This just in …

Yay! Today I got the logos for Moondance Books. Suddenly the whole thing feels real.

Logo – check.

Distributor – Check

Book designer – Check

I’m not sure which to logo to choose though. What do you think?

 

Gripping page-turner or thought-provoking character analysis?

There I was mentioning Stephen King, when lo and behold, Icome across this article that also mentions his attitude towards rejection slips.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/columnists/article191392.ece

My only problem is her apparant amazement that a writer like King should write a book on writing. My question is, who better?

He is a best-seller. Not necessarily an indicator of literary brilliance admittedly. But here’s the thing. He’s consistently a bestseller. So no one hit wonder here.

Also, clearly she has never read a single book by him. Had she, she would never dismiss his success as based on schlocky blockbusters. King’s work draws you in, terrifies you, holds you in suspense, and leaves you holding your breath as you turn page after page. Not all of his work is scary either, more an exploration of the darker themes of the human psyche. Aliens can’t compete with the recesses of your own fearful mind.

I cannot say the same for some of the literary greats whose works I’ve waded through. Each sentence may be beautifully crafted, but the grip of the story might well be missing. Sometimes the prose is over-laboured. The characters themselves somewhat dull and difficult to identify with.

Is it a case of story versus characterisation, I wonder?

How not to query

Sending work to a publisher or a literary agent should be the culmination of hours of work polishing, and lovingly tending to your manuscript to make sure that it’s well-edited, and reading it is like gliding a hot knife through butter.

This is the theory.

Here is the reality.

1. Spelling. In the query letter itself, I’ve borne witness to some of the worst spelling gaffes imaginable. “Exiting story”, “expect mirikles” and “flare for writing”. The problem with a spelling error is once I’ve spotted one, I tend to dwell on it. It’s as if my eyes scan the remaining text, but my attention is firmly focused on the spelling error. Second or third language English speakers aside, poor spelling in the query letter, sample chapters or synopsis is a no-no of epic proportions.

2. Grammar. I’m the first to admit that my own writing tends to need an editor to check for grammatical inconsistencies. Although I’m able to pick up other’s grammar faux pas, I’m not as adept at my own. Don’t be proud. Send your work to an editor. Someone who gets paid, in actual cash, to edit work. And to all those who wish to break the conventional grammatical mould by doing something avant-garde, do so at your peril. Only attempt if your knowledge of the English language and its intracacies rival that of Shakespeare himself. Otherwise stick to convention.

3. The pitch. Yes you have to sell your book to a certain extent. Tell me why it’s different. Show me how your writing is original, unique, a literary voice that is in need of publishing on a grand scale. Refrain from telling me how fabulous your sister/aunt/mother/best friend from way back thought the book was. And that they’d be happy to recommend it. Please do not refer to your book in hyperbole – the best book ever written, the most exciting. Hype is just that.

4. Read the instructions. I ask for 3 sample chapters. Instead, from one aspirant non-fiction writer, I got a paragraph from the introduction. I ask for a brief bio on the author, and I get school day accolades. Publishers don’t put in instructions for fun. They’re there so we can make the best possible decision about your manuscript. Providing half the information, or the wrong information shows me you can’t even be bothered to read properly.

5. Learn to accept no. Publishers might well pass on your work. That is life. We don’t get every job we are interviewed for, we don’t get marriage proposals from everyone we date. Publishing is no different. It’s an alchemic, magical blend of timing, passion and best fit. If you’re a writer you’ll keep persisting. Take a note out of Stephen King’s book ‘On Writing’. He got hundreds of rejection slips. Did he throw a hissy fit or chuck away his typewriter? No, he learnt how to make his writing better.

All of that aside, I’m enjoying working through some potential scripts. Publishers need writers. Remember that.

Is a published book the answer to instant fame?

Living in South Africa, “Julie & Julia” was only released this weekend. As a fan of Meryl Streep, come Saturday morning, armed with popcorn, I was ready to watch the story of Julia Child. And of some whiny moaner called Julie Powell.

Julia Child is a legend. Who clearly has a passion for food, for cooking and for making the very best recipe book that could possibly be presented.

Julie Powell wants to be a writer. She complains to her husband that she’s even “written half a novel”. Whoop-de-doo. So she starts a blog that charts her voyage through Ms Child’s culinary tome.

Julia Child took f-o-r-e-v-e-r to both complete the book and to get published. Powell, in contrast, seemed to have no problem whatsoever.

I was unimpressed. I haven’t read Powell’s subsequent novel based on her blog. Nor do I intend to. Her on-screen persona was distinctly unlikeable. And I’ll tell you why.

Writers write. They can’t not. They have ink stains on their palms, and scraps of paper with frantic scribblings sticking out of their bags or diaries. Even if they think their work is total complete and utter bollocks that no person would ever deem to read, they still write.

Julia Child lived to cook. Writers live to write. Powell found a project that she told the world about. Is that the same thing? Rather than an innate passion, hers seemed a quest for fame.

Published book = fame

Numerous copies sold = more fame, and of course, riches

There are plenty of writers who will never see their work published, probably because it’s not commercial enough, or the writer does not have a sufficient platform (usually in the case of non-fiction). As frustrating as this is, this does not make them any less of a writer.

There are plenty of books out there which are just awful – badly written, bland and riddled with cliches. But they have that gimmick or hook that means bigger sales. And an entry in Wikipedia for the author.

I see that Powell is due to release a second novel. This should be interesting. Apparantly it’s based on an affair she had. It’s much easier to be published once you’ve already been published. So I’m curious to see how this novel/memoirs pans out, without the substansive presence of a culinary master to provide it with novelty and impetus.

Replication. Replication.

So I was busy talking to my boyfriend about my plans for world domination and he casually pointed out that e-books were a bad business idea.

“Why’s that?”, I asked, as I tried to schlurp the last of my breakfast into my mouth.

He flicked his fingers through his hair, a definite sign some sort of cerebral activity is taking place, and announced, “Ebooks can be replicated.”

My knee-jerk reaction was to tell him to take his breakfast elsewhere. But he has a point *sigh*

E-books can be downloaded. So what’s stopping one customer from merely forwarding the book onto his mate, his sister or the woman he met on Saturday night and wants to impress with his knowledge of Proust?

I hadn’t thought this one through, truth be told. And although I want to do the publishing, I don’t really want to be responsible for the selling part. I feel a cunning plan taking form.

If I can find a company that distributes e-books onto e-commerce platforms like Amazon, then I don’t have to worry about the replication problem. Surely Amazon have spent thousands of dollars finding solutions to exactly this problem? So who am I to try and re-invent the wheel here. I’m in this for the love of books. Not the love of external admin.

I’ve been trawling for some options. And who did I espy but Electric Book Works, www.electricbookworks.com.

Seems that I have a potential distributor.

Maybe I should ask my boyfriend to join me for breakfast more often?

How not to write about Africa

Ah Africa. Guard her children, guide her leaders and give her peace. Also, make sure that you hurl out ever cliche in the book when waxing lyrical about this continent.

As a non-native South African, I had a jolly good chuckle on  reading this article. It’s a bit old, but still rings true. Not that you heard it from me, okay, well you did, but I think it’s a lot of South African writers who continue these stereotypes – except of course for JM Coetzee.

I particularly enjoyed the long discussion comment from the person who has never been to Africa. Everyone has an opinion.

I have visions of publishing the great new South African novel. Something that isn’t bogged down with apartheid, but is relevant about South Africans today. Now. In 2009. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. Look at the roaring success of Spud. (Yes, that’s one view, set in the 90′s, but, still, shows the SA audience is ready for a bit of a laugh)

http://www.granta.com/Magazine/92/How-to-Write-about-Africa/Page-1

Another one bites the dust…

South Africa is probably most famous for Nelson Mandela, boerewors and an accent that no actor north of our borders has ever managed to successfully emulate. Except perhaps for Leo in Blood Diamond, but he was a Zimbo rather than a Saffer. And no, Wikkus from District 9 is a local, so he doesn’t count.

We’re definitely not famous for our thriving print media industry. With a population that’s rumoured to be around 40 mill, not including illegal border hoppers, we still only have a handful of decent newspapers.

Sadly that’s now one less with the imminent closure of The Weekender. (You can read the story here)http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/columnists/article185258.ece.

But, as I wiped away the tears at the thought of only the Sunday Times on my weekend read, I came across another once-defunct publication, now re-born as an e-pub, www.thedailymaverick.co.za. All hope, it would appear, is not lost.

However, my spidy senses are once more pointing out the obvious – the death of actual printed matter, the birth of electronic communications.

I’ve been researching both, and think I’ll be offering both. Decision made.

Now. How to do it?