Issued by: The Write Co.

Amanda Patterson, CEO, The Write Co

Morné Malan, Editor, The Write Co

Amanda Patterson arrived at Earls Court Exhibition Centre on 14 July 2008 with high expectations. “London has been known as an author's fair,” she explains. “Frankfurt is supposed to be the serious fair, for the publishers.”

The book fair is a well organised annual event that offers literary agents, authors and publishers an opportunity to network. The International Rights Centre buzzed for three busy days as contacts were made and contracts offered. “The commercial stands downstairs looked pretty,” adds Patterson. “I'm not sure what they were there for though.”

So, as an author, is it worth it? “Only if you're meeting an agent or a publisher,” she adds. “The only author of interest to me was Sebastian Faulks. I arrived at his talk only to discover that I had the wrong date. I sat bemused as an author was questioned about ‘bloke lit' set in Shanghai.”

What is bloke lit? “Chick lit for men,” she adds. “It was odd.”

However, there was a twist in the tale. Sebastian Faulks was seated at the table next to her. “I said hello. That, unfortunately, was the only highlight of the fair for me.”

The LBF sent notifications and literature claiming to be addressing the role of social networking on the internet and online publishing. “We were very interested in that aspect,” says Morné Malan. Morné will head up The Write Co's new publishing venture. “We want to break the mould. We would like to use our database of dedicated book buyers to market books in a unique way.”

The Write Co will be publishing an anthology of short stories later this year. The stories have been drawn from the best of The Write Co's Paint it Black 2007 competition.

The new publishing house will also initiate an online series of ‘serial' diaries to test the market. The first serialised novel will be along the lines of a ‘Bridget Jones's (Facebook) Diary'. “Everyone is a bit hesitant,” says Malan. “We believe that it will work.”

The diary will be available online and on various book sites. "Watch this space," he adds.

For more information on The Write Co, visit www.thewriteco.co.za or email info@thewriteco.co.za.

For more information on The Write Co - Publishing! Email morne@thewriteco.co.za

Visit our PRESS OFFICE: The Write Co is a dynamic, growing business that promotes writing. The company excels in teaching delegates how to write for the print media, how to become the best editors they can be, how to master the craft of public relations writing and how to communicate with the media. The company launched The Media Savvy Suite, The Total Secretary Suite, The Say What you Mean Suite & Legal Writing Suite, in May 2007.- more....

[29 Apr 2008 17:10]

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