In VOX LIT August 2018 :
IN THE FREE BOOK LOVERS' MAG VOXLIT ON-LINE THIS MONTH:

​***ENJOY A GOOD SUMMER READ***

​Welcome to our new contributor Rosalind Morris. And welcome back this month to Sherry Leclerc, James Gault, Ted Bun, Cherise Castle-Blugh, Andrea Lechner-Becker, Darlene Ramirez and poets Zaheera Shaik Alli and Richard O’Reilly. Together they have put together what is probably the most informative issue we’ve done so far, for both readers and authors.  

Summer brings the Man Booker long list and we’ve devised a little fun game around this prestigious award. Also in the Home Section we update Machiavelli for modern times and explain why writers as well as readers benefit from book reviews. PLUS!  American poet and novelist Kyrian Lyndon submits to our interview grilling   Sherry points out the importance of book covers, and business writer Cherise writes about cash flow control. And you’ve never heard of the Magical Realism genre? Andrea will put you right.

The Book Reviews section has new book reviews from Ted, James and Darlene. (Check them out and you might find your holiday read)

James has invented a new type of book trailer, so he believes.  So whether you’re a reader or a writer, it’s worth a quick look in the Features Section to check out this innovation.  And Zaheera and Richard contribute once again to the Poetry Page. 

The Writers’ Notes section analyses how writers write, and this time we have two items. Rosalind shows us how to bring the reader into a story, while James picks out an unusual approach to establishing a character in Mehreen Ahmed’s novel The Pacifist.

​Finally, do check out the Contributors' section and Contributors’ Bookshop where you’ll find links to their books, their Author pages and web sites.

Browse the whole site and... Enjoy!!
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Click for these other ARTICLES ....

James Gault interviews poet and novelist KYRIAN LYNDON

Practical advice on book covers from author Sherry Leclerc

Andrea Lechner-Becker explains  Magical Realism for us 

​Business writer Cherise Castle-Blugh writes on the importance of cash flow

Have some fun: Play the Man-Booker Long List Game
​

SATIRE
Update to Machiavelli's 'The Prince'

When Nicolo Machiavelli wrote the most famous political self-help book ever, the world of politics was very different from today. In those days, a very few people held the reins of power and the minions did what they were told. Nowadays, the concept of universal democracy is, at least notionally, pretty well universal throughout the world. Time then to add a new chapter to the Machiavellian words of wisdom.

CHAPTER XXVII: CONCERNING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE
​
A modern ruler rules only by the consent of those whom he governs. His decisions, therefore, are subject not to his own will, but to the will of every citizen, no matter how rich or how poor, how aristocratic or how common, how educated or how ignorant. The opinions of such a motley crew can certainly never be guaranteed to be sensible: they may decide to plunge their state into poverty (Brexit) or to choose the most inappropriate leaders (something of which there are too many examples to mention here). Indeed, subject to the random whims of the unwashed masses, could such a ruler be said to govern at all? (A question one could direct at the present leader of the United Kingdom government.)
For the astute modern ruler, this is a problem more in theory than in practice. While leaders are distinguished by their iron wills and determination, the wills of followers are thankfully malleable. The prime task of the ruler is not to follow the wills of their subjects, but to form them.  
In some parts of the world it is the fashion to take members of the populace behind a hedge, point a gun at their heads, or the heads of their loved ones, and tell them what they should think. Elsewhere, or sometimes in the same places, copious sums of money clandestinely change hands. Such crude expedients are short-lasting in their effects and the wise ruler dispenses with them, and turns instead to more subtle and effective methods.
The key to longevity of the modern political leader is NEWS. He who controls the media controls the minds of the masses. Thus one set of people are led to believe that Crimea was recently invaded, while another different set are convinced that it was liberated.
Above all, a good ruler has to control he news. If journalists are allowed to write what they like, chaos reigns and whole countries are divided. The example of Brexit comes to mind again here. But even where there has been no tradition of the proper supervision of the press and other media, all is not lost. The concept of FAKE NEWS can be invoked. Fake news is, of course, any news which does not confirm and support the will of the ruler. The other kind is real news. A wise ruler will endorse real news, but seek out and expose, preferably on Twitter, all fake news, even when it comes from previously credible sources like CNN.
The naive may ask: where is truth in all this? Well, all real news is, of course, true, even when it contradicts facts. A successful leader in these times who can control the NEWS can look forward not only to a long and happy reign, but also to the ongoing love and adulation of his people. If anyone doubts this assertion, I humbly refer him to the current leader of the Russian Federation.
Contributed by James Gault.



​The Man Booker long list game

The Man Booker is the UK’s most prestigious literary prize and this year’s long list has just come out. What do you think will be the winner this year? If you were one of the jury, which would you choose?
​
Of course, few of us have the time to read all of the 13 books listed. So we have come up with a little fun game where you dip into some of these books and try to guess the eventual winner. To try it out, click here.​ It won’t cost you anything other than a little bit of time and you’ll get a good feel for the latest literary trends.


Contributed by James Gault.   With thanks to Waterstones bookshops and other sources.

Can reading reviews help you as a writer?

Which book will I buy? Given the massive numbers of books that are published each week, readers face an almost impossible choice. But thankfully we have reviews. They are ideal tools for readers but can they do anything for writers?
Of course, you all know that good reviews of your own works will help you sell your book and will give you some idea of what readers like and don’t like about your writing style. But reviews of the works of other authors can help you in the actual writing process as well.
First of all, reviews can be a great source of marketing research. In other fields, fortunes are spent on conducting focus groups so that the customers can give their unprompted views on products. But, through book reviews, your potential readers freely share their thoughts and opinions and you can access them at no cost to you, apart from your time. All you have to do is view, on Amazon, Goodreads and other sources, some of the many reviews of books in your genre. To get the maximum amount of information, you should read bad reviews as well as good ones, and include new authors as well as big names in your sample.
Reading reviews can also help you develop your writing style. Not all reviews are helpful for this purpose; some reviews say little more than ‘I liked this’ or things like ‘The main character was a stuck-up bitch and did not arouse my sympathy’. But more considerate reviewers will analyse and comment on the writing techniques of style, language and plot development while giving an assessment of their reaction to the work. These are always worth reading, and not only for novels in your own genre. This kind of criticism always prompts me to reconsider my own writing, and invariably teaches me lessons which help me improve in the future. And, as it is not me who is being criticised, it is an entirely painless activity.
So we authors should be doubly grateful to those readers who not only give up their time to read our work, but then go on to give up some more to comment on it. On behalf of myself and all other writers, let me offer all reviewers a big ‘thank you’.
Contributed by James Gault.
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