The Learning Zone
Features, articles, and information to help you on your publishing journey
What makes a writer?
Having worked for Heinemann and Macmillan, Dr Alison Baverstock wanted to understand: what makes a writer? Why do some authors get published, when others don't? How do authors keep going? Click here to read more about her research: Read more »
Book Sales and Signings
After your book is published, you may wish to use a bookshop promotion services as part of your marketing stratgey. SilverWood often refers its authors to Nigel Roberts Book Sales and... Read more »
Why Publishing Your First Book is Scarily Like Having Your First Baby
In conversation with SilverWood Books, author Sharon King highlighted how your first book is like having your first baby, without the physical pain, but almost as much swearing! Read more »
5 Hurdles for Publishing Your Book: How to Finish Writing
You start writing a book, but down to the last chapters, it can feel like you’ll never finish. How will you know when it’s done? Our authors and publishing team have some brilliant advice on how to finish writing your book. There are no secrets or short-cuts, but here are some common pitfalls which you can avoid: Read more »
The Author's Journey: A Tale of Two Generations with Gillian Morton
In 2018, Gillian proudly published her novel, 'Bombweed,’ after it had been in the family for over half a century. We spoke to Gillian to find out what it was like turning a private family treasure, into a novel that thousands of people will enjoy. Read more »
By the book
Whether you're writing about boxing or baking, sharing your knowledge with others is a fulfilling journey. Find out how to turn your expertise into a non fiction book: Read more »
A Sidekick for your Social Media
Thinking up tweets and scheduling them can be time consuming, but what if other authors tweeted about your books on a regular basis? Read more »
Writing a non-fiction book: how do I get started?
Editorial mentor Sophie Bradshaw shares her three-step guide to turning procrastination into productivity. Read more »
The 5 Ps of Publishing
SilverWood’s guide to the five most important aspects of running a publishing project. Read more »
4 Useful Tips for Giving an Author Presentation
SilverWood author David Ebsworth offers helpful advice for authors preparing to give a presentation. Read more »
Printing and Publishing Glossary
A list of commonly used terms to help you on your publishing journey. (Updated and refreshed.) Read more »
Choosing How to Print and Distribute Your Book
The difference between POD and Bulk Printing explained. Read more »
Asking for Amazon Reviews
How making the most of your mailing list can help sell more books. Read more »
Copyright Information for Authors
A basic introduction to UK copyright law - not a replacement for qualified legal knowledge or advice, but a useful overview for self-publishing authors. Read more »
Why publish your own work?
There are as many different reasons to publish a book as there are writers - what's yours? Read more »
How Reading Can Boost Your Mental Health
Following World Mental Health Day, we talk about the benefits of reading for mental health, and share tips on how to use books for your own self-development. Read more »
From Novice to Expert - A Librarian's Guide to Marketing
Wendy Worley used her experience as a school librarian to good effect when she set out her book marketing strategy. Read more »
Want a Career in Publishing?
Job vacancies in publishing are few and far between, so just how DO you get started? Read more »
Behind the Scenes of Book Printing
Publishing Assistant Emily Heming reports on her visit to one of our specialist book printers, Latimer Trend Ltd. Read more »
First Impressions...
By SilverWood author Helen Hollick, formerly Managing Editor for the Historical Novel Society Indie Reviews and now Discovering Diamonds. Read more »
Exploring a Grey Area of Copyright
I read an article about a self-published 'author’ (debateable term) who had produced dozens of new books in one year. Someone got suspicious and looked into the details. It turned out... Read more »
The Burden of Proof: Why Proofreading Matters
Picture the scene: you’re flicking through a recipe book, looking for a quick and delicious dinner, and suddenly you come across a somewhat unsavoury ingredient:"salt and freshly ground black people"Oh dear!... Read more »
How to Write the Perfect Blurb
The age-old adage, “don’t judge a book by its cover”, sadly, just isn’t true. Your book cover and crucially your blurb will help readers decide whether to purchase your book or leave it on the shelf. Read more »
A Rose by Any Other Name: Using a Pseudonym
Having a pseudonym can be useful for today’s writers, however this should be considered carefully before a decision is made. Read more »
Building an Audience for Talks & Events
SilverWood author Helen Barbour gives us an insight into how she approaches building an audience for her events and talks. Read more »
Book typography: (almost) everything you need to know
Find out more about typography and how your manuscript is made into an elegant, readable book. Read more »
Resources for Writers
A list of useful resources on writing books, ideal for aspiring authors. Read more »
How to Find a High Quality Self-Publishing Company
SilverWood author Jon Stenhugg explains the ways in which aspiring authors should go about finding the best publishing partner. Read more »
Self-Publishing: everything you need to know!
'The Naked Author: a guide to self-publishing' is publishing expert Alison Baverstock's indispensable handbook, published by Bloomsbury. Read more »
What Are You Signing Up To?
However you plan to produce your book, the chances are that you’ll work with other professionals at some stage in order to achieve your goals. So how do you choose the right people? Read more »
Make the Most of Promotional Tools
Adrian Churchward offers some helpful hints on raising your book's profile using promotional postcards. Read more »
Launches, Videos, Awards and Keeping Sane
Alison Morton tells us how to plan, prioritise and pace yourself when promoting your books. Read more »
Crowd-Funding Your Book
Are you considering crowd-funding your next publishing project? 'Iceland, Defrosted' author Ed Hancox shares information and tips here... Read more »
The Principles of Great Book Cover Design
The average reader makes a judgement on a book in just 8 seconds, so effective cover design is a vital ingredient in your publishing success. Read more »
Tips for a Successful Book Launch
Congratulations, your book is published! Now, it is time to celebrate your accomplishments and launch your book. Read more »
Finding your Audience
Lucienne Boyce explores how authors can find an audience, and build a readership for their book. Read more »
Introduction to Twitter
Twitter is a great way to meet fellow writers and potential readers, to develop relationships, and also to subtly raise your author profile. Read more »
Get into Goodreads!
SilverWood author David Ebsworth shares his tips on how to get the most out of the bookworm’s networking site Goodreads. Read more »
How to Have a Successful Book Signing
Once you’ve approached bookshops and have a signing planned, what steps do you need to take to make the event a success...? Read more »
Author Branding
What does 'author branding’ mean?To 'brand’ something means to define its particular assets in order to form a unique and memorable image or impression. As an author, branding yourself means selecting... Read more »
Taking Creative Writing Workshops into Schools
Historical novelist Michael Wills on running Creative Writing workshops in schools... Read more »
Indexing Your Book
Have you considered having an index in your non-fiction book? An index helps the reader to retrieve information from your text quickly and efficiently, saving time and ensuring a more useful... Read more »
Research and historical fiction - blending the facts
How do you blend the history with your story? There are no hard and fast rules, but asking yourself a few questions might help you tackle the challenge of seamlessly merging story and history. Read more »
Carolyn Lewis's Top 10 Tips for Writers
Carolyn Lewis (creative writing tutor, award-winning short story writer, and author of 'The Novel: A Perfect Recipe' and 'The Short Story') gives her top ten tips for polishing your work to perfection... Read more »
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