You can now pre-order Futile Flame from www.murkydepths.com.
Log onto the site - look in the Murky shop. Choose paperbacks.
Good luck!
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Futile Flame Update
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Futile Flame has been delayed and will not be available at EasterCon as planned. Those of you in the publishing industry will undoubtedly understand that these things happen.I am, naturally, very disappointed but have to accept the situation.
However, here is the preview of the cover of the book.
Pre-ordering should be available very soon on www.murkydepths.com and Amazon as the novel does already have an ISBN number.
ISBN: 978-1-906584-08-5
Also, I will be attending EasterCon on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th April. Signed copies of Killing Kiss will be available and I'm sure you will also be able to pre-order Futile Flame at the same time.
Hope you aren't too disappointed at this delay, but the book will most certainly be available by June.
Sam x
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Gallifrey One
This is a diary of my weekend at the Gallifrey One convention in LA.
Thursday 12th February 2009
I arrived at the Marriott Hotel feeling very jetlagged at 8.30pm LA time. We'd been travelling all day, gone through various time zones and to our body clock it was actually 4.30am. But as we walked in we were greeted by the lovely Steve Roberts and his adorable partner Sue Cowley - who screamed and whooped in delight to see us. It was then we saw all of our British friends and the next few minutes were spent hugging them.
We checked in and went to our room to get changed and came back downstairs as soon as possible, determined to stay up if we could in order to beat jetlag.
I met an array of terrifc people in the bar: Benjamin Adams and his girlfriend Kim Pfeifer; Ed and Jen Comstock and their son Jeremy. All of whom spent many hours with us over the weekend. Then Dan McGrath, our friend from UK, gave me a big hug followed by a fabulous greeting from fellow writer Simon Guerrier. This was an amazing start to the weekend.
My friend, the comics writer Tony Lee, looking suave, was talking to Simon Guerrier and another writer, Rob Shearman, so I floated over and gave everyone a hug.
Eventually tiredness caught up with us and we had to crash, but that was ok, because we had a long day looming for Friday.
Friday 13th February 2009
We met up with friends at breakfast and spent the morning chatting to other convention goers. The convention wasn't officially starting until the opening ceremony at 6pm, but there were several panels from 1pm. There was a panel with Doctor Who and Sarah Jane Adventures writers Phil Ford and Keith Temple at 1pm. Gareth David Lloyd and Kai Owen(Torchwood stars) question and answer session. A classic Doctor Who Panel at 3pm had such acting greats as Colin Baker, Wendy Padbury, Frazer Hines and Nicola Bryant. Followed by a Q & A with Who Producer Phil Collinson and a 'Just a Minute' quiz hosted by Paul Cornell.
This is just a small portion of the talent that appeared on the first day as there were several other panels running back to back with these.
That evening, after the opening ceremony, we went out with our friends for sushi at a little place in Hermosa Beach. It was a lovely meal, and great company.
Unfortunately I had no energy for the late night toga party or the Karaoke Kafe (shame because I love karoke) when we got back to the hotel and we called it a night at around 11pm after more drinks in the bar.
Saturday 14th February 2009.
Valentine's Day.
Saturday was a full day at Gallifrey One. Lots of socialising and attending panels. Here are some pictures of the Telos Publishing 2009 panel, which was a great update of the progress of Telos and their current titles. This was introduced by my partner, David J Howe, Telos' MD and author of over thirty fiction and non-fiction titles. David presented a fantastic trailer for Silver Scream 1, written by Steven Warren Hill (who also created the trailer) and he along with Arnold T Blumberg (Zombimania) and Chris McKeon (Time's Champion - co-written with Craig Hinton) were present to discuss the content and motivations of their books. It was a nice surprise to find in the audience another Telos author, Jon Preddle, who is currently working on Telos' next book, Timelink.
After the panels we set off to Dark Delicacies , a fantastic horror bookstore in Burbank, for a signing at 3.30pm. Ben and Kim drove us to Burbank - which turned out to be an hour away because the traffic was so heavy. Hence we arrived a little late, but that didn't matter too much, as the signing before us 'Strippers with Corpses Magazine', (don't ask - if you think you know what this magazine is about I expect you're right!!) was over-running. Eventually we sat down and the signing commenced. When I left I only had 7 copies of my book remaining which was a great result.
I was signing with David The Target Book, Arnold T Blumberg Zombiemania and Steven Warren Hill Silver Scream 1. Everyone did really well and I believe that all the Telos Publishing books were sold. We also had a very positive conversation with Del, the shop owner, who invited us to return any time we're in LA. Be careful what you wish for Del, I have every intention of returning next year!
Following the signing we made a hair-raising trip back to the convention, I was supposed to be on a panel called 'When did Vampires become Trendy?' But unfortunately the LA traffic foiled us again and I didn't make it back - which was very annoying because Amber Benson (Tara from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) was also on the panel. We arrived back 10 minutes after the panel finished. I couldn't even stroll in 'fashionably late'! So, I was in trouble with Tony Lee (who was on the panel as well) for not appearing - Sorry. I won't do it again, honest.
I had to do a mad dash through the reception then to change for the evening. This was harder than it seemed as I kept seeing people I wanted to talk to and I had my picture taken several times on the way.
It was Valentine's day and so that evening we went to a lovely restaurant in Marina Del Rey with Kim and Ben. Here's a picture of our romantic dessert.
Sunday 15th February 2009
Final full day at Gallifrey. I had a visit from my long standing internet friend J.R. LeMar who joined us for breakfast and then spent several hours with me, keeping me company while David was busy doing panels. This was a great time to socialise again and I spent many hours in the lobby with various people joining us. Tony and Jane Kenealy came and chatted for a while, as did Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury. Also the lovely Ed and Jen, and Kim and Ben briefly, because unfortunately they had to leave that day.
This was a sad day, as a lot of people left the convention early because of work commitments the following day.
Later I briefly commandeered a table in the hallway and sold some more books, and the remaining 7 copies were all gone by the end of the day. It became fashionable (a trend started by the irrepressible Steve Roberts) for me to sign with a lipsticked kiss as an extra convention signature. So there are several personalised copies out there with my lip print adorning the inside!
Sunday night, following the emotional closing ceremony, we went to dinner with Tony and Jane, then returned to the hotel and stayed around socialising with Frazer, Wendy, Ed and Jen, Tony and Jane and Jennifer. This is where we met the lovely Emily Danyel who has taken on David and I to see what we can achieve together and is now our USA Events Manager.
So all in all, Gallifrey was great fun and a huge success! Can't wait for next year ...
Thursday 12th February 2009
I arrived at the Marriott Hotel feeling very jetlagged at 8.30pm LA time. We'd been travelling all day, gone through various time zones and to our body clock it was actually 4.30am. But as we walked in we were greeted by the lovely Steve Roberts and his adorable partner Sue Cowley - who screamed and whooped in delight to see us. It was then we saw all of our British friends and the next few minutes were spent hugging them. 
We checked in and went to our room to get changed and came back downstairs as soon as possible, determined to stay up if we could in order to beat jetlag. 
I met an array of terrifc people in the bar: Benjamin Adams and his girlfriend Kim Pfeifer; Ed and Jen Comstock and their son Jeremy. All of whom spent many hours with us over the weekend. Then Dan McGrath, our friend from UK, gave me a big hug followed by a fabulous greeting from fellow writer Simon Guerrier. This was an amazing start to the weekend.
My friend, the comics writer Tony Lee, looking suave, was talking to Simon Guerrier and another writer, Rob Shearman, so I floated over and gave everyone a hug.
Eventually tiredness caught up with us and we had to crash, but that was ok, because we had a long day looming for Friday.
Friday 13th February 2009
We met up with friends at breakfast and spent the morning chatting to other convention goers. The convention wasn't officially starting until the opening ceremony at 6pm, but there were several panels from 1pm. There was a panel with Doctor Who and Sarah Jane Adventures writers Phil Ford and Keith Temple at 1pm. Gareth David Lloyd and Kai Owen(Torchwood stars) question and answer session. A classic Doctor Who Panel at 3pm had such acting greats as Colin Baker, Wendy Padbury, Frazer Hines and Nicola Bryant. Followed by a Q & A with Who Producer Phil Collinson and a 'Just a Minute' quiz hosted by Paul Cornell.
This is just a small portion of the talent that appeared on the first day as there were several other panels running back to back with these.
That evening, after the opening ceremony, we went out with our friends for sushi at a little place in Hermosa Beach. It was a lovely meal, and great company.
Unfortunately I had no energy for the late night toga party or the Karaoke Kafe (shame because I love karoke) when we got back to the hotel and we called it a night at around 11pm after more drinks in the bar.
Saturday 14th February 2009.
Valentine's Day.
Saturday was a full day at Gallifrey One. Lots of socialising and attending panels. Here are some pictures of the Telos Publishing 2009 panel, which was a great update of the progress of Telos and their current titles. This was introduced by my partner, David J Howe, Telos' MD and author of over thirty fiction and non-fiction titles. David presented a fantastic trailer for Silver Scream 1, written by Steven Warren Hill (who also created the trailer) and he along with Arnold T Blumberg (Zombimania) and Chris McKeon (Time's Champion - co-written with Craig Hinton) were present to discuss the content and motivations of their books. It was a nice surprise to find in the audience another Telos author, Jon Preddle, who is currently working on Telos' next book, Timelink.
After the panels we set off to Dark Delicacies , a fantastic horror bookstore in Burbank, for a signing at 3.30pm. Ben and Kim drove us to Burbank - which turned out to be an hour away because the traffic was so heavy. Hence we arrived a little late, but that didn't matter too much, as the signing before us 'Strippers with Corpses Magazine', (don't ask - if you think you know what this magazine is about I expect you're right!!) was over-running. Eventually we sat down and the signing commenced. When I left I only had 7 copies of my book remaining which was a great result.
I was signing with David The Target Book, Arnold T Blumberg Zombiemania and Steven Warren Hill Silver Scream 1. Everyone did really well and I believe that all the Telos Publishing books were sold. We also had a very positive conversation with Del, the shop owner, who invited us to return any time we're in LA. Be careful what you wish for Del, I have every intention of returning next year!
Following the signing we made a hair-raising trip back to the convention, I was supposed to be on a panel called 'When did Vampires become Trendy?' But unfortunately the LA traffic foiled us again and I didn't make it back - which was very annoying because Amber Benson (Tara from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) was also on the panel. We arrived back 10 minutes after the panel finished. I couldn't even stroll in 'fashionably late'! So, I was in trouble with Tony Lee (who was on the panel as well) for not appearing - Sorry. I won't do it again, honest.
I had to do a mad dash through the reception then to change for the evening. This was harder than it seemed as I kept seeing people I wanted to talk to and I had my picture taken several times on the way.It was Valentine's day and so that evening we went to a lovely restaurant in Marina Del Rey with Kim and Ben. Here's a picture of our romantic dessert.
Sunday 15th February 2009
Final full day at Gallifrey. I had a visit from my long standing internet friend J.R. LeMar who joined us for breakfast and then spent several hours with me, keeping me company while David was busy doing panels. This was a great time to socialise again and I spent many hours in the lobby with various people joining us. Tony and Jane Kenealy came and chatted for a while, as did Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury. Also the lovely Ed and Jen, and Kim and Ben briefly, because unfortunately they had to leave that day.This was a sad day, as a lot of people left the convention early because of work commitments the following day.
Later I briefly commandeered a table in the hallway and sold some more books, and the remaining 7 copies were all gone by the end of the day. It became fashionable (a trend started by the irrepressible Steve Roberts) for me to sign with a lipsticked kiss as an extra convention signature. So there are several personalised copies out there with my lip print adorning the inside!Sunday night, following the emotional closing ceremony, we went to dinner with Tony and Jane, then returned to the hotel and stayed around socialising with Frazer, Wendy, Ed and Jen, Tony and Jane and Jennifer. This is where we met the lovely Emily Danyel who has taken on David and I to see what we can achieve together and is now our USA Events Manager.
So all in all, Gallifrey was great fun and a huge success! Can't wait for next year ...
Sunday, 8 February 2009
Celebrity Culture
What is your concept of celebrity?
I am too young to remember Marilyn Monroe at the height of her fame; she died a few years before I was born. But Marilyn, and the other Hollywood stars of her time, were the celebrities I grew up with. Hollywood glamour was my concept of 'fame', 'beauty', 'talent' ... and let's face it, you had to have talent to find fame in those days.
I remember being thrilled by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in I Love Lucy; wowed by Howard Keele in an array of musical classics as he sang with a collection of soprano beauties such as Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell, Ava Gardner - my mother adored musicals and we grew up loving them too. Think of the completely brilliant Mario Lanza, and then compare him to today's stars. There's no contest in the talent stakes.
Although I'm not knocking Hollywood, and the Hollywood star system, there are some stars out there worthy of note. I'm particularly partial to Richard Gere. He wears the sophistication of old Hollywood very well.
I'm thinking, however, about the UK's current concept of, and obsession with, 'celebrity'. I was having a chat with someone on twitter this week about this subject and so I thought I'd go out on a limb and just say what annoys me!
The UK red-top media either makes 'stars' out of nobodies, or they systematically destroy the lives of selected targets, especially anyone who seems to be even remotely successful, with their ambiguities and veiled suggestion. And why are they able to do this? The public seem to love it. They digest it. They eat it up because it makes them feel something - but what??? I just can't figure it out.
I had the misfortune to watch some minutes of a certain reality TV programme recently featuring 'so-called' celebrities - it was indeed a 'celebrity' version of the standard show. I simply couldn't find the remote to flick channels quickly enough! The vampire public swallowed it whole, the papers were full of 'news' on the progress. Everytime a celeb flushed their toilet, picked their nose or appeared to have put on weight, it became big news. Elsewhere total non-entities are paraded on the front covers of numerous magazines, all of whom have paid them handsomely for the coverage ... exclusive 'interviews' appear, all of them containing 'shocking' revelations or 'exclusive love life tips' and so on. And then these people complain about the coverage!
Why are we even interested?
Think about the soaps you watch on television. Most soap stars play themselves, or a slight variant thereof, they aren't acting, they are reciting lines. The few UK actors that have genuine talent go to America at the first opportunity. I refer to the likes of the lovely Katherine Zeta Jones, Gary Oldman (a fantastic character actor); all of their successes are well deserved - they have TALENT and deserve some form of kudos. Now, let's look at some others - non-entities from tacky shows like Big Brother - who shall remain nameless so that I don't intentionallly give them more attention, but they are just famous for being famous.
If you made a list of just why people are in the public eye, then often there is a valid and very worthwhile reason: oscar-winning actress; top sportsman; novelist; politician; singer; artist; entrepreneur ... this means they gain 'celebrity' out of what they have achieved through hard work and effort.
I wonder what Paris Hilton puts as her 'reason'? Or 'Katie Price'?
There's just no logic to it.
'Real' celebrities don't have to organise their own media photographer to witness them falling out of taxis drunk. 'Real' talent doesn't have to take drugs and smash up hotel rooms. 'Real' stars don't have to hire PR agencies to spin stories about where they will be to generate media interest. They just turn up there and are incidentally noticed.
I'll leave you with these words:
I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless
‘Cuz everyone knows that’s how you get famous
(The Fear - Lilly Allen)
Very apt, don't you think?
I am too young to remember Marilyn Monroe at the height of her fame; she died a few years before I was born. But Marilyn, and the other Hollywood stars of her time, were the celebrities I grew up with. Hollywood glamour was my concept of 'fame', 'beauty', 'talent' ... and let's face it, you had to have talent to find fame in those days.
I remember being thrilled by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in I Love Lucy; wowed by Howard Keele in an array of musical classics as he sang with a collection of soprano beauties such as Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell, Ava Gardner - my mother adored musicals and we grew up loving them too. Think of the completely brilliant Mario Lanza, and then compare him to today's stars. There's no contest in the talent stakes.
Although I'm not knocking Hollywood, and the Hollywood star system, there are some stars out there worthy of note. I'm particularly partial to Richard Gere. He wears the sophistication of old Hollywood very well.
I'm thinking, however, about the UK's current concept of, and obsession with, 'celebrity'. I was having a chat with someone on twitter this week about this subject and so I thought I'd go out on a limb and just say what annoys me!
The UK red-top media either makes 'stars' out of nobodies, or they systematically destroy the lives of selected targets, especially anyone who seems to be even remotely successful, with their ambiguities and veiled suggestion. And why are they able to do this? The public seem to love it. They digest it. They eat it up because it makes them feel something - but what??? I just can't figure it out.
I had the misfortune to watch some minutes of a certain reality TV programme recently featuring 'so-called' celebrities - it was indeed a 'celebrity' version of the standard show. I simply couldn't find the remote to flick channels quickly enough! The vampire public swallowed it whole, the papers were full of 'news' on the progress. Everytime a celeb flushed their toilet, picked their nose or appeared to have put on weight, it became big news. Elsewhere total non-entities are paraded on the front covers of numerous magazines, all of whom have paid them handsomely for the coverage ... exclusive 'interviews' appear, all of them containing 'shocking' revelations or 'exclusive love life tips' and so on. And then these people complain about the coverage!
Why are we even interested?
Think about the soaps you watch on television. Most soap stars play themselves, or a slight variant thereof, they aren't acting, they are reciting lines. The few UK actors that have genuine talent go to America at the first opportunity. I refer to the likes of the lovely Katherine Zeta Jones, Gary Oldman (a fantastic character actor); all of their successes are well deserved - they have TALENT and deserve some form of kudos. Now, let's look at some others - non-entities from tacky shows like Big Brother - who shall remain nameless so that I don't intentionallly give them more attention, but they are just famous for being famous.
If you made a list of just why people are in the public eye, then often there is a valid and very worthwhile reason: oscar-winning actress; top sportsman; novelist; politician; singer; artist; entrepreneur ... this means they gain 'celebrity' out of what they have achieved through hard work and effort.
I wonder what Paris Hilton puts as her 'reason'? Or 'Katie Price'?
There's just no logic to it.
'Real' celebrities don't have to organise their own media photographer to witness them falling out of taxis drunk. 'Real' talent doesn't have to take drugs and smash up hotel rooms. 'Real' stars don't have to hire PR agencies to spin stories about where they will be to generate media interest. They just turn up there and are incidentally noticed.
I'll leave you with these words:
I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless
‘Cuz everyone knows that’s how you get famous
(The Fear - Lilly Allen)
Very apt, don't you think?
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Snowing in the UK
This Monday it was a rare treat to have the day off when London was snowed in. This is an unusual occurance for me because in Manchester we get snow quite frequently. Which means it doesn't often cause that much havoc.In London however, the trains were off. Schools were closed for the day and buses were running on a skeleton service.
I went out for a walk in the afternoon with my boyfriend, everyone was treating the day like an unexpected holiday, and in some respects it was. All along the streets people were building snowmen, and I don't just mean the kids. It was nice to see all the happy smiling faces too. They were really appreciating the time they had extra to spend with the family.
It made me realise what the Christmas/holiday season was all about. I wonder if we were making up for the lack of snow on Christmas day? But also, 2008 was a very difficult year for all, what with the credit crunch and all the stress and strain of daily living, so why not feel an intense relief when you don't have to have your nose to the grindstone for at least one day?
Sometimes when we can't act, when things are taken out of our hands, it gives us an opportunity to relax. After all, if there's nothing you can do, what choice do you have?
Life is stressful. An unexpected holiday, even for a day, probably did everyone a world of good.
As for me, I wrote a short story (almost 5,000 words) that I'd been meaning to tackle. Without other distractions I was able to focus on the task and it was easy.
Which just goes to show what can be done in a day when you aren't worried about other commitments.
So, I'm feeling very chilled and very accomplished right now. How are you feeling?
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Signing - Dark Delicacies in LA.
Taking advantage of the fact that I'm in LA for a short time, I'm delighted that those very nice people at the Dark Delicacies store are putting up with me for an afternoon so I can sign copies of Killing Kiss with them.
The signing is at Dark Delicacies on Saturday 14th February, starting at around 3.30pm.
The address is : 4213 W Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505, USA
Tel: +1 818-556-6660
Anyone who wants a signed copy can reserve one by simply calling the store. Go on ... you know you want to :)
I'll be there signing books and giving away free Demon Lover CD's along with some great authors from Telos Publishing. There's Steven Warren Hill signing copies of Silver Scream Vol 1, a great guide to classic horror films; Arnold T Blumberg is signing copies of his awesome guide to zombie films, Zombiemania; and David J Howe is also there signing copies of his superb book The Target Book, which details the history of all the old Doctor Who novelisations.
All of Telos' books are available from them online as well at www.telos.co.uk, so check them out.
Meantime, I can't wait to leave the snowy UK for a while and bask in the LA sunshine ... having said that, though, I bet it rains!
The signing is at Dark Delicacies on Saturday 14th February, starting at around 3.30pm.
The address is : 4213 W Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505, USA
Tel: +1 818-556-6660
Anyone who wants a signed copy can reserve one by simply calling the store. Go on ... you know you want to :)
I'll be there signing books and giving away free Demon Lover CD's along with some great authors from Telos Publishing. There's Steven Warren Hill signing copies of Silver Scream Vol 1, a great guide to classic horror films; Arnold T Blumberg is signing copies of his awesome guide to zombie films, Zombiemania; and David J Howe is also there signing copies of his superb book The Target Book, which details the history of all the old Doctor Who novelisations.
All of Telos' books are available from them online as well at www.telos.co.uk, so check them out.
Meantime, I can't wait to leave the snowy UK for a while and bask in the LA sunshine ... having said that, though, I bet it rains!
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Gallifrey One
I'll be attending Gallifrey One in LA in February.
This is the Dr Who convention that most people rate as being the absolute best.
The dates for the convention are 13th-15th February. Dr Who stars and writers will be present and taking part in panels and discussion groups.
I will have a few books with me if you want one, but don't want to wait for the delivery time for the UK. Also, I'll be willing to sign any books you already have as well as giving out some Demon Lover Cd's as a promotion.
For further information check out the website on the following link
Gallifrey One
For those friends who live near by, it will be lovely to see you at sometime over the course of the Week that I'll be in LA. I'll post further information of my plans when we get nearer the time.
Happy New Year!
This is the Dr Who convention that most people rate as being the absolute best.
The dates for the convention are 13th-15th February. Dr Who stars and writers will be present and taking part in panels and discussion groups.
I will have a few books with me if you want one, but don't want to wait for the delivery time for the UK. Also, I'll be willing to sign any books you already have as well as giving out some Demon Lover Cd's as a promotion.
For further information check out the website on the following link
Gallifrey One
For those friends who live near by, it will be lovely to see you at sometime over the course of the Week that I'll be in LA. I'll post further information of my plans when we get nearer the time.
Happy New Year!
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Free PDF Taster from Murky Depths.
If you would like to download a free PDF taster from The House Of Murky Depths - which includes chapter 23 from Killing Kiss, my Demon Lover poem and lots of super goodies from the Murky Depths' quarterley magazine.Just click on the link below!
www.murkydepths.com
Monday, 29 December 2008
Christmas & New Year!
This year Christmas has been more about family than ever.
My partner bought me some fantastic stuff - history books, an asbo fairytale book - which is very funny! chocolates (OMG! I'm never going to shed the extra pounds!!!) Clothing (Ok nightwear!). I also got some great DVD's from him and some lovely ones from my daughter.
But as we know it's not about presents (although I'm really impressed with how much thought went into them!); it's about being with people you care about.
Hope you had a good one also!
Happy New Year! Let's hope it is a healthy one...
My partner bought me some fantastic stuff - history books, an asbo fairytale book - which is very funny! chocolates (OMG! I'm never going to shed the extra pounds!!!) Clothing (Ok nightwear!). I also got some great DVD's from him and some lovely ones from my daughter.
But as we know it's not about presents (although I'm really impressed with how much thought went into them!); it's about being with people you care about.
Hope you had a good one also!
Happy New Year! Let's hope it is a healthy one...
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Progress on Book 2 & 3
Illness and new job has slowed down the progress of my edit of book 2.
Fortunately my editor has allowed me over Christmas to finish it - and then of course he'll want to read and make suggests. Having said that, we're still on target for EasterCon Launch, Bradford in 2009.
I'm still feeling very satisfied with the progress and I'm already making notes and thinking about book 3 a lot; a trip to Stockholm (for research)and a closer look into the history of the Vikings is on the agenda.
I'm often asked where inspiration comes from. Sometimes I can't be more specific than say, a dream I had (the narrative for Book 2 was conceived that way) or occasionally it's the spoken word - a casual remark a friend makes to me. The main character of 'The King' in book 3 was born of such a comment.
So book 3 will feature King Harold of Sweden - but don't expect a safe and predictable vampire story. That's all I'm going to say on the matter.
The genre of 2 & 3 will probably be categorised Horror/Fantasy. Expect more gore, expect more shocks, twists and turns.
FURTHER PROJECTS ...
I now have three short stories to write for commissions as well as Book 3. So January is going to see me very busy indeed.
Fortunately my editor has allowed me over Christmas to finish it - and then of course he'll want to read and make suggests. Having said that, we're still on target for EasterCon Launch, Bradford in 2009.
I'm still feeling very satisfied with the progress and I'm already making notes and thinking about book 3 a lot; a trip to Stockholm (for research)and a closer look into the history of the Vikings is on the agenda.
I'm often asked where inspiration comes from. Sometimes I can't be more specific than say, a dream I had (the narrative for Book 2 was conceived that way) or occasionally it's the spoken word - a casual remark a friend makes to me. The main character of 'The King' in book 3 was born of such a comment.
So book 3 will feature King Harold of Sweden - but don't expect a safe and predictable vampire story. That's all I'm going to say on the matter. The genre of 2 & 3 will probably be categorised Horror/Fantasy. Expect more gore, expect more shocks, twists and turns.
FURTHER PROJECTS ...
I now have three short stories to write for commissions as well as Book 3. So January is going to see me very busy indeed.
Monday, 8 December 2008
Last week!
What a disasterous week!
Having spent the weekend in Wales, I drove back to London on Sunday and started to feel ill with a really sore throat about half way back. When driving for 4-5 hours, that's really not fun. We stopped at a services and I grabbed some medication from the shop which made me feel a bit better and I managed to make it all the way back to London.
Monday morning and I was supposed to be starting my new job - but I was too ill to go in! What a start to the week and to the job! My throat was dire for 3 days but by Wednesday evening, and several doses of anti-biotics, I was feeling much better. Thank goodness as there was some serious partying to be done on Wednesday evening with my partner at the SFX Magazine Christmas Party. What a great time that was ... I'll write more on that another time.
By Thursday morning, I was feeling much better and left home early to drive to work. This was a particularly bad move. On this morning the weather was awful and part way there I ended up in the mother of all traffic jams that I later learnt was caused by three separate accidents. I was stuck in a one mile stretch for over an hour. As a result of this my car over-heated and decided in its wisdom to drain the battery completely flat . I was in a middle lane - and so caused more obstruction and delays for the cars around and behind me ... and the battery was so empty that my emergency lights wouldn't even work!!
I got out of the car and stood in the rain looking blonde and helpless until a truck driver and a biker (thanks guys!!!) stopped and pushed my car over to the side of the road. There followed an hour and three quarters of waiting for the AA to arrive so I could get to work. My alternator had given up the ghost, and it cost more than I earned last week to put it right. Very annoying and inconvenient! I suspect that this day may go down in history as one of the worst travel stories in my repetoire.
But enough of disasters! Things have been going well since, and with Christmas now just around the corner - where does the time go?! - I'm now in frantic present-buying and preparing mode for the holidays.
Having spent the weekend in Wales, I drove back to London on Sunday and started to feel ill with a really sore throat about half way back. When driving for 4-5 hours, that's really not fun. We stopped at a services and I grabbed some medication from the shop which made me feel a bit better and I managed to make it all the way back to London.
Monday morning and I was supposed to be starting my new job - but I was too ill to go in! What a start to the week and to the job! My throat was dire for 3 days but by Wednesday evening, and several doses of anti-biotics, I was feeling much better. Thank goodness as there was some serious partying to be done on Wednesday evening with my partner at the SFX Magazine Christmas Party. What a great time that was ... I'll write more on that another time.
By Thursday morning, I was feeling much better and left home early to drive to work. This was a particularly bad move. On this morning the weather was awful and part way there I ended up in the mother of all traffic jams that I later learnt was caused by three separate accidents. I was stuck in a one mile stretch for over an hour. As a result of this my car over-heated and decided in its wisdom to drain the battery completely flat . I was in a middle lane - and so caused more obstruction and delays for the cars around and behind me ... and the battery was so empty that my emergency lights wouldn't even work!!
I got out of the car and stood in the rain looking blonde and helpless until a truck driver and a biker (thanks guys!!!) stopped and pushed my car over to the side of the road. There followed an hour and three quarters of waiting for the AA to arrive so I could get to work. My alternator had given up the ghost, and it cost more than I earned last week to put it right. Very annoying and inconvenient! I suspect that this day may go down in history as one of the worst travel stories in my repetoire.
But enough of disasters! Things have been going well since, and with Christmas now just around the corner - where does the time go?! - I'm now in frantic present-buying and preparing mode for the holidays.
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Sam Stone Interviewed by Sandy Auden - SF Site
Learn more about me and my novel Killing Kiss as you click on the link below to SF Site; this shows an interview with Sandy Auden, a summary of the plot of Killing Kiss and a discussion of the development of The Vampire Gene Trilogy.
SF Site
SF Site
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Signing Frenzy
It was signing day! Waking up in the morning, I was very anxious as we loaded the car with publicity cards and a lovely bowl of sweets (Lips and teeth as we were giving away Killing Kisses). Although this was not my first signing it was my first signing at a major store ... and not just any store, but Waterstones in The Trafford Centre, the largest shopping centre in Europe. I was later told that the bookshop alone gets around 30,000 visitors per week at this time of year.As I was straightening my hair and fighting with my daughter over who needed to use the mirror most to apply make-up, my partner discovered that we had a flat tyre. Great! I was in a major panic, because this could mean that we wouldn’t make it on time; I hate being late for anything and I was nervous enough as it was!
Fortunately it wasn't a flat, just some mysterious leak had flattened it but it pumped up fine at the local garage and has stayed inflated since.
We set off for the Trafford Centre and the going seemed good until we hit the notorious M60. Here the cars were queueing back off the exit to the Trafford Centre onto the motorway, just an indication of how busy it gets there before Christmas.
We parked up easily enough and the three of us traipsed from the car with our goodies and into The Orient – the food halls at the entrance to the mall. The smell of the various food outlets assailed our senses as we walked through, but I was too tense and excited to even think of eating anything.
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Within minutes we arrived at the Waterstones store. I was so buzzed to find a table there, all laid out and displaying copies of my book and with huge Waterstones banners cornering off the area. We were immediately joined by the store’s event organiser and the store manager who made us really welcome.The shop had only just opened and it was already filled with people: there was a real buzz. Christmas was in the air and there were a few friends already there waiting to see me, which was very much appreciated as I needed to see some friendly faces.
I was so pleased and surprised to see some folks there who'd bought the original version of the book. Special hugs to Elizabeth, an ex-pupil of mine. She said she'd found out about the event because she reads my blog! And also to Gemma, who brought along the original edition for me to sign, but who also bought the new version - thanks Gem! We were giving out 'Killing Kisses' to passersby as well as the promotional cards for the signing and I smiled nicely, hoping to attract some incidental sales.
We quickly sold a few books and during this time, Terry, my publisher texted to say he’d had a flat tyre on the way to bring a promotional banner! It was too spooky for words!
A few more Killing Kiss sweeties and cards later we sold more books, and Terry finally arrived – he’d been on the road for 6 hours toiling through snow and rain as well!! What a star!
We finally packed up at 4pm, happy that there had been a lot of interest in the book and that everyone we met seemed very pleased to see us. The shop seemed happy as well and asked me to sign all the remaining books for them ... so if you want a signed copy for Christmas and are near the Trafford Centre ... you know where to go.
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Book 2 - Futile Flame & Signing Waterstones
An update for those of you who have been asking when Book 2 of The Vampire Gene will be available.It's finished.
At least in first draft form. Currently I'm editing it through, and this is the hardest and, I find, the most fun time in the process of bringing a book to fruition. Now I get to analyse the effectiveness of the plot structure, plant seeds where necessary to accomodate any new twists and turns, and to correct any silly punctuation and spelling errors I might have made during the process of writing - when sometimes words spill onto the page in such a hurry to capture mood and pace and excitement that the normal rules of typing don't apply and the most important thing is to preserve the essence of the moment.
It's possible that I may even decide I don't like aspects of it after all and scrap several chapters, rewrite or add characters along the way ... hopefully that's not an issue this time though and the book will remain broadly as drafted.
The plot has changed dramatically from the ideas I originally had in mind several months ago, and as any writer knows, sometimes it becomes impossible to stick to a rigorous plan. Sometimes a book wants to be written in a certain way, and who am I to argue?REMEMBER
I'm at Waterstones, Trafford Centre, Manchester this Sunday from 12 noon.
Killing Kiss will be on sale and I'll be there to sign it for you also.
Hope to see you there!
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Greedy Magpies
The industry mourns the loss of another publishing house this week.
Well I hope the big boys are happy. The greedy magpies - large chain book stores, online book sellers and giant supermarket chains - are killing the small press with their greed.
Another excellent small press publishing house - coincidentally run by friends of mine - Humdrumming has been unable to continue and has closed up shop this week.
It's a terrible shame when you see the quality of books produced by the small presses these days. It seems to me that far more love and devotion goes into the production of quality material in both fiction and non-fiction. One only has to look at the stunning publications from my own publishers, The House of Murky Depths, or from Elastic Press, Pendragon, Telos Publishing, NewCon Press, PS Publishing to name but a few.
It's been my observation that the small press produces books with greater accuracy than the large publishing houses; they are often too big and too busy to actually be able to devote enough time to each individual title to make sure they are as perfect as they can be, despite the money the companies have to ensure that a new writer succeeds.
If you spend any time in bookstores looking at book covers, and we're all guilty of buying something because we like the cover, then it's interesting to note that sometimes the covers on the small press books don't 'look' like small press. By which I mean that often, an independently published book just looks like it's independently published. There is a feel to the way the imagery works and the fonts chosen for the lettering and so on. But the UK presses, and in particular the ones I mentioned above, seem to be transcending this and producing fare with ever increasingly commercial cover imagery. I recently examined the cover of a book from a very large publishing house - the first title from a new writer. The cover reminded me of a tv show I watch and to my eye it looked more like an unofficial guide rather than an original work of fiction. (The blurb on the back was no better. It made it sound like every other book I've seen in that genre.) As a discerning reader there's no way I'd pick up a book that seems to be merely a rechurn of something I have seen many times before. Not unless there was something there, some spark in the look of the book, in the description or whatever, to make me look twice.
It's so sad to see Humdrumming go under as they were producing some incredible titles. Likewise, Telos Publishing released some amazing horror fiction, but even they were forced to give up publishing in this line, because they couldn't compete with the money that the big publishing houses pour into promoting their books, and as a result sales were less than needed to keep the books viable. I've touched on this before. The top spot can be bought, it sometimes isn't earned. And that is a real frustration. If you have money to throw behind a book and an author - it's a guaranteed success. Buy the bestseller slot in every big book store - and it will be sold. Success, or the appearance of it, breeds success.
Of course part of the problem is that the political world sold publishers down the river some years ago when they scrapped the Net Book Agreement. The Agreement basically said that the publisher set the rrp for the book, and that was what the bookshops had to sell it for. Scrapping it meant that online retailers, chains and supermarkets could put their own price on the book and sell it at a vast discount - sometimes even less than the amount they themselves paid for it (termed a 'loss leader' in the industry - remember the furore over the Harry Potter books a couple of years back when a small bookstore could buy copies cheaper from Tescos than they could get them from the publisher, Bloomsbury!). In some ways opening the pricing up to competition was a good thing, but it meant, as always, that the author lost out on royalties, and the small press are simply unable to compete as they can't afford to offer the same discount levels as the big boys.
Well I hope the big boys are happy. The greedy magpies - large chain book stores, online book sellers and giant supermarket chains - are killing the small press with their greed.
Another excellent small press publishing house - coincidentally run by friends of mine - Humdrumming has been unable to continue and has closed up shop this week.
It's a terrible shame when you see the quality of books produced by the small presses these days. It seems to me that far more love and devotion goes into the production of quality material in both fiction and non-fiction. One only has to look at the stunning publications from my own publishers, The House of Murky Depths, or from Elastic Press, Pendragon, Telos Publishing, NewCon Press, PS Publishing to name but a few.
It's been my observation that the small press produces books with greater accuracy than the large publishing houses; they are often too big and too busy to actually be able to devote enough time to each individual title to make sure they are as perfect as they can be, despite the money the companies have to ensure that a new writer succeeds.
If you spend any time in bookstores looking at book covers, and we're all guilty of buying something because we like the cover, then it's interesting to note that sometimes the covers on the small press books don't 'look' like small press. By which I mean that often, an independently published book just looks like it's independently published. There is a feel to the way the imagery works and the fonts chosen for the lettering and so on. But the UK presses, and in particular the ones I mentioned above, seem to be transcending this and producing fare with ever increasingly commercial cover imagery. I recently examined the cover of a book from a very large publishing house - the first title from a new writer. The cover reminded me of a tv show I watch and to my eye it looked more like an unofficial guide rather than an original work of fiction. (The blurb on the back was no better. It made it sound like every other book I've seen in that genre.) As a discerning reader there's no way I'd pick up a book that seems to be merely a rechurn of something I have seen many times before. Not unless there was something there, some spark in the look of the book, in the description or whatever, to make me look twice.
It's so sad to see Humdrumming go under as they were producing some incredible titles. Likewise, Telos Publishing released some amazing horror fiction, but even they were forced to give up publishing in this line, because they couldn't compete with the money that the big publishing houses pour into promoting their books, and as a result sales were less than needed to keep the books viable. I've touched on this before. The top spot can be bought, it sometimes isn't earned. And that is a real frustration. If you have money to throw behind a book and an author - it's a guaranteed success. Buy the bestseller slot in every big book store - and it will be sold. Success, or the appearance of it, breeds success.
Of course part of the problem is that the political world sold publishers down the river some years ago when they scrapped the Net Book Agreement. The Agreement basically said that the publisher set the rrp for the book, and that was what the bookshops had to sell it for. Scrapping it meant that online retailers, chains and supermarkets could put their own price on the book and sell it at a vast discount - sometimes even less than the amount they themselves paid for it (termed a 'loss leader' in the industry - remember the furore over the Harry Potter books a couple of years back when a small bookstore could buy copies cheaper from Tescos than they could get them from the publisher, Bloomsbury!). In some ways opening the pricing up to competition was a good thing, but it meant, as always, that the author lost out on royalties, and the small press are simply unable to compete as they can't afford to offer the same discount levels as the big boys.
Friday, 7 November 2008
SIGNING - Killing Kiss
I received a rather nice phone call today from my editor Terry Martin at Murky Depths asking if I would be available on Sunday 23rd November 2008. When I asked why, he told me to get my sexy ass over to Waterstones, Trafford Centre, Manchester and not to ask blonde questions in future!The cheek of editors today!!
Anyway, YOU get your sexy or otherwise ass over there too, and come and talk to me! The event starts at 12pm. (I'll expect you there on time!)
Killing Kiss will be on sale and I'll be happy to sign it for you.
Now, what should I wear ...?
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Insomnia
Why is it we think about the most stupid and unsolvable problems in the middle of the night?
I'm not sure whether I'm on a different time zone - I can't really blame jet lag though ... I haven't been to another country for several months - but sometimes it feels like I'm awake at the wrong time. Do any of you feel that way? It's a strange sensation being wide awake in the middle of the night, knowing you have to get some sleep or you won't be fit for work the next day.
There's another thing too ... I shouldn't have read to the end of Del Stone Jr's rather good novella Black Tide before bed. After all, who wants to turn the lights off when you've just been reading about a particularly scary and malevolent world full of zombies who can only come out in the dark? It's a great book, but reading it just before lights-out? I'm not doing that again!
Sometimes I'm just a big girl. Okay, I admit it. And Zombies are about the only subject matter that really scares me. (Well that and the famed House of Horrors at Universal Studios in LA - but that's another tale yet to be told ...)
But now I look across at my bedside clock and see it click to 4.13 am. I really must try again to sleep. I have to be up and at 'em in 2 hours!
Wish me sweet dreams ... and I hope you sleep well also, and can ignore all the things that go bump in the night ... Zombies or not!
I'm not sure whether I'm on a different time zone - I can't really blame jet lag though ... I haven't been to another country for several months - but sometimes it feels like I'm awake at the wrong time. Do any of you feel that way? It's a strange sensation being wide awake in the middle of the night, knowing you have to get some sleep or you won't be fit for work the next day.
There's another thing too ... I shouldn't have read to the end of Del Stone Jr's rather good novella Black Tide before bed. After all, who wants to turn the lights off when you've just been reading about a particularly scary and malevolent world full of zombies who can only come out in the dark? It's a great book, but reading it just before lights-out? I'm not doing that again! Sometimes I'm just a big girl. Okay, I admit it. And Zombies are about the only subject matter that really scares me. (Well that and the famed House of Horrors at Universal Studios in LA - but that's another tale yet to be told ...)
But now I look across at my bedside clock and see it click to 4.13 am. I really must try again to sleep. I have to be up and at 'em in 2 hours!
Wish me sweet dreams ... and I hope you sleep well also, and can ignore all the things that go bump in the night ... Zombies or not!
Saturday, 1 November 2008
London Transport & Londoners
I've just returned from a week long visit to South West London and I feel I have to say a few words on the transport system there and Londoners in general.A lot of negative things are said about the big city, most of it I've yet to experience. Whenever I've spent time in London I've always found it to be pleasant and the people very nice.
This week I felt like I learnt more about surburban London. I stayed on the outskirts and because I was staying so long I had to abandon my lazy ways and use the public transport. As a general rule I use taxis a lot. This is partly because the underground is somewhat scary to people who aren't used to it (like me) and it can be very confusing which line goes where and what branch and direction to take. But not this time.
Arriving on Saturday, I needed to get a tube to Waterloo but found that the service was down. Doing my usual scaredy cat routine, I didn't let the information lady tell me the alternative route but rushed off for a taxi. Easy enough then, I arrived at Waterloo and found that trains to my destination run very regularly and within minutes I was on a train heading the right way. (So, so easy.)
Because I was staying a week, taxis really weren't an option and so the friend I was staying with introduced me to the bus service. (Fortunately he'd already told me to get an oyster card, so bus travel was as easy as touching a card to a sensor.) On Monday, all alone and feeling brave, I jumped buses, found places and really started to enjoy the freedom of public transport. I've driven since I was 23 and I don't think I've actually been on a bus since then. But I can so see the appeal of the system down south. Why bother taking your car - it might be hard to park - when getting the bus is so simple, takes you directly where you want to go and is cheap? The bus service was also profilic and regular with buses arriving every few minutes, and the train service was likewise very frequent.
On Tuesday I went to meet my friend Alison for lunch at Waterloo and we hit the Jubilee line to Canary Wharf - yep I saw the dome - and the train service is again so frequent and so easy, that basically when you step off one train, the next one you want always seems to be there and ready to go.
And as far as Londoners are concerned ... I have never been smiled at so much in my life! On the said trains and buses, in the streets, the people are really lovely and friendly (even the cats seem friendlier) - so what's this rubbish about everyone being too rushed and too busy to smile and be nice? It is definitely not so! In fact, as a Mancunian girl, I'd say the big city has the edge on smiles.
On Thursday I had to find my way to Victoria Station for a meeting nearby. Once again, transport was very easy and I didn't feel intimidated at all to be out there on my own. In fact the return train was heading to Brighton, as well as my stop and the thought of seeing the sea was very tempting (maybe next time). And people always seem to want to chat to you on the train too!
If you've had the opposite experience I'd love to know, but remember this, try smiling and maybe you'll be greeted nicely. And maybe you'll be making a visitor to your own city/town/village feel that little bit more welcome.
Monday, 27 October 2008
What New Writers Need to Know - Part 3 - Blogging.
I'm not going to give away all of my secrets, but one that I feel all new writers need to know is ... learn the art of blogging.
Blogging helps you connect with your readers. It's a valuable tool to help you build your online presence which will hopefully lead to book sales - and if not, then it will definitely lead to making some new and interesting friends who may have the same take on the world as you.
What should you blog about?
Well, that's the interesting part. You can blog about anything at all. It doesn't have to be about your writing all the time, or your latest book/story/poetry collection release - although you certainly should keep your readers informed of those things. It can be about a disasterous day, thoughts as you do the work/school run. Interesting people you've met. People you'd like to meet (Richard Gere springs to my mind ...). Places you've visited. Holidays. Sports events. Buying shoes! Get the picture?
One thing you should do of course is look at some of the more successful blogs out there. Like Neil Gaiman for example. Neil writes about all sorts of things and his narrative is very engaging. Or if you are looking for an example of a specific topic or theme, then try David J Howe's, Howeswho blog on the Doctor Who TV series (as well as writing and horror films and other subjects).
So what are you waiting for?
Get to work and keep in touch with loyal fans, friends and anyone else who comes across your page! You never know, they might all be waiting for you to speak your mind.
Blogging helps you connect with your readers. It's a valuable tool to help you build your online presence which will hopefully lead to book sales - and if not, then it will definitely lead to making some new and interesting friends who may have the same take on the world as you.
What should you blog about?
Well, that's the interesting part. You can blog about anything at all. It doesn't have to be about your writing all the time, or your latest book/story/poetry collection release - although you certainly should keep your readers informed of those things. It can be about a disasterous day, thoughts as you do the work/school run. Interesting people you've met. People you'd like to meet (Richard Gere springs to my mind ...). Places you've visited. Holidays. Sports events. Buying shoes! Get the picture?
One thing you should do of course is look at some of the more successful blogs out there. Like Neil Gaiman for example. Neil writes about all sorts of things and his narrative is very engaging. Or if you are looking for an example of a specific topic or theme, then try David J Howe's, Howeswho blog on the Doctor Who TV series (as well as writing and horror films and other subjects).
So what are you waiting for?
Get to work and keep in touch with loyal fans, friends and anyone else who comes across your page! You never know, they might all be waiting for you to speak your mind.
Friday, 24 October 2008
Sex Sells Recording - NewCon 4 Panel.
Well here's a nice surprise. Derrick Lakin-Smith sent me a link to his live recording of the 'Sex Sells' panel at Newcon 4. This features Storm Constantine, Ken Macleod, Ian Watson (moderating), Roberto Quaglia, Allyson Bird and myself.
Apologies in advance for my terrible poetry recital at the beginning. It was freezing in there and I was just shivering the whole time. Partly the problem was that I had a touch of food poisoning and didn't know it; I was out of sorts all day and ended up in bed at 9pm that night because I felt so very ill by then. (But that's enough whining from me about that - and enough excuses).
The panel was very well received and a lot of intelligent and articulate comments were made throughout.
Here's the link if you want to listen.
Sex Sells: But Should We Buy
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
What New Writers Need to Know - Part 2
Have you ever wondered how a book or writer gets a publishing deal?
How many times have you picked up a book and thought - How the heck did that ever get in print?
Not all literature out there is good unfortunately. And the discerning reader will know when they've been had. But for writers who have genuine talent and original ideas, then this is a real bug bear.
Writing is very hard work. And the pay is poor unless you are one of the lucky few - for example J K Rowling or Stephen King. I was once told that 90% of the money paid by publishers to authors in the UK goes to 10% of said authors ... leaving just 10% of the money to be shared among 90% of the authors!
But success in the writing world is not determined soley by talent. What? You look surprised. It's partly about what and who you know. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Ms Rowling had to attend conventions and network like crazy, working her way up the ladder with each book forming part of a long rise to success - she's quite the exception. But its an open secret in the industry that often books listed in the 'Best Sellers' are not in fact that at all. It often just means that the publishing house has bought the placement from the bookshop as part of a marketing deal.
I often ponder on this. How the small presses are struggling to even get one of their very high quality fiction novels into the shops when the shelves are crammed with so-called 'celebrity' books of all shapes. It's a real dilemma. The top stores and online book sales sites are writing their own paychecks. All publishers are held over a barrel. Amazon, Waterstones, Borders - you name it - all the big boys these days expect to be paid for everything. You want a book in a 3 for 2 promotion, then that apparently costs the publisher around £1000 per week per book. You want your book in the window of the shop, then that costs. You want it up front in the store, on a table near the door, then pay up please. You want it face out on the shelf? Pay please. You want it in the 'Bookshop Recommends' catalogue, then send your money here ... Heck, they can even demand a 60% or more reduction on the rrp of a book, with full sale or return. When you consider the costs of producing the book and promoting it, there isn't a lot left in the pot for the author, especially when you then factor high volume discount clauses into their contracts (which basically say that the bigger the discount the publisher gives on the book, the less of a percentage of the money received the author gets).
Don't get me wrong, the top publishers are being stiffed too. I heard it said that for any book to make any sort of impact in the bookshops these days, the publisher must be prepared to spend £50,000 on marketing to back it up. But ... what if they stopped pandering to the bookshops? Refused the demands and took a stand - were united for once, then would the stores have to back off and revert to publishing based on quality and true saleability rather than the depth of the publishers' pockets? Of course that will never happen. Simply because there will always be one publishing house who will pay to ensure that their latest writer is a best seller. Given that the bookshops only tend to stock and promote a limited range, then what is available in them is all that the general public can therefore buy, hence it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that what is on the shelves and is promoted by them sells, and therefore becomes a bestseller, whether that be top-notch fiction or celebrity endorsed, ghost-written pap.
These days the industry is about publicity and manufacturing success and not quality. Celebrity sells and so those are the books which cram the shelves. As they are the only ones there, then the public buy them, perhaps thinking that they are in some way good because lots of other people have bought them ... and so the cycle continues.
Of course there are some publishers who constantly champion new talent, bring new names to the fore in the hope that they might be tomorrows best-seller. These are the books which really deserve support and acclaim, which should be reviewed and promoted in the newspapers and magazines. Unfortunately I feel that so long as the bookshops have this commercial stranglehold, and the publishers feel there is no choice but to pay for the success of their titles, then we will continue to see a steady stream of books by the likes of Jordan, Jade Goodie and Geri Halliwell stacking the shelves for some time to come.
As a final coda, it occurs to me that of course some of these celebrity tomes do sell very well indeed, and make a lot of money for the publishers, money that they can then use to publish - if they so wish - original fiction from original voices.
So if you are reading this and are a published writer, then your next book may just have been funded by Jade! What a thought.
How many times have you picked up a book and thought - How the heck did that ever get in print?
Not all literature out there is good unfortunately. And the discerning reader will know when they've been had. But for writers who have genuine talent and original ideas, then this is a real bug bear.
Writing is very hard work. And the pay is poor unless you are one of the lucky few - for example J K Rowling or Stephen King. I was once told that 90% of the money paid by publishers to authors in the UK goes to 10% of said authors ... leaving just 10% of the money to be shared among 90% of the authors!
But success in the writing world is not determined soley by talent. What? You look surprised. It's partly about what and who you know. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Ms Rowling had to attend conventions and network like crazy, working her way up the ladder with each book forming part of a long rise to success - she's quite the exception. But its an open secret in the industry that often books listed in the 'Best Sellers' are not in fact that at all. It often just means that the publishing house has bought the placement from the bookshop as part of a marketing deal.
I often ponder on this. How the small presses are struggling to even get one of their very high quality fiction novels into the shops when the shelves are crammed with so-called 'celebrity' books of all shapes. It's a real dilemma. The top stores and online book sales sites are writing their own paychecks. All publishers are held over a barrel. Amazon, Waterstones, Borders - you name it - all the big boys these days expect to be paid for everything. You want a book in a 3 for 2 promotion, then that apparently costs the publisher around £1000 per week per book. You want your book in the window of the shop, then that costs. You want it up front in the store, on a table near the door, then pay up please. You want it face out on the shelf? Pay please. You want it in the 'Bookshop Recommends' catalogue, then send your money here ... Heck, they can even demand a 60% or more reduction on the rrp of a book, with full sale or return. When you consider the costs of producing the book and promoting it, there isn't a lot left in the pot for the author, especially when you then factor high volume discount clauses into their contracts (which basically say that the bigger the discount the publisher gives on the book, the less of a percentage of the money received the author gets).
Don't get me wrong, the top publishers are being stiffed too. I heard it said that for any book to make any sort of impact in the bookshops these days, the publisher must be prepared to spend £50,000 on marketing to back it up. But ... what if they stopped pandering to the bookshops? Refused the demands and took a stand - were united for once, then would the stores have to back off and revert to publishing based on quality and true saleability rather than the depth of the publishers' pockets? Of course that will never happen. Simply because there will always be one publishing house who will pay to ensure that their latest writer is a best seller. Given that the bookshops only tend to stock and promote a limited range, then what is available in them is all that the general public can therefore buy, hence it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that what is on the shelves and is promoted by them sells, and therefore becomes a bestseller, whether that be top-notch fiction or celebrity endorsed, ghost-written pap.
These days the industry is about publicity and manufacturing success and not quality. Celebrity sells and so those are the books which cram the shelves. As they are the only ones there, then the public buy them, perhaps thinking that they are in some way good because lots of other people have bought them ... and so the cycle continues.
Of course there are some publishers who constantly champion new talent, bring new names to the fore in the hope that they might be tomorrows best-seller. These are the books which really deserve support and acclaim, which should be reviewed and promoted in the newspapers and magazines. Unfortunately I feel that so long as the bookshops have this commercial stranglehold, and the publishers feel there is no choice but to pay for the success of their titles, then we will continue to see a steady stream of books by the likes of Jordan, Jade Goodie and Geri Halliwell stacking the shelves for some time to come.
As a final coda, it occurs to me that of course some of these celebrity tomes do sell very well indeed, and make a lot of money for the publishers, money that they can then use to publish - if they so wish - original fiction from original voices.
So if you are reading this and are a published writer, then your next book may just have been funded by Jade! What a thought.
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
NewCon 4
Arriving at the Park Inn Hotel on Friday afernoon it looked as though Sharna and I were the only people there! It was like entering the old hotel in Silent Hill - you knew something was going to happen but you weren't sure if the anticipation was for something good or bad.
Around 4 we were joined by Literary Agent John Jarrold in the bar and there ensued a very good start to an exciting evening. Ken MacLeod came in, rapidly followed by Paul Cornell. (Name dropping to continue shortly ...) I'd never met either of these guests before, but I had seen Paul in the Green Room at Orbital EasterCon, where we had passed like the proverbial two ships on our way to do panels. I can truly say that both Ken and Paul are really fun and extremely interesting to talk to - and yes, I did ask Paul about Doctor Who ...
The evening rapidly descended on us and arriving guests streamed into the venue. These included, Iain M Banks, Storm Constantine, Chaz Brenchley, John Clute, Cardinal Cox, Donna Scott, Neil M Bond, Roberto Quaglia - to name but a few. Also arriving were organisers Ian Whates (NewCon Press) and his lovely partner Helen, as well as Ian Watson.
We - 32 people in total - all decided to go for a Chinese Banquet. And at this time Terry and Liz Martin from Murky Depths arrived and also joined us. Absolutely great fun! The wine and conversation flowed easily.
In the true style of these things, we all spilled back to the hotel bar. I met Iain M Banks properly for the first time and spent a fair portion of the evening talking to him and his lovely lady. And then Paul Cornell introduced me to John Clute who is working on updates to his fabulous encylopeadia on all things science fiction. (And what a delightful man he was too!!) Alison Kershaw appeared and ... well the rest of the evening is a bit of a blur ...
Saturday brought us to the beginning of the convention and the opening ceremony at 10.30 was great fun, aided by Kevin the Jester of Northampton, who was a very effective Master of Ceremonies. Panels began. My first duty was to read extracts from Killing Kiss with Storm Constantine (Reading from her collection Mythopedia) and Allyson Bird reading from Bull Running for Girls. I'd met Storm once before at FantasyCon 2007 and it was nice to catch up. She and Allyson both read beautifully from their books and I was the last to read - It all went well - but boy was it cold in that Workshop room!!!
I was then free to attend panels, chat to people and take a look at the dealers tables over the afternoon until 5 - when I was appearing on the 'Sex, Sells. Should we Buy it?' panel. This was moderated by Ian Watson and the participants were myself, Ken Macleod, Storm Constantine, Allyson Bird and Roberto Quaglia. I read two of my erotic poems to start the discussion - which was really challenging because I was freezing to death and then Ian kicked off the discussion by changing the focus and the title - He asked - sex sells, but should we SELL it?
What followed was a very detailed discussion on sex and eroticism in literature. In which everyone on the panel gave a very clear view of their opinions. I particularly enjoyed the excellent comments made by Storm. And some of the questions the audience asked like: 'What is the difference between Erotica and Pornography?' Thankfully everyone on the panel had a lot to say on the subject.
Saturday evening I got sick. Don't know what was wrong but I felt weak and fluey and ended up in bed at 9pm. Unfortunately I then missed out on the Bar-B-Que and evening socialising. :~(
Sunday was a great day. At 12 noon I read some of my poetry with Cardinal Cox (Poet Laureate of Peterborough 2003), aided by David J Howe, who read Demon Lover and Phoenix beautifully for me as he does on the Demon Lover CD. I also met up once more with Rob (Author of The BLack Flame) and Will Mackellar and their friend Katherine Branton (who is also a poet).
Unfortunately the whole convention just went by way too quickly.
Memorable moments: Paul Cornell's discussion spot. He was very witty and entertaining when he told us about all the work he's doing currently (I don't know how he manages it!); The Sex Sells panel, when a sex therapist stood up and asked a series of complicated questions and Ian Watson looked at me to answer ... but I'd forgotten what the man asked in the first place! Lol! So I said 'I'll have to think about that for a moment ...' Fortunately Storm took up the challenge - you rock girl! Friday night when Paul Cornell asked me to rescue Iain M Banks from a rather intense fan. And finally, seeing my friends and loved ones at the event as always. ;)
Congratulations to Ian Whates, Ian Watson and the committee of NewCon 4, for doing such a tremendous job of the convention! Here's to NewCon 5!!!!
Oh, and Ian, you still owe me a drink for selling raffle tickets!! But, I'm sure I'll catch up with you at the next event ... :)
Around 4 we were joined by Literary Agent John Jarrold in the bar and there ensued a very good start to an exciting evening. Ken MacLeod came in, rapidly followed by Paul Cornell. (Name dropping to continue shortly ...) I'd never met either of these guests before, but I had seen Paul in the Green Room at Orbital EasterCon, where we had passed like the proverbial two ships on our way to do panels. I can truly say that both Ken and Paul are really fun and extremely interesting to talk to - and yes, I did ask Paul about Doctor Who ...The evening rapidly descended on us and arriving guests streamed into the venue. These included, Iain M Banks, Storm Constantine, Chaz Brenchley, John Clute, Cardinal Cox, Donna Scott, Neil M Bond, Roberto Quaglia - to name but a few. Also arriving were organisers Ian Whates (NewCon Press) and his lovely partner Helen, as well as Ian Watson.
We - 32 people in total - all decided to go for a Chinese Banquet. And at this time Terry and Liz Martin from Murky Depths arrived and also joined us. Absolutely great fun! The wine and conversation flowed easily.
In the true style of these things, we all spilled back to the hotel bar. I met Iain M Banks properly for the first time and spent a fair portion of the evening talking to him and his lovely lady. And then Paul Cornell introduced me to John Clute who is working on updates to his fabulous encylopeadia on all things science fiction. (And what a delightful man he was too!!) Alison Kershaw appeared and ... well the rest of the evening is a bit of a blur ...
Saturday brought us to the beginning of the convention and the opening ceremony at 10.30 was great fun, aided by Kevin the Jester of Northampton, who was a very effective Master of Ceremonies. Panels began. My first duty was to read extracts from Killing Kiss with Storm Constantine (Reading from her collection Mythopedia) and Allyson Bird reading from Bull Running for Girls. I'd met Storm once before at FantasyCon 2007 and it was nice to catch up. She and Allyson both read beautifully from their books and I was the last to read - It all went well - but boy was it cold in that Workshop room!!!
I was then free to attend panels, chat to people and take a look at the dealers tables over the afternoon until 5 - when I was appearing on the 'Sex, Sells. Should we Buy it?' panel. This was moderated by Ian Watson and the participants were myself, Ken Macleod, Storm Constantine, Allyson Bird and Roberto Quaglia. I read two of my erotic poems to start the discussion - which was really challenging because I was freezing to death and then Ian kicked off the discussion by changing the focus and the title - He asked - sex sells, but should we SELL it?
What followed was a very detailed discussion on sex and eroticism in literature. In which everyone on the panel gave a very clear view of their opinions. I particularly enjoyed the excellent comments made by Storm. And some of the questions the audience asked like: 'What is the difference between Erotica and Pornography?' Thankfully everyone on the panel had a lot to say on the subject.
Saturday evening I got sick. Don't know what was wrong but I felt weak and fluey and ended up in bed at 9pm. Unfortunately I then missed out on the Bar-B-Que and evening socialising. :~(
Sunday was a great day. At 12 noon I read some of my poetry with Cardinal Cox (Poet Laureate of Peterborough 2003), aided by David J Howe, who read Demon Lover and Phoenix beautifully for me as he does on the Demon Lover CD. I also met up once more with Rob (Author of The BLack Flame) and Will Mackellar and their friend Katherine Branton (who is also a poet).Unfortunately the whole convention just went by way too quickly.
Memorable moments: Paul Cornell's discussion spot. He was very witty and entertaining when he told us about all the work he's doing currently (I don't know how he manages it!); The Sex Sells panel, when a sex therapist stood up and asked a series of complicated questions and Ian Watson looked at me to answer ... but I'd forgotten what the man asked in the first place! Lol! So I said 'I'll have to think about that for a moment ...' Fortunately Storm took up the challenge - you rock girl! Friday night when Paul Cornell asked me to rescue Iain M Banks from a rather intense fan. And finally, seeing my friends and loved ones at the event as always. ;)
Congratulations to Ian Whates, Ian Watson and the committee of NewCon 4, for doing such a tremendous job of the convention! Here's to NewCon 5!!!!
Oh, and Ian, you still owe me a drink for selling raffle tickets!! But, I'm sure I'll catch up with you at the next event ... :)
Monday, 6 October 2008
Being in Birmingham ... And NewCon 4
I have considered the fact that I am becoming a bit of a convention geek - before you say it.I made a flying visit to the Birmingham International Comic Show on Sunday. I went along for 4 1/2 hours to Birmingham because my publishers Murky Depths were there promoting my book as well as their fantastic quarterly magazine (for more info on that, check out www.murkydepths.com).
The bottom line, and this is a very brief update (sorry I have no pics), is that I again met up with some interesting people. And for that no trip is ever wasted. Top comic writer Tony Lee gave me a fab signed book for my daughter Linzi - owe you one Tony! It's called Midnight Kiss and she's delighted with it I have to say. (Terry Martin said: 'Bet you charmed it out of him.' Hmmm... No idea what he's suggesting at all. I smiled and was very polite though, good manners go a long way.) I bought The Mammoth Book of Best New Manga featuring manga from my Facebook friend Jay Eales, and his partner Selina Dean, who are regulars at conventions. Wandering round I also met Grant Perkins who is a new artist and writer on the scene, with his fiancee Eva.
It was brilliant to see people making the effort and dressing up. I saw many very authentic looking costumes, including Lara Croft, Batman, Superman and a brilliant Joker - dressed in the nurse's uniform from the latest film.
And, yay! We even sold some books - which always helps!
So a worthwhile and fun trip as always.
Looking forward to next weekend ...
NEXT EVENT - NewCon 4 - 11th/12th October.
I'll be there from Friday evening, and will be reading an extract from Killing Kiss on Saturday at 12 noon, with the lovely Storm Constantine and equally delightful Ally Bird (who I met this year at FantasyCon). At 5pm I'll be on a panel with the topic of 'Sex sells' - I'll be kicking this panel off with a reading of two pieces of my erotic poetry. Also on this panel, Ken Macleod, Ally Bird, Roberto Quaglia and Ian Watson.
Sunday lunchtime I'll be reading some of my poetry with the charming Donna Scott, and Cardinal Cox (Poet Laurette 2002) - this will take place from the stage (and I'm hoping to have a surprise male reader join me to read at least one of my poems). Time permitting this will feature a selection of poems from the Demon Lover CD and some of my love poetry.
The House of Murky Depths will be there selling Killing Kiss, along with bargain subscriptions for the Murky Depths quarterly magazine. (Oh, and the latest on MD's continuing success - the magazine is now available in Forbidden Planet and several other stores. Killing Kiss has been accepted by Waterstones and Barnes and Noble in America - where it will not only appear on their website but in selected stores as well. More on this another time ... hopefully including some in store signing dates.) The image here is the cover of the latest edition which I can assure you is well worth a look-see.The rest of the time at NewCon I hope to be attending some of the fantastic panels they have listed. And - obviously - in the bar as well!
With any luck I'll exchange a few words with the guests of honour which this year include Paul Cornell, Storm Constantine, Iain M Banks and Ken MacLeod. What a fantastic line up!
If you are coming along though, please check the times on your itinery, just in case any last minute changes have been made that I don't know about ...
So catch up with me at NewCon 4 this weekend and please come and say hello! I don't bite - I just look scary.
Sunday, 5 October 2008
What New Writers Need to Know...
Driving from Manchester yesterday in the pouring rain, I was crawling along in traffic on the M6 and my mind was wandering to the questions I've been frequently asked in the last two weeks. There are many new and aspiring writers out there. It wasn't that long ago when I was 'aspiring' myself. I'm still a newbie by the industry standards having only been around since January 2007.Reflecting on the past year I have learnt quite a bit about the industry. Been on the receiving end of some bigotry (nothing new there) and I've made some amazing friends that have the same interests as me.
The world of a writer no longer belongs in an ivory tower. It's not just about writing that masterpiece, but you have to be prepared to follow through with promotion. Promo takes many forms. Online networking is an excellent way of establishing a presence. And all writers should have an online presence because we cannot any longer rely on book sales always occuring in shops. (Partly because the shops are fleecing the publishers and it's always the writer who ends up not getting paid - but that's another blog entirely!). So. First step - get your book in print (gosh, that makes it sound easy doesn't it). Second step - make friends on Myspace, Facebook, Bebo ... wherever you want. And before you sigh and say 'I don't have time for all that, I'm too busy writing...' then consider this - One hour a day checking them all instead of watching TV will be boosting your career (I borrowed that from Darren Turpin (Orbit Books) at the self-promotion panel at FantasyCon - but it's not plagiarism because I'm telling you he said it). It's good advice.
I spend more time online than that though, perhaps several times a day - because it isn't enough to go and make thousands of friends, you need to be nice to people too - and believe me they can tell if you're fake and are just promoting. The bottom line is - as a writer you should be interested in people - especially those who like your work. One, you get feedback from them, which I like to receive personally, even if it isn't always what you want to hear. Two, you make some interesting and diverse friends from all over the world. Three, if you're loyal to them, they will be loyal to you.
My latest online site is http://www.goodreads.com - this is fantastic because it is all about reading. People on there are looking for new books to enjoy and you get some really interesting and intelligent emails from them. I'm forging some nice friendships and enjoying receiving some great recommendations to add to my reading list too.And for those writers who have books on shelves already you can develop a writer's profile. So people immediately begin to associate your books with you - that nice person who replies to their emails. (The marriage proposals were, however, ignored for obvious reasons :)).
More on this subject to follow ...
Saturday, 4 October 2008
Birmingham International Comic Show
Well this weekend sees the Birmingham International Comic show which runs for 4th & 5th October. My publisher Terry Martin will be there selling copies of the Murky Depths quarterly magazine and of course Killing Kiss. Therefore I've decided to drive down there on Sunday for the day and be around his stall to sign copies of the book!So, if you're anywhere near and want to drop by and say 'hello', then I'll be happy to sign a book for you. And I'll also post a brief blog and pictures covering the event.
Here's the link: http://www.thecomicsshow.co.uk/
I wonder what to wear for tomorrow ...?
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