WRITERS’ NEWS
http://www.writers-online.co.uk OCTOBER 2019^91ink outside
the box
T
TRAVEL^
WR
IT
IN
GK
N
O
W-H
OWravel writing includes a number of forms and
styles, but when is travel writing not travel writing
at all? There is an interesting area in which
something is only prompted by travel and, if it
is an article, then it might find a target home in
something other than a classic travel publication.
Consider an example. Say you visit Stonehenge, perhaps the
most iconic megalithic site in the world and one which has made
Salisbury Plain a much visited place for millennia. You could visit
this and write about that visit, about how Stonehenge struck you,
something of its long history and the people who built, used or
just visited it, taking essentially a local approach. Such a feature
might well find a home in a travel magazine. Or you could...- Link what you write to other stone circles (of which there are
many), maybe on a global basis. - Investigate the history and the reason for its being built in
archaeological detail, perhaps suggesting a more technical home
for your feature. - Focus on the actual construction (how did they move those
huge stones with such precision?) - Similarly focus on the work and techniques of the
archaeologists who have investigated the structure. - Consider the ‘new-age’ and mystical aspect of the
monument. - Make your piece primarily about the wonder of humanity
having such mathematical and astronomical skills so far back
in history (estimates still vary and research continues, but the
first phase of building Stonehenge probably goes back beyond
3000BC). - You could probably stretch this concept further, linking to
paganism, burial practices or the fact that Stonehenge is regarded
as a special place by UFO hunters.
All this from somewhere that can be visited in a day, is
down the road for some in the UK and accessible to many.
One could make a list of a similar nature by starting with
many famous sights around the world. The Empire State
Building might lead into a piece primarily about the modern
conundrums of immigration. A beach might lead to making
points about erosion, rising sea levels and global warming;
and if the beach was in Norfolk to suggestions of selling up
and moving to higher ground. The Merlion statue on the
waterfront in Singapore might lead to mention of Sir Stamford
Raffles and the history of The East India Company’s role in the
development of that great city.
All this does not just inform and extend the content of what
you write, it also increases – widens – the opportunity for placing
work by making it fit a greater range of possible outlets – and
still keeps it sufficiently close to classic travel writing to deserve a
mention here. So perhaps the moral is to link wherever you go to
this kind of thinking and see where it takes you.
Widen your target range of publications
with advice from Patrick ForsythOn the hunt
UK BOOK MARKET
Tina JacksonVulpine Press was set up in 2017 to publish stylish,
innovative books.
‘We were set up in 2017 as the second imprint
of Ockham Publishing Group Limited (there
are now four),’ said publishing director Sarah
Hembrow. ‘In much the same way as Ockham
Publishing got the name from Ockham’s Razor,
Vulpine Press got the name from Brandy, the
[founders’ furtive] cat who could not be deterred
despite her limitations.’
Vulpine Press publishes a wide range of books
from romance, crime and sci-fi, to autobiographies
and classic literature.
‘Vulpine was formed partly because we were
turning down some fantastic books that didn’t fit
our pop-science and pop-philosophy remit with
Ockham, and partly because there’s a dearth of
good independent publishers who will take on
stylish, interesting works from authors who are
doing something different or something extremely
well,’ said Sarah.
She’s happy to receive submissions that fit with
Vulpine Press’s ethos. ‘We are looking for a story
that we can connect with in some way, a story
that is innovative, creative, and does something
different.’ Sarah would rather wait to discover
books that reflect Vulpine Press’s identity than
simply commission books to hit fixed publishing
targets. ‘We don’t set a target, as we want to ensure
we take on only works which suit,’ she said. ‘A
good book for Vulpine will be well written and
well thought-out. It would tell a story that we feel
people just have to read. Ideally it will be doing
something other publishers wouldn’t touch; mixing
genres, using unique formatting or pushing the
boundaries of normal literature.
Vulpine is gaining traction in the industry, and
will be at Frankfurt Book Fair for the first time this
year. ‘We will also be developing our relationships
with translation partners over the next couple of
years – we already have books coming in Italian,
and we hope to further that trend.’
Sarah is happy to receive submissions for
Vulpine, but she advises prospective authors to
put care and thought into their submission. ‘Take
time putting your submission together,’ she said.
‘You want to really grab the publisher’s attention.
Don’t rush it – publishers don’t want to read a
submission that’s full of errors! And always follow
the rules the publisher has set out: we specify
maximum word counts for each section, for
example, and at least half of our submissions don’t
follow these.’
Submit via the submission form on the website,
including information about what makes your
book different or interesting. Vulpine Press will
contact those authors whose ideas interest them.
Vulpine Press publishes in paperback and ebook
and pays royalties.
Website: http://www.vulpine-press.com