The next time I see you all, I'll be in Bangkok. I have two events scheduled there: an informal talk with a writing group, and a more formal charity presentation/reading/book signing at the private Neilsen Hays Library. But more on both of those later. For now, I thought I'd show you once more the video we made about the trip. The plan is for this to be the first of two. The second one will be a compilation of impressions and experiences I've had while there. Thankfully, Santa bought me a digital camcorder/camera just for this purpose. But for now, here's me in London.......
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Thursday, 24 February 2011
How to Plan a Book Tour
Be forewarned. For the next month I am all about SE Asia and my tour with A Clash of Innocents. I leave in 5 days! But before I go I thought I'd write about how this all came together. Lots of people have been asking who arranged it all, how did you do it, did it take time away from writing (that last question is my favourite, she says cynically). So today my blog is all about the hows, whys and wherefores of executing a book tour.
1. It's up to you. First thing to note is that unless you are a superstar or perhaps a twinkling wink in the writing firmament, you must take all the responsibility onto your own shoulders. Lord knows no one was banging down my door asking me to come speak to them. But the good news was that when I got in touch with people and offered myself to them, they happily agreed and were even downright excited.
2. Get help wherever you can find it. When people offer to make contacts for you or reach out to new people on your behalf, always say yes. Leave your "I don't want to bother you" hat lying in the hallway. You do want to bother them and anyone else who might even be in the vicinity of offering help. When I first had the idea of taking my book, set in Cambodia, back to readers over there, my blogging friend, Jennie Beattie wondered out loud if maybe I could include Bangkok in my trip and that she could help find some places to talk if I did. If I hadn't accepted her help, none of this would have happened. I would have been stuck in a fantasy. I can't thank Jennie enough for turning my fantasty into a reality. And once I found my courage to ask people for help, I became overwhelmed by the generosity of people out there happy to spend their time making my trip possible.
3. Embrace spreadsheets. Once you decide this tour will really happen, you will be inundated with suggestions. Everyone will know someone for you to contact. Leave no stone unturned because for each ten ideas only one may turn out. But all that has to be kept track of -- who did you email, what's their address, when did you write, when did you hear back or, more likely, when did you follow up, where did the contact come from? This may sound obvious, but I didn't get myself organised in this way until a few months into the process and by then I was a complete basket case, wasting hours looking for things I vaguely remembered doing, maybe.
4. Be prepared for the fact that this becomes your job. I am the very first to say that I am lucky. I have resources and time to invest in my writing career - which is different than my writing. The career part of it is a job, and when it is time to promote that book which you spent years of your life writing, you need to take the time to do it right. I certainly had to wait until my primary job, ie the kids and family, needed less of me before I could ever have done this. Like with any job, something has to be sacrificed. In this case, it was not only time with friends and some activities which were important to me, it was my writing time. Putting this tour together has literally taken a minimum of 5 hours a day. I know you don't believe it. Here's a list of what I have been doing every day:
Wake up to find countless emails from all over the world waiting to be answered.
Follow up on all the suggested contacts people have given me.
Go onto facebook and twitter to remind people that I still exist.
Keep up the blog at least 2ce a week so, again, people don't forget about me.
Follow up on all the contacts I made because ALMOST NO ONE responds.
Follow up again.
Update my spreadsheet.
Research new possible venues.
Do the logistics of plane/train reservations, hotels,etc.
Once events start getting scheduled set up a calendar so I could keep everything straight
Put together the workshops and presentations that I'll be giving
Leave the house and look away from all electronic devices, if only for 15 minutes.
Please don't get me wrong. I am not complaining. But it is important to know that all this has to be done and that, generally speaking, you are the one who has to do it. Again, I am very lucky. My publisher, Adele Ward at Ward Wood Publishing, has put more time and effort into this tour than most publishers would. She and Mike Fortune-Wood have often taken on the tasks of contacting, and following up with bookshops and journalists all over the world, and then shipping books to them. But ultimately, as the writer this is still primarily my job.
5. Sure - get frustrated, but don't let that stop you. None of this will work out the way you envision, but if you keep at it, it will work out. I think perseverance and creativity are the key words here. People will not necessarily want to hear you talk about what you want to talk about. But that's okay. Mold your presentations to fit their needs and that in itself will serve the same purpose. Yes, much of the time I will be giving my powerpoint presentation and reading excerpts from the book. But other times I'll be talking to 10 year-olds about poetry or discussing how to reinvent yourself with a group of older expats. And this leads to my last point:
6. Know your goals. What is the point of the tour, anyway? Everyone will have a different goal and their tour will reflect that. One of my goals is, of course, to sell books. But that is actually a secondary one. To be honest, most of the money I make from the sales will be turned over to several charities I'm involved with over there. A tertiary goal is to research my next novel which will also be set in Cambodia. But my primary goals are different: to increase my readership and name recognition, and to have the experience of presenting myself as a professional writer around the world. Five years ago I would never have believed that it was possible. I still can't really believe it now. But if I can do it, anyone can. Maybe we writers are especially good at ignoring reality, or at least creating new ones. I certainly am creating a new one for me.
I'm afraid that this is sounding preachy now. All I really wanted to do was to answer the how's and why's people have been asking. Forgive me -- I guess I'm getting excited and all a bit emotional about this. Putting this trip together has taken most of the last 6 months of my life. It's now actually around the corner and I can't believe it. I do hope you'll come along with me.
1. It's up to you. First thing to note is that unless you are a superstar or perhaps a twinkling wink in the writing firmament, you must take all the responsibility onto your own shoulders. Lord knows no one was banging down my door asking me to come speak to them. But the good news was that when I got in touch with people and offered myself to them, they happily agreed and were even downright excited.
2. Get help wherever you can find it. When people offer to make contacts for you or reach out to new people on your behalf, always say yes. Leave your "I don't want to bother you" hat lying in the hallway. You do want to bother them and anyone else who might even be in the vicinity of offering help. When I first had the idea of taking my book, set in Cambodia, back to readers over there, my blogging friend, Jennie Beattie wondered out loud if maybe I could include Bangkok in my trip and that she could help find some places to talk if I did. If I hadn't accepted her help, none of this would have happened. I would have been stuck in a fantasy. I can't thank Jennie enough for turning my fantasty into a reality. And once I found my courage to ask people for help, I became overwhelmed by the generosity of people out there happy to spend their time making my trip possible.
3. Embrace spreadsheets. Once you decide this tour will really happen, you will be inundated with suggestions. Everyone will know someone for you to contact. Leave no stone unturned because for each ten ideas only one may turn out. But all that has to be kept track of -- who did you email, what's their address, when did you write, when did you hear back or, more likely, when did you follow up, where did the contact come from? This may sound obvious, but I didn't get myself organised in this way until a few months into the process and by then I was a complete basket case, wasting hours looking for things I vaguely remembered doing, maybe.
4. Be prepared for the fact that this becomes your job. I am the very first to say that I am lucky. I have resources and time to invest in my writing career - which is different than my writing. The career part of it is a job, and when it is time to promote that book which you spent years of your life writing, you need to take the time to do it right. I certainly had to wait until my primary job, ie the kids and family, needed less of me before I could ever have done this. Like with any job, something has to be sacrificed. In this case, it was not only time with friends and some activities which were important to me, it was my writing time. Putting this tour together has literally taken a minimum of 5 hours a day. I know you don't believe it. Here's a list of what I have been doing every day:
Wake up to find countless emails from all over the world waiting to be answered.
Follow up on all the suggested contacts people have given me.
Go onto facebook and twitter to remind people that I still exist.
Keep up the blog at least 2ce a week so, again, people don't forget about me.
Follow up on all the contacts I made because ALMOST NO ONE responds.
Follow up again.
Update my spreadsheet.
Research new possible venues.
Do the logistics of plane/train reservations, hotels,etc.
Once events start getting scheduled set up a calendar so I could keep everything straight
Put together the workshops and presentations that I'll be giving
Leave the house and look away from all electronic devices, if only for 15 minutes.
Please don't get me wrong. I am not complaining. But it is important to know that all this has to be done and that, generally speaking, you are the one who has to do it. Again, I am very lucky. My publisher, Adele Ward at Ward Wood Publishing, has put more time and effort into this tour than most publishers would. She and Mike Fortune-Wood have often taken on the tasks of contacting, and following up with bookshops and journalists all over the world, and then shipping books to them. But ultimately, as the writer this is still primarily my job.
5. Sure - get frustrated, but don't let that stop you. None of this will work out the way you envision, but if you keep at it, it will work out. I think perseverance and creativity are the key words here. People will not necessarily want to hear you talk about what you want to talk about. But that's okay. Mold your presentations to fit their needs and that in itself will serve the same purpose. Yes, much of the time I will be giving my powerpoint presentation and reading excerpts from the book. But other times I'll be talking to 10 year-olds about poetry or discussing how to reinvent yourself with a group of older expats. And this leads to my last point:
6. Know your goals. What is the point of the tour, anyway? Everyone will have a different goal and their tour will reflect that. One of my goals is, of course, to sell books. But that is actually a secondary one. To be honest, most of the money I make from the sales will be turned over to several charities I'm involved with over there. A tertiary goal is to research my next novel which will also be set in Cambodia. But my primary goals are different: to increase my readership and name recognition, and to have the experience of presenting myself as a professional writer around the world. Five years ago I would never have believed that it was possible. I still can't really believe it now. But if I can do it, anyone can. Maybe we writers are especially good at ignoring reality, or at least creating new ones. I certainly am creating a new one for me.
I'm afraid that this is sounding preachy now. All I really wanted to do was to answer the how's and why's people have been asking. Forgive me -- I guess I'm getting excited and all a bit emotional about this. Putting this trip together has taken most of the last 6 months of my life. It's now actually around the corner and I can't believe it. I do hope you'll come along with me.
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Going Global with my Ebook
There are many reasons why this is important, but it is particularly important now as I prepare to take my book to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Singapore. As it happens, stocking books in Asian bookstores is incredibly difficult. The cost of shipping hikes up the price. The shipping itself is not always reliable. The timing can be a nightmare. Ward Wood has even had the experience of negotiating a deal with a chain of Asian bookstores only to find that the order was never placed. Why? Who knows. So I have shipped some books myself, and the others I'm carrying over in an extra suitcase. Oh, gods of travel, please don't let them get lost.
The new existence of the ebook version is not a substitution for the paper version. But it is an extra alternative, and one I believe many English-speaking Asian residents (not to mention African) will choose to take up. The ebook has just made their reading lives incredibly easier and more wide-ranging. But what about signed copies I hear you ask? Well, for those readers I meet in person, I am bringing a batch of beautiful postcards which I can sign so the reader has something a bit more tangible.
Through blogging, facebook and twitter, not to mention old friends and far-flung family, I am lucky enough to have a following all over the world. And now I don't have to worry about them not being able to get copies of my book. No more waiting for months and wondering. Their purchase -- once the new technology is embraced -- will be instantaneous. Whether you are sitting on the subway going to work, travelling on a train to some conference or to visit friends, or just sitting in bed next to an already snoozing partner, you can be transported to the exotic smells and sights of the East or the poetic prose of one struggling writer in the West via your new ebook. I wonder how many countries my book will now reach. If/when you buy it in either format, please leave me a comment about where you are. I'm now keeping track. So far I know the paperbacks have flown to the UK and the US, Canada and France, Finland and Botswana, Thailand and Singapore. Now with the ebook, anything is possible. Come on -- help me take this baby global!
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Her Life Collected: The Launch
As you can see, it is a very modern church, and that kiln-like structure in the middle is actually a lovely, dark meditation room! The church is also used for a homeless shelter, and it is one of the shelters that my launch, and the poetry series which it was a part of, supports.
And speaking of support, we had a great audience, despite last minute conflicts and a seeming epidemic of winter illnesses. As it turns out, I'm becoming quite the little ham in my old age. I really loved being up there and reading my poetry (see left). And look how happy I looked (see right)!
And the audience was full of friends from all parts of my life, including some marvelous writers such as Tania Hershman, Sarah Salway, Lauri Kubuitsile (all the way from Botswana), Debi Alper and Emma Darwin, many of whom even took open mic spots to read one of their own poems.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
The Importance of Public Libraries
First of all, the building is spectacular. Wooden interior, old-fashioned cut glass in the door frames, large carpeted central staircase. Close your eyes and imagine what an old private or university library would look like, then just exchange the adjective for public. Tony, the Librarian who had organized the event, met me with huge thanks and premature apologies for a possible low attendance. But the room was all arranged and ready with chairs, soft drinks on a long side table, a small corner table for me and my books, an overhead projector for my computer and a large screen. I set everything up. Even the computer worked perfectly -- something which doesn't always happen, believe me.
And then the audience came -- about 20 on a Wednesday evening. For me, that's a terrific attendance. Tony had publicized the talk in the local press and sent emails to all the local book clubs (N.B. he KNEW about the local writing groups), and they came...people interested in Cambodia, people interested in writing, people just interested. I talked, I showed my presentation, and then afterwards there were so many questions and such a lively discussion we closed the place down. PLUS, I sold LOTS of books! I said it before and I'll say it again. I love Twickenham.
But this is important, I think, not just because one small writer had a good night. Now, at this time when the very existence of such libraries in Britain is threatened by the proposed cuts, my event highlights the crucial role that libraries can, and often do, play in their communities, and especially urban ones. Libraries are more than just places to take out books you don't feel like buying. And they are more than places where wanderers can get out of the rain. Libraries are places where people can go to think. They are the places, much more - alas - than schools, where children can learn that books are fun, that learning can be comfortable and cosy and not only stressful and judgmental. Libraries are places where people can meet others in their community with similar passions. They are a right, not just a privilege -- a right in any society which aims to be civilized, cohesive and open, aware of its past while looking towards its future. When I was in school, we had entire units on the library system, how it works, who founded it. I was taught that our libraries were just that -- ours. We owned them, and so we used them and took great pride in them. It actually frightens me to think what we might turn into without them. 
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Her Life Collected -- Now Here!
It amazes me that this is now the third time in the life of this blog that I can show you a photo like this:
Don't they look beautiful, despite my usual inexpert display? With so much of my attention still turned towards my Asian tour for A Clash of Innocents (I leave in 2 weeks!), I was afraid that this poetry collection, so dear to my heart, would be lost in the mix. But now that the book is here and I can hold it in my hands, I'm just as excited as ever. My last blog linked to a sampling of these poems that were posted on Peony Moon. Some people had trouble with the link. This is a better one here. Do go read some and see what you think. I'd love your thoughts on them. And if you are tempted, you can buy the book directly from Ward Wood here. And once again, here are the details of the launch, proceeds of which go to help support the Camden Cold Weather Shelters. Do come along if you can:
Lumen
88 Tavistock Place WC1 (near Russell Square and King's Cross/Euston Tubes)
Tuesday, 15 February, 2011
6.30 pm for 7
Poets from the floor are welcome. Refreshments will be available
Hey -- and I just saw that the listing is in Time Out online as well.
---------------
And while I have your attention, I'd like to share with you an article that I found that updates my last blog's discussion about the difficulty of sharing ebooks. It looks like they are coming up with the technology to make that work, after all -- though it's not easy. Read about it here.
Don't they look beautiful, despite my usual inexpert display? With so much of my attention still turned towards my Asian tour for A Clash of Innocents (I leave in 2 weeks!), I was afraid that this poetry collection, so dear to my heart, would be lost in the mix. But now that the book is here and I can hold it in my hands, I'm just as excited as ever. My last blog linked to a sampling of these poems that were posted on Peony Moon. Some people had trouble with the link. This is a better one here. Do go read some and see what you think. I'd love your thoughts on them. And if you are tempted, you can buy the book directly from Ward Wood here. And once again, here are the details of the launch, proceeds of which go to help support the Camden Cold Weather Shelters. Do come along if you can:
Lumen
88 Tavistock Place WC1 (near Russell Square and King's Cross/Euston Tubes)
Tuesday, 15 February, 2011
6.30 pm for 7
Poets from the floor are welcome. Refreshments will be available
Hey -- and I just saw that the listing is in Time Out online as well.
---------------
And while I have your attention, I'd like to share with you an article that I found that updates my last blog's discussion about the difficulty of sharing ebooks. It looks like they are coming up with the technology to make that work, after all -- though it's not easy. Read about it here.
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Singing Under a Peony Moon
I'm currently somewhere in the sky between the US and the UK, so this one needs to be brief. I did, though, want to urge everyone to go see a preview of my new poetry collection, "Her Life Collected," at Michelle McGrane's blog Peony Moon here. N.B. You may need to scroll down a bit on the page to see it.
The official launch will be on February, 15, but the book is already available for purchase here.
Thanks. See you soon.
The official launch will be on February, 15, but the book is already available for purchase here.
Thanks. See you soon.
Thursday, 3 February 2011
The Truth About Ebooks: Part II
I'm on the road this week, braving the great American ice storm to visit my parents in New York and then my son up in Boston. I tell you, it makes me long for the relative moderation of a London winter.
While I have been travelling I've been using my new iPad all the time, not only for facebook, twitter, writing this blog and emails, but also for reading ebooks. The experience of the past few days has made me realise that the list of truths about ebooks that I posted last week is not quite complete. I have two more points now to add to the list:
* I have gotten used to eating alone in restaurants. It's not so easy for a woman on her own to do. We tend to feel self-conscious and out of place. The solution is often to bury yourself in a good book. But it can be hard to eat and read at the same time. Both activities need your hands, especially if the book is of any size and weight. With a paper book, that means you are left to read between courses, and stare off into space as you munch. But with an ebook, you can put the device beside you on the table, turn the pages with a flick of a finger, and read while your hands are otherwise occupied wielding your cutlery. To me, this is a worthwhile advance, indeed.
* My mother is a voracious reader and I often pass books onto her that I know she will like. This practice of passing along books is a tricky one. Okay, it's not so good for writers and publishers who would prefer books to be bought, not borrowed. But there is a wonderful sense of shared intimacy that can arise around sharing books, and that sort of special camaraderie is not to be taken lightly. But an ebook can not be shared. You can't lend your device to someone else for a few months so they can read your new favourite book. All you can do is tell someone about the book and hope for the best. No, ebooks are not for sharing, and although this may be good for the industry, it might not be quite so good for civilisation.
So, I think this now covers all my discoveries about ebooks. Have I forgotten anything?
While I have been travelling I've been using my new iPad all the time, not only for facebook, twitter, writing this blog and emails, but also for reading ebooks. The experience of the past few days has made me realise that the list of truths about ebooks that I posted last week is not quite complete. I have two more points now to add to the list:
* I have gotten used to eating alone in restaurants. It's not so easy for a woman on her own to do. We tend to feel self-conscious and out of place. The solution is often to bury yourself in a good book. But it can be hard to eat and read at the same time. Both activities need your hands, especially if the book is of any size and weight. With a paper book, that means you are left to read between courses, and stare off into space as you munch. But with an ebook, you can put the device beside you on the table, turn the pages with a flick of a finger, and read while your hands are otherwise occupied wielding your cutlery. To me, this is a worthwhile advance, indeed.
* My mother is a voracious reader and I often pass books onto her that I know she will like. This practice of passing along books is a tricky one. Okay, it's not so good for writers and publishers who would prefer books to be bought, not borrowed. But there is a wonderful sense of shared intimacy that can arise around sharing books, and that sort of special camaraderie is not to be taken lightly. But an ebook can not be shared. You can't lend your device to someone else for a few months so they can read your new favourite book. All you can do is tell someone about the book and hope for the best. No, ebooks are not for sharing, and although this may be good for the industry, it might not be quite so good for civilisation.
So, I think this now covers all my discoveries about ebooks. Have I forgotten anything?
The Truth About Ebooks: Part II
I'm on the road this week, braving the great American ice storm to visit my parents in New York and then my son up in Boston. I tell you, it makes me long for the relative moderation of a London winter.
While I have been travelling I've been using my new iPad all the time, not only for facebook, twitter, writing this blog and emails, but also for reading ebooks. The experience of the past few days has made me realise that the list of truths about ebooks that I posted last week is not quite complete. I have two more points now to add to the list:
* I have gotten used to eating alone in restaurants. It's not so easy for a woman on her own to do. We tend to feel self-conscious and out of place. The solution is often to bury yourself in a good book. But it can be hard to eat and read at the same time. Both activities need your hands, especially if the book is of any size and weight. With a paper book, that means you are left to read between courses, and stare off into space as you munch. But with an ebook, you can put the device beside you on the table, turn the pages with a flick of a finger, and read while your hands are otherwise occupied wielding your cutlery. To me, this is a worthwhile advance, indeed.
* My mother is a voracious reader and I often pass books onto her that I know she will like. This practice of passing along books is a tricky one. Okay, it's not so good for writers and publishers who would prefer books to be bought, not borrowed. But there is a wonderful sense of shared intimacy that can arise around sharing books, and that sort of special camaraderie is not to be taken lightly. But an ebook can not be shared. You can't lend your device to someone else for a few months so they can read your new favourite book. All you can do is tell someone about the book and hope for the best. No, ebooks are not for sharing, and although this may be good for the industry, it might not be quite so good for civilisation.
So, I think this now covers all my discoveries about ebooks. Have I forgotten anything?
While I have been travelling I've been using my new iPad all the time, not only for facebook, twitter, writing this blog and emails, but also for reading ebooks. The experience of the past few days has made me realise that the list of truths about ebooks that I posted last week is not quite complete. I have two more points now to add to the list:
* I have gotten used to eating alone in restaurants. It's not so easy for a woman on her own to do. We tend to feel self-conscious and out of place. The solution is often to bury yourself in a good book. But it can be hard to eat and read at the same time. Both activities need your hands, especially if the book is of any size and weight. With a paper book, that means you are left to read between courses, and stare off into space as you munch. But with an ebook, you can put the device beside you on the table, turn the pages with a flick of a finger, and read while your hands are otherwise occupied wielding your cutlery. To me, this is a worthwhile advance, indeed.
* My mother is a voracious reader and I often pass books onto her that I know she will like. This practice of passing along books is a tricky one. Okay, it's not so good for writers and publishers who would prefer books to be bought, not borrowed. But there is a wonderful sense of shared intimacy that can arise around sharing books, and that sort of special camaraderie is not to be taken lightly. But an ebook can not be shared. You can't lend your device to someone else for a few months so they can read your new favourite book. All you can do is tell someone about the book and hope for the best. No, ebooks are not for sharing, and although this may be good for the industry, it might not be quite so good for civilisation.
So, I think this now covers all my discoveries about ebooks. Have I forgotten anything?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)