Don't start your letters with 'Dear Sirs'. We're mostly not.
Sam.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Novella submissions: still very much closed.
Apparently there are some websites still reporting that Leaf Books is requesting open submissions of novellas. This is sadly untrue. We had to close novella submissions some weeks back due to an unexpected lack of funding, and we shan't be opening them again. We've had a couple of emails from understandably confused people who've submitted novellas to us and had them returned, and then read the contradictary and enormously incorrect rumours that we're still open to submissions. Now, obviously we're very sorry indeed to disappoint people, but let's make this absolutely clear. We're disappointed as well. We wanted to publish a novella. We most certainly weren't pretending to lack funding purely to clear a backlog of unread manuscripts before finding that the money had magically reappeared. Money, in our experience, simply doesn't do that. We're all writers ourselves and we know how gruelling and unrewarding the submission process can be. We're very sorry to have disappointed you; we would never deliberately make things harder for other writers.
As a rule, we can't really control what other websites and blogs report, though obviously we'll try and gently correct those ones that are reported to us. Please take the information on our official website - the only website that we're capable of editing - as the last word in what we are and are not accepting at present.
Sam.
As a rule, we can't really control what other websites and blogs report, though obviously we'll try and gently correct those ones that are reported to us. Please take the information on our official website - the only website that we're capable of editing - as the last word in what we are and are not accepting at present.
Sam.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Science Fiction and Fantasy Competition Results
Hello. You'll be wanting to hear the result of the Sci(ence)-Fi(ction) & Fant(asy) comp(etition), won't you. I know your sort.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Competition Winners
Winner:
‘The Dogstar’ by Kathy Kachelries
Runner up:
‘The Glass Tower’ by Sarah Thompson
Commended:
‘Charlie and the Letting Go’ by Michael Hulme
‘Lady of the Plagues’ by Elana Gomel
‘Time of Death’ by Robert Wilton
‘A Question of Madness’ by Anthony Howcroft
‘A Good Mother’ by T. Rawson
‘Meal Deal’ by Mona McKinlay
‘The Tycoon’ by Sally Quilford
‘Pretty Boy’ by Tracey S Rosenberg
There. I hope it makes you happy. Congratulations to all our winners and commiserations to all our not-winners. And look at Robert Wilton there, getting himself in another competition anthology. He does that all the time. It's really very hard to stop him. The anthology will go into production pretty much as soon as all of the above have lobbed over e-copies of their lovely stories and then it'll be sent off to the printers and then there'll be the usual frustrating delay and then essentially it'll be up for sale. We'll keep you, you know, informed.
And I'll be sending out the critiques to those who requested critiques on their sci-fi comp entries within the next few days.
I rather like sending out the emails that say 'Hurrah for you, you've won etc.' That's really one of the nicest parts of the job. What I don't like so much is the heavy lifting. Possibly you don't think there's a great deal of heavy lifting involved in publishing. You're so engagingly naive. Yesterday Ceci and myself carried boxes of books from our old office out of which we've been turfed into our new squatting space while the man of the team licked envelopes. Mr Bingley would've been aghast. I don't really get the whole Darcy-love thing. Stroppy little git. Anyway. The man moved some boxes later in the day when we more or less went on strike. Also Coffee&Chocolate came back from the printers and we upset the nice receptionist lady by giving her twenty-eight parcels of books to send out. We're beasts like that.
I'm going now because this keyboard's running on a sort of time delay and throughout this post I've been typing three times as fast as the words have been appearing and I've been massively SUFFERING for you here and now I'm going to sit over there and ostensibly do some work but probably mostly think about cake and the papal schism and that. Good.
Sam.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Competition Winners
Winner:
‘The Dogstar’ by Kathy Kachelries
Runner up:
‘The Glass Tower’ by Sarah Thompson
Commended:
‘Charlie and the Letting Go’ by Michael Hulme
‘Lady of the Plagues’ by Elana Gomel
‘Time of Death’ by Robert Wilton
‘A Question of Madness’ by Anthony Howcroft
‘A Good Mother’ by T. Rawson
‘Meal Deal’ by Mona McKinlay
‘The Tycoon’ by Sally Quilford
‘Pretty Boy’ by Tracey S Rosenberg
There. I hope it makes you happy. Congratulations to all our winners and commiserations to all our not-winners. And look at Robert Wilton there, getting himself in another competition anthology. He does that all the time. It's really very hard to stop him. The anthology will go into production pretty much as soon as all of the above have lobbed over e-copies of their lovely stories and then it'll be sent off to the printers and then there'll be the usual frustrating delay and then essentially it'll be up for sale. We'll keep you, you know, informed.
And I'll be sending out the critiques to those who requested critiques on their sci-fi comp entries within the next few days.
I rather like sending out the emails that say 'Hurrah for you, you've won etc.' That's really one of the nicest parts of the job. What I don't like so much is the heavy lifting. Possibly you don't think there's a great deal of heavy lifting involved in publishing. You're so engagingly naive. Yesterday Ceci and myself carried boxes of books from our old office out of which we've been turfed into our new squatting space while the man of the team licked envelopes. Mr Bingley would've been aghast. I don't really get the whole Darcy-love thing. Stroppy little git. Anyway. The man moved some boxes later in the day when we more or less went on strike. Also Coffee&Chocolate came back from the printers and we upset the nice receptionist lady by giving her twenty-eight parcels of books to send out. We're beasts like that.
I'm going now because this keyboard's running on a sort of time delay and throughout this post I've been typing three times as fast as the words have been appearing and I've been massively SUFFERING for you here and now I'm going to sit over there and ostensibly do some work but probably mostly think about cake and the papal schism and that. Good.
Sam.
Friday, June 29, 2007
This weeks happenings
ALMOST THERE -You know I finally did it. I'm managed to get Coffee and Chocolate to the printers and it's being printed as we speak. So I'll be updating the website so you can put in your orders for it very soon.
I was a little scared when we announced both these competitions (the Coffee and Chocolate Themed Competitions) as I thought that that all the stories would be very samey and that it would an un-entertaining read. I need not have worried though, this collection of poems, stories and short fictions if both varied and entertaining. And great with a cup of tea, coffee or even something stronger like espresso.
The Light that Remains and Outbox containing the Open Short and Open Poetry selections are going to follow in quick succession closely followed by Derek (our micro fiction collection). The Light that Remains is out biggest collection yet at over 200 pages! The covers aren't yet done but I'll post them as soon as they are in a showable state.
UPDATE: SCI-FI JUDGING DELAYED - I know the result is due at the end of the month, but someone didn't check their diary for this week, so the Committee of Readers hasn't been able to sit and make the final judgements on the short-list. We're not keeping you in suspense on purpose, honestly. The same person is also away from most of the world for next week. I'll try and get a decision for you as soon as I can in the week starting the 8th of July.
POETRY COMP ENDS TOMORROW - Don't forget that you have until midnight Saturday to make your entry to our latest poetry competition. If you've posted your entry don't worry we'll take into account the postal strike today.
I'm sure there is more but that's all I can think of for now.
Keeping writing,
Gavin.
I was a little scared when we announced both these competitions (the Coffee and Chocolate Themed Competitions) as I thought that that all the stories would be very samey and that it would an un-entertaining read. I need not have worried though, this collection of poems, stories and short fictions if both varied and entertaining. And great with a cup of tea, coffee or even something stronger like espresso.
The Light that Remains and Outbox containing the Open Short and Open Poetry selections are going to follow in quick succession closely followed by Derek (our micro fiction collection). The Light that Remains is out biggest collection yet at over 200 pages! The covers aren't yet done but I'll post them as soon as they are in a showable state.
UPDATE: SCI-FI JUDGING DELAYED - I know the result is due at the end of the month, but someone didn't check their diary for this week, so the Committee of Readers hasn't been able to sit and make the final judgements on the short-list. We're not keeping you in suspense on purpose, honestly. The same person is also away from most of the world for next week. I'll try and get a decision for you as soon as I can in the week starting the 8th of July.
POETRY COMP ENDS TOMORROW - Don't forget that you have until midnight Saturday to make your entry to our latest poetry competition. If you've posted your entry don't worry we'll take into account the postal strike today.
I'm sure there is more but that's all I can think of for now.
Keeping writing,
Gavin.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Exciting New Project – Mostly Life
Has no one who is better at writing than me updated this blog? Is it down to the broken-footed to tell you all the exciting news from her sickbed? Yes.
And there is quite a lot of news.
Let’s start with the exciting stuff, then we will move on to the thrilling things and perhaps finish with the rather sad.
Exciting – New project afoot (sorry not obsessed with feet or anything).
Leaf is launching an online magazine. It’s not launched yet so don’t jump up and down yet. Obviously I won’t be jumping, well not for another few weeks anyway.
This is what the magazine is called – Mostly Life
And this is where it’s going to be – www.mostlylife.com , if you go there you can see whatever our lovely web developer may have put there today.
And this is the Mostly Life Blog where you can find out all about it - http://www.mostlylife.com/blogs/
We are looking for material or a writerly and comical nature as well as material of a not writerly but nevertheless comical nature so go look at the Mostly Life Blog.
Thrilling – We have so many books in production that the production team are in need of a holiday but aren’t going to get one because we have so many books in production. These are they –
Coffee and Chocolate, the anthology from the Coffee and Chocolate competitions (you may have guessed that). It is at the printers as we speak, or read, or eat chocolate or drink coffee or whatever we are doing right now at this very minute.
Outbox & Other Poems, the anthology from the Open Poetry Competition is well under way with the typesetting and cover design as is The Light That Remains & Other Short Stories from our Open Short Story Competition.
Derek & Other Microfiction, from (yes you did guess that) from the Microfiction Competition is being edited right now. Or probably right now, unless Sam has gone for a cup of tea or some sustaining food.
The Rather Sad – my foot’s still broken. And Matt is leaving us. Oh oh.
Cecilia posted this. No other member of the Leaf Team has broken any bones.
And there is quite a lot of news.
Let’s start with the exciting stuff, then we will move on to the thrilling things and perhaps finish with the rather sad.
Exciting – New project afoot (sorry not obsessed with feet or anything).
Leaf is launching an online magazine. It’s not launched yet so don’t jump up and down yet. Obviously I won’t be jumping, well not for another few weeks anyway.
This is what the magazine is called – Mostly Life
And this is where it’s going to be – www.mostlylife.com , if you go there you can see whatever our lovely web developer may have put there today.
And this is the Mostly Life Blog where you can find out all about it - http://www.mostlylife.com/blogs/
We are looking for material or a writerly and comical nature as well as material of a not writerly but nevertheless comical nature so go look at the Mostly Life Blog.
Thrilling – We have so many books in production that the production team are in need of a holiday but aren’t going to get one because we have so many books in production. These are they –
Coffee and Chocolate, the anthology from the Coffee and Chocolate competitions (you may have guessed that). It is at the printers as we speak, or read, or eat chocolate or drink coffee or whatever we are doing right now at this very minute.
Outbox & Other Poems, the anthology from the Open Poetry Competition is well under way with the typesetting and cover design as is The Light That Remains & Other Short Stories from our Open Short Story Competition.
Derek & Other Microfiction, from (yes you did guess that) from the Microfiction Competition is being edited right now. Or probably right now, unless Sam has gone for a cup of tea or some sustaining food.
The Rather Sad – my foot’s still broken. And Matt is leaving us. Oh oh.
Cecilia posted this. No other member of the Leaf Team has broken any bones.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Spoof and Humour – I Could Do With Some
Yesterday we launched our new competition. It’s going to be the best and most fun yet because we are asking for funny stuff. This request was driven by me.
‘There’s nowhere to place humorous and silly writing these days,’ I said in a moment of idle humour. ‘Where is all the funny stuff these days? Where the budding wits and raconteurs? Where the mistresses and masters of spoof?’
The rest of the team nodded assent. Or I think it was assent. They were eating their lunches at the time and that might have been a chewing sort of motion.
‘Right,’ I said, in between mouthfuls of baguette, ‘Next comp is going to be Spoof and Humour.’ More chewing which I chose to interpret as enthusiastic nodding.
But I’m the bossy person so this is the competition. (Which Gavin had better be putting on the website at this very moment. You see? Bossy).
*NEW* Spoof and Humour Writing competition:
Leaf Books is inviting you to render us helpless with mirth. We’re looking for humorous articles and comments up to 500 words in length with an emphasis on spoofing regular magazine and/or newspaper content. There are no notable limits on your creativity, but we’ve produced a list of sorts that you might like to peruse for ideas.
Spoof articles/columns on the following:
- news; current affairs; commentary; regular column type pieces; reviews; serialisations; cartoons; diaries; fashion; sport; style; home and garden; science; environment; technology; politics; jobs; analysis; travel; money; arts; classified; obituaries; food; horoscopes; problem pages; recipes; lonely hearts; letters page; complaints; corrections and clarifications; pretty much anything else that occurs to you.
Entry fee: £3 per submission; £10 for four submissions.
All selected pieces will be published in a Leaf Books anthology. The overall winner will receive £200.
Closing date: 30th September, 2007.
PLEASE NOTE - ONLINE SUBMISSIONS ONLY.
Yesterday I also broke my foot having a sauna. So please, I’m at home and sad. Send us something funny.
Ceci
If you are vaguely curious as to how the hell a responsible woman of a certain age can break her foot having a sauna - http://ceciliamorreau.blogspot.com/2007/06/what-not-to-do-in-sauna.html
‘There’s nowhere to place humorous and silly writing these days,’ I said in a moment of idle humour. ‘Where is all the funny stuff these days? Where the budding wits and raconteurs? Where the mistresses and masters of spoof?’
The rest of the team nodded assent. Or I think it was assent. They were eating their lunches at the time and that might have been a chewing sort of motion.
‘Right,’ I said, in between mouthfuls of baguette, ‘Next comp is going to be Spoof and Humour.’ More chewing which I chose to interpret as enthusiastic nodding.
But I’m the bossy person so this is the competition. (Which Gavin had better be putting on the website at this very moment. You see? Bossy).
*NEW* Spoof and Humour Writing competition:
Leaf Books is inviting you to render us helpless with mirth. We’re looking for humorous articles and comments up to 500 words in length with an emphasis on spoofing regular magazine and/or newspaper content. There are no notable limits on your creativity, but we’ve produced a list of sorts that you might like to peruse for ideas.
Spoof articles/columns on the following:
- news; current affairs; commentary; regular column type pieces; reviews; serialisations; cartoons; diaries; fashion; sport; style; home and garden; science; environment; technology; politics; jobs; analysis; travel; money; arts; classified; obituaries; food; horoscopes; problem pages; recipes; lonely hearts; letters page; complaints; corrections and clarifications; pretty much anything else that occurs to you.
Entry fee: £3 per submission; £10 for four submissions.
All selected pieces will be published in a Leaf Books anthology. The overall winner will receive £200.
Closing date: 30th September, 2007.
PLEASE NOTE - ONLINE SUBMISSIONS ONLY.
Yesterday I also broke my foot having a sauna. So please, I’m at home and sad. Send us something funny.
Ceci
If you are vaguely curious as to how the hell a responsible woman of a certain age can break her foot having a sauna - http://ceciliamorreau.blogspot.com/2007/06/what-not-to-do-in-sauna.html
Friday, June 01, 2007
Not being famous.
We sent a sample of our anthologies to Gardners the bookselling/mediating type people the other week, and when I say a sample I actually mean all three of them. Nothing. They said on their website they'd get back within 48 hours. They did nothing of the sort. Our anthologies are beautiful, and I'm not saying that because I'm partial but because it's a kind of a universal truth type thing. But Gardners don't much want to know. Which is fine. Like we wanted to sell our books in the first place. Chuh.
The Hay Festival is on right now this very second. We are not going to the Hay Festival because we are not sufficiently famous. This is fine too. The Hay Festival is not terribly much about books these days. This is not in any sense a controversial statement. The drive, however, is very pretty, and I'm sorry we shan't be doing that this year.
I am currently alone in the office. I'm trying to write an introduction to Outbox and Other Poems. If one of you would like to do it for me in comments, that'd be grand. I don't know where the others are. I know where one of them is, so technically that's a fib. But I don't know where the other others are, and the central heating's on, and it's too warm. Otherwise, you know. Everything's fine.
One of us has a birthday tomorrow. It isn't me.
Sam.
The Hay Festival is on right now this very second. We are not going to the Hay Festival because we are not sufficiently famous. This is fine too. The Hay Festival is not terribly much about books these days. This is not in any sense a controversial statement. The drive, however, is very pretty, and I'm sorry we shan't be doing that this year.
I am currently alone in the office. I'm trying to write an introduction to Outbox and Other Poems. If one of you would like to do it for me in comments, that'd be grand. I don't know where the others are. I know where one of them is, so technically that's a fib. But I don't know where the other others are, and the central heating's on, and it's too warm. Otherwise, you know. Everything's fine.
One of us has a birthday tomorrow. It isn't me.
Sam.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Life, the universe and everything else that might apply to this post
We’re now moving on to The Light That Remains & Other Short Stories and Outbox & Other Poems from containing the winners from our Open Short Story and Open Poetry Competitions. We promise to have these out in the world a little faster. We then have Derek & Other Short Short Stories to present for your pleasure.
On a more mundane note the usual office admin has been done, bills paid, office tidied (which had a surprisingly high amount of paper than needs correctly disposing off), and generally getting on with things.
Non-work related Matt is now an expert at Guitar Hero II and if there is a World Champion Competition I’m going to enter him in it; Ceci went to Chealsea Flower Show (though I’ve not had chance to ask her what she thought of the Dr Who Garden); Sam seems to have brought in home-made cakes but I’m not asking her about them yet incase they aren’t for us and I look greedy; and I’ve been playing with a £2000.00 camera, which is quite scary. Plus I almost managed to break a £400 lens yesterday when it landed on the floor after falling off the sofa. I don’t think I can be trusted with a £2000.00 item that can easily be dropped.
What’s your news?
Gav.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Guidelines
Good afternoon folks.
Plleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaase will you make sure your entries are anonymous? I'm not accusing you of smashing the world or anything quite like that, and much as you've all got wonderful names (some of you have ultra-wonderful names), we judge our competition entries anonymously for a very strongly-reasoned reason.
Novellas, sure, print your name on every sheet in 72 point bold Impact, if you like (don't actually), but on your delightful entries for the competitions we only require your name on the entry form/covering letter because otherwise we have to spend a massive amount of time defacing your masterpieces with permanent markers, thereby precluding their further use should you want them back and also making the databasing process a great deal more awful than it already is.
I still love you.
Matt.
Plleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaase will you make sure your entries are anonymous? I'm not accusing you of smashing the world or anything quite like that, and much as you've all got wonderful names (some of you have ultra-wonderful names), we judge our competition entries anonymously for a very strongly-reasoned reason.
Novellas, sure, print your name on every sheet in 72 point bold Impact, if you like (don't actually), but on your delightful entries for the competitions we only require your name on the entry form/covering letter because otherwise we have to spend a massive amount of time defacing your masterpieces with permanent markers, thereby precluding their further use should you want them back and also making the databasing process a great deal more awful than it already is.
I still love you.
Matt.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Micro-Fiction Winners
Micro-Fiction 2007 Winners
Winner:
‘Derek’ by Gina Goodwin
Runners-Up:
‘You are my giraffe now’ by Jason Jackson
‘Imaginary Origami’ by Amy Mackelden
Commended:
‘Badger Play’ by Gina Goodwin
‘Backwards’ by Jason Jackson
‘Lee & Holly’ by Amy Mackelden
‘Heavy Petting’ by Amy MacKelden
‘The Crumb’ by Catherine Edmunds
‘Not a Good Idea’ by Catherine Edmunds
‘The Truth About Janet’ by Sara Benham
‘Picture Your Father Without A Picture’ by Teresa Stenson
‘The Tower’ by Su Barkla
‘Going Home’ by Cath Drake
‘And I’m Gone’ by Jo Else
‘I, Witch’ by Jo Else
‘Mountain Air Footie’ by Don Taylor
‘The Miracle’ by Stella Pierides
‘Callers’ by Sue Anderson
‘Finding faculties, fainting goats’ by Jackie Sullivan
‘The library book’ by Tania Hershman
‘The Long Not Yet’ by Chloe Richards
‘The Colour of Romance’ by Sara Browning
‘Doing Something’ by Varihi Scott
‘The silence of sleeping with him’ by Louise McErlean
‘Unfortunate Noses’ by Katy Whitehead
‘Floating is easy’ by Katy McAulay
‘When my third foot grows’ by Nancy Saunders
‘Bridged Perspective’ by David Hallett
‘We’ll Meet Again’ by Laurie Porter
‘Sailing to Valhalla’ by Michael Massey
‘Car Park’ by Caroline Adams
‘Cl²’ by Matthew Mead
‘Signalling’ by Amy Sackville
‘Looking Down’ by Alice Blake
‘Morris came in from the garden shed’ by Arvon P Whitaker
‘Queen of the Nerd Prom’ by Shaun Manning
‘Fading Footprints; Downy Flakes’ by Robin Tompkins
‘The Corn Carter’ by Jane Rusbridge
Our thanks to all who entered, and congratulations to the above. The anthology will go into production next month: we'll keep you up to date with its progress.Gav.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
No cups on MY head.
I've not made a post on this blog in something approaching 47 years. This is mostly because my computer at home, which isn't actually my computer at all but is more sort of communal, has unanimously decided I'm not to have access to blogger anymore and when I'm in the office I'm generally doing something I need to be in the office for, which isn't really blogging.
This morning, however, we are out of staples, and this has caused my work-rate to grind sufficiently to a halt that I'm able to make a post. There's an elephantine pile of databasing to my left. It is unstapled. I can't database it until it's stapled. Well, technically I could, but meddling with unstapled sheaves of paper that are much better off corralled into individual stories is practically courting catastrophe. Were I to embark on such an endeavour I fancy things would get in a pretty pickle, as the young folk say. I mostly say a ghastly mess. I don't at all. I don't know why I pretend such things.
We've judged the micro-fiction, you'll be happy to know. We wanted to have announced the results by now, but we rather dimly left the stories with the member of the team who was way too busy to get the names off the database, so we're going to have to do that within the next couple of days. Then there shall be an announcement. And it'll be almost on time. We're very close to being proud. Peculiar stuff though, micro-fiction. Don't take massive offence or anything, but I'm going to point out an area where lots of you went slightly astray. You wrote too much. Not too much for the rules or anything. Just too much for the stories you were writing. It's our fault for putting the word limit up probably, but this competition did largely lack the wonderfully concise, epigrammatic little two-sentence and single paragraph stories that were by and large our favourites in the first comp. The vast majority of these stories pushed right up to the 500 word mark, and it was either more or less wordage than they truly had in them. Which is possibly a thing to think about for next time.
Another way you can make us happy is to use tab indents for new paragraphs. We'll love you more than we love satsumas if you actually use the tab button instead of hitting the space bar four times. You don't know what joy that brings to a typesetter and an editor. Really you don't. And don't address us as 'Dear Sirs', because half of us are nothing of the sort. Thank you. I didn't mean to be telling you off.
As I say, we're out of staples. That's the kind of news you've been missing out on.
Sam.
This morning, however, we are out of staples, and this has caused my work-rate to grind sufficiently to a halt that I'm able to make a post. There's an elephantine pile of databasing to my left. It is unstapled. I can't database it until it's stapled. Well, technically I could, but meddling with unstapled sheaves of paper that are much better off corralled into individual stories is practically courting catastrophe. Were I to embark on such an endeavour I fancy things would get in a pretty pickle, as the young folk say. I mostly say a ghastly mess. I don't at all. I don't know why I pretend such things.
We've judged the micro-fiction, you'll be happy to know. We wanted to have announced the results by now, but we rather dimly left the stories with the member of the team who was way too busy to get the names off the database, so we're going to have to do that within the next couple of days. Then there shall be an announcement. And it'll be almost on time. We're very close to being proud. Peculiar stuff though, micro-fiction. Don't take massive offence or anything, but I'm going to point out an area where lots of you went slightly astray. You wrote too much. Not too much for the rules or anything. Just too much for the stories you were writing. It's our fault for putting the word limit up probably, but this competition did largely lack the wonderfully concise, epigrammatic little two-sentence and single paragraph stories that were by and large our favourites in the first comp. The vast majority of these stories pushed right up to the 500 word mark, and it was either more or less wordage than they truly had in them. Which is possibly a thing to think about for next time.
Another way you can make us happy is to use tab indents for new paragraphs. We'll love you more than we love satsumas if you actually use the tab button instead of hitting the space bar four times. You don't know what joy that brings to a typesetter and an editor. Really you don't. And don't address us as 'Dear Sirs', because half of us are nothing of the sort. Thank you. I didn't mean to be telling you off.
As I say, we're out of staples. That's the kind of news you've been missing out on.
Sam.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Micro Fiction and Matt’s Head
Micro Fiction and Matt’s Head
The judging for the micro fiction is hotting up. Partly due to the fact that we have been sitting outdoors in this lovely weather in order to better enjoy the entries. Partly due to the fact that there is a finalists pile! No names to be revealed yet. Well, we don’t even know the names because we don’t look until after the stories are chosen. So, all you eager micro writers and writers of micro fiction, any moment now…
Also micro fiction is so fun that we have now opened another competition for it. This time, watch out, it is even more micro. Only 300 words. Ha, there’s a challenge for you.
Also, if you want to see just how it’s done, we have just had a further print run of ‘The Final Theory’ back from the printers. This book contains all the winners and commended entries from our first micro competition. There’s some great, impressive and very compact work in there. You can buy it straight from our site (we get more money that way) or from Amazon (they get more money that way).
Finally, Matt’s head was in no way damaged any further than it usually is by balancing all those cups on it. Could the person who promised to buy a copy of ‘The Better Craftsman’ if Matt could perform this amazing exploit please do so. Because we won.
Any further office challenges will only be taken up if the challengers promise to buy books.
Don’t tell Matt I said this, but, he claims to be able to do a headstand … that is surely worth buying a few anthologies for. Aside from which they are great to read.
Ceci.
The judging for the micro fiction is hotting up. Partly due to the fact that we have been sitting outdoors in this lovely weather in order to better enjoy the entries. Partly due to the fact that there is a finalists pile! No names to be revealed yet. Well, we don’t even know the names because we don’t look until after the stories are chosen. So, all you eager micro writers and writers of micro fiction, any moment now…
Also micro fiction is so fun that we have now opened another competition for it. This time, watch out, it is even more micro. Only 300 words. Ha, there’s a challenge for you.
Also, if you want to see just how it’s done, we have just had a further print run of ‘The Final Theory’ back from the printers. This book contains all the winners and commended entries from our first micro competition. There’s some great, impressive and very compact work in there. You can buy it straight from our site (we get more money that way) or from Amazon (they get more money that way).
Finally, Matt’s head was in no way damaged any further than it usually is by balancing all those cups on it. Could the person who promised to buy a copy of ‘The Better Craftsman’ if Matt could perform this amazing exploit please do so. Because we won.
Any further office challenges will only be taken up if the challengers promise to buy books.
Don’t tell Matt I said this, but, he claims to be able to do a headstand … that is surely worth buying a few anthologies for. Aside from which they are great to read.
Ceci.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Sneak Preview - Coffee and Chocolate
Click here for Coffee and Chocolate Cover Large VersionI thought I'd share the cover of the upcoming Coffee and Chocolate Anthology for anyone that's interested. I think it's very sensual.
Gav.
The Better Craftsman - now available
'That was how Christina had first seen him, imagining him at first to be some offbeat academic conducting his tutorial in the open air. Only gradually did she learn that Peake was no lecturer, or leastways was not on any faculty’s payroll. While occasionally he might attend a public lecture, it would be to sit it out impatient for the question and answer session, which he would use to interrogate the speaker to the point of distress or, indeed, beyond it.’ – Extract from ‘The Better Craftsman’.
The Better Craftsman & Other Stories contains the winning entries from the Leaf Books Summer Short Story Competition. The ten unremittingly brilliant tales nestling within cover subjects as diverse as a student’s getting the most out of a maverick academic, a couple’s raising a family in a never-ending traffic jam and a landlubberly boy’s first visit to the seaside.
It arrived back from the printers on Thursday and as such is now officially available for purchase:
http://www.leafbooks.co.uk/readers/books/bettercraftsman.htmlIt really is very good. Go on: treat yourself.
Gav.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Hay Festival 2007 – Only for the Famous!!
Much disappointment and disillusionment is going on here. We have just received the news that we cannot once more reconstruct our Welsh Books Council stand mini-fest. What a calamity, we all enjoyed it so much last year (even the people who got a tad sunburnt because they were so gripped our fantastic authors that they forgot all about their factor 300). Apparently the powers that be chez Hay have declared, in their wisdom (!!) that only authors already appearing on the main stages can read elsewhere in the festival. Our mission to publish and promote new authors is completely flummoxed by this ruling. Doesn’t seem quite right to us that you can only be famous if you are already famous.
We are considering a minor revolution and may have to set up camp in the car park and read from there until security chuck us off, and send for the police, at which point we can do readings from the local nick. Any authors interested in in-cell performance?
If by some lucky chance you are already famous and reading on the main stage and also published by us – yay- you don’t need us anymore. Or please get in touch and you can support us supporting new writers.
Ceci.
We are considering a minor revolution and may have to set up camp in the car park and read from there until security chuck us off, and send for the police, at which point we can do readings from the local nick. Any authors interested in in-cell performance?
If by some lucky chance you are already famous and reading on the main stage and also published by us – yay- you don’t need us anymore. Or please get in touch and you can support us supporting new writers.
Ceci.
Friday, April 13, 2007
The Micro Fiction Competition – What’s Happening
There is great curiosity and anticipation with respect to our very popular recent Micro Fiction Competition. People are asking ‘When are the results out?’ ‘Have I won?’ and ‘Is the prize a trip to Las Vegas?’
What I can say for sure is the prize is still £200 and publication. Not Las Vegas, sorry.
Also we are still reading, reading, reading. There were a prolific number of good entries and thus there will be more debating than usual re who is going to get into the anthology. However be assured we are giving the Micro Fiction our full attention and are hoping to announce results soon. Beginning of May we hope. That’s if we haven’t destroyed each other in our whole-hearted attempts to defend our favourite pieces of micro fiction.
Ceci.
What I can say for sure is the prize is still £200 and publication. Not Las Vegas, sorry.
Also we are still reading, reading, reading. There were a prolific number of good entries and thus there will be more debating than usual re who is going to get into the anthology. However be assured we are giving the Micro Fiction our full attention and are hoping to announce results soon. Beginning of May we hope. That’s if we haven’t destroyed each other in our whole-hearted attempts to defend our favourite pieces of micro fiction.
Ceci.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Better than an Easter Egg - Open Short Story Winners
For some reason Blogger isn't behaving itself for Sam so it is left to me to announce the winner, runner-up and commended writers of the Open Short Story 2006 competition. The stories listed here will be available in a Leaf anthology later in the year.
Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all who entered for the hours of entertaining reading and the tough choices in the judging.
Open Short Story 2006 Winners:
Winner
'The Light That Remains' by Paul Currion
Runner-Up
'Natural Selection, Gaza 2004' by Robert Wilton
Commended
'Starshine' by Mark Wagstaff
'Breakfast Things' by Mark Wagstaff
'Third Person' by Michael Stewart
'Darling, You Know and I Know' by Lynne Voyce
'Treasure' by Holly Barratt
'Hide and Seek' by Jenny Jack
'Something to Write Home About' by Ian Madden
'Mid-Life Baby' by Annette Keen
'Burning' by Sue Anderson
'Standing Up on the Pedals' by Joanna Quinn
'Perhaps Birches' by Joanna Lilley
'Break, Break, Break' by Sally Douglas
Gav.
Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all who entered for the hours of entertaining reading and the tough choices in the judging.
Open Short Story 2006 Winners:
Winner
'The Light That Remains' by Paul Currion
Runner-Up
'Natural Selection, Gaza 2004' by Robert Wilton
Commended
'Starshine' by Mark Wagstaff
'Breakfast Things' by Mark Wagstaff
'Third Person' by Michael Stewart
'Darling, You Know and I Know' by Lynne Voyce
'Treasure' by Holly Barratt
'Hide and Seek' by Jenny Jack
'Something to Write Home About' by Ian Madden
'Mid-Life Baby' by Annette Keen
'Burning' by Sue Anderson
'Standing Up on the Pedals' by Joanna Quinn
'Perhaps Birches' by Joanna Lilley
'Break, Break, Break' by Sally Douglas
Gav.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Open Poetry Competition 2006 - Results
Here followeth the long-awaited results of the 2006 Open Poetry Competition. I've been long-awaiting them myself all day, and then I was so overcome with impatience that I decided I'd better announce them.
Winner:
'Outbox' by Nicky Mesch
Runner-up:
'The Craft' by Gill Learner
Commended (in no particular order):
'The Calorific Value of Anxiety' by Gill Learner
'Window' by Benjamin Logan
'Learning Science' by Kathy Miles
'Stranger Danger' by Mark Chatterley
'Hieroglyphic Love' by Gwen Seabourne
'A Son' by Pat Borthwick
'Rats' by Tracey S Rosenberg
'Sonar' by Robert Warrington
'The Same Lover' by Hilaire Wood
'Bottle-Green' by Hilaire Wood
'do not add post' by Jason Jackson
'Endowment' by Juliette Hart
'Sandman' by Juliette Hart
'After the Funeral' by Chris Kinsey
'Levi, 2001' by Sinead Collins
'Learner Readers' by Margaret Eddershaw
'Winter Kafeneion' by Margaret Eddershaw
'The Dreamfisher' by Oz Hardwick
'A Candle for Daphne' by Gabriel Griffin
'Bedazzled' by Sue Anderson
'Things I Do' by Gwyneth Box
'Body' by Alice Blake
'Tough Love' by Claire Trevien
'Prayer' by Charles Evans
'Upside Down' by Charles Evans
'Maternal Visit' by Doreen Gray
'Sea Change' by Jenny Morris
'A Splash of Colour' by William Wood
Congratulations to all the above and our thanks to everyone who entered. As ever, an anthology containing all the winning entries will be produced in due course. It'll be called Something or the Other and Other Poems, except 'something or the other' will be replaced with proper words, like a title or what have you. It's going to be grand.
Expect an announcement about the Open Short Story competition later in the week, if you think you can take the excitement.
Sam.
Winner:
'Outbox' by Nicky Mesch
Runner-up:
'The Craft' by Gill Learner
Commended (in no particular order):
'The Calorific Value of Anxiety' by Gill Learner
'Window' by Benjamin Logan
'Learning Science' by Kathy Miles
'Stranger Danger' by Mark Chatterley
'Hieroglyphic Love' by Gwen Seabourne
'A Son' by Pat Borthwick
'Rats' by Tracey S Rosenberg
'Sonar' by Robert Warrington
'The Same Lover' by Hilaire Wood
'Bottle-Green' by Hilaire Wood
'do not add post' by Jason Jackson
'Endowment' by Juliette Hart
'Sandman' by Juliette Hart
'After the Funeral' by Chris Kinsey
'Levi, 2001' by Sinead Collins
'Learner Readers' by Margaret Eddershaw
'Winter Kafeneion' by Margaret Eddershaw
'The Dreamfisher' by Oz Hardwick
'A Candle for Daphne' by Gabriel Griffin
'Bedazzled' by Sue Anderson
'Things I Do' by Gwyneth Box
'Body' by Alice Blake
'Tough Love' by Claire Trevien
'Prayer' by Charles Evans
'Upside Down' by Charles Evans
'Maternal Visit' by Doreen Gray
'Sea Change' by Jenny Morris
'A Splash of Colour' by William Wood
Congratulations to all the above and our thanks to everyone who entered. As ever, an anthology containing all the winning entries will be produced in due course. It'll be called Something or the Other and Other Poems, except 'something or the other' will be replaced with proper words, like a title or what have you. It's going to be grand.
Expect an announcement about the Open Short Story competition later in the week, if you think you can take the excitement.
Sam.
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