The Hack - WRITERS' NEWS

First we had eBooks and now we have AromaBooks - Smellessence is a new imprint who are gearing up to publish a range of scented books using a new technology based on micro-encapsulation. One of the titles planned for the launch is The Story of the Famous Farter and the book will feature a powerful fart smell on its last page.

"This advanced technology and the smells it creates are so real they take children's reading to a magical new level. We wanted to inject some fun into the reading experience and this is a powerful way to do just that. We are very excited to launch The Splotz! as the first range - it's a fun, playful and original concept we have created with the potential to expand beyond books." Perminder Mann, Managing Director


Coming anniversaries that could help freelancers pitch topical articles - 1 July 1972 saw the first Gay Pride march in England, 5th July 2007 and smoking was banned in public places in England and also on the same day in 1937 Spam was launched, not the computer variety but the tinned meat. 12th July 1962 saw the Rolling Stones play their first concert. 14th July will see the 100th anniversary of protest singer Woody Guthrie's birth.


Despite the new opportunities opened by digital publishing it seems that most new writers are not optimistic about the future. The Writers' Workshop polled 323 aspiring novelists and a massive 93% felt that things were getting harder for the new writer.


Children's book, Trash was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Prize in 2012 before being banned from the list because of violent scenes and swearing. However the author, Andy Mulligan can now stick two fingers up to Blue Peter after the book was shortlisted on the prestigious Carnegie Medal Prize.

Kate Lyall Grant has left Simon and Schuster and now takes over the role of publisher at Severn House. This gives her overall control of the entire list where crime fiction is especially popular.

Andrew Harrison, former editor of The Word, is now editor at Q Magazine.

Let's hear it for Pontypridd - author Dave Lewis has seen his first novel, CTRL - ALT- DELETE published onto the Kindle platform. I've read this book and can say that it's an excellent Welsh set crime novel with some insights into the shady side of the online world. Find it at Amazon.


Pan Macmillian have become the first major publisher to launch a digital only list in Australia where eBooks are booming. The imprint, Momentum launches with more than twenty titles.

HarperCollins have sold its teen writing website, Inkpop to Figment for an undisclosed sum.

The Enfield Gazette joins the growing list of newspapers that have become digital only.

Redstone Science Fiction has just reopened for submissions.