Ginny Porter and Helen Osborne are the proprietors of one of South Africa’s few literary agencies, Osborne Porter Literary Services. Based in both Kwazulu-Natal and the UK, these two ladies offer a wide variety of services for local and international writers. I asked Ginny a few questions about the local industry and her journey in publishing.
 
 
1. How did you find your way into the perilous world of publishing? And more specifically, how did Osborne-Porter get its start?

The word ‘perilous’ describes the journey well as publishing is not for the fainthearted. There are so many issues to consider and as it can be a costly exercise it is potentially frightening as people can let you down. Printers not fulfilling their obligations would be one example. Fortunately Helen and I have learnt a great deal over the years and we have solid, reliable relationships with people who assist us with the process.

Helen and I met at a SA Writers’ Circle meeting whilst I was Vice Chairman. Helen was initially elected as Functions Manager. Helen is well qualified in this position and we ensured the success of the annual SAWC Writers’ Seminars by appointing suitable lecturers and conducting some presentations ourselves. At an AGM meeting Helen was unanimously voted in as Chairman and I remained in my role as Vice Chairman in order to support her. A number of members began approaching us about publishing their work and so we decided to form Writers’ Circle Publishing. Our services were made available for no charge as the SAWC is a non-profit organisation. This proved very time-consuming and we decided to start Osborne Porter Literary Services and charge for our services. I had been on the committee for 10 years and needed a change. Fortunately Helen and I think similarly and frequently we mind read each other as we arrive at the same conclusions on business decisions.
 

2. What is your favourite part about your job?

Definitely the people. We have met wonderful people who are using their lives in service to others. These people have been such an inspiration. We have read some deeply moving tales and regard it a privilege to assist people with their dreams. Helen and I are both creative people so we also enjoy our discussions on book covers. We believe we have created some very eye catching examples. See our website www.osborne-porter.com for examples.
 

3. What is the role of a literary agent in the South African publishing industry?

This is a big question and there is quite a lot of literature on the topic. There is no difference in this country and basically the role consists of assessing work, finding a suitable market and negotiating fair royalties. It is very much a relationship of trust and we are careful who we represent. We do not flood the market with queries as this would backfire and give us a bad reputation.
 

4. Do you represent South African authors on an international platform? Is there a big difference between the local market and the international market?

Yes we do as Helen now resides in the UK and so is ideally placed to negotiate on behalf of our clients. The essential difference between the two markets is that in South Africa authors can approach publishers themselves, but in the UK and US you must go through a literary agent. A useful website belongs to The Publishers Association of South Africa (PASA) www.publishsa.co.za
The industry is presently going through massive change and the economic downturn is also negatively impacting the publishing industry. For instance major publishers such as Penguin and others are now offering self publishing deals. Google this discussion as there is much criticism directed towards Penguin about this decision. Proceed with caution would be our advice!
 

5. What advice would you give to a new writer, looking to be published in South Africa?

If you wish to be accepted by a publisher anywhere ensure that your book is carefully edited and assessed. Many authors believe this is the job of the publisher, but they are not going to consider sloppy work. Do your research about the company by finding out what genres they handle, whether they are currently considering authors, if they take on unpublished authors, what their distribution network is like, royalty fee structure etc. If possible you could contact one of their authors and ask them about their experiences as this information can assist with your decisions.
Read similar genres and remember writers write! Write every day, first thing in the morning is best. I was inspired by Julia Cameron’s Artist’s Way where this idea originates. Join a writing group like the SA Writers’ Circle (www.sawriters.org.za). They have excellent writing competitions with carefully selected judges. Get critiques wherever you can, but remember that not everyone is qualified to assess so don’t take things personally. Our assessment fee is very competitive and will provide you with guidance on character development, dialogue, location and other issues.

An excellent book on getting published in South Africa is How to get published in 30 Relatively Easy Steps by Basil van Rooyen. Helen and my book Getting Published, Art, Science or Luck? is also very useful and comes free with our online writing course. Another essential book is The Writers Handbook.

There is plenty more to mention but I will conclude this question by mentioning the importance of checking your facts. Yes, it is a novel and therefore fiction, but please ensure that the facts are correct for the era, the location, and that your characters react appropriately according to their personalities. Hmm, much to think about!
 

6. What kinds of books have the most success in the South African market?

The worldwide phenomenon of the Twilight series and Harry Potter are naturally top sellers in this country too and many authors try to emulate their success. We see numerous fantasy novels and would caution authors that they should rather introduce something unique. Deon Meyer is known as South Africa’s best crime writer, but we must take this opportunity to mention that our client, Gustav Preller is not too far behind. Gustav is now on his third novel and has been compared to other major names in the thriller genre. He came to us when we started Osborne Porter 4 years ago with his novel Icarus over Hong Kong. We then handled his next book, The Twelfth Delegate. Gustav is a perfect example of how authors need to promote their own work as he even went to Hong Kong to promote his first book. Watch out for Gustav’s books for an enjoyable read!

Wendy Clark, author of Beloved, writes books situated in South Africa and she uses her experiences as an attorney to bring realism into her stories. Her characters are uniquely South African with their accents, mannerisms and viewpoints. No wonder Wendy has won so many writing competitions over the years. The literary tourism website will explain more.

Read classics by Andre Brink, JM Coetzee, and Nadine Gordimer to find out how to become the next best Nobel Prize winner of literature. Political statements still sell in this country. See www.southafrica.info for a list of classic South African literature.
 

7. How has the digital publishing boom affected you, if at all?

Oh very definitely. This is something we became aware of many years ago. Helen and I discussed the topic after I watched Oprah raving about the Kindle. ‘Raving’ is the correct word here as she went on and on about the wonders of this device and how there was no problem snuggling up in bed with the Kindle. If Oprah puts her stamp of approval on something it is bound to succeed so my ears pricked up. I have now purchased one and look forward to furthering my education with the many books on architecture and art which will assist me in my job at the university. I know a professor who is retired now who says he will never buy a conventional book again. So it is not an age dependent consideration.

The ebook world is growing at an astronomic rate, but we would caution authors in uploading unedited work as the international world online is small and you can quickly get a reputation for bad work. In light of this, Helen and I will concentrate on assisting authors with our online writing course, edits, and assessments. Our initial free mini assessment will determine which category the author falls in. We will also avail ourselves for book cover design as even if your book is only available online you still have to have an attractive cover.
 

8. When you are not reading over manuscripts, what do you enjoy reading?

Generally I prefer nonfiction on topics such as self development, spirituality, and education. I am currently reading another Robert Bauval book on Egypt. I enjoy researching material for my other role, that of lecturer at the University of KwaZulu Natal. The topics are diverse but very interesting and they include visual communications in Architecture, and issues pertaining to Housing.
 

9. You and Helen have written a book to help new writers Getting Published, Art, Science or Luck? What prompted you to write the book?

As Helen and I frequently ran workshops on writing, together we decided to record them. There are so many books on the topic but we thought it would be useful if our book included a CD with templates on the different aspects of writing. For instance, we give you all the questions you should consider to make your characters come alive on the page with unique characteristics. We believe our book is therefore more experiential than others and we have made it an integral part of our online writing course.
 

10. What advice would you give to authors when they receive criticism?

Never take harsh, unkind criticism to heart. Some people are simply not qualified to comment and most professional publishers are very kind with their “no thanks” letters. A review will help though. If you select someone who has experience in the publishing world you can obtain considerable guidance. For instance if you read some of the references on our website (go to the end), Roulon du Toit said the best thing which happened to him was to be refused representation and a suggestion that he register for our online writing course. He had gone to numerous publishers and literary agents who simply said “not suitable” but he never found out why. Many famous authors have been refused by publishers and I have often wondered if the people who made the decision to not publish were retained after losing the company a considerable amount of money. See our UK website www.osborne-porter.co.uk for a list of authors who were refused several times before they became rich and famous. You will feel much better about your recent refusal!

Greg Wilson and Brad Beaulieu are the founders of a brilliant website called Speculatesf.com (mentioned in my previous blog on Speculative Fiction) which features podcasts about the latest SF books, authors and writing. They were kind enough to answer some questions about themselves, their website and their writing. I know you’re going to love this one…
 
YOUR WEBSITE
 
1. You both have different writing backgrounds and live in different cities. Tell us a little about how your paths crossed.
 
Greg: Brad and I first met at the Writers' Symposium at Gen Con, back (I think) in 2006 or so. We tended to move in the same circles, so we ran into each other on a number of occasions afterwards
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Brad: That's right. We had a reading together at Gen Con, which was the first time we'd talked at length. I think I ended up hogging the time because I mis-timed the story I was reading. Somehow Greg got over it and forgave me.
 
2. www.speculatesf.com is a brilliant website for readers and writers of SF. What brought about the idea to have these podcast interviews?
 
Greg: The original idea for Speculate! stemmed from a conversation Brad and I had at dinner one night during Gen Con 2010. We had been discussing Kij Johnson's short story "Spar," on which we had a few disagreements :), but I found the conversation so interesting that I thought it would be fun to continue it in another context. I already had podcasting experience from two previous shows, and spoke to a few people about doing some kind of a roundtable or group show—but Brad and I have a number of similar tastes as far as speculative fiction is concerned, and ultimately we connected the best in terms of a vision for the show.
 
We both had the idea for doing a sequence of episodes on each work we were going to discuss, but Brad was the one who came up with the reader response / author interview / writing technique discussion model, and I think it works very well—especially since we've broadened a bit now to do some one off interviews and to look at other aspects of SFF besides simply writing, though that remains our focus.
 
Brad: Sadly, Greg's memory is already starting to fail him. The conversation we had was at a steak house in Columbus, Ohio at World Fantasy in October of 2010. He got the story right, though. Sparks were flying as we talked about "Spar." It was definitely an interesting conversation, and I was excited to have more, not only to share what I've learned about writing, but also to learn from other writers, including Greg. It's a great venue for our listeners, but I'd be lying if I didn't say how exciting it is to talk to some of these folks directly. And also, it's illuminating to decompose stories to see how they tick. All-in-all, I'm very pleased with the format we settled on, because I think it not only gives some idea of what these stories are like, it also illuminates the writer's mind of the author and it gives Greg and I a chance to flex our muscles while digging into the story for the trailing episode in each sequence.
 
3. You’ve interviewed some interesting writers in your 20 episodes. Which has been the most interesting interview?
 
Greg: This is a tough call, since we really haven't had any duds—everyone's been interesting in his/her own way! Kij Johnson provided some really fascinating insights into the writing process, and Pat Rothfuss did a wide-ranging interview about topics from writing to charity work. And Ed Greenwood, whom we just interviewed at Gen Con, was as fun as always. Those are the ones that jump out for me, but really, everyone we've interviewed has been great.
 
Brad: There have been some very interesting interviews. I love those nuggets of information that come from people that have been writing for decades. (I wanted to say "years" in kindness, but who am I kidding? We look to the masters, and they've been at this thing for a while.) The banter between Michael Swanwick and James Patrick Kelly was a lot of fun, not to mention illuminating, but I'd have to give the crown to Kij Johnson. I'm a big fan, not just of her writing, but of how well she understands the craft and is able to pass that along to younger writers. It's a difficult thing, being witty and instructive at the same time, but Kij always seems to manage it.
 
YOUR WRITING
 
4. How did you get into writing? Was it a natural progression or somewhat unexpected?
 
Greg: I'd say it was fairly natural for me. My father was a college professor of English, and my mother was a teacher, so I grew up around lots of books (we had a five thousand book library), and the written (and spoken) word was a major part of my childhood. I ended up getting a B.A. in English Education, but then went on to do my Masters and Ph.D in English, since I had decided that teaching in college was my primary "day job" goal. In college I wrote plays, and was reasonably successful in that environment, but it wasn't really until I was nearing the end of my graduate work that I started to focus on novels. Finishing my dissertation, and then turning it into my first academic book, was a big step for me; if I could finish one book-length work, I could finish two or more, and the discipline I learned in graduate school went a long way in helping me in my creative writing career.
 
As for what I chose to write about, that was also fairly clear—I read, teach and enjoy all kinds of literature, but speculative fiction is really what first fired my imagination as a kid, and so as I got serious about becoming a novelist writing fantasy fiction was a natural progression.
 
Brad: I got into reading fantasy (and science fiction, but mostly fantasy) at a young age. I never thought much about it during high school, though I did write a few fantastic stories for school assignments during that time. I also gamed a lot. I played a metric ton of role playing games like D&D, Villains & Vigilantes, RoleMaster, James Bond, GURPS, and on and on. I loved playing them, but I really gravitated to running the games, coming up with the world and the characters and the scenario the players would go through. It was a lot of fun for me, and it was where my storytelling skills first started to blossom.
 
Still, I never really thought about becoming a writer. It was more of a "what if," something so distant from where I was that it never felt like something I could reasonably pursue—like becoming an astronaut, or a world class gymnast. Also, I was in love with computers. I started programming in junior high school, and I never looked back. I got a degree in Computer Science and Engineering, but during that time, writing was still at the back of my mind. I took my first stab at writing a novel in those college years, and I still have those pages. Somewhere. They're truly horrible, but it was a start.
 
After college, I started writing a new novel, and this time I finished it. The only problem was it took me seven years to do, and I thought: if I'm going to do this, I'd better dedicate myself to it or just drop the idea altogether. At that point I'd been going to the Gen Con gaming convention for a long time, since my grade school days. I'd gone mostly as a gamer, but I saw some writing seminars, so I started to attend those. This is where I first met Kij Johnson, and she talked about a lot of things to help a young writer get started—going to writing conventions (I started with WorldCon in San Jose in 2003 and World Fantasy in D.C. in 2004), entering contests (I entered Writers of the Future for six straight quarters until I won in 2004), writing every day (a routine I still use today), and many other bits of advice. What you'll find is that your knowledge and your network will expand like ice crystals, and soon I was attending four or five conventions per year, selling some short fiction, and participating in panels.
 
In the end, I'd have to say that the progression to a published novelist was somewhat unexpected, but there was always something at the center of me that wanted to write, to share stories.
 
5. Tell us a bit about your writing process (if you have one) and how you work from that initial idea to the finished manuscript.
 
Greg: I can get ideas from anywhere, but typically they come from another creative medium: a television show, a live theater production, a dance performance, something like that (one of my novels, Icarus, came from an idea I had while watching a Cirque du Soleil performance). Once I have the idea I let it percolate in my head for a good while—often months, since I'm usually working on something else at the same time—and develop a good sense of the narrative arc I want to pursue. When I sit down to write, I work out a chapter by chapter outline (which is subject to significant revision as I actually write the novel), then get underway. (I should note that I didn't outline when I first began writing…but I didn't finish any novels when I first began writing either! I find that having a chapter outline is helpful not only for keeping me on track as I write, but afterwards when I'm sending it to publishers or working with my agent, as an extended chapter synopsis is often requested by potential publishers anyway.) I try to set larger goals for myself—finish a chapter by the end of this week, finish the first part of the novel by the end of this month, etc.—and that way I can keep on track even if I'm not able to write every single day (which, with a full time teaching job and a family, isn't always the easiest thing to do).
 
When I'm done with the first draft I usually step away from the manuscript for a week or more before coming back to it and beginning revision. When that pass is done, I send it off to a couple of trusted beta readers, and then see what else is out there—a workshop, like the Wellspring one Brad ran in 2011, or something similar. Using the feedback I get from all those places I revise again before sending it to my agent and starting the harrowing process of waiting for publishers to weigh in!
 
Brad: Orson Scott Card, in his book on writing, Characters and Viewpoint (one of the many excellent books in the Writers Digest Elements of Writing Fiction series), talks about the idea net. We're trained to let many pieces of information pass us by, but as writers, we have to hone the skill of picking up on those ideas that might be used in our stories—to capture them in a net, as it were. It's actually quite easy once you get the hang of it. NPR (National Public Radio in the U.S.) is my favorite source for this, but they come from everywhere, including other people's writing. The key here is to become attuned to those "ah-ha" moments, those "wow, interesting" moments. You know, the ones that make you pause, that give you a small sense of wonder or shock or admiration. In essence, they're those new discoveries or pieces of someone else's life that create in you some emotional response. Those are the things that you should hold onto and put in your story journal, the one where you keep all of your story ideas that are only half-formed glimmers.
 
When I first start working on a story, I'll go back to that journal and start looking at the things I've collected, start playing with them, and see what happens. For a short story, I like to have two or three interesting things going on before I begin, and if I do, I can generally expand that into a story I'd like to tell with characters that mean something to me. For novels, I shoot for more, something like five or six unique, interesting "things" that add to the story. These could be sparks of character, magic, culture, politics, and so on. With novels I like to do one more thing. I like to build the world before I start writing. I use a fractal mapping program that helps to create a world. And this helps to advise me on what resources might be available, what natural barriers there are to travel and communication, and a host of other things that I try to use to my benefit. I used this with my debut novel, The Winds of Khalakovo, and I found it to be extremely useful. The simple "what's where" of things helped me to frame the story.
 
Once all that's done, and I have the basic elements to work with, I plot out the novel. I don't go into exhaustive detail, but I work out the ending and a few major turning points in the story, and I plot the early part of the book fairly extensively. I refine this roadmap as I work through the novel, stopping every so often for brainstorming sessions. The plot continues to fill in (and advise the parts I've already written), and through this iterative process, I complete the book. At this point, I have what I call the zeroth draft. This is something that no one is ready to see, because it's too incomplete. I go through the manuscript, fixing the things I already know are broken. I also do a polish draft at the same time. And once this is done the true first draft is ready for people to see. From that point, it's a matter of refining, refining, refining, until the story's complete.
 
6. Tell us a little about your most recently published book. What is it about? (And where can we buy it?)
 
Greg: The Third Sign is an epic fantasy in the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert Jordan (oddly, most of the fantasy I write isn't of the epic variety, but it’s the kind which most interested me when I was growing up, and it's the kind I most enjoy reading for pleasure myself). From the front cover summary: "Calen Gollnet lives in a tumultuous world. Surrounded by hostile forces bent on its destruction, his country Klune has been free for ten years, having thrown off the yoke of oppression thanks to a small group of heroes known as the Covenant; but the cost of this freedom was great, and the nation's liberty is becoming tenuous. The Covenant is broken, and Klune is now kept safe only because of a treaty struck between the human king and a race of honorable but xenophobic mercenaries known as arlics who have patrolled Klune's borders for the past decade. But the treaty is due to expire, and both the arlics and humans are restless, each claiming that they have been weakened by their dependence on the other.
 
As negotiations between the two sides break down and dark armies gather while politics bogs down the governors of city and country, Calen flees from the army attacking his home city, unaware that there is more to fear than mortal warriors; the appearance of the horrifying Soul Wall and other omens point to the fulfillment of the Prophecy of Return, in which it is said that three signs will signal the return of a great evil. The first two signs have come to pass, but the prophecy is obscure on its final prediction: the tide of the conflict may be changed by the third sign, but no one knows what that sign is, or whom it will favor.
 
The Third Sign's unique combination of suspense, mystery, political intrigue and sword and sorcery will draw readers in as they search with the characters for the answer to the most important question: what is The Third Sign?"
 
Brad: The Winds of Khalakovo is an epic fantasy. The genesis of the book is actually from a series of postcards of fine art that I picked up in Edinburgh, Scotland. (I posted about it on my website if you’re curious to learn more.) I used that artwork to first generate and then crystallize my thoughts about the book. Initially, I tried not to let any one thing rule the brainstorming I would do from time to time. I didn’t even know who the main characters were at first. I was quite taken by the picture of the three sisters, though, and I knew right away, the moment I laid eyes on the original in the National Gallery, that they would play a major part in the novel.
 
But in the end it was the picture of the boy with the flaming brand that kept leaping out at me, calling for attention. The artist is Godfried Schalcken, and the piece is called A Boy Blowing on a Firebrand to Light a Candle. This character eventually became Nasim, the autistic savant. As I was studying the characters, I began to realize that this boy was not going to be a point-of-view character, but he was going to be a prime mover. In the end, he embodies much of what Winds is about. The story truly does revolve around him and his unique powers.
 
The brand that he holds in the painting also came into play. I didn’t know what the magic was going to be about. I hardly had a single preconception about the book going in. I just wanted the artwork to speak to me, to advise me as to what the story was going to be–from the characters to the world to the magic. The boy blowing on the brand got me to thinking about elemental magic, and I realized that Nasim was one who could do this without even thinking. It came as naturally to him as did breathing. That’s a difficult place to put a character, however. As a writer, you have to be careful of all-powerful things, and so I needed something to balance Nasim’s abilities. And this, of course, is where his disconnection from the world came from. Nasim, as written in the book, is often lost. He has difficulty relating to others in even the smallest of ways. This both limited his power and made him in some ways more dangerous and more scary than a calculating villain, simply because of the unpredictability.
 
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention Rehada, who started out as a somewhat minor character but grew into the most complex and perhaps the most compelling of my three main characters. Rehada came from Andrew Geddes’ Hagar. It’s another beautiful painting, filled with emotion. I was drawn to the fact that she was crying. I wondered why. I spent a lot of time answering that one question. After knowing that her people were essentially pacifists, I realized that Rehada was not. She felt she had betrayed her people and their ways because she had taken to the path of violence. It was from this, from that one single tear, that the entirety of the Maharraht–the fanatical splinter group that came to embrace violence as a means to an end–was born.
 
By this point, I understood that I wanted there to be an aristocracy of some kind, and I fairly quickly landed on a culture that was modeled loosely after Muscovite Russia. I don’t remember why, exactly. It might have been that the other artwork reminded me of Russian Czars a bit, but I think the biggest driver here was that I definitely didn’t want something that was centered around western Europe, because frankly that’s been done to death. I wanted something more unique, and I’d always sort of like the mystique and darkness that seemed to hover around that time period in Russia. They’ve always seemed like a hard people, a people that would do whatever it took to survive, but in the same light, they took time to live life fully when they could.
 
Given that I had the loose guidelines of the aristocracy, the peace-loving, indigenous Aramahn, and finally the will of the Maharraht to do whatever it took to regain the islands as their own, it created a crucible from which the story flowed fairly easily. I spend a lot of time building my worlds so that the conflicts within them come naturally, and that was definitely the case here.
 
7. What inspires your stories?
 
Greg: All sorts of things: people, environments, events, experiences. But my greatest inspiration comes from other creative mediums, and I often get an idea while watching a live performance or production in some other creative field (music, dance, etc.).
 
Brad: As I mentioned above, I get a lot from listening to National Public Radio. They have a wide variety of topics, which is great in and of itself, but they're also in-depth interviews, so they go much more below the surface than you tend to get from other traditional media sources. I also use other people's writing quite a bit. While I'm reading, I'll often stumble across things that the author doesn't explore and I think could be explored to a great degree. Or it could even be something they didn't mean to say at all, but I took in a certain way. Other sources are just talking with people, listening to their stories. You'll often find strong emotional touch-points this way, because, well, you're talking to real people and hearing their real emotions.
 
 
OTHER PEOPLE'S WRITING
 
8. A few weeks ago you both attended the Wellspring Workshop, where you spent a week with other writers critiquing and discussing each other’s work. Give us one highlight from your time there.
 
Greg: The Tuesday Funk reading, hosted by Bill Shunn (who was another workshop participant). The Tuesday Funk reading series has been going on in Chicago for a while now, with an eclectic mix of genres, but the timing happened to work out well enough that most of us were able to go and read from our work and/or cheer on our fellow writers. We had a great turnout, and the whole experience—from carpooling to and from the venue to the reading itself—was a blast. Just about everything about Wellspring was great, but that was a big highlight for me.
 
Brad: Well, I didn't just attend the workshop, I organized it and "ran" it (though the "running" of it largely depends on the participants as a whole, not any one person). I felt a bit like the mother hen, and it was nice to see the workshop come together, to see people learn. It was a very gratifying experience for me.
 
9. Which author has definitively shaped you as a writer and why?
 
Greg: Clearly Tolkien, not just for subject matter but scale: he created a world of epic proportions, yet never forgot the smaller, quieter moments that made the epic ones matter. Shakespeare—and his deep understanding of humanity, even those people whom he would have found personally distasteful—was also critically important for my writing. Among more "modern" speculative fiction writers, John Gardner and Brandon Sanderson (Gardner for his insight, Sanderson for his balance) are significant influences as well.
 
Brad: Tolkien would have to be my first answer because he was my first introduction to fantasy, epic fantasy in particular. But I can't say that I want to write like Tolkien. He came from a different time, and while I love reading his books, I don't find myself wanting to write in the distanced style that was common in his day. The writer that has most affected me from modern times is probably George R.R. Martin. I think he's succeeded at the epic fantasy like no one else in the field has. The scope of his Song of Ice and Fire is breathtaking, and yet he makes you care about so many of the characters within it. It isn't merely the majesty of the world or the gritty reality of the story as a whole, it's the sympathy we have for so many of the characters (even the ones we hated at first) that make it truly unique.
 
10. Having some contact with new writers what would you say is a common weakness?
 
Greg: Impatience. Truthfully most writers struggle with this problem; we all want to get our work out there, and the incredible delays in this business can be enormously frustrating. But the successful authors are the ones who can take the long view, and can keep their anxiety to themselves and their close friends and family. Nothing will torpedo a writer's career faster than obvious desperation, which manifests itself either as a kind of used car salesman sleaziness or cynical bitterness…neither one of which makes a personality enjoyable to be around. At worst such feelings will drive authors away from writing altogether, which is a shame. A steady and professional author will, by and large, succeed in the long run much more than the desperate hustler.
 
Brad: One common weakness is failing to remember that character is plot. I had trouble with that little chestnut for a time, and while I still don't think it's the be-all, end-all of writing, I do think it's very important. In order to really understand the heart of a story, you have to understand the characters, their wants and needs. And that implies all sorts of other things, like understanding their culture, their religion, their personal history and desires and loves and hates. Once you understand those things, the story begins to play itself out, because you know how characters will react when pitted against certain obstacles or challenges or disagreements. I won't say that it makes the writing of a story easy, but it certainly makes it easier, and in the end the story will be richer for it.
 
11. In your experience, what is a writer’s most necessary tool?
 
Greg: The corollary to the above, patience—but also humility. Learning from the experience of others is enormously beneficial, and if you get the opportunity to learn from and work with other successful authors and editors, jump at it. Such chances to learn are extremely helpful.
 
Brad: Reading. In order to write, we must read. It's important to know what's come before, and to know what your contemporaries are doing, but I would say it's most important (if you really want to learn how to write) to read actively. By this I mean you don't simply read for pleasure's sake; you read to understand why something works or why it doesn't. It is through this lens that you'll be able not only to apply some of those lessons to your own writing, but to read your own work actively. Said another way: a writer has to read as an editor, with an eye towards fixing what's wrong and accentuating what's already working. This is one of the most common of laments you'll hear from writers, that they can no longer read for pleasure, or at the very least can't do it very often because they slip into editor mode all too easily. Like it or not, this is one of the prices we have to pay as writers.
 
12. What advice would you give to writers who are starting out in SF?
 
Greg: Read, read, read, not just in SFF but across all genres. Look online and go to conferences and conventions; seek out successful authors and editors and listen to what they say—not just for what such words could do for your career, but for what they could teach you about your craft. Then write—a lot—and a lot more. The more you read, write, and listen, the more you'll be able to understand the conversation that's been going on in the field for decades, and the easier it will be for you to eventually add your own voice to the discussion. Last: be patient and don't give up. Patience and persistence will take you a long way, especially if you marry those virtues with a real excitement about your craft.
 
Brad: I would urge the new writer to get into a critique group early on. I didn't have a local writing group, so I went to the Online Writing Workshop and remained there for years while I was honing my craft. Whatever venue you decide to use, be it online or in person, my biggest suggestion is to actively search out your weaknesses. We all have them. Learn what yours are. Workshop your stories. Critique others. Pay close attention to the common threads in the feedback you're getting. And once you have those weaknesses identified. Work on them. Get advice. And make active attempts to root out those problems, because simply writing is not enough. Writing blindly can reinforce your bad habits.
 
Also, recognize your strengths. We all have them. Learn what yours are. It's common to get all sorts of advice on your stories, some of which makes no sense whatsoever to listen to. In fact, they may be very detrimental if taken to heart and internalized. While you're paying attention to those common threads I mentioned above? Also pay attention to what you're doing right. I say this not so you can rest on your laurels; I say it so you can accentuate those strengths and make them better. You can even use that knowledge to minimize your strengths in certain stories so that you can focus on your weaknesses. If you're great with dialogue, write a story with no dialogue whatsoever. If you're good with action, write an introspective story. And then do the reverse. Write a story that focuses on your strengths, i.e. make those muscles stronger. Hopefully something interesting comes out of these experiments along the way.
 
If you haven’t been to visit the website yet, I suggest you do. Even if you don’t write SF you will benefit from the discussions of these experienced authors. Check out the various links within the interview for more information on each of the authors, their books and more.

Basil Van Rooyen has more than 30 years experience in the South African publishing industry. He is also the author of Get Your Book Published in 30 (relatively) Easy Steps, which uncovers the publishing industry.

I asked him to answer some questions for the website to try and pick his brain as only a would-be author could. I know you’ll enjoy his frank answers as much as I did.
 
1. Your book, Get Your Book Published in 30 (Relatively) Easy Steps, is a guide to the South African publishing industry. Some South African publishers even urge new authors to read it before they submit manuscripts. What led you to write it and why do you think it has been so successful?

I started it out of self-defence originally. Publishers are submerged under loads of unsolicited manuscripts and many of them are presented in a totally inappropriate format so they are really not even looked at. I drew up an in-house guide for authors, expanded it over the years and eventually published it via my own company. The last two editions were done by Penguin.
 
2. How did you get involved in the publishing industry?

I drifted into it from journalism/translation/public relations. I was a sub-editor in a Cape morning newspaper at the time, with no social life because I worked at night and l slept by day, so I was tempted when offered a job as editor in a publishing house. They also offered R20 a month higher salary. I had no concept then of what a career in publishing would mean.
 
3. You must have seen incredible changes within the publishing industry in 30-odd years you have been involved. What would you say has been the most dramatic change for the industry in South Africa?

On the general book trade side, the biggest change has been the rise and rise of local publishing. The market is still dominated by imports but not to the extent it used to be. The other theme has been the increasing dominance of a small number of large players.
In educational publishing the change in government had far-reaching effects that are still reverberating. All systems changed, not always for the better from a publishing point of view, and kept on changing, and is now changing again. Local publishers, especially smaller ones, were and are being wiped out and making way for the dominance of multinationals, who have deep pockets and can survive through the occasional fit of bureaucratic madness…
 
4. What are your thoughts on digital publishing and self-publishing? Do you see it as a viable avenue for first-time authors?

I would not use them in the same breath. Digital publishing is just publishing; instead of using a paper format you use an electronic format. It changes the process of distribution but nothing else: you still have to put the book together, you still have to market it. There are some complex issues around the pricing and discounts etc. that still have to be finally sorted but I do not see paper books and digital books in opposition.

For most authors, self-publishing is a dead-end, if you really want to have more people than your family and friends to read your book, but I have witnessed lots of people losing fortunes by trying to publish themselves. Publishing is risky at all times; self-publishing double risky. There are exceptions, and there is a niche place for it in the market.
 
5. There seems to be a love-hate relationship between authors and publishers. Authors hate publishers for rejecting them but then sing the publishers praises when their book is published. What do you think writers should know about publishers that might change that perception?

Put themselves into the publishers’ shoes. That is what I try to do in my book. I provide a lot of information about how publishers work and that helps authors to change their strategy in approaching publishers and dealing with rejection, some of which is inevitable.
 
6. What would you say are the five most important things a first time author should think about when submitting a manuscript (fiction or non-fiction)?

• Provide a return address.
• Make sure you do a proper submission that is simple, logical, clear to understand, and wastes no one’s time. Don’t waffle on.
• Except for first-time fiction, do not submit a whole fiction manuscript but rather a couple of chapters with a summary of the rest.
• In the case of non-fiction, supply a covering letter, a detailed proposal outlining proposed market and competition, table of contents, etc. plus a couple of sample chapters.
• Be reasonably patient. Don’t expect a report back in a week.
 
7. What are some possible reasons for rejecting a manuscript?

• It is complete garbage
• It is sort of OK but needs so much work it is not worth it
• It is good enough but does not fit into the list of that publisher
• It is good but the market is limited (most important reason)
• The author will be too high maintenance.
 
8. The South African publishing industry is obviously much smaller than the international one. How does this determine what kinds of books are published in South Africa?

Mostly books published locally deal with local issues: politics, wildlife, cookery, etc. If a book is truly international (the future of the world, the essence of mathematics) it probably will not get published here.
 
9. Being in an industry where you are constantly forced to read with a critical eye, do you find it difficult to read for pleasure?

Not at all. I usually read five or six books simultaneously apart from manuscripts. But for pleasure I read utterly different books from what I publish. I publish books to make money; I read them to have fun.
 
10. Have you read any books recently that have stood out? What has made them memorable?

I read mostly either fiction or history or a combination. I have just finished Jerusalem: The Biography by Simon Montefiore, which provides a fascinating history without any major bias. I have also just finished Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Set in the period of Henry VIII of England it is a fictionalized biography of Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex. Both impress for their broadness of scope, richness of historical detail, good writing and amazing characters.
 
If you would like to read more of Basil’s insights then I highly recommend his book. It clears many misconceptions about the publishing industry in South Africa and empowers the writer by helping them to understand the industry they are hoping to become a part of.
 
Some interesting links:
To buy the book:
http://tinyurl.com/5rhbzrx
To read an article by another South African publisher on how to submit a manuscript:
http://www.readerssociety.org.za/andrea_01.html

I read Your Writing Coach about three years ago and found it incredibly helpful ( I even mentioned it in a previous blog: www.cristyzinn.com/content/helpful-books). Few books are both practical and inspiring at the same time but this one was. I was very excited to get this interview with Jurgen Wolff, so that I could pick his brain a little and see what makes him tick…

1. Give us an anecdote of how you discovered writing.

Like a lot of writers, it was the magic of reading that led me to wanting to write. Our family life was somewhat tense and I was a classic outsider at school, so books became a refuge for me. The idea that you could write books that would reach other people and perhaps do for them what it was doing for me was exciting. Around sixth grade I started writing Twilight Zone kinds of stories and those went over well at school, and that was a reinforcement.

2. What has been your favorite thing to write to date?

Probably a script that has never been made. I ran across an article that said that Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson were still alive in 1920 and that as an old man Wyatt did a screen test for the silent pictures because he was annoyed at how phoney all the cowboy actors were. He failed to establish an acting career but he did work for one of the studios helping handle horses, etc. That gave me an idea for reuniting these two (at the time, Bat was a sports columnist in New York) for one last great adventure set in the world of the early movies, involving a William Randolph Hearst-type character. It was bought by CBS to be made as a TV movie but before it went into production the man who commissioned it was fired and his replacement ditched all of the previous projects. A somewhat similar feature film was made from somebody else's script and that kind of sealed the fate of my script. But I'd been a big fan of Westerns as a kid and I liked the larger-than-life world of the early movie business, so I really enjoyed writing it.

Of my produced work it was a film called "The Real Howard Spitz," which starred Kelsey Grammer. I had a tiny part as a disgruntled sitcom writer in a scene with him.

3. You have written fiction, non-fiction, screenplays and a blog. How do you balance these things and keep your writing at such a high standard?

I like the variety of going back and forth between different genres. Each has its own benefits and limitations. However, for a new writer I would advise sticking to one until you have established yourself. When I started out I was trying to write everything and not making much progress in any of them. A friend suggested I focus on sitcoms, and that led to my first break. Once I'd done a number of those I was able to branch out into TV movies and feature film work, and later I added books.

4. I find it interesting that the dedication in your book Your Writing Coach is to the reader. Why are you so passionate about the success of new writers?

I think it's because I didn't find a lot of encouragement for my writing when I was starting out--at least that's how it felt. So if my blogs or books can give someone else the boost they require to keep going and eventually write something that adds to the amount of enjoyment or information in the world, that makes it worth the effort. I suppose all writers are competitors, but it's never felt that way to me, I feel like we're all in this together and can support each other.

5. What characteristics do you think make a good writer?

The core probably is curiosity. You have to be very interested in what makes people tick, and to have an open mind so that you can write all kinds of characters. That may be why people who are outsiders in one way or another often make good writers, they've felt like they've been judged and it gives them the impetus not to judge. You don't have to like all of your characters but I think you have to be able to empathize with them if they're going to come alive on the page or the screen. Second is perseverance. There are very few true overnight successes in writing. It can take years to break in. That's why you have to love the process of writing. That doesn't mean you always find it easy but you have to value it for itself and any kudos and income that come with it are bonuses.

6. If you could meet one author (dead or alive) who would it be? What would you want to ask them?

Mark Twain would be great fun to hang around with. I don't have any burning question for him, but I'd love to have a drink and a chat with him. My other choice would be Charles Dickens.

7. Your blog (www.timetowrite.blogs.com) is a particularly helpful source of information for writers. How do you decide what to write on?

It's just pretty much what catches my attention that day, although I do try to make it something that readers can put to use somehow, rather than just opinion pieces. I scan a lot of magazines and newspapers online and a lot of sites about writing, creativity, psychology, productivity, etc. The blogs are a way of sharing information that might be helpful--and a great excuse for me spending so much time reading! For your readers who might be interested in screenwriting, I have the blog www.ScreenWritingSuccess.com. People can also sign up for my free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin at any of my sites. It offers tips on how to be more creative and productive.

8. What inspires you?

Dreams, good writing, and often just random thoughts that probably have their origin in some combination of things I've read about in a newspaper or magazine or something I've experienced. One thing that is very rewarding is that nowadays people who read my books sometimes send me emails saying the books have made a difference in their lives--maybe got them excited about writing again when they were thinking of giving up, for instance. Also, most of my books have been published in foreign editions--just this morning I got a letter saying that "Creativity Now!" is being published in Thailand, and previously I found out there will be a Chinese edition. Thinking about them travelling that far is gratifying, too.

9. How do you deal with criticism?

Badly! Actually, if it's constructive then I'm grateful for it. It's on the TV and film side of things that often you are told to make changes that don't necessarily help the story, they come from the ego of the director, producer, or actor. That kind of criticism is annoying but you have to learn to cope with it and choose your battles carefully.

10. What has been the most interesting thing you have learnt in all your years of writing?

To trust my instincts. I've failed to do that a couple of times and the results were not pretty. For instance, I don't like "caper" kind of movies but I was asked to write one and despite my misgivings, I accepted the assignment. I didn't enjoy writing it and the result was not very good and never got made. The other time I was asked to write a TV movie for an actor and I knew he was wrong for the story they wanted, but again I overruled my instincts and the outcome was not good (nor were the versions written by two other writers they hired after me!). Sometimes following your instincts will cost you some money but I think it's worth it.