Writers Forum #99 January 2010

THIS WRITING LIFE
Writing for
Few areas offer the writer such a
chance to wax lyrical as the world
of wine. So if you know your Syrah
ON THE BLOG
from your, er, Shiraz, why not give
A
n inspiring quote for the New Year from Hollywood scriptwriter
wine mags a shot? Cheers!
Nora Ephron: ‘When you’re a writer, you can write your way
back.’ Ephron, most famous for the romantic smashes Sleepless In
Seattle and When Harry Met Sally, was talking about bouncing back
from a ‘catastrophic’ divorce, and the disastrous Bewitched, which lost I
t’s hard to believe that not
all that long ago, if someone
W
’ by Adam Carpenter
$20 million at the box office. But her words could equally apply to was to bring a bottle of wine
you and I as we emerge blinking from a credit-crunched year. to a dinner party, chances are the magazine beautifully, even
How is the recession treating you? So far I’ve had one magazine it would be Liebfraumilch or featuring occasional live cover-
fold, owing me a couple of grand. Another celebrated the 10th anni- Hock. Luckily, the domestic wine age of tastings.
versary of my longest-lived column by dropping it due to a budget market improved exponentially, Recent coverlines: The New World’s
cut. Steve, an editor who has always been the Slowest Payer in the thanks largely to developments 10 most exciting Chardonnay pro-
World, has meanwhile used the downturn as an excuse to slip so far in production and shipping, ducers; New Zealand – your route to
into arrears that the last cheque he sent me was in guineas and shil- and the tireless education and stunning Pinot Noir; Champagne –
lings. Worst of all, one of Britain’s most prestigious dailies announced campaigning efforts of wine who holds the power?
it was cutting its freelance fees by half. Imagine the outcry if they did writers and broadcasters such as
that to the pay of nurses. But us freelances can like it or lump it. Jancis Robinson. HARPERS WINE & SPIRIT For
On the positive side, the results of hard work and persistence would Now drinking fine wine is over a century this title has been
seem to bear out Ephron’s words in even these economically strait- considered more of a decadent the essential read for the UK’s
ened times. At a time when the national press is cutting back freelance luxury than a bad habit and drinks industry and so focuses
work generally, I’ve managed to place more articles in the dailies than magazines have sprung up and very much on the business side
in any previous year. As I mentioned a few columns back, I’ve also been relaunched to reflect this. If of wine. Each issue has the very
managed to land a book deal at a point when almost the only books you’ve ever wanted to wax lyri- latest news, informed comment
being published seem to be by established authors or celebrities. cal after taking your first sip of a and often exclusive reviews,
To publicise the book, in the run-up to publication, I’ve started a good quality wine, why not put which means other magazines
blog. I know, I know: I’m about 10 years behind everyone else. But pen to paper and come up with a will be looking here for ideas.
until now I’ve never seen the appeal of lobbing bottles full of random few ideas? At a time of year where Can you come up with a different
musings into the lonely sea of cyberspace in the hope that some poor people are lamenting enough slant for them?
soul might be interested in reading them. In fact, I’ve never been one just how much alcohol There is also a lot of
for keeping a diary, generally. Well, I know there’s this one. But this is a they have consumed advice for people in the
pukka magazine article, a paying gig, and there’s the difference. Blogs over the festive period wine trade, including
and diaries don’t pay, and therefore contradict Dr Johnson’s First Law and thinking about cut- those starting out and
of Writing, which I‘ve always done my darndest not to contravene ting it out until spring, so profiles of such peo-
(the efforts of reluctant-to-pay editors like Steve notwithstanding). what better excuse do ple may be welcome.
Secondly, I’ve always found that almost everything that happens you need to put any Issue-led ideas are also
in my life can be worked into a normal paying article in one way or ban on hold? popular too but must
another. Using our personal experiences is, after all, the basis of what be very topical. Check
all writers do, regardless of their field. ‘Everything is copy,’ to use TOP TITLES out the features list on
another of Ephron’s pearls of writing wisdom. DECANTER Launched the website for further
So, on a personal level, I’ve always found blogs superfluous. As a in 1975 and now pub- inspiration.
marketing tool, however, blogs have been proven to sell books. Several lished in 92 countries, Recent coverlines: Your
authors have landed deals simply through amassing a fan base of this is the world’s lead- trade needs you: join the
readers for their blogs. So why shouldn’t I use a blog to build an audi- ing wine magazine, ﬁ ghtback against duty;
ence ready and willing to buy my book when it comes out? Setting up known by many read- The ﬁ ghtback – 10 steps to
an account at Google Blogs was literally a matter of minutes and I was ers as ‘the wine bible’. beat the recession
fortunate that my book title was available as a blog name. There’s a strong mix of
I’m fortunate, too, in that as a journalist I have an email address interviews with wine THE WORLD OF FINE
book stuffed with well-connected people, who I could alert to my personalities, profiles WINE In 2004 the chair-
blog’s existence. If even some of them include a link to it on their own on regions, as well man of a book publisher,
blogs or websites, who knows how far my viral marketing campaign as recommendations himself a lover of fine
will eventually reach? All I had to do was give them something worth and reviews. The title wine, decided that there
reading. So I decided that instead of the usual diary-style entries, my also holds a number wasn’t a title in exist-
blog would feature proper magazine-quality articles, pertaining to the of consumer events ence to cater solely for
subject of my book and posted regularly, once a fortnight. such as the Decanter fine wine and recruited
And, do you know what? I’m starting to enjoy it. It’s a bit like hav- World Wine Awards, a team of esteemed
ing my own magazine. I just have to keep reminding my inner Dr an international com- writers and experts to
Johnson that all this unpaid writing isn’t actually unpaid writing. It’s petition. Like a good fill the gap. The result
speculative writing, with a view to reaping financial rewards later. cheese does for a fine is a magazine where
Whether it will pay off or whether I‘m just being a blog-head, I’ll tell wine, a comprehensive wine tasting and appre-
you this time in 2011, once I’ve had my first royalty statement. website compliments ciation is more of a
18 Writers
’
FORUM #99
WF99JAN18.indd 1 24/11/2009 09:57:22
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