Word Count 90: My first book in Welsh, Sitcom Mission competition, UK AI consultation
Plus more on ghostwriters, Canadian library users face long waits for ebooks, and an explosive revelation about Fluffbomb
Hi there,
As I said in my last newsletter, I’ve had to make a few changes this year as I build a whole new business from the ground up. So I’m going to try a new tactic for this newsletter, which is to be a lot less verbose and see if I can get the whole email written and scheduled within an hour. If I can, then I’ll stick to my old fortnightly schedule.
Suw’s news: My first Welsh book, and Fieldwork newsletter
I have self-published my first ever illustrated ebook in Welsh, Adar yr Ardd (Garden Birds), which is available from my online shop for just £1.99. Aimed at intermediate Welsh learners, it features 12 British birds with a short description of each, illustrations annotated in Welsh and a vocabulary for each chapter. It’s the first book in what I hope will be a series.
As I mentioned before, I’ve hived all the Fieldwork posts off into their own dedicated newsletter. If you had signed up to receive those newsletters, you’ve already been automatically transferred over, but of course you can unsubscribe at any time. The first two new posts are up now:
If you didn’t see these in your inbox, please search for “Fieldwork” and then whitelist the email address — fieldworkpodcast@substack.com — to tell your email provider that these are legit emails.
Opportunity: Sitcom Mission
The British Comedy Guide has launched its Sitcom Mission 2025 competition for aspiring comedy writers. You’ll need to submit a complete 15 minute script and you’ve got until 27 April to get it polished to a high shine.
If you’ve got the cash, you can also opt to pay for up to two rounds of feedback before the competition, which at just £100, including the £20 entry fee, sounds like a bargain. The deadline for that option is 23 February.
Action point: AI consultation
Author Kate Mosse wrote in the Financial Times (£) about the ridiculous idea that authors should have to opt out of having their work scraped by tech companies to feed their large language models (LLMs). No other commercial use of copyrighted works allows for an opt-out model when a licence would usually be required. That some of the richest companies in the world are getting a free pass on this, and that the government wants to give them an even freer pass, is just infuriating.
The government’s consultation on AI closes on 25 February, so there’s still time to have your say.
Read this: More on ghostwriting
Back in December I mentioned that the Society of Authors was calling for ghostwriters to get more recognition for their work. The Guardian ran an editorial shortly after I sent that newsletter repeating that call, which is very welcome support.
Read this, two: Ebook library queues frustrate readers
Over in Canada, library users are frustrated at how long they are having to wait to access popular ebooks.
Here in the UK, I’ve been frustrated at how few ebooks it’s possible to borrow from my local library. In Cleveland, OH, we had a great selection and I could almost always find what I wanted. Here, I almost never find what I want.
The problem in both cases is the same: “restrictive e-book publishing practices”.
The high cost of e-books compared to physical copies makes it difficult for libraries to keep up with demand, Macintyre said.
Depending on the title, public libraries may pay two or three times more for an e-book than they pay for its print edition. In some cases, the e-book may be up to six times the price, librarians told CBC.
Publishers perhaps believe that making life difficult for libraries and borrowers will result in higher sales, but I can promise you I am not buying more books and I doubt that other thwarted borrowers are either.
Read this, three: Soap cuts are a tragedy
Another piece about how cuts in the British TV industry are worrying writers and actors. With Holby City and Doctors axed, the number of episodes of Casualty reduced, and 20 characters axed from Hollyoaks, the opportunities for writers and actors to learn their craft are even fewer and further between than ever before.
Obligatory cat picture
We’ve had so many cats turn up in our garden over the last couple of weeks, but the big shocker is that there’s not just one Fluffbomb, but two! Fluffbomb The Greater (on the right), as we’ve now started to call her, comes onto the garage roof a lot more often, but we’re seeing Fluffbomb The Lesser (on the left) a little more often now.
Honestly, though, my head exploded when I saw the two of them together for the first time. How can there be two perfect clouds visiting us?!
Right, that has indeed taken me less than an hour to write, so here’s hoping I can fairly easily keep to my previous fortnightly schedule!
And don’t forget, if you know anyone who might like Fieldwork, please encourage them to sign up to the new newsletter!
All the best,
Suw