Legendary Authors

Celebrating the Seventies with Pop&Crisps

I’m nearly ready to launch my new blog Pop&Crisps – Memories of the Seventies. I need more guest bloggers. The main blogger is myself with the occasional contribution from others. So far, two Legendary authors have contributed, and two other writer friends. I’m planning to up the contributions by publicising the site in the writing press and the national press. I’d like to have a reasonable archive of posts – probably about a month – before the official launch. So when the hoards of eager bloggers come flooding in, there will be some posts for them to read.

So I’m asking, nay begging, you to help me out here with your own memories of the decade. Whether you were already an adult at the beginning or a toddler at the end of the seventies, or anywhere in between, lend me your memory! If you have a story of something that happened, your favourite toy or TV programme, food, brand or anything at all, put it into approx 500 words and email it to me! You can either email me at Josie@popandcrisps.me.uk or leave your post as a comment. As it says on the site, you are very welcome to plug your own book, blog, music whatever in your posts.

See the website itself for more detailed guidelines and topics that have already been posted. I have no objection to you writing about something that I or someone else has already written a post on as the idea is that it will be from a personal perspective. Though I may have to keep hold of your submission for a while if it is too similar to a recent post. I’m planning to hustle some guest blogs from celebrities as well so here’s your chance for the limelight before they all take over.

If you don’t have time to write a whole blog or don’t want to share then I’ll understand, but please visit and comment or send an endorsement.

Novel - Progress

It’s amazing what you can do with a bit of cut&paste isn’t it? Hope Tom doesn’t mind me using the logo – well he’s in the London Book Fair so might not even notice. Anyhoo.

The topic of today’s discussion is how long a process seems to take, and our perceptions of this. Writer friends, and especially those who are published, are envious of me having such a fast turnaround publisher. Two of my friends Susie Day and Sarah Mussi both have books coming out this month, the deals for which were struck some time back in the dark ages (or at least in 2005 or 2006, practically antediluvian!). So I know enough to be very grateful to Tom and Emma, and now Lucy too, for all the hard work put into getting my novel into print and on the shelves.

However, at the same time, friends, colleagues, family and generally people who don’t know much about the publishing industry, keep saying things like, ‘When’s this book coming out, then? Why is it taking so long?’ This does not help. I can talk about Eight Days and enthuse over my latest event, act like a rock star etc. But what they want to hear about is Silence. And at the moment that’s all I’ve got: Silence.

Not that I’m complaining of course. I’ve known of publishers much less communicative than Legend. But I get into occasional nail-biting fits when people ask me to give them an update and all I can say is the same thing as the last time they asked me two weeks ago. A watched kettle is worth two in the bush.

I was installing some new software the other day and thinking about those little status boxes you get when the bar creeps along steadily, then suddenly lurches forward, and freezes just two points from the end. I like this metaphor. It’s like a life in the arts in general. I interviewed Al Start recently for Velvet Magazine, and I asked her whether her music career had progressed steadily or if it had come in fits and starts. She replied that it was one of those things that when you’re in the middle of it, you feel like you’re going nowhere, but in retrospect you can see a pattern of growth. This is true of many of us.

I’ve got plenty of work to distract me from the purgatory between finishing the book and seeing it on the shelves. My podcast Casting Pods is very demanding, my various blogs and social networks take some maintenance, my part in the campaign to stop Amazon.com monopolising the POD market, and there’s always daytime TV. Got to do some research for when Tom gets me on Richard&Judy.

So to get back to my novel. Things are progressing nicely, thank-you. I’m at T-104 days to publication date. I will soon have a cover. I will soon have an edited manuscript from which to take teaser extracts. But at the moment all I’ve got is that status box. And even that’s fake.

Casting Pods Show 14 Cardiff Book Launch for Eight Hours

Eight Hours short story collection was recently released and this show is a compilation of the recordings I made at the Cardiff book launch in Waterstone’s, The Hayes, Cardiff. I met the lovely writing twins, Cathryn and Lindsey. The podcast includes an interview with the twins and our speeches and celebrations at the launch. How exciting!

Writing, publishing, books, fiction, Cardiff, short stories, interviews

http://www.castingpods.co.uk/Show_14.html

Tomorrow morning I'm off on the bus to London with my partner and our son, so they can see me in action at Foyle's. Hope to see you all there! I'll be multimedia recording then as well so anyone who misses it will be able to see it on the blog before too long.

Meet My Publisher

Anyone who hasn’t yet heard Tom’s dulcet tones (or indeed mine, Lee’s Jae’s or Bill’s) might want to have a listen to the latest episode of my podcast. Here’s the blurb:

Show #11 – London: Meet My Publisher Writing, publishing, books, fiction, London, tube, library

The momentous occasion of me learning that Legend want to publish my book ‘Silence’. I travelled to London for a meeting with Tom, my publisher, then later in the evening I was on a panel of authors at an event in Kensal library. There was free wine which unfortunately meant I missed my bus home. I’m glad I’ve got this recorded, and hope you enjoy listening.

Josie