Lucy McCarraher’s launch do at Goldsboro Books last Thursday went really well. Congratulations to Lucy by the way… You can find a link to her blog on the left, and of course find out what Blood and Water is all about by clicking on The Secret War icon on the left and navigating to the Macmillan New Writing homepage.
For me, Thursday was a success for more than one reason.
Firstly it was a chance to catch up with my editor, Will, and publishing assistant Sophie. It’s only the second time we’ve met up, the first being on the imprint’s launch last April, so yeah it’s been a while as I’m not a Londoner and can’t just drop in for a chat when I feel like it! We had a great business lunch, the sort you have when you spend more time talking than eating. I guess for me, it’s having the face-to-face with your editor to get all the issues and assurances out in the open.
As a writer who dreams of being able to write full-time at some point, my imagination was foolishly hoping the words “next year Matt, you’ll be a millionaire!” would crop up, but like any grounded businessman, Will was cautious about successes, keeping my focus on promotion work and writing the follow-up, which is a good thing. We spoke of The Burning Sands… as well my plans for a third book. We spoke of A World of Night and other little projects I had, and throughout Will and Sophie were really enthusiastic and encouraging. Afterwards, I had that keen feeling of progression.
In terms of valuable lessons to those reading this blog, one point to note was the promotion side of things. MNW were on the ball. Sophie had provided a two-sheet bullet-plan that detailed the strategy of The Secret War’s promotion, down to where review copies will be sent, where news items will be alerted, as well public events etc. Not bad for an imprint that many people believe will do nothing to publicise their book once MNW publish it. After-all, they are trying to make money as well remember, and if they think promotion will do it some good, they’ll encourage it believe me…
Also, Will gave some good advice around signings. In my naivety, I suggested I would like signings here, there, and everywhere. Will counselled caution to booking so many and in vague areas of the country: “be selective,” was the advice. After-all, I guess there’s nothing worse than attending your own signings where the queue consists of maybe one or two people for the entire afternoon. Do that, say a dozen times, and watch your confidence get battered utterly.
Yeah, I’d say the meeting was pretty good. It shattered some myths for my own benefit, and gave me assurances on other matters.
And then the evening launch-do itself was a great affair. Goldsboro Books is a great bookshop with a fine atmosphere. The link left will guide you to it – a bookshop that deals in the main with first editions (signed usually) by great authors from your Welshs to your Rowlings, and I admit I was quite tempted (as most of us where –including my mate Dave) to come out with not just a copy of Lucy’s book, but about a hundred quid’s worth of other first editions!
What made the evening for me, was meeting up with the other writers again. Roger Morris was in attendance and on great form. As was Michael Stephen Fuchs, Jonathan Drapes (whom MNW publish in December with Never Admit to Beige), Cate Sweeney (who I didn’t actually chat to, but hopefully will around Christmas) and of course Lucy who was suffering from wedding-day syndrome – i.e. where the evening is all a bit of a daze and you seem to spend the entire time talking to dozens of different people, not sure what the time is and never getting the opportunity just to relax and let it soak in. I hope she had a great experience though, even with all the overwhelming attention. Mike Barnard and his wife, Jayne, also attended, and while again I didn’t get a chance to chat much to Mike, it was good to see him. Mike is Macmillan New Writing’s patriarch even in his absence, and having him at the launch is like having the blessing of the head of the “family”.
And that’s the key point about all this. It does feel like being part of a family – albeit a distant one that meets up
PS: Apologies for the odd formatting of this entry - Blogger is playing silly buggers today!
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