New Exhibition

The painting 'Becalmed' (which can be viewed in previous blog) has been chosen to hang in a new art exhibition at the Wedge Gallery in Lichfield - the gallery is situated within the Lichfield Campus of South Staffordshire College and runs throughout January.

As for my writing, I am currently working on the second edition of Space Ace and The Flying Shed, which will be released simultaneously as an eBook as well as in print. It will be published through Smashwords and Amazon KDP for the eBook, and by FeedARead for the print version.

I thought converting print to eBook would be a simple exercise, but not quite as simple as one would have hoped. It is certainly worth spending the time on doing the research, but as always there is a lot of conflicting views and opinions on the subject depending on people's own personal experiences - you pays your money and you take your chances !!

Gallery Exhibition

I entered this painting called 'Beclamed' in the Staffordshire Open Art Competition run by Weston Park Gallery and I was lucky enough to have it selected to hang in the gallery for the month of August 2012, along with a selection of other amazing paintings. Unfortunately I did not win the top prize, but to be exhibited only a year after taking up a paint brush seriously is recognition in itself.

Having had my work recognised I have just completed a commission called 'Remembrance' which is a large canvass depicting a cornfield of poppies, which I am glad to say the client was very pleased with -to transfer their thoughts onto the canvass was  quite challenging and I was also extremely pleased with the results.

I am still working on a number of interesting writing projects, both for children and adult genres, which will hopefully bear fruit in the fullness of time.

I have been getting more reviews of 'Space Ace and The Flying Shed,' which is encouraging me to attempt to get it into e-book format for the Kindle - watch this space.

Creating a new Young Adult novel

Having completed a first draft, the process of creating the novel has only just begun - the hardest part is the editing process - to go through the work and take out the bits that don't work and add some bits that you hope make it read well, and also to remove any bad continuity - placing the characters where they couldn't possibly have got to in such a short space of time - the ''believability factor'.

So that's where I am now with the Young Adult book with the working title 'Spellcaster's Apprentice'

Editing can also be the fun part too - half the time I can't remember writing some of it and I surprise myself with how good things are looking, and equally how bad some things appear too.

It looks like the Amazon Kindle is taking off in a big way, so look out for 'Space Ace and The Flying Shed' on Kindle over the next few weeks.

Now into my art

'Sunset over Polzeath'

Well, if writing wasn't enough I have now taken up art - which is why I haven't added to my news feed for a while (gosh, is it February when I last posted? Doesn't time just fly away!) and why I still haven't finished my second novel. I thought I'd try one for teens this time.

They always say the second novel is the hardest and it's true, I just dilly dally around it and make excuses why I haven't got around to finishing it yet.I also make the excuse that I want to concentrate on marketing 'Flying Shed' but then I am waiting for the 'youwriteon' people to complete their new publishing service so I can get out the 2nd edition with all the typo's gone and a new cover and everything.

It's true that authors find any excuse to put off their writing, then they don't have to get it out to try and get it published, or marketed - the reason being is that then you don't have the hurt of people rejecting it or telling you how bad it is !!

Now art on the other hand - well, that's totally different - you can do anything, and call it 'art' and someone, somewhere pay money for it. Isn't that great!

I saw a half finished drawing on a huge canvas with a few splodges of emulsion in a fine art galery a couple of weeks ago with a £7500 price tag on it - wow!

There is hope for me yet folks.....

Hey, I got my first press release in the Express & Star - Cannock and Lichfield edition, of Friday 12th Feb 2010.

Head of Estates, Ian Sanday, with his first published book 'Space Ace and The Flying Shed' at South Staffordshire College, Rodbaston Campus, Penkridge.

South Staffordshire College's Head of Estates, Ian Sanday is reaching for the stars following the publication of his first novel.

Thanks to a grant from the Arts Council, Ian has been able to publish his book Space Ace and The Flying Shed,

The book is primarily aimed at the 8 to 12 years age group and features a garden shed that turns into a time machine.

It has had excellent reviews from adults who have purchased it for their children and have ended up reading it for themselves.

Manjit Ubhi, Head of Finance at South Staffordshire College, purchased a copy for her Nephew, but read it herself. "You have to read it cover to cover, I couldn't put it down. If you like the Incredibles and Spy Kids, you will enjoy this book," she said.

Ian has had short stories published before receiving a grant to publish his first novel.

The first chapter of the book can be read on http://www.iansanday.com/. Copies can be purchased through Amazon. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Space-Ace-Flying-Shed-Sanday/dp/1849231087/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266140519&sr=1-1

Ian is now working on his second novel - Space Ace and the Roaming Romans

Marketing is going well

Some good news on the marketing front - I have had an article printed about the publication of my first book in the monthly news letter at work, which has generated a good deal of interest and a number of book sales for 'Space Ace and The Flying Shed' - so thanks to all those that have recently purchased a book.

It now means that there a very few first editions left (the copy with all the deliberate mistakes) and I am hurriedly working on the revised 2nd edition, which should have a new cover and all the typo's corrected - which will mean that the limited run of the first edition (there are only 100 in print) could be worth a mint when I become a 1 million book best selling author.

In between working through editing the next book 'Space Ace and the Roaming Romans' and revising the first book, and working on a marketing plan, I have suddenly become very busy

Oh yes, a local well known national bookstore has also given me a strong indication that they will put 'Space Ace and The Flying Shed' on their shelves, so watch this space!

work in progress

Well doesn't time fly!

Roaming Romans is still a work in progress I am afraid - a new job and a new house have put me behind schedule - well, to be honest, VERY behind schedule, but there we are.

Still, I still have 'Flying Shed' to market and so I am going to put some effort into getting it 'off the ground' - sorry about the pun!

So, if you haven't purchased one yet - shame on you - go to Amazon and buy one, right now. It's a really good read, and that comment is from both young and old - I used to think people told fibs when they talked about books they 'could not put down'. But hey, now they are saying it about my little gem, and that sort of comment makes me walk 10ft tall, especially since these are from people who aren't family and friends.

So go on, go and buy one, you won't regret it - and if you buy one now, it will be worth a bob or two, because it is first edition. I am working and a 2nd edition, with some of the 'deliberate mistakes' taken out - so 1st editions could well turn out to be priceless in 10 years time.

So don't wait or in 10 years time, I will will there going "I told you so!"

Have fun

Ian