A few weeks ago I gave a talk on Barricades to a local book club, where I was asked about the birth
of the novel. What led me to write it? How did I go about the research?
Predictably, the initial inspiration came from Victor
Hugo’s novel Les Misérables. Some
years ago I had booked to see the musical production in London. Whilst waiting for the much
anticipated date to arrive, I read Hugo’s book. At that time I was still in the
police service; maybe that is why the character of Police Inspector Javert immediately
caught my interest. What had gone into the making of this man? So upright, yet
so flawed. So strong, yet so vulnerable.
Seeing the musical production on stage increased this
fascination, and with it my sympathy for the character. I loved the solo Stars, with its soaring power and lyrics
that gave a wonderful insight into Javert’s character and motivations. I have
read that Stars was almost cut from
the original production because of the running length; thank goodness it was
spared. Without Stars, Javert would
have been something of a shadowy figure.
Javert seems to be generally regarded as ‘the villain’
because he is the antagonist of the hero, Valjean. I have even been asked why I
chose to write about the villain of the piece, rather than one of the good
guys. Yet nothing Javert did was evil, he was simply doing his duty as a police
officer by hunting down an escaped convict. In the end he failed in his duty by
letting Valjean go, destroying himself in the process. For me, Javert is one of
the most tragic characters in Les Misérables. Barricades was a book that I had to write, whether or not it ever
saw the light of publication. It is not a re-telling of Les Miserables. The first two thirds are original plot, pre-dating Hugo’s
novel. The final part parallels some of the later events in Les Miserables, where Javert’s path
crosses that of Valjean.
My initial source of research was of course Hugo’s novel.
Hugo gives very little back-story to the character of Javert – just the fact he
was born in prison, to a fortune teller and a convict. There is also nothing of
his life outside of his encounters with Valjean. I set out to fill in the gaps,
to put flesh on the bones.
Historical events are relatively easy to research, especially
from a period as well known as the French Revolution. But of course it isn’t
possible to actually experience those events or the time period in which they
happened (hiring Dr Who’s TARDIS was a little beyond my budget). But if I
couldn’t experience the events, I could still visit the prime locations. Most
of the descriptive scenes from Barricades were written on location, to try to
get a sense of time and place that can sometimes be lacking in historical
novels.
The Tour Royale near Toulon is still there, now a museum. So
of course is the Mediterranean. There is a sense of timelessness gazing out at the sea
and knowing how little it has changed since the time of Barricades. In Paris, looking along the Rue St Antoine
in the hush of dawn, I could imagine the mob surging down the street following
the storming of the Bastille. Looking into the cells in the Conciergerie, it
was not difficult to put myself in the place of the Aristocrats and
sympathisers, awaiting execution during the years of terror that followed the
French Revolution. Standing on the Notre Dame bridge at midnight and staring at the swirling
depths below, I could almost hear the final notes of Javert’s soliloquy ringing
in my ears.
It was easy to conjure up a sense of time and place, with Javert’s
ghost at my elbow.
As I intimated in my last blog, I was lucky enough to
hitch a lift with a certain famous Doctor and time travel back to Guernsey in the year 1863. Once there I
was able to track down and interview Victor Hugo. This week I present the
second and final part of this interview.
Mr Hugo, may we now turn to one of your other major
characters, Inspector Javert. What do you see as his role in your novel?
Javert represents the system. He epitomises the rule of
law. He not only works for the law, he is the law. He enforces it exactly as it
is written, rigidly and without fear or favour.
Thinking of him as a person, not just as a representative
of the system, what do you see as his strengths?
He is very dedicated; nothing will stop him from doing his
duty as he sees it. He is also incorruptible. He would never take a bribe or
anything of that kind. He is completely just.
And his weaknesses?
On the whole, his strengths are also his weaknesses
because he takes them to excess. He will carry out his duty without pity, regardless of the effect on
other people or even on himself. He understands the legal concept of justice,
but doesn’t understand the concept of mercy. For example, with Fantine. She has
broken the law, so she will go to prison. He doesn’t allow himself to be
effected by the fact that he may be condemning her child to death. He has no
emotion, no kindness in him.
His other big weakness is his lack of flexibility. For
example, he does not believe it possible for a criminal to change for the
better; to turn over a new leaf.
You mean, in the way Jean Valjean was able to do?
Yes indeed.
Mr Hugo, staying with Valjean for a moment. We have
already established that he was not an innocent man who had been wrongly
convicted. He was both a poacher and a thief. Neither was he a model prisoner;
his sentence was increased several times because he kept attempting to escape.
All true, but he underwent a total transformation after
meeting the Bishop of Digne.
But let’s look at this from the point of view of Javert.
He knew Valjean’s history. He then discovered that upon his release Valjean
immediately returned to his previous path by stealing first from the Bishop,
then from a young child. Isn’t it understandable that Javert should think
Valjean irredeemable?
Yes. Yes, to a point I think you are correct. But Javert
closed his mind to the very possibility of a habitual criminal being able to
reform.
And yet in the end, Javert did let Valjean go free. At
what cost to himself?
It destroyed him. The fact that Valjean, who he had hunted
for many years, could spare his life was something he couldn’t come to terms
with. But even worse was the fact that he, Javert, had been unable to bring
himself to arrest Valjean.
So you might say he was destroyed by his own humanity? By
the fact he showed mercy?
Yes. He couldn’t see past the fact that he had failed in
his duty. For Javert, that was the worst possible thing he could do. He judged
himself as harshly as he judged others.
In many ways, I see Valjean and Javert as two sides of the
same coin. Both born as outcasts from society – as ‘Les Misérables.’
You’re correct. Valjean chose a life of crime, Javert
chose to operate within the law. The big difference is that Valjean was able to
change, to adapt to a new life. Javert was unable to do that because he was too
inflexible.
But Valjean was helped by the Bishop. Without that help,
he would almost certainly have been doomed. I know Valjean helped Javert by
sparing his life, but what Javert needed was spiritual help. That he didn’t
get. Had he encountered a Bishop of Digne, could that have helped him to come
to terms with his confusion?
It wouldn’t have been easy for him to overcome a lifetime
of unquestioning obedience to duty. But possibly. You appear very sympathetic
to the character of Javert.
Yes. You give very little about his background, but enough
for us to know that from his birth – and because of his birth - he was doomed
to be an outcast. More so than Valjean. He made the choice he had to make and
he was never given any real help or guidance. You used him to represent the
system, but I see him as the most tragic victim of that very system.
You’re quite correct. People who operate within a system
are often victims of that same system, but in a different way. I’m sure that is
still true in the future from which you come.
It is indeed. Mr Hugo, I can’t thank you enough for giving
me so much of your time. In parting, I should like you to accept this gift.
It’s a book called ‘Barricades’ and it is Javert’s journey, based upon the
background you give and with quite a bit of what we call ‘poetic licence.’
Oh. Well – thank you, my dear. ‘Poetic licence’ sounds a
little worrying. Still, I’m sure I will enjoy reading it. Perhaps you will
return in a few days time, and then I can tell you what I think.
Thank you, Mr Hugo.
-----------------------
Sadly I only had the one trip in the TARDIS and was unable
to return to the Guernsey of 1863, so I didn’t encounter Mr Hugo again and never learnt what he
thought of ‘Barricades.’ On the whole, this may be a good thing.
Tuesday, 13 August 2013
I met a bloke called ‘the Doctor’ yesterday and he offered
me a ride in something called TARDIS. It looked like an old police box to me,
but next thing I knew I found myself in Guernsey, 150 years ago in 1863. The first
thing I saw was a newspaper headline extolling the virtues of a novel called ‘Les
Misérables’ – the first part had been published the previous year, and now the
whole novel was available.
What a fantastic opportunity! I asked the good doctor to brew
himself a cup of tea, while I sought an interview with Victor Hugo. Like most
authors, he was more than happy to talk about his novel, and with the
translating capabilities of the TARDIS, language wasn’t a problem.
First of all, Mr Hugo, may I say how much I enjoyed ‘Les Misérables’.
It has been a real inspiration to me.
Thank you, my dear.
I understand that you are great campaigner for social
justice?
Indeed yes – that’s how I ended up living here in Guernsey. I was too outspoken for the
French government in those days. Of course I could return to France now, but I still wouldn’t be
permitted to speak my mind. So I remain here, and I use my pen to fight
injustice.
Is the novel ‘Les Misérables’ a part of that fight?
Very much so. I have heard some of you English translate
the title as ‘miserable’, but it means much more than that. It means the
oppressed, the down-trodden, the outcasts from society. Individuals such as
Fantine, forced into prostitution and eventual death because of a youthful
mistake; Eponine, trapped into a life of crime and poverty. And of course Jean
Valjean, condemned to prison for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread, then to
a life on the run for breaking parole.
Can you explain about the parole system in France at that time?
With pleasure. When a criminal had served his time, he was
released – but only on parole. He was given a ‘ticket of leave’ which he had to
carry with him, and show to everyone with whom he had dealings. For example, if
he wanted to find work. He was also restricted as to where he was allowed to
go. If he failed to show the ticket, or if he strayed from his designated
route, he would be deemed in breach of parole, and locked up again. It was therefore
very difficult for a former convict to find honest work.
Mr Hugo, I’d like to discuss the two main characters in
your novel, Jean Valjean and Javert. First of all, Let’s stay with Valjean. I
believe his initial sentence for the theft of bread was five years, not
nineteen years?
You are quite correct, and I am certainly not claiming
that he was an honest and upstanding citizen at that time. He was a woodsman
who wasn’t beyond doing a spot of poaching. He stole the bread because his sister
and her children were hungry, but they weren’t starving. You might say that he
deserved some punishment, but fiveyears hard labour was excessive. Albeit very
typical.
Had Valjean behaved well in prison he could have been out
in five years, but he was a hot-headed young man, several escape attempts meant
that his sentence was increased. So yes, he was in part responsible for having
to serve nineteen years.
Upon his release, I believe he continued to steal?
Yes, he did. You must understand that he was very bitter
and desperate. He stole from the Bishop out of desperation and the little child
out of habit and bitterness. But then it really hit him, what he had done.
Would you say he had a ‘Road to Damascus’ experience?
Indeed yes. The forgiveness and goodness of the Bishop of
Digne really went into his heart. He was a changed man from that day,
determined to live a good life. But that was impossible whilst his parole
ticket branded him as a thief – as one of Les Misérables. Hence his decision to
destroy the parole ticket, and start a new life, under a new identity.
Would you say he succeeded?
Yes. It wasn’t easy for him. He still had to struggle with
aspects of his personality, with anger and sometimes bitterness. But he was
further helped by his experience with Fantine. You might say there were three
people who helped Valjean with his reformation. The Bishop was paramount, but
being able to help Fantine, and having the responsibility of raising Cosette –
and her love as a daughter – were also important for him.
Buy my book – buy my book – pleeeease buy my book!
When my debut novel was published on Kindle, I immediately
hit the writers’ forum, enthusiastic and naïve, eagerly asking questions that I
now appreciate had been asked a thousand
times before. I also quickly realised how annoying it was when people
constantly deluged the forum with promotions of their new book.
I suspect most writers have been there, especially when
trying to promote their very first book. I remember when the first paperback
copies of my debut novel arrived, to be picked up, admired, stroked and
generally cooed over. At such times, there is a danger of tunnel vision.
Objectivity can very easily take wing and disappear into the blue – all that
matters is THE BOOK.
Very few new, unknown authors will achieve overnight
success, although we can always dream. Marketing is hard work and it takes
time. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint” may sound like a cliché (probably because
it is), but when it comes to book marketing it is extremely apt. Without a big
organisation behind them, most independent authors have to do their own
marketing. For many of us (including me) it is unfamiliar territory. Learning
our way around takes time and patience.
When it comes to reviews, opinions vary as to just how
valuable they are to an author. Do would-be readers take notice of how many 5*
reviews a book has? Do they actually read them?I suppose that depends on the reader. I do read reviews – both good and
bad – because sometimes it can give me a valuable insight into the book, beyond
the blurb and the “look inside.”
Most authors are understandably keen to get positive
reviews. When the book is first published it is natural that friends will want
to leave good reviews to help out their mate (a couple of my friends did that).
As long as they have actually read the book, that seems fair enough.
But how far is fair? Is it in order to ask friends to
leave a review? I have given this one a lot of thought, and on balance I would
say it depends. Putting out a general request on Facebook saying something like
‘hi guys, if you’ve read my book and enjoyed it, I’d be grateful for a review’
seems fine, inasmuch as no-one is put under personal pressure. It would,
however, be different to approach an individual and say ‘Hey Bob, will you do
me a review on Amazon?’ That can put Bob in a difficult position. He may well
have said that he enjoyed the book – he’s your friend. But in reality, he may
not have enjoyed it that much. He may not even have read the book.
Some authors have been known to go even further and use
“sock puppets” to write their own reviews, under different names.
Sadly, some of these doubtful tactics probably pay off. Readers
who are not also writers may simply take reviews at their face value. Most
authors will not. I have heard various estimates as to the relationship between
the number of books sold and the number of reviews, one oft quoted figure is
around one review per hundred books. In reality, I think that is a meaningless
figure, because it will be different for each book. Since publication four
months ago, my own book has picked up an average of one review (from strangers)
per 40 books sold.
There is nothing more suspicious than a book that is
published on the first of July, and has picked up a dozen glowing five star
reviews by the second of July (unless, of course, the writer is a J. K.
Rowling).
On the modern writer’s
blog, there is a great deal of discussion about traditional publishing versus independent
or self publishing - lots of rhetoric, plenty of polarised viewpoints. But it
is a fascinating subject, and very relevant to modern writers, be they
traditionally or self published.
Many supporters of
traditional publishing deride all ‘indies’ as writing inferior rubbish. This
wholesale condemnation is both unfortunate and inaccurate, but it is also understandable.
I read a great deal, and – in my opinion
of course - there are some excellent self-published books. But I have ‘looked
inside’ many self-published books on Amazon, and have had no desire to go
further. Sad to say, too many of them are indeed badly written, full of typos
and atrocious grammar; they are seriously in need of a spell check, a proof
reader and an editor.
At this point – whilst the
more belligerent indies sharpen their quills – I must state that I am also a
self published writer. It is partly because I am a self-published writer that
the current situation dismays me. The flood of sub-standard books is doing us a
great disservice; I believe the reputation of all self-published writers is
suffering as a result.
When discussing traditional
publishing, I think there is a danger of self-published authors becoming
defensive and even vengeful. Some authors who now self publish have been traditionally published in the past and
may have had bad experiences. The majority of us have never been traditionally
published. I freely admit that I tried to get an agent or publisher for my
novel, without success. A couple of them made encouraging noises; one hand-wrote
a few words on the standard rejection letter saying that she liked the book but
they weren’t publishing much historical fiction at that time. A considerate and
encouraging rejection, but nonetheless a rejection, which is never a pleasant
experience.
Personally I don’t like to
see this war of rhetoric, there is something to be said for and against both
sides of the argument. An agent who takes on a book won’t earn anything unless
they can find a publisher, so they may end up investing a great deal of time
(which means money) for no reward. I can therefore understand their need to
connect strongly with a book before taking it on. Rejection doesn’t mean that a
book is no good, though it is hard for the author to be objective when they see
the big self addressed envelope lying forlornly on the mat beneath the letterbox.
Publishers are in the business
of selling books and thus making money. They take what sells - or what they
think will sell. Hence their tendency to stay with their current best or regularly
selling authors, who can be relied on to bring in the dollars or pounds. During
the days of large litho print runs, taking on a new writer was a risk, a
mistake could be very expensive for the publisher. Of course, turning down a
new writer could also be a mistake – there are about a dozen agents or
publishers having nightmares every time they read the words “Harry Potter.”
I’m sure most agents and
publishers are reasonable people. I do think some could treat potential authors
better. When I was researching agents for my book, almost all said they would
respond within five to six weeks, with either an acceptance or a rejection.
One, however, said that she would only respond if willing to represent me, otherwise
I should just wait six weeks, then assume rejection. To me, that smacked of
arrogance. How long does it take to send out a polite, pre-worded rejection by
email? If I do seek an agent for my next novel, that is one person I will
definitely be avoiding.
That brings me to a key
question. Do I try for an agent or publisher with my next novel, or go it alone
again? To some extent, the answer will depend on the sales of my current novel;
if I can achieve a reasonable level of success, I will be more likely to self
publish the next book too.
There are advantages -
assuming that a traditional publisher can be found - in being traditionally published.
The advance on royalties, the assistance with proof reading and editing, the
marketing channels and assistance in marketing the book, the kudos of being
accepted for publication. On the other
hand, self published writers have full control of their book, and thus
ownership of all aspects (cover, blurb etc). They maintain full rights, and are
also able to keep a higher percentage of royalties.
What is the way ahead for
writers and publishers? Already the well trodden track of traditional
publishing has divided clearly into two paths, traditional and independent.
There are increasing signs that more paths are emerging from the undergrowth,
made viable by the enormous improvements made in print on demand technology. An
increasing number of authors are taking the route of publishing partnerships,
where publishers take on the task of publishing and marketing, but do not pay
any advance to the author. Some of these verge on vanity publishing, whereas others appear to offer a viable partnership. There will undoubtedly be other avenues opening.
It’s a fascinating time to
be a writer.
Saturday, 8 June 2013
It's a Marathon, not a Sprint!
Promotion and marketing -
Moving from a frantic doggy-paddle
to a stamina-preserving crawl.
I have only been actively
involved in the ‘Indie’ market for a short time, but long enough to realise
that the most frequently asked question has to be
HOW DO I EFFECTIVELY PROMOTE MY BOOK?
Most frequently asked, and
most difficult to answer. Imagine about two million tiny fish, swimming
frantically around the harbour. On the shore is a wonderful lake, filled with
everything a tiny fish could possibly need – but how to get there? A few
fishermen are trawling, to be sure, but they are catching the bigger fish. In
the meantime, a gigantic shark is circling, and gobbling up the tiny fish in their
thousands. Things look pretty desperate for those tiny fish!
So, am I saying that we
‘newbie’ indies are like those little fish. Well, there are similarities. There
are probably around two million books on Amazon, many of them by new and/or
unknown authors. All of us would like the fishermen – or in our case readers –
to find us. The question is, how? But we do have one great advantage over the
poor little fish – there is no gigantic shark circling to cut short our
sparkling careers with one snap of its jaws. We have time on our side, and
according to my research into this subject, allowing time is very necessary. It
is, of course, not the sole answer. If we just sit back and do nothing, we can
expect to be swimming around for a long, long time!
There is a tremendous
amount of advice available on this subject, some of it extremely helpful, much
of it conflicting. But there are a few things on which pretty well everyone
agrees –
Before publishing the book, ensure it is as good as
it can be.
That means proof-reading
and editing. Not everyone can afford a professional proof reader, but most
writers have hawk-eyed friends who can help them out. I can proof-read my own
work to a limited extent, generally by reading it out loud. This ensures that I
don’t miss mistakes by reading too fast, and also picks up a lot of
duplication. But personally, I still need my hawk-eyed friend to pick up
inconsistencies in capitalisation and the like.
The same is true for
editing the book. With Barricades, I splashed
out on a professional editor – not too
expensive, and worth every penny. When we started, my book draft was 110,000
words. When we finished, it was 96,000 words. Of course I kicked, screamed and
wriggled as it was suggested I cull some of my favourite (and often verbose)
passages, but there is no doubt that the changes improved the book by cutting
out unnecessary padding and generally sharpening up the prose.
There is no ‘magic bullet.’
It is not unknown for a
new, self-published author to ‘go viral,’ quickly, but it is very, very rare.
For most of us, it will mean a lot of hard work. It will also need patience –
not something that comes easily to me.
The best way to promote and sell a book is to write
another one -
Followed by yet another,
and another after that. Very few new and unknown authors achieve high sales for
their first stand-alone book.
Other than those points,
advice is conflicting, depending upon the personal experiences of those
offering the advice. Genre also has an effect. Sex, of course, sells well, so authors
writing erotica are off to a good start. Vampires, horror, science
fiction/fantasy and thrillers appear popular. My own genre is historical
fiction (non-romance), which doesn’t appear to be one of the best selling
genres.
KDP Free Promotions (e-books only)
Opinions differ on this
one. Some authors will not give away their work on principle. Others find the
promotions beneficial. I suppose that if an author is selling well, he or she
doesn’t need the free promotion anyway. But for new authors whose work is not
selling, or selling very slowly, it can help. I put Barricades on free promotion for three days, and there was a slight
sales spike afterwards. I also picked up a 5* review, possibly as a result of
the promotion. At worst, it meant that my book was read by several hundred
people who would not otherwise have read it.
Writing a blog.
Most authors seem to think
it desirable to have an on-line presence, particularly for writers who are just
starting out. There is, of course, still the problem of being noticed, but
hopefully the followers will come, given time. I don’t yet have a large
following, but my circle is slowly growing. I also find the blog helps to
consolidate my thoughts, and I enjoy writing it.
Twitter and Facebook.
Some authors find them
useful, others a waste of time. I don’t yet know what my experience will be,
but as a new author I feel that any on-line presence has to be of some use. I’m
very new to the social media scene, so I am feeling my way and gradually building
a network, whilst getting to grips with Twitter and the use of the # key.
I have just published Barricades
in paperback format, so I am planning a launch party next month. I shall be
having a big push on facebook, including a modest £10 of paid advertising. I
shall let you know the results in a later blog.
Next time - off-line promotions – the personal
touch.
The title of my first book
has gone through a number of incarnations. When I first published in e-book
format the title was Barricades – the
Road to Les Misérables. Having published, feedback suggested that the
inclusion of Les Misérables was
something of a two-edged sword. For those readers who disliked the original Les Misérables novel, it would be an
immediate kiss of death.
After some thought, I
decided to lose Les Misérables from
the title. The novel Barricades stands
alone. Some principal charactersare
drawn from Victor Hugo’s novel, but there is very little overlap. Also, the
writing style is very different. This is not intended as a criticism of Mr
Hugo, to whom I owe a great debt, but writing styles – and reader preferences –
have changed greatly since Les Misérables
was written.
I finally settled on Barricades – the Journey of Javert. People
who know Les Misérables will,
hopefully, pick up on the connection. For those who are not familiar with Mr
Hugo’s novel, it doesn’t matter. The reader does not need any knowledge of Les Misérables
For those about to publish
with Amazon, a word of warning! If publishing in paperback, it is obviously not
easy to change a title, once the publishing process has commenced. But even
changing titles on the e-book version is not as straight-forward as it seems.
Certainly you can change the title that appears next to your book. Changing the
cover of your e-book is also simplicity itself – just upload the new cover, and
it will magically appear a few hours later. But when anyone searching for your
book enters your title and clicks, the link will display the original title. As
far as I can see, the only way to erase that permanently is to unpublish and
republish - and that would mean losing all those good reviews and starting from
scratch. Learn from my mistakes and give lots of thought to your title before
publishing.
Okay, the title is cast in
tablets of stone. Now for the cover.
Most people with some experience and expertise suggested getting a
professionally designed cover, but I thought I could design my own. After all,
I have Photoshop Elements and I enjoy playing around with drawings and
photographs. Since making that decision, I have lost count of the number of
cover designs I have tried. My poor friends have been bombarded with endless
variations (most with lots of red in them) as I prepare to launch in paperback
format.
My friends have been very
patient, but I now realise that for the most part, they have either been
guarded in their response, or have told me what I wanted to hear (or maybe I
just didn’t hear what they were really telling me). In any case, I settled on a
cover that I personally liked, and prepared to go for gold and launch into the
world of p-books.
At this stage – at this
late stage, almost the 11th hour – I was very lucky. A new
acquaintance offered to design my cover for me at a very reasonable cost. Since
the lady in question is a professional designer, I was delighted to accept. She
actually used the same original image -
which is great, because it meant I still feel some ownership of and affinity
with the cover. But there the resemblance ends. Rachael’s cover is less
complicated and ‘busy’, the text is much better and more balanced. The cover
design is extended to the spine (which in a bookshop, may be all that people
can see). In simple terms, it looks what it is – a professionally designed
cover. One of my more outspoken friends summed it up beautifully –
Thank goodness the lady volunteered
her
services to you and the fiery red
is no more!
All the evidence suggests
that people DO judge a book by its cover, even if they are not conscious of
doing so. Unless you are a professional designer or an extremely talented
amateur, I would certainly advise trying to get your cover professionally
designed. It is something that I will always do in the future.
Coming shortly, the hardest thing of all. How can self
published indie authors effectively promote their books?
Within a fairly short time
of publishing “Barricades” I realised that just publishing the book was the
easy part. What happened? Well, really it is more a case of what didn’t happen!
Sales didn’t go viral. The book title wasn’t on everyone’s lips. No one rang to
suggest buying the film rights.
When I’m not being
impetuous and impulsive, I can be reasonably intelligent. Thinking about it, I
was obviously being incredibly naive. I switched on the objective, logical part
of my brain (the boring bit!) and asked myself a few questions.
1.Marketing! How do people find this book? It’s my first
novel. No one outside my circle of
friends has ever heard of me. Amongst an enormous haystack, how can I
draw attention to one minute little strand of hay?
2.If they do find it, why should they buy it?
Whilst not ignoring the
massive issue of marketing, I decided to focus on the second question first.
Some years ago, I put my house on the market, but before doing so I made sure
that it was as good as it could be. The antiquated storage heating was removed
and central heating installed. Everything was cleaned and tidied (hoping they didn’t
open the cupboards!) with a lick or two of paint where needed. The garden
looked neater than it had for years.
I think the same principle
can be applied to selling most things, whether it’s a house, or a book. Before
people looked at my book, I wanted it to be as good as it could be. But surely,
I hear you say, that should be done before publishing? I quite agree – and as
far as the book content was concerned, it was done. It was edited, proof-read,
spell-checked, proof-read, edited, proof-read ….. Well, you get the picture.
But I hadn’t attached
sufficient importance to other aspects of the book. Using the house analogy
again, it was no use cleaning up the house if the garden was overgrown with
weeds and the garden fence sagging in all directions. If people weren’t
attracted by the exterior, it was quite likely that they would turn around and
drive away, without even looking at the house. Applying the same analogy to my novel, people
would have no reason to look more closely at my book, unless they were
attracted by the cover and the title.
The title had already been
through several incarnations before I settled on ‘Barricades.’ I was, I
decided, pretty happy with that title. The cover was something else again. I
have read varying viewpoints as to the importance of cover in e-book or
paperback publishing. Some subscribe to the view that it matters less with an
e-book because in the first instance you are only looking at a thumbnail image.
I’m not so sure of that. In order to test my own reactions, I went onto a site
where a large number of thumbnail book covers were displayed – in fact, it was
a screen full of thumbnail images. I found that I was sub-consciously looking
for certain things before clicking on an image. The trouble with the
sub-conscious is that it is precisely that, and I found it difficult to pin
down what was – or was not – attracting me.
So I am going to work on
that one. More on covers next time.
For me, to
help me clarify my thoughts, to assess my progress – or otherwise – and to look
back on what worked, what didn’t and what might.
For other first-timers who are publishing, or considering doing so – who
just might laugh a little, learn a little, and avoid some of my mistakes.
For the world at large – hoping some of you will find my experiences of
interest, and maybe chip in with ideas and suggestions of your own.
FIRST FALTERING STEPS
Publish on Kindle, for free?
Sounded too good to be true! I looked into it, and discovered that yes – it is
true. Not only true, but publishing looked amazingly easy. I ploughed through
the publishing section on the Amazon site and formatted my book as per instructions.
A few hitches with the table of contents were quickly sorted.
So far, so good. Now for the
scary part. I am computer literate to a point – very comfortable with email, word
processing, searching the web, ordering goodies on-line - but this was a whole
new ball-game. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained!
Equipped with formatted book
file, computer and IT-knowledgeable friend Elisabeth, I sat down to do the
great deed. A moment of panic when the system demanded something called an IBAN
in order to pay my royalties. Elisabeth calmed me down and a close examination
of my bank statement discovered said IBAN lurking quietly in the top corner.
Filled in the rest of the boxes, pressed the publish button, and success! Your
book, the system informed me, will be available on the Amazon site in
approximately twelve hours.
Twelve hours plus one minute
later, I raced to the computer and logged in. Yes – there it was! My novel – my
very own novel – up there for all the world to see and buy. Starry eyed, I floated
up there on cloud nine, my imagination running riot as wonderful visions flashed
through my mind – the fantastic reviews, the bestseller list. Move over J. K.
Rowling, I’m on my way. When are they making the film?
Well, it was very nice up
there in the clouds, but then reality set in. Did I say it was easy? Yes, I did
– or to be more exact, I said that the publishing part was easy. Enthusiastic,
impetuous and incredibly naïve, I hadn’t really thought further than that. But a
couple of weeks later, I am just beginning to realise how much I still have to
learn.
