Ali Bacon's Blog, page 7
June 1, 2018
A French book fair and fair prices for books.
I’m just back from the Comedie du Livre, an open air book festival in Montpellier, France which runs over three days and isn’t quite like anything I’ve attended in the UK. Yes, it’s a literary festival under canvas but somehow not like Hay-on-Wye. Although there are guest speakers giving talks on two small festival stages , the biggest space (under a lovely avenue of trees right next to the town’s main square) is given to individual bookshops and these bookshops invite aut...
May 17, 2018
Feeling the love and spreading the word
The launch party on April 14th was followed by such a busy two weeks of book and family events it has taken me until now to take stock of ‘life after publication’ and what comes next. Because the launch, as Linen Press reminds me, is just the beginning.
What strikes me first of all is how generous people have been in their praise for In the Blink of an Eye, not just in official reviews but also in contacting me private...
April 20, 2018
In the Blink of an Eye enters the (Bristol) world
I hope I’ve already thanked everyone involved in my Bristol book launch of In the Blink of an Eye directly, but after such a brilliant evening I had to put some thoughts and photos in a post. I was thrilled so many friends arrived, from many walks of my life (including those arguably spoiled spoiled by the wielding of golf clubs!) and gratified so many local writers got the chance for a catch-up with cronies. An the sun even shone!
I possibly didn’t thank two writers whose launch ideas I stol...
April 16, 2018
Smash All the Windows: a new book from Jane Davis
[image error]Today I’m welcoming a writer I’ve never actually met but who feels like an old friend. Jane Davis has been here on my blog at least once already and I’ve read several of her books including I Stopped Time, which alerted me to our shared interest in early photography. She is also lucky enough to have stayed in the Edinburgh location where much of In the Blink of an Eye takes place!
[image error]However her latest novel, though dealing with past events, is highly contemporary. Smash all the Windows has str...
April 11, 2018
Opening the book box. A tale of two covers.
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There’s nothing to whet the appetite for a book launch like boxes of of the long-awaited book. But although you might not notice from this photo, these two consignments aren’t quite the same. How come?
Our proof copies of Blink (this is its stable name by the way, books are like race-horses in that respect) had ‘gloss’ finish covers, possibly by default. Very nice they were too, but fiction is traditionally matte finish (if you hadn’t notice check those bookshelves now) and although In the...
March 19, 2018
Social Media for Writers: (2) the quick fix
I promised a follow-up to my ‘slow burn‘ article so here it is.
Life and the internet these days are all about speed – right? But it can still surprise us when things – sometimes quite big things – come together in the blink of an eye (see how I did that?)
[image error]Only connect (even if it’s raining)For me the most amazing thing was in 2016 when I found a newspaper article describing the St Andrews Photography Festival and failed to find a website to tell me more. But there was a Facebook page – a...
March 2, 2018
Social Media for Writers (1): the slow burn
An apparently random ‘like’ on a Facebook post mentioning In the Blink of an Eye last week reminded me of the answer to a question I’m often asked. ‘Why did you go with Linen Press?’ It also illustrates how social media does work for writers, though not always in the ways we expect.
Blogging – remember that?Years ago, when I was just starting out in both writing and blogging, I followed a blog called The Elephant in the Writing Room ( no longer alive but you can follow the same author here)...
February 24, 2018
Party, party! Bristol Book Launch for In the Blink of an Eye
Spike Island Cafe[image error] Cumberland Road, Bristol, BS1 6UX
Myself and Linen Press are delighted to have booked this warm, bright and welcoming venue which is part of the Spike Island art complex, close to Bristol’s Historic Harbour.
Saturday 14th April, 5 – 7 pm
The cafe serves drinks and snacks all day. After 5 pm we’ll have it all to ourselves for a book launch and party.
What’s it about?[image error]As well as hearing excerpts from the book , you’ll be able to meet my special guest Rob Douglas,...
February 23, 2018
A wonderful first review!
No, you can’t yet buy a copy of In the Blink of an Eye – it hasn’t even been printed yet – but before a book is published a few proof copies go out, in whatever form is available, to people whom it’s hoped will have time to read it and give some positive endorsement before it’s let loose on the world. We’re going through this process with Blink and I’m really thrilled with the very first reaction to come back.
[image error]I’ve never met Scottish poet, playwright and novelist Catherine Czerkawska but I’ve...
February 7, 2018
Cover Story: not the usual way to design a book cover but it worked
What author doesn’t long to see the book they have laboured over out in the world between shiny covers? And how many authors get the cover they want? One of the biggest gambles in the writer’s mind when he/she gives a book over to the publisher is how the cover design will turn out and I know plenty of people who haven’t been happy with a publisher’s choice (even if sales figures show it has been the right one). I can honestly say I did get what I wanted, even if at the outset I didn’t know e...
