BLOG BREAK Launches, Laureates and Literary Inspiration

Nick Cross presents his fortnightly selection of must-read blogs.


We have a new Children's Laureate in the shape of Lauren Child. Hooray! Catherine Friess is celebrating with a blog post for Story Snug in which she chooses her top 3 Charlie and Lola stories.

What does it take to have a successful book launch? And what does "successful" even mean in this context? Philip S Davies has written a very useful post reflecting on the launch of his debut novel, and isn't afraid to delve into the financial nitty-gritty.

While generally more comfortable with school visits, Candy Gourlay found herself talking to an audience of adults recently, and her resulting blog post reflects that seriousness. But don't be scared off by that, because it's an absorbing read, with Candy examining truth, fiction and the responsibility of the writer when documenting real historical events.

If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a bookshop to raise a writer. Or so Jo Wyton says anyway, in her post for Notes from the Slushpile, paying tribute to the mighty Mostly Books in Abingdon.

Clare Helen Welsh is celebrating the publication of her first early reader. But who or what is an early reader? Please allow Clare to demystify the subject with an informative blog post.

Joseph Addison said "He who hesitates is lost." I say "He who doesn't edit ends up with a rubbish book." Kathryn Evans agrees with me, as she reveals five essential editing techniques to add texture and depth to your novel.

*Feature image: Blog Break logo by Melany Pietersen

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Nick Cross is Words & Pictures' Blog Network Editor. He is an Undiscovered Voices winner and 2015 honours recipient of the SCBWI Magazine Merit Award for fiction.

Nick also blogs for Notes from the Slushpile. His most recent blog finds him with too many topics and only one post to fit them into - Oh, The Agony of Choice.