Archive for July, 2006
July 4, 2006 | writing
In what is quite possibly the quickest response I’ve ever received for a manuscript, my Mills and Boon editor emailed yesterday to send me revisions on my Modern Extra. (I’d sent it in on Friday morning.) The changes are very minor and easily made, and mostly involve cutting my more heavy-handed sexual innuendoes. She liked the characters, the story, and even the pigeon.
So I guess it didn’t suck too bad.
I also found out that Dutch publisher De Kern has bought the rights to Spirit Willing, Flesh Weak. So that is also very cool.
Welcome and thanks to all the UK BookCrossing people who have been stopping by my website today–I appreciate the comments and hope you’ll have a look around at my weird world. I can recommend the photo of Ewan McGregor kissing a chicken.
July 4, 2006 | Uncategorized
I think it is so totally unfair that I had to work today.
However, at every opportunity, I informed my British work colleagues that today is the 230th anniversary of the day that my country kicked their country’s butt.
Happy Independence Day!
July 2, 2006 | reading
Yesterday went well. It was a hot day in Birmingham and I have to admit that the venues were not ideal–one was a very dark night club and one was a very hot meeting room. But the people were all very friendly and everyone who attended my talk was the best–fun, intelligent, considerate people.
I’m glad I went–I enjoyed the talk, I met some lovely articulate people who love reading and discussing books, and I got to see Rosie. And they gave me ice cream. I have to say I’m still undecided about BookCrossing. This isn’t meant to be something inflammatory–I think the people at the convention were fantastic, and I believe they are idealistic and kind. I also believe that the reasons behind the group are, on balance, well meant. It’s fun to find a book “in the wild” and to set it free for someone else to read. I could see first-hand that the convention allowed all the participants to share the joy of reading with each other, and that’s got to be a great thing.
But there is that tricky issue of authors making a living, and publishers staying in business. A BookCrossing book has many readers, and the author only makes his or her very small profit on it once. A book traded is a book not bought. It’s also not a book taken out of a public library, which pay authors PLR and which need everyone’s support.
On the other hand, I’ve borrowed many books, enjoyed them, and then gone out and bought the author’s other books. If this is what BookCrossers do, then that can benefit authors. Is it?
Let me make it clear again–I’m not in any way questioning the validity or benefits of the organisation to its members. I saw that yesterday. And personally, the convention was an opportunity for me to get my work more well known, which will benefit me. But how about authors in general?
What do you think?
July 1, 2006 | Uncategorized
Well, off to Birmingham today to talk about writing sex. It’s a workshop I’ve given several times before, though I haven’t given it for a year and I’m changing it a bit, so I’m not that nervous. I even managed to sleep last night.
Before I go I’ve got to do a bunch of stuff–pack up my books to sell, see if I can find any clothes that fit me, get some photocopying done in town, buy strawberries and chocolate, get my train ticket. I’m really hoping the post will come before nine because my editor said she popped proof copies of the jacket of Spirit Willing in the post and it would be great to take one with me to Birmingham.
Rumour (well, okay, the BookCrossing website) has it that the other speaker today will be Carole Matthews. I met her some time ago when we both had stories in a Sexy Shorts anthology. It was my first ever published fiction, and she, of course, had sold a ton of books in the UK and the US. She was very nice and later, when I had a dilemma, very generous with her advice. So it will be good to see her again.
Rosie should also be there, and I haven’t seen her since she moved up north, so that will be good too.
Meanwhile, I have accomplished nothing this morning but eating cold pizza, so I’d better go take a shower.
