Rather too late, I have discovered that we (authors) have Got It All Wrong. Wait for this, because, contrary to expectations, it is good news.
Bear with me briefly. See, I had a quite different post almost finished for you. Since I have a book coming out very soon (as in today by the time you read this ...) I was all set to tell you in an exhausted but excited kind of way about the weird stuff I'd been doing to try to get it out there. I would even have told you the title (which I now can't, for reasons which will become apparent.) And I was longing to show you the cute little animated video I made all by myself (well, with the help of some free software) which has turned up in the most interesting places. And as for the free crawling beetle screensaver which Walker Books made ...
But then I read today's paper (Saturday as I am writing this) and discovered, in a horrible flash of gah-ness, that I'd been doing everything wrong. And so have all you authors. If you are currently planning launches and any crazy publicity tours, CANCEL. No, really - it's important.
Here's the story that shook my world. After five years of anticipation by readers, Haruki Murakami's new novel, IQ84, has been published. The flood of advance orders meant that his publishers had to increase the initial print-run to 480,000. The secret to this stunning success? Secrecy. Silence. Nothing. Yep, he totally refused to say anything about it. Ever. For five years and all the way up to publication, he zipped his mouth and swanned about eating sushi and drinking rice wine. (I made that up: for all I know, he could be teetotal. After all, a writer with the self-control not to mention his book?)
Now this is the sort of publicity campaign I could go for. It's a bit late, but from now on my lips are sealed. I will not tell you anything, not one teensy item, not even the title, about my new booky thing that's published on June 1st, or thereabouts. I've no idea where you can buy it and if I see any copies I will hide them. Everything I have already said about the book is a lie. If you read any reviews before publication, they are fabricated.
As for the video below, which purports to reveal strange details of a book called Deathwatch, it is nothing to do with me and must be the product of a jealous rival's fevered imagination. You can watch it if you like but, honestly, it will tell you nothing.
7 comments:
Nicola who? Never heard of her. Must find a book by her and read it... :-)
Never heard of this Murakami person. Wonder why?
Trouble is, there's SILENCES and silences. Most of us know if we opted for any silence, we'd get the second - the ccho of dust falling on unsold books.
However, Ive heard - how have I heard? - that there's this reclusive author up in Edinburgh . . . Many congratulations on your new book, whoever you are - and a great interview video.
Penny - I know, joking apart, that there's not many authors who could usefully pull off the silence trick. I'd just love to be one of them and retain an air of mystery!
Anonymous author
This would explain as to why, no matter how hard I look, I miss a lot of great books! You're doing the right thing, at least for librarians! It I had to go to great lenghths to find a book, I just wouldn't buy it.
I WANT A COPY OF BLAME MY BRAIN RIGHT NOW (tantrum imminent)...for my friend, of course, since I too am a perfect mother of perfect teenagers! Nicola, your video made me laugh and laugh. And naturally, having never heard of Deathwatch, and not wanting at all to find out about the hissing cockroaches from Madagascar and all the other incredibly exciting things in it, I shall not be looking in my local bookshop for a copy. Oops. I seem to have ordered one by mistake. Can you adam and eve it?
Gah, Lucy - now look what you've done! (But thanks anyway, of COURSE)
Miss Yingling - I will do anything to help librarians, so i'm glad you've found out about this book anyway despite my best efforts to hide!
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