Join the debate

Couldn't help but join in an interesting Guardian blog yesterday, in which Richard Lea questions the Spread the Word Top 10 announced that morning (including the Legendary Salt & Honey by Candi Miller). Well, not so much questioning as unsure of the criteria and uneasy with the absence of any of the 'traditional prize-winners'. I wanted to point out that this was the idea - whether they got it all right is slightly irrelevant; the point is selecting new books for the public to discuss and there is no doubt that there are many, many worthy ones out there.

Feel free to add your own views - very interested whether other people agree or disagree and to hear others' thoughts.

A final point as part of a new game I've devised – out a t*sser. I wrote the comment very quickly as, while very busy, wanted to hopefully add to the discussion with my own reaction to the blog. While confident that I can write very well, I thought that this was more important in this case than making myself aroused at my own writing style. Though apparently that isn't 'lucid' enough for one sarcastic commenter. Sadly for him I reside in the modern world of publishing and such pathetic and irrelevant pretense (to part-steal a line from Frank Debin & Police Squad - that's culture for you) is either dead or dying. And thank goodness for that. 'SeanMurrayDublin' - idiot.

Tom

Comments

[Josie]

Candi, have you got a website? I definitely value readership and have been planning to give away several copies of my book just to get it out there. That shop-gifting trick of Lee's seems like a good idea but now it's already been done, I wondered about 'library-gifting' at least then more people are likely to read it.

[Candi Miller]

So what I meant to say to Angela was: YOU GO, GIRL!

and er, erratum: "passioante enough" should be "passionate about". Exit, blog-left, shame-faced.

[Candi Miller]

Not being a blogger, I may have missed the opportunity of continuing this debate with you two - or anyone else out there, hello - perhaps rapid-response is key? (Advise me & I'll try to do better.) Meanwhile...
I wonder about the value of press reviews for books. Do they translate into sales? And (look away now Tom and all other publishers) as authors, are we not more concerned with readership than sales? (So few authors actually make a living solely out of writing, anyway.) One wants as many people as possible to be touched by the subject one is passionate enough, whether they've bought the novel or borrowed their aunty's copy.
Thinking about it, more aunties reading reviews might mean more sales, and probably then means more borrowers and readership, so, duh, I've answered my own question. Oh well, nice talking to myself.
Hey, if anyone wants to start musing about the process of writing, give me a blog.

[Josie]

Candi, I agree that it’s strange being an unknown author in a gathering of literary giants who seem to forget that they were once unknown (or maybe the authors don’t forget but their fans do?). And may I say that I voted for your book purely on the literary merit and because I loved it, nothing to do with knowing you through Legend. If I hadn’t noticed the message on Legend’s blog to vote then I wouldn’t have known it was on the list, but that’s what ‘spread the word’ means, isn’t it?

Angela, I would if I were you, definitely. It’s a debate worth having, and certainly would be publicity for the books and independent presses in general. There is an image of nepotism and back-scratching in the publishing industry, whether true or not, and criticising an award like this is singling out one among many.

[Angela Young]

I agree with the idea of Spreading the Word ... but then I would, wouldn't I, because my novel, published by the wonderful Beautiful Books, has also been shortlisted. I also agree that the World Book Day promotion is open to criticism, but then so are many awards.

I'm not quite sure what's wrong with letting fans of a book know where they can vote for it. (I never got to grips with a Facebook page but I emailed people who had read Speaking of Love and they voted for it.) And like you Candi, I would certainly welcome independent scrutiny of my novel. Which opens up a whole other debate about the difficulty of getting first novels published by small presses reviewed ... but that's another story.

I was thinking of submitting a piece to the editor of Guardian Online about the whole thing. What do you think?

[Candi Miller]

I’m thrilled to be one of the unknown authors on the list, but acknowledge that the World Book Day promotion is vulnerable to criticism. We finalists may well have succeeded because we have a larger Facebook network than others on the longlist. However, this could also mean our novels have an enthusiastic fan base, which surely should make them all Ones to Talk About? Nevertheless, a way to counter claims of exploitation of the voting system would be to have the Top Ten, at least, judged on merit. Perhaps those arbiters of literary merit, the commenters on Richard Lea's blog, should actually READ all the books and vote for the one they think should be talked about most, using whatever criteria they like. I’m sure all the other finalist would welcome “independent” scrutiny of their work, as much as I would.

cm

P.S. There is something to be said for remaining an unknown author. Reading Richard Lea's blog made me feel like the new kid in town who walks into a gathering and overhears people saying : “Who invited HER?” “What kind of place is this if they’re letting HER KIND in?”)
Never mind, it's all character-building. I shall build just such a character into one of my stories. Along with Tom's t*sser.