Here in the UK, the last Monday in August is a Bank Holiday and has been for a long time, although when I was a child, it used to be the first Monday of the month. Not sure when or why it was changed. But either way, it’s a day off for most people. And even though I work for myself and don’t have a formal holiday schedule, there’s an air of Sunday about today. So I’m planning on taking the afternoon off drinking coffee (or maybe something else) with a friend. But on with the writerly stuff first.
Writing this month
I proved this month that the old trick of leaving a work in progress in a drawer for a few months really works. It was the beginning of May when I sent the latest draft of Calamity at Coombesford Church to my beta readers and although I’d collated all their comments and done some really hard thinking about the plot holes they highlighted, I’d not touched the manuscript since. Consequently when I started the fourth and final rewrite earlier this month, I found everything flowing beautifully. I’ve just a few chapters left to polish and the whole thing should be complete by the end of this week. Which will no doubt be good news for my proofreader and cover designer who’re waiting to get on with their parts of the process. And the launch plan is starting to come together nicely.
Sales and Marketing
A reminder that Calamity at Coombesford Church is now available to pre-order on Amazon, in ebook form, with a launch date of 17th October. The date for the paperback launch is provisionally set for a month later. More news on that next month.
My Amazon Ads for the cozies continue to be in profit, although sales have dropped off this month. I’ve heard other writers say August is a bad month for book sales. Hopefully things will pick up again in September. The adverts for the thrillers are still refusing to do anything. It’s quite a few years since those three books were published and I’ve received some feedback that the covers need refreshing, especially as I’m planning on publishing a further book in the series next year. I’ve started doing the research on the genre and note that in many cases, the author’s name is much larger than the book title. But that’s okay if your name’s Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen or Kathy Reichs. I’m not convinced it works as well with a virtual unknown (at least in the US thriller marketplace which is what I would be aiming for). More research to be done there, I guess. What do YOU think? What’s the most important part of the cover when you’re looking for your next read?
Out and About
My visit to Derbyshire for the Writers Summer School at Swanwick was unfortunately cut short by a family matter, but the first couple of days were as fascinating as ever. A chance to catch up with old friends, make some new ones, and carry out my usual exercise of reviewing the previous year’s achievements and setting objectives for the coming twelve months. And just two days ago, I had the pleasure of attending a virtual indie author camp run by the South Carolina Writers Association. I was speaking on running your author business but it was wonderful to spend the rest of the day listening to the other speakers talking about different aspects of publishing and marketing.
September sees the South Hams Literary Festival in Ivybridge. Run by the South Hams Authors Network and led by the indefatigable Alison Huntingford, it’s a hugely ambitious undertaking with 45 events over a four day period and a great mix of speakers. If you live in the region, it’s well worth taking a look at the programme, which is aimed both at writers and readers.
Towards the end of the month, I’m back on the talk circuit. I’ve not had any WI bookings so far this year, and now I have two in two days. Time to brush off the slides and get out the smart suit.
What Have I Been Reading Lately?
Like many other readers, we always fill our ereaders with downloads before heading off on holiday. And recently, indie publisher Joffe Books has made many of their titles available as box sets, all at 99p. Some were more readable than others, to be honest, but one series we both enjoyed was the nine-book set of Evan Evans stories by Rhys Bowen. As the introduction to each book warns, the stories are set in the 1990s, before the era of smart phones and when attitudes were somewhat different. Some readers might find them a tad old-fashioned and not completely politically correct but I enjoyed the gentle humour. If you’re looking for something quick and easy then this could be a good choice for you. Here’s my review:
Reading like a Welsh version of the TV series, Heartbeat, this set of nine books features young policeman Evan Evans who lives in a village on the slopes of Mount Snowden in North Wales. Over the course of the series, we get to know Evan, his true love Bronwen, and a whole cast of characters, such as the saucy barmaid Betsy, the motherly landlady Mrs Williams, and local detective Sergeant Watkins. And the descriptions of the setting are so detailed that the mountain becomes a character in its own right. Ideal for lovers of cosy crime, the stories have plenty of suspects and red herrings, but without the grit and gore. A thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing read.
And elsewhere on my bookshelves, I’ve been reading:
A Dying Fall and The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths. Books 5 and 6 in the series of crime thrillers featuring forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway and detective DCI Harry Nelson.
An Italian Island Summer by Sue Moorcroft. A complete change of genre from crime to romance; the latest from one of the best.
