It seems I shouldn't have been concerned. I finished work commitments early and went to the bookstore. No photographer showed up so I spent a very nice day at a bookshop, discussing next week, fixing a computer, and generally browsing.
It was something of a relief since last night I caught a cat with my face when it did a plunge off the wardrobe, and currently I look rather like I've gone a few rounds with a boxer with bladed gloves. Not exactly photogenic, although appropriate for The Docks.
I've a few more people to contact about the book launch, and in general it looks like its going to be quiet, local and interesting. I am still slightly nervous because right now I have a lot of maybes and very few saying a definite yes, but it seems if it's too quiet we can always migrate to the pub for the evening.
So,, with a sense of cautious optimism, I can report that we have plans, and more plans.
And, of course, for any South London readers, details are here:
http://www.vhfolland.com/book-launch
Friday, 18 November 2011
Interviews, promotion and penname problems.
I've just had the local paper on the phone, who want to feature the book launch. This is excellent news. However they then finished by requesting an author photo. This isn't such good news.
It's not just that I use a pen name for privacy as well as many other reasons. I dislike photographs in general. My stance on author headshots is well-known. Apparently the use of a penname (see reasons) is not sufficient signal that I do not want my personal and professional life confused, and that an author photo would not be a good idea.
Fortunately work means I will be away when they wanted to arrange the photo shoot, but given everything, I am seriously beginning to wonder if I would be better off leaving this penname and the books and walking away.
I wasn't exactly planning on a book launch for "The Docks", far less a signing, and I was unpleasantly surprised and taken aback by the interest shown in my personal life (irrelevant) compared to my book (relevant). I am not a brand, I am not particularly interesting, and I do not want to be. I write. That's it.
The real surprise? The behaviour of people outside the press, where the word newspaper seems to result in tunnel vision: up to and including the suggestion I should blow an NDA and breach a contract to hand out details of my job to the press to get them interested in a book. Fortunately I have better sense, but it does reinforce why I keep my professional and writing careers seperate. It also means I will be keeping a careful eye on certain people and am even less likely to agree to a photograph.
If you want to judge my books, read them. Articles about my background will tell you nothing about my writing. If you want to ask questions, the blog is here for comments.
At least it's here for the moment because, after thinking about this for most of the day, I'm two steps off shutting up shop and walking away, possibly before the book launch. The chance of damage to my non-writing career is just too high, and while I enjoy writing it doesn't pay the bills yet.
It's not just that I use a pen name for privacy as well as many other reasons. I dislike photographs in general. My stance on author headshots is well-known. Apparently the use of a penname (see reasons) is not sufficient signal that I do not want my personal and professional life confused, and that an author photo would not be a good idea.
Fortunately work means I will be away when they wanted to arrange the photo shoot, but given everything, I am seriously beginning to wonder if I would be better off leaving this penname and the books and walking away.
I wasn't exactly planning on a book launch for "The Docks", far less a signing, and I was unpleasantly surprised and taken aback by the interest shown in my personal life (irrelevant) compared to my book (relevant). I am not a brand, I am not particularly interesting, and I do not want to be. I write. That's it.
The real surprise? The behaviour of people outside the press, where the word newspaper seems to result in tunnel vision: up to and including the suggestion I should blow an NDA and breach a contract to hand out details of my job to the press to get them interested in a book. Fortunately I have better sense, but it does reinforce why I keep my professional and writing careers seperate. It also means I will be keeping a careful eye on certain people and am even less likely to agree to a photograph.
If you want to judge my books, read them. Articles about my background will tell you nothing about my writing. If you want to ask questions, the blog is here for comments.
At least it's here for the moment because, after thinking about this for most of the day, I'm two steps off shutting up shop and walking away, possibly before the book launch. The chance of damage to my non-writing career is just too high, and while I enjoy writing it doesn't pay the bills yet.
Monday, 14 November 2011
Back to work and random thoughts...
I've easily written 50K words this month already, just not fiction or NaNo, and I've probably got that to go again.
Press releases, articles, non-fiction, and general PR has taken up most of my time.
I have a final author's copy of The Docks, text justified, back cover copy finalised, and generally looking good.
The Book Launch is on the 24th November, although there is a small problem with book supplies. The bookshop is not registered with our distributor, causing problems getting books tracked or ordered through Nielsen, so that's being looked into at the publisher's end.
What is really worrying me is this signing in the afternoon. I'm actually doing the signing because of the shop's request, and I can't see it going well. I'm not exactly the life and sole of the party, and spending the afternoon talking to people and then trying to be "on" again in the evening will be very wearing. Especially since I don't, and never have, liked talking about my books, and the last assessment of my social skills included the word "piranha".
What's going to be more difficult will be the question of pennames, photos (I don't do them) and the press. I've been told repeatedly I don't look like my books, so this could be interesting. Short of hiring an actor there's not much I can do about it, so I'll be taking the route of a six-foot-six bearded biker I know of, who spends entire writing conventions behind a romance writer's nametag, and brazen it out.
Still, unsociable lout or not, I should manage to get through this. If not, there's a pub opposite, and a thai restaurant next door.
On the other hand, with the wine (white at least) from the Iron Railway Vineyard, it should be a good evening
For more information: Click here
Press releases, articles, non-fiction, and general PR has taken up most of my time.
I have a final author's copy of The Docks, text justified, back cover copy finalised, and generally looking good.
The Book Launch is on the 24th November, although there is a small problem with book supplies. The bookshop is not registered with our distributor, causing problems getting books tracked or ordered through Nielsen, so that's being looked into at the publisher's end.
What is really worrying me is this signing in the afternoon. I'm actually doing the signing because of the shop's request, and I can't see it going well. I'm not exactly the life and sole of the party, and spending the afternoon talking to people and then trying to be "on" again in the evening will be very wearing. Especially since I don't, and never have, liked talking about my books, and the last assessment of my social skills included the word "piranha".
What's going to be more difficult will be the question of pennames, photos (I don't do them) and the press. I've been told repeatedly I don't look like my books, so this could be interesting. Short of hiring an actor there's not much I can do about it, so I'll be taking the route of a six-foot-six bearded biker I know of, who spends entire writing conventions behind a romance writer's nametag, and brazen it out.
Still, unsociable lout or not, I should manage to get through this. If not, there's a pub opposite, and a thai restaurant next door.
On the other hand, with the wine (white at least) from the Iron Railway Vineyard, it should be a good evening
For more information: Click here
Friday, 11 November 2011
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Guest Post: Ty Johnson on genre and acceptance
A guest post today by Ty Johnson, author of Ghosts of the Asylum.
Fantasy author Ty Johnston’s blog tour 2011 is running from November 1 through November 30. His novels include City of Rogues, Bayne’s Climb and More Than Kin, all of which are available for the Kindle, the Nook and online at Smashwords.
His latest novel, Ghosts of the Asylum, will be available for e-books on November 21. To find out more, follow him at his blog tyjohnston.blogspot.com.
Oddly enough, I never considered myself much of a geek, nerd or fanboy. No, while growing up I wasn’t the manliest man among my neighborhood kids, and I did spend plenty of hours and hours reading Tolkien and Terry Brooks and whatever other fantasy authors I could discover. I even played Dungeons & Dragons. But, I also took part in the more traditional exploits of boys. I played kickball. At an older age I played football and soccer. I hung out. I got in the occasional fight. I tried my first cigarette and drank my first beer. I did the usual macho stuff boys did to prove their manhood to their friends and themselves.
So, no, I didn’t think of myself as geeky.
Later, as I entered my college years, I put most of that thinking behind me. I had important stuff to do, a degree to earn so I could get out in the real world and find a job. I was becoming an adult, or so I thought. The world of fantastical literature wasn’t completely put behind me, but it was on the fringes of my life at the time.
Once I entered the professional world as a newspaper journalist, I initially found I had little time for pursuits outside of the workplace. Newspapers became my life.
Until I discovered a handful of co-workers who were not only gamers, but budding fantasy writers themselves. Most of these folks were slightly older than myself, and they had grown up in a culture slightly different from my own (they were from “up North” whereas I am a Kentucky boy). Suddenly I found I could indulge in my whims and still feel like an adult.
Eventually, because of the economy, I was forced into changing careers. At that point, I decided to return to my childhood roots, to build upon my love for fantastical literature. I made fiction writing my new career. It wasn’t easy, and often still is not, but I’ve managed with the help of an understanding spouse.
By this point, I felt fantasy literature and the other speculative genres had gained acceptance by the general populace at large. And why not? Many of the top movies were science fiction or fantasy. The modern video game market teems with horror, fantasy and science fiction stories, characters and other elements. Even genre conventions, once only attended by those in the business or hardcore fans, had gained in popularity and were being attended by thousands upon thousands.
Let me add here that while I never felt like a fantasy geek, I also never had any derision for those who were labeled such, by themselves or others. I guess I had always walked a fine line between two worlds, that of the speculative fiction nerd and ... well, everybody else, so I sort of had a foot in both camps.
Back to my adulthood. As I was saying, I was feeling that speculative fiction and fandom of such had finally gained acceptance by the masses.
My thoughts on that matter changed when I wrote and released a non-speculative novel, More Than Kin. Yes, my non-speculative novel. More Than Kin deals with a dying man’s search for his long-lost son and the connections he makes with new friends toward the end of his life. I think it’s a pretty good novel, and those who have read it have told me they enjoyed it.
Why did the release of More Than Kin change my feelings about acceptance of the speculative genres? Because I started receiving e-mails, sometimes even from family, suggesting I should write more of this stuff, and not all that junk about swords and monsters and killers and the like. Even some few reviewers have suggested More Than Kin was better than my fantasy and horror work (I’ve yet to work much in science fiction).
None of this depressed me, but it did make me realize that gap between the "unacceptable" and the "acceptable" still existed. It was still out there, floating around over the heads of those of us who take part somehow or other in speculative fiction.
Will we ever gain acceptance?
Probably not. But maybe we don’t need to. Maybe we shouldn’t even be striving for acceptance. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin have proved fantasy literature can be accepted by the masses, at least in video form, so maybe that should be enough. Maybe we shouldn’t be pushing our wares upon those who aren’t interested, and should focus upon those who are. The geeks. The nerds. The fans.
Because that’s where the true acceptance matters.
Ty Johnson's blog tour continues through November to celebrate the release of "Ghosts of thr Asylum"
Fantasy author Ty Johnston’s blog tour 2011 is running from November 1 through November 30. His novels include City of Rogues, Bayne’s Climb and More Than Kin, all of which are available for the Kindle, the Nook and online at Smashwords.
His latest novel, Ghosts of the Asylum, will be available for e-books on November 21. To find out more, follow him at his blog tyjohnston.blogspot.com.
Fandom has come a long way since I was a kid. Back in those days, the 1970s, it was still considered uncool to read fantasy novels, to watch science fiction TV shows, or to take part in speculative fiction fandom in just about any manner. Even reading comic books was kid stuff to be frowned upon by adults.
In my opinion, the popularity of Star Wars and early video games helped to change this somewhat. Then in the early ’90s the Internet came along and video game technology jumped by leaps and bounds, opening the floodgates for geeks and nerds and fanboys to step into the spotlight.Oddly enough, I never considered myself much of a geek, nerd or fanboy. No, while growing up I wasn’t the manliest man among my neighborhood kids, and I did spend plenty of hours and hours reading Tolkien and Terry Brooks and whatever other fantasy authors I could discover. I even played Dungeons & Dragons. But, I also took part in the more traditional exploits of boys. I played kickball. At an older age I played football and soccer. I hung out. I got in the occasional fight. I tried my first cigarette and drank my first beer. I did the usual macho stuff boys did to prove their manhood to their friends and themselves.
So, no, I didn’t think of myself as geeky.
Later, as I entered my college years, I put most of that thinking behind me. I had important stuff to do, a degree to earn so I could get out in the real world and find a job. I was becoming an adult, or so I thought. The world of fantastical literature wasn’t completely put behind me, but it was on the fringes of my life at the time.
Once I entered the professional world as a newspaper journalist, I initially found I had little time for pursuits outside of the workplace. Newspapers became my life.
Until I discovered a handful of co-workers who were not only gamers, but budding fantasy writers themselves. Most of these folks were slightly older than myself, and they had grown up in a culture slightly different from my own (they were from “up North” whereas I am a Kentucky boy). Suddenly I found I could indulge in my whims and still feel like an adult.
Eventually, because of the economy, I was forced into changing careers. At that point, I decided to return to my childhood roots, to build upon my love for fantastical literature. I made fiction writing my new career. It wasn’t easy, and often still is not, but I’ve managed with the help of an understanding spouse.
By this point, I felt fantasy literature and the other speculative genres had gained acceptance by the general populace at large. And why not? Many of the top movies were science fiction or fantasy. The modern video game market teems with horror, fantasy and science fiction stories, characters and other elements. Even genre conventions, once only attended by those in the business or hardcore fans, had gained in popularity and were being attended by thousands upon thousands.
Let me add here that while I never felt like a fantasy geek, I also never had any derision for those who were labeled such, by themselves or others. I guess I had always walked a fine line between two worlds, that of the speculative fiction nerd and ... well, everybody else, so I sort of had a foot in both camps.
Back to my adulthood. As I was saying, I was feeling that speculative fiction and fandom of such had finally gained acceptance by the masses.
My thoughts on that matter changed when I wrote and released a non-speculative novel, More Than Kin. Yes, my non-speculative novel. More Than Kin deals with a dying man’s search for his long-lost son and the connections he makes with new friends toward the end of his life. I think it’s a pretty good novel, and those who have read it have told me they enjoyed it.
Why did the release of More Than Kin change my feelings about acceptance of the speculative genres? Because I started receiving e-mails, sometimes even from family, suggesting I should write more of this stuff, and not all that junk about swords and monsters and killers and the like. Even some few reviewers have suggested More Than Kin was better than my fantasy and horror work (I’ve yet to work much in science fiction).
None of this depressed me, but it did make me realize that gap between the "unacceptable" and the "acceptable" still existed. It was still out there, floating around over the heads of those of us who take part somehow or other in speculative fiction.
Will we ever gain acceptance?
Probably not. But maybe we don’t need to. Maybe we shouldn’t even be striving for acceptance. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin have proved fantasy literature can be accepted by the masses, at least in video form, so maybe that should be enough. Maybe we shouldn’t be pushing our wares upon those who aren’t interested, and should focus upon those who are. The geeks. The nerds. The fans.
Because that’s where the true acceptance matters.
Ty Johnson's blog tour continues through November to celebrate the release of "Ghosts of thr Asylum"
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Overseas and over the counter...
Pre-order options for "The Docks" have expanded, to be overseas and over the bookshop counter.
When a new book is released it takes a while for each stage of the chain to pick up the update from the one before, confirm the details and pass it on. I found out on Saturday that "The Docks" distribution chain has been configured.
Since the branches can now pre-order it, there is a possibility I can get a signing or launch event set up in a Waterstones branch. While I love indie bookshops, there is no doubt in our area that Waterstones gets more traffic and would sell more books. One cloud on the horizon is an issue with the evening launch that I've been alerted to by the bookstore, which means arrangements may need to be tweaked. It only came up yesterday, so at the moment I'm waiting to hear more.
Meanwhile I have a new set of edits for Conflict of Interest to work through, a book launch to plan, signings to set up...
...and NaNoWriMo starts next week. November is going to be a busy month.
When a new book is released it takes a while for each stage of the chain to pick up the update from the one before, confirm the details and pass it on. I found out on Saturday that "The Docks" distribution chain has been configured.
Since the branches can now pre-order it, there is a possibility I can get a signing or launch event set up in a Waterstones branch. While I love indie bookshops, there is no doubt in our area that Waterstones gets more traffic and would sell more books. One cloud on the horizon is an issue with the evening launch that I've been alerted to by the bookstore, which means arrangements may need to be tweaked. It only came up yesterday, so at the moment I'm waiting to hear more.
Meanwhile I have a new set of edits for Conflict of Interest to work through, a book launch to plan, signings to set up...
...and NaNoWriMo starts next week. November is going to be a busy month.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
A book launch
My author copy of the Docks arrived this morning. Excuse me while I sound like a proud parent, but doesn't it look good!
It is a slim, mass-market paperback, with a glossy cover. Please ignore the slight lift to the cover in the photo: when it arrived the first thing I did was read it. The second thing was to go to certain book stores and wave it at the owners, who read it...
It should have been here a few days ago, but apparently DHL couldn't deliver. Royal Mail picked up the slack, and if that's the worst thing that happens while this book is coming out I will be delighted!
The book launch is coming together:
3pm-5pm Book Signing
7pm-9pm Launch Party
And all at Farthing Books!
Here's an online invitation. If you'd like more details please contact the store.
The main launch event is in the evening. Drinks, nibbles, interesting people, and lots of books. What more could you want? Entry is free, and refreshments will be provided. However, if you are interested in coming please phone the store to book ahead due to space constraints out of hours. It's from 7pm-9pm, although there's a pub nearby if anyone wants to carry on afterwards!
The book signing is more a convenience: since I'll be in the area (actually, I'll be in the store) setting things up for the evening, I'll be available to sign a few books as well.
It is a slim, mass-market paperback, with a glossy cover. Please ignore the slight lift to the cover in the photo: when it arrived the first thing I did was read it. The second thing was to go to certain book stores and wave it at the owners, who read it...
It should have been here a few days ago, but apparently DHL couldn't deliver. Royal Mail picked up the slack, and if that's the worst thing that happens while this book is coming out I will be delighted!
The book launch is coming together:
3pm-5pm Book Signing
7pm-9pm Launch Party
And all at Farthing Books!
Here's an online invitation. If you'd like more details please contact the store.
The main launch event is in the evening. Drinks, nibbles, interesting people, and lots of books. What more could you want? Entry is free, and refreshments will be provided. However, if you are interested in coming please phone the store to book ahead due to space constraints out of hours. It's from 7pm-9pm, although there's a pub nearby if anyone wants to carry on afterwards!
The book signing is more a convenience: since I'll be in the area (actually, I'll be in the store) setting things up for the evening, I'll be available to sign a few books as well.
Farthing Books
Tel. 020 8660 7688
21 Chipstead Valley Rd, Coulsdon, CR5 2RB (Map)
http://www.farthingbooks.com
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