Even seasoned writers like to learn from each other, which is why I have enjoyed Tommy Donbavand’s excellent HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOKS ONLINE posts. If you are a published writer you should check them out! During events one question I am often asked is how people can become writers. That’s a difficult question as [...]
Archive > May 2011
THAT’S THE WAY TO DO IT!
Despite being trapped by monsters, most of us here in the caves do get the chance to escape to schools and libraries and even small theatres from time to time as part of our continuing mission to get people excited about books. And most schools treat us very well. A few… perhaps egged on by [...]
NOSTRADORMOUSE
There are many books out there that grab our attention and demand to be read. Most are published by mainstream publishers which should (but not always!) be a sign of quality. Just one look into the world of self-published books can be scary and, while there are real gems out there, there’s an awful lot [...]
Some things I’ll do this weekend (an illustrator’s perspective).
Try again to get rid of the stubborn cupboard poltergeist. If successful, welcome in a new tenant. Go for walks. Draw the local wildlife. Observe their natural behaviour… …and maybe discover previously unknown habits Then later, reflect on all I have seen and heard, learn from it, and hope it makes me a better person. [...]
My Zombie Diary
As if I didn’t have enough to do, I’ve launched a new website. It’s an ongoing horror story, told through the diary entries of a family man facing the zombie apocalypse. Click the image below to go check the site out – remember to start from the bottom and read upwards if you want to [...]
How To Promote Your Books Online – Part 2
It seems as if social networks are always in the news these days – whether it’s an unsigned band being snapped up through their MySpace page, the usual round of Facebook privacy issues or Stephen Fry’s latest pithy remark on Twitter. Whether you use social media or not, all those column inches should tell you [...]
Well this answers the question…
… of what Philip Reeve named his two alpacas. Not Gandalf and Strider after all then, Philip! What a delightful little video this is. I particularly love the cartoon of the octopus driving the tractor through the field of alien tentacles. I feel a book in that somewhere.
Drawing in Dublin
Well, I’ve just got back from my trip to Dublin where I was involved in an evening of Illustration at Easons bookshop. A big thankyou to Dave O’Callaghan for inviting me over and to Siobhan Tierney from Hachette for looking after me during my stay and for making sure I had a regular supply of [...]
Pssst!
Remember The Sixth Gun, the awesome cowboys-and-monsters comic I recommended back in Feb? Well now you can download the first issue as a PDF to try for free, here. Volume 1 was ace, and I’m counting the days ’til Volume 2 comes out next month. Here’s a quick video trailer for the series to whet [...]
That’s Not Your Mommy Anymore
I was browsing around Amazon earlier and came across this picture book, which is officially published tomorrow. I’ve always stressed to kids how important it is to have a plan in place for the inevitable day when zombies overrun the face of the Earth, and it’s heartening to see that others share my concerns. If [...]
