It occurred to me the other day that writing the first draft of a first book can be compared to many things - but I like to compare it to a stumble across a darkened room.
But not just any room.
I like to check on my kids just before I go to bed and, as I was trying to sneak quietly out of my daughter's room the other night, decided that this trip was not unlike writing the first draft of the first book in a new series.
Let me explain.
You know the starting point (the bedside). You can see where you have got to get to (the lit hallway outside). But the route you take to get there can end up very different, even if you have envisaged it clearly in your mind beforehand.
There's a night light in the room, which changes colour four times in a cycle, from quite a bright blue light to a dim red glow. At any moment, your path forward can be plunged into darkness, or revealed in a burst of dazzling light.
There are any number of pitfalls waiting for your uncertain step. Obstacles that must be avoided, or stepped over, or even moved to one side to enable you to go forwards. Some feel soft, and safe - but could make a terrible noise. Others are sharp and will cause you lingering discomfort.
Sometimes the best route is to take a few steps sideways, even one step back - but always you must press on forwards. Head for the light.
But don't rush. Often, when you are striding forwards confidently, a sudden plunge into darkness can throw you off balance. An obstacle you were sure you could avoid is suddenly somewhere underfoot. A wrong step could be disastrous at this point.
Occasionally you must pause, wait for a little extra illumination to be thrown on the subject, to see your way forward.
Naturally reaching the end is a relief.
But take time to look back and see where you mis-stepped, or over-stepped, or perhaps could have strode out a little stronger. There is always a better route to take. Hindsight allows you to examine your progress critically, see where you might do better next time.
But never forget, you have safely reached your goal.
Anything is possible from here.
My name is Duncan Lay and I'm the author of the Australian best-selling fantasy trilogies, The Dragon Sword Histories and the Empire Of Bones. I am now with Momentum Books (Pan Macmillan) and my new series, The Last Quarrel is out in eBook and print. Book 2, The Bloody Quarrel, is coming out in December 2015/Jan 2016 in eBook and will be in print later in 2016. Head over to my website, www.duncanlay.com for more!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
AussieCon 4
Just back from AussieCon4, the world fantasy convention held in Melbourne and it was truly an amazing experience.
I found it a bit strange just because I am not a big fantasy reader! It is ironic that I enjoy writing fantasy but have not read the genre as widely as many people - and certainly not to the degree that many of the fans had.
It's almost embarrassing - and I certainly got some funny looks from volunteers at a book signing - when you admit you've never heard of another ``famous'' author in the genre you write in.
But there were so many wonderful people, both fellow panellists and particularly the other attendees.
I spent three days at AussieCon, which itself went for five. Sadly I couldn't get more time off from work, especially as I missed out on a Star Wars panel on the Monday that I really wanted to be part of!
It was also a bit of a sacrifice - the Sunday was Fathers' Day and I missed out on seeing my kids ... best I could do was get up early to Skype them and watch them open my presents for me!
Of course, me being me, I also arranged a bunch of bookstore appearances in Melbourne!
Friday began with me flying down to Melbourne, with a hectic schedule planned to the minute. of course JetStar was more than 30 minutes late, which had me chasing my tail all day.
I had arranged a stint at Borders in central Melbourne and planned to drop my bags at the hotel before catching a tram there. Running late, and not in the mood to decipher tram timetables, I decided to walk with a 6kg bag over the shoulder. It was a mere 1.7km (according to Google maps) and I was sweating lightly when I lobbed, late, at Borders.
They kept me in water and I sold a bunch of books (mainly Wounded Guardian) before racing off to Dymocks central Melbourne. There I discovered, to my horror, that I was only in for an hour before more fantasy authors were due to arrive - and I was 20 minutes late! Luckily Fiona McIntosh didn't want to do the hands-on selling that I specialise in (basically she doesn't need to!) and I could keep going until 3.30pm.
Then it was finally time to check in and change, to sign in for AussieCon and get ready for my panel on Lost, the television show.
Of course then I had to sprint over to the Crown, for the Voyager 15th birthday party!
That meant I had to leave Lost at 4.55pm, while it was still going.
It was an interesting panel, with me being the only Aussie on it! The audience was pretty strongly American as well ... in fact there were US accents everywhere at AussieCon - plenty made the trip across for this fantasy extravaganza.
I should have made a few more points, but got a little swamped by this UK TV critic!
One of the things that I wanted to say - and annoyed myself by not getting it across - was the death of Jin and Sun.
(Lost geek alert!)
Not only did it devalue Sayyid's self-sacrifice, but Sun would never have let Jin stay with her without telling him to save himself for their child. It should have at least made Jin choose between the woman he had sworn never to leave and the child he wanted but had never seen. Even better, they should have escaped, validating Sayyid, then been killed by Jack stupidly attacking Dead Locke in his hero complex, thus making him more interesting ... basically I like to put characters through the wringer and this didn't...
(Back to normal!)
The Voyager party was great, although I managed to walk right around and through Crown Towers before finding it! I met and chatted to Ian Irvine and a bunch of others ... unfortunately didn't catch up with as many as I'd hoped but I (foolishly as it happened) thought I'd have plenty of time...
Saturday began with a signing ... wasn't expecting many to turn up but I had five people come and chat, including Tarran Jones (A+R Edwardstown) and Lynette who I'd met at Infinitas.
Then I raced around trying to find people for a story for the Sunday Herald Sun (which didn't run that Sunday but is apparently due up on September 12) before racing off to Dymocks Southland and then back to Borders Central.
Those both went very well, with the Dymocks boss demanding my return and Borders offering me a job!
Sunday was my big day, beginning with a kaffeeklatch (coffee meeting) then a reading and then three panels, back to back.
I met and chatted with some great people - some of whom went out and bought my books! - and then kicked off with a great panel about Adams and Pratchett and comedy writing.
This was my best panel of the Con and a lot of fun.
With plenty of humour in my books, it was kind of a perfect fit for me.
Next was Crowns And Monarchy, which didn't go so well. I realised afterwards that I hadn't planned for it properly - and then let myself get intimidated a little by the glittering array of other panellists - Australian fantasy royalty!
They were talking about their Russian covers - I was tempted to remark that I didn't have Russian covers but I had once had a problem with Rushin' undies (you know, the ones that try to give you a wedgie whenever you sit down) but had fixed that by switching to boxers ...
Anyway, I did point out that I too have been published in wonderfully exotic places. Like Dubbo.
I wanted to talk about the way I treat royalty, with the succession, with a Queen in a country ruled by men ... but bottled it.
Still, all valuable knowledge and I'd have a much better idea for next time.
My last panel was about elves ... and I was the moderator! It was a case of the blind leading the blind there but we kept things going in the face of plenty of questions ... and decided that we'd rather read books about orcs, not elves!
It was amazing to see so many people so passionate about fantasy and sci-fi (and steampunk and others).
Perhaps the US and UK attendees will go home and want to read my work, after hearing me at a panel.
Perhaps not - but it was still a real experience!
I found it a bit strange just because I am not a big fantasy reader! It is ironic that I enjoy writing fantasy but have not read the genre as widely as many people - and certainly not to the degree that many of the fans had.
It's almost embarrassing - and I certainly got some funny looks from volunteers at a book signing - when you admit you've never heard of another ``famous'' author in the genre you write in.
But there were so many wonderful people, both fellow panellists and particularly the other attendees.
I spent three days at AussieCon, which itself went for five. Sadly I couldn't get more time off from work, especially as I missed out on a Star Wars panel on the Monday that I really wanted to be part of!
It was also a bit of a sacrifice - the Sunday was Fathers' Day and I missed out on seeing my kids ... best I could do was get up early to Skype them and watch them open my presents for me!
Of course, me being me, I also arranged a bunch of bookstore appearances in Melbourne!
Friday began with me flying down to Melbourne, with a hectic schedule planned to the minute. of course JetStar was more than 30 minutes late, which had me chasing my tail all day.
I had arranged a stint at Borders in central Melbourne and planned to drop my bags at the hotel before catching a tram there. Running late, and not in the mood to decipher tram timetables, I decided to walk with a 6kg bag over the shoulder. It was a mere 1.7km (according to Google maps) and I was sweating lightly when I lobbed, late, at Borders.
They kept me in water and I sold a bunch of books (mainly Wounded Guardian) before racing off to Dymocks central Melbourne. There I discovered, to my horror, that I was only in for an hour before more fantasy authors were due to arrive - and I was 20 minutes late! Luckily Fiona McIntosh didn't want to do the hands-on selling that I specialise in (basically she doesn't need to!) and I could keep going until 3.30pm.
Then it was finally time to check in and change, to sign in for AussieCon and get ready for my panel on Lost, the television show.
Of course then I had to sprint over to the Crown, for the Voyager 15th birthday party!
That meant I had to leave Lost at 4.55pm, while it was still going.
It was an interesting panel, with me being the only Aussie on it! The audience was pretty strongly American as well ... in fact there were US accents everywhere at AussieCon - plenty made the trip across for this fantasy extravaganza.
I should have made a few more points, but got a little swamped by this UK TV critic!
One of the things that I wanted to say - and annoyed myself by not getting it across - was the death of Jin and Sun.
(Lost geek alert!)
Not only did it devalue Sayyid's self-sacrifice, but Sun would never have let Jin stay with her without telling him to save himself for their child. It should have at least made Jin choose between the woman he had sworn never to leave and the child he wanted but had never seen. Even better, they should have escaped, validating Sayyid, then been killed by Jack stupidly attacking Dead Locke in his hero complex, thus making him more interesting ... basically I like to put characters through the wringer and this didn't...
(Back to normal!)
The Voyager party was great, although I managed to walk right around and through Crown Towers before finding it! I met and chatted to Ian Irvine and a bunch of others ... unfortunately didn't catch up with as many as I'd hoped but I (foolishly as it happened) thought I'd have plenty of time...
Saturday began with a signing ... wasn't expecting many to turn up but I had five people come and chat, including Tarran Jones (A+R Edwardstown) and Lynette who I'd met at Infinitas.
Then I raced around trying to find people for a story for the Sunday Herald Sun (which didn't run that Sunday but is apparently due up on September 12) before racing off to Dymocks Southland and then back to Borders Central.
Those both went very well, with the Dymocks boss demanding my return and Borders offering me a job!
Sunday was my big day, beginning with a kaffeeklatch (coffee meeting) then a reading and then three panels, back to back.
I met and chatted with some great people - some of whom went out and bought my books! - and then kicked off with a great panel about Adams and Pratchett and comedy writing.
This was my best panel of the Con and a lot of fun.
With plenty of humour in my books, it was kind of a perfect fit for me.
Next was Crowns And Monarchy, which didn't go so well. I realised afterwards that I hadn't planned for it properly - and then let myself get intimidated a little by the glittering array of other panellists - Australian fantasy royalty!
They were talking about their Russian covers - I was tempted to remark that I didn't have Russian covers but I had once had a problem with Rushin' undies (you know, the ones that try to give you a wedgie whenever you sit down) but had fixed that by switching to boxers ...
Anyway, I did point out that I too have been published in wonderfully exotic places. Like Dubbo.
I wanted to talk about the way I treat royalty, with the succession, with a Queen in a country ruled by men ... but bottled it.
Still, all valuable knowledge and I'd have a much better idea for next time.
My last panel was about elves ... and I was the moderator! It was a case of the blind leading the blind there but we kept things going in the face of plenty of questions ... and decided that we'd rather read books about orcs, not elves!
It was amazing to see so many people so passionate about fantasy and sci-fi (and steampunk and others).
Perhaps the US and UK attendees will go home and want to read my work, after hearing me at a panel.
Perhaps not - but it was still a real experience!
Monday, August 23, 2010
AussieCon/WorldCon
Like many other fantasy fans and authors, I shall be attending WorldCon, or AussieCon 4, in Melbourne from September 3-5.
If anyone is also going along, and is interested in catching one of the panels I am on, or attending a reading, a signing or a kaffeeklatsche (a small group chatting over coffee), here is my itinerary:
Friday Sept 3 at 5pm, Room 213: Six Years On An Island: Discussing the TV show Lost.
(Earlier this year I interviewed Jorge Garcia - Hurley - for The Sunday Telegraph TV Guide, s have some interesting information about this one)
Saturday September 4 at 10am, room 201 - book signing.
Sunday September 5: (this is the big day)
11am- Kaffeeklatsche
1pm - reading
2pm - Writing in the shadows of Adams and Pratchett
3pm - Crowns and swords, the worlds of fantasy and monarchy
4m - Where do elves come from? (Note, my next series, among other things, is a gentle send-up of elves in fantasy, so there might be some information revealed here - assuming, of course, that HarperCollins wants to publish it!)
I shall also be doing a few bookstore appearances around Melbourne on Friday and Saturday ... I'll post places and times later!
If anyone is also going along, and is interested in catching one of the panels I am on, or attending a reading, a signing or a kaffeeklatsche (a small group chatting over coffee), here is my itinerary:
Friday Sept 3 at 5pm, Room 213: Six Years On An Island: Discussing the TV show Lost.
(Earlier this year I interviewed Jorge Garcia - Hurley - for The Sunday Telegraph TV Guide, s have some interesting information about this one)
Saturday September 4 at 10am, room 201 - book signing.
Sunday September 5: (this is the big day)
11am- Kaffeeklatsche
1pm - reading
2pm - Writing in the shadows of Adams and Pratchett
3pm - Crowns and swords, the worlds of fantasy and monarchy
4m - Where do elves come from? (Note, my next series, among other things, is a gentle send-up of elves in fantasy, so there might be some information revealed here - assuming, of course, that HarperCollins wants to publish it!)
I shall also be doing a few bookstore appearances around Melbourne on Friday and Saturday ... I'll post places and times later!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Big July - finished at last!
I can barely believe it - my madcap month of planes, trains and automobiles to get me around to so many bookstores is actually over.
In the end, I only visited 49 bookstores in the 31 days I set aside ... although I do have Number Fifty, A+R Town Hall, set aside for Thursday August 5 lunchtime, although I won't call it truly part of The Big July.
But, and here's the fantastic bit - I sold 1016 books to wonderful people across three states and the ACT!
Along the way, The Radiant Child hit the Dymocks Top 10 Fantasy Bestseller List at number 9, climbed to 4 and stayed there for two weeks, then finished the month at No. 6.
That was amazing, particularly as I think only about nine of my stores were Dymocks - the rest were Borders, A+R or independents (who don't do a bestseller list).
Still, The Radiant Child was THE best-selling book, of ANY book, for Erina A+R, two weeks after I visited there, while also being the top-seller for the month at Umina's Book Bazaar and a big seller for Infinitas at Parramatta as well.
My last four days of store appearances were a whirlwind ... Roselands and Miranda on Thursday, Newcastle on Friday, Parramatta on Saturday and then Hornsby and Macquarie on Sunday.
Thursday was a long day ... Roselands proved to be a tricky one as it was swamped with mums and screaming kids because Target (just around the corner from the A+R) has launched its big toy sale. That was a solid one and then I had Miranda Fair for late-night shopping.
That went really well and I met some great people, including Belinda Every, who bought the entire trilogy and is trying to start a fan page for me on Facebook! I also met a top bloke called Kurtis, who wanted me to write a character with his name and appearance into my next book: ``Just say he's got a beard like a lion!'' he suggested. You'll have to wait and see...
Friday was a fantastic day - although I got a massive shock when I arrived in Newcastle to see the A+R store boarded up, with posters saying it had closed the day before! As my heart slowed, I saw that it had, in fact, just moved down the road.
Despite it being in a worse location, the people were great, both there and at Borders Kotara down the road, and I sold about 55 books on the day, leaving me hugely confident I could crack the magic 1000 over the weekend.
I kicked off Saturday at Infinitas, which has been a wonderful supporter of mine. Waiting for me were a bunch of pre-bought books, ready to sign, including an entire trilogy for a US fan, Jan Barlow. This guy is a real fantasy expert, and I have to admit to being a little nervous sending my trilogy off to him ... he's gone to a great deal of trouble and I hope they live up to it!
Parramatta Dymocks is another favourite but, this time, I realised all my fears about Saturdays at big shopping centres were realised! It was just too busy, too loud and I couldn't get people to stop and listen. That's the biggest lesson I'm taking away - shops may like Saturdays but I don't!
This left me 20 books short of the 1000 target, with two Borders stores on Sunday to visit.
I was super-confident, as both Hornsby and Macquarie are great stores, plus I used to be the editor of the Hornsby Advocate, and Hornsby Borders is where I interviewed Raymond E Feist and began this whole adventure!
There were people waiting for me at Hornsby, including an old work experience girl, now a uni student and a budding writer herself! It was great to talk to them and sign some books but those didn't count as sales so I hurried off to Macquarie with six books still to sell to hit my target.
By now I was starting to feel some pressure - stupid, I know, and unnecessary but I habitually put myself under pressure - just one of many character flaws!
As time ticked on and people only bought book one, it began to feel less like a monkey on my back, more like an obese gorilla!
Then a lovely couple bought the entire trilogy to hit the magic 1000 mark and all the pressure was off ... no matter what the ``score'' for the month was, it was still a success, but it was still a real relief to reach the goal I had set myself!
There was no gold glitter falling from the ceiling, no balloons and streamers - perhaps I should have brought along a few friends to supply something like that - would have been a nice touch!
After that, it was easy to kick on until things really quietened around 4pm and I went back to friends at Turramurra for a quiet beer and a big sigh of relief!
Galaxy Books in my lunch hour, by comparison, was easy enough, although I sold few books I handed out plenty of bookmarks and chatted to what seemed like a lot of would-be writers!
So The Big July is over ... and what have I learned?
Well, I learned not to do anything quite as big as that again - I'll need to stretch things out!
I also learned there are wonderful people who love books, and fantasy, all across Australia. You just have to get out there and find them.
And I couldn't have done it without the help and support of the wonderful people at HarperCollins and, especially, my friends and family.
Thanks to everyone I met ... you have helped create a memory that will stay with me forever.
This was a massive challenge for me and I couldn't have done it without you all!
In the end, I only visited 49 bookstores in the 31 days I set aside ... although I do have Number Fifty, A+R Town Hall, set aside for Thursday August 5 lunchtime, although I won't call it truly part of The Big July.
But, and here's the fantastic bit - I sold 1016 books to wonderful people across three states and the ACT!
Along the way, The Radiant Child hit the Dymocks Top 10 Fantasy Bestseller List at number 9, climbed to 4 and stayed there for two weeks, then finished the month at No. 6.
That was amazing, particularly as I think only about nine of my stores were Dymocks - the rest were Borders, A+R or independents (who don't do a bestseller list).
Still, The Radiant Child was THE best-selling book, of ANY book, for Erina A+R, two weeks after I visited there, while also being the top-seller for the month at Umina's Book Bazaar and a big seller for Infinitas at Parramatta as well.
My last four days of store appearances were a whirlwind ... Roselands and Miranda on Thursday, Newcastle on Friday, Parramatta on Saturday and then Hornsby and Macquarie on Sunday.
Thursday was a long day ... Roselands proved to be a tricky one as it was swamped with mums and screaming kids because Target (just around the corner from the A+R) has launched its big toy sale. That was a solid one and then I had Miranda Fair for late-night shopping.
That went really well and I met some great people, including Belinda Every, who bought the entire trilogy and is trying to start a fan page for me on Facebook! I also met a top bloke called Kurtis, who wanted me to write a character with his name and appearance into my next book: ``Just say he's got a beard like a lion!'' he suggested. You'll have to wait and see...
Friday was a fantastic day - although I got a massive shock when I arrived in Newcastle to see the A+R store boarded up, with posters saying it had closed the day before! As my heart slowed, I saw that it had, in fact, just moved down the road.
Despite it being in a worse location, the people were great, both there and at Borders Kotara down the road, and I sold about 55 books on the day, leaving me hugely confident I could crack the magic 1000 over the weekend.
I kicked off Saturday at Infinitas, which has been a wonderful supporter of mine. Waiting for me were a bunch of pre-bought books, ready to sign, including an entire trilogy for a US fan, Jan Barlow. This guy is a real fantasy expert, and I have to admit to being a little nervous sending my trilogy off to him ... he's gone to a great deal of trouble and I hope they live up to it!
Parramatta Dymocks is another favourite but, this time, I realised all my fears about Saturdays at big shopping centres were realised! It was just too busy, too loud and I couldn't get people to stop and listen. That's the biggest lesson I'm taking away - shops may like Saturdays but I don't!
This left me 20 books short of the 1000 target, with two Borders stores on Sunday to visit.
I was super-confident, as both Hornsby and Macquarie are great stores, plus I used to be the editor of the Hornsby Advocate, and Hornsby Borders is where I interviewed Raymond E Feist and began this whole adventure!
There were people waiting for me at Hornsby, including an old work experience girl, now a uni student and a budding writer herself! It was great to talk to them and sign some books but those didn't count as sales so I hurried off to Macquarie with six books still to sell to hit my target.
By now I was starting to feel some pressure - stupid, I know, and unnecessary but I habitually put myself under pressure - just one of many character flaws!
As time ticked on and people only bought book one, it began to feel less like a monkey on my back, more like an obese gorilla!
Then a lovely couple bought the entire trilogy to hit the magic 1000 mark and all the pressure was off ... no matter what the ``score'' for the month was, it was still a success, but it was still a real relief to reach the goal I had set myself!
There was no gold glitter falling from the ceiling, no balloons and streamers - perhaps I should have brought along a few friends to supply something like that - would have been a nice touch!
After that, it was easy to kick on until things really quietened around 4pm and I went back to friends at Turramurra for a quiet beer and a big sigh of relief!
Galaxy Books in my lunch hour, by comparison, was easy enough, although I sold few books I handed out plenty of bookmarks and chatted to what seemed like a lot of would-be writers!
So The Big July is over ... and what have I learned?
Well, I learned not to do anything quite as big as that again - I'll need to stretch things out!
I also learned there are wonderful people who love books, and fantasy, all across Australia. You just have to get out there and find them.
And I couldn't have done it without the help and support of the wonderful people at HarperCollins and, especially, my friends and family.
Thanks to everyone I met ... you have helped create a memory that will stay with me forever.
This was a massive challenge for me and I couldn't have done it without you all!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Big July - back home
With a glorious three days off so close that I could taste them, I just had two more days of store appearances to go.
After arriving back home at 10.30pm from Adelaide, it was up early the next day to see my son's soccer team fight out a thrilling 3-3 draw before hading up the road to Leading Edge Books, Lakehaven.
This is a fantastic store, run by two lovely people, Sue and Howard, and they are always well prepared for me coming up there. They've been great supporters and it is the fourth time I have been to their store, which is always a pleasure.
There were people waiting for me there, which is always nice to see, including Prema and Tyce, who have had me sign all three of their books now!
It's funny though - when I talk to bookstores, they always want me out there on a Saturday. But, to be honest, I find Saturday one of the hardest days. Everyone is in a rush and it's hard to get them to stop and talk.
So it proved at my second stop for the day, at Erina Dymocks. This store is in a great location and had set up a fantastic window display for me.
There was a small queue of people waiting there, including Max, who is the only person to have contacted me on MySpace so far!
My older sister Julia was also there to get a couple of books signed for a friend and it was great to see so many friendly faces.
Sadly, it was a struggle to get anyone to stop and talk that afternoon, although I still sold more than 20 books there.
Contrast that with Sunday, when I headed up to A+R Kotara. This is in a major shopping centre in Newcastle and was my third visit to that store.
On the Sunday, people were willing to stop and talk and I racked up 26 books sold ... I sold out of WGs and was about to go, only for them to rush off to the storeroom and return with more!
But the break seemed to have triggered a shift in the rush of people outside and I was only able to sell one more book after that.
It strange - sometimes you just get on a roll and feel that every person who walks by is a fantasy reader, ready and eager to talk to you and, perhaps, pick up a copy. Then the feeling goes and nobody is interested.
Whether all that is in my mind or not is another matter.
During the month, I have experimented with combinations of shirts and pants, as well as seeing if wearing a particular pair of undies provides more luck than others!
It's not a particularly scientific experiment and seems to have proved that no pair of undies is luckier than others, while no shirt seems to get more positive reaction than another. But the time of day and the day itself do seem to all have an effect!
So I'm off on a mini-break, gearing up for four days of frantic store appearances which, I hope, will see me break through the 1000 books mark.
Wit the counter sitting at 853, the end is in sight - literally and figuratively.
After arriving back home at 10.30pm from Adelaide, it was up early the next day to see my son's soccer team fight out a thrilling 3-3 draw before hading up the road to Leading Edge Books, Lakehaven.
This is a fantastic store, run by two lovely people, Sue and Howard, and they are always well prepared for me coming up there. They've been great supporters and it is the fourth time I have been to their store, which is always a pleasure.
There were people waiting for me there, which is always nice to see, including Prema and Tyce, who have had me sign all three of their books now!
It's funny though - when I talk to bookstores, they always want me out there on a Saturday. But, to be honest, I find Saturday one of the hardest days. Everyone is in a rush and it's hard to get them to stop and talk.
So it proved at my second stop for the day, at Erina Dymocks. This store is in a great location and had set up a fantastic window display for me.
There was a small queue of people waiting there, including Max, who is the only person to have contacted me on MySpace so far!
My older sister Julia was also there to get a couple of books signed for a friend and it was great to see so many friendly faces.
Sadly, it was a struggle to get anyone to stop and talk that afternoon, although I still sold more than 20 books there.
Contrast that with Sunday, when I headed up to A+R Kotara. This is in a major shopping centre in Newcastle and was my third visit to that store.
On the Sunday, people were willing to stop and talk and I racked up 26 books sold ... I sold out of WGs and was about to go, only for them to rush off to the storeroom and return with more!
But the break seemed to have triggered a shift in the rush of people outside and I was only able to sell one more book after that.
It strange - sometimes you just get on a roll and feel that every person who walks by is a fantasy reader, ready and eager to talk to you and, perhaps, pick up a copy. Then the feeling goes and nobody is interested.
Whether all that is in my mind or not is another matter.
During the month, I have experimented with combinations of shirts and pants, as well as seeing if wearing a particular pair of undies provides more luck than others!
It's not a particularly scientific experiment and seems to have proved that no pair of undies is luckier than others, while no shirt seems to get more positive reaction than another. But the time of day and the day itself do seem to all have an effect!
So I'm off on a mini-break, gearing up for four days of frantic store appearances which, I hope, will see me break through the 1000 books mark.
Wit the counter sitting at 853, the end is in sight - literally and figuratively.
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Big July - Adelaide
My last trip away for this amazing month of selling books was to Adelaide.
My main reason for going down there was A+R Edwardstown, which has been a great supporter my books and so I was keen to support them back.
I was being met by HC rep Anthony down there, who would look after me for the first day, then Graeme would take over for day two.
I was a little nervous, as they had warned me it was not like Sydney but at the same time I was confident I could make a good impression.
After all, this is not just about selling books. It is about meeting sales staff and getting the stores enthused about you, bringing your books out from the pack.
It was grey and drizzly as I flew in and headed out to A+R Westlakes, a combined book store and newsagency in a big shopping centre.
My fears were unfounded as I sold 21 books in the two hours there and chatted to some great people ... strangely enough both Anthony, myself and store manager Bradley had the same style of close-trimmed beard - make of that what you will!
A+R Edwardstown was next, an older centre but the store I was down here to see.
They were just as nice in person as they were on the Net, with Tarran and owner Jo snapping endless pictures of me!
After a slow start I kicked into gear and sold 22 books for them. A pair of spruikers were trying to sell exercise equipment just across the aisle from me - that was to happen a few times in Adelaide and I even tried to sell them some books (without success). Still, I thought, if I can sell to a spruiker ...!
I checked into my hotel, The Medina Grand, which used to be the old SA Treasury Department building. It was stunning - 15-foot-high ceilings, real old-world charm and in the heart of the city. I grabbed a early dinner in the Chinatown before heading out for Thursday night shopping at A+R Marion.
This was a tough gig, my toughest of the day. Not only was my voice really starting to break up but everyone was in a rush and very reluctant to stop and talk!
`MasterChef is on!' one exclaimed as she tore past me.
Hmmmm...
Still, I sold 17 books, aided by the manager, who loved the books and even persuaded one customer not to buy the fantasy book she had selected but to get mine!
Anthony, my fantastic guide for the day, dropped me back at the hotel for green tea, a hot bath and the hope that my voice would hold up tomorrow...
Graeme picked me up from the hotel at 9am ... only of course we waited for five minutes for each other at different entrances!
First up was Elizabeth, a working-class suburb on the outskirts of Adelaide, famously home to Jimmy Barnes at one point.
Like Campbelltown or Penrith, I had high hopes for Elizabeth, even though Graeme was sounding a note of caution.
But it went great - I sold 25 books and spoke to some amazing people. I even set a new record for myself, personalising WG for four women, who were going to share it and read it - still my highest number!
There were a few curious sights there as well.
I saw one bloke with the most magnificent mullet. A burnished gold colour, it was truly a thing of beauty. Fluffed up at the front, spiked on top, falling to a glorious length below his shoulder blades. I asked him if he liked reading but he answered `No!' and of course, I should have thought a little more before opening my mouth.
Maintaining and preening that amazing hair style would take all his time and, probably, spare cash. A hobby like that would leave no time for reading, sadly ...
Next stop was A+R Tea Tree, where I had a woman waiting for me, entire trilogy at the ready for me to sign.
It doesn't start much better than that and, despite the noise around me, including the centre's desire for piped music at a level just short of deafening, I sold 34 books and again spoke to some marvellous people.
The one sad thing about this massive, whirlwind tour, is that some of these people begin to blur in my mind. I come away from an appearance thinking those people were just lovely ... and then struggle to remember them all.
Last stop was Borders Adelaide, where they'd had to take down the big display of my books because too many were being sold! They only had a handful of books left when I arrived and I sold them out pretty quickly, to finish my Adelaide trip.
Luckily I caught up with Peter Cooper there - a Facebook friend who is about to become a published author himself. After corresponding by Facebook, it was nice to see the man in person!
Adelaide was a wonderful two days - great people, lovely stores and a fantastic pair of guides in Anthony and Graeme.
I like to think I brought a little good luck down with me as well - the Adelaide Crows defeated the rampaging title favourites Geelong that Friday night, as I was flying out!
My main reason for going down there was A+R Edwardstown, which has been a great supporter my books and so I was keen to support them back.
I was being met by HC rep Anthony down there, who would look after me for the first day, then Graeme would take over for day two.
I was a little nervous, as they had warned me it was not like Sydney but at the same time I was confident I could make a good impression.
After all, this is not just about selling books. It is about meeting sales staff and getting the stores enthused about you, bringing your books out from the pack.
It was grey and drizzly as I flew in and headed out to A+R Westlakes, a combined book store and newsagency in a big shopping centre.
My fears were unfounded as I sold 21 books in the two hours there and chatted to some great people ... strangely enough both Anthony, myself and store manager Bradley had the same style of close-trimmed beard - make of that what you will!
A+R Edwardstown was next, an older centre but the store I was down here to see.
They were just as nice in person as they were on the Net, with Tarran and owner Jo snapping endless pictures of me!
After a slow start I kicked into gear and sold 22 books for them. A pair of spruikers were trying to sell exercise equipment just across the aisle from me - that was to happen a few times in Adelaide and I even tried to sell them some books (without success). Still, I thought, if I can sell to a spruiker ...!
I checked into my hotel, The Medina Grand, which used to be the old SA Treasury Department building. It was stunning - 15-foot-high ceilings, real old-world charm and in the heart of the city. I grabbed a early dinner in the Chinatown before heading out for Thursday night shopping at A+R Marion.
This was a tough gig, my toughest of the day. Not only was my voice really starting to break up but everyone was in a rush and very reluctant to stop and talk!
`MasterChef is on!' one exclaimed as she tore past me.
Hmmmm...
Still, I sold 17 books, aided by the manager, who loved the books and even persuaded one customer not to buy the fantasy book she had selected but to get mine!
Anthony, my fantastic guide for the day, dropped me back at the hotel for green tea, a hot bath and the hope that my voice would hold up tomorrow...
Graeme picked me up from the hotel at 9am ... only of course we waited for five minutes for each other at different entrances!
First up was Elizabeth, a working-class suburb on the outskirts of Adelaide, famously home to Jimmy Barnes at one point.
Like Campbelltown or Penrith, I had high hopes for Elizabeth, even though Graeme was sounding a note of caution.
But it went great - I sold 25 books and spoke to some amazing people. I even set a new record for myself, personalising WG for four women, who were going to share it and read it - still my highest number!
There were a few curious sights there as well.
I saw one bloke with the most magnificent mullet. A burnished gold colour, it was truly a thing of beauty. Fluffed up at the front, spiked on top, falling to a glorious length below his shoulder blades. I asked him if he liked reading but he answered `No!' and of course, I should have thought a little more before opening my mouth.
Maintaining and preening that amazing hair style would take all his time and, probably, spare cash. A hobby like that would leave no time for reading, sadly ...
Next stop was A+R Tea Tree, where I had a woman waiting for me, entire trilogy at the ready for me to sign.
It doesn't start much better than that and, despite the noise around me, including the centre's desire for piped music at a level just short of deafening, I sold 34 books and again spoke to some marvellous people.
The one sad thing about this massive, whirlwind tour, is that some of these people begin to blur in my mind. I come away from an appearance thinking those people were just lovely ... and then struggle to remember them all.
Last stop was Borders Adelaide, where they'd had to take down the big display of my books because too many were being sold! They only had a handful of books left when I arrived and I sold them out pretty quickly, to finish my Adelaide trip.
Luckily I caught up with Peter Cooper there - a Facebook friend who is about to become a published author himself. After corresponding by Facebook, it was nice to see the man in person!
Adelaide was a wonderful two days - great people, lovely stores and a fantastic pair of guides in Anthony and Graeme.
I like to think I brought a little good luck down with me as well - the Adelaide Crows defeated the rampaging title favourites Geelong that Friday night, as I was flying out!
The Big July - contrasts
I had a day off - at last!
It was lucky, because I had brought back a virus, or perhaps I was just exhausted. Either way, I spent most of Monday on the couch, trying to recover.
I seriously doubted if I could get out to Penrith Dymocks the following day and I started thinking about perhaps putting it off for a week. My voice was shot but, more importantly, I was exhausted. I had also picked up a cough - not good when you need to speak a great deal!
The welcome news that Radiant Child had hit number four on the Dymocks Bestseller list for fantasy perked me up but not as much as a tip from my brother-in-law, Bruce. He recommends putting Vicks Vaporub on the soles of your feet overnight - and it works!
I felt much better on Tuesday and ready to get out to Penrith.
I used to work out there so actually knowing roughly where you are going for once was quite the treat for me - and Penrith did not disappoint. More than 30 books sold and a great many wonderful people met along the way - it was a great session.
Next day was Borders Bondi, one of the glamour stores in the exclusive eastern suburbs. My family came down with me on the train; they were going to the beach while I hit the bookstore.
The staff at Borders Bondi were absolutely lovely - but the customers made an interesting contrast with Penrith.
Ask Sydneysiders - especially those living in the trendy suburbs - and 9/10 will tell you that they would rather sell books at Bondi than Penrith. Penrith, unfairly so, is seen as the home of `westies' and full of flanellette, not Faberge.
Yet I sold twice as many books at Penrith as I did at Bondi.
Some turned their noses up at fantasy, some were of the `ho-hum, yet another author' school and even the buyers only wanted book one, not the whole trilogy.
Perhaps they had spent so much on their mortgages that they actually had less disposable cash than their Penrith cousins ... who knew?
But I found it very interesting that it was far easier to talk to people (and sell) in the despised Penrith than the glamourous Bondi.
Make of that what you will!
It was lucky, because I had brought back a virus, or perhaps I was just exhausted. Either way, I spent most of Monday on the couch, trying to recover.
I seriously doubted if I could get out to Penrith Dymocks the following day and I started thinking about perhaps putting it off for a week. My voice was shot but, more importantly, I was exhausted. I had also picked up a cough - not good when you need to speak a great deal!
The welcome news that Radiant Child had hit number four on the Dymocks Bestseller list for fantasy perked me up but not as much as a tip from my brother-in-law, Bruce. He recommends putting Vicks Vaporub on the soles of your feet overnight - and it works!
I felt much better on Tuesday and ready to get out to Penrith.
I used to work out there so actually knowing roughly where you are going for once was quite the treat for me - and Penrith did not disappoint. More than 30 books sold and a great many wonderful people met along the way - it was a great session.
Next day was Borders Bondi, one of the glamour stores in the exclusive eastern suburbs. My family came down with me on the train; they were going to the beach while I hit the bookstore.
The staff at Borders Bondi were absolutely lovely - but the customers made an interesting contrast with Penrith.
Ask Sydneysiders - especially those living in the trendy suburbs - and 9/10 will tell you that they would rather sell books at Bondi than Penrith. Penrith, unfairly so, is seen as the home of `westies' and full of flanellette, not Faberge.
Yet I sold twice as many books at Penrith as I did at Bondi.
Some turned their noses up at fantasy, some were of the `ho-hum, yet another author' school and even the buyers only wanted book one, not the whole trilogy.
Perhaps they had spent so much on their mortgages that they actually had less disposable cash than their Penrith cousins ... who knew?
But I found it very interesting that it was far easier to talk to people (and sell) in the despised Penrith than the glamourous Bondi.
Make of that what you will!
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