"Sharing writing successes - and rookie mistakes - since 2006"

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

The Secret War Book Launch - part 2

And now for a Wonder Years moment…

…Back when I was a student at university – those wistful years of hedonism that were all too brief – I remember organising house-parties, with rooms crammed with cheap beer while Radiohead or Cowboy Junkies spilled from the various stereos in each room. Ah, great days. But there was always that fear – ever-so slight – that come the time of the party no-one would turn up. It was almost a blessed relief when the first knock on the door came, a prelude to smiling faces, plenty more drink and the promise of a good night to come…

It was this memory that preyed on me as I waited nervously inside Waterstones, in Orchard Square, Sheffield, on the 11th January. By 6:10pm, the shop looked great and the staff were in good cheer. Also present were myself, my wife, editor (Will) and publishing assistant (Sophie), chatting about what was to come (while I secretly brooded hoping that everyone would turn up).

To my side were the books. 88 copies in all, and looking quite impressive, if a little intimidating. Afterall, that was 88 copies to sell in an evening and I didn’t want the whole thing to go flat with only half the order sold.
Such worries were soon crushed by the early arrival of guests 15 minutes before the event. Having set up early, the Waterstones staff opened the doors and the launch had officially begun…

I signed my first book just before 7pm, and then came the rush. It’s a quite an experience seeing people you know or don’t know eagerly queuing up for a signed copy of your book. It’s also a little mad – having to smile at friends or family down the queue, keeping everyone happy and trying desperately to think of something to sign, witty or not so witty depending on your mental and physical state throughout the evening. As suspected, my signature grew wilder as the drink flowed, and having not eaten anything since 3pm the beer went to my head quite quickly – though earlier fears that I might “screw-up” a signature were thankfully not realised!

A highlight of the night was the four foot broadsword. This magnificent steel weapon was definitely cause for some photo moments, and I must have spent many minutes standing and wielding the sword by the (thankfully) dwindling copies of the book on the display case. I also realised the advantages of having a large broadsword in one hand and a bottle of Becks in the other, as the vision of a slightly merry psycho-author in a bookshop crammed with people was the catalyst for many to move out of the way so more photos could be taken with me by the books.
I am glad to report that no limbs were lost, and no one was skewered (though I believe I did put a small divot in the floor when the tip-guard fell off).

I forget how many books I signed – as there were many and there were many smiling faces afterward, so I must have been doing something right. I also forget the words I inscribed on each page – but I know there were many emotional moments and messages. So many, that when it came to the speeches, I was already feeling choked-up. Even though my speech was written from the heart it wasn’t overly sentimental, but after a couple of beers and the emotion of the signings, I was reduced to tears by the end of it (as were a great many others). Yeah, it definitely felt like a wedding… but it also felt like a relief.
After the reading – that was interrupted with outstanding comic timing by my father-in-law, Raymond, and my nephew, Reece (who later went on to trigger the shop’s security alarm!) – I really felt relaxed, relieved, and reinvigorated.
I was now an author.
An author with a published book.
A published book that people were buying and wanted me to sign.
A published book people were buying in the largest bookshop in South Yorkshire.
A book that was sitting amongst my peers and selling very well.
And as Lee Harris said to me later “Matt, you look like the cat who got the cream.”

When eventually we left the launch – a little giddy, and little tired, only to be applauded as we entered All Bar One next door – I felt an ambition had finally been achieved. It was my last, first book launch – and I think nothing will come close to that evening again.

But there are other ambitions, and hopefully other nights of celebration to come. Where these will take me, I do not know, but I’m looking forward to greeting them with one hand, my broadsword in the other...

Thanks to everyone who came to the launch - here's to the next one!
x


Post-script:
Further photos of the evening will be posted on the website under a new section, The Gallery (references to "Take Hart" are not intentional).
And Waterstones sold 80 copies of the book on the night. Not bad, especially when your editor also tells you on the very same night that The Secret War has gone to reprint already. So the message is: “get ‘em while they’re hot!”

Photographs © copyright Carol Donally 2007