A lot of you lovely people have been asking me to visit your area on our Waterstones tour. Unfortunately the sands of time and events gaps have almost run out. I will however be at Waterstones in Boston on 18th December and that may be it for this year.
Yesterday we were at the Waterstones in the Trafford Centre and we sold out of Killing Kiss and most of Futile Flame. It was really nice to see how many people bought the set too.
But don't despair. You can still order copies of the set of the Vampire Gene direct from Murky Depths. If you want your copies signed and dedicated for a Christmas present then email terry@murkydepths.com and request this. We'll ensure you get your copies signed and in time for the holidays. Obviously there will be a deadline on these. So, ensure you order before 18th December. I'll sign all the copies at the Boston event and they will be on their way to you in time to wrap.
The good news at this point is that the calendar for next year's signings is already filling up. Amongst the confirmed bookings are : Vampire Night at Bookmark, Spalding, on 3rd March as well as returning to Trafford Centre Waterstones to officially launch Zombies in New York and Other Bloody Jottings in the UK (date to be arranged - but this will be end Feb/beginning March). There's also a planned return to Llandudno.
I'm working on other dates but hoping to be in Kingston, Birmingham, Liverpool, Wrexham, Chester and many more ...
If there is a Waterstones near you and you'd like a visit, leave me a comment and I'll see what I can do.
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Two More Signings to Go
The chaos of the last month and the bulk of the signing tour are now behind me. As it stands there's only two more opportunities to meet up with me this year and purchase your signed copies of The Vampire Gene Series. (Although they may be one other coming up ...)
Waterstones/ Trafford Centre Manchester/ Saturday 27th November 2010.
Sam will be in the Trafford Centre on Saturday 27th November 2010 at 12-4pm signing copies of her Vampire Gene Series. As with all other book signings there will be a free signed photograph with every purchase.
EVENT TIME: 12-4pm
Address: Waterstones, Trafford Centre, 42 Regent Crescent, Barton Dock Road, Manchester M17 8AP. Tel: 0843 290 8487
Waterstones/ Boston (Lincolnshire)/ Saturday 18th December 2010.
Sam will be signing copies of The Vampire Gene Series, in this very popular Lincolnshire Store. Free signed photograph with every purchase.
EVENT TIME: 11am-3pm
Address: Waterstones, 18 Pescod Square,Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6QX. Tel: 01205 360002
Waterstones/ Trafford Centre Manchester/ Saturday 27th November 2010.
Sam will be in the Trafford Centre on Saturday 27th November 2010 at 12-4pm signing copies of her Vampire Gene Series. As with all other book signings there will be a free signed photograph with every purchase.
EVENT TIME: 12-4pm
Address: Waterstones, Trafford Centre, 42 Regent Crescent, Barton Dock Road, Manchester M17 8AP. Tel: 0843 290 8487
Waterstones/ Boston (Lincolnshire)/ Saturday 18th December 2010.
Sam will be signing copies of The Vampire Gene Series, in this very popular Lincolnshire Store. Free signed photograph with every purchase.
EVENT TIME: 11am-3pm
Address: Waterstones, 18 Pescod Square,Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6QX. Tel: 01205 360002
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Learning to Self-Promote: A Writer's Journey.
When I went to university some years back to improve my main motivation was to become a better writer. I knew I had good ideas, but wasn’t confident that I had the skills to put them down in the best way. I promptly finished my BA (Hons) in English and Writing for Performance and felt better equipped to tackle the writing world. Unfortunately though, the need to get to work and earn a living reared its ugly head and all of my plans and ambitions were put on hold.
I went into teaching. I loved it, but always in the back of my mind was this little tingle that it wasn’t really what I wanted, and it had never been the real objective of going back into education in the first place. I rapidly signed up for my MA in Creative Writing on a part-time course. I needed to. Teaching at High School just didn’t give me that stimulation I had when I was writing and at least by doing the course it forced me to write.
The course was brilliant. I felt like I learnt so much from the analysis of other people’s writing and by learning even more to analyse my own work, therefore making me better at editing myself. One thing it didn’t teach me, though, was how hard it was to actually get anything published and then how difficult it would be to promote it.
At the end of my course I had an MA but I also had this beautiful novel. It was my pride and joy and I believed it was good because I’d been judged on it in order to pass my qualification. That’s what led to my total impatience – plus I’m never one to wait around anyway.
So, I self-published.
It probably wasn’t the best course of action – so I’m constantly told – but actually it worked very well for me and I sold over 350 copies of the book in this format. It even won the Silver Award for Best Horror Novel with ForeWord Magazine in 2007. Following on from that success I was then able to negotiate a deal with The House of Murky Depths and they have so far published three books in the Vampire Gene Series.
Myspace was my first dabble with social networking, and only this week I deleted the account – despite having over 12,000 views because I just didn’t think it worked for me anymore. Since then Facebook, Goodreads and my blog have become the outlets for all of my social and business networking and recently friends have been sending me something called ‘Linked In’ (not sure what it’s about yet though ...)
To a lot of people when you’ve written a book they believe the hard part is over. To some extent that’s true, but a writer these days is now obliged to also promote that book. Your responsibility begins in earnest on completion, but really you need to start telling people before you finish. How to do that, of course, is the million dollar question. Promoting is the hard. You have to be confident without appearing arrogant and getting the balance right between promotion and spamming can be difficult. I’m never sure if I do have it quite right, so I always lean towards less is more because I’ve seen so many people go completely over the top with it. However I do have a sort of formula and this is what works for me..
Some Social networking Dos and Don’ts.
What not to do ...
- · One of my pet hates is people leaving adverts on my page. I never do that. I think it’s rude and it’s disrespectful. Often I’ve had new people come onto my page and immediately post a link telling me all about their book and how wonderful they are without even saying ‘hello’. That to me is a big, no, no.
- · Another faux pas is posting your website on every single comment you leave. Or a full blown advert for your latest book. Okay!!! We get it: you’re a writer too – but don’t do that because it won’t win you any friends or new readers it will just annoy them.
- · Don’t harp on all the time about how wonderful you are.
- · Don’t stalk other people’s pages and then just talk about yourself all the time on them – engage in conversations, you might just enjoy yourself and make some real friends.
- · When sending out events – don’t keep resending the same one. If friends have refused you won’t make them say they are coming by re-inviting, but you might encourage them to delete you for spamming.
- · Spam emails/private messages – OMG! (You wouldn’t believe how many of these I get.) Don’t resort to it. It doesn’t work. Event invites are enough, if people don’t respond then leave them alone.
- · Never respond to a bad review in public. You only make yourself look an idiot and people think you’re unprofessional. If you don’t like the review – suck it up. The reviewer is entitled to their opinion and you can’t please everyone so just get over yourself.
- · Never talk politics or religion – everyone has their own beliefs in this area and it won’t make you friends but is more likely to lose you some.
- · Don’t be snide about other people online – even if their status is the most annoying self-obsessed bullshit you’ve ever seen. It doesn’t look good and only makes people think you’re unpleasant and bitchy.
- · Never review friend’s books unless you have a lot of positive things to say about them. You should be objective and balanced in your argument but if you didn’t like it – it’s always best to stay quiet about it.
What works for me ...
There’s no formula for perfect promotion but what I find works for me is just being myself with everyone. What you see is what you get. I also really enjoy interacting with people on Facebook etc ... you could say I’m a little addicted...
- · Mix up status updates with a combination of personal things and work related things even on my official page.
- · Be cheerful as much as possible, because let’s face it if you’re constantly feeling sorry for yourself then people will get fed up with it and stop listening. Also, when you do have a rant they are more likely to listen because you don’t do it all the time.
- · Respond to comments that your friends leave, even if you put a ‘like’ on it. Be interested in other people and what they are doing – it’s not all about you after all.
- · Respond to your friend’s updates and statuses if you expect them to engage in yours. Be supportive of other people and genuinely mean it.
- · Reply to private messages – even if they are from some guy in Turkey asking you to marry him. You can still be polite when you tell him to ‘get lost’.
- · Definitely advertise your achievements. There’s nothing wrong with telling your friends you’re up for awards or have been invited to attend a convention as a guest. That’s all good and positive after all and it does help to raise your profile with others. It shows that your work is valued.
- · If there are awards that need votes – remind people about them but don’t beg them to vote for you, it sounds desperate.
- · Pat other people on the back if they win and you don’t – it’s only an award and it’s not the end of the world. Be positive about being shortlisted – because hey – that’s a huge achievement anyway!
- · When sending out invitations to events it helps if you write a covering note. Mostly I apologise for sending just in case it is not wanted or they live too far away. It doesn’t hurt to be polite and aware that not everyone is interested.
- · Be positive and upbeat. That’s the biggest and most import of my own rules.
Blog like crazy!
There’s also blogging of course. Mine is over 9000 hits now. One thing you should do if you have a blog is keep an eye on your stats. I have a stats counter that analyses the hits. At the click of a button I can see the IP addresses of all people who log on and it shows me where they are from (don’t worry it’s not full names and addresses only areas or countries). It also reveals how they found the site – even showing you the google pathway that led them to the page. This kind of information is useful to help you analyse your tagging process. Tagging is a great resource and helps people find you by accident. It helps if you think ‘out of the box’ when selecting tags for the main page – and always tag the blogs.
Other results that I look at are ‘returning visitors’. At the end of the day you could be doing something wrong if your website or blog is getting a very low return rate. If you are posting interesting blogs or the type of information that the reader wants to see then there should be good returns results.
There has to be a balance between attracting new readers and keeping old ones. I’m no expert on this of course, but I try to mix up the information as much as possible. Sometimes I blog on a film I’ve seen. At other times I write about the publishing industry exploring things that I believe might interest aspiring writers. Then, of course, I post all of my news or latest events. It’s important to keep the blog updated whatever you decide to put on it though. Just think about it. How many times have you gone onto your favourite writer’s website and found that it hasn’t changed in six months? Eventually you stop looking for that information, after all what’s the point in returning if there’s nothing new to learn? So it’s a good thing to bear in mind when maintaining your blog or website. I try to put something up every few days these days – and I’ve seen an increase in hits recently so hopefully it’s working. If I'm going to be a way from my computer for more than a few days, I even write some before hand and schedule them to go up while I'm away. It's about being organised as well as consistent.
Conventions
Overall promoting takes up a lot of your time. Once you’ve sorted out your social networking sites and blogs you’ve got to get out there and meet people. That’s where conventions come in. This is where the real time and money goes.
In order to meet the right publishers and maybe even interest more readers you have to get out there and meet them. There are several Horror and Fantasy conventions that are good for promotion. My favourite used to be FantasyCon, but this isn’t always the best selling event; although I have seen a huge increase in sales there over the last three years which I hope is down to the fact that the word is getting out about my books. If you’re new on the circuit, or self-published, don’t expect to do well here on sales. The event does attract, however, a good selection of publishers and agents.
There is also EasterCon, which is huge. It has about 12-1300 people attending every year. It is an excellent event to get involved with. EasterCon organisers are very open to new people being panellists. My first EasterCon I was given 6 panels over the course of the weekend. Panels are good things for writers. It’s an opportunity to talk intelligently in front of an audience. A good moderator will know who you are and will introduce you properly explaining what you write or will give you the opportunity to do so yourself. It’s also a very good selling event. I’ve seen the most unlikely books sell at EasterCon and I think that is because there are more fans attending, whereas some of the smaller cons attract mostly writers, publishers and agents, who are less likely to buy your books. Also there is no snobbery at EasterCon. ALL writers can become involved at the mass signing events. So whether you are published by one of the majors or by a small independent press, you’ll be treated the same.
I’ve recently discovered Asylum – which is a steampunk convention in Lincoln. I was invited as a guest this year only to learn the event attracts over 800 people. The organisation was fabulous and I was treated wonderfully. I’m invited back next year also and I’m hoping to get more involved in the panels. This isn’t necessarily the place you’d go to if you want to meet publishers and agents – but it’s a great selling event and is full of potential readers. It’s also growing in size and had become the second biggest UK convention. It may even take that crown from EasterCon next year. Also, Asylum have invited me to return as a guest again next year, so I'll definitely be attending.
Smaller more intimate events are NewCon (2 Yearly – but a whole weekend) and AltFiction which is usually only running for a day but apparantly next year it is planned to run over two days.There are more but I will be honest and say I haven’t attended them.
Outside of the UK - I also attend Gallifrey in LA. My partner, David J Howe, and I are invited as guests and guest status makes all of the difference. In the USA we get extremely well treated and sales are incredible. There are also great panel opportunities.
That’s where the time and money element of promotion comes in. Attending Cons is expensive and while you’re away from home you aren’t writing – but if you’re smart, you will be working.
I could say a whole lot more, but I think that's enough for now, except to say - Keep plugging away at the promo ... but remember, not too much ...
I could say a whole lot more, but I think that's enough for now, except to say - Keep plugging away at the promo ... but remember, not too much ...
Sam Stone 12.10.10
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Thorne Coffin - An appropriate place to stay :)
On our Yeovil trip last weekend we found ourselves staying in a beautiful guest house called 'Thorne Cottage'. David found 'Thorne Cottage' via google as we wanted to stay somewhere convenient for the centre of Yeovil for Waterstones. We didn't know anything about the area, never having been there before, and as with all of these things we booked it hoping it would be okay.
When we arrived, 5.30pm, it was dark, wet and miserable and we found ourselves searching country lanes for the address. As usual the Sat Nav sent us down a lane with no through-road, we came across a barrier, but were able to open it and go through.
We didn't see Thorne Cottage immediately, even though it turned out to be the first on the left through the barrier. As we drove along this dark country lane, we came across a huge manor house called Thorne House.
Eventually we found Thorne Cottage - after ringing the owner, Kath and her husband Bill came out will a torch to direct us in - but already David and I were intriqued by the area.
Thorne Cottage is gorgeous and we were given a warm welcome by the owners. Then shown to our rooms. It turned out we had a wing to ourselves, so David and I had the double room and Frazer was in the single. Within this area we had all the conveniences you could wish for. Our own sitting room with comfy leather chairs and a chaise, tea and Coffee facilities and not one, but two bathrooms. Lovely. Added to this the unexpected bonus of having wifi and sky TV in our rooms. This place was sheer luxury!
The next morning, after a fresh full English breakfast, we went for a walk to look at Thorne House and in daylight we discovered we were in the small village of THORNE COFFIN. You could say this was somewhat appropriate. Thorne Coffin is a very quaint village, with its own parish church - St Andrews - and more spookiness than I've ever seen. I absolutely loved it!
The village of Thorne Coffin itself is made up of large cottages, all varing in size and I've been told used to be occupied by three main families that were farmers some years ago. The surrounding area was then filled by the farm workers. So far this is all I've managed to learn.
We went into the grounds of Thorne House - which is privately owned - and looked around to ask permission to properly examine the exterior of the house and the beautifully maintained lawns. Unfortunately we couldn't get permission but we did manage to take some beautiful pictures of the house nontheless. I think they'd make a fortune if they opened it up to the public, but apparantly it is owned by a corporation. I've since been searching for the history of the house but have so far drawn a blank. If any of you do have information on this stunning stately home, then please let me know.
Needless to say I will be writing a story about Thorne Cottage and Thorne House. Actually I feel a novella coming ...
When we arrived, 5.30pm, it was dark, wet and miserable and we found ourselves searching country lanes for the address. As usual the Sat Nav sent us down a lane with no through-road, we came across a barrier, but were able to open it and go through.
We didn't see Thorne Cottage immediately, even though it turned out to be the first on the left through the barrier. As we drove along this dark country lane, we came across a huge manor house called Thorne House.
Eventually we found Thorne Cottage - after ringing the owner, Kath and her husband Bill came out will a torch to direct us in - but already David and I were intriqued by the area.
Thorne Cottage is gorgeous and we were given a warm welcome by the owners. Then shown to our rooms. It turned out we had a wing to ourselves, so David and I had the double room and Frazer was in the single. Within this area we had all the conveniences you could wish for. Our own sitting room with comfy leather chairs and a chaise, tea and Coffee facilities and not one, but two bathrooms. Lovely. Added to this the unexpected bonus of having wifi and sky TV in our rooms. This place was sheer luxury!
The next morning, after a fresh full English breakfast, we went for a walk to look at Thorne House and in daylight we discovered we were in the small village of THORNE COFFIN. You could say this was somewhat appropriate. Thorne Coffin is a very quaint village, with its own parish church - St Andrews - and more spookiness than I've ever seen. I absolutely loved it!
The village of Thorne Coffin itself is made up of large cottages, all varing in size and I've been told used to be occupied by three main families that were farmers some years ago. The surrounding area was then filled by the farm workers. So far this is all I've managed to learn.
We went into the grounds of Thorne House - which is privately owned - and looked around to ask permission to properly examine the exterior of the house and the beautifully maintained lawns. Unfortunately we couldn't get permission but we did manage to take some beautiful pictures of the house nontheless. I think they'd make a fortune if they opened it up to the public, but apparantly it is owned by a corporation. I've since been searching for the history of the house but have so far drawn a blank. If any of you do have information on this stunning stately home, then please let me know.
Needless to say I will be writing a story about Thorne Cottage and Thorne House. Actually I feel a novella coming ...
Monday, 15 November 2010
Appearances 20th November -18th December 2010
Book Signings and Frazer Hines FINAL Show.
Bookmark- Spalding/20th November 2010
Meet Sam Stone, Frazer Hines and Horror Writer Andy Remic at this in quaint award winning independent bookstore.
18-20 The Crescent, Spalding, PE11 1AF. Tel: 01775 769 231
EVENT TIME: 11am - 1pm
LAST SHOW IN THE SEASON.
The Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester - Frazer Hines - 50 Years in Showbiz - Anniversary Tour/21st November 2010.
The show starts at 8pm and consists of a two part performance. Part one will see Frazer talking about his life and experiences over the 50 years that he has been in showbusiness. Following a 20 min interval Frazer will return to the stage with Sam Stone - who will interview him in a Q and A which will be interspersed with questions from the audience.
EVENT TIME: 7.30pm
Address: 36 Charles St, Manchester, M1 7DB. Tel: 0161 273 6932/ BUY NOW!
Waterstones/ Trafford Centre Manchester/ Saturday 27th November 2010.
Sam will be in the Trafford Centre on Saturday 27th November 2010 at 12-4pm signing copies of her Vampire Gene Series. As with all other book signings there will be a free signed photograph with every purchase.
EVENT TIME: 12-4pm
Address: Waterstones, Trafford Centre, 42 Regent Crescent, Barton Dock Road, Manchester M17 8AP. Tel: 0843 290 8487
Waterstones/ Boston (Lincolnshire)/ Saturday 18th December 2010.
Sam will be signing copies of The Vampire Gene Series, in this very popular Lincolnshire Store. Free signed photograph with every purchase.
EVENT TIME: 11am-3pm
Address: Waterstones, 18 Pescod Square,Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6QX. Tel: 01205 360002
Meet Sam Stone, Frazer Hines and Horror Writer Andy Remic at this in quaint award winning independent bookstore.
18-20 The Crescent, Spalding, PE11 1AF. Tel: 01775 769 231
EVENT TIME: 11am - 1pm
LAST SHOW IN THE SEASON.
The Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester - Frazer Hines - 50 Years in Showbiz - Anniversary Tour/21st November 2010.
The show starts at 8pm and consists of a two part performance. Part one will see Frazer talking about his life and experiences over the 50 years that he has been in showbusiness. Following a 20 min interval Frazer will return to the stage with Sam Stone - who will interview him in a Q and A which will be interspersed with questions from the audience.
EVENT TIME: 7.30pm
Address: 36 Charles St, Manchester, M1 7DB. Tel: 0161 273 6932/ BUY NOW!
Waterstones/ Trafford Centre Manchester/ Saturday 27th November 2010.
Sam will be in the Trafford Centre on Saturday 27th November 2010 at 12-4pm signing copies of her Vampire Gene Series. As with all other book signings there will be a free signed photograph with every purchase.
EVENT TIME: 12-4pm
Address: Waterstones, Trafford Centre, 42 Regent Crescent, Barton Dock Road, Manchester M17 8AP. Tel: 0843 290 8487
Waterstones/ Boston (Lincolnshire)/ Saturday 18th December 2010.
Sam will be signing copies of The Vampire Gene Series, in this very popular Lincolnshire Store. Free signed photograph with every purchase.
EVENT TIME: 11am-3pm
Address: Waterstones, 18 Pescod Square,Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6QX. Tel: 01205 360002
Sunday, 14 November 2010
My Typical Week
People often ask me what writing schedule I have. This is a quick diary of my typical week:
Monday
Wake at 7am. Reach over to the bedside table and switch on my laptop. Check Facebook, reply to messages and notifications - then check emails and respond to them.
8am - begin writing for the day.
9am - stop for small breakfast shower and dress.
9.15am - back to work and write until 12.30-1pm.
Have lunch.
1.30pm onwards - Afternoon schedule consists of wrapping Telos Publishing orders (this can take hours).
Brief visit to Facebook and emails again.
4pm Take orders to Post office.
5pm - 6pm begin making dinner.
6pm - Glass of wine.
After dinner cuddle up on the sofa with David and watch a DVD.
Tuesday
Morning as per Monday until lunchtime.
1.30pm Onwards - Prepare Telos Invoices/Delivery notes for shop and distributor purchases.
Collate books and pack in boxes.
Weigh and measure boxes - then book the courier collection for Wednesday. Print and attach shipping labels.
Put all boxes (from 1 to possibly 20 depending what's come in) into the collection area.
Tidy up!!! Cos the packing mess a hell of a mess...
6pm - glass of wine and WELL DESERVED.
Chill with David.
Wednesday
7am -8am Catch up with Facebook and Emails/ May write a blog.
8am - Get up and get dressed. Put the washing on. Eat some cereal and have a cup of tea.
8.30am onwards - Begin Full cleaning of the house, stopping occasionally to change the washing over to the drier and put another load on if there is one.
12.30pm - get a light lunch.
1pm onwards sort out the now dry washing and set too ironing. (During which time I'll put Vampire Diaries on the TV to quell some of the boredom).
3pm or sooner ,depending on washing that day, return to my laptop and check emails and facebook etc.
3.15-6pm Promotion. This could be sending out emails or ringing places - but it's usually blogging, creating events and advertising them in various places.
6pm - you guessed it! Glass of Wine ...
Thursday
Writing morning as per Monday.
Around 1pm and after lunch - Telos Orders and Paperwork.
4pm - Take orders to Post Office or book courier or both.
6pm - I'm not even going to tell you because you know what I'm doing from then onwards ...
Friday
Writing all morning as per Monday.
After lunch - editing any commisioned work - or possibly mine depending where I'm up to and on deadlines. Sometimes I'm just writing ALL day if needed.
4pm - possibly taking orders to Post office - nip out to shops for food and - wine ... (obviously)
7pm onwards - Prepare dinner - (no wine) Collect L from the station.
8pm - L, David and I sit down to dinner - now we have wine.
Watch DVD and chat
Saturday
A bit of a lie in so we get up around 8am instead of 7am. Reach for laptop and spend time checking emails and Facebook. May write a blog.
9am-12am Writing all morning.
12.30 onwards - out to lunch with David & L- Shopping and errands.
3-4pm - Back home, check emails and Facebook then do some editing if urgent.
Make Dinner or sometimes go out to local Indian for Curry.
Evening - relax with the family.
Sunday
8am - Wake, check emails & Facebook - Get shower etc.
10 - 11am - Make a fry-up for 'brunch'. Laze around a little during most of the morning.
After Lunch - Nice weather stroll on the beach/ crap weather back to work writing/editing. Or watch some rubbish on TV with L.
3ish - Take L to station as she goes back to college.
3.30pm onwards - Tidy up. Check Emails etc.
4pm - 6pm - Editing/ possible blog.
6pm - Yes - WINE!
After dinner - curl up on sofa and chill with David.
This is an average week, which is interspersed with interruptions and changes... It doesn't reflect the weeks we spend travelling and signing books. On those occassions my writing pattern is very disrupted. I'm not good at writing on board a train for example - as I hate noise when I'm writing and trains are usually chaotic.
When I'm on a deadline I write every morning and everything else is left to the end of the day - especially the housework. For example when I was working on the 'Zombies in New York' Collection Monday-Sunday consisted of writing from 7am to 1pm every day. This went on for weeks as the deadline approached. Currently I'm between projects - but must start writing the next novel very soon and so my schedule is far looser. Fortunately this month is filled with promotion stuff - lots of Waterstones signings and Frazer Hines' tour, which was good timing as writing schedules go.
I write in the morning as this is my best time - later in the day the other things in our lives get in the way and would be too much of a distraction. It's also why I write in bed - if I see that the house is untidy it gives me reason to procrastinate. Hence not leaving the bedroom until I'm confident that my writing is in full swing - that way distractions don't hold my attention long because I'm in 'the zone'. One main aim is to write or edit something everyday so that my creative brain is constantly being flexed. I even get grumpy if I don't write these days.
Well, that's my typical week and it's a system that works for me but if you are an aspiring author you may do things completely different. You just have to find a balance, and being strict with writing hours is the most important thing you learn if you really want to write as a full-time occupation.
Monday
Wake at 7am. Reach over to the bedside table and switch on my laptop. Check Facebook, reply to messages and notifications - then check emails and respond to them.
8am - begin writing for the day.
9am - stop for small breakfast shower and dress.
9.15am - back to work and write until 12.30-1pm.
Have lunch.
1.30pm onwards - Afternoon schedule consists of wrapping Telos Publishing orders (this can take hours).
Brief visit to Facebook and emails again.
4pm Take orders to Post office.
5pm - 6pm begin making dinner.
6pm - Glass of wine.
After dinner cuddle up on the sofa with David and watch a DVD.
Tuesday
Morning as per Monday until lunchtime.
1.30pm Onwards - Prepare Telos Invoices/Delivery notes for shop and distributor purchases.
Collate books and pack in boxes.
Weigh and measure boxes - then book the courier collection for Wednesday. Print and attach shipping labels.
Put all boxes (from 1 to possibly 20 depending what's come in) into the collection area.
Tidy up!!! Cos the packing mess a hell of a mess...
6pm - glass of wine and WELL DESERVED.
Chill with David.
Wednesday
7am -8am Catch up with Facebook and Emails/ May write a blog.
8am - Get up and get dressed. Put the washing on. Eat some cereal and have a cup of tea.
8.30am onwards - Begin Full cleaning of the house, stopping occasionally to change the washing over to the drier and put another load on if there is one.
12.30pm - get a light lunch.
1pm onwards sort out the now dry washing and set too ironing. (During which time I'll put Vampire Diaries on the TV to quell some of the boredom).
3pm or sooner ,depending on washing that day, return to my laptop and check emails and facebook etc.
3.15-6pm Promotion. This could be sending out emails or ringing places - but it's usually blogging, creating events and advertising them in various places.
6pm - you guessed it! Glass of Wine ...
Thursday
Writing morning as per Monday.
Around 1pm and after lunch - Telos Orders and Paperwork.
4pm - Take orders to Post Office or book courier or both.
6pm - I'm not even going to tell you because you know what I'm doing from then onwards ...
Friday
Writing all morning as per Monday.
After lunch - editing any commisioned work - or possibly mine depending where I'm up to and on deadlines. Sometimes I'm just writing ALL day if needed.
4pm - possibly taking orders to Post office - nip out to shops for food and - wine ... (obviously)
7pm onwards - Prepare dinner - (no wine) Collect L from the station.
8pm - L, David and I sit down to dinner - now we have wine.
Watch DVD and chat
Saturday
A bit of a lie in so we get up around 8am instead of 7am. Reach for laptop and spend time checking emails and Facebook. May write a blog.
9am-12am Writing all morning.
12.30 onwards - out to lunch with David & L- Shopping and errands.
3-4pm - Back home, check emails and Facebook then do some editing if urgent.
Make Dinner or sometimes go out to local Indian for Curry.
Evening - relax with the family.
Sunday
8am - Wake, check emails & Facebook - Get shower etc.
10 - 11am - Make a fry-up for 'brunch'. Laze around a little during most of the morning.
After Lunch - Nice weather stroll on the beach/ crap weather back to work writing/editing. Or watch some rubbish on TV with L.
3ish - Take L to station as she goes back to college.
3.30pm onwards - Tidy up. Check Emails etc.
4pm - 6pm - Editing/ possible blog.
6pm - Yes - WINE!
After dinner - curl up on sofa and chill with David.
This is an average week, which is interspersed with interruptions and changes... It doesn't reflect the weeks we spend travelling and signing books. On those occassions my writing pattern is very disrupted. I'm not good at writing on board a train for example - as I hate noise when I'm writing and trains are usually chaotic.
When I'm on a deadline I write every morning and everything else is left to the end of the day - especially the housework. For example when I was working on the 'Zombies in New York' Collection Monday-Sunday consisted of writing from 7am to 1pm every day. This went on for weeks as the deadline approached. Currently I'm between projects - but must start writing the next novel very soon and so my schedule is far looser. Fortunately this month is filled with promotion stuff - lots of Waterstones signings and Frazer Hines' tour, which was good timing as writing schedules go.
I write in the morning as this is my best time - later in the day the other things in our lives get in the way and would be too much of a distraction. It's also why I write in bed - if I see that the house is untidy it gives me reason to procrastinate. Hence not leaving the bedroom until I'm confident that my writing is in full swing - that way distractions don't hold my attention long because I'm in 'the zone'. One main aim is to write or edit something everyday so that my creative brain is constantly being flexed. I even get grumpy if I don't write these days.
Well, that's my typical week and it's a system that works for me but if you are an aspiring author you may do things completely different. You just have to find a balance, and being strict with writing hours is the most important thing you learn if you really want to write as a full-time occupation.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Updated Appearances - More Waterstones Dates Added!!
These are the remaining signings and shows planned for this year at this time. Don't miss the opportunity to meet Sam Stone, Frazer Hines and Andy Remic (Spalding - 20th Nov). Frazer's one-man show concludes at Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester on 21st November - so buy your tickets now!!!
EVENT TIME: 2 - 4pm
Waterstones Yeovil, 37a Middle Street, Yeovill, Somerset BA20 1LG. 2-4pm
The Swan Theatre, Yeovil - Frazer Hines - 50 Years in Showbiz - Anniversary Tour. PENULTIMATE SHOW!
The show starts at 8pm and consists of a two part performance. Part one will see Frazer talking about his life and experiences over the 50 years that he has been in showbusiness. Following a 20 min interval Frazer will return to the stage with Sam Stone - who will interview him in a Q and A which will be interspersed with questions from the audience.
EVENT TIME: 7.30pm
Address: Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil BA20 1QT.
Tel: Waterstones Yeovil for tickets on: 01935 479832/ BUY NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!
Waterstone - Truro/14th November 2010.
Journeying further to the coast Sam Stone and Frazer Hines will be at this Waterstones stone.
EVENT TIME: 1 - 2.30pm
Waterstone Truro, 11 Boscawen Street, Truro, Cornwall,TR1 2QU
Meet Sam Stone, Frazer Hines and Horror Writer Andy Remic at this in quaint award winning independent bookstore.
18-20 The Crescent, Spalding, PE11 1AF. Tel: 01775 769 231
EVENT TIME: 11am - 1pm
LAST SHOW IN THE SEASON.
The Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester - Frazer Hines - 50 Years in Showbiz - Anniversary Tour/21st November 2010.
The show starts at 8pm and consists of a two part performance. Part one will see Frazer talking about his life and experiences over the 50 years that he has been in showbusiness. Following a 20 min interval Frazer will return to the stage with Sam Stone - who will interview him in a Q and A which will be interspersed with questions from the audience.
EVENT TIME: 7.30pm
Address: 36 Charles St, Manchester, M1 7DB. Tel: 0161 273 6932/ BUY NOW!
FURTHER WATERSTONES SIGNINGS FOR SAM STONE.
Waterstones/ Trafford Centre Manchester/ Saturday 27th November 2010.
Sam will be in the Trafford Centre on Saturday 27th November 2010 at 12-4pm signing copies of her Vampire Gene Series. As with all other book signings there will be a free signed photograph with every purchase.
EVENT TIME: 12-4pm
Address: Waterstones, Trafford Centre, 42 Regent Crescent, Barton Dock Road, Manchester M17 8AP. Tel: 0843 290 8487
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Appearances 13th - 21st November 2010
These are the remaining signings and shows planned for this year at this time. Don't miss the opportunity to meet Sam Stone, Frazer Hines and Andy Remic (Spalding - 20th Nov). Frazer's one-man show concludes at Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester on 21st November - so buy your tickets now!!!
EVENT TIME: 2 - 4pm
Waterstones Yeovil, 37a Middle Street, Yeovill, Somerset BA20 1LG. 2-4pm
The Swan Theatre, Yeovil - Frazer Hines - 50 Years in Showbiz - Anniversary Tour. PENULTIMATE SHOW!
The show starts at 8pm and consists of a two part performance. Part one will see Frazer talking about his life and experiences over the 50 years that he has been in showbusiness. Following a 20 min interval Frazer will return to the stage with Sam Stone - who will interview him in a Q & A which will be interspersed with questions from the audience.
EVENT TIME: 7.30pm
Address: Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil BA20 1QT.
Tel: Waterstones Yeovil for tickets on: 01935 479832/ BUY NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!
Waterstone - Truro/14th November 2010.
Journeying further to the coast Sam Stone and Frazer Hines will be at this Waterstones stone.
EVENT TIME: 1 - 2.30pm
Waterstone Truro, 11 Boscawen Street, Truro, Cornwall,TR1 2QU
Meet Sam Stone, Frazer Hines & Horror Writer Andy Remic at this in quaint award winning independent bookstore.
18-20 The Crescent, Spalding, PE11 1AF. Tel: 01775 769 231
EVENT TIME: 11am - 1pm
LAST SHOW IN THE SEASON.
The Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester - Frazer Hines - 50 Years in Showbiz - Anniversary Tour/21st November 2010.
The show starts at 8pm and consists of a two part performance. Part one will see Frazer talking about his life and experiences over the 50 years that he has been in showbusiness. Following a 20 min interval Frazer will return to the stage with Sam Stone - who will interview him in a Q & A which will be interspersed with questions from the audience.
EVENT TIME: 7.30pm
Address: 36 Charles St, Manchester, M1 7DB. Tel: 0161 273 6932/ BUY NOW!
Sunday, 7 November 2010
MAD World
This has been one crazy, whirlwind of a week.
Last Saturday morning David and I flew to Isle of Man to meet up with Frazer Hines and Rob Craine for Frazer's first show of his pre-christmas run of 'Frazer Hines - 50 Years in Showbiz Tour. The first was to take place at Erin Arts Centre, in Port Erin. When we got to the venue, however, it looked like disaster was going to strike and we'd have to cancel. Frazer's DVD's wouldn't play in their machine. Fortunately David rescued the situation by figuring out a way to play the film clips - but this only got sorted minutes before the show was due to start.
The show got underway and tech issues continued to plague us with Frazer's microphone constantly going on and off. Like a true professional he plowed on. It's safe to say the audience loved him! It was laughs all the way and the interval came around way too quickly!
The second half of the show I went on with Frazer and fielded the Q & A. Erin Arts Centre patrons asked great questions and as always I learnt something new about Frazer through his answers. He's a man of many talents! And - the laughs continued to the end. This was a very appreciative audience.
Later in the week I drove to Derby to meet up with Frazer to prepare for his show on the Thursday evening. We had lunch, went the the venue, only to realise we'd sold out of the final few copies of his autobiography and so had none to sell there. Fortunately a new delivery was due in the next day - but we were very sorry to disappoint the Derby Whovers (or is that Whoovers?).
The show went very well that night, however. This took place at The Quad, Derby and it was extremely well organised with excellent technology - phew! - and was followed by a very informal chat with the audience immediately afterwards.
But the week didn't end there. Straight after the Derby show we drove back to Wales. Frazer and I had a signing at Waterstones in Llandudno and of course there is still Frazer's show taking place this evening at the Scala in Prestatyn.
But I do really want to talk about Llandudno yesterday. What a well promoted event this was. I'm so very pleased with the sales we made and the excitement that our visit created. Huge thanks goes to all of the staff at Llandudno as they made such a massive effort the last few weeks to tell people we were coming. This consisted of them ordering a lot of books prior to the event and displaying them in full beautifully (we even had Cybermen!). Doctor Who music was played throughout the day and there was a superb poster in the window. We were placed in a prime position and - WOW! - what a busy store! By 4pm we were still in the thick of it as the sales continued to ring up and we'd been booked until 3pm. What a great day!
It really was super for me as a local author to have such a successful signing at Waterstones. So, naturally we went out with friends to celebrate!!
Well, that's the catch up on my mad, mad week so far... There's still more to come so watch out for my next appearances in Yeovil, Truro and Spalding.
Last Saturday morning David and I flew to Isle of Man to meet up with Frazer Hines and Rob Craine for Frazer's first show of his pre-christmas run of 'Frazer Hines - 50 Years in Showbiz Tour. The first was to take place at Erin Arts Centre, in Port Erin. When we got to the venue, however, it looked like disaster was going to strike and we'd have to cancel. Frazer's DVD's wouldn't play in their machine. Fortunately David rescued the situation by figuring out a way to play the film clips - but this only got sorted minutes before the show was due to start.
The show got underway and tech issues continued to plague us with Frazer's microphone constantly going on and off. Like a true professional he plowed on. It's safe to say the audience loved him! It was laughs all the way and the interval came around way too quickly!
The second half of the show I went on with Frazer and fielded the Q & A. Erin Arts Centre patrons asked great questions and as always I learnt something new about Frazer through his answers. He's a man of many talents! And - the laughs continued to the end. This was a very appreciative audience.
Later in the week I drove to Derby to meet up with Frazer to prepare for his show on the Thursday evening. We had lunch, went the the venue, only to realise we'd sold out of the final few copies of his autobiography and so had none to sell there. Fortunately a new delivery was due in the next day - but we were very sorry to disappoint the Derby Whovers (or is that Whoovers?).
The show went very well that night, however. This took place at The Quad, Derby and it was extremely well organised with excellent technology - phew! - and was followed by a very informal chat with the audience immediately afterwards.
But the week didn't end there. Straight after the Derby show we drove back to Wales. Frazer and I had a signing at Waterstones in Llandudno and of course there is still Frazer's show taking place this evening at the Scala in Prestatyn.
But I do really want to talk about Llandudno yesterday. What a well promoted event this was. I'm so very pleased with the sales we made and the excitement that our visit created. Huge thanks goes to all of the staff at Llandudno as they made such a massive effort the last few weeks to tell people we were coming. This consisted of them ordering a lot of books prior to the event and displaying them in full beautifully (we even had Cybermen!). Doctor Who music was played throughout the day and there was a superb poster in the window. We were placed in a prime position and - WOW! - what a busy store! By 4pm we were still in the thick of it as the sales continued to ring up and we'd been booked until 3pm. What a great day!
It really was super for me as a local author to have such a successful signing at Waterstones. So, naturally we went out with friends to celebrate!!
Well, that's the catch up on my mad, mad week so far... There's still more to come so watch out for my next appearances in Yeovil, Truro and Spalding.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
TELOS PRESS RELEASE - ZOMBIES IN NEW YORK!
November 1, 2010 - Telos Publishing is very pleased and proud to have recently signed up a new collection of original horror and dark fantasy fiction from the acclaimed and award-winning author Sam Stone. Sam made an enormous impact with her trilogy of Vampire novels, collectively known as the Vampire Gene series (which are available from our friends at Murky Depths: www.murkydepths.com), and we just know that this debut collection is going to blow people away.
There is already film interest in some of the tales - and that's before the book has even been published. ZOMBIES IN NEW YORK & OTHER BLOODY JOTTINGS is an amazing read. Something is sapping the energy of the usually robust dancers of the Moulin Rouge … Jack the Ripper’s crimes are investigated by a vampire … Zombies roam the streets of New York … Clowns die in mysteriously humorous ways ... Welcome to the poetic and horrific world of Sam Stone, where a vampire becomes obsessed with a centuries-old werewolf, and Angels are stalking the undead. Walk through the haunting world of the Toymaker and be hypnotised by the Siren's Song. Fourteen stories of horror and passion, and six mythological and erotic poems from the pen of the new Queen of Vampire fiction. Chick-slash has never been so entertaining!
Publishing in February 2011 and being launched at the big LA Doctor Who event, Gallifrey One, ZOMBIES IN NEW YORK will boast a cover by multiple-award winning artist Vincent Chong (www.vincentchong-art.co.uk), and features internal illustrations from the blood-soaked pen of Russell Morgan (www.icarussart.com)
'I wanted to do a collection to experiment with genres and styles,' says Sam. 'As well as my interest in horror fiction, I also love crime fiction, particularly psychological thrillers, and writing a collection of short stories gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons in terms of the content, style and even voice that I used.'
Sam is known for her vampire series, The Vampire Gene, and the collection contains several stories which link in with that. 'When I was writing Futile Flame, the second in the trilogy, my femme fatale, the vampire Lucrezia Borgia, was such an intriguing character that at the time I wanted to write much more about her history. There is a period of time within that book of approximately 200 years, where we don't really know what she got up to. So the stories began as my exploration of those missing years. I have Lucrezia taking on the nom de plume of Lucy Collins, and working as a blood specialist - an ideal job for a vampire! - and with the police of all ages, solving crimes and getting involved in mysteries.'
The collection also contains some of Sam's horror poetry. 'They're more erotic and mythological than horror, and the ones that I wanted to include in the collection, are those I'm most proud of as they each tell a little story of their own. I tried to encapsulate feelings, character, themes and a plot into a concise piece of writing in each case. I hope that readers enjoy them.'
The collection covers all bases from zombies to vampires, sirens to angels and just about everything in between. 'I was trying to be diverse,' smiles Sam. 'There's even a ghost story in there, as well as, of course, creepy clowns! But in every case I tried to bring a new and unique slant to the writing. I was aiming at being eclectic and I hope I've achieved that. There are several that I am really proud of, and some which I hope will truly shock readers!'
Copies of ZOMBIES IN NEW YORK & OTHER BLOODY JOTTINGS can be pre-ordered from Telos by emailing orders@telos.co.uk or visiting their website: www.telos.co.uk.
'I wanted to do a collection to experiment with genres and styles,' says Sam. 'As well as my interest in horror fiction, I also love crime fiction, particularly psychological thrillers, and writing a collection of short stories gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons in terms of the content, style and even voice that I used.'
Sam is known for her vampire series, The Vampire Gene, and the collection contains several stories which link in with that. 'When I was writing Futile Flame, the second in the trilogy, my femme fatale, the vampire Lucrezia Borgia, was such an intriguing character that at the time I wanted to write much more about her history. There is a period of time within that book of approximately 200 years, where we don't really know what she got up to. So the stories began as my exploration of those missing years. I have Lucrezia taking on the nom de plume of Lucy Collins, and working as a blood specialist - an ideal job for a vampire! - and with the police of all ages, solving crimes and getting involved in mysteries.'
The collection also contains some of Sam's horror poetry. 'They're more erotic and mythological than horror, and the ones that I wanted to include in the collection, are those I'm most proud of as they each tell a little story of their own. I tried to encapsulate feelings, character, themes and a plot into a concise piece of writing in each case. I hope that readers enjoy them.'
The collection covers all bases from zombies to vampires, sirens to angels and just about everything in between. 'I was trying to be diverse,' smiles Sam. 'There's even a ghost story in there, as well as, of course, creepy clowns! But in every case I tried to bring a new and unique slant to the writing. I was aiming at being eclectic and I hope I've achieved that. There are several that I am really proud of, and some which I hope will truly shock readers!'
Copies of ZOMBIES IN NEW YORK & OTHER BLOODY JOTTINGS can be pre-ordered from Telos by emailing orders@telos.co.uk or visiting their website: www.telos.co.uk.
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