It’s my 5th blogiversary, and the sun is shining, so it was hard to find something to complain about – but I did it. Lookit, I’m dedicated. However, not only did I identify a problem, I’m also proposing a SOLUTION. I know. I can’t believe it either.
Arguments about positive discrimination usually get very negative, and the current one in publishing is no different. Some people think that promotion should be based on merit alone, no matter who you are. But are they missing the point?
I’m bucking the trend of the aspirational and inspirational online trailblazers, and now present you with the ultimate in demotivational posters for writers. Honestly, the reverse psychology in them would make you weep. You’re bound to get at least 2 books out of it.
A London hedge fund is going to pay authors to write full-time without the distraction of having to take other paid employment. Is it April Fool’s Day, or is there more money in publishing than we thought? As usual, I will attempt to answer none of these questions.
This morning, some fine young women woke up the Irish Constitution to a new Ireland…. and a rake of sausages.
It’s been a tough week to be a woman in Ireland. Too many things filled up my brain to write satire, so I’m just going to tell you what I would have written about, had I not ended up with a brain that feels like one of those mops which NEVER wrings out, no matter what the infomercial told you.
This week, I set out to enquire what drives people to write really nasty reviews. Not only did I find the answer, but I also found out that I was the culprit (and so are you). In an attempt to soften this shocking revelation I have turned this life lesson into unmissable advice for authors and internet users. Just call me Dr. Spin-ling.
In the latest of my thoroughly successful series to become a top money-earning blogger, I have turned myself into an inspirational Fitness Expert. Let my real diet be no reason to be sceptical of my frankly dubious claims! Let my true exercise routine be no reason not to buy the stuff I say you should buy! And let my actual body shape be no barrier to your willingness to follow my inexpert advice!
It’s time for more fun with fictional stereotypes. What would happen to the characters we all know and love if literary genres collided? What if a tousled Historical Fiction Hero were to dwell in domestic disharmony with the world-weary genius that is the protagonist of a Young Adult fiction novel?
Following unprecedented success in the world of beauty blogging, I have decided to venture forth into the Spangley Sparkleworld of Lifestyle Blogging, beginning with amazing home decorating tips which are more truthful than an ingestible lie detector; more insightful than a stoned Jedi master, and only slightly less patronising than a kale-munching 26-year-old in a tech start-up.
Tara Sparling writes 