Last week, I was delighted to be invited by Hobeck Books – an indie crime publisher that I love – on to their weekly books podcast, Hobcast. It was an amazing experience to talk about all things publishing and editing, how I got started, my approach to editing as well as advice for aspiring authors on how to deliver their best work.
I’m so excited to share that the episode is now live, and you can listen below, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, including Spotify.
Thank you to Adrian and Rebecca for having me on the show!
Can you believe that next week is June!?! And you know what that means? Yes, it’s the long Jubilee weekend, but move over, Lizzie, because June is National Crime Reading Month!
Run by the Crime Writers’ Association in partnership with national charity The Reading Agency, NCRM is a festival that takes place throughout June across the UK and Ireland, culminating in the prestigious CWA Daggers ceremony at the end of the month. It aims to promote and celebrate crime reading across the genre through exciting events and activities in bookshops, libraries, museums, theatres and online.
This year, I’ll be supporting by sharing all the crime books I’ve been loving and the ones that I think you should be reading too (I mean, we have the long weekend, so why not put your feet up with a good book?!)
On 1st June, we’ll be kicking off with a bumper post, with not only an author Q&A but also a GIVEAWAY! Who says no to free books? So be sure to check in to be in with a chance of winning!
If you’ve got any suggestions for titles I should include in my round up this month, or just want to share what books you’re loving at the moment, then pop them in the comments below and #PickUpAPageTurner!
For the first time in its 68-year history, the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association will allow self-published authors to join its ranks.
Self-published authors wishing to become a CWA member will need to demonstrate a level of professionalism through a simple-to-complete application form. This will be available on the CWA website from 13 September, when the CWA will first accept applications.
Maxim Jakubowski, Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, said: “The founding mission of the CWA was to support, promote and celebrate the crime genre and its authors. In the past, we only accepted traditionally published authors into the CWA, as this was the best indicator of quality. The publishing landscape has changed in recent years, and self-publishing has become a route for professional writers, and indeed there are many trailblazers in this field. The time is right to update our membership criteria.”
Maxim added: “We continue to be committed to quality. Successful self-publishing today requires the same professional approach that publishers take, so we felt it was wrong to discriminate against self-published authors. It’s clear the overwhelming majority of our members who voted feel the same way.”
Self-published authors wishing to become a CWA member will need to demonstrate a level of professionalism through a simple-to-complete application form. This will be available on the CWA website from 13 September, when the CWA will first accept applications.
Although I’m only an associate member – need to write the actual novel first! – this is a shout out to all my fabulous indie crime, thriller and suspense authors – what are you waiting for?! Come and join our crowd – despite writing about murder and mayhem, we’re really rather nice!
Simon McCleave and A J Wills have been shortlisted for the Selfies Awards 2021
Being a book editor brings all its own rewards – getting to work with brilliant authors and stories everyday being one of them – but it’s even more exciting when al the hard work of my fabulous authors pays off. Which is why I’m so excited to share the wonderful news that two of my talented authors have been shortlisted for the Selfies Awards 2021.
The Selfies Awards were created to celebrate the best in self-publishing and are judged on the quality of the writing; the production values of the book; an enticing cover and blurb that successfully addresses the target audience; and an effective and creative marketing and publicity strategy that has the potential for great sales.
Both Simon McCleave’s The Snowdonia Killings and AJ Wills’s His Wife’s Sister are both shortlisted in the adult fiction category, and I couldn’t be more proud. Congratulations!
If you haven’t read them yet, check out the below for a taster and make sure to grab your copy before the winners are announced on 20th April 2021.
Find out more about the Selfie Awards and the other nominees here.
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that over the last month, I’ve been taking part in a little prompt challenge of my own: Freelance Editor Month. This is essentially a challenge to get us editors talking more about ourselves and not just our authors (guilty!) So here’s a chance to get to know me a little better and understand what Rebecca Millar Editorial is all about:
Day 1: How did you get started as a freelance editor?
In-house to going it alone!
Well, I used to work as an editor at one of the Big Four (Can you guess which one?) But then, my partner (J) got a job in Australia, and so, more of necessity at the time (definitely by choice now), I decided to jump into the scary world of going it alone. I also moved from working on a mixture of non-fiction and fiction to specialising in my favourite genre of all – crime, suspense and thriller fiction – and haven’t looked back since.
A couple of weeks ago, I donned my headphones to listen to The Self-Publishing Show podcast, hosted by Mark Dawson and James Blatch. So many of my authors are making the brave leap into the literary world by going out on their own – an endeavour I thoroughly support after going solo back in January 2019. Therefore, I was delighted to hear that on this episode, it was none other than my lovely author Simon McCleave who was being interviewed! Simon has gone from strength to strength with his DI Ruth Hunter series and has achieved so much in only a year. I have edited Simon since the beginning of his novelist career and I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this series, not only because Simon is an incredibly talented storyteller, but because I’ve been so proud to see how he’s evolved as a writer – that’s one of the most rewarding things for an editor to see! So, I was over the moon to hear just how well he’d done – over 125,000 copies – but also to hear a shout out for little old me. *blushing*
Now as a devotee of all things crime, suspense and thriller, it’s no small wonder that LOST SOULS is my first Jonathan Kellerman title. He’s best known for his Alex Delaware series set in Los Angeles, but Kellerman has recently started working together with his son Jesse Kellerman on the Clay Edison series. LOST SOULS is the latest installment and sees Clay Edison, deputy coroner, faced with uncovering the mystery behind skeleton of a baby found in the grounds of People’s Park in Berkeley, California.
Kellerman and Kellerman write with a confidence ease that makes reading their prose a delight. I wasn’t sure about starting in the middle of the series, but, you know, it happens. And admittedly there are some aspects of the novel that might be easier to understand with prior knowledge of the series – such as the long list of named characters – but the clear and entertaining style of the authors means that this is only a small obstacle and one I mostly ignored as I was too intrigued by the story (It’s easy to get the gist of who they are anyway as the characterisation is so spot-on!).
After reading the novel, I’ve been intrigued to find out more about Clay and pick up the earlier books in the series – because if they are as entertaing as LOST SOULS, I’ll know I’ll enjoy it! Perhaps start at the beginning of the series, but I’d recommend you purchase them all at the same time as you’ll devour this nuanced crime series very quickly. 📚
LOST SOULS by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman (Arrow Publishing), available now as a paperback and ebook (Published as HALF MOON BAY in the US)
Rebecca Millar Editorial 