Ilminster Literary Festival Welcomes West Country Authors

Terri Nixon 

Cathie Hartigan        

Saturday afternoon of the Literary Festival gave us a duo of West Country writers to learn from.

First up was Cathie Hartigan, who spoke to us about her journey from short story writer to successful author of four novels. In telling us how she gains inspiration for her writing, and as a musician, Cathie was able to bring her knowledge of the subject into her latest novel, ‘Secret of the Song’, which she self-published.

Before telling us a little about the plot, and its historic context, we were asked to give our views on the book cover illustration, and how the synopsis printed on the reverse of a book can influence our decision when choosing a book to read. Do we judge a book by its cover? Certainly, when choosing a book for myself, it is often the cover of a book that, along with its title, will attract my initial attention. Then, if my interest is piqued by reading the blurb on the back I will flick through a few pages to see if I like what I read. Sadly, as my eyesight deteriorates, I do also take into account the size and style of the font, and I am afraid to say, the weight of the book. I read mainly for pleasure and relaxation and find large, heavy books spoil the experience for me, often wondering why the publisher could not produce it in several smaller volumes for ease of reading.

‘Secret of the Song’ is based on a true story about a real composer, and in this case what I found of particular interest was the way in which she, and other authors apparently, when telling a story with more than one key character, will often write alternate chapters. We also learnt that authors of the genre are encouraged to join the Romantic Novelists Association to take advantage of the new writers’ scheme they offer where books will be read and an evaluation provided.

Terri Nixon, who published her first paperback in 2002, has contributed to a number of anthology collections, and also writes historical fiction based around family dramas set in the early 20^th century. She told us of the trials that new authors are faced with when trying to get their work published. Whilst there are pros and cons to self-publishing, both authors felt that where their work is deemed by publishers as being attractive to a ‘niche’ market, without major revision there is little option but to publish their own. Many authors are now also going down the route of e-publishing, and once an author has become established it is often simpler to get a publisher interested in future books. Encouraging book shops to stock books can also pose a problem as larger chains tend to veer towards established authors where sales will be significant. In this context, small independent bookshops are much more approachable.