The core
by Lee Nash

It’s in every
photograph.
Symbolically,
the apple core
had more appeal
than a horse
or a heart,
I’d say because
it reminded me
of the stars
that were taken away
while I was not looking,
my unseen pointers,
those five signs
lost, fast eaten up.
Yet vertically intact
the feminine form
retained its seeds —
better this way round,
though it required
patience.
There was time.
Those childhood
summers were too long
anyway, meant
dreaming of the day
I would hold
me whole
and bring home
white blossom
was all there was.

© Lee Nash 2015. All rights reserved.

AUTHOR’S NOTE ON THE PHOTOGRAPH: London,1973 (age six). We are just about to leave for South Africa, where I lived until 1984.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Nash was born in England and grew up in South Africa. She now lives and works in the beautiful…

Image from ShutterStock

BOOK MARKETING STRATEGIES

One of the main book marketing strategies that I see focuses around a Big Bang.

Yet a book marketing strategy that focuses more on consistency may have better long-term potential.

There are benefits and disadvantages of each, which depend on the nature of the book and author.

And recent changes in the dynamic book publishing environment impact the decision for how to market.

BIG BANG

The Big Bang book marketing strategy focuses on driving as much traffic as possible to the book’s product page over a short period of time.

Pre-marketing and buzz-building are amped up for a powerful book launch with several early reviews and many early sales.

BookBub and related promotions are utilized to revitalize sales with additional Big Bangs throughout the year.

Email lists for a newsletter and online followings are grown to launch the next book with a Bigger Bang.

I’m a volunteer at a big one-day literary festival/book fair in my area. These basic tips may help you enjoy such a fair.

Prose in the Park, Ottawa, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, June 6

As a volunteer at the information table of Ottawa’s first major literary festival/book fair, I’m ready to help you find what you want amid simultaneous events. Here’s my advice on how to connect with the tempting literati lying in wait:

1.  Before you come, look at the programme. Study the featured authors’ faces, names and book titles. Is there someone you absolutely don’t want to miss meeting or listening to? Make a note of when and where to find and talk to them. Prepare for a crowded site. Bring a camera, your wallet, a watch and a pen.
2. Plan to stay long if the festival is a unique gathering of celebrities and raw, fresh talent. In this case…

Anyone read Fifty Shades of Grey? That bestselling novel was originally a Twilight fanfiction. It’s been overwhelmingly considered a terrible book with bad writing and horrible editing. Incredible that it became a movie. Does this make fanfiction a valid form of literature? Well, this week’s question comes from OpheliaMorse.

Question 30: What do you think of fan fiction as a writing medium? Do you think it has credibility despite the subject matter?

H. Anthe Davis

I think fan fiction has an emotional credibility, if nothing else.  Look, I really like fan fiction — I’m the one from a previous answer who said that’s what they wanted out of writing.  Some can be extremely inventive, or emotionally resonant, or tie things up better than the author did; others can be ham-handed self-insertion or plot-less sex.  All of that is fine, in my opinion.  They all show engagement with the source…