer was because we wanted my client to have a link where people could download and pay for it and she didn’t have to keep copies. The way it works in terms of self publishing there is a print cost and you keep the rest of the royalties - if you imagine you are not paying for the print run so it’s worth it. Hack: You can also order author copies on KDP at a lower price.
You can also make book covers on Canva that print OK. At the time I did it hard covers weren’t a thing but I believe they are now. You have to be aware the paper cover is thin and flimsy - you can choose the (quality of) paper but it impacts your royalties. The glossy covers look more professional than matt.
It’s do-able and not that difficult, you don’t need a lot of technical knowledge apart from Canva and re-sizing documents. Tip is to order a couple and check if you need to any re-sizing or change paper size/quality, before committing to a large order. It’s not as hard as people think and well worth having a go.
In terms of promoting, Amazon ads are good but Facebook ads are even better. You get a better return on Facebook and Instagram ads but does require a marketing strategy. Hope that helps!
Many thanks to Gemma. If you are self published and have any advice - please share! Everyone’s experience is different.
News, events and, opportunities:
Journalism:
#LoveYour campaign: Led by yours truly again hence the plug, National World's regional reporting teams across the UK are celebrating their local communities with a new campaign #LoveYour - and inviting residents to do the same. The campaign is a love letter to the local communities the news teams live and work in - from amazing pubs to local food. Launched to coincide with the annual ‘Journalism Matters’ week from October 28, journalists are talking about what their local community means to them and engaging with readers to share their favourite go-to and what they are proud of. Readers can also submit what they love in words or /an video format to their local title HERE
Women In Journalism (WIJ) Language Matters Panel: Monday November 4: A lively panel discussion of authors and journalists discussing why language really matters - especially when talking and writing about women. Queen of Words Susie Dent, of Countdown and 8 out of 10 Cats fame, will be asking the panellists for their experiences and advice. Panellists include Joss Evans ( WiJ deputy chair & ITV News social team lead), Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff (award-winning editor and writer) and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (Political Commentator and author.)
The 2025 Newspaper Awards: Now open for entries, the entry form for The 2025 Newspaper Awards is now available to download from the website. The 2025 Newspaper Awards are the only awards to focus entirely on recognising excellence in the printed newspaper.
Books and writing:
Author Glenda Young guests on the North East’s premier podcast: Glenda chats on Sunderland Echo’s Wearside Echoes podcast, which is all about Sunderland and its wonderful past. In this episode the host - Echo journalist Chris Cordner - chats to Glenda whose childhood on a council estate in Sunderland was filled with love. She tells how she wrote little stories which she put at the back of her bedroom drawer and it inspired her to become best-selling author when she grew up. Available across all podcast platforms.
BBC 500 words writing competition for children: The competition, which is supported by BBC Teach, encourages children of all abilities to dive deep into their imagination and write the story they would love to read in 500 words or less, without fear of spelling, grammar or punctuation errors. Open to ages 5-7 years and 8-11 years, all stories need to be typed and submitted by an adult by 9pm on Friday November 8. This year’s stellar line up of judges include Malorie Blackman, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Olivia Dean, Sir Lenny Henry, Charlie Higson and Francesca Simon and the expert panel will be chaired by The One Show’s Alex Jones.
Thanks to everyone for reading - please consider a subscription ahead of next week’s changes. And I love to hear from you, so please keep in touch. Many thanks & keep writing, Nicola x