Never Admit to Being a Writer

Another London aftermath, and this time a mixture of socialising as well as Christmas Shopping on Oxford Street.
The main purpose for my trip to the capital was for Jonathan Drape’s book launch of Never Admit to Beige, which was a resounding success in many ways and not just for Jonathan, who I suspect will go on to great things over the coming months, beginning not least with the Radio Five Live critique of his book this afternoon with Simon Mayo.
Echoing Roger’s sentiments, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

Apart from chatting to Jonathan and his muse, Katherine, I talked shop with my editor Will and publishing assistant Sophie (it’s always great to meet up with them) and also had a chat with other MNW writers: Michael Stephen Fuchs, Peter Bourne, Roger Morris, Cate Sweeney, Lucy McCarraher, Sam Grosser, Brian Martin and one of the newbies being published in October 2007, Len.
It’s great to catch up and finally a chance to speak to familiar faces like Brian, Peter and Sam. Sometimes you just don’t get around to talking to everyone, but thankfully I managed the lion’s share of the attendees that night.

I also had a chance to talk to Mike Barnard, joking about the original length of The Secret War (including the even longer Burning Sands of Time) as well as congratulating me on the German deal. I always feel humble around Mike, a warm man of great insight and experience that causes my mind to go blank whenever I see him, (I suppose due to that overwhelming feeling of gratitude that he should lift me out of the slush-pile).

The evening ended on an amusing note in Pizza Express. As we finished-up eating and drinking, a group of diners paused to look at mine and Lucy McCarraher’s copies of Never Admit to Beige, believing it was a weekly meeting of some book group. When I mentioned that actually it was a meeting of authors, and that the writer of NAtB was sitting across from us, one of the diners - an Irishman with a dry wit (and a little inebriated) - began to interrogate Jonathan on the book. Jonathan, to his credit, handled the whole thing very well – hilariously at times – and we discovered that Jonathan Drapes is actually his pen name*. Or something. It’s all a bit of a blur really, as we were all pretty drunk as I persuaded Jonathan and co to finish off the last bottle of red on the table.

Still, a great end to a great night. These MNW launches are always fun – but I swear Sophie Portas and Will Atkins at MNW think I spend my entire life inebriated (not true – it just seems to get that way at these book launches!).

*(As it turns out, Jonathan Drapes really is his name – thanks to Katherine for the info).

No longer such a Secret War

Publicity is picking up, the word is being spread. I even have a little army of helpers who are doing their utmost to spread the word around Cumbria, Bournemouth and the Midlands, not to mention my own efforts on promoting the whole thing in South Yorkshire.
Jonathan’s launch in London was also an opportunity to find out what was happening elsewhere concerning my book, and one of the great bits of news concerns Goldsboro books, run by David Headley. David told me that already they’ve had around 100 pre-orders for the book and will be ordering more copies from Macmillan (I will be signing these before the official launch on 11th January).

I guess the whole success thing with Naomi Novik’s Temeraire books is starting to rub off. Is Historical Fantasy the next big thing? Who knows, though fantasy books and films in general such as Pirates of the Caribbean and the Harry Potters (not least the wake of the Lord of the Rings films) have thrust the genre into the limelight again – yet within the genre there are off-shoots and Historical Fantasy seems to be one that’s capturing readers’ imaginations. I hope The Secret War can add to that momentum, and when bookshop owners start quoting figures like the latter, it makes you think.
Even on Amazon the pre-orders have begun, though as per my previous post, I have no idea how that translates into sales…

I am understandably curious!