Paperbooks

Author Blog: Gary Davison

Paperbooks author Gary Davison has been busy over the last week helping to promote Legend Press novel If I Never by fellow North-east author Gary Murning. He has related his busy day in a brilliant blog on his website http://gary-davison.com/ so we thought we would share it with you today. Thanks Gary for your help, you are a star!

I’ve been slinking around town buying dodgy looking golf swag and giving fliers out for my writing pal, Gary Murning.

Gazza is always up to some promotional activity and I’m on his team this week and have the job of dishing out fliers around Newcastle.

First up was the cookie shop in Monument Mal. ‘No bother, love, stick a couple on there.’ ‘You’re a gem, cheers.’

Next up on the hit list was the earring place at the end of Monument Mal. No one around, so I slipped a few on the counter, and made my escape, feeling very Bansky like.

After that, I thought I best get some in a book shop, like he told me to do. This was a secret mission and I was improvising - leaflet dropper on the edge.

Into waterstone at the heart of the books in Newcastle centre, where I was met with open arms, showed through to the executive lounge and given a cup of coffee, meal, signed autographs, and the New York girls were in, so… Hardly. Here’s how it went,

‘Hiya, you alright?’

‘Very well, thanks. How can I help you?’

Out come the leaflets. ‘My mate’s wrote a book, you stock it here, and he’s after a bit of promotion, is there any chance…’

Shakes her little head and it drops off. I hand her her head back and she continues. ‘Sorry, I don’t think we’re aloud..’

‘Read it. It’s a good story, and he can’t get around the stores himself. It’s only five or six copies.’

Over to the manager, who I recognise from when we launched Streakers and took over the place. Does he recognise me? What do you think? YES! It’s that twat that keeps turning his books face out over every time he comes in. Yip, it’s me, and I’m not leaving until I drop these leaflets.

‘I’m sorry, we can only put stuff out produced by Waterstones.’

‘Five copies. Come on, have a look at it.’

We settled on having them spread about the staff room, and I daringly left one on top of the 3for2 pile. Absolute rebel.

Next stop, TK Max. The security guard stops me at the door. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

‘I’m going in there.’

Grabs me by the scruff of the neck. ‘You’re neither two foot one or seven foot, and from what I can see your arms are the same length. Therefore there is nothing in here for you.’

I sneaked back in and tried some well dodgy t-shirts on for my golf trip to Portugal. Colour blind doesn’t come into it. I keep telling everyone, forget the fact it’s purple or illuminous, it’s the texture of the cloth on the skin. That’s what counts. Looking a twat, means nothing.

I left a leaflet in the changing room.

Finally, with my trump card, I thought: Big Issue Seller. At this rate I could be on the next episode of The Apprentice. Get to the seller, slip him an extra 50p when I buy a copy and give him some fliers. Bought the copy, reached in my pocket - no fliers left.

Not to worry, it wasn’t  too shabby.

Oh, I nearly forgot. The wide-boy trying to get me to sign up to giving a monthly donation to charity for kids. What a laugh. He was giving me his leaflet and I was trying to give him mine and he was moving his hand away like I was handing him a piece of shit. In the end he took mine and i took his and we went our separate ways. He was git, I could tell.

Have a nice weekend everyone and get Gazza’s book bought if you haven’t already done so, it’s a sound read.

Lucy

Gary Davison Blog

I was down the big smoke last week meeting up with the Paperbooks team. We discussed quite a few things, including an update on gettting Streakers made into a film. Not signed and sealed, but we’re on the march and there are plenty of irons in the old fire and I have a meeting next week. I will keep you posted, and keep my promise of getting us all a part as extras. Just look what happened to Ricky Gervais in Extras. You never know, my son.

We also discussed book sales, promotions, and when I got back to blighty my head was in overdrive. Being with an independent publisher has advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages is that, and especially so with paperbooks, they’re very flexible and open to ideas, schemes, partnerships, basically anything that sounds good. On the downside, is that they don’t have the huge financial backing of the larger publishing houses. Therefore, in the main chains, like Waterstones, you don’t get prime shop floor position for your books. No cash - no go in the 3for2s. End of.

Last Christmas, in Borders, they actually took copies of Fat Tuesday off the shelves and hid them until the Christmas rush was over. Well, this year’s going to be different. I’m not in the big time yet, so I need to find a way to get some more books shifting and in prime locations at the front of shops. Tomorrow I’m heading into town to see if I can talk a couple of the newsagents into stocking Streakers at a discount price. I buy from the publisher, knock it out to the newsagent at a discount, he makes a decent mark-up, I’m at front of store with a shit load of passing trade, everyone’s a winner.

I’ve got to start somewhere before this film deal sends everything into orbit, haven’t I? And believe me I’ve done a lot worse than this idea. When we were younger, David ‘The Fryer’ Shanley and my good self would do anything to turn a few quid. We had a market stall on Newcastle’s Quayside selling mops and buckets, we had a sportswear business, not in the same league as Mike Ashley, but there were some quality shell suits being worn by 90% of the DSS.

Our finest hour came when we bought a doughnut trailer and started doing all the fairs. Five for a pound we knocked them out for and although we never made any huge profits, we had some great laughs, none better than when we put disinfectant in the tea. We had to give a load of Panda pop away to keep the punters from rolling us. The best gig we had was when Newcastle won the old first division and Davey pulled me out of college and we hitched the trailer up and headed onto Great North Road. We were selling them as quick as we could make them and praying the open-top bus would break down. Once it passed us, it was like a ghost town. Still we were eighty up, not to be sniffed at. So, now it’s time to have a go with the books. Cushty.

Gary

Gary Davison blog

Last night I was a guest at Borders Writing Group, at Silverlink, Northshields. I had been invited after doing a book signing there a couple of weeks ago, and thought, why not?

Now, you know what I think - let’s change that to thought - about writing groups, or people in general, whether it be for fun or on a course, who sit around talking about writing and not writing. I’m not into it at all. I once started an MA in creative writing and walked straight out the door.

Writing groups will never be for me, but what I discovered last night, was that just because I’m not into it, it doesn’t mean it’s not okay or cool for others to do it. A writing group is like any other club - golf, football, paintball, swingers, sex, squash, gym - it’s people getting together to enjoy their favourite past time. You don’t have to be hardcore 9-till-9 writing to be a writer, just like casually playing football in a village five-a-side team doesn’t make you a wanker because you’re not playing for the black and whites. Grass roots, the football punters call it. This is grass roots writing, and last night I had a fantastic time.

I was introduced as the guest speaker and immediately my heart started hammering my rib cage to be out. ‘Eh, guest speaker? I’ve not prepared anything?’

I handed everyone a copy of Fat Tuesday, and apologised as I did to those that were no longer in the rat race and earning a crust. ‘Don’t think you’re the target audience with this one. My Mam wasn’t too keen, to put it mildly.’

Well, as the night progressed, we basically spent most of it doing questions and answers on all sorts of stuff, and you know me, I told them everything apart from my underpants size. If they’d asked about my underpants, I’d have told them, colour and condition.

It was great, and we had plenty of laughs, talking about writing, how it all started, competitions, routines for writing, favourite novels, just about anything and everything.

Then it was exercise time, and I was happy to join in. We had to write a story in ten minutes, picking three objects from the fifteen we had all put into the pot. I went for wooden leg, turbin and a swiss roll. Don’t think Hemmingway has anything to worry about after I completed the masterpiece.

I’ll tell you what, though, when it came to my turn to read it out, I were proper nervous, I tell thee. Talk about pressure. bbbbb At the end, Heather, the leader of the pack, gave me a box of chockies and asked if I’d come back again. I said I’d love to, and I will, as soon as they ask.

Gary

If you haven't already take a look at Gary's website by clicking here! Gary is running a great competition at the moment with a very tidy cash prize... well worth a look.

Gary Davison launches short story competition today!

We are very excited to help author Gary Davison launch his fantastic short story competition today.

The idea is for you to write a 250 word story based on a photo and opening line chosen from Gary's website. To view details click here!

The winner will receive £250, a pound per word! The deadline is Friday 13th November. The prize is judged by:

- Ray Robinson - bestselling author of Electricity and The Man Without.

- Mike French - Editor of the View From Here literary magazine.

- Tony Horne - Metro Radio DJ and author.

- Kevin Pocklington - literary agent for Jenny Brown Associates.

For further details please click here!

Happy writing!

Lucy

Streakers - Book of the Month

Streakers by Gary Davison has been chosen as book of the month on www.strugglingauthors.co.uk. Earlier this month Gary was interviewed by Richard about his writing and Streakers!

Richard - We last spoke to you way back in January 2008 just before Fat Tuesday was originally due out. It’s now 18 months later and your second book, Streakers, is out and “available at all good book stores”. So, what has life been like since then? 

Gary - Has it only been 18 months? Seems a lifetime ago Fat Tuesday came out! Life has been great, Richard, and from a writing point of view, I’ve loved every second of being published. From being on the radio, in the press, on websites, book signings, colleges, the whole thing has been a great experience. The biggest buzz of all, though, is knowing people are reading your books. Great feeling and hopefully it will continue.

Richard - Please tell us what it feels like to go onto Amazon etc. and see YOUR name and YOUR books up there? Do you find yourself going onto Amazon in the wee small hours to check that it’s real (or is that just what I would do?) Also, when you do a search on Amazon for your books, you're classed as the same category as Nick Hornby. How do you feel about this and have you read any of his work?

Gary - Of course I do! I’m one of ‘us’ and always will be. I’m on amazon all the time and when one of my books shoots up the charts (okay, maybe not shoots, more like nudges up), I’m giddy as hell, thinking ‘Some complete stranger will be reading my book this weekend’.

It is amazing to think my story is available to buy, and sometimes you look back and can’t believe it. But it happened and I’m over the moon it did. The fact is, I was very fortunate, sort of right place right time. I’m self-taught, as you know from when we last had a chat. If I can sneak through the slush pile, believe me, anyone can.

Yeah it’s great to be mixing it with the likes of Nick Hornby. I’ve read quite a bit of his stuff and really liked it. I only wish I was mixing it with him on the promotional front too!

To read the rest of the interview click here!

Lucy

Paperbooks competitions

Paperbooks' two forthcoming competitions 'A Novel Ending' and Gary Davison's blog prize have been featured on popular blog site http://strugglingauthors.co.uk.

The website is a really useful resource for new and established authors, or anyone interested in books and the publishing industry. The site is run by author .

Lucy

Gary Davison Competition

Gary Davison author of the brilliant Streakers is holding a competition on his website. First prize £250, second prize £150 and third place £100, so well worth a punt!

Below are the details:

Start date - Monday 28th September 2009

Format - Paul Burman, author of the Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore, will set the title and first line of four stories with the four photos I give him. Your task, to pick one, and write a 250 word story.

The Judges - Ray Robinson - bestselling author of Electricity and The Man Without. Mike French - Editor of the View From Here literary magazine. Tony Horne - Metro Radio DJ and author. Kevin Pocklington - literary agent for Jenny Brown Associates.

Prizes - The winner will receive £250.00 and will be published in the View From Here magazine. This is both online and in paper form in the UK, Canada and the US. Second place receives £150.00, third £100.00, fourth and fifth places will get three signed novels.

Entry fee - To enter you have to purchase Streakers by Gary Davison on amazon and review it on amazon. PP £5.99.

Closing date - Friday 13th November 2009

Between now and the closing date we’ll be grilling the four judges, as we do, finding out about them, asking them testing questions and generally having a laugh. Should be quite a buzz around the place, hopefully, and paperbooks and legendpress are promoting the competition, and with a few releases in the press and radio, we should be rocking and a rolling.

I only need 500 entries to break even. Truthfully, I will be well happy with half that amount of entries as long as it gets you lot talking about Streakers. And who knows, with all these top judges, from agents to authors, press releases, radio air time, someone might get their heads above the slush pile.

Click here to view Gary's blog!

Lucy  

Gary Davison Blog

Last Saturday morning I nipped to our local convenience store. The same store I swore I’d never set foot in a month ago because the father, who sometimes serves behind the counter, coughs and spits in the bin. Exactly.

I purchased the newspapers two packs of bacon and some buns and went away happy. Back home, Karen and Tara were in the kitchen chilling out, watching cartoons and reading magazines.

I opened the bacon, both packets, and it was lifting. I mean, I had to turn my face away from the smell. I shouted Karen over who confirmed my diagnosis and I hurled the lot in the bin and sat down with a coffee and the papers.

Half an hour later, I needed to go out. Some lame excuse, but I had to go and complain. You have to, don’t you? There are some things, no matter what the actual expense, that you can’t let go. Proper piss takes.

Here’s me waiting in line, and here we go,

‘You know that bacon I just bought?’

‘Aye.’

‘It was off. Absolutely stinking.’

‘Never in the world. Where is it?’

‘Well, in the bin, you couldn’t eat that.’

‘Oh, there’s nothing I can do, son, unless you bring it back so we can send it off.’

‘I’m hardly going to march around with stinking bacon in my hand, am I?’ (some serious jokes could come off that line).

‘I’ll have a word with him, see what he says.’

‘Okay then, I’ll be back later.’

I’ve shopped on and off there for six years or so. Say a tenner a week minimum. So what’s that, three grand-ish? And they’re going to see what HE says. I put the soap box in the back of the car and returned home.

Karen and Tara were even more chilled, so I quickly let the steam out of my ears with a short outburst, then slunk onto the settee with a paper. Half an hour passed and Karen turned her page and casually said, ‘I’m going to tell you something and you’re going to go of it.’

‘Course I’m not, don’t be ridiculous. What’s up?’

‘The buns you bought this morning are covered in mould.’

I examined them and they were mouldy. Green nasty filthy robbing ******* mould.

This can only end two ways. One, they see the light and be half reasonable and give me my cash back. Which is right, after all, because their goods were shit, or, two, I tell them to do one and that I’ll never step foot in the place again. And on top of that I will put the fear of God up them by telling them that a Tesco Extra is opening up the road.

After work I’m going to the post office, then to put the lottery on, then to collect my bacon-money. I’m not a jobs-worth and I don’t always stand up for the little man in the street, but you’ve got to admit, this is slightly annoying.

Gary

Follow Gary's blog at http://www.gary-davison.com/

Gary Davison Blog: Book-signings can be difficult!

Although Gary's book-signings normally go very well, Gary had a bit of an experience at Waterstone's last weekend. Where were you all? ...

'Yesterday’s book signing at Waterstones Sunderland was one for the scrap book. To be fair it was a hot sunny day and there weren’t a lot of people around, and even less people looking for books. Ahem. That’s my excuse for very nearly striking out and I’m sticking with it.

We managed to sell two books in the end and had to just about cosh the punters over the head and drag them to the tills. At one stage someone actually stretched over the top of me to get to another book. I was tempted to give him a leg up - no probs mate, why not stand on this pile of books scattered over the table here.

I came away feeling quite giddy, chuffed that I was on a book signing tour (yes it’s a tour now, I’m bigging it up), no matter what the outcome.

All credit to my mother, who has more front than anyone alive, who didn’t give up and actually started handing the customers copies of the book as well as bookmarks. Think I’ll take her and John for a bite to eat this week for all their efforts - somewhere cheap though, two sales is not a lot to live off. This time next year, we’ll be millionaires!'

Gary

Gary Davison - Event this Saturday

Gary Davison will be signing copies of his fantastic novel Streakers at Waterstone's in Sunderland on Saturday from 12 noon. Gary is returning to the store after last years successful signing there for Fat Tuesday. It should be a great event so if you are in the area be sure to pop in and get your signed copy. Gary will be doing lots of book-signings in the near future with Middlesborough Waterstone's (5 Sept), Newcastle Silverlink Borders (26th Sept), Gateshead Borders (19th Sept) and Teeside Borders (10th Oct).

Lucy