How to write inclusive medical copy

by Leigh Matthews on April 30, 2016

inclusive medical copyAs a medical copywriter, I’ve written a lot of health-related articles and documents over the past six years or so and one thing I’ve found is that often the most time-consuming part of the job is not the research and fact-checking, but the agonising over how to make that copy inclusive. [click to continue…]

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LAUNCH – Go Deep. Friday April 8th

by Leigh Matthews on March 30, 2016

cover for Go Deep, novel by Leigh MatthewsIf you’re in Vancouver on April 8th, 2016, come on down to The Lido for Happy Hour and pick up a signed copy of Go Deep!

The second novel in the All Out Vancouver series, Go Deep follows on from Don’t Bang the Barista!, featuring Kate, Cass and a dazzling array of queermos navigating life, love, and intrigue in East Vancouver.

Did you hate/love Cass? Do you see yourself, your partner(s) and friends in the characters? Pull up a chair and sit down with a pint to tell me all about it.

You don’t get that with J.K. Rowling.

Signed copies of Go Deep will be available for $15. I’ll also have copies of Don’t Bang the Barista! on hand for $12, or buy both books for $25.

If you’re interested in buying a copy of The Old Arbutus Tree, or Eat to Beat Acne, let me know in advance so I can make sure to have enough copies available.

Looking forward to seeing you on the 8th, and happy reading!

NB: If it’s easier for you, feel free to Interac funds to me in advance, using the email address leighmatthews [at] gmail [dot] com and the password GoDeep.

Or, if you can’t make it, snag yourself a copy of Go Deep at one of the following places:

Pre-order for kindle
Createspace (print copies coming soon)
Amazon (print copies coming soon)
Powell’s Books (print copies coming soon)
Any good bookstore – just ask them to order Go Deep using ISBN13 978-0992022440

Plans are afoot to have Go Deep on the shelves at Little Sisters and Spartacus books in Vancouver, and at Glad Day (the oldest queer bookstore in the world!) in Toronto.

As always, Don’t Bang the Barista! is available in stores (ISBN13 978-0992022433) and online at:

Createspace
Amazon
Powell’s Books.

Make sure to connect with All Out Vancouver on Facebook and RSVP for the launch if you can make it!

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The benefits of a great copyeditor

March 6, 2016

One or two typos almost always sneak past even the best authors and editors, but typos probably won’t affect the success of your book unless your manuscript is literally littered with errors (or if you’re writing a book about editing, perhaps). You are likely to lose a few readers, however, if there are major flaws […]

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Writer’s Psychosis

February 6, 2016

The first draft of the novel is complete and I have emerged, mole-like and blinking into the blinding light of real-life. The unreal looks pretty cosy right about now, and I’m feeling a little insubstantial, which got me wondering about the relationship between writing and psychosis.

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A little Queerotica for your delectation (and some thoughts on accent, exotica and erotica)

July 26, 2015

On Friday, I took part in Vancouver’s Queer Arts Festival with a reading of a short piece of queer erotica at the aptly named event, Queerotica. The evening featured some amazing performances by the ever-wonderful Amber Dawn and Jillian Christmas, the phenomenal Vancouver Poet Laureate, Rachel Rose, as well as a new voice in the […]

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It’s OK to patronise me (on Patreon)

July 10, 2015

For a while now, I’ve been dreaming up a crowdfunding campaign for the new novel (the sequel to Don’t Bang the Barista!). Why should authors with traditional publishers get all the fun (and terror) of an advance for second and subsequent novels?

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The Year So Far

June 26, 2015

Back in January, I decided that I would make 2015 a significant year in terms of personal and professional development. I would force myself to make hard choices, push myself out of my comfort zone and really try to put myself out in the world as a writer and in general. How am I doing […]

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Entanglement and Collaboration – Art Song Lab 2015

May 5, 2015

In just over four weeks I will hear a live rendition of an art song I have been working on with a young composer as part of Art Song Lab 2015. To say I’m excited is somewhat of an understatement. I’m not a writer who does readings. I have yet to make my voice heard […]

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Queer Vancouver Writer Releases Second Novel

October 31, 2014

Vancouver, BC, October 31 — If you’ve been waiting for a Vancouver-based modern lesbian pulp-fiction novel, today is your lucky day! Don’t Bang the Barista! is the second novel from British-born, Vancouver-based writer, Leigh Matthews, an author whose first novel, The Old Arbutus Tree, was said to be beautifully written, if a tad harrowing. For […]

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It’s Nearly November – Which Means Another Novel is on the Horizon.

October 17, 2013

It occurs to me as we head into another NaNoWriMo that I should draw attention to my first novel, The Old Arbutus Tree, a result of November 2011’s 1667 words-a-day challenge, and discuss my approach to having a successful stab at the (entirely voluntary) ordeal.

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