The Inkwell Group

Calling all aspiring authors – don’t miss your chance for a Date With an Agent at the International Literature Festival Dublin! Do you have the next New York Times bestseller sitting in your drawer? Or perhaps an Oscar-winning screenplay just waiting to be produced? If you’re a writer looking for…

Do You Have a writing dream or a writing nightmare? Want to find out? We’re not going to sugarcoat this, because you deserve the truth! Can you believe most writers struggle and ultimately fail.  Out of those who actually start writing a novel, can you believe only 3% finish? It…

Does it seem like everything is conspiring to keep you from writing…? No time for yourself? Lacking in confidence about whether the words are actually good? Struggling to believe in yourself? Even though that is NOT where you want to be? It’s so tricky to stay motivated when you’re unsure…

Sam Blake has written eight books, has had multiple number one bestsellers and has been nominated for Crime Novel of the Year three times. She’s also helped hundreds of authors to publication along the way. A scout for numerous agents in the UK and Ireland, Sam has been working on…

Deadlines 31st January 2023 – 31st March 2023 There is something for every writer at the Plaza Prizes, whatever you write! Crime: First Chapters. Send us your first 5,000 words, plus a One-Pager (300-word summary) Deadline 31st January 2023 First Prize: £1500. The winning Crime: First Chapters entry will be…

We’re getting ready for another challenge! Do you want to be inspired to write daily? To overcome the blocks that are stopping your flow? To understand the techniques you need to make your work sing? Or even get some guidance on what the heck to do next with your first…

The world-famed Crime Writers’ Association launches National Crime Reading Month (NCRM) this June – a major initiative designed to celebrate the genre and get people reading. Running in collaboration with national reading charity, The Reading Agency, bestselling authors have been appointed as regional ambassadors of NCRM across the British Isles…

Launched by author Vikki Patis, Book Fuel is an online auction to raise money for National Energy Action, a charity which works to end fuel poverty in the UK. It is estimated that around 4 million homes are in fuel poverty in the UK. On top of increased food bank…

‘This is an incredibly taut thrill with a tense undercurrent of threat rippling through every page. It’s compelling, modern thriller writing at its very best, combining sharply drawn characters with a dark, gripping plot. Utterly addictive!’ Victoria Dowd Sam Blake, aka Inkwell founder Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin’s REMEMBER MY NAME was…

I’m absolutely thrilled that THE DARK ROOM has been shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards Irish Independent Crime Fiction Book of the Year 2021 – YAY This is such a huge honour and it’s in fabulous company!!! I would REALLY appreciate your vote, link here https://www.irishbookawards.ie/vote/ It’s down…

ENTER OUR THILLING GIVEAWAY! Want to win a thriller bundle? Sam Blake has some amazing books that she has read and highly recommends to giveaway – you just need to sign up for her newsletter below, before 15th July, to enter, and you could win: No 1 Bestseller The Killing…

Introducing the Write Here Write Now 5 day challenge! It’s starting on 26th April and we can’t wait! My sound is a little ropey at the start, which could be related to a keyboard coffee spillage (yikes!) seconds befoe we went live, but it gets better… Bestselling author Sam Blake…

Good morning all, it’s #IrelandReads today! A huge national initative to get people reading – I know you don’t need any encouragement, but I thought this would be interesting for Inkwell visitors. I interviewed Linwood Barclay the other day for Winning the Writing Game in a fascinating chat about his…

Is 2121 going to be your best writing year ever? This year will be different, you say. This year you will definitely make time to write, you say. You didn’t do it over the last year, but you will definitely do it next year. But you said that last year….

Do you want to be inspired to write daily? Make progress on your WIP? Perhaps you want to remember the joy you have for the written word? Or even get some guidance on what the heck to do next with your first draft?! We’re bringing back our super successful Write…

Writing.ie has a whole new look and is now much easier to access on your mobile or tablet – packed full of THOUSANDS of articles on writing, writing technique and writers stories of how they got published, go check it out!   This week on the Writing.ie Facebook page we…

To help get you through social isolation, Writing.ie have teamed up with literary agent Simon Trewin to bring you a series of free, live online video chats on our Facebook page, focusing on the the publishing industry, how it works and how you can make your book publisher ready. We’ll be…

To help get you through social isolation, Writing.ie have teamed up with literary agent Simon Trewin to bring you a series of free, live online video chats on our Facebook page, focusing on the the publishing industry, how it works and how you can make your book publisher ready. We’ll be…

In a recent documentary on BBC Radio 4, novelist Kit de Waal asked ‘where are the working class writers?’ The answer is ‘right here’. Inspired by a shared concern that working class voices are increasingly absent from the pages of books and newspapers, Kit de Waal came together with publishers…

Calling All Aspiring Authors! If you’re looking for a literary agent and LOTS of sound advice on how to get your book into print or your script to the screen, put Date With An Agent and the associated Getting Published Conference on 23rd May 2020 in your diary now! The…

Sam Blake writes writes bestselling thrillers – her latest Keep Your Eyes on Me has been in the Irish top ten for eight weeks (and is currently 25% off at Easons with free shipping!) but she didn’t get there by accident. When she started writing way back in 1999, she…

Over at Writing.ie we’re running a 5 day writing challenge that will get you out of your head and writing regularly and consistently. Run by a Number 1 bestselling author Sam Blake and NLP coach Maria McHale it’s designed to overcome blocks and give you invalauble hints and tips to…

If you want to see if we really know what we’re doing here at Inkwell, grab a copy of the No 1 bestseller Keep Your Eyes On Me for 99p (on all ebook platforms) – it’s a very limited offer, so be quick! You won’t be disappointed (especially not for…

Inkwell founder Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin is celebrating this week with her fourth thriller Keep Your Eyes on Me hitting the No 1 bestseller slot in Easons. The news was also released this week that Harry Potter Stay, Evanna Lynch, is to narrate the book for publisher Bolinda. The Bookseller carried…

Sam Blake’s Behind the Bestseller launched today! Behind the Bestseller: what makes a book a success? Bestselling author Sam Blake talks to authors, editors, publicists and agents to find out exactly what that magic ingredient is. Packed full of tips from top writers – it’s on whichever podcast platform you use…

A gripping cast of crime and thriller writers have been lined up for Murder One 2019, taking place in Smock Alley Theatre 1-3rd November. Supported by Dublin Libraries and Dublin City of Literature, Murder One boasts an intriguing blend of crime fact and fiction. Martina Cole, Steve Cavanagh, Lucy Foley, Hallie…

Writing.ie has recently launched Writers Ink, an online writers group designed to give you support, friendship, advice and to help you achieve your writing objectives – whatever you are writing. Whether you are just starting, have got stuck in the middle or have published and need to move to the…

Midsummer Murder One launches in just 3 weeks with multi award winning author Jeffery Deaver on 24th May at 7.30pm… Deaver’s books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel…

Continuing a series of interviews with Irish children’s authors, Olivia Hope from the Down the Rabbit Hole blog at Writing.ie talks to Corkman, Cethan Leahy about his first year as a published author. Tuesdays Are Just As Bad is published by Mercier Press.  So, an easy question first – what was…

When international bestseller Alex Barclay sang the praises of Scrivener in a recent article on Writing.ie, we thought we’d investigate and find out what it’s all about. This is what Alex said: The software I use is the brilliant Scrivener – it’s so writer-friendly. I have no affiliation with the…

We’re finally getting the Inkwell website updated and the Inkwell Newsletter has a whole new look – you can sign up here! Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for a writer friend, or need to drop some hints for Christmas, here are our recommended books on writing. These are…

For anyone struggling with marketing their self published book, check out Mark Dawson (MarkDawsonAuthor on Facebook / @pbackwriter on Twitter ) – Mark featured in the live streamed  self publishing conference we produced with Amazon and the video is on @writing_ie with lots of tips from Mark –  just wait for the…

The team behind MURDER ONE know a thing or two about how to write a bestseller, and they are delighted to bring you two of Ireland’s top authors to share their knowledge in the perfect location, Pearse Street Library. As well as housing an incredible archive, Pearse Street is the…

We’ve been busy at Inkwell HQ (hence neglecting this website!) working on a new International Crime Writing Festival for Dublin 2-4th November in Smock Alley – but whatever you write, listening to bestselling authors is ALWAYS a learning experience! As well as an incredible programme featuring Lynda La Plante, Peter…

This is a really super piece by Costa Novel winner Jon McGregor on just what it takes to write a prize winning novel: In many ways, I like to think of myself as an Olympic medal-winning skier. Sometimes, when people ask how long it takes to write a novel, I…

We all have 24 hours in the day, but many of us make more efficient use of that time than others. It’s not unusual to feel the strain of an overwhelming workload from time to time, and trying to fit writing in with everything else can be a real challenge….

This is an absolutely superb article from Colum McCann on writing – it’s a must read. Every single word is so true! This is just an excerpt: A first line should open up your rib cage. It should reach in and twist your heart backward. It should suggest that the…

The second in the Cat Connolly trilogy, IN DEEP WATER, following on from the No 1 bestseller LITTLE BONES, was released this week in Ireland and Australia, and is in shops now! Sam Blake is a pseudonym for Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin, the founder of The Inkwell Group publishing consultancy and…

Inkitt is a new boutique publishing house – a venture capitalist funded start-up who are growing fast. Their first novel launched mid 2016 and since then they’ve published eight books, seven of which became Amazon Bestsellers in their categories and ranked Top 100 among the four million books on Amazon. They…

Sam Blake’s No 1 bestseller LITTLE BONES, shortlisted for the Irish Crime Novel of the Year Award, is coming out in paperback in Ireland and the UK in February, and to celebrate, Sam Blake is offering a one hour writing or publishing masterclass (in Dublin or London or by Skype) worth €250, for one…

Writing.ie is running an exciting event with Amazon publishing – the event sold out in 48 hours but do join us online – whether you are published, unpublished or just curious, this is a landmark event that will give you the inside track on how Amazon works and how to publish successfully with them. If…

In exciting news Irish author Olivia Hope has landed a deal with Bloomsbury via her agent Clare Wallace at the Darley Anderson Children’s Agency. I first met Olivia at the Cork World Book Festival Getting Published event when her story about a robin made me cry – Olivia is a…

  Inside the London Book Fair: A Writer’s Eye View by Olivia Hope

Alison Walsh in the Independent this weekend gave her tips for the best books coming out in 2016, and several Inkwell writers got a mention including Hazel Gaynor, Catherine Ryan Howard, Bernice Barrington and Justine Delaney, plus Inkwell founder Vanessa O’Loughlin, whose crime fiction The Dressmaker will be out in…

This is a brilliant blog post that pretty much summarises what all us fiction writers *should* be doing, and yes it’s a bit ranty and sweary but with good reason! Thanks to JJMarsh for putting it out there! JJ  Marsh is a writer, journalist, teacher, actor, director and cultural trainer,…

Interesting article in The Guardian on how digital is effecting reading – and writing – habits… But what is the ebook doing to the way we read? And how, in turn, are the changes in the way millions of us read going to affect the way novelists write? This is…

Already released in the US on 2nd June, Jax Miller’s Freedom’s Child is out in the UK and Ireland on 30th July! Described as ‘A terrific read from a powerful new voice ‘ Karin Slaughter ‘Original, compelling and seriously recommended.’ Lee Child ‘Seldom has a literary creation bounced off the…

New Bonnier fiction imprint Twenty7 Books has acquired a Dublin-based crime series by Irish literary scout Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin. Fox O’Loughlin is a literary scout and current chair of Irish PEN, as well as being the creator of popular writers’ resource www.writing.ie. She will write the series under the pen…

Inkwell offer all sorts of services to help you move forward with your book – but we’ve just had great news from Alex Reece Abbot who used our Readers Report Service. This is what she thought of the report and what happened next… “I commissioned an Inkwell Reader’s Report for…

It’s the time of year for New Year’s Resolutions and Writing.ie has lots of articles that will assist you in every aspect of the craft, but here are some highlights to inspire you… Catherine Ryan Howard’s advice is to Finish Your Damn Book – she did and look what happened!…

Just a note to wish all our visitors a very merry Christmas – we’ve had an exciting 2014 with several major deals for Inkwell Writers, we know 2015 is going to bring even more! For writing inspiration, tips and technique plus tons of competitions and submission opportunities, don’t forget to…

Penny C. Sansevieri in The Huffington Post, discusses what makes a best seller, well worth a read! Writing a book is one thing, promoting it is a whole different animal. But what if you could, right out of the gate, know exactly what to do to create an outstanding, well-received…

Brilliant article by Nathan Filer on positivity, goals and how nothing is ever wasted… The first evening, in a frenzy of positivity, I wrote a page. The next day I deleted it. But I also wrote a new paragraph. That went too. By the end of the week I’d written…

No matter the quality of your prose, the act of writing itself leads to strong physical and mental health benefits, like long-term improvements in mood, stress levels and depressive symptoms. In a 2005 study on the emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing, researchers found that just 15 to…

With input from Mark Coker at Smashwords and several other industry heavyweights, this is a great article in Publishers Weekly about how indie authors achieve success, worth a read! “A great way for indies to become part of publishing and educate themselves about the industry is to learn from peers…

In an excellent piece in the Guardian, post the first YA Literature Conference (YALC), Imogen Russell looks at the classifications for teen reads and what goes and what doesn’t: In the past, I’ve used the labels “teen” and “YA” interchangeably, but a quick straw poll of aficionados reveals two differing…

Fat Fox is a brand new independent publishing company who will be publishing their first beautifully written and gorgeously illustrated children’s picture books and fiction in 2014. They say: Any child from anywhere, regardless of their background, should be given the opportunity to be enthralled by stories. Reading is the…

Win a critique of your opening chapters by an editor from Transworld, publisher of Dan Brown and Youwriteon.com How to enter: Click on the link below and read the first 6 pages from the first chapter of A Kill in the Morning by Graeme Shimmin – published by Transworld and…

In this very interesting article from Publishers Weekly, analysing the US book market, there is a slight decline in book sales, but a very steep rise in audiobook sales – food for thought! The decline is the fourth year in a row total industry revenue fell, although the four-year drop…

This is a brilliant online interactive game from the LA Times: Aspiring writers often ask established authors, “How did you do it?” The truth is that there is no single path to literary success. We sent a nonscientific survey to writers participating in the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books:…

Ever wondered why it can take a while for an agent to get back to you? This is a superb post by agent Andrew Lownie (who represents Inkwell writer Eleanor Fitzsimons) on exactly what he does in an average week – you’ll see it’s pretty non-stop… Andrew Lownie outlines the…

Former World Book Night c.e.o. Julia Kingsford and agent Charlie Campbell are launching a new literary and marketing agency. Kingsford Campbell Literary & Marketing Agents, London, will begin business in June, providing traditional literary agent services for authors, as well as offering brand, marketing and digital strategy services. Former Transworld…

At Inkwell we support authors and help guide them, whatever their chosen route to publication is, whether that is through traditional or independent publishing. Joanna Penn hits the nail on the head here when she talks about your own definition of success. This video is from a panel I was…

With submissions coming in from all over the world, the Inkwell team had a hard task to read and select the authors for the Dublin Writers Festival Date with An Agent Event. All the successful applicants have now been notified, and this is the final list – the agent’s names…

HarperFiction have agreed a two-book deal with debut author Jax Miller in a six figure pre-empt on the eve of The London Book Fair.  Simon Trewin of WME struck the deal with Executive Publisher Kate Elton and Deputy Publishing Director Sarah Hodgson for UK & Commonwealth rights. Claudia Ballard in…

Last weekend I was down at Waterford Writers Weekend talking crime with, amongst others, Jane Casey – here she explains the elements she had to consider in creating the Maeve Kerrigan character and why location is so important in her books. It’s part of our Six Minutes on Story series…

If you’re thinking of submitting to Mslexia’s 2014 Short Story Competition, they’ve commissioned a series of writing workshops by Louise Doughty specially designed to tickle your creativity and give your short story an edge in the competition. Mslexia be publishing a new workshop on their website every week until the competition closing date,…

Wordlegs.com will have two more open submission calls for new writing, for our Summer and Autumn 2014 issues. Our final issue – Issue 20 – this Winter, will feature our highlights of new Irish literature from young and emerging writers over the past few years. For your opportunity to be…

Many of you will have seen Adam Harris on the Late Late Show discussing the launch of his website Aspergers Advice, and you may know that I have a son with Aspergers. Adam has asked me to join the board of the charity he has founded, and we need your…

Here’s our latest video in the Six Minutes on Story series:

We are now inviting submissions to the 2014 THRESHOLDS International Short Story Forum Feature Writing Competition 1st Prize of £500 2 x Runner-up Prize of £100 Closing date: 02 April 2014, midnight GMT THRESHOLDS is the only online forum dedicated to the reading, writing and study of the short story form. Entries are…

ABBA was an incredibly successful band whose music resonates with people to this day. 40 years ago this band came out of nowhere and won the Eurovision contest becoming an overnight sensation around the world. Of course that’s what it seems like to the lay person, but ABBA didn’t come…

Inkwell have launched a new You Tube channel, Six Minutes on Story – we’re only starting but aim to have a wide range of videos discussing all aspects of writing – first here’s Getting Started:

This is a really interesting post via literary agent Andrew Lownie detailing the thoughts of 25 UK Editors and what they are looking for in 2014. You can find Andrew Lownie on Twitter here:  @andrewlownie http://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/2014/01/13/what-uk-fiction-editors-want-2014

A new Irish e-zine that has just been founded called Silver Apples Magazine by Alex Dunne Gráinne O’Brien with the aim to showcase fresh and exciting new talent in literature, poetry, drama and art. Their website is http://silverapplesmag.wordpress.com/ and they also have a facebook page https://www.facebook.com/silverapplesmag and a twitter handle…

Inkwell writer Clare O’Beara was in touch to say  “I won a contest run by Simon and Schuster, in mid-January – the Arkady Renko short story contest.  This character was first seen in Gorky Park. To launch Martin Cruz Smith’s new book about Renko, Tatiana, we were asked to write…

“Plateauing digital sales but a continuing shift of reading onto mobile devices, experimentation in e-book and print bundling, the rise of digital textbooks and yet more growth in self-publishing, are among the trends predicted for 2014 by industry leaders.” Read the full story in The Bookseller here: https://www.thebookseller.com/news/industry-leaders-make-their-predictions-2014.html   And…

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Library & Arts Service Call for Writers New Writing Commission January – September 2014   Closing date: 12 noon on Fri 6th December at 12 noon   To celebrate the opening of the Central Library and Cultural Centre in Dún Laoghaire in Autumn 2014 Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown…

Writers, are you finished that manuscript but aren’t sure how to approach agents and publishers? WritersWebTV will open the door to the whole process on Saturday, November 9th with Getting Published featuring agents Carole Blake, Julia Churchill, Paul Feldstein and sensational self-published author Hazel Gaynor. Carole Blake will impart wisdom…

Best-selling crime authors Ken Bruen, Jane Casey, Declan Hughes and Niamh O’Connor will be joining WritersWebTV on October 30th, ready to arm aspiring authors with all the best writing tips, tricks and methods at the upcoming workshop, Crime Pays: Writing Crime Fiction. Multi-award-winning Ken Bruen – the author of the…

On Saturday September 28th, Writers Web TV will be officially launching with their very first free-to-watch-live  online writing workshop. Finding the Magic: Writing for Children and Young Adults will teach you how to conjure stories that children and teenagers will love. The workshop will be streamed live on www.writerswebtv.com. An…

If you have that book finished and you are wondering what the next step is, this workshop is for you! 10am-1pm, Sunday 16 June Thai House, Railway Road, Dalkey €40 What is a publisher looking for? How can you improve your pitch and improve your chances of getting published? Vanessa…

Mslexia Magazine is the magazine for women (sorry chaps!) who write and they have a whole host of submission opportunities for writers. Their annual Women’s Poetry Competition is now open for entries. For poems of any length and on any subject, the first prize is £2,000 and it will be…

At every Getting Published workshop I do, I tell writers that they need to be on Twitter (I should be on commission!) This is why!! Twitter is being used as a “commissioning channel”, Random House digital publisher Dan Franklin has revealed. Franklin said the “vast majority” of the short-form non-fiction…

Blackstaff Press have launched a new writers community forum, SkyPen, with the goal of motivating writing across the island of Ireland (North, South, East and West) and to provide a central hub for groups of like minded people to create, discuss and enjoy books and literature. You do not need…

Words with JAM’s most popular first page competition is back. They say “We’re looking for the most captivating first page (up to 400 words) of a story. Entries can be from a novel previously unpublished, a part written novel, or simply a first page written purely for the competition. Entries…

Lyrical Press is searching for the next great romance. Entries must be complete works, any heat level welcome, open to published and unpublished authors. Prizes: The entry with highest average score will receive a $100 Advance and publishing contract with Lyrical Press, Inc. Highest-average scoring entry from each category will…

Three Monkeys Online is now also publishing original fiction and poetry. To have your work considered for publication please read the terms and conditions below and submit your work to fiction.poetry@threemonkeysonline.com What we’re looking for Original fiction or poetry. We’re open to all genres and formats – though for reasons…

ReadWave is looking for original, contemporary short fiction for its Short Story Anthology, 2013. ReadWave is a new digital publishing platform that enables writers to build up a fanbase and market their stories online. ReadWave is home to writers of all varieties, from sci-fi to literary fiction, and the anthology…

The Fish Short Memoir Prize provides an opportunity to have your short memoir published. The ten best Memoirs will be published in the Fish Anthology 2013. For more information on how to enter, go to http://www.fishpublishing.com/memoir-competition-contest.php

Tethered by Letters’ Spring Short Story Contest We are currently accepting short stories of any genre ranging from 2,000 to 7,500 words. TBL strives to publish writers with engaging stories, vivid characters, and fresh perspectives and styles. All winners will be published in Tethered by Letters’ Winter Quarterly Journal and finalists…

The fifth annual short story competition for women writers, is now open for entries. The first prize is £2,000 – one of the biggest prizes available in the genre –and includes two optional extras: a week’s retreat at the home of early women’s writing, Chawton House Library, and a day with…

Spotlight l First Novel Competition Deadline: 14th February 2013 Can you write a winning synopsis?   Writing a novel? Need a little help along the way? Hoping to attract the attention of agents and publishers? We are offering one lucky winner a major showcase and invaluable input and support.  Winning prize:…

‘Some might ask why a book publisher is spreading its wings away from traditional books. But we know that when children love something, they want to consume everything to do with that brand’, says Penguin Ireland’s Managing Director, Michael McLoughlin in a recent piece on Penguin’s strategy for publishing children’s…

What is the National Emerging Writer Programme? Developed by writing.ie and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, the National Emerging Writer Programme is a world first – a centrally funded initiative to foster and develop new writing talent. A year in development, the National Emerging Writer Programme harnesses the experience and…

Excellent post from The Bookseller: First of all, thanks everyone for reading my posts – apparently one of my posts was the most read on Futurebook this year, amazing! No surprise that the post was about improving online book sales – it says a lot about the current climate we’re in and…

We’d love to hear your thoughts on what we can make better on www.writing.ie and how we can improve what we do to meet your needs. We’d really appreciate it if you could take our short survey: Click here to take survey Everyone who participates will be entered into a…

We’re thrilled that a first time author, Donal Ryan, has not only own Best Newcomer, but also overall Book of the Year at the Bord Gais Irish Book Awards. Writing.ie have the full story! http://www.writing.ie/news/debut-author-wins-bord-gais-energy-book-of-the-year-2012/ (with video interviews and you can catch up on the highlights of the awards)