NYK Writers

Literary Design Brief - Worksheet 1

Constructing a sound foundation on which to build your literary career.

NYK Media is a Scottish based organisation offering writers the opportunity to participate in various projects both online and in print. Our future projects include publishing 'Now You Know', the 'NYK Companion' and 'Paranoid Times'. All titles will be available in print and in electronic format. As well as this, we aim to develop various combined literary skills in a bid to promote writing and provide our future readers with interesting, educational and entertaining material.

Firstly, 'Now You Know' is aimed at the general 16+ readership. The significance of the title is, hopefully, self-explanatory. 'Now You Know' is a simple concept; it introduces readers to you, and should also provide the reader with something new - a little piece of previously unknown information. As an NYK writer, I want you to think of the title as being 'Now You Know... whatever it is you, the writer, wants readers to know.'

What can NYK do for you, the writer? How can we help promote your work?

1. NYK can provide a stepping stone for new writers.

2. NYK can promote previously unpublished, ambitious, new writers.

3. NYK can represent writers and increase their chances of literary success.

NYK Media has embarked upon a revolutionary new writing project, one that, to our knowledge, has not previously been tried. If you have a serious interest in writing, then I recommend that you consider participating in this project. If you can make the time to invest in your own future, have belief in your own ability and the dedication to attain your own goals, then reserve your right to achieve your own ambition - to become a writer. To begin with, start your NYK Writer's Portfolio with the following literary design brief and then email a copy to office@scottishmultimedia.co.uk

The NYK Literary Design Brief

WRITER'S PORTFOLIO - As far as we are concerned, a literary design brief is a written explanation outlining your literary aims, objectives and milestones. Basically, it explains why you want to write.

A thorough, articulate literary design brief is a critical part of our project. It helps develop trust and understanding between a writer and an agent. It also serves as an essential point of reference for both parties - ensuring that important issues are considered and questioned before the agent starts negotiating any future publication.

To participate in our publishing project we request that all interested writers begin formulating their own literary design brief as soon as possible. The following pages outline some of the most important factors to consider when preparing your literary design brief. Please read it carefully. If you have any questions, please email: office@scottishmultimedia.co.uk

Your Profile

Start your literary design brief with a short introduction and an honest description of your work. Don't take this information for granted, and don't assume that we will necessarily know the ins and outs of your particular subject.

Tell us:

1. About you - your writer's biography.

2. What type of work you produce or would like to produce (poetry, short stories, fiction, non-fiction, subject material, etc.) and any previous experience or training that may be of relevance.

3. How long you have been writing and what, if anything, you have already succeeded in having published or produced.

4. What your niche market is or what you perceive it to be.

5. How you think you can benefit from NYK writing projects.

6. Any agencies you have already contacted, even if it resulted in a rejection letter.

Your Aims

Personal ambition can have a huge influence on the success of any writer - but in order for success to be ensured, clear goals must be set.

For example, do you want to:

1. Generate publication sales and earn commissions?
2. Encourage enquiries about your personal work, with a view to securing a commercial publishing contract?
3. Gain regular readers?
4. Obtain information from your readers?
5. Encourage readers to 'tell a friend'?

If you know what you want to achieve, putting these ideas down on paper will help to clarify your thoughts.

If your aims are a little less clear-cut, then start by brainstorming. This is a very healthy and rewarding part of the literary design brief - and is the most effective way to determine your key intentions. Brainstorming sessions can be arranged by anyone, anywhere - just remember to log all your results.

Your Target Readership

Detail your primary, secondary and tertiary readership. Explain if you are looking to consolidate existing readers (if available) or appeal to brand new readers.
Detail any demographic figures about your target readership that may be useful to NYK Media - including age, sex, income etc.

Your Budget and Time-Scale

Even if you can only provide a fantasy figure, a budget expectation will give NYK Media a good idea of the type of writing projects that interest you. (e.g. Competitions, publish a novel, sell film rights...)

Time-scale is also an important consideration - so let us know any specific deadlines that you have set yourself.

Consult with Friends, Family and Colleagues

Consult with as many people as possible before sending us your literary design brief. Showing this to different people may reveal remarkable differences in the way people see your aims and objectives.
Resolving any differences in opinion will save considerable time and expense further down the line. This will also help to ensure that you do not overlook important issues.

Provide details of which online forums, if any, you have registered to use on the www.scottishwriters.co.uk web site, along with any other web sites where readers can see and/or comment on your work.

Language

Whilst you should write in a clear, concise way - there is no reason why you cannot use emotive language to emphasise exactly what you are trying to achieve.

Literary Examples

Providing examples of what you consider to be effective or relevant material can be a great help in writing your literary design brief. This also lends credence to your writer's portfolio and literary CV. Include synopses for your current work.

Make sure you provide samples of your work - even if the only purpose is to explain what you don't want from your new material!

If there is a writing style that you particularly like or dislike, then explain why in the brief. If you're not entirely sure why you like a certain style, then good starting points could include:

1. Illustrations

2. Mental imagery

3. Quantity and quality of text

4. Typography, cover design etc.

5. Favourite books, poems, authors etc.

Don't feel that you have to stick to one style when giving a list of inspiration and influences. If a television advert or music video creates the atmosphere that you want your work to create, then that is a perfectly reasonable statement to make in a literary design brief.

The more clues you give about your literary tastes, the more likely NYK Media will be able to publish something close to your aims. Remember that, as professionals, we will not copy the ideas you send us... but use them as the start of your personal literary design process.

Keep this document safe as it forms the basis of your NYK writer's portfolio and don't forget to email your completed literary design brief (and any updates) to office@scottishmultimedia.co.uk

Subsequent newsletters will include updates, writing exercises and specific requests to meet our publishing needs.

As well as updated newsletters, NYK Media will be posting bulletins on the message boards at www.scottishwriters.co.uk where anyone can access the information and respond in whatever way they see fit. Our primary publishing project is that involving 'Now You Know' and, for this project, all participating writers are encouraged to 'voice' their views and opinions and to interact with fellow writers. Articles and stories submitted to the editor for publishing consideration will NOT be made available to the general public but will, on occasion, be circulated to other members for feedback and debate. Only by becoming aware of exactly how others perceive our written work can we gauge how well it will be received in print by the general readership.

In order to succeed, NYK Media MUST achieve certain other goals. These goals are primarily financial, as publishing and printing does not come free. We are fortunate in that we do have our own facilities providing graphic design, layout, proofreading and illustration services but, at the end of the day, to succeed as a writer, you must have paying readers. Whilst endeavouring to promote each individual writer and act as virtual agent, 'Now You Know', and any other publishing project organised by NYK Media, must be commercially viable.

Sales targets are paramount to the success of any publishing project. We do, however, understand that writers are not sales or marketing specialists (but please encourage all your friends, relatives, work colleagues and acquaintances to buy a copy of NYK) and it is for this reason that we have a very simple, clear-cut policy. Upon achieving what we deem to be break-even point on each particular publication, NYK Media will, thereafter, allocate each participating writer his or her calculated share of gross profit on sales of that specific publication. (Payment dates to be agreed.) Only core writers are eligible for payment and, therefore, it is of the utmost importance that individual writers understand the parts they play. For the benefit of any doubt, core writers are those writers who have chosen to join NYK as regular contributors and have completed and submitted their literary design briefs as a basis for their writer's portfolio. Core writers are, without exception, expected to participate regularly in our online workshops and provide sufficient, satisfactory work both online and for subsequent publications. We do not guarantee your work will be published.

ALL work submitted MUST be the original work of the writer, who MUST hold full copyright. Copyright remains with each individual writer other than for publication in the specific NYK Media titles.

We suggest that all writers make full use of our online facilities at www.scottishwriters.co.uk to begin building up their own readership. Be equally prepared to accept criticism and praise. Be prepared to offer objective and honest opinions on other writers' work - even if it is to say you think you can do better! (Be prepared to back up that last statement if, or when, you use it.)

Original works forming the basis of potential film scripts etc. will not be subject to inclusion in 'Now You Know'. These works, if suitable, may be promoted and submitted elsewhere for commercial consideration. As agent, NYK Media would charge 10% commission for publication rights, 15% commission for production rights, 15% commission on merchandising rights and 25% commission on sales of original artwork. Relevant details may be included in NYK publications by way of promotion.

Unfortunately, we offer no guarantee of successfully securing you a contract.

NYK Projects are FREE to join

Online membership to www.scottishwriters.co.uk is FREE

Associated, stand-alone web sites, including domain name registration, cost £99.00 for 2 years.

Please check the web site regularly and keep us up to date with your own news and views.

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