Absolute Vanilla

So, what exactly is "commercial"?

2012-01-13T09:41:00.003+02:00

There’s been a lot of talk about “commercial” this week in the social media. The British PM wants only “commercial” films made, the supermarket giants that are driving down book prices want “commercial” books that they can sell in their thousands. “Where,” film-makers and writers lament amidst this doom and gloom scenario, “is the place for the beautiful film, the literary book, and how do you know if something’s going to be commercial?”

So what, exactly, is commercial? And, does one have to give up writing beautifully in order to achieve it?

I’ll answer the first question last. In a nutshell, no. Commercial does not deny beautiful writing – it may curtail it to some extent, but it doesn’t deny it. And I’ll come back to this.

As for what is commercial – all one needs to do is look at the big successes – think of The Da Vinci Code, Harry Potter, The Twilight series, The Hunger Games. Commercial, by any other name, is a best-seller, and if the supermarkets and big chain bookstores are driving what is to be published then there’s a pretty clear recipe.

1. Create a story with a big universal theme to which everyone can relate.

2. Work with archetypes and stick to the basic plots – Quest, Adventure, Pursuit, Rescue, Escape, Revenge, The Riddle, Rivalry, Underdog, Temptation, Metamorphosis, Transformation, Maturation, Love, Forbidden Love, Sacrifice, Discovery Wretched Excess, Ascension, Descension.

3. Have a strong hook.

4. Keep it pacy and/or gripping, make every chapter ending a cliff hanger or a critical question.

5. Ensure the stakes are high.

6. Ensure the characters are relatable and engaging.

7. Write so that everyone “gets it” – make sure the story is easily readable.

8. Pull at heart strings, make the reader gasp, make the reader shiver. Engage the readers’ senses. Involve the reader.

So, coming back to writing well, focusing on craft and creating beautiful books. I don’t believe the commercial has to be to the total exclusion of literary. Sure, the truly literary book may never have mass appeal, but there is absolutely no reason why a commercial book can’t be beautifully crafted, well-written, full of artistic “magic”. I believe the trick lies in marrying a commercially appealing theme with quality writing, vivid words (you know, that show not tell thing), a distinctive voice, and a strong hook. All the things that, as writers, we are constantly told to do.

And if all that still fails, and you’ve written a quiet and beautiful book, which the likes of Tesco wouldn’t touch, then I do believe that another space is opening up for writers: e-publishing ventures led by respected names in the book industry – because that’s where the difference between self-publishing and quality e-publishing lies – in the gatekeeping. If there’s truly no space for writers of quality fiction within traditional publishing (and I don’t entirely buy that, I just think the goal posts have moved that much further), then it’s time for writers to band together and create their own destinies. The truth, however, remains in this reality – you still need to have a good hook, a high stake and a compelling tale in order to sell your story to anyone.

It’s not time to be discouraged. It’s time to up our game and to think laterally.

Glass half full, remember?

Ringing in the New Year!

2011-12-31T18:20:00.005+02:00

So… Here we are in the final hours of 2011 (assuming you’re not reading this from the East or the Antipodes). It’s been a mixed bag of a year and I, for one, am not the slightest bit sad to see the back end of it. As the new year awakens, here’s hoping that it brings with it all sorts of good things for everyone.

My wish for you is that the year ahead is one filled with love and laughter, peace and joy, creativity and happiness, prosperity, good health and success, friendship and goodwill.

For the writers, illustrators and authors amongst you, I wish for you representation, publishing contracts and book deals, excellent sales, awards and… an abundance of creative outpouring!

May 2012 be your best year ever!

Happy Holidays

2011-12-22T11:09:00.011+02:00

If the ravening hordes on the roads and the malls are anything to go by, then I must assume that it is That Time of Year Again. Yes, the time of year when tinsel positively drips from people’s ears, their brains disengage and they enter a Frenzy of Shopping. I am relieved to say I did my shopping in November, and when I am obliged to venture out for food tomorrow or on Saturday, I will be doing so with fangs sharpened and bared. But the tree is up, the house is all sparkly and I am girding my loins to cater for three exceptionally picky eaters and one with food intolerances (that would be me) on Sunday. I may yet run away and join the circus.

Tinsel drips from the ears of the Christmas tree...

It has been a helluva year – intense doesn’t begin to cover it. Building a house evidently has that effect. And yet, I am grateful to my wonderful project manager and brilliant young architect who have steered me through the initial stages of the build with a limited amount of stress. Mostly, for all those who told me it would be a hideously stressful experience, it has been fun. Intense, but fun. Of course, I may yet change my view, there are still six more months to go…

Rooms with a view...

And then there is another first draft finished and currently composting, and another manuscript cleaned up and in submission-ready format. I am working on the rewrite of a midgrade fantasy and I have the stirrings of a sequel to a YA paranormal which I may yet consider self-publishing – a topic around which there has been much discussion during the past year. A huge thank you has to go to my wonderful critique partners who journey with me: Carmel Waldron, Candy Gourlay, Kathy Evans, Jackie Marchant, Ellen Renner, Pat Walsh, Jeannie Waudby and Jeannette Towey. Also group hugs all round for my writing support circle on G+: Sue Eves, Maureen Lynas, Sue Hyams, Vanessa Harbour, Mark Jones, Michele Helene, Jane Volker, Jan Markley, Louise Kelly, Jeannette Towey, Jo Franklin, Savita Kalhan, and Carmel Waldron. May we all travel onwards and upwards!

My wonderful critique group

There has been dabbling in a bit of marketing consultancy, which I’ve not done for a while, but which I am very much enjoying – the focus being on using online platforms for the widest reach.

And then there has been social networking, from blogging to Facebook and Twitter and the introduction of Google +. It’s too much, and that doesn’t even bring Tumblr, Flickr, Reddit, LinkedIn and all the rest into consideration. Frankly, I don’t see why we can’t just have a single GooTwitFace platform and be done with it. The bottom line of it all, however, shrieks “Be Circumspect”. Database management is the deathknell of privacy. Changes to Facebook, particularly issues surrounding privacy and the introduction of Timeline, make your life an open book from the moment you joined. Every idiotic status update you ever posted, every whining or ascerbic comment you ever made is there for all your friends (and the world) to see. Facebook, lest you ever believed otherwise, keeps everything. Take heed.

But as the tinsel on the tree glitters and the fairy lights twinkle let me wish you all the very best for the holiday season whatever your religious or otherwise persuasion. Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas, good tidings and happiness for the Solstice, a joyous Kwanzaa and Happy Hannukah, may love and laughter, joy and happiness, peace and good feasting be yours.

Megg Jensen reveals a new cover for her novel, Sleepers

2011-12-19T09:03:00.004+02:00

You may recall that I interviewed indie-published author, Megg Jensen, a few months ago. Having read Megg's first book Anathema (the first book in her Cloud Prophet Trilogy) I found I really enjoyed her strong, character driven, storytelling. And so, as is the way of writers supporting each other (yes, this is what social network marketing is all about), I'm happy to now introduce the new artwork for Megg Jensen’s bestselling novel SLEEPERS.

To celebrate the re-launch of SLEEPERS in January of 2012, Megg is giving it a new cover with artwork from the incredible PhatPuppy.

To see the full-size cover online, please click HERE

SLEEPERS

An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she's filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her.

Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?

To read reviews of SLEEPERS please see the Goodreads site, or take a look over on Amazon.

As part of Megg's promotion for the new cover, SLEEPERS is on sale now for only 99 cents!

To find out where you can buy a copy of SLEEPERS, please visit Megg's site:

To find our more about Megg Jensen please see the following:
Megg's website.
Megg on Facebook.
Megg on Twitter.

School's out for summer...

2011-12-16T13:00:00.005+02:00

Summertime, and the living is easy...

It’s officially the start of summer holidays here. The sun is shining, the sky is blue. My tomato plants have gone mad with an abundance of shiny red cherry tomatoes. Schools broke up a week ago, the builders took their annual leave as of yesterday. People from upcountry are blocking the roads as they get lost and drive too fast. Restaurant prices have soared for the annual influx of tourists. Oh yes, holiday fever abounds and I swear everyone is wondering around with tinsel hanging out of their ears!

I meanwhile, having finished the first draft of my YA space/sci-fi/love story, have been playing with a midgrade fantasy, first written several years ago, while the YA composts for a month or two to give me better perspective for the rewrite. In-between arguing about aspects of the house build, I’ve been up to my eyeballs in dragons and gnomes. It’s a giddy life, I tell you, between building a fantasy world and building a house. But there’s nothing quite like the process of creation, that business of seeing things in your mind and then bringing them to life – either on a page, or a piece of earth.

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.”
George Bernard Shaw

“It is better to create than to be learned, creating is the true essence of life”
Barthold Georg Niebuhr

I’ve also been jumping around like an excited loon about the news of a two book deal for one of my long standing critique partners, Jackie Marchant. Jackie is classic example of perseverance paying off and I’m just so pleased for her! I’m hoping she’ll agree to do either a blog post or an interview here because her persistence and determination really are inspirational.

Right, and now I suppose I’d better go and get that damned Christmas tree up.

Ice-cream Sundays in the sun

Guest Blogger: Nicola Morgan speaks about her novel Mondays are Red

2011-12-06T09:54:00.007+02:00

Changing Minds by Nicola Morgan

And now for something new on Absolute Vanilla...

Today it's my pleasure to introduce to you a guest blogger and one of my favourite YA authors, Nicola Morgan - also known as the Crabbit Old Bat despite the indispensible advice she offers writers on her blog Help I Need A Publisher.

Author, Nicola Morgan

You may recall that I did a rather gruelling interview with Nicola about her YA novel, Wasted, but today, I've decided to skive off and let Nicola speak for herself about the her debut YA novel, Mondays are Red.

First published in 2002, Nicola Morgan is now delighted to be personally producing Mondays are Red as an ebook, with a new cover and extra material, including creative writing by school pupils inspired by the book. For review information and details about where and how to buy the ebook (price: approx £2.23 on Amazon), see here.

NOTE: you do NOT need a Kindle to buy a Kindle book. Simply download the free Kindle software for your laptop, iPad, iPhone, smartphone, android, tablet etc

When Luke wakes from a coma, his world has altered. Synaesthesia confuses his senses and a sinister creature called Dreeg inhabits his mind. Dreeg offers him limitless power – even the power to fly – and the temptations are huge, but the price is high. Who will pay? His mysteriously perfect girlfriend, with hair as long as the sound of honey? His detested sister, Laura, with the wasps in her hair? When Laura goes missing, Luke realizes the terrible truth about himself and his power. His decision is a matter of life and death, and he will have to run faster than fire.

Thank you, Nicky, for letting me come here today. And to escape the clutches of your interview technique, too! You’ve asked me to say something about language changing minds, which is an underlying theme of Mondays are Red.

First, the relevant parts of the premise: an ordinary, sport-mad 14-year-old boy wakes from a coma after meningitis, to discover his world changed. Not only is his leg weak (so he may not be able to run again) but his mind is invaded by synaesthesia (where the senses are mixed) and a sinister creature called Dreeg. Dreeg shows Luke that his synaesthesia offers absolute power – and we all know what absolute power does to people. The mechanism of this is that his synaesthetic way of seeing the world gives him the power of language, which is, in effect, the power to change people’s minds. When Luke describes something, he does it so powerfully that people actually see the thing he’s describing – in other words, he changes what they see, which amounts to changing what is.

And that is why the power of language is the greatest power. It can be used, of course, for good or for ill, but as writers and speakers we do change people’s minds.

Let me demonstrate – and this is what I show pupils when I do creative writing with them. I’m going to say a word and when you hear it, I want you NOT to picture the word I say. Ready? Elephant. Did you manage to hear that word without a picture of an elephant coming into your mind? Try harder this time. Apple. It’s hard, isn’t it? Old crone with glowing red eyes and a hunched back. Impossible. The point being that every word we use paints a picture in the reader or listener’s mind.

Let’s take that further. Imagine I describe someone’s lips as “fire engine red”. What do you think of when you think of fire engines? They are red, big, noisy, and represent danger, glamour, bravery. So, if we say “her lips were fireengine red”, we’re adding those meanings to the reader’s mind, hinting that she may also be loud, dangerous or glamorous. But supposing I say that her lips were not fire-engine red but “strawberry red”. Strawberries are small, sweet, strawberry-shaped, and so those are suddenly the things the reader will attach to that woman’s character. Try the same with “letter-box red”.

Power, you see, and it’s greater than we think. Every word takes with it a load of meanings and they all seep into the reader’s mind. And change it. And there’s something else – the actual sounds take meanings with them, too. Sounds do have colours, and smells and feelings and all manner of sensations, which all add to meaning. We’re all a bit synaesthetic – as I’m going to be showing on Mary Hoffman’s blog on Dec 9th! Understanding the power is essential for writers.

People ask me why I wanted to be a writer. It’s simple: power. (*rubs hands*) I just hope I’m never corrupted as Luke is in Mondays are Red...

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME!

Buy Mondays Are Red on Amazon UK.
Buy Mondays Are Red on Amazon.

Nicola Morgan talks about synaesthesia on Lucy Coats' blog.
Nicola's next stop will be at Mary Hoffman's Book Maven blog on Friday 9th December.

Nicola's website is here.
You can also find Nicola on Twitter (where she Crabbits regularly as @nicolamorgan).

The first draft of the eight manuscript of the writer Nicky Schmidt...

2011-11-30T10:16:00.007+02:00

A month ago I started a circle on Google Plus called NOTNaNoWriMo or, #NotNaNo as it became known on Twitter. The idea was for those who didn’t want to write a novel from scratch during the month of November to pitch in, as a support group, and spend the month focusing on existing projects - rewrites, finishing a WIP (Work In Progress), plotting new manuscripts etc. I like the basic idea of NaNoWriMo - taking a month and really focusing on one’s writing can have significant benefits. Equally, I like to be free to do my own thing. So my goal for November was to finish the current manuscript. I’ve been battling with it for months - mostly because building a house has a means of getting very much in the way. Who’d have thought, eh…?

My intention was to, on the 30th of November, i.e. today, type “The End”. Did I meet my goal? Hell, yes. Actually (she said just a little bit smugly), I typed the end on the 16th of November. Clearly the story wanted to be finished.

Typing “The End” on the first draft of my eighth manuscript was something of a “moment”. I sort of feel there should be room here to include something about the seventh son of the seventh son and that fireworks should erupt. However, it was somewhat more sobering than that. It made me realise how long I’ve been working on my craft, creating stories and words and yet I still find myself lingering in the slushpile.

True, these days I’m getting “good rejections” – personal messages from agents or editors – and I take great encouragement from that. At the same time though, I also find myself thinking, especially as more and more of my peers land deals or agents, “Eight manuscripts? Eish! Just how deep does that slushpile go?!”

But what I’ve learned is this - I can write, and I write well (enough “good” rejections tell me this), so, what I need to do is write the right story and make sure it lands on the right desk at the right time. (Yes, I know, easier said than done - and assuming I haven't already done it and some lovely agent or editor currently reading Manuscript Number Seven isn't going to say, any moment now, "I love this! I want to represent you/publish your novel.")

In the journey to the Kingdom of Publication, I take heart from people like my lovely pal and critique partner, Candy Gourlay, who, in her recent acceptance speech for the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award said of her journey to publication:

“Friends who knew I was writing would ask, how’s it going? Are you published yet? They listened politely while I explained that it was not a quick process – probably thinking, she’s just not good enough. Which was exactly what I was thinking.”

Candy Gourlay and fan at the launch of her debut novel, Tall Story

In her speech, which I’d urge you to read, Candy also quotes Sara Zarr, a keynote speaker at the New York SCBWI conference.

"The time between when you are no longer a beginner but you are not yet in the business is the hardest ... and one of the biggest frustrations is: no one can tell you how long this phase will last."
Read Sara Zarr's speech here.

Frankly, with eight manuscripts under my belt, I’m hoping that it’s not going to be that much longer. I’m hoping that Manuscript Number Eight will be the right one, and that it will find the right desk at the right time. I guess the encouraging thing is that I already know there are agents out there who are interested in seeing what I’m up to. Here’s hoping that Manuscript Number Eight is it.

Yes, please, cross your fingers and your toes on my behalf, send positive vibes, invoke the deities of publishing etc.

And now please excuse me while I go and get started on my rewrites – spewing out 48 830 words in two weeks means there will need to be significant pruning, shaping and murdering of little darlings. Stand back, people, I’m armed and dangerous and I’m going in…

Marvin the Magnificent

2011-10-31T13:27:00.017+02:00

Taking a break from all things writing related, I offer you instead, a little story…with pictures.

I had intended to post about the South African SCBWI conference which I attended just over a week ago, but time has run away with itself, as it seems to do these days. And honestly, what with building a house, biting errant service providers and, needing to dedicate November to finishing my novel, I figured a bit of levity was in order. And so I give you The Tale of Marvin the Magnificent, whom I had the pleasure of meeting on a recent safari…

Marvin the Magnificent

Madoda Ngala*, Marvin the Magnificent, had achieved himself a rather nice little setup on the northern edge of the Thornybush Game Reserve.

The Reserve had brought in some none-too-smart eland, and Marv, in his undoubted magnificence, had snared himself one. He dragged the unfortunate beast under a dense thicket of bush and began feasting.

Marvin's tasty dish of fresh eland

He feasted for three days, stopping only to deposit richly steaming piles of malodorous lion poop, and sleep, snoring rhythmically and well, magnificently (lest we forget his magnificence…), his legs splayed in the air, his, erm, lionhood on full display.

Marvin displays his, er, prowess...

Marv also occasionally patrolled his patch, passing rude remarks to the two Timbavati white lions that paced the electrified fence, taunted by the delicious aromas of Marv’s splendid meal.

Timbavati White Lion, sniffs hopefully at the breeze...

The rude remarks were, I might add, well in order. The bouffant, blond Hollywood-styled white lions were nothing less than five inbred straws short of damned odd, and thus entirely deserving of a real lion’s scathing disdain.

White Lion looks hopeful, electric fencing notwithstanding...

The first time I saw Marvin, he was casting disparaging looks and offering up offensive comments at the white lions. “Call yourself a lion?” I heard him mutter. “BAH!” he roared.

Marvin at his disparaging best...

The second time I saw him, he was performing his toilet. “Marvin did a stinky pooh,” doesn’t even begin to cover the, um, richness of the experience.

The third and final time I saw Marv he was snoring volubly, his well-rounded belly rising and falling in blissful contentment.

Marvin snores volubly in the fading light of day...

I should add that by the time of my third visit, Marv had made remarkable inroads to his dinner. The belly and guts of the late and lamented eland had been devoured, leaving only the rib cage. Both hind legs had been torn off and were maturing nicely, the neck was being saved for a later snack and rested carefully on the buckled forelegs.

Oh yes, Marvin the Magnificent had himself well-sorted; larder, lair and lavatory, and he was in total control of his domain. Entirely inelegant in sleep, he was nevertheless fully assured in his own mind as to his position as King of the Bushveld.

King of the Bushveld, Marvin the Magnificent

And lest you’re wondering about his name – I have not made it up. I was assured by the game ranger that as a cub Marvin was anything but magnificent and was named in jest. I suspect Marvin’s now having the last laugh.

"I command you, minions, admire and tremble at my Magnificence!"

* Madoda means “male”, ngala means "lion" in the Shangaan language.

I’ll be “going dark” for most of November, in an effort to get the first draft of the novel finished, so please accept my apologies while “service is temporarily disrupted”. Normal blog service will resume in December…

Book Review - Bloodstone by Gillian Philip

2011-10-09T14:28:00.007+02:00

I’m not in the habit of reviewing books – I don’t like the pressure of “What if I don’t like it?” (Well, usually, if that’s the case, I categorically won’t review it.) But in this instance, not only was I sent an ARC by the publisher and gently nudged with an “It would be nice if you could mention it”, but actually, I was captivated by the book.

Gillian Philip
Photo copyright, Kim Ayres

The book, of course, is Gillian Philip’s Bloodstone. And what I have to say is this: honestly, there should be a law against people who weave magic with words. This, because people who weave magic with words make you forget to cook dinner, forget to go to sleep and forget who you are. Edward Bulwer-Lytton didn’t say that “the pen is mightier than the sword” for nothing. A well-wielded pen can cut your heart right out. And this is precisely what Gillian Philip does in Bloodstone, the powerful and dramatic second book in her Rebel Angels series.

(You can read my interview with Seth MacGregor Gillian’s saucy, rather delicious and thoroughly bad main character, and you can also read my interview the author herself.)

In Bloodstone, the dark sequel to Firebrand, Gillian Philip fast-forwards her story from the sixteenth century to the modern day. Brothers Conal and Seth McGregor have spent four hundred years exiled in the human world, and without having found the Bloodstone so desperately sought by their Sithe queen, Kate NicNiven, so she might finally destroy the Veil between the faery and human worlds.

"For centuries, Sithe warriors Seth and Conal MacGregor have hunted for the Bloodstone demanded by their Queen. Homesick, and determined to protect their clann, they have also made secret forays across the Veil. One of these illicit crossings has violent consequences that will devastate both their close family, and their entire clann. In the Otherworld, Jed Cameron a feral, full-mortal young thief becomes entangled with the strange and dangerous Finn MacAngus and her shadowy uncles. When he is dragged into the world of the Sithe, it s nothing he can t handle until time warps around him, and menacing forces reach out to threaten his infant brother In the collision of two worlds, war and tragedy are inevitable especially when treachery comes from the most shocking of quarters..."

What makes Bloodstone such a striking novel is not only the evocation of the Sithe world through beautifully vivid writing, but also the rich characterisation which Gillian Philip creates. Her characters are real – sometimes horribly so – as in the case of the Lammyrs who kill ruthlessly; at other times, heartbreakingly so – Conal McGregor is the man your mother always wanted you to bring home – kind, caring, loyal, albeit it a fiercesome warrior. But of course, it is Seth McGregor who set hearts aflutter in Firebrand, and continues to do so in Bloodstone. He is a flawed but passionate hero. As much as you may sometimes want to shake him, you also want to hold him and try and undo the pain that has made him what he is. He is, I’m rather sorry to say, that classic bad-ass male character that most women, for some silly reason, want to reform and adore.

The Rebel Angel series reveals a plot which is epic and sprawling, and Bloodstone is a book you need to read in one sitting or you will get lost if you let too much time pass between readings. Philip creates a fine balance between Sithe and human worlds – merging and separating them as skilfully as a painter wielding a brush, telling intensely personal stories against the backdrop of greed, loyalty, power and love. As you are captivated by the words and the story, you will find yourself on the edge of your seat, wondering who to trust, who to believe in, as the author weaves a rich tapestry filled with characters that are both beguiling and enchanting. Don’t blame me if your brain becomes addled, your gut mangled and your heart wrenched whilst reading Bloodstone – it is a book of pure bewitchment, and one which never lets the reader off lightly.

I’m not going to mention the ending, short of saying to Gillian: “You, my dear, are a thoroughly wicked woman! How could you?!”

The Rebel Angel series is fantasy at its best and will be enjoyed by teens, young adults and adults alike – it is a true “crossover” novel. I am told, there are still two more books to come. If you’ve not read Bloodstone, hurry up and get it, but be sure you’ve first read Firebrand. I can’t wait to read the next book in this remarkable series so I find out what happens if the Sithe world collides head-on with the full mortal world.

To find out more about Gillian Philip, please visit her website.
You can follow Gillian Philip on Twitter and on Facebook.
Books are available in all good bookstores and on Amazon.

Talking Self-Publishing with children’s author, Kevin Oxland - Part Two

2011-09-30T18:46:00.007+02:00

In this second part of my interview with Kevin Oxland, (you can read Part One here) we discuss the company, Peachstone Publications, Kevin has set up to self publish his book Lost Souls, the importance - for the indie-published author - of being both a writer and a business person, the rise and future of e-books and app development.

Click image to enlarge and read the blurb of Lost Souls

You’ve set up your own company to publish Lost Souls – what was the motivation for doing so and why did you particularly feel you needed to create your own publishing company?

Long term, we want to create a quality brand that will hopefully help other authors down the self publishing route. We love stories and on occasion I’ve read some great ones that have never been published. I’d love to see stories like these break through and that’s partly why we created Peachstone. We’ll go into more details on our website on how we propose to do this.

I heard the author of the ‘Horrible Histories’ series on breakfast television say, and I quote, ‘The book publishing industry is sinking faster than the Titanic.’ He also said that publishers weren’t moving with the times i.e. digital. Now I don’t actually believe that is or will happen at all. You’re talking about an industry that’s been around for hundreds of years. I think they’re going through a transitional phase, like the music and video game industries did / are, but it’s a little scary to hear a successful author say that. So you kind of wonder what is going on and it’s yet another reason why it’s so hard to get published. If it was hard to get published before, it’s much harder today and thus Peachstone was born.

How did you set about choosing a particular business model for Peachstone and what is that particular model?

The future is clearly e-books and apps whether we like it or not. That’s not to say traditional books will die, they won’t. There will always be a place for the book, but even traditional publishers will one day deliver POD books (if they don’t already) as the technology gets cheaper and more accessible. There are already vending machines ‘Espresso Book Machine’ that will print your book in five minutes while you wait. I would like to point out that Lightning Source have a distribution channel into this system also….just thought I’d mention that. So for Peachstone, physical books are quality POD paperbacks, and POD is simply going to get better with time. There’s no shame in that and we are proud to say we provide POD right now. It means we don’t have to stock pile books and only those that are ordered get printed.

Peachstone’s focus is on content and ensuring we provide an engaging experience for the customer. We have to provide e-books because the market demands it and its expanding so fast. You simply can’t ignore that. Kindle already out sells hardbacks and it’s just a matter of time before e-books match paperbacks.

We are also looking at production features for each e-reader so it plays on the format strengths. Nook is colour for example and as for the iPad, well, let your imagination run wild. I believe books will become much more interactive in the future as more and more books are read on tablets.

You’ve said you will be accepting work from other writers - on what basis? For example, what are Peachstone’s submission guidelines and how will you manage this process – what will guide your selection criteria? What sort of writers would you like to attract to Peachstone?

Yes, we would like to help more authors get their work out there. We are still discussing the details of this and they will be released on our website. Of course, we have to be careful we’re not simply mimicking traditional publishers so our criteria will be clear. I can’t detail the selection criteria right now, but like I said before, it’s a subjective business so there will be various levels of service we will offer.

Peachstone products in the future will utilise the web and interactive devices (including popular handheld games consoles). Combined with my background of twenty six years experience in art and designing video games, I think we can offer something quite unique to author’s long term.

You already co-own a development studio. Tell us a bit about how you foresee the development of apps, the role they will play in the future of children’s books and the relevance of apps.

In the context of books, I think it’s going to change a lot. The potential to create engaging interactive experiences is huge. You have more elements to play with - touch, sound and above all, choice. Choice in that the reader can choose his own path through a story and perhaps this will be organic so the reader is not really aware he’s doing it, but will be based on a few decisions the readers make. These are very exciting things for the future, but it’s important to retain the core attraction of books - the story.

In addition to publishing traditional paper books, you’ve indicated that you will also publish e-books – what made you choose this particular focus, do you believe the future lies primarily in e-books?

I’m not entirely sure that that is a focus for us. Our focus is on content. Engaging; entertaining content. The market will dictate how they want to receive that content. We will give them what they want and thanks to POD and digital distribution, we can do that.

People are getting very passionate about losing paper and cardboard. Get over it. For us it’s what’s on the pages that count. If you buy a crap novel, the traditional book suddenly doesn’t look so nostalgic.

With POD and e-books, everybody can have it any way they want.

The marketing of e-books via Kindle, Nook, Smashwords etc relies heavily on the pricing factor. What is your pricing strategy for your own books and what pricing advice would you offer to others who want to self-publish e-books?

I read in Aaron’s book that Lightning Source has not increased the cost of printing books in the US for a decade. That illustrates how POD is getting cheaper as time and technology move forward. The consumer will see our books at around the same price as any traditional book and we can set the discount price too. As for e-books, the pricing will be much lower than the paperback because it’s cheaper (almost nil) to create (shame on publishers who charge the same price as the paperback) and we can still make a decent profit. With Lightning, the cost that would normally go to wholesale and distribution is absorbed into printing POD and because there is no wholesale, the books can stay around the same price.

I think if this trend continues the biggest loser in all of this will be retail. They need a BIG discount (around 40%) to cover their bricks and mortar costs. This is basically how it works. If a traditional publisher sets the retail price at 6.99 with a discount price of 55% (which is required for wholesale and distribution, sometimes more), the retailers will need to buy the book from wholesale at 40% discount to make any money at all. Anything less than that and they’re not really interested, which is why it’s difficult to get POD books into retail. There’s nothing in it for them.

So after all that the publisher is left with around 40% - 45% = 3.84. From that they have to make the book, pay all their staff and costs, marketing, oh and don’t forget the author gets his cut too (4-7%). The more you look into this, the more you understand why the humble author gets such a rotten deal and why it is so difficult to get published; because the traditional route involves huge risks and costs. The numbers above are rough figures, give or take. So, sweep all that away and go with Lightning and earn 10% - 30% of retail price, it’s really up to you.

In the same vein, what do you think a writer should be willing to invest in creating a self-published book, and what sort of return on investment do you think it’s realistic to expect?

That’s difficult to answer because I think every book will be different and will require different investment both monetary and time. Also, one of the great things about self-publishing is that it enables you to publish a book at a very small cost.

If you’re confident you have a great story, and if you only do one thing, get it edited by a professional. You can do this for $300-$400 (USD). Handing it around to your mates and critique groups doesn’t count. Professional editors are good at this, that’s all they do and will find things you never even thought about. They will kick your MS into good shape and prepare it for market.

A lot of people say a good cover will sell a book. I’m not sure about that, but a good cover will certainly attract the customer and a bad cover will put people off. It can be seen as a reflection of the content. I know I have been swayed by that in the past. For roughly the same price as an editor, probably less, you can get some great cover artwork created at a professional resolution ready for print.

But before you spend any money, don’t be afraid to show people your work for good honest feedback. I gave the first eleven chapters of Lost Souls to a children’s reading group in a school near where I live. I also gave them a series of questions for them to answer and noted things I wanted them to comment on. The kids really enjoyed doing this as a project. I intentionally didn’t meet them, because I wanted them to be honest. I communicated through the teacher and the feedback was unbelievable. I still have the pages with all the kid’s scribblings and comments on it - it’s fantastic. That’s something I’ll never forget and if I ever need cheering up, I pull it out and it certainly puts a smile on my face. These are the moments when you know you have something worth investing in.

So I would say, invest in stages and proceed through each stage when you’re confident you have something worth spending money on. Also, the worst thing you could ever do is over spend, so it’s all about investment versus return. You have to remember that not everything you write is going to be good, that’s just the way it is. Even the best authors have bad days. But that doesn’t mean you can’t write. You simply need to move on to the next. And there is no need to waste years of your life waiting for publishers to respond either. Sometimes we get so close to our work it’s difficult to see its value. Therefore it’s important to find out what that value is before investing your whole life and fortune into it, and I would also say that to you if you’re sending it out to traditional publishers.

How are you going to market Peachstone Publications – and to whom - and, as a self-published author how do you plan to market Lost Souls?

That is the big question and something all self-publishers will have to think about. Unless your target market knows your book is out there, nobody is going to buy it no matter how good it is. We’ll be using the web and all the social networking sites, but targeting children and teenagers (my audience) is far more difficult. We’ll be looking at school events and store signings too, but I feel we’ll need to come up with something a little more creative in that department.

The honest answer is; apart from the web, we’re not entirely sure how we’re going to do this yet. This is something traditional publishers do as part of the process for each book and possibly another appealing aspect of traditional publishers. But I’ve also heard they can do very little to push a book, so it’s a tough one to call.

I’ll take a rain check on this point and perhaps once we’ve been through it, I’ll update you on what worked and what didn’t.

A debate recently took place on the SCBWI-BI group list (started by yours truly) in which we discussed self-publishing and co-operative ventures. What is your view about writers and illustrators wishing to take the self-publishing route and choosing to work in teams or co-operatives? Do you think group collaboration is the way forward?

Group collaboration - that’s awesome. Why not? However, I don’t think it’s the only way forward because it won’t work for everyone, but I’m sure for some it could be great. If you have a group of like minded people, it’s better than going it alone. You can share costs and bounce ideas off each other. But the bottom line is, it’s still a business, so you must be clear on roles and who owns what. A partnership comes with its own challenges and it can end in disaster if not nurtured. Also, the goals should still be the same - to deliver quality content.

How important do you think it is for writers/illustrators to have a really good grasp of business in order to succeed in either an individual or co-operative self-publishing model?

I think they need to have a fairly good grasp on it. I often hear writers say, I write because I do it for the love of it’. And that’s fine and really important. But if you are doing it for the love of it, why are you sending it to publishers? Because you want your tome of love to be published, right? The thing is it costs money to publish stuff. You’re also going to be asking strangers to give you money and invest in you and your IP. And those nice people who are giving you money want something back. And that’s usually more money than they’ve given you. So for traditional publishers, the business side of it is really important and it should be no different for self publishers, it’s just a massively different scale.

It is a fun job, and it’s great to write stories, but if you want to make money from it, look at it realistically or it becomes a hobby and that’s fine if that’s what you want. It’s difficult for an author to tell how much money they should invest in it or how much money they will make from it, and that’s where the risk lies. If you’re considering offset printing i.e. paying a printer to print a large quantity of books, then you really, really, really (yes that’s three really’s) need to understand what you’re letting yourself in for because to me that’s says ‘I’m in it for the business’. A self publisher really shouldn’t be holding a large amount of stock unless you know for sure that you’re going to shift all of them at a profit. Not only does it cost a lot of money to print them, but the investment (time, travel, hotel costs etc.) required to shift them is also immense. It’s not really viable and it’s a huge, huge risk which can be reduced quite substantially. Do the math. You might just break even if you’re lucky. Lightning also offers offset printing if you really need it, so you can go POD and switch on a bulk order when you need to and the costs per book decreases the more you order. So really, there is no need to print piles and piles of books that will be used as a table that you hope will eventually sell.

Business can be a lot of fun. It is all about risk, but you have to believe in what you’re doing and manage that risk. So yes, understanding the process and basic business knowledge is important.

It’s very early days yet for you and Peachstone but what have you learned so far and what would you say to other writers considering self-publishing?

What I’ve learned…there’s not enough space here to write it all down. I think from the answers above it gives you some idea. It’s been exhilarating, bewildering at times and certainly eye opening. Going through the entire process from idea to finished product, hands on, is a lot of work. I would say to authors who are considering it, if you’re prepared to put your writing aside between projects to focus on the production and business side then go for it. Holding the final product in your hand is enormously rewarding and knowing people are enjoying it too is the icing on the cake. It makes it all worthwhile.

And finally, if Bloomsbury, Random House or another big publisher were to come along and offer you a great deal, do you think you’d be inclined to accept it, and if so, why – or, why not?

Of course. I would certainly listen to what they had to say at the very least. I’d be crazy not to. Again, look at it from a business perspective. You have to understand that traditional publishers can shift tens of thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands) of books because they have the infrastructure, the money, the marketing ability, the experience, the contacts etc. etc. to do so. And like I said before, it’s very appealing to have a team of professionals around you to deal with the various facets of publishing a book. They would probably have to shift 4 to 5 times more than what I could sell as a self publisher to match my profit (yes, I said profit because it’s self-publishing, you don’t get royalties, you get profit), but that would probably be quite easy for a large publisher.

Having said that, there will always be a nagging voice in my mind asking…if they can sell them, why can’t I? What are they doing and what can they see that I’ve missed? But that’s the businessman in me.

There are also the foreign rights to consider, but that’s a whole new ball game and I’ll be looking into that in the not too distant future. I would love a big foreign publisher (or agent) to step right in and publish it in Germany, France etc. Although for me, getting it translated and published in different languages poses another interesting challenge :-)

Here’s wishing you loads of success in your new venture, Kevin, and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed, and providing such insightful answers!

Thanks, Nicky. Look forward to reading you soon :-)

To find out more about Kevin Oxland and Lost Souls, please visit Kevin's website.
You can also follow @KevinOxland on Twitter.
You can "like" Kevin's author page on Facebook.
You can buy Lost Souls in all major retailers (you may have to ask them to order it to begin with) and you can buy it on Amazon.com and Amazon.uk.
And, of course, you can buy Lost Souls for Kindle.

Talking Self-Publishing with children’s author, Kevin Oxland - Part One

2011-09-23T19:12:00.011+02:00

I've been looking forward to bringing this final, two-part interview, to you for some time. It reveals, I think, some clear business-based thinking behind the decision to self-publish - thinking, which I believe any writer hoping to make a success of going the indie route should consider. I should add too, that the decision to self-publish comes from one who has had non-fiction published by a traditional publisher.

I first “met” Kevin Oxland online several years ago via the Wordpool children’s writers’ group and SCBWI-BI. Together with a few others we subsequently went on to form a critique group and I remember doing critiques for Kevin for a story entitled The Gifted. Now renamed “Lost Souls” and written as a series of three books, “Lost Souls - The Cube of Asgard” is published this month by Peachstone Publications, the company Kevin has created to publish and promote his work.

It’s been a while since Kevin and I have had a chat, so go and get a cup of tea and settle down with us while I ask him about his novel, Lost Souls, his new publication company and why he’s chosen to self-publish.

Kevin, welcome to Absolute Vanilla – it’s brilliant to see you surging ahead and finding your own way of getting your work out there. Congratulations are definitely in order!

For those not privileged to know anything about your book, please tell us a bit about “Lost Souls - The Cube of Asgard” and what inspired you to write it.

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea that twins can communicate with each other using their minds, that they are truly, very special. Who wouldn’t be fascinated by that, right? Combine that with a childhood fantasy that other realms could co-exist alongside our own, and you have the basis of Lost Souls.

In it we follow Spencer Quinn and his best friend Frankie after Spencer’s twin brother, Oliver, is mysteriously kidnapped. The story begins when his mother moves Spencer to a small town in the country to live with his grandmother, away from the furor of media attention. Here, Spencer is burdened with starting a new school, bullies, the loss of a sibling, a depressed mother and a stranger who seems to know everything about him. Spencer and Frankie go on an epic journey, both physical and emotional, to find Oliver. There are no clues, no witnesses and no body. Nothing! Except a phenomenon Spencer believes is an illness.

Lost Souls combines this fantastical adventure with real issues many kids and teenagers deal with today; a single parent environment, depression, the loss of a sibling and with themes of bullying, betrayal and love.

My editor said - "Oxland's LOST SOULS has the indomitable spirit of Philip Pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS with the heartfelt camaraderie of Angie Sage's SEPTIMUS HEAP series."

I agree with her entirely. Then of course, I would :-)

Before you chose to self-publish did you go through the usual rounds submissions and rejections – and what finally made you decide to self-publish?

Yes, I think we’ve all been there. What a ride that is! Lost Souls isn’t my first novel. There have been others, all now languishing in the shadowy corners of my hard drive. But LS was the first one I truly thought had some legs, so to speak. I was getting praise from all quarters, but publishers and agents didn’t appear to share the same belief. A couple of times I got close, but it never amounted to the ever elusive dotted line. So much time went by trying and waiting, I was on the verge of giving up. And you have to remember too, it’s a very subjective business and one publisher’s ‘no thanks’ could be another publisher’s gold dust.

One day my daughter picked up Lost Souls and read it. She read it in one sitting, five hours straight and cried at the end. She consumes books like nobody I know and she convinced me that I had something worth publishing, and that it was certainly much better than a lot of books she had read. Now you might be thinking she would say that because she’s my daughter, so I wanted to be sure that my work was actually publishable and that I wasn’t kidding myself.

This got me thinking. Apart from critique partners who are invaluable (thanks Nicky). The first thing I did was to post it on YouWriteOn.com. It’s a great system and I highly recommend it. I won’t go into details on how it works here, but go to the website and check it out. Basically, your work is reviewed and critiqued by other writers…anonymously (that’s important for the system to work). For each critique you get a score. After lots of critiques, and if your combined score is high enough, it enters the charts. Once Lost Souls entered the charts, it reached number fourteen. The feedback was amazing. I honed the manuscript with the feedback I got and not only did it confirm to me that my writing was good enough, I knew I had a strong story that people wanted to read, and that was crucial. There was no reason for these people to say the amazing things they did, I wasn’t reviewing their work, they didn’t know me and I still don’t know who they are. They were merely spending the credits they earned from critiquing and chose to spend them on Lost Souls over the thousands of others that are posted on there.

That spurred me on. Now it was time to see what the professionals thought. I sent it to the Hilary Johnson Authors’ Advisory Service. This was the first service I paid for because I figured it was important to know if the story was as good as it appeared to be and also, to get professional feedback before I spent any more time and money on it. The first line in the report read…

‘First of all, Kevin, well done! I read your typescript in one sitting – at a gulp – because I was genuinely absorbed by the story…’

What an opener. You probably couldn’t ask for much more than that. But I soon calmed down after the initial excitement. Following that were several pages of solid, professional feedback which pointed to weaknesses in the plot and the characters, amongst other things. It was exactly what I needed. But the great things was, these things were fixable and with a bit of effort were fixed. It was money well spent as far as I was concerned and again, spurred me on further.

I was now in the possession of a great story that I was convinced would get snapped up. I sent it to one more agent. A couple of months went by and then she replied with…

‘It clearly has a lot of merits, but it’s not for me.’

*Sigh*. What on earth did that mean? What is the sub text there? That really got me thinking. I came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to waste any more years (yes, I mean years) sending it to people who had hundreds more manuscripts teetering on the edge of desks. I actually believe now, a lot of getting published is luck. Right place right time sort of luck. They can’t publish everyone and you can’t run a business on luck.

From an author’s perspective, the traditional method of getting published is probably the worst business model ever. It doesn’t work for the people who supply the industry. Add up all the hours, weeks, years you’ve spent writing, sending out your work and waiting, and now pay yourself imaginary money for that time. You’re minted, right? Even if you do get published, it appears very few authors make enough money to earn a decent living or recoup the investment they’ve put into it. Bricks and mortar publishers have huge overheads, they need to sell tens of thousands of units and so have to be very choosy about what they publish. I recently read somewhere that publishers have now stopped reading the slush pile altogether, so new ways to get your work noticed are required. Being a celebrity appears to guarantee sales, so it’s probably easier to become one of those first and then get published :-)

What services did you “buy in” to polish your novel – did you use professional editors, copy editors, proof readers, designers etc? And why do you feel it was important to do so. What did you learn from doing so?

As I said before, the first money I spent was for professional advice on my ‘story’. For me, this is crucial. It’s the core of the business, the heartbeat of everything we do. If you have a great story, everything else can be fixed. But if your story is weak, it’s much harder to turn that around. I’ve attended seminars on story creation, ‘Robert McKee’ and ‘Dave Freeman’s Beyond Structure’ for example, so I was pretty sure I had the knowledge to write a well structured tale, but I wanted to be sure.

However, I wasn’t so confident with my editing skills so I hired an editor based in the States to copyedit my MS. Keep in mind that by now, this manuscript had been through so many hands and, I thought, had been edited to an inch of its life. How wrong I was! Cassandra sent it back riddled with edits. It took a long time to pick through it, but when it was complete, boy did it show. The manuscript just kept getting better and better and the story just kept pushing through.

So what did I learn? If you think your novel is finished, it probably isn’t. Get some professional advice, it really is worth the money and effort and really important for self publishers to do this.

Given that you’ve made use of professional services, do you believe that self-published literature should aim to be the same standard as traditionally published material?

Yes, without question. Why shouldn’t we aim for that? I actually think we have to if we’re to stand out and lose the stigma attached to self-publishing. We should always aim to deliver quality and then maintain that. This doesn’t mean spending tons of money, you can measure the quality and standard as you go along, which is one thing I’ve learnt when developing Lost Souls. This includes quality in the story, the writing and the physical book itself. For that, you’ll need help, for sure. But the other great thing about self-publishing is that we have room to innovate. We can experiment and try new things. The risks are far less for us to do that, but so much more exciting and I think going forward you’ll see some innovative work come to the fore. Big publishers have bricks and mortar to maintain, rent, salaries and bills to pay. They can rarely take huge risks, especially in today’s financial climate, which is just one of the reasons it’s so hard to get your work noticed.

What would you say to the people who tell you that unless you’ve been traditionally published you can’t expect the same level of kudos from your peers and that you’ll always be second rate, never a “real” author?

Utter nonsense. I’m not just saying that because I’m self published (I also have non-fiction published by a major publisher). There are many, many reasons why authors aren’t noticed and ‘traditionally published’. The idea that ‘if you’re not published by a well known publishing company then you must be second rate’ is ludicrous in my mind and it’s that sort of thinking that will stop authors grabbing the bull by the horns and going for it. If self publishers put the same amount of effort into their work, get it to industry standard and put into the market place and it sells, why is that so different to traditional published books? I’ve read so many stories about self-publishers who have subsequently been snapped up by traditional publishers after ‘proving their worth’, that it simply doesn’t make sense to say that. Why were they snapped up? Because they have something the publishers want and can sell. And it took self publishing to realize that and it also demonstrates that publishers aren’t entirely sure what they want. Self publishing should be commended. It takes an awful lot of effort to get a quality, finished product to market.

As the self-publishing and ebook industry evolves, how do you see self-published material competing effectively with traditionally published material?

For paperbacks, competing financially is not as bad as you might think. POD books do cost more to print than offset printing (bulk printing) for traditional published books. That’s just the way it is...for the moment. But this is changing fast. I’ve done a lot of research into this and self publishing services these days allow you to compete with traditional books on price and quality. I investigated two services to print my paperbacks. CreateSpace and Lightning Source.

It’s a lot more technical to grasp and setup, but I chose Lightning Source for several reasons, but primarily for their business model. Lightning is part of the Ingram Book Company. Ingram are the largest book wholesale distributor IN THE WORLD and the preferred wholesale provider for more than 71,000 retail, online (like Amazon) and library customers globally. So your ‘self published’ books automatically travel through Lightning’s and Ingram’s system at no extra cost to you ready to be ordered on demand. Wow, that’s pretty awesome and should be enough to convince you.

Online bookstores and retail bookstores who deal with Ingram (including Amazon worldwide) can simply see it on their system, order it and get it delivered on demand with no effort (that’s zero effort) required from you (marketing aside). Not only that, you, the publisher (yes, you’re one of them now), set your own retail and discount prices and because Lightning acts as your distributor, it’s very competitive with traditional publishers because there’s no traditional distributor or wholesale cost. The middle man is gone. Lightning get paid when somebody buys your book so you don’t need to spend any money (that’s zero - apart from a small setup cost) on stocking or preordering your book.

Basically you have complete control and when you grasp Lightning’s business model, it makes self publishing very attractive. Book for book, an Author can make far more money self publishing (10 - 30%, or more, of retail price) than going through a traditional publisher (4-7%). It then simply comes down to quality, awareness, marketing and volume. To get to grips with this model I recommend reading ‘Aaron Shepard - POD for Profit’. He focuses on working with Lightning and provides all the information you need. On a side note, I believe many of the big publishers are also using Lightning for offset printing to fulfill orders, which says a lot about how far POD has come.

The other side of this is competing with the physical quality of the books. There was a time when you could clearly tell a book was self published simply by looking at it and touching it, but technology has advanced so fast that it’s getting difficult to tell the difference. This is no longer a concern.

As for e-books - what can you say, welcome to the future. It’s going to dominate without question. There is no reason why a self publisher can’t compete head on. Provided you put your work through a professional pipeline and make it the best it can be. It should sit shoulder to shoulder with traditionally published books with little or no difference in physical quality. All you need is great content and to market it. Check out mine on the Kindle store and compare it to a traditional book, there is ZERO difference in appearance, and because it’s been through the mill, the content matches many traditional books out there. But don’t take my word for it, see for yourself. You can try the free 10% sample the Amazon Kindle store gives away with every book, but be warned, you’ll want to buy it! :-)

Do you foresee more and more traditionally published authors moving away from their publishers and going in alone? What do you feel they would gain from doing so?

I’m not so sure about that. I actually don’t see that happening at all. There is something to be said for having a group of professional people do all the ‘other stuff’ that’s required to get a book into the market place. Many authors probably prefer this as it lets them focus on what they truly love, and that is to write. I can see many authors potentially choosing both paths.

Because this is such an in-depth interview, it is understandably lengthy. So I'll leave you to digest Part One and next week, I'll bring you Kevin's responses to how and why he set up his own publishing company, his thoughts on app development, and the business of marketing and making money from self-published work.

Meanwhile, to find out more about Kevin Oxland and Lost Souls, please visit Kevin's website.
You can also follow @KevinOxland on Twitter.
You can "like" Kevin's author page on Facebook.
You can buy Lost Souls in all major retailers (you may have to ask them to order it to begin with) and you can buy it on Amazon.com and Amazon.uk.
And, of course, you can buy Lost Souls for Kindle.

See you next week for Part Two!

Self-publishing - Part 8 - An Interview with Rebecca E Brown

2011-09-19T20:27:00.008+02:00

In this, the penultimate interview in the self-publishing series, I speak to SCBWI-BI's Rebecca Brown, author of Some Life Somewhere, about her experiences in producing an e-book, the path she followed, the pros and cons, and whether she'd do it again. Some Life Somewhere is one of the first self-published books I read - it's short, quirky and is written by someone, who, as I said in my review on Amazon, "clearly has the ability to gaze into life and capture much of its essence".

In Some Life Some Where, indie-published author, Rebecca E Brown explores some of the big questions of life through seven short stories told in dialogue. Share a woman's difficulties as she tries to explain death to her small child, girls on the brink of adolescence worrying about their body image, young men grappling with concepts of death and war. By turns bittersweet and humorous, issues that have exercised us all at some point or another are touched upon in a different and entertaining way.

What made you decide to self-publish, and had you tried to traditionally publish (or been traditionally published) before going the self-publishing route?

I decided to self-publish Some Life Somewhere because I liked the idea of making work available on the internet and wanted to try the concept of using ebooks and kindle books as the 21st century equivalent of chapbooks - cheap, quick reads that put my work out there. I have submitted work for traditional publishing before but Some Life Somewhere was always intended for an ebook.

There is a lot of talk about the publishing industry being in a state of change, did this influence your decision to self-publish in any way and what do you think the changes taking place in the publishing world mean for writers and for writing/literature per se?

The changing nature of the industry didn't influence me so much as the changing potential of technology. I think the opportunities available in ebook publishing are immensely exciting. Not from a financial point of view - at the minute I just don't have the time or expertise to promote my work at the level needed to get massive sales, but creatively, there is huge scope for writers to experiment and get their work out. And yes, you might be lost among the millions of books also available, but that's a risk you take and even if only a few people read the book and like it, I feel it's been worth doing and is worth doing again.

Is your book published as an e-book, Print on Demand, paper book, or all three?

Only ebook. It's too short to make viable as a paper book.

The criticism of many self-published books is the lack of editing and proof reading. Did you use an editor to polish your book before self-publishing, and if so, how do you feel this helped?

I didn't pay an editor - I don't have the money for it, but I asked an editor friend to help me and I got help from several writerly friends. I definitely, definitely think an editor is important if at all possible though.

Did you use a designer for create a book cover for you? If so, what difference do you feel this has made?

I did use a designer but I cheated as my husband has recently started self-employment as a designer with a particular emphasis on designing for writers! I think a good cover is absolutely essential and there are certain boxes that have to be ticked that are quite different from a print cover. I could witter on about the importance of this for ages!

How did you decide which self-publishing option to use? What were your reasons for your selection?

Simply, the length of the book. It could only work as an ebook. I used Kindle because it was a no-brainer really - so many people can get kindle books whether it's on the device itself or on the computer. I think Amazon have got it right with kindle, in my opinion it's the benchmark for ereaders and supplying ebooks. I also used Smashwords to make it available in other ebook filetypes - this was following the very sensible advice of Catherine Ryan Howard in her book Self-Printed, which I HIGHLY recommend. But I think in future I will use kindle and make it available as an ePub simply from my own site rather than use Smashwords.

How do you feel about the less than complementary remarks so often made about self-published books vs. traditionally published books – and do you think this perception is changing?

I think, although I may be setting myself up for criticism here, the remarks are often deserved. People often go into self-publishing with focus on the wrong things - either they think a kindle book will make them huge loads of money or they don't invest in as much professional help as possible. The perception is changing gradually as writers wise up and put effort into being professional but they really do have to put in that effort.

With self-publishing, you carry all the risk – the onus is on you to create as “perfect” a book as possible and to market it. How have you found the process of being your own publisher, and what have you particularly learned?

Hard one! I have definitely learned that the work of self-promotion is not exaggerated at all. Because my book is not my major focus, I haven't pushed it like I might if I published a full-length work or if I was solely doing self-publishing, but I know now that before doing any of that I would really need to have a plan in place to market effectively without alienating people. I have also learned that checking stats and sales can be addictive...

What marketing platforms are you using to promote your book(s), and how much of your time does the marketing take?

Initially I did a fair push but more recently I've not been doing so much. I have it on my website, my blog and a Goodreads page. When I released it I had a giveaway; I also did a giveaway when I was aiming for 50 Facebook 'fans' but had to curtail it when I found out that Facebook had changed the rules! I'll probably do another push in a few weeks. So at the minute the answer is not much time at all and certainly not as much as it should *guilty face*.

Well I've only made a nominal amount, but I wouldn't have made any going down the traditional route with this as it would simply not have happened. Also because it's so short it is priced as cheaply as it could be without being free; to make any proper money you really need to be above $2.99 to get the higher royalty rate from kindle. But I'm happy with it.

Are you happy with the level of your sales? Do you think there is more you could do to improve your sales?

There is definitely more I could do but as I said I never set out to sell millions of copies with this. It sounds very pretentious but I really did do this as a creative project rather than a publishing project, if you see what I mean. So I'm delighted with my sales. I have a nice number of good reviews on amazon, I was briefly in the Top 20 Kindle chart for my sub-genre and it's ticking away. If and when I release another ebook, I'll probably change Some Life Somewhere to free and do another little push.

Will you continue to self-publish, or do you want to be traditionally published (and self-publish), and why?

I do want to be traditionally published, particularly for my novels. It still, for me personally, has the sense of being validated and I'm too new to this game to have enough confidence that I can do as good a job as a traditional publishing house. I would give it my best shot, but I need more experience. That's for full-length stuff; for shorter work such as Some Life Somewhere, where it's more for the sake of having something that I'm proud of out there, I'll definitely be doing it again. The thing that has REALLY changed is that I will give my novels a shorter submission time. If my current WIP, say, doesn't take in x amount of time, I'll self-publish it. It's an option now that it wasn't ten years ago.

Would you recommend self-publishing to other writers?

I absolutely would, with caveats. Don't do it with unrealistic expectations; make sure you know what your reasons and aims are (ie I never aimed to make millions; if I had I'd be bitterly disappointed and negative by now); put the effort in. It's not just a case of writing it and getting it into print, job done - you really have to be a publishing house and be as professional as possible in design, production, marketing.

What do you see as the pitfalls in self-publishing?

Complacency. "I've done the writing, it will speak for itself". It won't. You need to work on your writing and work on improving yourself. If you're going to do it properly you need to be thinking "what's next?" all the time, or else know your limitations. I don't see the abundance of self-published books as a pitfall as I know others do; I see it as an exciting explosion of writers recognising the possibilities before them. As long as they know what they're doing and why.

Thanks to Rebecca for participating!

Thank you!

To find out more about Rebecca E Brown and her work, please visit her website and her blog.

You can also listen to Rebecca's podcasts at In the Wishing Chair.

You can follow Rebecca Brown on Twitter and you can find her on Facebook.

Some Life Somewhere can be bought at Amazon UK, Amazon.com and from Smashwords.

Do join me again towards the end of this week for my final two-part interview in this series, with one of my former critique partners who has set up his own indie-press. His debut novel, which I recall critiquing several years ago, is in the process of being released. For those who have serious questions about the business side of self-publishing, I feel this particular interview will provide many credible and frank answers.

Self-publishing - Part 7 - An interview with YA author, Nixie Turner

2011-09-14T20:22:00.011+02:00

Continuing the series about self-publishing, this week I interview Nixie Turner author of Kit-in-the-Candlestick - a fantasy novel for older children and young adults packed with magic, mystery and romance. Nixie, who has a Masters degree in English, gives a very honest interview of self-publishing, as someone who has followed a truly "DIY route".

Kit-in-the-Candlestick

When Mopsa discovers the secret that lead to the death of her father, she runs away and finds herself late at night in the doorway of a mysterious shop on one of York’s ancient streets. She tries the door handle and tumbles inside, only to find herself banished to the strange and inhospitable land of Lethe.

Pursued by hidden enemies, and in a desperate race against time, she attempts to discover the whereabouts of a missing girl and unlock the magic within her amethyst necklace. On her journey, she meets Tom, a boy as lost as she is, and together they try and find their way home.

What made you decide to self-publish, and had you tried to traditionally publish (or been traditionally published) before going the self-publishing route?

I am ashamed to say that I didn’t really try very hard at the traditional route. I say ashamed because I spent two long years writing it and then when it came to submitting it to agents I didn’t really try very hard at all. I can’t even tell you why I didn’t try hard either, I left it languishing in my desk drawer. (Forgive my poetic license as I don’t actually own a desk, I write in a cubby hole surrounded by chocolate wrappers and general paper debris. To ruin the illusion further, my book was in reality stored on my c: drive.) Anyway, earlier this year I got my first eBook reader and had an epiphany! I could self publish – how exciting was that?

Is your book published as an e-book, Print on Demand, paper book, or all three?

Just as an ebook currently. Though I do intend to look at Createspace when I have time.

The criticism of many self-published books is the lack of editing and proof reading. Did you use an editor to polish your book before self-publishing, and if so, how do you feel this helped?

I didn’t use an editor though did many revisions myself. I believe myself to be a good proofreader, but also know that it is difficult to proofread your own work. The tendency to read what you intended to write as opposed to what you actually wrote.

Did you use a designer for create a book cover for you? If so, what difference do you feel this has made?

Ah, now you are just making me feel bad for being so completely DIY. No, I designed the cover myself. Here, I am sure a real designer would have done a better job, but I don’t think I did too badly. I am hoping it gives the book a spooky atmospheric vibe without being too amateurish.

How did you decide which self-publishing option to use? What were your reasons for your selection?

I rather stumbled into I think. I had my Eureka moment on the Thursday night that self publishing on Amazon was a fabulous idea and by Monday I was published. I am a little bit ‘bull by the horns’ like that. That was in May, and since I have been reading and researching and learning every day about all the other possibilities too. When something interests me I like to know everything about it.

How do you feel about the less than complementary remarks so often made about self-published books vs. traditionally published books – and do you think this perception is changing?

How do I feel? Truthfully? I feel insulted, annoyed and unjustly treated. But most of all I feel insecure and wonder if in fact ‘they’ (that ghostly mass of reproachful, finger wagging ‘they’) might be right and I am indeed second rate and should take my book and hide it back on my c: drive where no-one will be subjected to it’s rubbishness (yes, Word, I realize that’s not a real word) . Then I feel mad for having been made to feel that way. I still, however, feel it.

With self-publishing, you carry all the risk – the onus is on you to create as “perfect” a book as possible and to market it. How have you found the process of being your own publisher, and what have you particularly learned?

I can’t profess to having a perfect book, but at least I have control over the writing and cover design. What is really hard, and I am sure most indie writers will attest to this, is marketing. It is just not something I have ever done in relation to something I have created. I don’t have any power and I have little knowledge. I will try my best and learn, but I still feel uncomfortable selling my book as a product. I think I must have a fundamental lack of self belief. I even feel guilty when going through ‘Nothing to Declare’ at customs, even when I have nothing to declare. I think, and this relates to the previous question regarding those ghostly finger-waggers, that I feel a fraud.

What marketing platforms are you using to promote your book(s), and how much of your time does the marketing take?

I am on Facebook and Twitter, and have my own blog. Marketing takes too much time and is a complete distraction from writing but I do enjoy certain aspects of it, like interacting with people who have read my book.

It’s a personal question, but do you feel you’re making, or are able to make money by having self-published your book? Do you feel you are making more than you would be being traditionally published?

No, I am not currently making any money, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to. I do want to make money, certainly enough that I can devote more time to the writing I love rather than the work I don’t! I am hoping that over time the balance will shift and I will begin to earn money through my writing work.

Are you happy with the level of your sales? Do you think there is more you could do to improve your sales?

The advice that crops up most frequently is to keep writing, and that to succeed you need more than one book published. So that is what I am doing, writing a second book currently. It’s not easy though between real life (running a business and looking after two small children) and marketing the current novel.

Will you continue to self-publish, or do you want to be traditionally published (and self-publish), and why?

I intend to continue being self published as I am enjoying it! At this point I would not rule out traditional publishing, though if I became more successful as an indie writer then I may reconsider that stance. Either way it would be nice to have the quandary!

Would you recommend self-publishing to other writers?

Absolutely.

What do you see as the pitfalls in self-publishing?

I think the main thing is that too much time can be eaten up promoting when it would be better spent writing. Also, self imposed deadlines are easier to let slip than ones given by a publisher!

Do you have any tips for writers thinking of self-publishing?

Read as much as possible round the subject. Visit forums and blogs and ask questions. Get the best story, cover and blurb you can. But mainly – don’t procrastinate, just do it!

Thanks to Nixie for participating!

To find out more about Nixie Turner, please visit her website.
You can also follow Nixie Turner on Twitter.
Or, you can "Like" Nixie Turner's Facebook page.
Kit-in-the-Candlestick can be purchased as an ebook on Amazon.com or Amazon UK

A detailed review of Kit-in-the-Candlestick can be read Evelyn Connor's blog

Nixie Turner's new book, The Dragon Girl, will be released later this year.

Self-publishing - Part 6 - An interview with YA author, Karly Kirkpatrick

2011-09-03T19:34:00.017+02:00

It's been an interesting couple of weeks on the message board of the SCBWI-British Isles, after yours truly raised the topics of self-publishing and writer/illustrator co-operatives. The discussion has been lively, the interest has been variously high, interested, cautious, dismissive and curious. It's definitely open season as writers consider their options in a changing world.

In speaking with my fellow SCBWI members about writer/illustrator co-operatives, one of the examples to which I've referred several times - and following on my interview with Megg Jensen - is DarkSide Publishing. DarkSide Publishing comprises of a group of SCBWI Young Adult authors who've banded together, shared skills and resources - and self-published. They describe themselves as a group of "authors working together to provide quality literature to ebook readers". Their titles are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

And so, continuing my series on self-publishing, I took the opportunity to interview another of the DarkSide team - namely Karly Kirkpatrick - co-founder of Darkside Publishing.

What made you decide to self-publish, and had you tried to traditionally publish (or been traditionally published) before going the self-publishing route?

I had pursued traditional publishing for about two years before venturing out on my own. I then later helped form the DarkSide Publishing group. I had never really thought about epublishing until 2010 when I started reading Joe Konrath’s blog. After learning about the new and improved self-publishing, I decided to take a book that would never have a chance in New York because it had already made the rounds and epubbed it. This seemed to me like one of those opportunities I didn’t want to look back on in three years and say, man, I really wish I would’ve tried that out. My first book was definitely a guinea pig but now I can’t see myself seeking a traditional publishing deal.

There is a lot of talk about the publishing industry being in a state of change, did this influence your decision to self-publish in any way and what do you think the changes taking place in the publishing world mean for writers and for writing/literature per se?

Oh for sure. I mean, I find it hard to believe that traditional publishing will ever permanently die, but I’m certainly excited and willing to try out new options. To be honest, if I hadn’t epublished, I might have hung up writing. It was sort of coming to that fork in the road for me personally. I love writing, but longed for the satisfaction of having someone actually read my books. And the fact that I can make money is the added bonus. I work a full time job and have a young daughter, so I need there to be some payback for sacrificing free time for writing. Epublishing has definitely made it worth my while.

Is your book published as an e-book, Print on Demand, paper book, or all three?

My books are available as ebooks as well as POD. The nice thing about POD is my books are available at big online stores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as other sites around the world and they handle all the shipping and printing. I usually have a steady supply of my own at home for appearances and authors fairs.

How did you decide which self-publishing option to use? What were your reasons for your selection?

I just wanted the books available in the most formats possible. And even though I love ebooks and my Kindle, and sell mostly ebooks, there is something about having that first copy of your book in your hand. Unfortunately the paperbacks become more of a promotional item, so I’ll have to make the business decision in the future whether or not to continue to make them.

The criticism of many self-published books is the lack of editing and proof reading. Did you use an editor to polish your book before self-publishing, and if so, how do you feel this helped?

It’s absolutely imperative that people have their work edited prior to publication. I didn’t hire an editor, but my books have been edited by the authors at DarkSide. As a group of professional authors, we work together to edit our books. Each book sees between 3-5 editors before proofreading. I think it helps set our quality above some that are maybe a bit more slap-dash. That isn’t to say there aren’t still mistakes. It happens, even in traditionally pubbed works.

How do you feel about the less than complementary remarks so often made about self-published books vs. traditionally published books – and do you think this perception is changing?

It is, one book at a time. For every great self-pubbed book, there are a pile of not so good ones. Groups like DarkSide are working to show readers that it can be done and done well. Lots of other indie faves are showing they’ve got the stuff as well. If their stories were really that horrible, New York wouldn’t be paying them millions.

Did you use a designer for create a book cover for you? If so, what difference do you feel this has made?

I did use a designer. For me it was a no-brainer. I like to think I’m talented artistically but in no way near as talented as the cover artists I’ve dealt with. Having a professional cover really sets the book apart from those that are made by an amateur, I feel like. It’s well worth the money.

You, together with Megg Jensen and other authors have set up your own indie publishing label, DarkSide Publishing. What was the reason for doing this and how do you feel this helped each of you?

Our theory was why work alone when we could pool our skills and resources and work together. It’s helped us all immensely. The amount of expertise we have pooled together is quite a huge asset. Not to mention it helps to have a group for marketing as opposed to working alone.

I suspect many writers new to self publishing would have a hard time knowing at what price to set their self published book. How did you determine what to charge for your book, and do you have a pricing strategy, for example, like Amanda Hocking who charged 99c for the first book in a series and $2.99 for the books that followed?

My strategy is to keep it priced low, but not so low that you don’t make any money to pay your expenses. A few people have been super successful at the 99 cent price point, so you can’t knock it. Perhaps when I have a larger backlist built up, I would put a book or two at a lower price, like Hocking or Konrath. My 99 cent experiment wasn’t super successful, so I’ve chosen to keep my prices at $2.99 and $3.49 so I can get my 70% royalty. And they pretty much sell equal amounts. I’ll probably keep experimenting down the road. At this price, I make a decent profit every month so I’m pretty comfortable with it.

With self-publishing, you carry all the risk – the onus is on you to create as “perfect” a book as possible and to market it. How have you found the process of being your own publisher, and what have you particularly learned?

Hahaha, that’s a huge question. I enjoy being my own publisher. It definitely gives me a great amount of satisfaction to know that I did this myself with DarkSide and didn’t need anyone else. I’ve sold a respectable number of copies in my first year with no NY publisher helping me out. AND I get to keep all the profits. However it is tempting to think of someone doing all the footwork for you. But then I’d have to pay them, and I go back to being happy working for myself. If I’ve learned anything, is that publishing is hard work and you definitely have to want it. You also have to educate yourself on every aspect of publishing, not just indie publishing. It’s important to know how the whole book world operates.

What marketing platforms are you using to promote your book(s), and how much of your time does the marketing take?

I use mostly free social media…Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, my blog. In the beginning, marketing took more time because you felt like you were shouting to the world ‘Hey, look at me! Read my book!” And now I’m just maintaining that. We realize now that social media isn’t necessarily bringing in a ton of new readers all the time. But it’s allowed me to build up a solid fan base that helps spread the word. I probably spend a few hours a week hopping around the sites and interacting with others. I’m on Facebook multiple times a day. But I don’t ‘sell’ there much anymore. Those folks are already on Team Karly, so I don’t have to beat them over the head with it.

It’s a personal question, but do you feel you’re making, or are able to make money by having self-published your book? Do you feel you are making more than you would be being traditionally published?

I’m definitely making money. At this point it’s ‘extra’ money, certainly not ‘quit the day job’ money. I’ve been bringing in the same profits monthly since March. I’d love to see that increase, but for right now it is paying some bills for sure. As for making more than being trad published, it’s tough to say. Most trad pubbed authors make an advance. So I’m not getting that. But in the long run, I’m guessing I’ll catch up. It’s really promising as to what the future will bring and makes for a good part-time job right now.

Are you happy with the level of your sales? Do you think there is more you could do to improve your sales?

I don’t know if I’ll ever be happy with my sales. I’ll always want to sell more hehehe. I think they are a little low right now, I’m hoping to see them pick up in the holiday season. For sure there are more things I could be doing to sell more. I’ll be joining in some blog hops for some wider exposure and DarkSide is participating in authors’ fairs and speaking engagements at least once a month until the end of 2011. I’m hoping this will give us some great exposure. And word of mouth keeps traveling. Getting out the sequel to Into the Shadows will hopefully help as well.

Will you continue to self-publish, or do you want to be traditionally published (and self-publish), and why?

For the moment, I’m planning to continue self-publishing. I always like to stay open to opportunities, so if the right one were to drop in my lap, I’d give it a look. I think I’ll always keep one foot on the indie side of the fence and DarkSide Publishing will be around as long as we still have stories to publish. I really have a feeling the future authors will be hybrids, with opportunities on both sides.

Would you recommend self-publishing to other writers?

If you’re ready for it. You know yourself, what kind of worker you are. People who are perfectionists with great attention to detail will do well with it. If you struggle with self-imposed deadlines and technology, it might not be as easy. Or you may just have to hire out things like formatting. Which is okay too. The biggest assets though would be being organized and confident.

What do you see as the pitfalls in self-publishing?

It’s hard work, most indie authors work alone, so that can be tough, and there’s that stigma. But I don’t know that those things are really that horrible. But I could see how they’d bother some people.

Do you have any tips for writers thinking of self-publishing?

Educate yourself on self-publishing. Read Joe Konrath. Hang out on the Kindle Boards. Meet other indie authors and read their blogs. That’s really the key to building a successful indie-mini empire. Oh, and make sure you’ve got a great book. Without that, you’re sunk.

Thanks to Karly for participating!

Book Blurbs

Bloody Little Secrets
17-year-old Vicky Hernandez has a big problem. She's dead. Or not quite. After discovering she's been turned into a vampire, she tries to settle into a quiet suburb of Chicago and return to a normal life.
If only she could stop wanting to bite her boyfriend. Not to mention she is dying to find out who turned her, and why. She doesn't have to wait long before they come to her.

Into the Shadows
Paivi Anderson has it all—friends, a spot on the varsity basketball team, wonderful parents, and quite possibly, her first boyfriend. It was everything a freshman in high school could ask for. Her perfect life begins to crumble when she discovers her name on a list distributed by a power-hungry presidential candidate. How could anyone think of Paivi as an Enemy of the State? Could it be because of her special powers? No one was supposed to know about them, but the mysterious messages in her tater tots say otherwise. In INTO THE SHADOWS, Paivi quickly learns who her friends are and is forced into a reality she didn’t see coming.

NEWSFLASH - "Into the Shadows" is currently available as a free ebook on Amazon - hurry while the offer lasts!

To find out more about Karly Kirkpatrick, visit her website.
You can also follow Karly on Facebook and on Twitter.
You can buy Into The Shadows on Amazon and on Barnes and Noble. It is also available on Amazon UK, Amazon DE and Smashwords.
Bloody Little Secrets is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It is also available on Amazon UK and Amazon DE.

Self-publishing - Part 5 - An interview with children's author, Debra J Edwards

2011-08-24T17:45:00.012+02:00

In a week spelling impending doom and disaster for writers and authors, a week in which Ewan Morrison posed the question "Are books dead, and can authors survive?", I am struck, yet again, by the fact that is more important than ever for writers, authors and illustrators find a way forward for themselves that does not involve selling their souls or giving away their creativity for free. I am also struck by the reality that authors choosing to self-publish are upping their game. It goes without saying that anyone intending to self-publish has to be sure that they are putting out work that is of the same standard, or higher, than that which is being traditionally published. And there is no question that writers have to start thinking of what they do as a business and apply business strategies to their creative endeavours. It also seems to me that it is time for writers, authors, illustrators and editors to come together on a co-operative basis to find a way forward as the publishing industry changes.

And so, continuing the series on self-publishing, this week I interview SCBWI-BI's own Debbie Edwards, who has published her Aggie Lichen series through her own indie publishing company, Purple Ray Publishing.

Aggie Lichen: Pilp Collector
Part One of the Mirvellon Trilogy

Aggie Lichen faces the same dilemmas as any other thirteen year old. But while other teenagers are doing their homework or watching T.V., Aggie flits from house to house in search of prize pilps. That’s where Aggie is a little different. You see, Aggie Lichen is a pilp collector - a tooth fairy!
One nightsgritch - a tooth collecting evening – Aggie is attacked by a bright, mysterious light. Is is a low flying glow-worm or something more sinister? Unknown to them, Aggie and her gang have just thirty days to save their kind, but time is not on their side … neither are the sprites or the Grublins.

Debbie, what made you decide to self-publish, and had you tried to traditionally publish (or been traditionally published) before going the self-publishing route?

I had had enough rejection letters to fill a small room in a rather large house! Some came back with little comments, others were just blank slips. I had hawked the first book around to several adults and lots of children and they seemed to like it. I decided then that I wanted my book out there whatever the cost so looked into self-publishing.

There is a lot of talk about the publishing industry being in a state of change, did this influence your decision to self-publish in any way and what do you think the changes taking place in the publishing world mean for writers and for writing/literature per se?

My reason to self-publish was purely to get my book out there in the big wide world. I think the changes that are happening are really exciting! Yes, it may be that some crap gets published through self-published or e-book means, but the public will ultimately decide what they like and buy it. Simple as!

Is your book published as an e-book, Print on Demand, paper book, or all three?

All three of my Aggie Lichen books are published as paperbacks. Only the first book though, is published on Kindle. It’s on at 86p at the moment. A bargain!

The criticism of many self-published books is the lack of editing and proof reading. Did you use an editor to polish your book before self-publishing, and if so, how do you feel this helped?

No, I didn’t have an editor, but I did use lots of critical friends and used the pupils in my class to test out the books. I also had the great Herbie Brennan, best selling international author of Faerie Wars. I sent the first book to him and he loved it. He gave me a lovely quote to put on the front cover - wonderful accolade that no editor could have provided.

Did you use a designer for create a book cover for you? If so, what difference do you feel this has made?

The first book – what a disaster! I was so eager to get the book out that I designed the cover myself – in word, enough said! I was rescued by my daughter’s friend at university who was an art graduate. She redesigned the first cover and went on to design the second and third book covers too. Lesson learnt; yes, you DO judge a book by its cover. When I give book talks in schools I always hold up both book covers. The response is overwhelmingly for the redesigned cover – always!

How did you decide which self-publishing option to use? What were your reasons for your selection?

I did look briefly at POD, but I thought it worked out rather expensive when compared to other self-publishing options. Financially, I was in a position to go straight to a printer and after looking around on the internet, I found the wonderful folk at York Publishing Services. We conversed through email then I went up to York to meet them, got shown all the processes involved and was treated to lunch – told you they were wonderful!! It worked out better financially to do this and I have found that the quality of paper is much higher. Okay, so I have an issue with shoddy paper!!

How do you feel about the less than complementary remarks so often made about self-published books vs. traditionally published books – and do you think this perception is changing?

I can understand the worries about crap being published, but let’s be honest, there’s a lot of crap published through mainstream and don’t even get me started on celebrity ‘writers’. I have been to conferences, attended workshops, suffered critiques etc. I have tried to develop my writing to the highest standard and will continue to do so. I chose this route because there was no other option; publishers don’t like my books yet 7000 children/adults clearly do. There’s room enough for everyone and like I said, the public will decide what they want to buy. As for change, personally I don’t think this perception will change until self-publishing and e-books are truly embedded in publishing.

With self-publishing, you carry all the risk – the onus is on you to create as “perfect” a book as possible and to market it. How have you found the process of being your own publisher, and what have you particularly learned?

It has been one of the steepest learning curves ever! Yet, I have learnt so much. I know all about bastard pages, recto and verso, ISBNs, sending six free, yes free, copies of each book to the British Library and lots more. When I first started out, I bought a copy of How to Self-Publish by Peter Finch. It had everything you needed and provided a step-by-step guide on how to get published. I owe a lot to that little book.

What marketing platforms are you using to promote your book(s), and how much of your time does the marketing take?

The best way of promoting my books is through author talks in schools. Unfortunately, I am only allowed out of the asylum on a Wednesday afternoon which limits the events I can complete. I also do signings on Saturdays at bookstores. This can be quite lucrative as I can sell around 70 books in four hours. For an unknown, that’s not bad. And, if I am in a town where a store has my book stocked, I will also hang around and wait for an unsuspecting victim, usually selling to them after a quick chat. Many people are delighted to see a real life author – even if she is self-published. All my books are on websites such as, Amazon, Waterstones, W H Smith etc. Did I mention that my first book is available as a Kindle e-book …
All in all, it takes up a lot of my time, but it’s worth it.

It’s a personal question, but do you feel you’re making, or are able to make money by having self-published your book? Do you feel you are making more than you would be being traditionally published?

I’ve sold around 7000 books so far and yes, I think I have made money from it, but it’s all ploughed back in for the next one. Does that count? Selling to schools is better financially. With events at Waterstone’s there is a percentage to negotiate depending on the terms you have with them. It’s the same with W H Smith, but I get a better deal with them – with self-publishing comes knowledge …

Are you happy with the level of your sales? Do you think there is more you could do to improve your sales?

Oh, there is always something I could do to improve sales. Sort out the website, do more school events, do more bookstore events. It all comes down to time or in my case, the lack of it!

Will you continue to self-publish, or do you want to be traditionally published (and self-publish), and why?

As much as I have loved the experience of self-publishing, a part of me still hankers after traditional publishing. When I reason with my self, it seems to come down to time. The time I spent promoting my books is often valuable writing time missed and the more books I have, the more time it takes. I have just finished my new novel, Marvin’s Curse, my first YA novel about a boy who talks to the dead. I’m now torn between sending off to agents and self-publishing …

Would you recommend self-publishing to other writers?

Absolutely! It’s definitely not the easy option and you need to be prepared to work your socks off, but it’s all yours and what have you really got to lose? (Okay, perhaps some money, quite a bit of time, your sanity …)

What do you see as the pitfalls in self-publishing?

Financial problems, possibly. Personally, lack of time.

Do you have any tips for writers thinking of self-publishing?

Stop thinking about it! Get on and do it!

Thanks to Debra Edwards for participating in the series!

To find out more about Debra J Edwards, please visit her website, Purple Ray Publishing
Or you can become a Facebook fan.
Or you can contact Debbie by email.

All Debra J Edwards' books are available through Amazon (both paperbacks and Kindle e-book), Waterstone’s and WH Smith online. Some branches of Waterstone’s do stock her books, but check online for availability. The Aggie Lichen books are also available through Debbie's website/email.

Self-publishing - Part 4 - An interview with YA author, Mike Lewis

2011-08-15T16:21:00.009+02:00

Continuing the exploration into self-publishing, this week I interview SF and Fantasy author, Mike Lewis, who's YA novel, Changer's Summer was self-published in June this year, and ask him the questions I am be putting to all my interviewees.

Changer's Summer

Tom is twelve and all he's ever known is a world with acid rain and constant cloud. His world is a place where people try to scratch out a living; surrounded by the wreckage of the past.

One hundred years ago a group of mysterious scientists took charge of the Earth's weather in order to control climate change. They burned the planet and in the ensuing chaos they disappeared.

When one of the "Changers" appears on Tom’s farm, his life changes and he is forced into an adventure where he must choose between his family and helping the Changers repair the damage they have done.

But can the Changers be trusted this time?

What made you decide to self-publish, and had you tried to traditionally publish (or been traditionally published) before going the self-publishing route?

I have been writing SF and Fantasy for a number of years (since 1998 in a serious attempt to be published). I have sold a number of short stories to anthologies and magazines but never managed to sell a novel despite having some interest from agents.

I run a small wargaming company (Black Hat Miniatures) and was also working one day a week as an IT consultant (which was my original career). When the IT Consultancy finished I looked around to see what else I could do to make some money and realized that it was now possible to self-publish on the Kindle. So my initial prompt into self-publishing was to explore the possibilities of making some extra income from writing.

As I had one completed novel which had been seen as a whole manuscript by a couple of agents, I decided to try self-publishing Changers’ Summer to see what happened.

There is a lot of talk about the publishing industry being in a state of change, did this influence your decision to self-publish in any way and what do you think the changes taking place in the publishing world mean for writers and for writing/literature per se?

It didn’t affect my decision to self-publish, but I do think that it has a lot of implications for writers. Those writers who want to succeed long term will have to do the same things successful writers have always done – write the best books they can; revise them until they are as close to perfect as they can be and use the services of editors and proofreaders.

I am slightly concerned by some indie writers who seem to revel in the fact that they can write a book in two weeks and put it out immediately. I don’t think this produces the best books or a long term career.

Is your book published as an e-book, Print on Demand, paper book, or all three?

It is an e-book and will very shortly be produced through Createspace as a POD.

The criticism of many self-published books is the lack of editing and proof reading. Did you use an editor to polish your book before self-publishing, and if so, how do you feel this helped?

I didn’t use an editor on Changers’ Summer – partly because this was an experiment in what it was possible to do to earn some money and I didn’t want to invest too much into the production of the book. However, Changers’ Summer has been through two writers’ groups, plus a number of beta-readers. The first draft was completed in 2001 and it has been rewritten through a number of drafts since then as well as having been commented on in detail by an agent.

I am looking into using an editor for The Rat King, book two of the Changers Trilogy/

Did you use a designer for create a book cover for you? If so, what difference do you feel this has made?

Yes I used a cover designer. I am not a graphic artist and feel you should stick to what you do best. It made a huge difference to the look of the book and a number of people have commented on how they like the cover.

How did you decide which self-publishing option to use? What were your reasons for your selection?

I started with Amazon and the KDP platform for the Kindle because that was the first option I found. After reading extensively on the web, I also went through Smashwords to get distribution into Apple, Sony, Kobo and B&N, etc

I have now produced a Createspace version as a paperback because it seems to me that the Young Adult market, particularly the “tween” younger YA readers are still very keen on physical books and have not yet moved to ebooks in large numbers.

How do you feel about the less than complementary remarks so often made about self-published books vs. traditionally published books – and do you think this perception is changing?

Doesn’t bother me. I think that there will always be slight perception of vanity publishing from traditionally published authors as the feeling is that the indie author hasn’t been “chosen” from the slushpile. They have just thrown their novel out there.

This will change as midlist authors start to self-publish their backlists as well as traditionally publishing their new books.

I am intending to self-publish my YA books because it is so hard to get a YA book accepted – especially a younger YA book. At one point a leading London agent wanted one sentence in a letter to pitch your children’s book!

I am working on a couple of SF/SF thrillers and I will be submitting these to traditional publishers/agents initially and may end up self-publishing them if nothing happens on these in a year or so.

With self-publishing, you carry all the risk – the onus is on you to create as “perfect” a book as possible and to market it. How have you found the process of being your own publisher, and what have you particularly learned?

Promoting your book is hard and it takes time away from writing. You have to be disciplined about the time you spend on the web doing promotion and not let that cut too heavily into your writing. There are a few indie authors I have seen who have published one novel over a year ago and still have not produced new work because they are spending all their time promoting (as they admit). I think the adage that the best promotion is a new book is very true.

What marketing platforms are you using to promote your book(s), and how much of your time does the marketing take?

I am on facebook and twitter but don’t excessively push my books. I also have a blog which I aim to update once a week.

It’s a personal question, but do you feel you’re making, or are able to make money by having self-published your book? Do you feel you are making more than you would be being traditionally published?

I am still very new at this having only published my first novel on June 3rd this year. But I think that at 70% royalty on my ebooks I will make more money than I could if traditionally published – if I could have ever managed to get a contract for Changers’ Summer anyway. In which case any money is more than I would have received.

Are you happy with the level of your sales? Do you think there is more you could do to improve your sales?

Again, only 6 weeks or so of sales to comment on. The sales for June were okay I thought for an unknown book but they have dropped dramatically in July. I have some advertising and blog appearances and reviews coming out in August and September so I hope that, coupled with the paperback, will push sales back up.

Will you continue to self-publish, or do you want to be traditionally published (and self-publish), and why?

I will continue to self-publish my YA books, as I have mentioned. This will include the other two books in the Changers trilogy (hoping for January and June 2012) and a stand-alone Victorian fantasy which is written but needs some heavy revising.

I am intending to still submit my adult SF work to traditional markets and my SF shorts to the likes of Asimov’s magazine, etc.

I would like to see my name on a book in a big booksellers which is something you don’t get through ebooks, etc.

Would you recommend self-publishing to other writers?

Yes, if you have the self-belief in our book to do the best job possible on it and to put it out there. You have to be willing to put up with the possible bad reviews and initial lack of sales but the good reviews will keep you going (as I am finding on Changers’ Summer as the reviews from review copies have started to hit Amazon.com).

What do you see as the pitfalls in self-publishing?

That people will publish too early, when a book isn’t ready. That your book can be brilliant but if it doesn’t get the breaks and people find out about it will sink without a trace into the other 1m self-published books out there.

Do you have any tips for writers thinking of self-publishing?

Read the Kindleboards.com forums, especially the Writers’ Cafe board – I have found it an invaluable source of knowledge and stories from people who have been self-publishing for a number of years.

Many thanks to Mike for participating in the series!

To find out more about Mike Lewis, visit his website.
You can follow Mike Lewis on Twitter, or on Facebook.
You can find Changer's Summer at Amazon.com,
or Amazon.co.uk,
or Barnes and Noble,
or Smashwords.

Self-publishing - Part 3 - An interview with author, Kathryn Brown

2011-08-08T11:41:00.012+02:00

The more I continue the exploration into self publishing, or indie publishing as it's increasingly becoming known, the more writers I discover who've elected to go the indie root and the more resources I find on the subject. I'm left in no doubt that self-publishing is becoming both more acceptable and a far more viable option for many, albeit not all, writers - both those previously traditionally published and those who are unpublished. I'm also increasingly aware that self published authors are significantly upping their game, and thereby banging down the elements of elitism that sometimes lurk in the hallowed corridors of traditional publishing and amongst those who insist that if you're not traditionally published you're not a "real author". It seems it's open season and the games have begun.

In this, the second interview with a self-published author, I talk to Kathryn Brown, a writer whom I've known through the blogosphere for several years. I knew Kathryn was writing a book but only more recently discovered that she decided to self publish after receiving the usual spate of rejections to her submissions to traditional publishers.

Discovery at Rosehill

Finding your dream home is difficult enough, but what if you found it and then discovered it was haunted? Medium Camilla Armstrong is led to the beautiful Rosehill country estate after communication with her deceased grandmother. On first inspection she senses tranquillity within the house; the gentle atmosphere of a Georgian manor that is crying out for new life. But when she moves in, Camilla discovers the house contains a dark secret, one which is to change her life forever. When The Reverend Marcus Calloway introduces himself to her, a friendship develops and Camilla realises she could at last have found her true love. But all is not what it seems when further spirit contact confirms that Marcus harbours a guilty secret. Spirit communication, manifestations and an eerie atmosphere all add to Camilla's new surroundings as she tries hard to decipher mixed messages and a life she never knew existed.

What made you decide to self-publish, and had you tried to traditionally publish (or been traditionally published) before going the self-publishing route?

I originally wanted to traditionally publish and sent eleven submissions away and spent a long time perfecting each one. After receiving five rejections I decided to self-publish. Six months on, I still haven’t heard from the other six agents to whom I submitted my work.

There is a lot of talk about the publishing industry being in a state of change, did this influence your decision to self-publish in any way and what do you think the changes taking place in the publishing world mean for writers and for writing/literature per se?

This did influence me because I realized that new authors have a hard time being traditionally published. I wanted to be in control of my book and was somewhat reluctant to wait a further two years to see it on sale, probably after a few re-writes. I don’t think there is the same stigma surrounding self-publishing as there was because more authors prefer to have the final say on their work.

Is your book published as an e-book, Print on Demand, paper book, or all three?

All three.

The criticism of many self-published books is the lack of editing and proof reading. Did you use an editor to polish your book before self-publishing, and if so, how do you feel this helped?

Yes, I used a professional editor and we spent around three months getting it to, what I class as publishing standard. It cost approximately £500 which is most definitely money well spent. In my opinion, it is imperative to have your book edited before self-publishing. The competition is huge and unless you have a polished manuscript your book stands little chance amongst the masses of books available.

Did you use a designer for create a book cover for you? If so, what difference do you feel this has made?

Yes, Andrew Brenton designed the cover and also did the formatting for paperback and eBook versions. This made a massive difference to the appearance of my book. I am thrilled with the cover and could never have done something like that myself.

How did you decide which self-publishing option to use? What were your reasons for your selection?

I chose Lulu because I’ve used them before when publishing two children’s books. They were recommended to me by a fellow self-published author.

How do you feel about the less than complementary remarks so often made about self-published books vs. traditionally published books – and do you think this perception is changing?

I think it’s quite insulting if I’m honest. The only difference between a self-published and traditionally-published book is that the traditional one has been scrutinized by several professionals in their field and past from pillar to post before appearing on the shelves. An author of a self-published novel is still an author. I do think the perception is changing because more and more self-published novels are coming onto the market. There are some incredibly talented authors out there who deserve recognition and unless they are established, well known or in the celebrity status, they find it very difficult to be taken seriously.

With self-publishing, you carry all the risk – the onus is on you to create as “perfect” a book as possible and to market it. How have you found the process of being your own publisher, and what have you particularly learned?

It is difficult to market a self-published book, I have learned this during the past few months. You have to really push yourself and to an extent, boast about your achievements, which I personally find hard to do. Making announcements is something one has to do as second nature; selling yourself becomes a way of life. I have thought about contacting a PR consultant but up to now, I’ve persevered by myself.

What marketing platforms are you using to promote your book(s), and how much of your time does the marketing take?

I mainly use my blog, Twitter and Facebook but I have recently branched out and made enquiries in local book stores. Many local shops are keen to encourage and support local authors which does help. We are inundated in my area with gift and souvenir shops, some of which I will be approaching soon. I tend to give my book a mention every other day on Twitter but I have a page dedicated to it on my blog (Discovery at Rosehill Information).

It’s a personal question, but do you feel you’re making, or are able to make money by having self-published your book? Do you feel you are making more than you would be being traditionally published?

I’m not sure because I’ve never been traditionally published and don’t know how much in comparison I would have made otherwise. But I very much doubt I will make much money from my current novel; I have made a few hundred pounds so far but I’ll never make back the amount I spent on editing and cover design, which totaled approximately £750.

Are you happy with the level of your sales? Do you think there is more you could do to improve your sales?

I don’t think, unless you sell thousands/millions of copies, an author will ever be happy with the level of sales. I would very much like to sell mine to a much wider audience and definitely think there is more I can be doing to improve sales. It’s hard though; I’ve had one very small article published in my local paper after writing to three local newspapers and two local magazines. Two of the newspapers haven’t replied after three months. The magazines weren’t interested even though they compliment themselves on promoting local authors, businesses and talents. I found this very disappointing and not at all encouraging.

Will you continue to self-publish, or do you want to be traditionally published (and self-publish), and why?

I’m not sure right now. I have started my next novel and will see where it takes me. I would like to think I’ll be offered that contract of a life time by a well-known publisher but I won’t hold my breath. In the meantime, I’d be happy to self-publish again.

Would you recommend self-publishing to other writers?

Yes, I would. But I would also emphasize to them that there is a lot of hard work involved with self-publishing and it doesn’t just stop once you’ve sold a few copies. The sales soon dry up if don’t market and advertise and this becomes a very disheartening aspect of self-publishing.

What do you see as the pitfalls in self-publishing?

I think mainly, the marketing aspect. If you don’t market your book in the right circles or to the right audience, you don’t stand a chance of selling it. You have to do your research in order to reach the right people.

Do you have any tips for writers thinking of self-publishing?

As above, do your research. Think carefully about the genre and who you’re targeting as your readership. Be prepared for the hard work “after” you’ve published and remember you’re on your own. Join writer’s websites where you can share information, get tips and advice, promote your book. Be cheeky; ask people to do a review on their blog or their website. Write to newspapers, magazines, publications that you feel will offer some relevance to your work. Make your work stand out from the rest; visit other writer’s blogs and websites, get an idea of what readers want, the best ways to talk about books. Also, be prepared to send out free copies for people to review. Maybe even do a few giveaways which occasionally encourage people to buy. I have done this and sold a few copies to people who didn’t win a free copy!

To find out more about Kathryn Brown and her books, please visit her personal blog, Crystal Jigsaw, and her blog about the paranormal, Marvellous Mable.

You can also follow Kathryn Brown on Twitter or on Facebook.

Kathryn's book, Discovery at Rosehill, is available on both amazon.co.uk and amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle formats.
Discovery at Rosehill is also available from Lulu and Smashwords.
Or you can obtain a copy directly from Kathryn Brown.

Self-publishing - Part Two: An interview with YA author, Megg Jensen

2011-08-02T12:18:00.009+02:00

Following on my previous post about self publishing, I've had a rush of interest from so many people, which leads me to believe that not only is the face of the publishing industry changing but that more and more writers are becoming disenamoured with traditional publishing and want to "go it alone".

As a writer pal and former critique partner recently said to me: "I firmly believe [self publishing] is the way forward for authors. The good old traditional publishing path and paperbacks are on a slippery slope to becoming niche and non-mass-market. Trying to get published in the traditional way is not a viable business model any more, unless you're very lucky. It just doesn't make sense to send out your novel and sit around for years hoping that somebody might notice it. In no other business do you make products for 'years' without any return. You'd be bankrupt."

From a purely business perspective, and speaking as a former business and marketing strategist, the effort put in by most writers - intensive training, research, product development, and marketing, and all with little or no gain - is nothing short of madness. It remains pretty much as crazy when you think that even those who are published generally don't earn enough to give up their day jobs. Perhaps in the more recent past our options were seriously limited and traditional publishing was the only way forward. But with new doors opening and other gatekeepers appearing, and a more professional approach taken to self publishing, indie publishing starts to look increasingly like a smart choice.

On that note, I'd like to introduce my first guest, YA fantasy author, Megg Jensen, in this series exploring self publishing.

What made you decide to self-publish, and had you tried to traditionally publish (or been traditionally published) before going the self-publishing route?

For six years I made a good living as a freelance parenting journalist. In 2008 I decided to pursue my first love - fiction. I had no idea it would be so difficult to find an agent. After years of training in writing, I thought getting a novel published would be hard, but not impossible.

I pursued representation with an agent, but nearly every agent told me the same thing, “I love your writing, but the market for your type of fiction is too small.” I even had one agent offer representation if I switched genres, but I turned her down.

In fall of 2009, my friend Karly Kirkpatrick chose self-publishing and she brought me on board with her.

There is a lot of talk about the publishing industry being in a state of change, did this influence your decision to self-publish in any way and what do you think the changes taking place in the publishing world mean for writers and for writing/literature per se?

The changes in publishing made self-publishing a viable option for me, but it wasn’t the catalyst for my choice. I wanted my work out there and I was tired of fighting against the machine. I’m not against traditional publishing, not by any means, but it wasn’t the path I wanted to take at that time.

Is your book published as an e-book, Print on Demand, paper book, or all three?

My novels are available in nearly all formats, except hardcover and audiobook.

The criticism of many self-published books is the lack of editing and proof reading. Did you use an editor to polish your book before self-publishing, and if so, how do you feel this helped?

As a freelance journalist, I spent years editing my own work. Most of my published articles (by large circulation magazines) were not edited beyond the draft I turned in. I also have a large circle of professional writers, who have the same skills as freelance editors, working on my manuscripts. My books go through at least seven or eight drafts before publication.

Editing is essential to good writing. No one should ever publish a book that hasn’t been fully edited. Do I claim perfection? No, but I can also show you quite a few examples of traditionally published books that have typos. Anathema is already in its second edition because I found three typos post-publication and corrected all of them.

Did you use a designer for create a book cover for you? If so, what difference do you feel this has made?

Absolutely. I have no artistic skills and hired Robin Ludwig Design, Inc. to create my covers. It’s a very collaborative process and I am very pleased with the results.

How did you decide which self-publishing option to use? What were your reasons for your selection?

I followed in the footsteps of my friend Karly by publishing paperbacks through CreateSpace and publishing ebooks through Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Smashwords. Karly blazed the trail for me. With our other colleagues at DarkSide Publishing, GP Ching and Angela Carlie, we spend a great amount of time re-evaluating the industry to be sure we are using the best publishing options.

How do you feel about the less than complementary remarks so often made about self-published books vs. traditionally published books – and do you think this perception is changing?

Having been on the receiving end of some very rude comments (I’ve been called a traitor and a cheater), I hate it. I honestly can’t understand why any traditionally published author would take their time to bash an indie author. The traditional publishing scene was exclusive before self-publishing went viral. Every single traditionally published author struggled at some point. Why they would disrespect another struggling author is beyond me.

I do think attitudes are changing, but there are many people who still look down on independent authors.

With self-publishing, you carry all the risk – the onus is on you to create as “perfect” a book as possible and to market it. How have you found the process of being your own publisher, and what have you particularly learned?

I’m having an amazing time. I honestly enjoy every aspect of publishing. I’ve learned a lot about editing too. I thought I was a good editor before, but there’s been so much room for personal growth. I look forward to learning even more.

What marketing platforms are you using to promote your books, and how much of your time does the marketing take?

I use Facebook, Twitter, my blog, Google+, message boards, etc. If it’s out there, I’m probably a part of it. I’m not sure how much time marketing takes. I can do a lot of it on the run with my iPhone.

I do want to say that there’s a fine line between constant marketing and just getting to know people. I hate saying, “Buy my book!” Instead I prefer to chat with people and connect with them on a personal level. It makes the whole process much more interesting than being an author on a pedestal.

It’s a personal question, but do you feel you’re making, or are able to make money by having self-published your book? Do you feel you are making more than you would be being traditionally published?

I’m making more money each month now than I was after six years as an established freelance journalist. Based on a blog post by agent/author Mandy Hubbard, I’m doing better financially than I would have as a traditionally published midlister. View Mandy’s post here.

Are you happy with the level of your sales? Do you think there is more you could do to improve your sales?

I’m thrilled that someone other than my mom has bought my books. I’m overwhelmed that complete strangers are contacting me and telling me how much they love my work. Can I do better? Of course I can. I will continue to work hard every day to reach new readers.

Will you continue to self-publish, or do you want to be traditionally published (and self-publish), and why?

For now I’m continuing with self-publishing. Will I change my mind in the future? Maybe. I guess I’m a little Justin Beiber in that I never say never. ;)

Would you recommend self-publishing to other writers?

I’ve been happy with my experience, but I don’t think it’s for everyone. If a writer has no interest in the business end, then they shouldn’t pursue self-pub. I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs and have worked and managed in many small business. I like that portion of self-pubbing, a lot of people don’t. If you’re not passionate about the whole process, then don’t do it.

What do you see as the pitfalls in self-publishing?

It is very easy to become discouraged. We have near-real time reporting of our sales. It’s easy to check four thousand times a day. Let me tell you, checking sales constantly during the day isn’t rewarding unless you’re selling a lot of books. It’s frustrating to see a big fat zero four or five times throughout the day.

It’s also a bit lonely. As a self-pub, you don’t a team of professionals singing your virtues and telling you how awesome you are. Every self-pub author needs to surround herself with friends who are encouraging and honest.

Do you have any tips for writers thinking of self-publishing?

Talk to other self-pubbed authors and think very hard about the path you want to take. It’s not for everyone.

A huge thanks to Megg for participating in this series.

Thank you for having me!!!!

To find out more about Megg Jensen and her books you can view her website/blog
You can follow her on Twitter
You can become a Facebook fan
To buy Megg Jensen's books, please go here.

YA author, Megg Jensen at her first book signing

All images courtesy of Megg Jensen

Self-Publishing - Part One

2011-07-16T09:31:00.015+02:00

From unknown to fame, author Amanda Hocking, having been rejected countless times, took matters into her own hands by self-publishing her books on e-book platforms only. She started in early 2010 and over ten months sold more than 900 000 books. She’s become a millionaire at the age of 26 and has signed a four book contract (reportedly for seven figures) with traditional publisher, St Martins press.

I realise none of this is news to those of you reading this, but I post this as the first in a new series I’ll be doing on self-publishing, featuring interviews with authors who have self published.

I also realise that Amanda Hocking is probably not the best example to use – in the same way that J K Rowling was never the best example to use for “achieving success as a children’s writer”. Both are statistical outliers, but, equally, both have done, and are doing things that are groundbreaking, will shift boundaries and open doors. True, both had a product that the market was greedy for. True, not everyone can create a product like that. And, yes, luck inevitably plays a role.

Now, you may wonder why I, who have spent years submitting work to traditional publishers, am doing a series on self-publishing. But the reality is the publishing industry, whether purists like it or not, is changing. Economic factors are a key influence - while technology makes it all possible – from the actual self-publishing of an e-book to the marketing through social recommendation engines and social networking sites.

More and more writers are turning to self-publishing as a means of getting their work out into the big wide world. A recent survey showed that 20 million people read e-books last year, creating a very nice market of which self-published authors can take advantage.

New York Times best-selling spy thriller novelist Barry Eisler recently turned down a $500,000 book deal with an unnamed legacy publisher in order to self-publish his own popular books. “Based on what’s happening in the industry, and based on the kind of experience writers…are having in self-publishing, I think I can do better in the long term on my own.”

Russ Grandinetti, vice president of Kindle Content for Amazon, says “It's possible for any author to make their book available with little or no upfront cost and reach a global audience." Digital publishing, he says, "gives a chance to a great book that otherwise might have been overlooked."

I have had countless arguments over the past few years with fellow writers and authors about e-readers and e-books and self publishing. Many have pooh-poohed the idea and lamented the “death” of the paper book. And let’s not kid ourselves, there is also a certain elitism and fear of change at work. I, however, tend to take the more pragmatic view of if not, why not.

Given the recent article in the Bookseller which started by saying “The [children’s publishing] industry is "haemorrhaging talent" as authors and illustrators are finding it increasingly difficult to make a living in the children's sector”, it seems only logical for illustrators, writers and authors to consider the alternatives.

In the Bookseller article, children’s author, Julia Jarman, is quoted as saying, "Royalties are down, advances are down, and publishers are offering less for new books."

Nick Green, who I interviewed last year, says in the same article, “I am not going to kid myself that I can support my family by writing fiction. At best it is extra pocket money. I would never give up the day job - not even if my next advance was six-figures, because another might never come again."

It looks, by all accounts, pretty dire out there – and besides that, many authors lament the amount of effort they put into their work, only to reap a tiny proportion of the reward – should they even get a deal. Others complain about the way they are treated by their publishers and the industry per se.

In my own experience, you can work your butt off, put hours and hours into polishing and honing your craft and your manuscript, you can attend courses and go to conferences, spend money on having your work professionally assessed and still be rejected because either publishers are not taking chances, or the wrong person read it on the wrong day, or “it’s not right for our list”, or you missed “a trend” by a nanosecond. So what do you do then? Do you put the manuscript away and begin yet another (and when do you call it quits on all the others you write), do you give up – or, do you look, as Amanda Hocking did, for alternatives?

Amanda Hocking says on her blog that in February 2010, after countless rejections, ‘I said to my room-mate, “I don't think it's going to happen. I don't think I'm ever going to get published. I don't know what more I can do. I've worked like a factory putting out the best books I possibly can. I've studied trends, the industry, business models.”

It was then that she started researching e-books and discovered that for every $2.99 book she could sell, she could keep 70%, with the rest going to the online bookseller. For every 99-cent book she could sell, she could keep 30%.

She said to her room-mate, “I'm going to sell books on Amazon through Kindle, and I bet I can make at least a couple hundred bucks by the end of the summer to go to Chicago."

In March she published her book with Lulu and sold it via Amazon. In April she published her first book to Kindle. She published a second book in the same way. She sold 45 books in two weeks. She put out another book. The rest, as they say, is history.

And here’s the irony, Amanda Hocking is publishing in a genre of which traditional publishers will tell you, “Sorry, but we think the trend has passed.” Clearly the market which buys Amanda Hocking’s books doesn’t agree. Her vampires remain hugely popular (in the same way that gran’ma’s tried and tested recipe for brownies remains popular over decades). And this is the thing, publishers are always looking for the “next big thing”, they’re making and breaking trends with, it would often seem, little acceptance of the fact that the market will eat brownies and read vampires till the cows come home – and in the process, many great books simply get overlooked.

As Amanda Hocking says: “From what I can guess, [my success] happened because the books are in a popular genre.”

Over the next few weeks I will be asking several authors why they chose to self publish and how they set about it, how they rate their success, the pitfalls of self-publishing and more besides.

But first, with some of Amanda’s books loaded onto my e-reader, I’m going off for a few days to point my camera at lions, stalk leopards and laugh with hyenas. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves in my absence.

(All images, aside from that of Nick Green, have been nicked off the internet.)

Writing Room Revelations - Part Seven

2011-07-11T13:44:00.024+02:00

In the final episode of the current series of Writing Room Revelations, three well-known and entirely wonderful children’s authors – John Dickinson, Philip Ardagh, Malorie Blackman - and Teri Terry, a soon-to-be-published debut YA author, reveal their writing room secrets by answering the questions:

Where do you write? And what does your writing space give you – i.e. why do you write there?

Where do you do your most creative thinking – and when? (e.g particular time of day, conscious space e.g. dreams)

Do you use/need anything particular in order to help you write? (e.g. music, chocolate, coffee, silence etc) In what way does this “support” help you?

I suggest you get yourself a cup of tea or coffee - but be wary of drinking it while reading some of these responses…

JOHN DICKINSON
Author of The Cup of the World, The Widow and the King, The Fatal Child, The Lightstep and WE

I write in an annex room with white walls and a sloping ceiling, and dark blue blinds of a colour that makes me think of the Mediterranean. There’s a big tapestry of the Creation on one wall, so at one time I was going to call this ‘The Creation Room,’ (but of course that didn’t stick). On another there’s a sketch of yours truly done by Christopher Lee. I am portrayed in fantasy armour and accompanied by an assortment of goblins carrying all kinds of exotic weaponry, including a hand grenade - just what an author needs to get his thoughts going. There is also a small potted palm tree in case I need to recycle my carbon dioxide.

The room is quite large: four metres by five or say 10% of the floor area of the house. That means I can claim 10% of the running expenses of the house on my tax return. Or I could, supposing the room was exclusively used for the production of literary works.

I fear my tax return needs a little revision.

For one thing, there’s a large bed in one corner. I can’t remember when it got here but it’s definitely there now. From the state of it, it gets quite a lot of use. Last users as I recall were two of the four teenagers who slept over with us on Sunday night. (I have been careful not to ask which two). Before that it was probably me, looking for a place where sleep might be possible at four in the morning, which it plainly wasn’t going to be in my own bed. Before that it was whichever couple it was who came to stay and were so terribly polite about the cooking, the state of the bathrooms etc. Anyway, my ‘Creation Room’ doubles as a spare bedroom. And the ghostly taxman at my elbow makes a note in his little book.

In another corner there’s an antique oval table. It’s where my wife does the administration for her father’s estate – a process that generates as much in paper as a First World War battle does in mud, while taking three times as long and being very nearly as bloody. The papers occupy most of the surface and also a considerable part of the floor around it. One corner of the table, however, has been colonised by my daughter, who has been studying for her summer exams. Daughter has been coached in a number of revision techniques, one of which is to put up post-its all over the house with random bits of learning on them. The one on the wall by my left ear reads:

Subjunctive
- Emotion
- Wishing/willing
- Impersonal constructions
- Negative doubt
- Superlative que/qui (opinion not fact)

Up to a few days ago there was another one on the desk that read For Fools to Ponder Over. I never found out what that was about. I think it must have been Eng. Lit.

My desk has not escaped the executor’s battle. There’s a small heap of papers here to do with trusts and investments, some of which I’m supposed to be helping with. There’s also the printout of an agreement with Google about their Terms of Service – that’s to do with wife’s work. There’s a stack of trays, crammed with paper, property of the church treasurer. The wooden chest to the left of the desk teeters with folders, also belonging to the treasurer. On the floor – what’s that? It looks like more French. And some ‘How to choose your university’ stuff. And rail tickets.

Over the back of a chair are flung some clothes. Neatly balanced on the top of the clothes is a rolled up pair of pink socks.

Where do I write, Nicky? I write in my head.

Too bad the brain isn’t tax-deductible.

To find out more about John Dickinson, visit his website.

PHILIP ARDAGH
Award winning author of the Eddie Dickens books, Grubtown Tales, and the Unlikely Exploits series, and also the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2009’s seven to fourteen category.

BLOG AUTHOR'S NOTE: All images of Philip Ardagh have had to be nicked from the internet. Some of these images may be entirely misleading. It is entirely possible that Philip Ardagh actually writes inside a giant pumpkin and does his best thinking while glued to the roof of a tent...

On Writing
It used to be on one particular pad with one particular pen, or one particular typewriter, or one particular Amstrad, or one particular PC, on one particular desk in one particular corner of one particular room.

Yes, I was particular.

Anywhere else, and the writing just didn't come together. Then, over time, as I got invited to appear at more and more events and festivals in more and more parts of the world, I found I HAD to write in different locations with different methods, or I'd never meet those deadlines...

...so now I write on planes, trains and in the backs of cars. On railway platforms, hotel rooms, poolsides, airports, backstage... on laptops, paper napkins, in notebooks... I can pretty much write anywhere.

On Thinking
As well as satisfying a need, writing is also my job. On weekdays -- if I'm not off at an event or travelling to or from one -- I'm at my desk from around 8.30am until 5.40pm (though may well be working again later in the evening). I'm not a writer who sets myself a number of words to write in a day, or only works morning or afternoons.

I write write, write...

It's not witchcraft or alchemy, it's putting in the hours (and having the luxury to be able to put in the hours because it's my one and only job). When the creativity comes: great. When it doesn't, I tackle the more mundane aspects of the business.

On Support
At home, I have an office and a study. The office is lined with shelves containing my foreign editions, reference books, VAT and TAX files. It houses my desktop computer, stationery, and disorganized piles of paper. My study has dark furniture, knick-knacks, Victorian and Edwardian decanters, and old pictures on the wall.

When the need takes me, I can switch from one to the other for a very different atmosphere.

In both rooms, I do like quiet.

You can find a whole load more (hilarious) stuff about Philip Ardagh on his website.
And you can follow Philip on Twitter

MALORIE BLACKMAN
Multiple award winning author of Noughts and Crosses, Boys Don’t Cry, Pig Heart Boy, Thief, and Hacker

On Writing
I write in my attic which is full of books and my work desk is tucked away in one corner.

On Thinking
I do my best thinking when I'm asleep. If I have plot problems, a good night's sleep always seems to sort them out.

On Support
I have a 'music to work by' playlist which I play when I'm answering correspondence or reworking a story. When I'm creating the first draft, I must admit I like silence. Apart from music, the odd cup of lemon and ginger tea when I'm working goes down nicely too.

You can find out more about Malorie Blackman on her website.
And you can follow Malorie on Twitter.

TERI TERRY
Soon to be published debut author of Slated (having read some early chapters of Slated, I can assure you that Teri Terry is an author you definitely want to look out for!)

On Writing
My best writing time is first thing in the morning, barely awake with a cup of tea, in my PJ’s in bed, propped up on pillows, laptop on knees. Sorry, no photos of this: no way! I write until I stop making sense, often from 6 or 7 am until 11, 12, 1, 2 or even later… I forget to eat.

Lately I’ve been finding if I stop earlier, actually eat and get up and do something else for a while like go for a walk, I am more productive over all. I usually go to the Writing Shack at the bottom of the garden for the afternoon. I'm rubbish at doing anything after lunch if I stay in the house.

All the above assumes I am home for the day! If not, writing fits in around the day job or other necessities as it will. But most days start with morning writing.

Even though Banrock (aka the Bunny ofHope: chief Muse, desk builder and partner in crime) and I spent AGES building an actual desk... I never use it to write. I don't know why: it just doesn't feel right. Why I like to write in bed is mostly tied up in my answer to the next question. And in the Shack in the afternoon, I am removed from all distractions, hidden away. The internet doesn't work that far from the house, and the only one who bothers me there is Distractor Cat from two doors down. She likes to evict my laptop for cuddles.

On Thinking
Dreams are important to me: part of the reason I like to write on waking. That subconscious bit of my brain kicks in and helps out. The kicking off point for my YA thriller, Slated – title and all – came from a dream; not the first time this has happened.

Oh, and in the shower! Not very green of me, but a long shower seems to help my brain sort out tricky plot points.

On Support
Years ago, I needed silence and complete lack of distractions: this isn’t very practical. I moved on to Mark Knopfler. The music starts and the creative part of my brain instantly knows it is time to write. I don’t think I even hear it any more. Knopfler in the morning, and birdsong in the garden in the afternoon.

One thing I don’t need is broadband. It is much better for my concentration if I leave it unplugged in the morning.

Chocolate is sometimes a reward! 3000 words gets me a walk to the shop and some M&Ms. But this may have to go as the book launch diet is about to begin.

Did I mention Slated will be out with Orchard Books next May?

You can find out more about Teri Terry on her website.
And you can follow Teri on Twitter.

If you are a children’s or YA author (or soon to be published children’s or YA author) and would like to participate in the Writing Room Revelations series, please contact me.

Writing Room Revelations - Part Six

2011-07-04T09:43:00.014+02:00

In this week's Writing Room Revelations, I offer up the writing room secrets of two wonderful children's and teen writers - Mary Hoffman and Savita Kalhan. I think I have the timing spot on as Mary's new book, David, is published today, and this coming weekend (9 - 10 July) both Mary Hoffman and Savita Kalhan will be taking part on the "ABBA Lit Fest" being held on the Awfully Big Blog Adventure blog. Featuring a host of fabulous authors, this is a live blogging event you really don't want to miss!

But now on with the Revelations in which both Mary and Savita answer the questions:

Where do you write? And what does your writing space give you – i.e. why do you write there?

Where do you do your most creative thinking – and when? (e.g particular time of day, conscious space e.g. dreams)

Do you use/need anything particular in order to help you write? (e.g. music, chocolate, coffee, silence etc) In what way does this “support” help you?

MARY HOFFMAN
Award winning author of the Stravaganza series, The Falconer’s Knot, Troubadour – and released today, the 4th of July 2011, David.

On Writing
I write on my laptop - on my lap! I know you are not supposed to but I do and have had no problems with neck or back. I sit on the green sofa in my green and white ground floor study, which has French windows to the garden at the back of my house. Drawbacks include this being the place where the three cats bring their prey/presents for me. Some dead, some alive, some on that borderline between. Birds, shrews, squirrels, frogs. The frogs do best.

I do HAVE a desk. It contains the phone, a globe of the world (my youngest daughter is going to sail round the world with her partner), A double hole-punch, the router, a calendar from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, with a different picture for every day, a tile with an Etruscan flying horse on it, and my Prix Polar Jeunesse for Rouge Crime (The Falconer's Knot), which is more valued than beautiful.

I've had this as my work room for just over ten years, when we moved from London to Oxfordshire. A ground-floor study for me was a priority. But a beautiful desk was not needed. The one I have is of pine and was actual;y bought for my middle daughter. She couldn't fit it in her London flat and the desk was in our garage. But now I have it and it is very useful for its drawers.

Instead of the desk, my coffee table beside the sofa contains all my day to day needs. Three baskets containing correspondence: Work, Non-work and Finance. Also my kindle, my Filofax, various index card boxes, notebooks, coasters for coffee, pots of pens, bookmarks and highlighters, a glass bowl of green and white glass "power stones" made for me by youngest daughter, a plant in a red cache-pot given by middle daughter, a box of tissues, a mouse-mat (quite redundant since I work on a MacBook Air with mouse trackpad, but it came from the London Review of books and has keyboard shortcuts for diacritics.

I have written in this set-up five and a half Stravaganza novels, three "historicals", two full length adult novels, not yet published, various picture books and junior fiction and an enormous number of blogs, emails, Facebook statuses and Tweets!

My writing space gives me - well not privacy, since the door is always propped open with a brass doorstop and it is quite a thoroughfare between the rest of the house and the garden. But it is where "writing me" feels at home. Each book I am working on or planning has its own open box, containing books, research notes, folders, family trees, etc, etc. On the green walls hang original artwork from my picture books by Jane Ray, Faith Jacques, Chris Riddell, and some prints of mosaics by Robert Field that I bought when researching City of Ships.

Bookcases hold my reference collection for myths and legends, children's and YA books I want to keep, one copy of all my books (90+ but the foreign editions are all upstairs, and many books on medieval and Renaissance Italy.

On Thinking
I don't have a place for this! maybe I should - a thinking room? It can strike anywhere, even in my sleep. Yes, I have dreamed a good plot, which I'm thinking of turning into a book, and a title which I like which might be another book. Or not. When I swim, three times a week before breakfast, I think about what I'm going to write that day. I am much more creative in the mornings than in the afternoons and evenings, but I waste a lot of possibly creative time on the Net, Twitter and Facebook. I'm sure I've slowed up my output since they entered my life.

On Support
Ooh, lots of things! My three Burmese cats, who wander through, resent the laptop because it's on my lap and sometime curl up beside me on a fake wolf rug so I can stroke them with one hand while typing with the other. I have the radio on, British talk radio (Radio 4) until 12 noon when there is a terrible programme called You and Yours. Then I switch to Radio 3, which plays classical music. At noon there is Composer of the Week. If I don't like that composer, I play CDS, usually of medieval or Renaissance music. Silence is not an option.

At 11am I make coffee (freshly ground hazelnut) and in the afternoon I have decaffeinated tea. Like most writers, I suffer from insomnia. i have developed a way of working that suits me; in my study i am like a nut in its shell. It feels like an organic container which help me to produce all the tens of thousands of words and ideas that go to make up a novelist’s output.

You can read more about Mary Hoffman on her website.

You can read Mary's blog – The Book Maven.

You can become a fan on Mary’s Facebook page.

You can follow Mary Hoffman on Twitter.

(Pictures of Mary Hoffman, courtesty of Lucy Coats.)

SAVITA KALHAN
Award nominated author of The Long Weekend.

On Writing
I have always written in a variety of different spaces depending on my mood and the book I’m writing. The first picture is the view from my son’s window where I wrote The Long Weekend one autumn a few years ago.

I loved working in his room because the view is stunning without being distracting, but also because it perfectly fitted the scenery of the book I was writing. I can see the tree that Sam hid in that night the man was looking for them in the woods.

The other work spaces include the little cubby-hole of a study, where, on the rare occasions they happen, emails and research, blog posts and organisation are conducted, but very little actual book writing is done there. I have tried repositioning the desk to face the window, but the light is all wrong and the view is of the road outside, which isn’t conducive to writing.

My third working space is the dining room, which is pretty much surrounded on all sides by book cases overflowing with books, a large table, which in seconds can morph from being a recognisable dining table to a cluttered mess, littered with paper, notebooks, files and laptop, which only I can make sense of!

Essentially, I think my writing space needs space or at least a feeling of space, of not being hemmed in on all sides. A cosy cubby-hole just doesn’t do it for me.

On Thinking
I’ve never really thought consciously of a place where I do my creative thinking. But thinking about it now, I think I do my most creative thinking on the deck at the back of my house, overlooking the woods and the brook. The allotment now also provides time where I can switch off from phone, emails, twitter etc and think creatively if I want to or not if I don’t. Strangely, the gym is another place where I can think creatively – especially if I’m running and I’ve got loud blaring music pumping through my earphones!

But what’s true of all my creative thinking is that although there are places where it happens more easily, there isn’t a specific time. Although it would be nice to slot a ‘creative thinking hour’ into the day and know that it will all happen then! Yes, I know, Nicky, wishful thinking...

On Support
Paper, pens, pencils and notebooks are always scattered around the house, my handbag, and the car! I scribble things down as they occur to me because there have been moments in the past when I’ve stored them in my head and when it came to write them I had completely forgotten them. It’s totally gutting when that happens! My laptop is essential, although it doesn’t get carried about everywhere, and when I’m writing I have to sever the internet connection because that really is just too distracting. Apart from those things, silence and an empty house are the most important things. Only occasionally do I feel the need for music, and then it can only be classical. Tea and apples supply the rest of what I need when I’m writing. And if the need is even greater, then I resort to the evil that is crisps and dark chocolate, although not at the same time of course!

You can find out more about Savita Kalhan on her website.

You can become a fan on Savita's Facebook page.

You can follow Savita on Twitter.

You can read my interview with Savita Kalhan here.

Writing Room Revelations - Part Five

2011-06-27T10:33:00.033+02:00

And today, I give you…. Yes! Yes! More Writing Room Revelations! This week some more very special children’s and YA authors reveal just how much coffee or tea they need in order to write…

In Part Five of Writing Room Revelations, authors Jo Treggiari, Cat Clarke, Candy Gourlay and Anne Rooney answer the questions:

Where do you write? And what does your writing space give you – i.e. why do you write there?

Where do you do your most creative thinking – and when? (e.g particular time of day, conscious space e.g. dreams)

Do you use/need anything particular in order to help you write? (e.g. music, chocolate, coffee, silence etc) In what way does this “support” help you?

JO TREGGIARI
Debut author of Ashes, Ashes

On Writing
For the first time in my life I have an office. It even has a door which I can close in the faces of my children. Unfortunately in order to enjoy the wonderful view I have out the sun porch of the sea and the lovely town I now live in, I chose to remove the wall opposite my desk. This means that I am exposed on that side to requests for cookies and questions about philosophy I have no hope of answering. On the plus side, besides the view it has bulletin boards, space for calming pictures, an old coal fireplace, and floor to ceiling bookshelves.

On Thinking
When I am in the midst of really writing a book, I can have an 'aha' moment at anytime but most often it is during my morning walk with the dog. I am quite rigid about having a notebook and 2 pens with me always because in the past I have been forced to scrawl notes to myself up and down each forearm. I have a routine for writing which I do not deviate from unless someone is really sick, and that is: sit down in front of the computer immediately after walkies and don't stir until I have written at least 1000 words. Repeat every day except for Sunday, unless things are going gang-busters in which case hours and word counts increase exponentially.

On Support
I don't need anything exactly but I enjoy chocolate and wine, more as mood uplifters rather than inspirational tools. I used to think I wrote fabulously when drunk but it wasn't true. I have also spilled wine on the keyboard on occasion so I am very very careful now. I also cannot function without 2 cups of coffee a day but that's just to wake myself up.

You can find out more about Jo Treggiari on her website
And you can become a fan on Jo’s Facebook page

CAT CLARKE
Debut author of Entangled

On Writing
I mostly write in my study, with the occasional trip to a coffee shop if I’m feeling antsy. The coffee shop has the added bonus of treacle scones; my study has the added bonus of cats. I’m slowly getting used to the study – I’ve only been in this house for a couple of months. Things I like about it: my cupboard doors of inspiration (pictured); a huge desk that allows me to be very disorganized; bookshelves filled with incredible books I wish I’d written; proximity to the kitchen.

On Thinking
I do a lot of my thinking on the bus or the train, watching the world go by. If I sit down at my desk and try to think, I usually come up with nothing (or at least, nothing good anyway). I’ve had a couple of good ideas from dreams, but they always seem to lose something as soon as I write them down.

On Support
I need to listen to music, and it has to be loud enough to drown out any other thoughts. I also need lots of cups of tea (please note the embarrassingly tea-stained mug on the desk), a glass of water, a hot water bottle at my feet (not when I’m at the coffee shop... that would be weird), cats (who usually occupy the tartan blanket in the corner of the photo) and something fun to look forward to. I need incentives to get me to sit down and write – an episode of my latest DVD boxset usually does the trick.

You can find out more about Cat Clarke on her website.
You can also follow Cat on her blog.
And you can become a fan on Cat Clarke's Facebook page.

CANDY GOURLAY
Award nominated and winning debut author of Tall Story.

On Writing
I've been trying to wean myself from spending so much time in cafes (so fattening) and I seem to be succeeding! For the past month I've been writing consistently in my office, which I call a shed but is really a proper room in the garden with a little decking area. I love sitting in the shed, surrounded by my stuff - my books, my Toy Story alien, drawings by various neighbourhood children, photos of my children and hubby, and my kit. The danger of being so near my "kit" (recording, video, editing) is I'm easily distracted into impulsive video making. It's great now that I'm a published author to have the excuse of making marketing material for myself on YouTube. I've planted a yellow bamboo tree just outside to remind me of home (the Philippines), and staring at the bamboo is
hugely therapeutic. I also have a view of our oversized trampoline and if I'm unlucky, the trampoline will be full of bouncing teenagers. Which means no more writing.

On Thinking
Creative thinking seems to come at any given moment and often not when I have a moment to jot things down! But I do try to kickstart the creative juices in the morning by reading something brilliant - like re-reading chapters of Geraldine McCaughrean's The White Darkness or a short story from Ray Bradbury's story collection.

On Support
Silence is key in the shed ... and no connection to the internet whatsoever!
The weird thing is my best writing position is sitting in the leather chair with my feet up on another seat. I only write in my netbook - I so love the new Microsoft Word 2007. Tried writing on the iMac I use for design work and it's impossible! Or maybe I'm a creature of very fixed habits!

You can read more about Candy Gourlay on her website.
You can read Candy's blog.
You can become a fan of Tall Story's Facebook page

ANNE ROONEY
Author of numerous fiction and non-fiction books for children including, most recently, Off the Rails, Monster in the Garden and, Grim, Gross and Grisly.

On Writing
I can write almost anywhere. This afternoon I was writing in a café, and then sitting on some unused tables in the main hall of Small Bint’s school while she was setting up her GCSE art exhibition. [Author’s note, Small Bint is the affectionate by which Anne refers to her younger daughter.] But usually I write in my lovely office, which is so packed full of obscure objects that there is barely room for me. From here I can see: a stuffed piranha, a plastic cardinal, a flamingo wishbone, some volcanic rock from Mount Etna, a chunk of the Berlin Wall, part of an Etruscan amphora... There are French windows onto the roof garden and in the summer I can work outside looking down on the chickens wrecking the real garden and the tortoise in his gulag. I write in here because it’s (a) warm (b) bint-free and (c) full of my mess, rather than anyone else’s, so – unbelievably – I know where to find things.

On Thinking
Early morning is usually best. If I don’t get any creative work done between 6am and 8am the rest of the day is probably doomed and may as well be spent doing the accounts or faffing about on Facebook and writing blog posts while pretending that it counts as work really. Look, if I spend two hours chatting to Mary Hoffman, that must be work, right? We will mention a book at some point. We will be snide about Twilight. It will be very intellectual. I think at lot while walking, too – often to Waitrose. Sometimes I have to steal bits of loo roll to write down the ideas so that I don’t forget them while shopping. Sometimes I forget to do the shopping and just get carried away by the ideas and go home with two items, probably useless – a magazine for the bint and some rubber gloves, for instance.

On Support
Coffee, to get started; Radio 4 in the morning, Radio 3 later, especially if it’s playing opera. An opera CD if the radio is rubbish or playing that awful world music programme on Saturdays before the opera. I think they took too seriously that bit in Paradise Lost about heaven having no meaning if you don’t have hell. I would have been willing to take heaven on trust. Sorry, what was the question? Oh, gin and orange. With the opera, on a Saturday night – best time of all. But that would make for slow books as it’s only about three hours a week.

You can find out more about Anne Rooney on her website.
You can read Anne’s excellent blog, The Stroppy Author, in which she shares much of her extensive writing experience.
And you can become a fan on Anne Rooney’s Facebook page
You can also read Anne’s article Banned: The Hidden Censorship in Children’s Books on the New Humanist site

Writing Room Revelations - Part Four

2011-06-19T12:42:00.012+02:00

And continuing the Writing Room Revelations series… This week children’s and YA authors Nick Green, Gillian Philip, Jonathan Mayhew and Cindy Pon answer the questions:

Where do you write? And what does your writing space give you – i.e. why do you write there?

Where do you do your most creative thinking – and when? (e.g particular time of day, conscious space e.g. dreams)

Do you use/need anything particular in order to help you write? (e.g. music, chocolate, coffee, silence etc) In what way does this “support” help you?

JON MAYHEW
Award winning author of Mortlock and the recently released The Demon Collector

On Writing
I have a tiny room to write in but often break out and write all around the house. Anywhere warm and deamnd-free.

On Thinking
I have most of my good ideas when I'm meant to be doing something else and often while I'm running or walking. So a bit of stress and some mindless routine usually does the trick!

On Support
Music from my youth seems to trigger certain creative juices. I have to be warm and I must know that nobody is going to ask me for aomething, to do something, to be somewhere etc. A laptop helps too!

The book trailer of The Demon Collector

You can find out more about Jon Mayhew on his website or on his blog
You can become a fan on Facebook
You can read my interview with Jon Mayhew here.

NICK GREEN
Author of The Cat Kin

On Writing
I don’t have a particular place to write – I do it wherever and whenever I can fit it in around other things. I’ve got so used to working with distractions (mainly to do with having a full-time day job and a young family) that I find it harder to work with total peace, quiet and stability. And I think all the upheaval benefits my writing – it forces me to be as gripping as I can be, merely to hold my own attention!

On Thinking
When, for whatever reason, I can’t get to a computer to write. I have enforced breaks where chores must be done and children cared for, and so forth. These are the times when my brain starts bursting with ideas, so that I have to frantically scribble them down, often with hands still wet from doing some small person’s bath. I’ve taken to carrying my notebook and pen in a trouser pocket, whipping them out like a gunslinger.

On support
I like to associate the book I’m writing with a particular song or piece of music, or several. Like making a soundtrack for a film that doesn’t yet exist. It helps to get my head immediately back into the mood of that story, just by playing the song. Choices can be very eclectic and it’s all about mood, not subject matter. For instance the forthcoming Cat’s Paw was helped along by K T Tunstall’s gentle ballad ‘The Other Side Of The World’, while another book used a song by the prog-metal band Dream Theater.

You can find out more about Nick Green on his website.
You can read my interview with Nick Green here.

GILLIAN PHILIP
Award winning and Carnegie medal nominated author of Crossing the Line, Bad Faith, Firebrand and novels for Young Adults.

On writing
I write in my study, which I'm very lucky to have (my husband gets a cupboard under the stairs, a la Harry Potter) but which I'm incapable of keeping tidy. That's why I'm offering a close-up shot of my, erm, paperweight - I'm ashamed of the DVDs all over the floor and the 'relaxed' filing system. But it is a wonderful private space where I can close the door and be (mostly) undisturbed, and it has a fabulous view of the valley below our house.

On thinking
I do my most creative thinking while I'm out walking, which I don't do nearly as often as I'd like to. It's true what they say about walking shaking loose ideas and getting plots in order in your head. And I'm hopeless at thinking creatively before about eleven o'clock in the morning - the later it is, the straighter I can think. I'm quite often sitting in bed, last thing at night, scribbling
furiously.

On support
The only think I absolutely need is coffee, and lots of it. I need it to jump-start my work day. I try to be sociable and have lunch with my husband, but quite often I'd rather grab a snack and stay at my laptop - the ideas are only just starting to flow by lunchtime, and it's a little frustrating to break the spell.

You can find out more about Gillian Philip on her website
and you can become a fan on Facebook

You can read my interview with Gillian Philip here, and my interview with her gorgeous hero, Seth MacGregor, from Firebrand, here.

CINDY PON
Author of the Asian-inspired fantasy novels The Silver Phoenix and the recently released Fury of the Phoenix

On Writing
My official "office" is at our dining table. It's not very writerly, but it does offer open space and brightness, which I like. I write here because it's the only space that works for me in our little house. When I want to be "social", I will write at a coffee place or my preferred boba shop, where they serve good food and drinks!

On thinking
Long car drives, showers, and on the elliptical machine. These seem to help induce very good brainstorming!

On Support
Definitely my Macbook Pro, a dictionary and thesaurus, and a drink, preferably espresso or chai latte! I also enjoyed listening to Jay Chou ballads while writing Fury of the Phoenix as it was quite emo and I couldn't sing along entirely since the songs were in mandarin. I think they support me as they are my comforts and my routine, and I'm a stickler to those, they make me happy.

Book Trailer for The Fury of The Phoenix

You can find out more about Cindy Pon on her website or on her blog.
Or you can follow Cindy on Twitter
You can read my interview with Cindy Pon here.

Writing Room Revelations - Fiona Dunbar

2011-06-12T19:23:00.009+02:00

And continuing the Writing Room Revelation series - here's a Special Edition!

You know, sometimes when you ask an author a question, they don't just give you a simple answer, they give you a whole story - that's the totally wonderful thing about them - they're storytellers. So you will find that as the Writing Room Revelation series progresses, there will be a few posts dedicated to a single writer - because, well, because that writer wanted to share a story with you.
Yes, of course you best say thank you; it is a privilege.

Fiona Dunbar
(image courtesy of Candy Gourlay and Fiona Dunbar)

In today's post, Fiona Dunbar - best-selling author of the Lulu Baker/Jinx, and Silk Sisters trilogies and the new Kitty Slade series) answers my questions:

1. Where do you write? And what does your writing space give you – i.e. why do you write there?

2. Where do you do your most creative thinking – and when? (e.g. particular time of day, conscious space e.g. dreams)

3. Do you use/need anything particular in order to help you write? (e.g. music, chocolate, coffee, silence etc) In what way does this “support” help you?

On Writing:

My workspace isn't actually ready, you understand. But Nicky wanted this piece now, so here it is. It's my brand new study, so pictures have yet to be hung on walls, that pile of junk you see sitting on top of the plan chest needs sorting through and putting away, and I need to get a proper mat for under my chair. But then, workspaces are always works in progress really, aren't they? We don't exactly prioritise them interior-design-wise. I didn't tidy up for this pic, so it's a miracle there's nothing on the floor. Actually no, it isn't, because finally I have managed to plan a space that allows for source-material-spreadage, i.e. it has enough places to put things. Never underestimate the extent of source-material-spreadage.

On Thinking:

What is really fab about my new study is the French windows that lead out onto a deck. This is now My Deck. Yes, I am spoiled: yes, I deserve it, so there. Occasionally I will take the laptop out there but not often, because on a sunny day the screen is highly reflective (I do have one of those hoods to put over it but frankly it's a pain; someone needs to design a better version). Also, sometimes it's noisy out there: this is a terraced house in London, with all that that entails. But as a spot to sit and read, muse, make notes…it's fab.

I have to mention Alfonso. Alfonso is my gilded Spanish chicken, and he lives on the ledge behind my desk. He's a little the worse for wear, poor thing: I found him in a tiny shop in Seville in the late 80s, and he's a bit worn out now – but he's still smiling. I do like his expression; it makes me smile, too. I plan to fill my work space gradually with things that resonate with me for whatever reason: things that give off positive energy, to indulge in some ghastly New-Age-Speak. Alfonso definitely does that. He was the Chicken of Happiness, long before Edward Monckton thought of such a thing.

On support:

I work in silence: I would find music of any sort distracting.

What keeps me going through the day are:

· Pukka herbal teas. I can't have caffeine, so these are a godsend: herbal teas that are really flavourful. Oh, and Dragonfly Rooibos Vanilla. This seems SO dull as I write: would love to claim I survive exclusively on Jack Daniels and Woodbines, but alas I think I'd be dead if I did;

· Almonds & raisins: my absolute favourite snack. I really should lie about this, shouldn't I? Yeah, really I graze on morsels of suckling pig, spit-roasted on my deck by a half-naked assistant;

· Facebook. But only after 2pm. OK, sometimes 1pm. Or 12 noon. Hey, it's a lonely business, this: we writers are pathetically grateful when people 'like' our comments on FB. It makes feel as if we exist or something;

· Exercise. No, actually not. A walk to the shops, or to go and have a non-coffee with Keren David or Candy Gourlay. That counts as exercise, right?

· Naps. There is a little chunk of night-time for 3am-4am when I am wide awake. Always. That little chunk of night-time gets transferred to 3pm: that is when I take a snooze. Incidentally, 3am is my Magic Hour: that is when I get all my best ideas. And no, I don't mean those ones that you dream, scrawl on a pad, and then read the next morning 'monkey tennis' or something (apologies, Steve Coogan). I mean wide-awake, proper ideas: solutions to problems you've been straining over all day that just ping into your brain, all shiny and clever like someone else thought of them. Amazing thing, your brain: it doesn't stop working on that question you asked it ten hours ago, just because you've been making the dinner and watching The Apprentice.

Fiona Dunbar's new Kitty Slade series kicks off to a great start with Divine Freaks.

"Hey, I'm Kitty Slade. Just your average, normal girl, doing, you know, normal stuff. Got a brother (annoying), a sister (quite annoying) and a grandma (she's awesome).
Oh yeah, and one more thing. I can see dead people."

When a ghost turns up in her biology classroom, only one thing's for sure - Kitty Slade's life is about to get freaky...

Fiona says of her new series "I started out wanting to write a series of mystery stories, along the lines of The Famous Five, only more up-to-date. Then I was looking at the start of a story I’d written about a ghost-busting boy, and I knew I wanted to incorporate that idea too, so what I ended up with was a bit more like a junior version of Ghost Whisperer."

To read more about Kitty Slade and Fiona's inspiration and motivation see Fiona's website - or watch the book trailer below.

Fiona Dunbar can be found at http://www.fionadunbar.com
You can become a Fiona Dunbar Facebook fan
Or, you can follow Fiona Dunbar on Twitter

There'll be more Writing Room Revelations later this week!

Writing Room Revelations - Part Two

2011-06-08T11:14:00.012+02:00

Following on last week’s post about the mysteries of where authors like to write and think, here is the next in the series of Writing Room Revelations.

As you may recall, the questions posed to each author were:

1. Where do you write? And what does your writing space give you – i.e. why do you write there?
2. Where do you do your most creative thinking – and when? (e.g. particular time of day, conscious space e.g. dreams)
3. Do you use/need anything particular in order to help you write? (e.g. music, chocolate, coffee, silence etc) In what way does this “support” help you?

KATHERINE LANGRISH
Award winning author of the Troll Trilogy, Dark Angels, and the soon to be published Forsaken.

On writing:
Well, I should /like /to write in a small, but perfectly appointed library with views through a casement window (with leaded panes) of a small lake with hills behind it. In fact, though, I write in our spare bedroom, which is about 8 feet by 6, with a view of the house across the street. But after all the view doesn't really matter, as I generally pull the curtain across in order to see the screen of my laptop. There isn't anything like enough room for all the books, so they sit in teetering piles which fall over from time to time, and the walls are covered in maps of wherever
it happens to be that I'm currently writing about. The best thing about the room? It has a door, which I can shut.

On thinking:
My most creative thinking is often done while driving the car, walking the dog, or in the moments before I fall asleep or just as I wake up.

Katherine Langrish's writing space

On support:
I don't need any particular props to help me write (other than about a million reference books). Just silence, and if possible, no one in the house.

You can find out more about Katherine Langrish and her books on her website or on her blog.

PAT WALSH
Award nominated author of the Crowfield Curse and the Crowfield Demon

On writing:
If I'm at home, I write in my study, but I like to take a notebook and head out to one of several coffee shops most mornings, where I can happily write for an hour or two. The staff in these places know me now and are happy to let me get on with it. I like to be around people for part of my writing day, and being away from my PC means I'm not going to be distracted by Facebook/emails etc.

On thinking:
I do my most creative writing in the mornings. I can't write to save my life in the afternoons, but I get back into my stride in the evening. I do my creative thinking when I'm out and about, doing other things. Thoughts and ideas are constantly buzzing away at the back of my mind. I always carry a notebook with me wherever I go and jot things down as I go along. Funnily enough, I never dream about whatever I'm writing, and I don't think I've ever been inspired by a dream. I find places inspire me and often spark ideas for stories.

On support:
I need music - preferably on the radio. I'm usually not aware of what I'm listening to, but the sound of voices is a companionable hum in the background. And a constant supply of tea or coffee. To keep my caffeine levels down, I drink a lot of herb and fruit teas. When I'm writing by hand, I have to use a note book with either plain or squared paper. I'll use narrow ruled lined paper at a push - but wide spaced lines are a definite no-go!

You can find out more about Pat Walsh on her website.
And you can read my interview with Pat here.

CHRIS PRIESTLEY
Award winning author of Redwulf’s Curse, Death and the Arrow, the Tales of Terror series, and the Dead of Winter, amongst others.

On writing:
I write in the smallest bedroom of a Victorian terraced house that we rent in Cambridge. The office gives me nothing at all and I can think of little positive to say about it other than it is fairly quiet. But it has no atmosphere at all. I write here because I have nowhere else apart from a studio that I rent to do my art stuff. That one has the benefit of being away from the house, but it is noisier and I share with a couple of other people. My dream is to buy a house here and build an office/studio in the garden.

On thinking:
I pretty much always fall asleep thinking about stories and often panic that I will forget whatever it is I've come up with. I carry notebooks around and scribble away in coffee bars and trains. It's one of the bits of the writing process I really enjoy. But it's fair to say that if I am conscious, I'm often writing in my head. I work at the computer and have a notice board with photos of things to do with whatever book I'm working on. At the moment it is filled with pictures of Amsterdam and paintings from the Dutch Golden Age - the setting for my new book, The Mask.

On support:
I have to have coffee in the morning to jump start my brain. I always like the idea of music when I work, but the fact is, if I really need to concentrate, I need silence. I can't say that I strictly speaking need chocolate, but it wouldn't hinder me in any way. In the end it doesn't really matter where I am or what's happening around me so much as long as I can hear my own voice clearly inside my head.

You can find out more about Chris Priestley on his blog.
And you can read my interview with Chris here.

MIRIAM HALAHMY
Award nominated author of Hidden

On writing:
I started writing in coffee bars as a student in the 1970s. I was influenced by reading about the Paris cafe life of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre. I lived in Paris for nearly a year after college and loved writing in all the different bars around the Latin Quarter, Montmartre and the Marais. This love of writing in coffee bars has continued to the present day. I have written all three of the novels in my Hayling cycle at the same table in Costa Coffee in Golders Green. I presented my barista, Maria, with a copy of HIDDEN, last month and she was delighted. I go to Costa early in the morning when it is almost empty and there is just the hiss of the steam from the machines and usually some gentle jazz on the stereo. I like the early morning walk, even in the snow, getting the creative juices going. I eat an egg sandwich with my small Americano (hot milk on the side) and then I'm fired up and all set to go. Once I enter the world of my book, the external noises fade and I never seem to notice the crowd building up mid-morning and then slowing down until the lunchtime rush. I like the buzz around me and there is always something to look at when I need to take a break. I have a lovely study at the back of the house my husband built me and I work there in the afternoon, editing and redrafting. But my corner in Costa is my favourite place to write and lots of people tell me I've prompted them to go and write in coffee bars.

On thinking:
There is no particular place or time where I do my most creative thinking, rather it is the coming together of a particularly pensive mood, a thought which has risen to the surface and needs time to develop, a physical feeling of almost being outside my own body. My mind takes over and occupies space, making links and connections which may have been a long time developing and coming to fruition. There is something almost magical about this process as I step outside normal time and space and words form and move around me. I don't always record the thoughts, I just let them roll on. I know that if the thread is strong enough them it will stay in my mind and I will be able to recall it and write it down when I am ready. These are very precious times in my writing life and I treasure them.

On support:
I have to be warm and my chair has to be upright but comfortable. I need a steady, clean, flat surface to write on. Apart from my laptop, USB stick and mouse, I put various other items on my table - mobile phone, notebook, pen, diary,watch, glass of water, Polo mints. My objects need to be arranged neatly with edges straight. Coffee gets the adrenalin going and I like to eat something every hour, partly to give my brain a break and partly to renew my energy. I don't like loud music or strong ballads with familiar words. I have been know to ask them to turn the music down in coffee bars. But ultimately, all I need to write is a pen and a notebook. If everything else disappeared I would sit on the floor and write in my notebook.

You can find out more about Miriam Halahmy on her website or on her blog.
You can also become a fan on Miriam's Facebook page.

Writing Room Revelations - Part One

2011-06-01T10:19:00.011+02:00

Writing and thinking spaces are fundamental to any writer and I thought it would be fun to find out where different writers write, where they think – and, if they need any aids to help them in their creativity – you know like, maybe, chocolate…

So I contacted a group of author pals and put the following questions to them:

Where do you write? And what does your writing space give you – i.e. why do you write there?
Where do you do your most creative thinking – and when? (e.g. particular time of day, conscious space e.g. dreams)
Do you use/need anything particular in order to help you write? (e.g. music, chocolate, coffee, silence etc) In what way does this “support” help you?

I’m sure you’ll enjoy the respective responses, in the first part of the Writing Room Revelations series, as much as I did.

MEG ROSOFF
Award wining author of How I live Now, Just in Case, What I Was, The Bride’s Farewell

On Writing:
Ostensibly I write in my tiny office next to the bedroom. But due to backache from leaning over a hot laptop all day, I started working semi-reclining in bed.
This is warmer in winter and makes falling asleep after a hard think so convenient.
When I can't stand the distractions of London and the internet any longer, I retire to Suffolk-sur-mer, where I write (semi-reclining) on the sofa gazing out to sea like a proper old fashioned Writer and forgo proper meals (yay) in favour of cold beans out of cans and toast.

On Thinking:
Walking dogs on Hampstead Heath, riding horses, driving, dozing, on a bus....whenever my brain isn't occupied by bills, chat, or Radio 4.

On Support:
I like silence punctuated by the soft snoring of lurchers. Music is impossible, though I do like the sound of Radio 4 wittering away in another room.

You can find out more about Meg Rosoff on her website, or, on her blog

NICOLA MORGAN (aka The Crabbit Old Bat)
Award winning author of Wasted, Fleshmarket, Deathwatch, The Highwayman books, and many others

On Writing:
Ideally, in my beautiful, weirdly-shaped study, looking onto my garden, unable to see no other sign of human habitation, able to hear nothing but birdsong. Considering that I live in central Edinburgh, seven minutes' walk from John Lewis, that's pretty amazing! It gives me peace, space and comfort. And it's only a few metres from the kitchen, with access to caffeine.

On Thinking:
Walking. Without human company. Or ironing. Ditto.

On Support:
Coffee. Lots. Loud music for fiction, silence for non-fiction or editing. The "music for fiction" thing is about accessing the emotional side and shutting out the noise of reality. I'm very fussy about what the music is (though I can't exactly explain why some works and some doesn't) and will listen to the same album over and over. And over. Bands that work well for me include REM, Muse, Manic Street Preachers, Keane, Kaiser Chiefs, Amy MacDonald, and Belle and Sebastian.

Nicola Morgan's "weirdly-shaped" study

You can find out more about Nicola Morgan on her website , or on her blog

BREAKING NEWS!!!
Today’s a big day for Nicola Morgan, it’s publication day for her new book, Write To Be Published, in which she offers “crabbitly honest advice to good writers determined to succeed.”
Read the special, publication day and particularly crabbitty interview here
You can read my interview with Nicola Morgan here

KEREN DAVID
Award winning author of When I Was Joe, Almost True and the soon to be released Lia’s Guide to Winning the Lottery.

On writing:
This is a really difficult question for me. I'd like a dedicated writing space, which is mine and mine alone, somewhere I can store books, put up pictures on the wall, generally use as a creative space.
I don't have that.
There's a room at home which is a multi-purpose writing/storage/spare room space, and that's the best place to work when I'm home. I don't like it much because it feels messy and not really mine. It's better however than the dining table, which is a place of constant distraction, or the kitchen table (covered with laundry). Sometimes I work in a cafe, sometimes I go to my friend Anna's house. Those places work well for me because I can't access the internet.
The minimum I need to be able to write is quiet and no internet. Rewriting and editing however I can do anywhere at all - on dining table, television on, family rampaging.

On thinking:
When I'm doing something very dull - at the gym, on a walk, supermarket shopping, in the car. Sometimes at night in bed, which is annoying because then I have to get up and find a notebook.

On Support:
Silence is best. Music and conversations mean that other people's words intrude on mine. But a very noisy place can be OK - as long as I can't distinguish individual words. I like to drink either water or tea and maybe have some grapes or blueberries to give me a little reward for getting on and doing it.

You can find out more about Keren David and her books on Keren’s blog
You can read my interview with Keren David here

EBONY MCKENNA
Australian author of the whackily hilarious Ondine series (which also involves a ferret…)

On writing:
This is my home office and I love it. It's straight off the hall near the front door. I am a very lucky author indeed to have so much space. I was going to tidy up first, but I'd rather be known for my funny books instead a tidy house.

Ebony McKenna's self-declared "mess"

It's the perfect writing space for me. I can look out onto my garden, or look over to see my books on the shelves to remind me how good life is. I also have 'permission to write crap' on that purple and blue note directly beneath the monitor. This is to remind me that the first draft can be woeful but it's OK, nobody will see it.

On Thinking:
First thing in the morning is best for me. As soon as The Dude (TM) is at school, I get to work. If I write first, I can get anything else done later. If I do the accounts first and cleaning and run errands, I'm too frazzled later to be creative. The writing happens first or it doesn't happen at all - in which case I feel like I've wasted the whole day.

On Support:
A nice, 'proper' coffee gets me fired up first thing. (I bought a very cheap but reliable espresso machine and I'm very happy!) Then it's on to Earl Grey tea, nice and strong. Chocolate will make an appearance at some point. I don't play music or listen to the radio. I love the peace and quiet of being in my own head. This doesn't work for everyone, but it's worked for me and I'm sticking to it.

You can read more about Ebony McKenna on her website
And you can follow her on Facebook and on Twitter

Join me again next week for more Writing Room Revelations.

A new story begins to emerge...

2011-05-29T11:29:00.003+02:00

Alright, we’ve had quite enough about other authors…though there is a whole lot more coming. Yep, watch this space for something new on Absolute Vanilla, and starting in a few days time. Uh-huh, be sure to come back here on Wednesday, 1 June.

I have to confess that, in part, interviewing so many brilliant children’s authors has just been a whole lot easier than wittering on about what I’ve been up to – mostly because what I’ve been up to equates to STRESS. I can’t say, given my post about being glass half full, that I’m particularly proud of that, but I guess sometimes life just gets in the way and gets overwhelming.

A variety of other things aside, most of the problems pertain to Building a House – which has involved Being Awash in Brochures and Catalogues, Visiting Décor Expos, Getting Plans Done, Plans Going Awry - and then, Tempers Flaring. There should probably be an entire a blog about Building The House. But I don’t think I’m up for the challenge.

The long and the short of it, however, is that The Writing Has Suffered. Yes, I’m also wondering why on earth I’m writing with capital letters. I suspect it may be an after effect of the Stress (or Insufficient Chocolate and Vanilla this morning).

What I’ve learned in the last month or so, however, is that without my writing, without some creative output (architectural and interior design decisions notwithstanding), I take major strain. I’ve been loathe, for a very long time, to say “I write because I have to”. It just sounds so clichéd. But I regret to say, it appears that I do “have" to write. I find if I go without writing for too long I go into a withdrawal space, life seems to lose its colour and the ideas, which just won’t go away, become so out of control that I can’t think straight.

So, I made the decision the week before last that things had to change. Blow the demands from project manager, the architect, etc; I needed to instill some discipline. Mornings would be for writing, the rest of the day for other things. The only trouble is the writing, having been neglected for so long, simply took over, and I’ve been happily doing the hermit thing, scribbling throughout the day, only realizing at about 3pm that I’m still in my pyjamas and haven’t eaten anything. Ah the writing life…!

But all this “hermitry” means that the new novel is finally happening! It is taking shape, there are 7000 words and the plot is evolving nicely. The only problem I currently face is that a secondary character, a hardnosed bitch of an astrophysicist, is trying to take control. You know, it's one thing hearing the voices in your head, it’s a whole other matter when they start bullying you. There is going to have to be some serious reigning in. Characters need to know their place.

Still, I can’t tell you how much fun I’m having, and how much of a treat and a joy and pleasure it is to be immersed in the wild madness of writing a new story!

An interview with teen and children's author, Tamsyn Murray

2011-05-24T17:08:00.015+02:00

I read Tamsyn Murray’s My So-Called Afterlife in a few hours and totally loved it (and promptly read the sequel My So-Called Haunting). Both books crack along at a terrific pace and are vivid and gripping. Despite the darker side of murder and loss in My So-Called Afterlife, the book is really funny courtesy of the contemporary and lippy voice of the main protagonist, Lucy Shaw. Likewise, My So Called Haunting offers up the same reading pleasures, and I have to say, reading Tamsyn’s books, put me very much in mind of the writing of Louise Rennison and Cathy Cassidy.

My So-Called Afterlife

“Fifteen year old Lucy has been stuck in the men’s loos since she was murdered there six months ago and Jeremy is the first person who’s been able to see or hear her. Just her luck that he’s a seriously uncool geography-teacher type – but at least he’s determined to help. Once he’s found a way for her to leave the loos, she’s soon meeting other ghosts, including the gorgeous Ryan. However, when Jeremy insists that she helps him track down her killer, she has to confront her greatest fear…”

My So-Called Haunting

“Skye, a fourteen-year-old who can see ghosts, is feeling very stressed. Not only is the ghost of a sixteenth-century witch giving her fashion tips, but she’s struggling to settle into life with her aunt, and is developing a crush on the most unattainable boy in the school, Nico. When her aunt asks for help with a troubled teen ghost called Dontay, she’s glad of the distraction, and she’s soon facing a battle to keep her love life and her psychic life separate. As things get ever more complicated, it looks as though Dontay’s past might cost Skye her future.”

I’m delighted that Tamsyn Murray has agreed to be interviewed on Absolute Vanilla.

Author, Tamsyn Murray

My So-Called Afterlife , My So-Called Haunting, and your recently released My So-Called Phantom Love Life, all deal with ghostly subjects. What’s the appeal of the supernatural for you? Do you believe in ghosts, and have you had any ghostly encounters?

I think everyone is a little bit fascinated by the unknown and the supernatural definitely qualifies as the unknown! I enjoy writing the Afterlife books because the usual rules don’t apply and your characters can end up in all kinds of scary or funny situations.

I’ve never met a ghost, although I keep an open mind about their existence. When I was twenty-one, I met a psychic who told me I would be a writer – that was quite spooky as no one knew I liked to write!

What was your inspiration for My So-Called Afterlife and which came first, the plot or the character?

One day, I was idly wondering what happened to a ghost if the building they haunted got knocked down – did they haunt the building site? And what if something icky was built on top, like a toilet? Then the character of Lucy Shaw stepped forwards, stamping her Uggs and demanding I told her story. She even gave me the first line of the book and I never looked back.

You’ve created a vivid and delightfully lippy voice in Lucy Shaw, and in Skye Thackery (the main character in My So-Called Haunting). What is your secret to creating such a wonderfully modern teen voice, and, how important is that voice for you in writing the kind of stories you write?

My secret? I’m not sure I really have one! I was a bit of a lippy teenager myself once and now I live with my teenage daughter so I draw on experience to create my characters. Nothing beats having a member of your target audience on hand to check whether your dialogue is right or wrong.

It’s really important to me to make sure the voice behind the novels is authentic – teens seem to be able to smell when an author doesn’t believe in their characters and I wouldn’t want to disappoint them. Besides, that lippy teenager isn’t so far away – she’s still part of me.

Character sketch of Lucy, from My So-Called Afterlife

Lucy, despite her wicked humour, has to deal with some pretty big issues as the My So-Called Afterlife evolves. Aside from the obvious - her murder - you also make her think about suicide and the afterlife, while Skye in My So-Called Haunting has to deal with gang related murders and sinister cults. Did you feel it was important to raise issues like this for teen readers and did you have a specific motivation in doing so?

I can’t say I had specific motives – when I was writing My So-Called Afterlife, there was a lot of knife crime among teenagers being reported in the news, particularly in London. So obviously that influenced some of the themes of the book. Similarly, teen suicide was making the headlines, with a particular town in Wales having seen an unusually high number of deaths over a short period of time. Coupled with my own school experience, I could easily imagine a teenager being driven to desperation by bullying. If Hep had spoken to her parents earlier, she might have found a way out of her nightmare without dying.

Skye’s involvement with Dontay comes about after he dies in a gang shoot-out and I read a lot of heart-breaking stories where teens had died because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don’t have a solution but it felt right to highlight the issue.

Did you do much research into the supernatural in writing your books or did you just make up stuff as you went?

The best thing about writing a supernatural story like My So-Called Afterlife was that I didn’t need to do much research - everyone knows what ghosts do. I did do some light reading about spiritualist churches, and I researched Romanian folklore for My So-Called Haunting, which is explored more in the third book in the series, My So-Called Phantom Lovelife.

What is your view of people who are or who claim to be psychic – like Skye, or those who attend the Church of the Dearly Departed in the My So-Called After Life?

As with the existence of ghosts, I try to keep an open mind. I have no logical explanation for the psychic who predicted I’d be a writer – he really couldn’t have known. So who’s to say there aren’t people who can contact the dead? Although there are plenty unscrupulous people making the same claim and I think that’s pretty low.

In the My So-Called Afterlife you make being stuck in limbo quite cool – your ghosts have parties, hang out, have a ghostly mobile network – it’s pretty much like real life but pretty much without responsibilities. Yet that “coolness” is also coupled with how they died and the need to find what is keeping them in limbo – this is particularly obvious in the case of Dontay in My So-Called Haunting. It raises some interesting points about unfinished business and letting go. To what extent did you want to write something that was just plain fun, and to what extent did you feel you actually had something important you wanted to say – and do you believe you achieved that? Was it a difficult balance to achieve?

Well, making the right or wrong choices was something I wanted to write about but the last thing I wanted to do was preach to readers so I incorporated as much fun as I could to counteract the darker themes. I get a lot of positive comments about the Afterlife world and I think it worked out really well. It made the books a lot of fun to write.

Character sketch of Skye from My So-Called Hauting and My So-Called Phantom Love Life

All three of your teen novels have “My So-Called…” in the title. What is the reason for this?

It was kind of an accident – the first title fitted the novel really well and after we experimented with a few titles for the second book, we settled on My So-Called Haunting. The third one was a no-brainer!

Your new book, My So-Called Phantom Love Life has just been released and is a sequel to My So-Called Haunting – can you tell us a bit about it?

It continues the story of Skye and Nico but there’s an added complication in the shape of Owen Wicks, a ghost who catches Skye’s eye. Eventually she has to choose between the two, as the shadows of Nico’s past threaten to envelope them all.

Certain YA paranormal series have been getting some bad press lately, what are your thoughts on the importance of strong plots and characterization in YA novels? And what is your view on YA series appearing to be more popular with publishers than stand alone books, even if the writing and structure in those series are less than brilliant?

I try to steer clear of judging other peoples’ work unless I’ve read it for myself and the sad truth is that I don’t have much time for reading at the moment. But I think it’s perfectly possible to have a series which maintains characterization, structure and quality, as long as the author knows where to stop. Sometimes, publishers seem so keen for one more hit book that they don’t consider whether the story has reached a natural end. That’s when the author needs to take a stand.

What was your journey to becoming published like? And how have you found the experience of being published and marketing yourself?

It was actually quite smooth – I found an agent almost immediately and a publisher a few months later. Being published is fab – I’ve met so many amazing people. The marketing is harder than actually writing the books but you do get to see the rewards after a while!

You have also written picture books - the Stunt Bunny series – which do you prefer to write, pictures books or teen fiction, and why?

I like writing for different age groups because the challenges for each are different but one of the best things about my younger reader series is working with an illustrator who really gets my sense of humour. His name is Lee Wildish and I feel very lucky to have him bring my stories to life.

Stunt Bunny: Rabbit Racer (for younger children) - due out in August 2011

What next for Tamsyn Murray?

I’m thinking about the fourth and final Afterlife book, and working on a couple of ideas for 9-12 year olds, but mostly, I’d like to finish the chick-lit book I’ve been working on for a while now. Whatever the future holds, I hope it’s wordy!

Many thanks to Tamsyn for the interview!

To find out more about Tamsyn Murray
Visit her website
Read her blog
Join her fanpage on Facebook
Follow her on Twitter - @TamsynTweetie

You can find Tamsyn’s book on Amazon (US and UK) and in all good bookstores.

You can read a recent review of my So-Called Afterlife on MC Rogerson's blog

An interview with YA author, Keris Stainton

2011-05-16T13:55:00.009+02:00

Della Says:OMG! by Keris Stainton

I first encountered Keris Stainton many years ago in the blogosphere, where we tended to visit several of the same blogs. I knew Keris was writing a young adult novel and was delighted when I read that she’d been published. Her novel, Della Says: OMG! was published last year and Keris’ second novel Jessie ♥ NYC is due out in July this year. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be as much fun to read as Della Says:OMG!

Della Says:OMG! is a story of first love and betrayal but instead of being heavy it’s written with a remarkably vibrant voice and in a style that is so contemporary, witty, and freshly teen that I constantly thought the book must have been written by an eloquent teenager.

"Della’s over the moon when she kisses her long-standing crush at a party – but then she discovers her diary has disappeared...When scans of embarrassing pages are sent to her mobile and appear on Facebook, Della’s distraught – how can she enjoy her first proper romance when someone, somewhere, knows all her deepest, darkest secrets?"

I’m delighted to welcome Keris Stainton to Absolute Vanilla.

YA author, Keris Stainton

Keris, you spent several years on your journey to publication, what was that like and what was it like to when you landed your first contract?

It wasn't too bad. Really. The hardest thing was finding the right book, I think. I had a lot of false starts with adult books and that was frustrating, but once I started writing YA it all fell into place relatively quickly. Getting my first contract was amazing, of course. I still remember getting the phone call from my agent and dancing and squeeing around my office!

Although it was Della Says: OMG! that landed you your first deal I know you have a number of abandoned manuscripts lying around. What do you think it was about Della Says:OMG! that found success for you?

It wasn't actually Della that got me my deal. I got the deal with a book called FORGET ME NOT and then Orchard asked me to write something different, which turned out to be Della.

What was the inspiration for Della Says:OMG! and how did the initial idea develop for you?

Della was originally going to have three POVs - Della's, Maddy's and Jamie's. I wanted to look at three important stages in a teen girls love life: first love, first sex and first heartbreak. But after I wrote about 15,000 words, it was obvious that Della's story was the strongest and so I rewrote it. After that it came pretty easily, although I still didn't know who'd taken Della's diary until I was almost at the end of the book!

Keris Stainton on the cover of Writers' Forum

You have created in Della a particularly strong teen voice and for me, it is one of the key things makes the novel particularly appealing. Was it easy for you to find Della’s voice or was it something you had to work at?

Thank you so much! Honestly, it came easily. I think the reason I struggled with adult books for so long is that I think and write like a teenager!

One of the key elements of Della Says: OMG! is betrayal, yet you also deal with some other pretty big, and important, issues including first love, teenage desire, and first sexual experience. Not many authors are brave enough to tackle these issues and there is often controversy surrounding the subject. How important is it, do you think, to write about these aspects of being a teen? And how did you decide on the manner in which to handle what is potentially, particularly for parents and publishers, a high risk element – I think, in this instance of how other writers like Melvin Burgess (Doing It) and William Nicholson (Rich and Mad) have approached the subject of teen sexuality.

I think it's an incredibly important thing to write about. I went to see Melvin Burgess and William Nicholson at Waterstone's just before Della came out and they were saying that society's become so sexualised, but it's not something that's really addressed in books all that often. I think it's actually addressed in books aimed at girls a lot more than it is in books aimed at boys, but still not quite as much as it probably should be. Particularly in a positive way. It was really important to me that Della's first sexual experience was a good one. Because, you know, sometimes it is! All teen sex doesn't have to lead to pregnancy, STDs or angst and regret. The one thing I do think is almost entirely missing from teen fiction aimed at girls, is female masturbation. There are only a few novels that even mention it at all and that's just baffling to me because it's such an important part of female sexuality and something that you discover - and often struggle with - as a teen.

How important do you feel it is for authors of children’s and YA novels to have “messages”, however subliminal, in their novels? I refer to the following comment made on the Book Lantern blog recently: “I believe strongly in the power of subliminal messaging in YA books. Whether you believe in messages or not, the fact remains that as an author, you have a responsibility towards your readers to make sure you aren’t sending the wrong signals.”

It's funny, my immediate reaction to that was "Hell no!" but I do actually agree to a certain extent. The phrase "subliminal messaging" suggests brainwashing to me, but I do agree it's important not to send the wrong signals. For example, I'd never have a character talk negatively about her weight (or anyone else's) and there are certain words I'd avoid even though teens use them ("retard" is the main one that springs to mind or using "gay" to mean crap). The argument is that books should reflect reality, but I'd rather reflect positive aspects than perpetuate negative or damaging stereotypes or behaviours.

The very nature of Della Says:OMG! is very contemporary – you refer to texting, IM and Facebook in the novel. Again, how important was it to you to have these aspects in the novel – and does it any way hinge on your own experience of being digitally connected via social media?

Social media was part of the original inspiration for Della's plot. My diary went missing when I was a teen and back then (in olden times…) the worry was people reading it out at school whereas nowadays it could be shared all over the world in moments. But, yes, you're right - social media is such a big part of my life, it seemed completely natural to include it in the book.

Keris' website

You have used social media very successfully to get your name into the marketplace; you’re on Facebook, you’re prolific on Twitter and you’ve been blogging for years. Can you tell us how you’ve been so successful marketing yourself in this way and what social media means to you? Are there any tips you can share with other writers?

Well when I started blogging it wasn't about marketing because I didn't have anything to market. I started blogging just as a way of writing every day. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did: I met some amazing people, made great friends, and actually got quite a few writing opportunities. Twitter is the same really - like blogging, but in miniature - and I did it before I had anything to promote. My top tip would be not to do it simply for self-promotion. You need to engage with people. Chat, make friends. Someone recently described Twitter as an ongoing cocktail party you can pop in and out of and that is dead on. I know some people join Twitter and get disheartened because they "can't keep up". There's no way you can keep up. Just follow people who interest you, tweet things you find entertaining or informative and don't be afraid to chat, even to people you don't know.

Your presence on Twitter recently led you to an interview on the Vanessa Feltz show, which I know wasn’t a great experience for you. What did you learn from that sort of exposure and are there any cautions you’d offer other writers?

It did actually turn out to be a brilliant experience for me personally, but basically I was naive. It was the first time I'd been asked to do anything like that and I ignored my first instinct (which was that it would be a stitch-up) and then was too open with Vanessa when she was asking me questions before the interview. My best advice would be not to think "Woo-hoo! Telly!" and book your train ticket, but to make sure you're fully appraised of what you're going there to do. And read Jane Wenham-Jones's book Wanna Be A Writer We've Heard Of because she's been on TV loads of times and can give much better advice than I can.

Who would you say have been your greatest influences in your development as a writer and who or what really taught you to hone your craft?

Oh dear "hone your craft" makes me giggle because I really don't feel like I have a craft to hone. I really just feel like I sit down and write stories, the way I've done since I was about 13. Back then I was writing about meeting George Michael and then having him and Andrew Ridgeley fighting over me (*blush*), now I just write the same kind of thing, but with - I hope - a bit more realism. The greatest influence in my development as a writer is almost certainly NaNoWriMo. I had never finished a novel before doing NaNo for the first time in 2004. I wrote Forget Me Not during NaNo and I wrote Jessie during NaNo (and in between I wrote a few other books that may or may not see the light of day). Writing 50,000 words in 30 days seems daunting and you may think you'll just have 50k of crap at the end of it, but it almost seems like magic. You have to ignore your inner editor and push yourself on past the point you'd normally stop and that seems to be when the good stuff comes through. I love it. Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird was also a big influence, not least for permission to write a "shitty first draft", and last year I read Russell T Davies's The Writer's Tale, which is specifically about writing Doctor Who, but is completely brilliant about writing in general. So funny, clever and reassuring - I didn't want it to end. Actually, I've just thought of something that does come under "hone your craft" and that's Holly Lisle's One-Pass Manuscript Revision. Even while I'm writing the shitty first draft I comfort myself that Holly Lisle's method will make it all okay.

The space where Keris works

What motivates you to write and do you find you ever experience writer’s block?

I have to write. I don't feel like I've really understood or experienced something unless I write about it. As for fiction… I'm not really sure. I want to say it's fun - and it really is when it's going well - but I whine and flail and kick up such a fuss before I actually get on and do it that I'm not sure what the motivation is! Maybe it's just that I love books so much and once I realised I could write them, I just had to get on and do it. I'm not sure I believe in writer's block. I totally understand what writers mean by it, but I think it's Anne Lamott who says that when writers feel "blocked" they're actually empty and need to go and fill themselves up with things that inspire them.

Some writers say all novels are autobiographical in some way, others deny this – to what extent would you say there is some of you in your novels?

Do some writers deny that? Blimey. I'd say all writing is autobiographical, if only in that everything you write is written through the prism of your own experiences and influences. I don't think there's anything overtly autobiographical in any of my novels, but there's definitely a lot of "me" in them. If that makes any sense at all…

You are represented by Alice Williams of the David Higham Agency; how does being agented make a difference in your life?

I guess at first it feels like it legitimises you as a writer, you know? I felt more like a "proper" writer because I had an agent. Now I see Alice more as an advocate for me and my writing. Writing is my job, after all, and Alice is obviously much better at the business side of things than I am. Also, she's lovely and she doesn't mind when I moan on at her down the phone. Well, if she does mind, she doesn't say.

Jessie ♥ NYC will be out in July 2011 – can you tell us a little about it?

It's my 'love letter to New York' book. I'm obsessed with the place and had to set a book there. It's about Jessie who goes over there for the summer following a break up, Finn who thinks he's in love with his best friend's girlfriend, and fate, which brings them together.

And finally, what next for Keris Stainton?

Er… I don't know yet. I've just started writing a new book as part of Kaz Mahoney's Spring into Summer 50k in 50 days challenge (couldn't even wait for NaNoWriMo this year) and there are a couple of other things in the pipeline, but they're secret at the moment.

Many thanks to Keris for this interview!

Thank you so much. I really enjoyed it (even though the questions were HARD!)

To find out more about Keris Stainton and her books:
Visit her webpage
Join her fanpage on Facebook
Follow her on Twitter
Read her blog
And buy her books at Amazon

An interview with Chris Priestley

2011-05-10T14:13:00.016+02:00

“When Michael Vyner goes to spend the Christmas holidays with his distant and aloof guardian, he finds himself in a dark and desolate East Anglian house – a house that harbours a terrible secret which it will fight to retain. Michael’s lonely task soon becomes clear as he is haunted not just by a solitary woman in the mists but by the terrible reason behind her death.”

Darkly sinister, Chris Priestley’s The Dead of Winter, is a shiveringly delicious tale of terror which will be thoroughly enjoyed by all children from 9 and older who love a good horror and mystery story. I’ve never been a fan of horror but I found the Dead of Winter, with its rich, gothic voice “unputdownable”

I’m delighted that Chris Priestley, who I “met” via Facebook, has agreed to be interviewed on Absolute Vanilla.

Chris Priestley
photo courtesy of Judith Weik

Facebook interactions with you are brimful of wicked humour and you are clearly a really nice guy – so what draws you to writing tales of terror and the horror genre specifically?

Thank you! But I have always been attracted to the darker side of things. Who really knows why? I think its something you have a predisposition for or you don’t. That’s not to say that I don’t like sunshine, chirping birds and the laughter of little children! I don’t sit in a black room scowling all day. Well, not every day.

The narrator’s voice in The Dead of Winter is unashamedly gothic and reminded me of novels like A Woman in White, Great Expectations and even Stoker’s Dracula. What is the appeal of the gothic voice and are there any particular gothic novels that have inspired you?

All of the above. The Woman in White was definitely in the mix and I reread Great Expectations and David Copperfield not long before I wrote it. My original pitch to Bloomsbury was that I wanted to write a kind of ‘Jane Eyre for boys’ (not suggesting that boys can’t enjoy Jane Eyre, of course!). But I was also inspired by the memory of watching The Haunting (the original Jack Clayton adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s wonderful novel, The Haunting of Hill House).

Chris says this old photo, in part, inspired The Dark of Winter

Marcus Sedgwick has said that place can also be a character in a novel and in The Dark of Winter, Hawton Mere and its mysterious marshland setting are so richly evoked as to make them palpably alive. Would you agree that place can be a character and is Hawton Mere based on a particular place and the effect it had on you?

Absolutley. Edgar Allan Poe said that he wanted the house in The Fall of the House of Usher to be a character in the story, and I definitely wanted that for The Dead of Winter. I imagined the house to be almost like a mind – a damaged mind.

What was the inspiration for The Dead of Winter and what came first – the concept of a place, the events, or the character of Michael?

I think I often start with location - that and a few scenes. I may have no idea at all about what these scenes signify at first. I have to write the book to find that out.

The Cambridgeshire fens in which The Dead of Winter is set
(images copyright Sean Crawford (1 & 2) and Martyn Fordham)

In writing The Dark of Winter what was your relationship with your protagonist and narrator of the story, Michael Vyner? How did he first “appear” to you and how do you feel about him as a character?

I like Michael. The first image I had of him was of the boy standing beside his mother’s grave, alone and forlorn. It is one of the really magical things about writing – when a character really starts to come alive. Suddenly you find yourself saying, ‘No – he wouldn’t do that’ and it forces the story into a place you might not have gone.

You make regular references to Michael’s love of reading and his discovery of the library at Hawton Mere. Given the current library controversy and library closures in the UK, how important do you believe books, reading and libraries are to young people?

Well they are indispensible of course. I don’t know of a single writer who did not start out with a love of books – as objects as much as anything else – and who did not use libraries as a child. If public libraries go, they will never come back and that will be a tragedy.

The Dark of Winter is a supernatural tale of terror - do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had any ghostly encounters?

No. And no.

You’ve recently gone through your own very scary health experience, do you think this will impact on the stories you write and how you write them?

Yes, absolutely. As you know, I had a mini-stroke earlier this year. I was lucky in that I am relatively unscathed – but it could have permanently affected both my speech and my right hand. Scary. It has changed me as a person. I know that, without quite knowing how yet. Inevitably it will also change me as a writer. The specifics of the events may also find their way into one of my books. There seems a kind of inevitability about that.

You have also written a collection of stories called Tales of Terror. Can you tell us a little about them and their inspiration?

I loved short stories as a teenager. I still do. Some people find them unsatisfying, I know. But for me, a good short story is a special thing and when I first started wondering if I might be a writer, it was short stories I experimented with.

Did you enjoy scary stories as a child, and if so, what was the particular appeal, and what do you think is the appeal of the horror genre to children?

Not as a young child, but certainly as a teenager. I read short creepy fiction in compilations like the Pan horror collections, but I also read short stories by people like Ray Bradbury and John Wyndham who are harder to classify. The appeal to young people is – I think – in its format. Horror short stories are structured rather like a joke, in that they have the satisfying pay-off at the end.

The advice always given to new writers is to “read, read, read” – what sort of books do you enjoy reading and which do you draw particular inspiration from?

Well I read less and less these days. It is something I am determined to do something about. I love reading – non-fiction or fiction. I tend to read little of what is going on in the YA market. I think that the books that inspired me to become a writer, I read in my teens and twenties. That’s not to say that I can’t still be inspired by a good book, it’s just that I think that period is so formative. You are so receptive at that age and your character is still in a state of flux. Books shaped my idea of what kind of person I wanted to be and what kind of life I wanted to live. They – maybe more importantly – gave me an insight into the lives of others of a different age, culture, sex. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without books. They are far more than mere entertainment.

Aside from writing, you are also a cartoonist and artist – how do these different creative endeavours find balance in your life and do you find that one affects the other in any particular way, and if so, to what benefit to you as a creator?

I’m not sure that it isn’t a distraction most of the time. I just don’t have the time to do each of these things to the level I want to. Writing is my job now and the thing that pays the rent and I have contractual obligations. From being a full-time illustrator and painter, it’s hard to now fit it in around my writing. I would love to do something Shaun Tan-like that makes use of my writing and painting ability in one book.

Poe by Chris Priestley

Monster Underground by Chris Priestley

What next for Chris Priestley? What are you currently working on and what other stories would you perhaps like to write?

I am currently editing the proofs for Mister Creecher, my new book, published by Bloomsbury in October. I am also writing a contemporary ghost story set in Amsterdam, called The Mask. But I am always – always – thinking of short stories. It seems to be in my DNA.

Many thanks to Chris for this interview!

My pleasure. Thanks for asking me.

You can find out more about Chris Priestley at his blog.
You can become a Chris Priestley fan on Facebook.
You can read Chris Priestley's biography at the British Cartoon Archive.
Want to know more about the Tales of Terror ?
Chris Priestley's books are available on amazon.co.uk and amazon.com

And here's what happened when I showed The Dead of Winter to a curious seagull...

Ooh la, what's this then
*gull sidles closer*

Dead of Winter?! Winter? Eek! Dead? Dead... Is it still edible...?
*PECK!*

An interview with children's author, Savita Kalhan

2011-05-03T16:33:00.013+02:00

The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan

I devoured Savita Kalhan’s debut novel, The Long Weekend, in a couple of hours. Aimed at over 12 year olds, The Long Weekend is a gripping and terrifying read which is not only a first rate reality horror story, but also a singularly cautionary tale about the terrible things that can happen when you accept a lift from a stranger… Without being overly explicit, The Long Weekend is a warning to children about bad men.

This is an interview which is long overdue - unfortunately the original copy of The Long Weekend sent to me by Savita was gobbled up by post office goblins. So I’m really delighted to finally welcome Savita Kalhan to Absolute Vanilla.

Hi Nicky! It’s great to be here. I’m a real Absolute Vanilla fan, so I feel honoured to be here. (And I am so glad the post office goblins didn’t nab this copy too!)

Children's author, Savita Kalhan

Savita, what inspired you to write The Long Weekend and how did the story develop?

A flyer went round the local schools warning that a large flashy BMW or Merc had been seen cruising outside the schools and the driver had tried to snatch children. Parents and children were urged to be extra careful. It set me wondering about what it would be like for a kid to get snatched. Most schools give talks about stranger-danger, the police come in and talk to kids about being safe and aware when they’re out, and so on. But, as we all know, child abductions still happen.
I started to visualize a scenario in which an abduction could happen. I had a long conversation with my nephew, who was then aged 11 and he confirmed that sometimes at pick-up time, kids don’t know who’s coming to collect them or whether a friend’s parent will be dropping them home.
A moment’s distraction, a moment of not thinking, is all that a predator needs. That’s what happens in The Long Weekend.

In reading The Long Weekend it struck me that you had really got into your protagonist’s (Sam) head – the voice is pitched so realistically and credibly. How did Sam develop for you as a character and how is it that you capture the voice of an 11 year old boy so well?

As soon as the scenario came into my head, Sam arrived – complete with voice and character. I know it might sound corny, but his voice was so clear right from the beginning, his character so formed, His thoughts and actions, and fear, almost wrote themselves as the book whizzed along at break-neck pace. I felt I knew Sam, knew what he was capable of and what he wasn’t. Why his voice was so clear, I don’t entirely know.
I used to teach English to kids aged between 8 and 16 a long time ago, and my son was a very sociable eight years old when I wrote the book, and I’ve got lots of nephews and nieces, but I guess I’ve always known kids, I’m the eldest of seven kids myself, so maybe it all helped.

In many senses one might say that The Long Weekend is both a horror story and a psychological thriller. In writing the story what struck you most forcefully – the inner fear and demons that each boy had to face or the outer horror of their abduction? Can these even be separated? And wherein, do you think, lies the greatest lesson for the characters?

Initially it was the outer horror of the abduction that hit me. What can be more terrifying than realizing that you’re trapped somewhere with a stranger? You don’t yet know his motives, and you don’t want to guess at them because that would paralyze you. But you’re not alone. You’re best friend is with you – only he either doesn’t want to see the danger, or is still in denial.
Then came the full brunt of the demons that I was about to visit upon the boys. For Sam it was about feelings of self-preservation in the face of his friend’s denial, to feeling betrayed by him, and then having to bear witness to his trauma. There were scenes in the book that were hard to write, upsetting even, particularly Lloyd’s.
The greatest lesson, I think, is never to give up no matter how terrifying the situation or predicament. There is always hope and by the end of the book the characters, and the reader, reach that realisation.
At the beginning of the story we meet a Sam who has little self-confidence. He struggles to overcome his fears as the story unfolds and by the end of the book he is essentially still Sam, but a stronger, confident teenager who knows he possesses the resources within himself to face almost anything. Lloyd’s fear and paralysis is overcome too late, but although he feels all is lost, it is not. Years later the boys ultimately transcend the horror of their long weekend, but they do transcend it and this is the greatest lesson for them both.

Apart from the very obvious point of the story, is there anything you’d particularly like your readers to take away after reading The Long Weekend?

Only that they found it such a good and memorable read that they’d want to recommend it to everyone they know! I think that in the end if the book is not a good, absorbing and satisfying read, whether it’s a kids’ book or adult book, then the writer has somehow failed to engage his/her audience. It makes me very happy that the vast majority of the people who have read The Long Weekend have absolutely loved it.
One reviewer even said that the book should be required reading for every secondary school kid as it brought home the message of stranger-danger more acutely than any school talk could hope to do, and in a way that was immediately accessible.

Do you feel you were trying to make a particular point in terms of the story and the character’s development in juxtaposing the cool and popular kid, Lloyd, who has everything, and the new boy, Sam, who is kept on a tight rein by his parents?

I don’t think so. I’m not really sure how much I thought about that. I do think kids need boundaries, but every kid comes from a different background, as do their parents, so there will always be differences in what kids are allowed to have and what they’re allowed to do. In terms of that affecting their development as characters in the book, for each boy, although from very different backgrounds, the response to the situation was initially the same – denial. Then came the desperate grasping of straws to explain away their fear. Then came the full assault of fear. Lloyd’s denial went deeper whereas Sam, who had lived a pretty cocooned compound life abroad, saw the danger more clearly.

What happens to Sam and his friend, Lloyd, must be every parent’s worst nightmare – did you do any particular research into families who had experienced child abduction and molestation?

Speaking as a parent, it really is every parent’s worst nightmare, and, yes, I have talked to many survivors of child abuse. When I was about eleven and walking with my younger sister, a car with a couple of blokes inside pulled up. They tried to force us into the car. Luckily my dad was further up the road, so they drove off in the end. But that experience, amongst other far worse experiences, has stayed with me. I can still feel the fear I felt then.

The story is a very modern one with many present day references. Does it concern you that this may date the story?

Not really. Yes, all the techno-gadgetry is well out of date now! I think I foresaw the advent of the iPhone when I wrote the book, although sadly I’ve never been credited with it! I think the basic premise of the book is pretty universal, and it’s a thriller and hopefully a very good read. Those things should be enough for kids to want to come back to it in the future.

We’ve met in person and you’re lovely, yet in The Long Weekend you’ve written something intrinsically dark. What influenced you to write a story of such a grim and cautionary nature?

Thank you, Nicky! I don’t entirely know what influences me to write about the darker side of life! I think I must have a very dark side to me that only emerges when I’m writing! But I’m well aware that I write for kids and teens, and so although naturally drawn to the terrible stuff that can happen in childhood, I try to deal with the more grim elements in a sensitive, non-graphic way, (which some people have found more frightening in itself!). The imagination is a very powerful thing and never to be underestimated. There doesn’t have to be blood and gore and vampires for readers to be chilled to the bone.

Flowing from the previous question, many say that all writing is in some way autobiographical, are there any particular instances from your own life on which you drew in the creation of The Long Weekend, even if they were fundamentally unconscious influences?

I’ve thought about this long and hard, and a comment a friend made to me a while back was that it would be unfair to kids who have suffered in the way that Lloyd had, for me not to be honest. I was subsequently put on the spot and asked the question by a 13 year old boy in a large group discussion at a book award, and, with my friend’s comment in mind, I said yes – there were experiences in my childhood that I drew upon in writing this book. I had no one like Sam there for me, which is may be why Sam’s character came so clearly to me.

Writers often talk about the imperative of some element of hope in children’s literature, no matter how grim the subject matter. What is your view on this – do you think it’s important and if so, why?
For me it is very important that some element of hope remains at the end of a book. Yes the subject matter of The Long Weekend is very grim, and if at the end I killed of both the boys too, well who would want to pick the book up and invest all that emotional energy in the plight of the boys? They would feel utterly let down at the end. (They’d probably fling the book across the room and hate me forever more!) But that’s not really why I believe that there has to be an element of hope at the end of a children’s book. When my son was much younger and he came across a sad ending in a book, he would find it upsetting and get very cross with the author for destroying a good character. Kids want a light at the end of the tunnel; adults often do too, but they have far wider reading experiences than kids do and could handle a devastating ending. Even though the subject matter in The Long Weekend may be difficult, I would not want to put kids off from reading my books. I think reading is so vital, so important, and if children’s writers didn’t take heed of what’s important to kids, then why write for them?

The Long Weekend is your debut novel – how have you found the process of getting published and marketing yourself? Are there any particular lessons you could share with budding authors?

When Andersen Press said they wanted The Long Weekend, I literally choked on my sushi, which I was eating while I was working! I would say that you have probably never met any debut author as naïve as me. To say I wasn’t internet savvy would be a gross understatement. I didn’t know any writers, was not a member of any writing group, had never heard of SCWBI or the SAS, or SoA, and as for Facebook and Twitter, or any other type of social networking, well, they were utterly alien to me!
As for marketing myself? I did not know that the onus would be on me to do any of that. I thought the publicity people at the publishers took care of sales and marketing. Duh!
So that’s several lessons shared there already! Get internet savvy, know everything there is to now about publishing and marketing yourself, about how to sell yourself and your books. Meet people, go to events, and basically do as much as you can because no one else is out there doing it for you. It is a continuous learning curve, and a continuous balancing act!

A map from Savita's first piece of writing - an epic fantasy tome...

I know you are agented, so what role do you feel the agent plays in a debut writer’s life?

If you have a good agent, it takes the pressure off you. They fight your corner, they have contacts at most of the publishing houses, they sort out contractual details. Some writers manage very well without an agent, but for me it has been good.

There has been much discussion of late among writers about being a plotter or a “pantster” (i.e. not plotting but writing by the seat of one’s pants) – what sort of writer are you? And what do you think is the benefit of the way you write?

I definitely fall into the ‘panster’ group. The Long Weekend was not planned or plotted at all. I simply sat down at my laptop every morning and wrote until school pick up time, and then repeated it the following day. I was lucky because the story flowed so beautifully. That’s the way I like to write, but there have been times when planning has its merits, particularly if you’re stuck or not sure how to develop an idea into a book. I’ve done a very brief outline for the first part of a book, but usually stop there so the story can develop any which way it wants.

Are there any particular books or authors who you feel have had a particular influence on your writing journey?

When I was young, we couldn’t afford to buy books, so our local town library was our source and we were lucky because it was so well stocked. I read everything in the children’s library, from Enid Blyton to Noel Streatfeild, from J R R Tolkein to John Wyndham. I loved reading. To choose a particular book is so hard, but Lord of the Rings did have a dramatic influence. The first thing I ever wrote was an epic fantasy trilogy which ran to several hundred thousand words!

Wycombe Library, where Savita says she practically lived when she was growing up and where she developed her love for books

If you weren’t a writer what else do you think you’d like to be?

I would love to own a bookshop! Maybe one day I still will…

And finally, are you working on something new and can you tell us about it?

I’m working on a novel about a boy who wakes up with no memory, but I can’t tell you anymore about it just yet! You’ll be the first to know though!
If any of your readers are interested in finding out more about me I have a website they can visit. I try to keep it as up to date as I can. Or they can visit The Long Weekend Facebook page, or follow my random ramblings on Twitter!

Many thanks to Savita Kalhan for this interview!

It has been a real pleasure, Nicky! I’ve really enjoyed answering your insightful questions, even the really tough ones! Thank you so much for inviting me here!

Savita Kalhan with fans and fellow authors, Rachel Ward and Alexander Gordon Smith at the shortlisting for the FAB Book Award 2010

You can find out more about Savita Kalhan at her website
Or you can become a fan on The Long Weekend Facebook page
You can also follow her on Twitter @savitakalhan
You can buy copies of The Long Weekend on Amazon.co.uk and as an ebook at Amazon.com

Images courtesy of Savita Kalhan (and some nicked from the internet...)