Top Tips for Submissions!

If you’re thinking about submitting some work to us, we’d love to hear from you, but you might like to have a look at these guides for sending your work to us. 

1. Include a cover letter – We’d like to know a little more about you and your story. You can tell us anything you think is relevant about who you are and where your inspiration for the story came from.
2. A synopsis is always helpful – You will only be sending us a small portion of your book, so it’s helpful to us if you can send us a synopsis. Just a brief account of the plot of your book is what we need. 
3. Don’t send us too much – We love reading your work and finding new authors, but we do receive a lot of submissions. Just 2-3 chapters are enough to give us an idea of what your book is like.
4. Is your book like another you’ve read? – It’s always helpful for us to know the sort of books you think yours is like. If you’ve written the first book in a series of books about a boy who discovers he’s a wizard, and also the son of a god, you might liken your book to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.
5. Who is going to read it? – It’s also useful to us to have an idea of who your book will appeal to. Is it a general fiction novel? Is it a children’s fantasy novel? Or a Young Adult Contemporary novel? Either way, we’d like to know.  
6. Have patience – We receive a lot of submissions, and while we try hard to get through all of them as quickly as possible it does take time, so please have patience with us while waiting for a response.

So there you have it! 6 key tips for sending in your submissions to us. For more information on where to send them, visit our website!

BLACK FRIDAY

We love a bargain, and what better time to grab one than just before Christmas?

To showcase our shiny new online shop (and to join in with the Black Friday fun) we've taken 40% off all of our released books for today only. Don't miss out!

Visit the shop.

THE CANDY JAR BOOK FESTIVAL... COMING SOON!

We are very excited to announce that this August we will be launching The Candy Jar Book Festival!

Featuring our top authors, the festival will be based in Cardiff’s city centre from Saturday 9th-16th August, with events taking place at nearby locations including Cardiff Central Library, WHSmith, Cardiff Story Museum and The Plan. Throughout the week there will be appearances from:

• Eileen Younghusband (One Woman’s War and Men I Have Known)
• Mark Brake (Space, Time, Machine, Monster)
• Anthony Ormond (Tommy Parker: Destiny Will Find You!)
• Colin Edwards (A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family)
• Michelle Briscombe (Silent Mountain)

And many more...

There will be plenty of opportunities to meet and chat to authors as they host creative writing discussions, workshops, subject talks, and readings. Keep an eye on our website and this blog for more details.

Avid readers and aspiring writers of all ages; we welcome you to come down and say hi. We look forward to seeing you!

AUTHOR MAKES APPEARANCE AT PENARTH BOOK FESTIVAL

Author Eileen Younghusband was in Penarth yesterday to give a talk about her latest book 'Men I Have Known'. Held at All Saint's Church, over forty attendees listened intently to Eileen's memories as she recalled the interesting men she has met over the course of a rich and varied life of 92 years. Eileen was joined by retired BBC Radio Wales journalist Hugh Turnbull, who quizzed her about the film stars, politicians, poets, scientists and other extraordinary men who made an impact on her life.

'Men I Have Known' is available in hardback from Candy Jar Books, online or via all good bookshops.

Candy Jar Books

CANDY JAR TAKES A TRIP TO THE AIRPORT!

In September 2013 the Candy Jar team took a trip... to Cardiff airport. Unlike the others there we had different plans. Our mission? To give 400 lucky travellers a free copy of our wonderful new publication See You in September – the perfect travelling companion.

When Joanne Teague became seriously ill and was diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos – a rare and still incurable, life-threatening condition – she decided to grab as much life as she could get. Her solution was to spend six months travelling around Europe with her husband and three young children. Their travels were restricted to one continent but we want this book to travel the world.

If you are reading this with a copy in your hand please do read and enjoy it. All we ask is that you leave it somewhere (a train, hotel, coffee shop...) or pass it on to someone once you’re finished so that its adventure can continue.

Please share your experience with friends and keep us updated on its journey via Twitter #SYIS and like See You in September on Facebook.

 http://seeyouinseptember.wordpress.com/

CANDY JAR AUTHOR TALKS TO NEWCASTLE RADIO

Marc Read, author of Candy Jar's latest title New Stars For Old, talks to Newcastle Radio about his book. Listen here:



www.candyjarbooks.co.uk

CANDY JAR DISTRIBUTION

Candy Jar has recently signed up with book distributors Marston Book Services PLC. Marston is one of the UKs leading book distributors, providing a comprehensive and impressively high-quality range of fulfilment and print services.

The company handles a huge cross-section of books, journals and electronic products from publishers throughout the world, straddling the trade, academic, STM, arts, religion, educational and professional sectors.

Marston is owned and managed by John Holloran (Chairman) and Ross Clayton (Managing Director) and there are 150 staff employed in the offices and warehouses near Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

We are excited about this new development which will enable us to reach a wider audience of readers, and we look forward to working with Marston and the team over the coming years.

EX-DOCTOR WHO, AND NARRATOR OF CANDY JAR'S VERY OWN 'KANGAZANG!', COLIN BAKER JOINS 'I'M A CELEBRITY'…

Colin Baker has had quite the career, gaining notoriety for starring roles in not just one, but two, seminal shows on British television. In 1974 he won the role of Paul Merroney in the hit BBC TV serial, The Brothers, a role he continued to play with building success until the final episode transmitted in 1976. It was a role that made him a household name, but it paled in comparison to the fame he received when he joined the twenty-year old BBC science fantasy show, Doctor Who, in 1983. Baker’s role of Commander Maxil brought him to the attention of producer, John Nathan-Turner, when, later that year, he was looking for a leading man to replace Peter Davison in the title role.

Baker took on the mantle of Doctor Who in 1984 and played the incumbent role throughout its most turbulent period. He left the show in 1986, but continued his association with Doctor Who right up to the present time, still starring in audio dramas as produced by Big Finish. 



Colin in his jungle attire

Baker is known for his commanding voice, and has narrated many talking books, including Kangazang for Candy Jar. He is also closely linked to the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, for which he was once a trustee and chairman, having sought to raise awareness of ‘Cot Death’ (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), after losing his own son in 1984. He currently aims to be king of the jungle in reality TV show, I’m A Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here! We wish him luck!






 

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Candy Jar has just released the very first issue of Candy Jar News; a newsletter for book and film lovers everywhere. The first issue features a review of Dredd 3D, tips on self-publishing and competitions. Book and TV reviews are also included, with this months issue focussing on the Sherlock BBC adaptation. To subscribe to this bi-monthly publication visit our website www.candyjarbooks.co.uk and complete the sign-up form.

What's more, if you subscribe this month you will be entered into a prize draw with the chance of winning a selection of our titles!

To learn more about the Cardiff-based book publisher visit www.candyjarbooks.co.uk

For video production in Cardiff visit www.candyjarfilms.co.uk

VOTE FOR ONE WOMAN'S WAR AND KANGAZANG IN THE PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE!

Candy Jar Books is proud to announce that two of its books have been nominated for a People's Book Prize!

Founded by best-selling author Dame Beryl Bainbridge, The People's Book Prize is a national competition aimed at finding, supporting and promoting new and undiscovered works: a truly democratic book prize with no panel of judges but decided exclusively by the public.

One Woman's War by Eileen Younghusband has been nominated in the Non-Fiction category and Kangazang! Star Stuff by Terry Cooper has been nominated in the Fiction category.

We need your votes! Please visit the People's Book Prize website to vote for Candy Jar's books:

Vote for One Woman's War
Vote for Kangazang! Star Stuff


Candy Jar Books

LOCAL HORROR AUTHOR TO MEET FANS

Listen to the songs of the spiders, if you are brave enough...

International author Mark Howard Jones, from Cardiff, will be signing copies of his latest book Songs from Spider Street at The Comic Guru, Cardiff on Saturday October 29^th from 12pm onwards.

Reading like a warped episode of ‘The Twilight Zone’, the stories in this book range from fantastical steam-punk to modern tales of the macabre.

Mark Howard Jones has had dozens of short stories published on both sides of the Atlantic. His 2007 novella, 'The Garden of Doubt On The Island Of Shadows' drew praise from respected American science fiction legend Ray Bradbury, among others.

Steve Upham, friend of Candy Jar and publisher at Screaming Dreams, said: “I got an adrenaline rush when I first read this book. The quality of Mark’s storytelling really shines through; the characters are well-drawn, and despite some of the scenarios seeming hopeless, the book is impossible to put down.”

Kristian Barry, owner of The Comic Guru, is excited to be introducing the Cardiff public to such an outstanding author. He said: “Songs from Spider Street is a cornucopia of cool creepiness. It has always been our mission to introduce new fiction to our audience. Mark has proved very popular in the past and we are excited that he will be celebrating Halloween with us on Saturday.”

Songs from Spider Street takes the audience on a disturbing journey: to an apocalyptic Paris, giant prisons made of ice, trains journeys with unexpected destinations, hospitals that cure the unknown, and a spider-haunted future, for the chilling climax.

Stephen King once wrote that every person, no matter how normal, has a dark side, and that this inherent dark side needs to be fed. The 25 short stories in this new book all draw on that attraction to the unsettling.

The Comic Guru has also announced that popular comic illustrator Simon Wyatt will be in store on November 5th to sign copies of his new graphic novel 'Unbelievable: The Man Who Ate Daffodils'.

CANDY JAR JOINS FORCES WITH SCREAMING DREAMS

Candy Jar has teamed up with horror and fantasy publisher, Screaming Dreams.

Appearing at FantasyCon at the Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton on September 30th to October 2nd, Screaming Dreams will be launching two new book titles: Lest You Should Suffer Nightmares, a biography of the editor Herbert van Thal and a debut novella, Hunter's Moon by Charlotte Bond. You will also be able to buy copies of the Candy Jar CD, Kangazang! featuring Dr Who's Colin Baker.

Screaming Dreams will be in the Dealers' Room all weekend, where visitors can purchase new and existing books. But if you run out of money during the weekend, never fear as you will be able to order the titles online at http://www.screamingdreams.com

In addition, if you want to purchase any books from the extensive Screaming Dreams back catalogue you can also visit the Candy Jar Amazon shop by clicking here.

AUTHOR, EILEEN YOUNGHUSBAND GIVEN 'FREEDOM OF BLETCHLEY PARK'

Eileen Younghusband, 90, author of ‘One Woman’s War’, appeared at Bletchley Park last weekend (Saturday the 3rd September) to share her wartime experiences and also receive “freedom of the park” in recognition of her work.

Eileen will also be appearing on BBC Breakfast News on Wednesday the 7th September to talk about her life.

To buy your copy of 'One Woman's War' go here: www.onewomanswar.co.uk

A Candy Jar Book: www.candy-jar.co.uk