Ben Westerham non-fiction related blog posts.
I love the whole concept around the creator economy, which is essentially about the outstanding opportunities that exist right now for creators to make a living from the things they produce. It’s easier said than done, the making money part, but the opportunities are there in a way they haven’t been before, certainly during my life-time.
I do love a good hardback. There’s something extra-special about the physical experience of holding a hardback in your hands. Maybe it’s the dust jacket or the extra weight or, perhaps, it’s just that it’s so much nicer turning the pages in a hardback than it is a paperback.
Whilst I’ve long known that Charles Dickens released his stories in serialised format before they were published as books, I’ve been surprised recently to discover how long this practice has been going on and the extent of its use.
I’ve recently started sharing some of my favourite covers from the books in my collection. I don’t have as many books as I once did, but there are still around two thousand, so there are plenty to choose from. But going through making my initial selections prompted another thought. Book spines.
I am currently writing book two in my Alexander Templeman espionage series and having a whale of a time doing some research as I go along (remember, I’m one of those writers who mostly makes it up as I go along rather than planning everything out in advance).
Sometimes, when my time and attention is focused on other things, I can forget what a simple joy it is to be writing. This week, after spending several days mostly focused on marketing activities, I got back to devoting most of my time to writing and it was wonderful.
Most authors I know like to have a settled base for their writing, turning up at the same place at the same time each day. In the past I used to leave the office each lunchtime and head for a cafe a little way up the road. When that eventually closed down I started using the library, which was not much further away.
I have a friend who told me recently that it took her 14 years to read one particular book. She enjoyed it but kept getting side-tracked by other tempting reads. I have to admit, that’s quite a slow read.
We were on holiday last week, at a nice little place on the south coast overlooking the English Channel.