27 October 2009

Everything you ever wanted to know about Editors and Publishing Agents

www.askaboutwriting.com

Middle aged women are scattered around, everyone else is surplus. Is this going to be a bore-a-thon? Or will it be captivating? It’s just before the start and I’m yawning already. Not a good sign… There seems to be some young children attending. No doubt they, and their parents, hope to end up writing for a living.


This event is being brought to us courtesy of the DLR County Council and is part of a series being curated by Dermot Bolger (DB). In the past I’ve found some of these talks quite introspective. But my passion for writing is the motivation for my attendance.

A couple in front of me have arms clamped around each other’s shoulders, romantically, as the hum and buzz of low-volume chatter gets more feverish. After a short toilet break I return to my seat, with DB chairing proceedings. He introduces his audience to the three panellists: Faith (Publishing Agent), Deirdre (Editing) and an Irish-American veteran of the bookselling business, Tony.

We are attentive as DB speaks, firstly, to Faith. She begins by saying that there is “not many agents in Ireland” and stresses the importance of submitting manuscripts in the correct time and “getting the pitch right.” She speaks clearly, through experience, and seems quite professional. Faith continues by saying that there are “a lot of different stages in the publishing process.” The Publishing Agent informs us that her job is as a ‘go-between’ with the author and the publisher and also says that she reads everything sent her way, “except sci-fi books.” She advises writers not to “over-sell your work”

Deirdre is up next. She says that authors must be 100 per cent happy before submitting work. She communicates with great sincerity and gives us an invaluable insight into the world of publishing and outlines the whole process involved. By listening to Deirdre one gets an understanding of the hoops and roundabouts associated with publishing a book and her knowledge of editing is generously shared with us. When asked, she replies that Short stories are not as popular as in the past and that it is “hard to get shops to enthuse” about them.

As he questions his guests, DB gives his amusing experiences of book titles as the audience warms to the occasion. The third guest is Tony, an American with a distinctive Irish brogue, and he tells of his background editing in the world of books. As he reminisces over his experiences a child screams in the distance – reminds me of mass on a Sunday. Ciarán Carty, the Hennessy book award, the Sunday Tribune, the Francis MacManus award are some of the subjects Tony touches upon this evening. DB says that literary awards are ten-a-penny and over-rated.

When she receives manuscripts for publishing, Deirdre says that a lack of punctuation and spelling mistakes are annoying and she gets put off with this careless attitude. She’s similarly unimpressed with work being sent to her by email. Faith agrees with this view. Throwing in his penny’s worth, Tony says that there is a much shorter shelf life for books in shops these days.

This is a fascinating night of discussion and, though I’m not planning on writing a tome any time soon, there are valuable insights to be learned. Comedy writing is a subject that interests me so it was with great interest that I listened as the panel turned to this style of writing. Deirdre is “nervous about” this topic and Faith says it’s very hard to get right. Everyone is agreed that there’s not many who are working in this genre with Paul Howard’s ‘Ross O’Carroll-Kelly being a popular exception.

Book writing is incredibly hard work and can take up over two years of your life. This leads me to believe that writing, initially at any rate, is a recreation, not a job. It should be viewed as a career. As this public meeting draws to a close, members of the audience question the panellists. Novel writing, childrens books and poetry are all given an airing and I get the feeling that pride is a big part of writing. Faith says that genre is less important than the quality of what is submitted.

DB brings things to a conclusion by reminding people that new writers are always needed to perpetuate the bookselling business. Over the course of about two hours a fair amount is learned about the minutiae of the publishing and editing of books and I found it to be of benefit. There was a good turnout this evening and my attention was kept for the duration, it has made me aware of the various angles of book publishing.

DB will continue with another night of discussion with the writer, Carlo Gebler, on 17th November next at 8pm in Deansgrange Library.

19 October 2009

Not a good Drumm role

Last Thursday (15th October 2009) Myles Dungan, deputising for Pat Kenny, presented Kenny’s radio show from Donegal. One of his guests was a local, Pearse Doherty. Doherty spoke to Dungan on a number of issues, both ideological and pragmatic. For me it was refreshing to hear him highlight two issues that concern the people of Donegal.

Firstly the lack of a rail service from Dublin to Donegal. This may have something to do with the north-western terrain, hard to know why. But Doherty’s second point was the disgraceful way that the people of Donegal do not have adequate cancer care – in 2009! It is appalling to think that these people are not getting the treatment they need – something that other parts of the country are receiving. Doherty speaks well and the locals cheer when he is scathing of the government.

His words ring loudly when you look at the €70,000 bonus which will be dished up to chief executive of the HSE, Brendan Drumm. At a time of cuts and ‘belt-tightening’ it is surely immoral for this fellow to be getting a bonus of this magnitude. At very least the government should have it reduced. The people of Donegal are forgotten, despite the Tánaiste being a local TD. They deserve better.

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Last week John O’Donohue TD donned the robes of the office (?) of Ceann Comhairle for the last time. Chauffer-driven cars, trips to Longchamps and expensive stays at top hotels may also be at an end as the TD for south Kerry tries to restore his political career.

In his resignation speech, he defended his character and challenged others who criticised him most notably Eamon Gilmore, Labour leader, who is widely believed to have wielded the critical blow that finished O’Donohue’s time as Ceann Comhairle.

From the highs of being minister for Justice to the plateau of the department of arts and entertainment, Mr O’Donohue has now been stripped of the plum job of Ceann Comhairle.

Will his time be up as a TD? Mr O’Donohue says that’s a matter for the people of south Kerry, people who may feel he’s being badly treated by the media and the Dublin intelligencia. Mr O’Donohue’s next move will be of considerable interest to observers.

12 October 2009

Dublin rally for Peace & Non-violence

www.worldmarchireland.com

www.theworldmarch.org

Email: worldmarchie@gmail.com


Plans, plans, plans. The best laid plans go awry, as the saying goes. From Napoleon’s Russian campaign to Arsenal’s Champions League efforts, we can never know what will happen in the future. So it was, when I planned to go along to last Saturday’s ‘Peace and Non-violence rally held in Dublin’s Grafton Street.

My Amnesty colleague, Ram, had sent out an email to interested parties about a fortnight ago and I decided to go to it. However at about 10:30 on Saturday morning Ram rang me to tell me of his flu symptoms. The bright and cheerful gentleman sounded depressed and unhappy – something associated with a cold. I was asked to help in his absence and accepted the request.

Arriving in the centre of the city, and after some time hanging around Heroin Corner (Ballast House), a group of us (myself, two lovely South American ladies and a long haired fellow from New Zealand) made our way up through Grafton Street and, once we got to the top of that posh part of the city, we were met by Krisztina, a gentle, kind-hearted woman from Hungary. She is a fine example of humanity and her energy and sincerity is almost unbelievable.

She has a microphone and is speaking towards an audience of largely indifferent members of the public while my New Zealand colleague, Ross, is discharging a string of expletives aimed at Obama and other world leaders. He blames them for destroying the world and, even though I wouldn’t agree with him 100 per cent, he seems quite genuine.

I fetch Krisztina a cup of tea – she wanted honey with it but they didn’t have any of that sticky stuff – from a nearby branch of Insomnia. As I serve her the refreshment a small crowd gathers. Placards are given out and, like a prayer service; we recite a Pledge towards a Non-violent world:

On this day, we interrupt for one
moment the rush of our daily lives.
we remember the lives lost in wars and
all the lives affected by ordinary acts of
violence or discrimination……………

We commit ourselves to work to strive
towards a world of non-violence.

We pledge to work for the day when
nuclear weapons will be eliminated from
the face of the earth.
We pledge to honour every human life.

We ask for a true understanding of non-
violence as a way of life and a
manifestation of that which is truly
human.

We reject all forms of violence, and seek
peace in our own hearts, working with
others to overcome the social violence
and injustice that plague humanity.

We aspire to persuade and reconcile,
rejecting the impulse to impose or seek
revenge.

We make a growing commitment to
Follow the rule that reminds us to treat
Others as we want to be treated.

A human future is possible…it’s song
echoes in the depth of our hearts and its
construction is a task filled with
difficulties but also with joy and
meaning.

Peace, Force and Joy to everyone!


After awhile walking and talking at the top of Grafton Street, the placards and banners are taken down and about half a dozen of us go over to the nearby Wagamama restaurant and the talk is good natured. My plans for the day didn’t include a trip to a posh eatery, but it was worthwhile as I feel I’ve made new friends. It’s good to have a few surprises in life and my Saturday was spent (not intentionally) in good company.

This, though, was a positive experience for me. Hopefully I’ll get to see these nice people again and also that Ram will get over his flu. Thanks go to: Krisztina, Andrea, Genny, Ross and Dolly. It was good to be in your company and a potentially dull Saturday in central Dublin was rescued. Confirmation that the capital is changing, despite the recession, into a ethnically diverse city and that, in my view is a good thing.

To finish, here is more about the World march for Peace and non-violence:

‘This is the first world March to circle the earth calling for the end of war and nuclear arms, and the elimination of violence of all kinds.

The intention of the March is to:

Advance towards the eradication of nuclear weapons; the progressive and proportional reduction of non-nuclear arms; the signing of non-aggression treaties among other nations; and the renunciation by governments of war as a way to resolve conflicts.

Recognise and celebrate the best qualities of all the Earth’s diverse cultures and peoples.

Merge the wills of people everywhere to end the scourge of war.

Generate a worldwide social consciousness that condemns all forms of violence (physical, psychological, racial, religious, economic, sexual), which is currently so widespread and accepted by societies everywhere.

A global consciousness that universally condemns violence.’

Obviously people in the INLA were listening to this message, as that criminal organisation finally announced, over the weekend, to wind up its business of murdering people. One positive outcome anyhow. Plans, plans, plans.

06 October 2009

Kevin Myers





Kevin Myers is an Irish journalist. He was born, the son of a medical doctor in Leicester, England in 1947 and began his career in 1971 as a television journalist at RTE, where he reported from Northern Ireland until 1978, and has also reported on conflicts in the Middle East and in Eastern Europe.

Myers writes for the Irish Independent and his column appears regularly in that newspaper. However he formerly worked at the Irish Times. Whilst at the latter newspaper (c.2005), he wrote that unmarried mothers with children were mothers of “bastards”. This led to considerable anger among Irish Times readers and the general public. Myers was forced to apologise through his column, two days after it was published.

In the summer of 2008, now ensconced at the Irish Independent, Myers wrote another offensive article, ‘Africa is giving nothing to anyone apart from AIDS’. His piece blamed African people for the waste of charity, provided by the developed world. This resulted in the Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) contacting the Gardai to complain. Myers had, it was stated, failed to comply with the ICI’s code of practice for incitement to hatred. “(The article) was distorting and seriously insulting…and to the many Africans in particular who are now resident in Ireland”, a spokesman for the ICI said. However the ICI declined further action.

The rugby-loving journalist has been known to work on radio. He has stood in for George Hook on Hook’s programme on the Dublin based Newstalk station and his views are frequently the centre of discussion. Rarely could Myers be described as ‘boring’ and contentious discussion is never far away.

Myers has also tried his hand at television and presented, in the 1990’s, a quiz show for university students on RTE. ‘Challenging Times’ was loosely based on the long-running British ‘University Challenge’ programme. This probably brought him a new audience although this time involving no controversy.

In 2003 Myers had a book published, Banks of Green Willow. He has also written a memoir of his time spent in Ulster in the 1970’s and is a fierce critic of violent Irish republicanism.

Today Myers continues to comment on life in his Irish Independent column. Many may disagree with his views, however he remains one of the most formidable of Irish journalists. His trenchant opinions will, no doubt, be the source of intense debate for quite some time to come.
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