Police and Crime Commissioners

The UK's downward spiral into becoming the 51st state of the USA (Puerto Rico notwithstanding) has taken  another turn by the vote for the local Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC's). Apathy reigned yesterday and the only reason the winning candidate for Wiltshire was declared first was because just a handful of people turned up to vote...most presumably because they took a wrong turn and found themselves in the wrong part of the village hall! I must confess, I exercised my right to vote, but the role of PCC does seem to be an anomaly for Blighty along with elected mayors. The local authorities have managed perfectly well up to now and surely this was definitely a case of "if it's not broke, don't fix it". This is also a case of the American "blame" culture seeping into the British psyche and will allow Big Brother the opportunity to point the finger at individuals when something is perceived to go wrong in society, rather than the government of the day taking an inward look at itself and evaluating the effects its policies have on the poor and downtrodden. There is also the other side of the coin where these PCC's may be given "special" powers in the future; how long before they're given the equivalent title of Reichskommissar?

Related articles

• Police and Crime Commissioner Elections

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic...he doesn't even have a Swedish name! What a goal, though. His fourth against England shows just how far Sweden have progressed in international football and the defeat shows just how far England have slipped. The Murdoch Empire, epitomised by BSkyB, has ruined English football to the extent that there are no longer enough English players in the top league of English football to give Roy Hodgson a sporting chance of winning any tournament. Forget Steven Gerrard and the rest of the old guard - sling them out and start again. Look into the lower reaches of the Football League, trawl through the Championship and unearth some diamonds who will do the job for England, starting with Charlie Austin. Like Gary Lineker, he knows where the goal is and is currently the top scorer in Europe (my post yesterday did not give him all the credit he is due).

Related articles

• Austin reaches 20-goal landmark

Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Reading the story about Frankie Dettori testing positive for a banned substance makes you think that the world of sport is a strange place. Surely the only
athlete involved in horse racing is the horse? If any mammal in the jockey/racehorse relationship needs to be tested for performing enhancing substances it's the horse! The jockey just sits on his mount, points it in the right direction and Dobbin does the rest; the only exertion Mr. Dettori shows is when he leaps off the horse in the winner's enclosure. Does it really matter if he's off his face with some "recreational" compound?

Cycling

Talking of  athletes taking performance enhancing substances, I'm torn between two extremes with Lance Armstrong. Even with the very real probability that he used EPO, blood transfusions and other nefarious means to boost his performance, he still won seven (7!) Tour de France races. Watching him and the other cyclists toiling their way up Alpe D' Hueze, it's not surprising he thought he needed a little pick-me-up in order to get to the summit. I'm sure if I did the same and was drugs tested afterwards, the performance enhancing substance I would have tested positive for would have been a helicopter!

Football

Whatever each Swindon Town fan thinks of Charlie Austin and the way he left the club, we would all probably accept that he was one of the most inspirational signings for the club (Wembley bobble not withstanding). Now he's plying his trade with Burnley FC, he's still scoring for fun and is currently the highest scoring player in all of the English leagues. Why, therefore, wasn't he chosen to represent his country against Sweden?

I'm still writing and seeking that big break. However, I've been looking on the 'net and reading how other people make money from their blogs. As I'm off work for the next few days, I'm going to put a lot of effort into planning an upgrade to this blog and start writing weekly on all sorts of issues. Sport (especially Swindon Town), entertainment, current affairs, history, let's have a go at some investigative journalism and prompt discussion on issues that matter to everyone in the global village.

Syndicate

Should I, shan't I? It's eating away at me so I think I should. What you ask? Tell you about my need for a legal expert.

I'm extremely peeved at what I can clearly see is alleged plagiarism (alleged for legal purposes) of my work. In April, I posted a request for a "Copyright Infringement Solicitor" to look into a case I felt I had against a prominent British television company; the BBC. I sent them a manuscript for a drama serial entitled "Syndicate". It was the story of a group of workers and what happens to them after their lottery syndicate won a large sum of money. There were many similarities to the recently broadcast serial "The Syndicate" which was penned after the BBC had received my manuscript. Three solicitors I communicated with about the matter thought I had a good case, but were unwilling to proceed on a 'no win, no fee' basis, so hence my plea in April. Ah, well.

Wanted: Copyright Infringement Solicitor - Immediate Start

I need a Copyright Infringement Solicitor who would be willing to act on a 'no win, no fee' basis. The bare bones of my case is that I sent a script to a television company in 2010 (see earlier post) and the company is now broadcasting a drama serial extremely similar to my original idea. Unfortunately, being an 'aspiring' writer, I have no funds with which to pay for litigation, hence the appeal for a 'no win, no fee' deal. There is some urgency in this matter, as I have been advised that a High Court injunction would be the course of action to take. So...any takers?

Kindle Direct Publishing

I mentioned in a previous post that I'm not an accomplished blogger. Well, seeing as that was over a year ago, I've proved myself right. Anyway, I have just published my second book on Kindle Direct Publishing. The book is called In Search of the Beast and has been waiting a few years now to be showcased, but it is now in the public domain. I hope people will buy it and enjoy the story, and give me fresh impetus to embark on, and finish, other projects. One thing I will have to do is update my website, http://www.stuartrivers.com/ to include the new book.

Wow! Three Copies for Sale on Amazon!

Just for something to do, I searched Amazon.co.uk for Cromarty Biggs Powder Monkey and was chuffed to discover 3 copies for sale. What really blew me away were the prices being charged for a copy. Take a look yourself and you'll be amazed as well that it's being sold for over £20 with one "collectable" copy being sold for £29.95 plus p & p. I think that this shows there is a market for my work, but I'm still banging my head against that brick wall until my head, or it, breaks.

If there's anyone out there who's got contacts with literary agents or publishers, please send them my way!! I've sent sample chapters to another publisher over the pond so you never know, I might get a second bite at the cherry yet.

Image by Jerrod Maruyama via FlickrMy family and I went to the cinema to see Toy Story 3 the other day. Whilst waiting for the main feature, the trailers for forthcoming films were shown. One in particular caught our attention, because the story seemed to be very similar to In Search of the Beast which Rain Publishing were going to publish before the proprietor decided to cease trading. So much for no market for anthropomorphism!

I've Been Busy!

I'm not an accomplished blogger as you can tell from the date of my last post and this one. Anyway, Authonomy was a dead loss. If you're unemployed and have got all day to play with the site, then you might get somewhere. However, the more time you spend on that sort of site trying to publicise your work, the less time you spend writing.

I've recently been involved with a writing competition run by "Every 1's a Critic" and got through to the last 32 of "The Sitcom Mission" competition. I fell at the next hurdle, but the experience of penning 2 episodes for a sitcom has been worthwhile and I only need 4 more episodes for a series, so I may return to that project later.

I've sent off a script to the BBC for the 1st episode of a serial which I hope will be accepted. The consensus from people I've spoken to about it is that it is a very good idea which should go down a storm on British TV.

My next task is to write a short story for the "Alibi" TV competition. Alibi is part of the UKTV network and shows detective/police/crime series from yesteryear and more contemporary times. Perhaps this is the way to go for writers like myself; agents are loathe to take on someone new and mainstream publishers only want work recommended by agents. A very vicious circle! After that, it's back to tackling the other writing projects I have on the go. Meanwhile, real life gets in the way and it's back to work for 49+ hours a week.

Authonomy

Image via Wikipedia

My novels, Cromarty Biggs Powder Monkey & In Search of the Beast are now on the Authonomy website. Authonomy is a forum for authors sponsored by HarperCollins where an author can upload their work for their peers to read and provide a critique. As HarperCollins are a big fish in the publishing pond, this may be a way for my work to get noticed by them, other publishers or literary agents, but only time will tell. If you're an author and need to be published, sign up and see how you get on.

I've set up a forum on my website, http://www.stuartrivers.com/ and would welcome visitors to it. Discuss all things to do with writing.

As an aside, the start of the football season is not far away now and Swindon Town are away to Gillingham on the first day of the season. Interesting!?

Library Update

I've managed to get time off work, so will be able to attend the Wish You Were Here event at the Swindon Central Library. It will be a proud moment for me and my family when we see my book on the shelf ready to be borrowed by Joe Public. Hopefully, people will like it and word of mouth may help it gain in popularity. What I really need is a new publisher, agent or both. Any takers?

Swindon Central Library

Next Thursday 26th March 2009, Swindon Central Library is holding an event to publicise its opening. Its entitled Wish You Were Here and it will showpiece novels that locals have recommended; 130 titles in all. Harper Lee, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Jerome K. Jerome et al will have titles on display, but the one title I would like you all to look out for is Cromarty Biggs Powder Monkey penned by my good self! To be on the same shelves as the aforementioned notaries is honour enough, but, hopefully, more people will now have a chance to read my work. I'm working that day, so won't have a chance to get to the event, but if anyone takes my book out and enjoys it, please feel free to post a comment here.

Swindon Library

A copy of Cromarty Biggs Powder Monkey will soon be available at the Swindon Central Library. Hopefully kids and adults alike will start to read it and word of mouth will help it gain in popularity; only time will tell!

Other projects are in the pipeline, but it is still difficult getting that elusive publisher to take a punt at the book. I've been looking on the internet to discover what has happened to Rain Publishing since its demise and it would appear that Tilly Rivers (no relation) is alive and well and embarking on her own other projects. This would seem to prove that her telling all Rain's authors that she was seriously ill was a ruse to offload us all. I can't complain too much, because at least rain helped me get my work out into the public domain.

I've a couple of scripts that I'm going to be sending out to the BBC to see if they'll take a chance on me, so I'll keep the internet posted.

BBC is the Way to Go

Publishers don't want to know. Literary agents don't want to know. Which way can a new author turn to get their work out there? Well, with the demise of Rain Publishing, I've decided to send Cromarty Biggs Powder Monkey to the BBC in script form as a television serial. They may like it, they may not, but nothing ventured nothing gained. I did put it out via Lulu.com, but pulled it, because it didn't have a picture for the cover. I need to save up and perhaps self-publish properly as my own publishing company.

I'm not downhearted, because I know people have enjoyed reading it; someone's even selling a copy on amazon.co.uk for nearly £30, so someone has recognised that it may be collectable!? As mentioned above, perhaps the route to take now is through another branch of the media and gain recognition for the book that way.

Olympia Publishers

I've heard back from the publishers I mentioned. Their name is Olympia Publishers and they liked my work. However, they demanded a contribution of £3,700 to help pay towards the costs of publishing, yet they insisted they weren't vanity publishers!!!! Stay well clear of them is my advice.

So, the hunt continues. I've contacted several literary agents via email, as its pretty expensive printing off sample chapters to send to all and sundry. Surely in this day and age of communicating through cyberspace, paperless, environmentally-friendly emails should be the norm? Also, email allows you to check out contacts across the globe. Some of the messages in the rejections have been heartening, but I'm still searching for that needle in a haystack that will be a contract from a literary agent or a publisher.

Wish me luck!

Waiting For News

I've sent the manuscripts for Cromarty Biggs Powder Monkey and In Search of the Beast to a publisher here in the UK and am waiting for news. With Rain Publishing out of action for a while, this is an opportunity for my work to be put into the UK marketplace by a British publisher. The obvious advantage is that, being resident in the UK, I'll be able to meet with the publisher as and when required, and also attend any function necessary to market the books. They've had the manuscripts for about two weeks so I should hear something within the next month or so, but it's nerve-wracking waiting for their verdict.

I'm thankful to Rain Publishing for giving me the opportunity to show that my work is publishable, but I think it's now time for it to be seen on a wider front; the object of the exercise is to hopefully give me the chance of changing careers and be able to take up writing full time. As soon as the publisher gets back to me, I'll post it here.

Added a Bookshop to the Website

I've added a "bookshop" to my website which allows payment via Paypal, so people can now buy my book through one more outlet. However, in order to see if it works, I need someone to buy one through my site; any guinea pigs out there?

Hmmmm!

Its very unfortunate to hear that Rain Publishing are to cease trading temporarily whilst Tilly fights her illness. We all wish her well and hope she gets well very soon. In the meantime, she has graciously reverted all rights to my work to me to allow me to search for another publisher/literary agent to promote my work. I have a few irons in the fire and, hopefully, something positive will avail itself in the not too distant future. One aspect of all this is that, if Cromarty Biggs Powder Monkey becomes a roaring success, the copies published by Rain Publishing will become very collectable.

That's all for now as I've emails to send and publishers to woo. On that note, if any publishers would like to see an example of my work with a view to publishing it, please feel free to take a look on http://www.rainbooks.com/ or http://stuartrivers.webs.com/.

Sales

Since receiving the consignment of books from Rain Publishing, I've managed to sell a few! Its not in the realms of Harry Potter numbers, but it shows that there is an interest out there - I've just got to find time in my busy schedule to go out there and take every opportunity I can to get people interested and have them part with their hard-earned cash! In that regard, emails will be winging their way to prospective hosts for book signing events so, who knows, I may be appearing at a bookshop near you.

It won't be long before my next book, In Search of the Beast, hits the shelves as its due out in May 2008. A stablemate for Cromarty may help both books to find an audience. I don't have a front cover picture yet, but, as soon as do, I'll post it online to show you what it'll look like.

HM Customs & Excise

There've been a few sticking points in me receiving copies of my novel from Rain Publishing. They being in Canada and me being in the UK, there is the case of a substantial amount of water to cross before I can receive copies to use for marketing purposes. If that wasn't enough, HM Customs & Excise found issues with this simple process and kept returning the parcels to Burlington, Ontario. I'm glad to say, though, that through the sterling efforts of all those at Rain Publishing, HM Customs & Excise have now allowed me delivery of my consignment of books and I can now start to distribute copies to those of my colleagues who've expressed an interest, and arrange for a book signing event in the near future.

In the meantime, anyone who has a story to tell can subscibe to Rain Publishing's forthcoming writer's workshop (details below).

10 Week On Line-Writers Workshop
Monday April 14 2008 to June 16 2008



Rain Publishing Inc. Writers Workshop

This workshop is for writers 18 years of age and older. In order to participate, you need to register via email to rychlyn at rainbooks dot com The fee for this workshop is $30.00- space is limited, and registration closes March 15 2008.
First, please be aware that our concern for author's rights means that this workshop is not for stories about someone else's characters or settings; our goal is to help equip you to be able to see your own stories published; professionally, if possible.
Rain Publishing Writers Workshop Course outline.
Weeks One to Three: Script and Fiction writing.
Hosts, Dick Cooper and Jim Melvin
Weeks Four to Six; Young Adult and Children picture book writing
Hosts; Stuart Rivers, L.P. Chase, Jeff Yosick
Week Seven; Poetry
Host: Krissy Brady
Weeks Eight to Ten: Trade publishing in today’s marketplace
Host, Tilly Rivers, CEO, Rain Publishing Inc.
April 14 2008, Host: Richard (Dick) Cooper
Complete author bio available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Cooper
Author of #3 on the Ottawa On, best sellers list “Jukebox”
Former college professor for script writing
Former member of “The Cooper Brothers” 70’s rock band
Course: Script Writing Basics

April 21, and April 28 2008; Host: Jim Melvin
Complete author bio available at; www.deathwizardchronicles.blogspot.com
Author of “The Death Wizard Chronicles” six book epic fantasy series
Former award winning journalist for The St. Petersburg Times
1) The art of pacing and rhythm: using different-length paragraphs, sentences, and even sentence fragments to create rhythm and contrast, which in turn creates tension and drama.2) The subtle art of weaving literary techniques such as theme, symbolism, foreshadowing, and figurative language between the lines of your writing. (This would be for more advanced writers.)

May 5 2008; Host Stuart Rivers
Complete author bio available at: http://www.authorsden.com/stuartjrivers
Author of “Cromarty Biggs, Powder Monkey”
Author of “In Search of the Beast”
Course: Writing for children 12+

May 12 2008: Host Jeff Yosick
Complete author bio available at: www.jyosick.com
Children’s book Author and public speaker
Madison’s Special Dolly, Timmy and the Storm, Bryanna and the Sand, When Daddy Comes Home, One Penny One Hope, Running the Race
Course: Unlocking the imagination in children today.

May 26 2008; Host LP Chase
Complete author bio available at www.lpchasebooks.com
Middle School, children’s picture book author
Public speaker/ presenter for school boards
Author of The Elliot Stone Series,, Silly Spoon, I’m Not Sticky

June 2 2008; Host Krissy Brady
Complete author bio available at; www.krissybrady.com
Former editor of Brady Magazine
Current owner of Just Jones Marketing
Author of Tidal Wave
Course: Poetry Basics

June 9, 16 and 23 2008; Host Tilly Rivers
CEO, of trade publishing house Rain Publishing Inc.
CEO, of Rain Enterprises
Course: Trade publishing in today’s marketplace.

Open Discussions on Writing, you can discuss all kinds of questions on writing. Feel free to join in any current discussion, to resurrect any old discussion, or to start a new discussion on writing.
In the Writers Workshop there will be an assignments for each week assigned and designed by the hosts. Each assignment will be critiqued by the host, and posted on the open discussion forum for fellow student feedback.
The purpose of feedback is to help the author complete the assignment into the most efficient and effective vehicle for conveying the story to the reader. Only "constructive criticism" will be allowed.
For more information, and registeration email rychlyn at rainbooks dot com.

I'm looking forward to being involved with this event and will keep you posted on developments.