Full disclosure: Mara Bergman is an excellent editor as well as a writer, and some years ago, she edited two of my books, The Willow Man and Warrior King. But much as I like Mara, I wouldn't be reviewing her book if I didn't think it was something very special.
It tells the story of Maggie, a little girl who is on holiday at the seaside with her aunt and uncle. We soon find out that, much as she is enjoying her holiday, all is not well in Maggie's world; her baby brother is seriously ill, and her mother is consequently having to spend alot of time in the hospital - with the baby, and away from Maggie.
One day, she goes for a walk with her uncle and aunt and spots a baby seal, alone on the beach. Worried, they tell the lifeguards, who are reassuring: the mothers often leave their babies alone on the beach while they go hunting for food: this one's mother will come back, they assure Maggie - everything will be fine.
But Maggie isn't so sure. She feels a connection to the seal - she dreams about it at night - and she is worried about it. She goes back to check on it, and it is still there, but it's becoming listless and sad. The lifeguards, prompted by her, call the RSPCA, who came to the rescue and take it away to be cared for.
So then the two stories - of the sick baby seal and Maggie's sick baby brother - run in parallel, and are both resolved happily at the end.
It's a simple enough story, so what makes it stand out? Partly, of course, it's the emotional heft - it's not overdone, but we very much feel for Maggie. But it's also, I think, to do with the solid, real world which Maggie inhabits. When I first read this story, just last night, I emerged feeling that I had been inside this world and out of my own - and for me, that's one of the most important things I want from a book: I want to be immersed in a different world to such an extent that for a while, I quite forget my own. That this happens is partly because of the strength of the story - but also because of the space which is taken by Mara to describe the detail of this world and make it real. For example:
Then a walk along the sand's
pebbles and seaweed.
Maggie found a bright yellow shell
and a smooth white stone,
Like a gull's egg.
Another, sleek black and blue.
It's seen, of course, through a child's eye: the colours and the textures are what Maggie notices - she doesn't know what kind of shell it is: she doesn't need to, and neither do we.
And notice too the way the words are set out: this is not quite poetry, and not quite prose. It's somewhere in between the two. (Like that bit of the shore between the sea and the land - liminal.) And it creates a spell, an atmosphere, which again binds this world together. It is, literally, enchanting.
There is one thing that puzzles me. Maggie's father is not mentioned at all - where is he? The only hint I could find was this:
She wished she could make
everything all right, the way it used to be.
Before the baby got sick.
Before
everything
went
wrong.
Was Maggie's father one of the things that went 'wrong'?
I hope I've not given the impression, though, that this is a heavy, message-laden book. It really isn't. It's full of the delights of the seaside, the joy of a child's feelings for other small animals, and it's full of hope.
And I haven't mentioned the illustrations, by Brita Granstrom, which are just lovely, and full of details that children will love to pick out. Really, a beautiful book.
NB This post first appeared on my book-reviewing blog, A Fool on a Hill, a few weeks ago.
The book is billed as a children’s guide to writing. But the
creative monster on the title page holds a piece of paper in its paws which boldly
states, ‘This book will definitely 100%
make you a better writer, I personally guarantee it’.
I agree. This book is packed full of advice, tips and
writing prompts FOR EVERYONE. As the blurb states ‘this book contains essential skills for storytellers, the secret
weapons of successful authors , and over 50 prompts and exercises to inspire
not only young writers but old and gnarled ones like me too’.
The book is split into four sections: Training your creative
monster, Monster mistakes, When your Monster gets stuck, and Feeding your creative
monster. You don’t have to follow it from section to section, it’s designed for
dipping into.
The first exercise invites you to create your own creative
monster and give it a name. It suggests keeping your name secret because the
mystery – that secret bond between writer and monster - is part of it power. Some
monsters do reveal their names as Olaf’s illustrations point out and that is OK
too.
On every page, Olaf Falafel’s illustrations make you smile,
illuminate the concepts, and at times reassure you. For instance the scary wind–up
monkey says, ‘I wouldn’t say I’m evil but
I do eat beans straight from the tin’.
It is not patronising or dull. The muses are mentioned, rich
vocabulary is used, and grammar and literary concepts are explained with
clarity and warmth. You will find an explanation of Chekhov’s gun and quotes
from Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. It shows you how to create FSPs (Fantastic Story
Possibilities) and to play with metaphors but to mix them at your peril! It
encourages you to make mistakes, because at least you are making something, and
to write fearlessly. There is advice on how to start and run your own writers’
group and support on drafting and editing your work. The editing checklist is
brilliant. The pages of advice on adding rhythm and variety to your sentences
are the best!
The book emphasises the importance of developing your own
style and reminds us that, ‘There are a
lot of so-called “rules” for writing, but rules are like eggs. Not everyone
likes them, some are bad, and all of them were made to be broken’.
A creative monster should visit every school in the land and
deliver a copy to each classroom, but only after making the head teacher say ‘bum
glue’ three times in morning assembly.
When my first book came out in the UK in 2010, other than a card
from my publisher Walker Books, I did not do anything to celebrate it,
publicise it or promote it. Only my Mum knew and she was proud. Even though it
was my 14th or 15th book internationally, in the UK it
was my first and it had fizzled out like a firecracker on a wet Diwali night.
While I placed four picture book
titles in India in 2012, life went on in the UK in a pattern of day job and
rejections. The Indian books started coming out in 2014 and it coincided with
my moving from a full-time job to a part-time situation. Now I had time to go
into schools and I had found my sea legs so to speak.
In 2015 – after five years of
waiting, I had a second book accepted with Walker Books and a picture book with
Otter-Barry Books. And to top that, my Indian picture book Farmer Falgu series
too was going to be distributed in the UK by Red Robin Books and suddenly I realised
four books were all going to come out in the last quarter of 2016.
I decided it was unusual and cruel
for a writer to have four books coming out in the same quarter. At the same
time it was opportunity. (The Law of Lemons and Lemonade).
I didn’t want to throw
the opportunity into oblivion as I had done before in 2010. Here is what I did
to maximise the air cover I got while the smell of new books was still
lingering on my doorstep. So I decided to hire a freelance
publicist.
But before I go further, here is the disclaimer - I’m not saying this is for everyone - because it does cost hard-earned money (money I
earned at the day job or the advance I got for these books whichever was on top of the pile at the
ATM). But at that time, I wanted a boost to my brand and I wanted to do justice for these two "diverse" books to be noticed. Would I have done this (or been able to) if I didn’t have a
day job? Perhaps not.
So for those who are curious, here is how I handled hiring a personal publicist even though I was not a celebrity author.
Step 1: Write a publicity plan
I
looked up the guidelines in the SCBWI publicity grant guidelines and I modelled
one on it. I didn’t get the grant. But I had done the research At least I knew
what I wanted to do.
Step 2: Find a Publicist
I looked for freelance publicists
who could be commissioned to work directly with me for my books. I found five
who specialised in children’s books out of which two responded. One said No and
the other agreed. I met with her and we planned a campaign
for the two books that had a definite date and also because it fit within her
budget.
Step 3: Surprise the Publisher
Firstly we informed our publishers
that I was going to take care of my publicity by ploughing back the advance. It
did make them sit back and watch what I was up to. I also wanted to make sure
we were not stepping on toes and both the official publicist and the freelance
publicist knew who was doing what.
Step 4: Send word to the world
Then my freelance publicist sent out
review copies, blog posts requests, bookshop and festival requests. And we had
to wait. Ah the waiting game, I knew how to play it. I’m a writer. I knew how
to chew bed sheets, go on walks, cry into the pillow and press the refresh
button on my inbox a million times a day while I waited.
Step 5: Start the in-house campaign
While the publicist was focussed on
the outside world, I was focussed on what I could do in the meantime. Here are
some things I did while I waited.
·Spruce up my website – I
reformatted my entire website to look new, fresh and welcoming for all the new
people who might look me up when they receive our publicity requests
·Create posters – this is
where Canva.com came in. I spent an unhealthy number of days on Canva designing
posters to print, blog graphics and post cards and stuff. Canva actually sent me an email saying, “You’re here a lot, do
you want to go pro?”
·Write blog posts for my own
website – I started writing about the books ahead of the launch to create
anticipation.
·Find friends who would host
my blog – in addition to whom the publicist was contacting – I reached out to
friends who were happy to host me on their blogs.
·Create classroom content and
extras for school visits – I have a small site under my banner for kids stuff –
it has puzzles and activities and intro to my illustrators and such. I updated
a lot of this content for the new books.
·Request the illustrator to do
a blog post – Frané Lessac (illustrator of Pattan's Pumpkin) was amazing. She agreed to be interviewed for my site and hosted my content on her blog too.
·Request the illustrator for
resources - Frané Lessac was kind enough to make me colouring sheets and craft
activities etc.
Step 5: Plan the book launch
I did hit a block when I came to
this. My freelance publicist wasn’t going to arrange the launch and I had to
cold-call a number of South London bookshops. Most of them turned me down and a
few looked me up and then turned me down.
I turned to the amazing Nicky Potter
who did publicity for Otter-Barry Books for help and she introduced me to the
North London bookshop Pickled Pepper Books. They are amazing, aren’t they?
Of course I wasted more time on the
Internet planning the launch. I invited everyone I knew, create events in
Facebook and ordered matching cupcakes. A wise author once said, “A launch without cake is no launch at all.”
Step 6: Write insane number of blog posts
The publicist had arranged for me to
blog on different sites. I had to find an angle that was different and unique
to their blog about the same two books. I wrote over 25 blog posts in a matter
of five weeks, not including the ones I had promised friends to write on their
blog too. At one point I was so worried I was going to run out of things to
say. Luckily my early life as a chatterbox came in handy.
Step 7: Make a Trailer
I loved wasting time on the computer
while watching reruns of Big Bang Theory. So I decided to try my hand at making
a trailer. My one day course with SOA on how to make videos using iMovie by
Shoo Rayner, came in handy. Interestingly, I learnt a few things along the way.
·Get permission from everyone
before you release the trailer into the world. Of course my publisher Janetta
Otter-Barry was impressed and so was her team. My illustrator Frane Lessac loved
it and she was happy to consent.
·Use original photos, text and
permitted content. Luckily I had my own photos and where required those in
public domain I could use and attribute.
Step 8: Prepare for diversions
As the first book’s publicity was
proceeding, the freelance publicist had landed a full-time job. Now she was no
longer available to promote my second book. But before I could panic, she
managed to secure the services of another publicist and made sure the work
continued uninterrupted. Things are always fluid and coping with them as they
come was one of the things I do at my day-job and that was useful in dealing
with this.
Step 9: Keep a Calendar
I had so many balls up in the air
that I had to create a calendar of events and blog posts and keep them updated.
By now bookshop visits were coming in and they were spread across a range of
3-4 months. My calendar resembled a jigsaw puzzle in colour. I hoped I could
find the edges if everything fell apart.
Step 10: Be grateful for kindness of friends
Few days before the launch, a school
librarian reached out to me and asked if I could do two libraries and her
school in her borough as a pre-launch promotion. I was so grateful for the support.
Except fate interfered and sent the flu virus to land on me and the day before
the launch I was on the road armed with my books and a stack of tissues.
And so, the freelance publicists who worked on the campaign had
opened many doors I hadn’t been able to approach. I got into some really
wonderful festivals and bookshops, got noticed by some organisations who would
not have heard of me otherwise, got some print reviews in teachers’ magazines
and trade publicity magazines.
It gave me the boost I needed and putting in all the work on my
own, hours in front of a computer not writing, sweating the details of fonts and
images on websites proved very productive.
Whether you are traditionally
published and want a leg up for your new book or you are self-published and
want to build a brand, it might be a worthwhile option to look into. It is hard
work and it involves spending money and I did a lot of DIY work myself – like
posting letters, printing posters, writing blog posts, sprucing my website etc.
But it was a good learning experience and I can build on the contacts I have
now been introduced to.
Some years ago, I wrote a book set on the ss Great Britain. This ship was built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and it was immensely significant: the first iron ship, the first ship to be driven by steam, the biggest ship in the world at the time it was built. For a good part of its early career, it took settlers from Britain to Australia. Its fortunes gradually declined, and it was eventually abandoned off the Falklands; then, many years later, a group of enthusiasts rescued it and brought it back to Bristol, where it was built. When it came home, the banks of the river were lined with Bristolians welcoming it home; some hearts broke at the sight of the rusting hulk which was what Brunel's beautiful ship had become.
My father was a boiler operator in a power station: he knew about steam, and was fascinated by steam engines. So one time when he and mum came down to stay, he asked if we could go to visit this ship which was being restored. By this time, the ship was safe in dry dock, and they'd done a lot of work on the hull and the deck. The insides were pretty empty, but as dad walked round, his face lit up, he could tell us where the engines would have been, and why the ship was so important.
After that, we revisited the ship every so often to see how it was getting on. Now, it's fully restored, and a visit is marvellous; when you walk on to the quay it's easy to imagine that you're about to cast off on the voyage of a lifetime. The museum is full of information about the ship, the men who crewed her and the people who travelled on her; and on the ship itself, you can gaze into cabins and marvel at how tiny the bunks were, and see the contrast between travelling first class and travelling in steerage. (And there's a talking toilet, which is hugely popular with children!)
On those journeys to Australia, people married, they gave birth, they died. Most of the people who went out there never came back to Britain, never saw their families again. One much-loved captain disappeared from his cabin one day, and was presumed to have committed suicide. So much drama, so many stories!
So I wrote a story, featuring a girl called Emily in first class and a boy called Thomas Drew in steerage. (Yes, yes, I know - very Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio, very Titanic.) It was published by Walker, who got James De La Rue to do the most marvellous illustrations, and it even got nominated for the Carnegie. Here it is, on sale in the Great Britain shop.
I'd hoped there might be an appetite for a sequel - children who read it often wanted to know what happened to Emily and Thomas. There could have been lots more adventures on board ship, and I also had some ideas about what would happen to their two families when they reached Australia.
But like so many publishing dreams, it wasn't to be, and Emily and Thomas stayed between the covers of that single book.
Or so I thought.
Until last year, when out of the blue, I received an email from someone I'd never heard of - a photographer in Australia called Dean Gale. This is what he said.
'...this afternoon I came across an excerpt on the Walker book site from your Emily book...The reason I found your book is that I have recently moved to South Australia and purchased an old homestead.
I have been researching the history of the house... whilst researching the history of the families that came here in the 1800's I began researching the Drew family. Thomas Drew from Somerset came to Australia on the SS Great Britain. He became a prominent businessman and it is his family who I purchased the house from.
So of course what I am wondering is how or why you chose to use the character called Thomas Drew in your book?
The funny thing is that one of the young Drew family has just been studying migration at school and she chose me as her subject because I originally emigrated from the UK. Now her ancestor is in your book? But I suspect that Thomas Drew was a little older than your character?
Anyway please if you have the time maybe you could let me know why you chose Thomas Drew?'
I was astonished - I thought I'd made Thomas Drew up. Yet here he was - a real person, whose life had carried on after his journey on the ss Great Britain, and whose descendants still live in Australia today.
Here is the business - Drew & Crews - which his family owned. And here are three Drew girls - the family aren't sure exactly who they are, but they're certainly related to Thomas.
So I didn't get the chance to carry on Thomas's story - but it carried on regardless, and he did well, just as I thought he would. I do wonder about Emily, though; I hope she was okay too...
(Incidentally, there was another twist. During our correspondence, Dean happened to mention that, though he himself was from the Midlands, he had known a girl whose family moved to Cheddar, and whose father became the headmaster of the local school. She's a friend of ours, and I used to teach at the school where her father was head!)
(The last two photographs are courtesy of Dean Gale and the Drew family.)
