Menu

Posts Tagged ‘writing’

On to the Next

Friday, December 9th, 2022

Dear Readers,

One thing to always remember is that when opportunity comes, it never goes away. My time as a Beaufort Books intern may have reached its time, but I know that I have made a valuable connection with four amazing individuals throughout these three months and will continue to apply what I have been taught to whatever opportunity approaches next. 

I came across the internship out of the blue. I discovered a callout for submissions through a sponsored Spencer Hill Press Instagram story. I followed them with the hope that when I finally write a manuscript that I could possibly pitch it to SHP or work with them in some way. After a few days, I saw the job posting for Fall Editorial Interns. I applied with the hope that securing this position would truly make me an equal, if not a standout candidate for a future publishing career. 

By the end of the summer, I was offered the position and I felt so proud of myself for shooting my shot and feeling like I was worthy enough to pursue this career that I have worked towards for what feels like only a short time. They tell you that a career in publishing is competitive and that is certainly true for many aspects of it. However, I find that when you look hard enough for chance opportunities (or sometimes even stumble upon them), the rewards will be so valuable and beneficial. 

I learned that I have an ability to design graphics which I had never properly known how to do before. Outside of taking and editing pictures, I never thought that I had the eye to put an image together from scratch that would be appealing and marketable. I designed many graphics that I look forward to seeing on Amazon some day. 

Beyond that, I read a manuscript that I felt very strongly about, and got a glimpse at what it felt like to fall in love with an unpublished piece of writing. I learned about contracts and how authors get paid. I even had the chance to assist in publicity research which further enforced how much I cherish that field of work. 

This internship has given me more passion and knowledge for the publishing industry, and fostered a new level of confidence because of the experience and the people who helped me along the way. I am so grateful and excited for all that is ahead of me. I am even more excited to apply what I learned throughout this experience onto others because I only have one semester left before I am able to navigate true adult life. I am scared about so much beyond graduation, but one thing I am definitely confident in now is the career field I will be in. 

Thank you to Beaufort Books for granting me a place here and for being such a bright spot as I get ready for everything that’s ahead of me. 

Sincerely,

Kaliisha of Woods BEAUyond

What Makes Author Events So Appealing?

Thursday, October 6th, 2022

Dear Readers,

One of my favorite pastimes is to attend author events. I have gone to more events this year than ever before. The last time I attended a bookish event was when I attended the Boston Book Festival back in 2019. It was the first time I ever covered an event for my university’s newspaper and my first experience with journalism. 

When COVID hit, bookstores had to figure something out. If these events could not continue in-person, what were the alternatives? I am sure that many of the questions asked were in line with how to bring together many people in one setting in order to hear an author speak. Then, online events came in full swing. It allowed for people with busy schedules or long commute times to be able to see an author from the comfort of wherever they were. 

At the beginning of 2022, author events began to return to in-person, with an added bonus of hybrid events. Being able to meet authors face-to-face again and hear them discuss their works that they have spent time on, often in the hopes of giving an audience something to love or learn from, is utterly inspiring to me. 

It has made me wonder what makes author events so appealing? On the one hand, author events are like celebrity meet-and-greets for readers. If one loves an author’s book, one may hope that they can meet the author in-person and pick their brains. On the other hand, readers just love to hear about books, but this is a step above a simple recommendation.

Another thing that I personally love about author discussions is that they are super inspiring and motivating. I never leave an author event without immediately yearning for my laptop to continue writing my own manuscript. 

For introverts, author events can either be a completely solo experience or it can be a great opportunity to make bookish friends that may be hard to come by in a different environment. 

For go-getters, these events are great ways to branch out and connect with people in various industries related to books. Sometimes author’s friends, publicists, editors, and/or agents tag along. If you can find a way to put yourself out there, author events are a great avenue for your career. 

I love the excitement that author discussions bring. It feels so amazing to know that an author is just a regular person who found the time to put their imagination on a page and sought out the right people in order to give people a story to love. Since the majority of events I go to feature Young Adult writers, it reminds me that no matter how old I get, I was a teenager once who fell in love with reading, and I want nothing more than to share that same feeling with teens in the future. 

What do you love about author events?

Sincerely,

Kaliisha of Woods BEAUyond

Greetings From Woods Beyond

Thursday, September 8th, 2022
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Soman-3-900x1200.jpg

Hello to you all! My name is Kaliisha. I have just begun my senior year of college. My school journey is almost at a close, but like most great books, the story is never truly over once you reach “The End.” A little bit more about me is that I adore Young Adult books of any genre. Some of my favorites are And They Lived by Steven Salvatore, Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim, and Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro! However, my all time favorite book/ book series of all time is The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani! Fun fact: I actually got to meet the School Master in person this year (which you can see in the image)!

I thought that for my first post I would recommend some titles that are fairly similar to my favorite series!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Almost-Magic-2.jpg
  1. Almost Magic by Kathleen Bullock (Spencer Hill Press)

Ever since she turned twelve, Apple Bramblewood’s life has been plagued by visits from weird creatures from the magical realms.

It seems she is a rare Attractor, a Wizard whose sole talent is solving the clamorous demands of very odd beings, usually in the most unorthodox, haphazard, and klutzy ways. Apple doesn’t want to be an Attractor; her most passionate goal is to attend the ordinary high school with ordinary kids where her perfect older sister, Cornelia, is allowed to go. Her parents have no doubts about Cornelia’s magical prowess, but Apple seems destined to be home-schooled forever if she can’t pass the entrance exam and perfect at least one magical enchantment.

Almost Magic is Apple’s first-person account of that magic summer between childhood and adolescence and, in Apple’s case, one filled with the most amazing, hilarious, and often dangerous events.

Buy Almost Magic Now!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Wildseed-1-822x1200.jpg

2. Wildseed Witch by Marti Dumas (Abrams Books)

Hasani’s post-seventh-grade summer to-do list is pretty simple: get a bigger following for her makeup YouTube channel and figure out how to get her parents back together. What she does NOT expect is that an emotional outburst will spark a latent magical ability in her. Or that the magic will be strong enough to attract the attention of witches. Or that before she can say #BlackGirlMagic, she’ll be shipped off on a scholarship to a fancy finishing school for talented young ladies.

Les Belles Demoiselles is a literal charm school. Here, generations of young ladies from old-money witch families have learned to harness their magic, and alumnae grow to become some of the most powerful women across industries, including politicians, philanthropists, CEOs, entrepreneurs—and yes, even social media influencers. Needless to say, admission to the school is highly coveted, very exclusive . . . and Hasani sticks out like a weed in a rose bouquet.

While the other girls have always known they were destined to be witches, Hasani is a Wildseed––a stray witch from a family of non-witches, with no background knowledge, no way to control her magic, and a lot to catch up on. “Wildseed” may be an insult that the other girls throw at her, but Wildseeds are more powerful than they know. And Hasani will learn that there are ways to use magic and thrive that can never be taught in a classroom.

Buy Wildseed Witch Now!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Kingston-2.jpg

3. Kingston and The Magician’s Lost and Found by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi (Penguin Random House)

Twelve-year-old Kingston has just moved from the suburbs back to Echo City, Brooklyn—the last place his father was seen alive. Kingston’s father was King Preston, one of the world’s greatest magicians. Until one trick went wrong and he disappeared. Now that Kingston is back in Echo City, he’s determined to find his father.

Somehow, though, when his father disappeared, he took all of Echo City’s magic with him. Now Echo City—a ghost of its past—is living up to its name. With no magic left, the magicians have packed up and left town and those who’ve stayed behind don’t look too kindly on any who reminds them of what they once had.

When Kingston finds a magic box his father left behind as a clue, Kingston knows there’s more to his father’s disappearance than meets the eye. He’ll have to keep it a secret—that is, until he can restore magic to Echo City. With his cousin Veronica and childhood friend Too Tall Eddie, Kingston works to solve the clues, but one wrong move and his father might not be the only one who goes missing.

Buy Kingston and The Magician’s Lost and Found Now!

I am so excited to be able to work with Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill Press for this fall season. I love books, but I also just love talking about them, too! 

Sincerely,

Kaliisha of Woods BEAUyond

RANDOM THINGS OR A WRITER & A WARRIOR?

Friday, November 30th, 2018

Hello everyone! My name is Angela J. Townsend. I was born in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Missoula, Montana. As a child, I grew up listening to stories told by my grandparents, ancient tales and legends of faraway places. My childhood allowed me to be imaginative, to learn the power of words, and to learn that words are living things and how we choose to use them could have a tremendous impact in our world and on others as well.

Sadly, not everything in my past has been an ideal fairy tale. An unexpected tragedy presented an opportunity that changed the course of my life. I started writing when my youngest son was diagnosed with a Retinoblastoma. A cruel form of eye cancer that causes blindness. Writing served as an escape. I wrote to find peace and to find hope for my son, and to create our own adventures far removed from the cold atmosphere of the hospital.

While employed as a paralegal in a busy law firm, my writing career took off. I was able to give away hundreds of signed copies of my novels to the Ronald McDonald houses of America and other organizations for sick children around the globe.

Today, I am a full time filmmaker and a traditionally published, award-winning author. I am fortunate enough to be a member of the Authors Guild and to be represented by the former Vice President of Paramount Pictures, M. Kenneth Suddleson.  Exactly a year ago a movie based on my novel, The Forlorned was released worldwide.

Random things about me:

  • As a young child I spent my young years in a remote fishing village in the wilds of Alaska. That experience shaped my novel, Amarok. The ocean and Alaska will always be a part of me.
  • Friday the 13th has always been my lucky day! I’ve always won money on that day: raffles, contests, and other events.
  • I was born just shy of Halloween—maybe that’s why I love writing spooky themed books so much!
  • After becoming severely allergic to makeup, I developed my own all natural cosmetic line which includes a natural hair dye and soap.
  • Cars terrify me and I’m even more afraid of flying.
  • My favorite food is popcorn which is great because it goes along well with my motion pictures!
  • In 2018 I won a notable trademark lawsuit over my book and movie title, The Forlorned. The case ended up in the US Supreme Court, and winning freed me from years of harassment and “Trademark Trolls.”  I hope that my case will make it easier for other authors who undergo similar legal battles.
  • Last summer I formed Authors Unite Against Bullies. The organization strives to help artists who are being bullied or are victims of frivolous lawsuits.

Thank you for spending time with me!

To read more, visit my website www.angelatownsendbooks.com

 

 

Grammar Makes a Difference

Friday, May 27th, 2016

Hello, all. I’m one of Beaufort Books/Spencer Hill’s newest interns, originally from North Carolina. I wanted to share some thoughts I have on grammar: the good, the bad, the ugly.

One of the things that makes reading so enjoyable is the fact that a specially arranged amount of letters and punctuations all come together to create a vivid picture, story, or idea. They flow together in a way in which we don’t even have to think about all the details, just what the details are communicating. However, when the letters and punctuations don’t follow the rules of communication, my brain makes an annoying stop. I’ve always noticed the rules of grammar, but I became cursed during an editing class in college. Suddenly, I can’t read for enjoyment without mentally turning off my editing brain. I reread a book after the class and almost threw it across the room because I suddenly noticed that the grammar was abysmal – so much for getting sucked into that story-line again. When my teachers had to divert from the lesson plan to remind people about basic grammar rules for their papers, I groaned and rolled my eyes. How are people making these mistakes?

Hemingway is one of my writing heroes. He was famously recorded telling F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Write the best story that you can and write it as straight as you can.” People don’t need flowery stuff to understand what you’re saying. Get rid of all those excessively repeated references and please don’t use so many exclamation marks. If you use an exclamation mark after more than 50% of your sentences (or *cringe* more than one), I’m going to get tired of reading everything in such an excited tone. Talk to me like a person. Grab my attention in other ways.

Please read what you write! Mistakes happen, but I get seriously concerned when your sentences are missing chunks or you’re using “are” instead of “our.” Make your writing as much of a pleasant experience for the reader as you can. Of course, many people will go on rants about the proper uses of “your/you’re” and “there/their/they’re,” but the grammar rule I wish people knew was the difference between “apart” and “a part.” It really is a big difference.

Now that I’ve said my piece, let’s just think about how amazing it is that, just by following the rules of the written English language, we can convey an elaborate picture, evoke emotion, and argue a point. Really, the written word is fascinating.

–Rebecca, Intern