Things are getting fairly busy now. The third run of the Solar Wind, this time with the edits of Les Noble and a new ISBN number, is under way (except that I need to battle them about the cover). A batch of flyers has been created and is being distributed to bookshops. The logic in those is that instead of handing out precious, expensive book copies for "consignment", we hand out flyers and get them to order copies of the books they want. COD. Iain's constructing a website, it's beginning to look (at least in concept) like something usable.
Les has teamed up with me re the sale of our books. P'kaboo officially represents his books (although the publisher is JustDone). I've also taken on a novel that Douglas was sweet enough to hand me for experimentation - his brilliantly written "Almost Dead in Suburbia". I've got a bedtime story by Ominiki that we're straightening out; and hopefully, once written, a novel by Les. Then of course there is my "4-leafed Clover" but the catch is that that book, like the "Waterwolf", the "Violin" and whatever else I wrote way back, needs a complete overhaul. I'm hopeful for "Clover" because it's only got 30 000 words - a nice short little novelette. But it will be a challenge to present all those rebellious, violent ideas in an acceptable format (not for the reader who is 11 and associates fully, but for the teacher). Ikki, who tries to present herself as "Vicky" and can't get rid of her old nickname though, is actually a very troublesome teen! I'm afraid Connie will have to moderate all the way where Ikki's wild horses run away with her.
Then, the "Assassin" needs a re-read, aloud with Iain listening, because despite the professional edit it still feels to me as though, from a dramatic point of view it falls short. Too much sop and mood and not enough substance. Oy vey! At the same time I'm squizzing through "Freedom Fighter" to straighten it out for Les and his edit. But the Assassin has to be a winner or else people will never bother with Freedom Fighter. I need a "test run" and reader feedback. What Ruthven fed back was not encouraging, neither was what Karin said. (Both fell off the series at book 2.) The Assassin also needs a cover and the financing for the first run.
I made a mind map of all that needs to happen. I gave the different classes of "things" different colours, the "next step" red, the marketing yellow, the separate books blue and the processes green. I noted that there were several processes that worked by themselves once started (e.g. Douglas edited by Les - a necessity, both ways, once for the fresh pair of eyes and outsider assessment, and secondly then for the professional "shliff", because self-editing can only take you that far). There are other processes that need my hands-on involvement or even direct own input. Case in point, Susetti Soletti.
Reviewers are a sore point. I mailed off a whole lot of books and got nary a review. Sure, Fran Lewis did indeed post one - a sweet one, but it's more a precis than a review. Nevertheless it has utterly usable bits in it. But the reviewers from the newspapers??? I'm at the point where I want to say, hang them, we'll make our own waves until they can't ignore us anymore and then we'll graciously "allow" them to review - if we still need it. (I suppose, with books they really want to review, they buy their own copy and review it anyhow. Well that suits me just fine - less overheads for P'kaboo.)
Newspapers - I'll bet on the Rekord East so far, for launches. There are two or maybe even five in the offing. Near future: Assassin, Almost Dead. Later (hopefully this year still): Freedom Fighter; Ominiki's story which she forbade me to mention the name of; and possibly the 4-Clover.
Idk what further I can do to generate publicity. No, that's not quite true, I have a few ideas. But, a step at a time.
Basta.
- the 'orse
