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Yorkshire writer Allyson Bird.

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Just wanted introduce myself.

 

I'm Allyson Bird and a writer of supernatural/horror fiction who lives in Penistone and could pop in from time to time to answer any questions about my road to being professionally published. Obviously I can't show you my website yet designed by Vincent Chong (haven't posted 5 times yet) but my debut collection is now available from Screaming Dreams. If you google my name it usually comes up quickly.

 

It is a difficult road to being published at pro rates but starting with the small presses and working up - it is not impossible. :)

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Nice to have you onboard Allyson, when you have enough posts I hope to read some of your snip-bits or maybe even a short story or two. One can view your website through your home page or to save time

(I’m sure the establishment won’t mind)

 

http://www.birdsnest.me.uk/

 

Your book will soon be in my pending pile. :thumbsup:

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Hello Allyson will look out for your books it's just the genre we like so will check them out.

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Just wanted introduce myself.

 

I'm Allyson Bird and a writer of supernatural/horror fiction who lives in Penistone and could pop in from time to time to answer any questions about my road to being professionally published. Obviously I can't show you my website yet designed by Vincent Chong (haven't posted 5 times yet) but my debut collection is now available from Screaming Dreams. If you google my name it usually comes up quickly.

 

It is a difficult road to being published at pro rates but starting with the small presses and working up - it is not impossible. :)

 

Are your novels in paperback form ? Are they in W.H.Smiths or Waterstones ?

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Thank you so much!:|

 

It has been an interesting day. Had a little photo shoot for the Penistone edition of the Barnsley Chronicle. Have contacted Dearne FM by email - will follow with a phone call in a day or two. My publisher is very ill so I've had the books delivered to me, instead, and now have to learn all about the marketing side as well as having written the stories.

 

The formal launch is at The British Fantasy Society Convention in September, in Nottingham (Screaming Dreams has been nominated for a small press award) and if any of you are budding science fiction, fantasy or horror writers -you start right there and get networking. It's all about achieving your first sales with small mags etc (RALAN) is an excellent site for looking up markets. Once published get to know your editor at these cons (Eastercon is in Bradford next year). The slush pile is the hardest to get out of - but once out of it - the rewards follow.

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Hi Wallace - Bull Running is available from my site only, as my publisher is ill. Coyleys kindly has put up the link.

 

Pattricia - the big bookshops want 40 - 60% discount so it isn't economical on a small print run. My books were produced by Biddles of Norfolk so I can't give the bookshops such a hefty discount and hey - charging that much they don't deserve my book anyway.:|

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It's all about achieving your first sales with small mags etc (RALAN) is an excellent site for looking up markets. Once published get to know your editor at these cons (Eastercon is in Bradford next year). The slush pile is the hardest to get out of - but once out of it - the rewards follow.

 

Thanks Allyson, the pointers to RALAN and the British Fantasy Society are really interesting. I guess getting paid published work is all about exposure rather than the actual cash in hand :o

 

Did you polish your writing skills by being part of an online writing group, or offline, or just write and know you were on the right track with rejections/acceptions?

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I just wrote and submitted. If rejected, sometimes I'd take what an editor said and work on it - sometimes I'd stick to my guns if I instinctively knew that it was right and send it back out straight away. Not every editor will like what you do. Stories tend to find homes eventually. In the small press (take horror for example) there is Cemetery Dance who will pay well and there are those that just give exposure. Treat the latter with care. Send to the best mags first then filter on down and try never to give your work away unless it is for a charity anthology or you really care about the project. I'll be published in the British Fantasy Society mag New Horizons in Dec - don't think they pay but it gets to 400 members of the society so positive exposure - especially as they vote at award time.

 

As Harlan Ellison famously said 'Pay the writer - you wouldn't expect the electrician to come and do his work for free. Pay the writer!' Not an exact quote but near enough.:)

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Hi Wallace - Bull Running is available from my site only, as my publisher is ill. Coyleys kindly has put up the link.

 

Pattricia - the big bookshops want 40 - 60% discount so it isn't economical on a small print run. My books were produced by Biddles of Norfolk so I can't give the bookshops such a hefty discount and hey - charging that much they don't deserve my book anyway.:|

 

Good heavens! Do the big bookshops really want 40-60% discount ? Its a wonder there are any writers left.!

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The small press are flying the flag and fighting against the hogwash of greedy big outlets and celebrity writers! Mind you - places like Amazon, who also want a hefty slice are putting them out of business as we speak. Putting me aside for the moment - quality is in the small press with wonderful writing, beautiful paper that doesn't go brown etc..

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The small press are flying the flag and fighting against the hogwash of greedy big outlets and celebrity writers! Mind you - places like Amazon, who also want a hefty slice are putting them out of business as we speak. Putting me aside for the moment - quality is in the small press with wonderful writing, beautiful paper that doesn't go brown etc..

 

Allyson were you on Radio Sheffield this week ? I meant to catch it, but missed it.

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I'm just starting the build up for radio and newspapers. Need to spend more time on it tomorrow. Dearne FM (Barnsley) will feature me for the Halloween month of October in some form - my work plus the history of supernatural and horror fiction for the last 2,000 years (believe me I can be concise) through Shakespeare to to Wuthering Heights ( who can forget the scene where the child has her wrist pulled over the broken glass window pane) to the 20th century. I do library talks - or I'll just go for it with a good old fashioned ghost story or a modern adventure in China - not sure.

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