Richard Foreman

Richard Foreman runs Chalke, a freelance publicity and consultancy agency for authors. Richard is also the co-founder of Endeavour Press (endeavourpress.com), the UK’s leading digital publisher. Richard is also the author of the historical novel A Hero of Our Time. He lives in London.

What was your route to publication?

I have an agent for my novels, which she is trying to sell for an orthodox print deal, but the Raffles series of novellas are published with Endeavour Press, the UK’s leading digital publisher. As I am co-owner of the company, the acquisition meeting went smoothly.

I work with a number of authors, both as a publicist and publisher, and it’s apparent that there are as many different routes into the trade as there are writers. And I can add one more by saying that should you be interested in writing short fiction, or non-fiction, please visit the endeavourpress.com website. Please read the submissions page. You are likely to narrow down your odds further by reading Raffles and citing this piece. 

Describe your typical writing day. 

Thankfully or not, I do not have a typical writing day. I fit writing around day job of running a publishers. I’m most productive, however, late at night or early in the morning. When I’m not feeling sharp or inspired enough to write – I edit, or research things.

How do you approach the editing stage? 

I’m fortunate enough to know a number of authors and editors in the trade. It was useful to give a manuscript to them for early books, but now I edit myself and just send it off to the copy-editor. I’m pretty strict with myself. Less is often more. The historical novel A Hero of Our Time went through a number of edits over the years. Most first books are overwritten. It’s healthy to put a book in a drawer sometimes and come back to it and then edit.

Is there another author you admire? 

I could name a number of authors who are no longer with us, but in terms of being able to marry quantity with quality of writing, Sir Max Hastings, the military historian, seems to be unrivalled. When researching and writing Raffles: A Perfect Wicket, I found myself admiring Lord Rosebery (a 19^th-century British Prime Minister, as well as author) and altered the plot and his characterization accordingly.

What three things would you want to have with you if stranded on a desert island? 

Enough alcohol for me to enjoy myself, or end it all. A wife, so I wouldn’t need to drink alone – and hopefully she would be a reason for me not to end it all. Also, a chef. I wouldn’t want my wife to do all the cooking, that would be unfair.

Is there a character from fiction you’d like to meet? 

Lots. Hamlet, Flashman, Aeneas, Pechorin from Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time, an unmarried Portia or Beatrice from Shakespeare, an equally unmarried Lizzie Bennett and, of course, Raffles and Bunny. The list is as endless as my hypothetical desert island supply of alcohol.  

Which one of your characters is your favourite? 

I am fond of both Raffles and Bunny, for different reasons. It could of course be that I am fond of them for narcissistic reasons as they are, some may argue, different projections of myself. I am of course also enamoured with my latest heroine, Iris Adams, from Raffles: Caught Out. She would have little time for me I suspect though – and quite rightly so.

What is the best/worst thing about being a writer? 

The best thing is that you should enjoy your job. The worst thing is that you will probably need to take on another, less enjoyable job to finance being a writer.

Are you working on anything at the moment? 

Yes, I have recently started writing Raffles: Playing On. I am also in the process of editing a full-length historical novel about the early life of Augustus Caesar. All things being equal it should come out by the end of June 2012.

Five tips for new writers?  

Realise that it’s unlikely you’re a genius. Be one of your harshest critics and rewrite. And, after that, rewrite.

Read the masters of the genre that you’re writing in. You’ll soak things up, in regards to pace, tone and plot without even realising it.

Read submission advice carefully and follow it. The writing in your submission/synopsis should be concise and formal.

Try to meet as many authors and people from the trade as possible. Read their books; ask their advice. By all means join a writing group. Attend book talks. Once published, you’ll then have a greater bank of contacts to call upon to help spread the word about your book.

Keep on keeping on.

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Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.