An introduction

Hello all, and welcome to the Macmillan New Writers community:

a blog for all authors published by Macmillan New Writing to shout their news, vent their spleens, to gossip and mix-up the small/big talk on the whole publishing experience.

It’s not often a blog has a mission statement, but I always envisaged a purpose behind this little project. And thus the mission is this:

“To give all Macmillan New Writers a voice and blog/web presence if they so require it. A presence to enable them to spread their news good or bad, a platform to discuss their writing and the whole experience of being published under Macmillan New Writing.”

Please note: this won’t be a place for prospective Macmillan New Writers to ask about the specific details of the MNW deal nor the submission process – for that, look to the link to the left under “Behind the community…” But I’m sure my fellow authors will let slip some of the finer points of publication during their musings on the whole thing.

On a personal note, I believe the greatest additional benefit in becoming a Macmillan New Writer is the sense of family. MNW is a growing writing-community of “apprentices” breaking into the world of publishing for the first time. They are supportive of each other, verbally, on the web and at book launches, spreading the word of fellow writers as well as the imprint. And this extends to their writing lives after Macmillan New Writing…
The status of the Macmillan New Writer is a short one, lasting for one or two books only. For that reason, this blog is open to all MNW authors – past, present and forthcoming. In the end, we will all be past MNW authors with many of us hopefully going on to great things – but it’s good to have writing-roots, and I think most of us who have come through the whole publishing experience will agree there is no greater new-author community than the one found here.

Finally to the reader: I hope this blog is informative, entertaining, and at times, enlightening.

And to the writer hoping to join the ranks of MNW: good luck with your endeavours. (Believe me, all the blood, sweat and tears are worth it…)

Take care

Matt Curran

Note to MNWers: when writing a blog entry, please insert an avatar of some sort in the top right corner so everyone knows who you are… and have fun. Remember, this is your playground too. I only promise not to hog the swings.