Writers Unbound

We have a new blog...

2010-04-28T10:31:00.000+01:00

Here is our new address:

Reminder: Competition Deadline 30th April

2010-04-14T09:55:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to post a quick reminder that the Unbound Press Short Story & First Chapter Competition deadline is almost upon us! Please make sure your entries are submitted no later than 30th April.

Also, thanks to those who have entered the competition thus far. We are very impressed by the response as well as the high standard of writing.

We're doomed, Captain Mainwaring!

2010-04-01T23:25:00.000+01:00

And so we are, you stupid boy, so we are!

Sameer Rahin in his column in The Telegraph predicts the end of the traditional bookshop, the end of the bound book, the end of the full-time professional author. And who are we to doubt him when all around us we see evidence of it? WE keep saying it ourselves. Yes, I know we are old miseries and that 'something else' will come along to compensate as change engulfs us - look at the recovery of music industry, for goodness sake - but the message is now a steady drumbeat: the way in which writing is presently created, delivered and consumed is as good as dead.

We often make the point here, over mugs of warm tea, that everybody has a camera nowadays and is therefore a photographer, and everybody has a computer and is therefore a writer. It's easy to snap away and to type away like artists possessed. But then what?

Have a look at what Sameer has to say and be depressed, be very depressed. If you care about writing... and books, that is.

A state of f***

2010-03-30T23:06:00.001+01:00

Anybody with aspirations to write professionally will know that the publishing industry is in a state of flux. Digital delivery to e-readers combined with the inexorable rise of the mega-bookstore are making things difficult for the traditional high street bookshop and, consequently, for the publisher, agent and writer.

It's the same in television, it seems. Libby Purves, that most excellent author, Times columnist and sailor laments the passing of The Bill after 26 years and, in passing takes a sideswipe at publishing generally:

'Publishers have no time or nerve to grow new novelists slowly and forgivingly: if your first book doesn’t go stratospheric you probably won’t get the second, far better one, into print. Often a “name” earned elsewhere or a startling personal history provide the only way in.'

Read her full article.
And this is one reason why small-scale publishers like Unbound Press deserve support. For those talented writers who can't contrive a 'name' or construct 'a startling personal history', we and others like us are your main chance.

New Publication! Annabel by Elon Whittaker

2010-03-18T19:30:00.002Z

Unbound Press is pleased to announce our latest publication Annabel by Elon Whittaker.

Purchase Your Copy Now

Poor Annabel, a misfit with a talent for invoking death and injury as she grows up in the north west of England in the 60s and 70s. People gossip - you know how they are! Annabel's a witch? Isn't she?

Annabel Turner, only child of a 1950s loveless marriage, is blessed with intelligence and a strong will but cursed by her lack of physical charms. Death and misery spread out from her whenever she is crossed. Her parents, her best friend and even those who take it upon themselves to care for her, all fall prey to malevolent forces, or so it seems to the bystander.

Annabel finds what passes for her as love with the self-centred Robin Rotmensen, another of life's misfits, but even this relationship is doomed as the pair try to settle in a cottage on the outskirts of a village high above Lancaster where echoes of the Pendle Witches still reverberate. With the suspicious death of their friend, they attract the opprobrium of the village leading to conflict with their neighbours and community agreement that a coven exists in their midst. They also attract the attention of the police in the shape of PC Nowell whose clashes with Annabel lead him to take on the role of Witchfinder General.

Is Annabel a witch or is she, as she suggests, simply fulfilling the role created for her by cruel and ignorant people, just as they did with Old Demdike and the other Pendle Witches in the 17th century?

Excerpt from Annabel:

"How could you, Arthur?" demanded Alice at least a dozen times a week. "You've brought ruination and disgrace upon us."
      "Yes, how could you?" echoed her mother each time, a blue-rinse parrot.
      Arthur never answered. How could he answer when he didn't know? So he sat in his chair and stared into space, fingering the rose-thorn scratches on his hands, chasing thoughts around the inside of his head and not getting anywhere other than deeper and deeper within himself. In these medically-enlightened days, he would be diagnosed as depressed and prescribed Prozac or some such. But, for Arthur, there was only the richly deserved misery of endless introspection.
     How could I, indeed? What on earth was I thinking of? It all seemed so easy. Nobody ever checked up on me. Oh, if only... I blame old Bartholomew, the lazy beggar. Too idle to keep a check on me. The temptation was too much for any mortal soul... oh, do shut up, Alice! ...yes, too much temptation. And look at me now, stuck with this woman and this woman's mother and this woman's child. It doesn't look like mine. It looks foreign. Here, you don't reckon Alice...? Well, you never know, do you. She could have, you know. She could have already been pregnant when we got married... but that's not possible... think of the timing. Oh, I don't know... I don't know what's possible and what isn't these days. One thing's certain, everything was tickety boo before I got involved with Alice. Mother was right, I never have been the marrying kind. Should have stayed single, that's what I should have done... that child's staring at me again. All she does is stare at me. She's weird and no mistake. She can't be mine. I mean, look at her. She's smiling now, if that's what you can call it. Oh, she's bright enough, too bright if you ask me, but... I... don't... like... her. No, it's more than don't like her, I hate her. Yes, that's it, I hate the little.... Oh, dear God, listen to what you're saying! You hate your own daughter. You really are sick, Arthur Turner. You're a sick beggar. Look at her! She knows what you're thinking. She's smiling because she knows you're a sick beggar. See, she's smiling more. She knows what you're thinking. Well, here's something for you to know, daughter of mine...
      Annabel stirred in her pushchair and focused more intently on Arthur.
      ...I hate you, you little bastard, YOU... LITTLE... BASTARD, you ugly, hairy, little bastard. I'm on to you. I know your game.
     And Annabel chuckled. For the first time ever, at the age of 10 months, she chuckled. It was not a pleasant sound. It was too deep and too sophisticated a rumble to inspire a traditional 'ahhhhh' from even the soppiest of relatives.
     Alice heard it too and came in from the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway and peered first at Arthur, then at Annabel.
      "What on earth was that noise? It fair made my blood run cold. Was that you, Arthur? Are you sick or something?"
      "It was her," he said, pointing at the infant.
      And as they both stared at Annabel, she fixed first one parent with a steady gaze, then the other, and she chuckled again.
      "Oh, Dear God!" said Alice, and a tear trickled down her cheek.

End of call for submissions.

2010-02-21T10:20:00.000Z

We are about to end our call for submissions. The reason? We have sufficient good material to fill our list for the next 12 months. Simple as that.

Unsurprisingly, we had hundreds of submissions and many of them from talented writers. But we can only take on a few at a time and our publishing cup runneth over for this year, we're sorry to say.

Now, for those who received rejections, it's not possible, or advisable, to give individual critiques. Some don't need critiques at all. The reasons why some good writing was rejected are many and varied but include: our personal dislike of the subject matter; overly contentious material - in particular, hard-hitting religious or political diatribes; explicit sex scenes that had no bearing on the storyline; material that would be difficult to market; over-use of obscenities; and graphic violence. And so, without commenting on the value of the actual writing, it was relatively easy to say that such things are simply not for us.

All writers, though, however good, bad or indifferent, might wish to look at the following article in The Guardian Online if they are serious about improving the chances of their submissions being accepted by a publisher or agent.

Celebrity Big Browser

2010-02-04T09:48:00.000Z

In an article about the launch of Channel 4's new TV Book Club - which will no doubt take over the mantle of Richard and Judy's ditto - it is revealed that an Asda supermarket survey (yes, we know!) found the following:- "...17pc of children think Fagin is a Manchester United footballer and 40pc think Moby Dick is a pop star. Meanwhile 60pc of children have never heard of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, while 25pc think it is a song by The Beatles and 10pc think it is the title of Simon Cowell’s autobiography. Almost 30pc have read Harry Potter but just 3pc have read Of Mice and Men. Conversely 50pc can name David Beckham’s autobiography (My Side)."

It's enough to make you want to... yes, quite!

The show format is simple: actors, comedians and other minor celebs sit in front of a TV camera to discuss a new book and, hey presto, that book sells a lot of copies. So, if you wish to compare your own literary taste with that of Jo Brand, for example, turn on and tune in!

We Know It When We See It

2010-01-26T10:21:00.001Z

Writers thinking of submitting manuscripts to Unbound Press are entitled to ask: What are they looking for?

Here's the answer; We don't know! That's right, we just don't know... until we see it. BUT, and that's a very large 'but', as you can see, there are certain things we are most definitely NOT looking for. Here's a short list:-

1 Badly presented, poorly punctuated writing.

2 Gratuitous sex and violence, especially when explicit. It's not clever and it's certainly not funny.

3 Liberally scattered obscenities. Once again, not clever and not funny and a poor substitute for good writing.

4 The 'shock and awe' approach to story telling. We are not easily shocked and even less easily awed. Detailed descriptions of bodily functions, disembowelling (ritual or otherwise), decapitations, high impact injuries, disfigurations and the like, particularly in the first couple of paragraphs, won't tempt us to read on.

5 Overly detailed descriptions of everyday objects or actions. For example, we know what it feels like to sit in an armchair or what a burger looks like. What we don't know is why such descriptions have relevance to the story.

6 A day in the life of a teenager written in the teenager's voice. Having had our fair share of teenage contacts in the past, and having been teenagers ourselves (admittedly in the distant past), we know with a certainty that shouldn't need to be expressed that very few things are more self-indulgent and boring.

7 Imitations of past best-sellers. There can never be another Harry Potter, okay?

8 Works that insult Christianity or Islam or Judaisim or other religions, or that degrade women, or are racist, or overtly political and/or that are defammatory.

So, there is a very short list of things that won't be greeted with enthusiasm. But if you can write clearly and you have something to say, something that is 'real' and has resonance, then we'd be delighted to hear from you. Already, from the avalanche of submissions we have received in recent weeks, we have found two works that appeal to us immensely and that should see the light of day in the not too distant future. Neither are conventional but both, in our collective opinion, are very good indeed.

100 Stories for Haiti Book Project: Website

2010-01-24T19:19:00.000Z

Have a look at the new website for the 100 Stories for Haiti Book Project

100 Stories For Haiti - A Worthy Project !

2010-01-19T16:22:00.001Z

We here at Unbound Press will certainly be supporting Greg McQueen's efforts! We hope you will too. Take a look at this video for all the information.

Modern Times

2010-01-19T09:16:00.001Z

Amazon is a huge and powerful behemoth that has crushed publishing in its fist, says India Knight in an article in The TimesOnline The bookshop strangler: it’s a scary whodunnit And she sings the praises of both Waterstone's and the small, dusty, independent bookshop. Buying books is the most wonderful treat and it should feel like one, she goes on to say. So it should!

And yet here we are, a small, independent publisher, without a presence either in the high street or the side street, selling books on the internet. And, again, here we are, citing a column in the internet version of a quality broadsheet newspaper rather than buying the newspaper itself. We're doing what Amazon does, only on a much smaller scale and nowhere near as cheaply. Life's a real trial, don't you think?

Unbound Press Journal Highlights: Kurt Caswell

2010-01-18T10:40:00.003Z

The inaugural issue of the Unbound Press Literary Journal was a culmination of writers, poets, photographers and graphic designers from around the world. When the dust settled and we finally went to press our contributors’ postal codes ranged from Alabama to South Africa, including eight different countries and fifteen US states. For a first effort, we couldn’t have been more pleased by their enthusiasm and talent.

To purchase a copy of the Unbound Press Journal: Click Here

In upcoming posts we look forward to introducing you to some of the talented folks who contributed to the inaugural issue. First up: Kurt Caswell.

Kurt Caswell’s Unsettled: A Teacher’s Year in Navajoland ‘This is Borrego’ was a first chapter, non-fiction contribution in which he details his struggle to find his footing as a teacher at Borrego Pass, a remote Navajo community.

You can now read Kurt’s account of that year in an offering by Trinity University Press: In the Sun's House

In the Sun’s House by Kurt Caswell

Also by Caswell:

An Inside Passage

Unreasonable Force by Charlie Taylor - First Chapter

2010-01-17T10:46:00.000Z

Read the first chapter of Unreasonable Force by Charlie Taylor for free! First Chapter now available in PDF format.

Read First Chapter of Unreasonablbe Force Now - For Free

Or Purchase a Full Copy of Unreasonable Force in Book Form or PDF

The Journey and Other Short Stories by Charlie Taylor - Free Sample Story

2010-01-17T10:41:00.003Z

Read a sample from The Journey and Other Stories by Charlie Taylor for free! 'I Believe' sample story now available in PDF format.

Read Sample of The Journey and Other Stories - For Free

Or Purchase a Full Copy of The Journey and Other Stories in Book Form or PDF

2010-01-16T20:43:00.000Z

Speaking of new technology, our Editor-in-Chief has become addicted to electronic games after being given a Nintendo DS by Someone-Who-Should-Have-Known-Better for Christmas.

"It's ok," she said, "I'm not playing any of them there shoot-'em-ups. It's crosswords and word searches and anagrams and vaguely cerebral activities like that."

We nodded and said, "Mmmmmmm, right."

"Honest," she said. "And one of these little doobries that slips into the back of this red machine is called Brain Training. You know, the stuff that Ant and Dec advertise on TV."

"Who?" we said.

"Ant and... never mind. Anyway," she said, "it seems my brain is only 26 years old..."

"But you're at least..."

"I know," she said, "but don't tell everybody. Promise?"

We promised.*

"And here's a funny thing," she said. "About the anagrams," she said. "It won't allow me to have words like 'ass' and 'rape'. Know why?"

"It's an American thing," we said, "and Americans have a tendency to get all prissy about words that might be interpreted as vaguely smutty. They are also a bit prissy about Janet Jackson's breasts."

"Exactly!" she said. "Aren't Americans strange? They give us Quentin Tarantino movies and object to a perfectly proper word like 'ass'... and Janet Jackson's breast."

"You ain't whistlin' Dixie," said our American colleague. "Maybe we might could tell American contributors that we're not offended by an occasional risque little word here or there, especially as they started out being English and having perfectly sensible meanings? But let's leave JJ's breast out of it, ok?"

"That's a good idea," said our Editor-in-Chief. "Do you think we've told everybody now?"

"Lawks a lawdy, I sho' do reckon so, honeychile, honeylamb," said our personal little Scarlet O'Hara.

*(51, by the way!)

French Sally by William Prince - First Chapter

2010-01-13T18:26:00.005Z

Read the first chapter of French Sally by William Prince for free! Now available in PDF format.

Read First Chapter of French Sally Now - For Free!

Or Purchase a Full Copy of French Sally in Book Form or PDF

Free Preview of The Scottish Wedding Planner

2010-01-13T18:17:00.001Z

Find out now if The Scottish Wedding Planner is the comprehensive guide you need to plan your dream wedding! No guesswork involved. No wondering if you'll get what you pay for. Unbound Press has made available via PDF a seven page preview including the Table of Contents, Introduction and First Chapter excerpts. Find out everything you need to know about how to make your dream ceremony a reality and read the real-life observations from couples who have put the information contained in The Scottish Wedding Planner to good use!

Read Free Sample of The Scottish Wedding Planner Now

Or Purchase a Full Copy of the Planner in Book Form or PDF

Unbound Press Announce Rival to Kindle and Assorted Other e-readers

2010-01-09T18:57:00.000Z

This week at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, that literary Mecca, over 20 companies will be exhibiting in the e-book section hoping to tempt customers with shiny hardware dootsies with glowy screens and associated software gubbins, all designed to deliver digitalised reading material to the techno-monkeys currently roaming the planet and to extract money from their credit cards at the same time. Some trick! Not content with PCs, laptops, netbooks, phones, PDAs, smartphones, dumbphones, slates (with and without chalk), tablets, schmablets, touchscreens, thoughtscreens, wave-gently-in-your-directionscreens, a sensational new product will be unveiled by Unbound Press which, it is guaranteed, will knock those unholy gadgets into a cocked hat quicker than it takes to exhaust a laptop battery.

"We're bowled over by this new gizmo," said Quentin Boomer, editorial assistant. "It's something we have been working on for quite a long time. It's light, it's portable, it has a genuine touch facility and the battery, if you can ever find the nano-sized thing, lasts an amazing length of time... well, a lifetime, really. We've decided to call it a 'book' and we are convinced that even the most determined of technophobes will find it user-friendly. Try one out," he said, "on http://www.unboundpress.co.uk/ . You'll be delighted with the apps."

Welcome to the Machine...

2010-01-07T10:35:00.000Z

So it's link time! Link time? OH yes, link time... If you can find a moment in your hazzled, frazzled day we'd love it if you joined us on Facebook and Twitter for updated information about Unbound Press.

Unbound Press Tweets

Unbound Press on Facebook

Hello, good evening & welcome!

2010-01-01T22:26:00.002Z

Our first post on our new blog on the first day of 2010. What a propitious date!

It seems that everybody and his dog has a Facebook page, a MySpace, a blog and, of course, they tweet fit to bust. Well, we thought we'd better join the crowd and so here we are with our blog. 'We', incidentally, are Unbound Press, and we are a small press publisher operating out of Glasgow, and after a couple of years preparation we are up and running in (reasonably) serious fashion. You can see in more detail what we're about on our website.

Basically, Unbound Press has three aims: to publish high quality full-length fiction and non-fiction; to encourage new talent by running competitions; to publish the prize winners and any other worthy entrants at the end of one year's cycle.

That's us in a nutshell. Keep your eye on the blog for further news. We are currently appraising several manuscripts with a view to adding them to our publication list. Accepted titles will be announced both here and on the website.

The current competition is for short stories and first chapters of novels. This will be followed later in the year by competitions for creative non-fiction, flash fiction and poetry.

We look forward to reading your submissions and competition entries.

Happy New Year to all!

Nicki