To say Printed Words is a labour of love for Amanda Steel is an understatement. “I wrote my first novel in 2014 and after writing a few other books; it got picked up by a publisher.” She begins reflecting on the beginning off her work “I won’t go into details of what happened with that publisher. I will say, they shut down, but I learned a lot from them and another publisher as I went along.”
“In 2019, I started Printed Words to encourage new and experienced writers.” She explains next talking about the origin of her journal “I was really pleased to learn about quite a few writers I hadn’t heard of before, whose work was worth sharing. At first, Printed Words was a quarterly e-zine and magazine. We couldn’t afford to pay all writers, but we did offered £20 prize to one winner in each issue. Another thing I was proud of was we aimed to provide all rejected writers with constructive feedback. Most writers appreciated this, as they know it’s rare to get personalised feedback for free.”
“Sadly, the pandemic meant I no longer had the time or money to put into producing and promoting Printed Words, and the last issue was published in June 2021. However, as I had lost my dad to cancer a few years earlier, I wanted to create a charity anthology to raise money for cancer charities. That’s how I ended up editing and publishing Words to Remember.” She explains where the origin of where Words to Remember came out after Printed Words as a quarterly journal finished “I must have enjoyed the process of putting together an anthology, because a year later I put out a submission call for a second, From the Shadows.”
“This is an experiment in some ways.” She talks about next with ‘From the Shadows’ I’ve been published in anthologies before, where the authors were offered a royalty share. Hopefully, I can learn from what those publishers did wrong, and make this one a success. How much each author earns depends on how well they market the book. I’ll also be promoting the book everywhere, but it will only be a success if everyone else play a part too.”
“Putting together From the Shadows was a different process from Words to Remember.” She explains next about the differences between the two books “With a charity anthology, you can be a little more lenient over what you like and what you think works. Obviously, the writing still has to be good, but if the authors are being paid and no money is going to charity, readers can be less charitable. So, I had to reject some work which I didn’t think would help to sell From the Shadows. I had to think about the writers whose work I had already accepted. Their work was good enough to be chosen by the panel and if I had accepted work which didn’t meet the same standards, it wouldn’t have been fair to them.”
“I have a several readings planned for this book.” She explains her plans of how she plans to promote From the Shadows “Some poems and extracts will be featured on my extracts podcast, (Reading in Bed Extracts – Andy N) which is an extension of the book review podcast I co-host, called Reading in Bed. I’ll also be sharing a few videos of authors reading their published work from the book. Finally, there will be a live launch on Zoom. I’m not sure what this will consist of yet, as like I said before, it’s reliant on authors in the book wanting to participate in promotion.”
“There are a few things I’d like to do next with Printed Words; mainly helping writers who are good but might not have the same opportunities as more successful writers do.” She concludes with future plans for Printed Words “I can’t announce anything yet, but I’ve applied for a grant. If I get this, I’ll be able to share the exciting plans I have. Otherwise, I might try a Crowdfunder next year. So, watch this space. “
The book can be found in several places, including:
Paperback UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B098WBJ7XH
Paperback US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098WBJ7XH
(This article was originally scheduled for the Sunday Tribune and will also be reprinted there if the website reappears - https://www.thesundaytribune.com/)
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