Dan Smith's Blog, page 14

Keeping It Short

Everything's fast these days. We want everything in quick and easy-to-manage chunks. We want communication at our fingertips, we want our mail NOW, we want twitter updated on-the-fly, we want our books delivered wirelessly to our e-reader in seconds. Life is, without doubt, fast.

So why, I wonder, has the short story slipped out of fashion? It seems like the perfect reading experience for today's world. The ideal length to read over a cup of coffee. Which is exactly what I did this morning when I received a copy of Victoria Watson's 'I Should Have Seen It Coming' from Trestle Press. I opened it up on my iPad and fell into a cautionary tale about lying and deceit that involves a deck of Tarot cards, a large dose of deception and a good deal of fraud. And then . . . well, we all know what happens under those circumstances, right?

Something bad, of course.

For many novelists (me included) the short story is the format we cut our teeth on, and we know how difficult it is to get a short story just right. Only a few pages to bring characters to life and evoke emotional responses in our readers, and only a few words to tell a story that engages. It really isn't easy, so I'm pleased to say I enjoyed reading I Should Have Seen It Coming. It's a solid tale with just the right sting and, throughout, I found myself wondering what was going to become of the main character – and isn't that what every writer wants? To keep the reader's attention right to the end?

Well, anyone who reads my blog will know I have reservations about the pricing of ebooks – 79p just doesn't sound right for a novel – but, you know what? Maybe the short story is the right format. A pound for a story? That sounds about fair. And with the gradual disappearance of short story collections from the bookshops (and the disappearance of bookshops themselves!), maybe this is the best way to read them?

Now then, I think I might go and have a look on my shelf for one of those short story collections, put the kettle on and  . . . what? You still here?

That's all.

[image error]

Abomination

I finished working through the copy edits for THE CHILD THIEF several days ago and, since then, I've finished editing a novel which I'm not going to tell you about – yet. So now I'm at the stage where I'm thinking about what I'm going to write next. Well, I say that, but I've actually been thinking about it for quite a while now – the next novel is always skulking around in a dark corner of my mind, feeding on the woodlice and the dust mites, getting bigger and bigger.

In the meantime, the Frankfurt Book Fair is now in full swing and I, like so many other authors, am nervously wondering if my publisher will manage to stir up a good amount of interest in my books. Those foreign rights sales are important, and it's a funny old time for publishing at the moment – and by 'funny' I actually mean 'scary'. Traditional publishing is being beseiged by the ever-growing boom of the self-published e-book and by the ever-growing dominance of Amazon. Already Amazon has stood toe-to-toe with publishers and demanded cut prices and all the rest of it, but now they've got their new hardware. And very desireable it is, too. Seems to me that with the Kindle Fire and the iPad, the world of music and books is becoming more about the delivery system than it is about the actual content.

They'll be putting the two together next – books with integrated music. Imagine that abomination.

God help us all.

 

Copy-Editors and Perfect Punctuation

Last week, I received the copy-edits for my next book THE CHILD THIEF. I always open a copy-edited manuscript with trepidation, dreading the numerous red marks. And when I see them, all stacked up, there's always the initial sense of indignation. I mean, honestly, how can there be any errors in my writing? I'm 'captain grammar'!

But, of course, the copy-editor's job is to adhere to  a particular house style and to point out EVERYTHING that doesn't comply with standard rules of grammar and sentence construction. Mind you, with so many quirky writers out there, playing with grammar and construction, it must be a difficult job at times. Any one ever read Cormac McCarthy? I love the way he writes but it's unique, to say the least. Copy-editors must do the old face-palm if one of his books lands on their desk. Imagine how many red marks, he must get!

Maybe we have to remind ourselves that we're not in school. The copy-editor is not teacher, and the red marks are not made by the dreaded marking-pen. If writers were to ride with every comment or decision, perhaps their voices and styles would be lost to the straight-jacket of correct punctuation and perfect sentence construction. The 'feel' of the book would become generic. Imagine a perfectly punctuated, speech-marked THE ROAD without those incredible words that McCarthy puts together, and without those long sentences ful of 'and'. Surely it would lose its power and its poetry.

No, the CE is merely drawing attention to things which might need attention and it is up to the author to accept or reject the changes. So that is what I do. If I feel the suggestion breaks the intended rhythm of the prose, or changes the meaning in a subtle way, I just click the 'reject changes' button and hope the reader hears the voice as it was intended rather than reeling in horror that a comma is in a non-standard place or that one word has been used instead of another. And while there are points I reject (because I know the punctuation or construction is irregular, but intened it to be that way), there are points that I'm glad have been raised and I duly accept the suggestion.

So here's to you Mr or Ms copy-editor – you're doing a great job. You're all working hard and we writers thank you for it. You're part of the long process that makes a traditionally published book the beautiful thing that it is, and you deserve to be acknowledged.

In other news, I received some large print copies of DRY SEASON today, and they look fantastic. Hardbacked and with super glossy covers. Sadly, the photo doesn't do them justice, but they really do look great.

 

PS. This blog post has not been copy-edited. Apologies for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Oh, and dodgy sentence construction and . . . oh, whatever.

 

Editing, Slacking, and a Great Review for Dark Horizons

Is it really eight days since I last posted? Wow, seems like I'm getting slack.

Actually, what I've been doing is finishing a novel. Well, I say 'finishing', but  . . . y'know. What I've been doing is editing, and now I've printed it out and I'm about to read it through. I always find it helps to see it on paper – it looks different somehow. Words on a page look different from words on a screen. They look better. Maybe that's why I haven't succumbed to the whole ereader thing yet. I still like to have real books that 'feel' and 'smell' – a book that I can put a bookmark into, one that I can leave by the bedside, or flick through, or leaf back to the last chapter, or enjoy the full colour cover, or ask the author to sign or . . . well, I'm digressing.

Anyway, the book I've just finished is not contracted. It may never be contracted. It may never even be published, though I hope it will be. I wrote it so that my daughter could read a book I've written – she's still a little young to read my published novels so I wrote this one for her.

On another note, I've had the final(ish) cover image for THE CHILD THIEF and it's looking great. Really great. I can't wait to see it with printed pages between those evocative images. I wish I could put the cover image up here for all to see, but it's not yet finalised completely so it'll be a while longer before I can do that.

In the meantime, if you're looking for something to read and you haven't yet read DARK HORIZONS, why not give it a go? It's available in harback, trade paperback and, you guessed it, ebook format. Yay! Get your copy now.

And if that doesn't persuade you, why not check out this great review of DARK HORIZONS on the blog of YA author Emma Pass.

Damn You, Sat Nav!

The Majestic Tyne Bridge

I was at Jarrow library yesterday to talk about my books. It's not far. Jarrow. It's only about ten miles from my house – not far at all. Thing is, though, the event was due to start at 7:30pm and I had to set up a projector to show some photos and . . . well, it's always good to be a bit early, isn't it? Allow time for unforseen circumstances. Oh, and you never know wht the traffic's going to be like on the Tyne Bridge at that time of day.

Ah, the Tyne Bridge. See, there is more than one way to get across the river to South Shields. There are a few bridges. There's the tunnel. There's even a ferry. But me, I chose the Tyne Bridge, thinking I'd nip across and then make my way to Jarrow, using the Sat Nav for guidance to my exact location. But as I came closer to where I expected the library to be, I began to suspect the robotic voice was playing tricks on me. Surely this wasn't the right way? Was it directing me to the Tyne tunnel and therefore back across the river? Surely not.

As I entered the Tyne tunnel, temper rising and language worsening, my faith in the sat nav dipped to an all time low. And in the surreal, electric lighting of the tunnel, my faith was lost.

When I reached the centre of the tunnel, the sat nav announced (in its usual complacent tones) 'You have arrived at your destination.' Had I, bollocks. I was under the Tyne. In the dark.

The Not So Majestic Tyne Tunnel

Damn you, sat nav, damn you.

So, I had to resort to the old fall back – instinct. Through the tunnel, pay the toll, turn around and go back, paying a second time, and I made it to the library just in time to set up and carry on as if everything was normal.

Turned out to be a good evening in the end. Quite a few people turned up, there were some good questions, a few people bought books, and the library staff were excellent.

That's all.

 

 

Be A Friendly Shark

I ventured over to Sunny Sunderland on Saturday (see what I did there?)  for a book signing at Waterstone's. As with previous signings, there weren't lines of readers beating down the doors, but, hey, you know . . .

It can feel like something of a hardship, trying to sell your books and your name – because that's what a signing is unless your very famous. It's about making yourself known, fixing your name and your book covers in people's minds and, hopefully, selling a few copies. But it really isn't a hardship at all and, while I've only done a few signings, I think I've learned a couple of things.

I learned that signings can be good fun. Yeah, really. I met a lot of friendly people and not one old grump, so that's pretty good, right? It always surprises me (though it shouldn't), but most people are really very nice. I chatted with a lot of people I wouldn't have otherwise met, and a few of them even bought books.

I've learned that sitting at a desk, hiding behind a pile of books doesn't work unless you're Lee Child or JK Rowling. People don't know how to approach you; they don't know what to say. No, you have to shun that chair, confine it to redundancy, roam the territory around your stand like a hungry friendly shark. Go right up to people, introduce yourself, ask them to have a look at your book. No hard sell, just a polite introduction. You'd probably be surprised how many potential readers have seen you but just aren't completely sure who you are or what you're doing there. So, tell them. It doesn't always come naturally to authors, I know. We like to hide in the dark, with just our computers and our coffee for company.

I also learned the power of the bookmark. A nice colourful bookmark. We all like to get something, don't we? And if it's colourful, even better! A friend of mine was kind enough to print some bookmarks for me and I handed them to people as they came in and left the book shop. It's a great way to introduce youself and then persuade them to at least look at your book! Even if they don't buy it now, they'll know who you are, they'll know the cover of your book and they'll have a bookmark that's got your website address on it. And maybe, just maybe, next time they're looking for a book to read . . . .

 

 

Dan In The Lion's Den

They're all just pussy cats, really

I visited my first book group yesterday. I've done library events, the kind of thing where I stand up and talk about my books, read a passage or two, take a few questions, but that's different. Those events can often feel more like a sales pitch – a new author trying to create some interest in his books – but a book group is different. Going to a book group is a bit more like stepping into the lion's den. You see, the assumption with a book group is that everyone has read your book and wants to discuss it, and that's a worrying prospect becasue maybe, just maybe, they didn't like it.

'Impossible!' I hear you cry. 'How could they not love DRY SEASON?'

Well, yeah, I know, it's hard to believe isn't it? But really, I'm not so naive to think that it's for everyone. People's tastes differ so widely. And on those occasions when I've turned to the all conquering behemoth that is Amazon to read reviews, I can only wonder at bad reviews for books I love like 'The Road',  'The Old Man and The Sea' or 'Lord of The Flies', but people are different, they like different things. The world would be a pretty dull place if we were all the same.

So, I took a deep breath, toughened myself and . . . well, it was actually really good fun. I enjoyed talking to a group of people who had read my book, and it was a thrill to see so many well-read copies. I was also very pleased that most of the group seemed to have liked Dry Season. There were one or two constructive criticisms, but that's fine  – you can't please everyone, we already know that, right? – and it was interesting to hear different opinions about the same characters and aspects of the plot.

Phew. Survived.

So, thanks to Darlington book group for inviting me along to their meeting, and thanks to all the members for buying my book, taking the time to read it, and for throwing some questions at me that really made me think about my writing.

Next week – bear bating.

 

 

Is this really all your book is worth?

This week's Guardian article about the death of books, writing and writers was called Are Books Dead and Can Authors Survive? I did find myself wondering, for just a moment, if The Guardian is mounting its own crusade to see us all off – they have one of these articles nearly every week.

Anyway, I sneaked a look at the words and was dragged into an article full of doom and gloom.

I realise this kind of article is intended to provoke a reaction and get people talking (otherwise what's the point, right?) but there's one thing that stood out for me. 'The Free Revolution' as the author of the article calls it. And you know, it got me thinking, because there's something to this.

More and more, I think, people expect something for nothing. As if the world owes them something. It's everywhere. And this is particularly true for artistic pursuits – books, music, films, games. It feels as if there are consumers of these things who believe they should be free. Well, here's what I say to that. 'Bollocks'. If you want to read a book, listen to music or watch a film that someone's spent a long time over, working hard to create, then you should pay a fair price for it.

Which brings me to ebooks.

I don't own a kindle, but I do own an iPad. I don't, however, use it as a reading device, so I'm not really all that knowledgable about ebooks and how easy (or not) it is to pirate them. However, the article in The Guardian talks about ebooks, so it prompted me to check out the

The Child Thief

I've just seen a preliminary cover for THE CHILD THIEF and . . . well . . . it's looking great. Really great. I wish I could post it up here for you to see, but that wouldn't be the right thing, would it? I mean, really you should only see it once it's finalised. That would be like letting you read the first draft of the novel, before it's properly finished.

So there it is, you're going to have to wait.

But it does look fantastic.

Trust me.

Neglectful

Wow, I can't believe my last post was nearly two weeks ago. How very neglectful of me. Actually, I've been working pretty hard on finishing a book, and it can be difficult to hold the whole story together in my mind, so I've been lost in what my wife calls 'Dan World'. This means I don't remember much of anything she tells me and I spend a lot of time hidden, typing away on the computer – made all the nicer by my new keyboard and mouse.

Anyway, I drafted a children's book set in 1941 and showed it to my agent who told me the book needs to be 'bigger', so that's what I'm doing – I'm growing it. While this innevitably means the book is longer, that's not the real intention. You see,when my agent says 'bigger' she means richer, deeper, more significant. It's not just about length, you know. And so my story is growing, but the problem with stories is that they're organic. Sounds strange, but they grow – at least that's the way I always see it – and if you change something, even just a very small detail, it makes a tiny wound that can have a large impact elsewhere. And every time that happens, those wounds need to be repaired, cultured and regrown. (Trust me, this analogy makes sense to me even if it doesn't to you.) And these changes can be hard to track and keep a handle on.

The other thing that can make things tougher is the setting. DRY SEASON happens in a place and time I know well. DARK HORIZONS, too. This story, though . . . well, I wasn't around in 1941, and it's really surprising how different life was. It's not that long ago, but we've come very far in those few years since.

Well, the good news is that I'm now coming to a stage where I can re-read what I've put together. This means I can emerge, blinking like a pit pony, from my garret and rejoin the real world as best as I can. Until, that is, I receive the line edits for my next novel THE CHILD THIEF.

This is the point where I tell you how excited I am about The Child Thief – and I really am excited. My editor at Orion absolutely loves the book, tells me there's very little to do in terms of editing, and I can't wait to see what the art people are going to come up with for covers. DRY SEASON and DARK HORIZONS are very difffernt books, and THE CHILD THIEF is going to be different again.  It's due out in spring 2012, and I only wish it was sooner. It's gonna be . . . well, it's gonna be great, isn't it?

You're gonna love it.