This month we have expert advice from Lorraine Mace on how to promote yourself on the radio, Ten Top Tips advises on how to create a cracking short story opening, Useful Websites are really useful and there’s inspiration as usual.

• Editor's News
• Successes
• Expert Advice
• Top Tips
• Useful Sites
• Inspiration

Hello Dear Readers,

We are going to utilise our social media more to inform you about giveaways, offers and special events. So, please ‘like’ our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @writersbureau and retweet “RT @writersbureau ‘Like WB on FB’ to enter prize draw for a copy of Cracking the Short Story Market.

Visit our Short Story winners page for more details.

SPECIAL EVENT!

The winners of our Short Story Competition will be announced at a special event taking place on our Facebook page on 30th September 2011 at 12.00pm GMT. You’ll be able to read the winning stories and tell us what you think. You’ll also be able to Ask The Experts and be in with a chance of winning a Review and Appraisal with Iain Pattison, a six month Freelance Market News subscription and a Novel and Short Story course. Make a note in your diary.

Join us to join in!

Right, on to business! September is upon us – not long until Christmas now. I jest of course, Christmas is ages away yet so don’t even start thinking about it.

We are now settled into our lovely new offices and I have a view. I do love a view. I can now see across Manchester, towards Salford from one window and I have a view of HMP Manchester (otherwise known as Strangeways) from the other. I am going to really enjoy being able to see the weather coming in – clouds are one of my favourite things.

I’m also very happy about where the new office is located – it’s 20 minutes less walking time for me. And for the cherry on the cake, we are the only ones in this building so we can make it as pretty as we like!

This month we have expert advice from Lorraine Mace on how to promote yourself on the radio. Ten Top Tips is about writing a cracking short story opening, Useful Websites has two to help you sell your work and buy useful things and one that’s full of resources.

Fancy a get away? You could do worse than this fantastic writing retreat in Rhodes between October 5th and 12th. It’s a novel writing course, it’s for beginners and costs 350 Euros. You’ll “begin to explore and recognise techniques and styles which evoke the upmost dramatic intrigue and story-telling. Looking at playing with genre, conflict and contrast, as well as the importance of editing and revision, you’ll be encouraged to begin piecing the fragments of ideas, old and new, together. You’ll learn the foundation exercises which will see you through your writing life, exploring a variety of techniques designed by top literary practitioners.” Sounds fantastic and I really think I should check it out – all expenses paid of course – it’s research!

Happy writing

Shelley

P.S Don’t forget our Poetry Writing Competition is now accepting entries.