Roller Coaster

A week of disappointments mixed with opportunities.  Among the lows was the email from Scorpio books in Christchurch saying they had 3 of my books for six months and they were returning them. I suggested that as this book has won the Ngaio award for best debut novel, they may wish to reconsider, but a curt no was my response.  Not a well done, or that’s nice you have won an award…the implication being that we don’t really consider this as a marketable achievement.  The next day. the UBS in Otago which had also returned my books, now requested that three be sent down. As an independent writer, all bookshops only take your books if they don’t have to pay you and then only pay you if they sell.

On the other hand, the contract was completed with Ulverstone/Aurora and they will publish my book in large print and audio. They are a UK based company so my work may get more exposure. The other good news is that I now have a NZ distributor and this means my book has an opportunity to get into the book shops. The new cover may help make it more marketable and a second reprint run will start next week in time for the February sales. I also plan to do some more hands-on marketing in collaboration with Nationwide books.

I am heading off to a writing retreat for five days where my plan is to complete my sequel draft to a stage ready for a manuscript assessment.

My next challenge after that is to find an Australian editor and get my book across the Tasman to where my detective lives, breathes and fights crime.