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Create a demon

Darren Shan Author Darren Shan has invited readers to create a demon. A reader will have a chance to create a demon of their own, by describing it in 50 words of less. The winning contestant will see their demon featured in Book 9 of The Demonata in May 2009 more

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10may08 262
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Recent News

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Be a singer be a writer
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paris at night The popular chanteuse Miss Kyle Minogue has become a knight in the French Order of Arts and Letters.
She said: “I am deeply honoured to be recognised in this way. French culture has influenced me greatly and I have always had colossal respect for the arts and people of France”. more

© www.askaboutwriting.net
03may08 261
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Bogus work experience breaks the law bad news
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Media companies are breaking the law by using bogus work experience placements to cover full-time jobs, according to the National Union of Journalists.

An NUJ survey has exposed widespread exploitation of people trying to break into the industry. more

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Fresh Kills wins
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Fresh Kills by Bill Loehfelm is the winner of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan and The Prospect of My Arrival by Dwight Okita also finished in the top three. Loehfelm wrote Fresh Kills at night, won a $25,000 publishing contract with Penguin, which will publish the novel in late summer. more

© www.askaboutwriting.net
12apr08 257
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McEwan gets two Nibbies
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pen in hand Ian McEwan received two awards at this year’s Nibbie book awards. As well as winning the main prize he was named Reader's Digest Author of the Year for On Chesil Beach
Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns (Bloomsbury) won the Richard & Judy Best Read of the Year. more

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Writers rates increase in theatres
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man with cash Rates paid to writers under the agreement between the Independent Theatre Council and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain have increased by 4.1 per cent, according to the guild. The full list of rates may be downloaded from the guild website. more

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man sold out Friday Project ends weak
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The independent web-to-print publisher The Friday Project Ltd went into liquidation this week.
TFP was founded in 2005 to specialise in sourcing the "brightest talent from the web and develop brilliant books from it."
Liquidators said some £360,000 was owed to trade and expense creditors, alone, while assets were valued at £50,000. more

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Free book for clever communications
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open book Writers working around the charities sector may now avail of a free book to help them on their way.
The Voluntary Action Media Unit has produced a free book for charities called Clever Communications, with articles by media and charity insiders giving an insight in to the secrets to building successful media relationships. more

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First chapters echo Allen’s Penguin
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Penguin is making the first chapter of all of its books available for free download.
For six months, Penguin has been trialing PDF downloads of the first chapters of some of its new novels at penguin.co.uk.
Tasters allow readers browse the opening pages of each book as a sample. more

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Publishing for success
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Publishing for Success - a practical guide is available for free in Northern Ireland while stocks last.
The guide is written by Anne Tannahill and produced by the Northern Ireland Publications Resource (NIPR). more

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Davy Byrnes does it again
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man cash The world’s richest prize for a single short story is on its way back.
Dublin-based The Stinging Fly said Davy Byrnes Irish Writing Award will be awarded for the second time; but not until 2009.
The award is worth €25,000 and five runners-up will each receive €1,000. American novelist and short story writer Richard Ford will judge the competition. more

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older RePorTs
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Waterstone’s guide to getting published more
No more Nestlé Prize more
Irish Press Council starts work more
PLR becomes Irish law more
New parliamentary group for writers more
Freelance fees ready reckoner ready more
Give up your copyright more
No threat to PLR payments following ISBN changes more
Libel ruling exempts service providers more
Internet copyright asserted more
A Writer's Earnings more
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