Relative Success

One of the hardest things a writer has to do is to allow someone else to read their work. You are already your own worst critic, but even so you fear the reaction from other people, who might hate your creation. And if they do, how do you bounce back?

In the beginning though, it is normally only friends and relatives that you trust with your manuscript. As a result any criticisms will be softened with tact and diplomacy; if you're lucky.

However, when you launch your work onto the public, it is another matter altogether. You have no idea what people might say; that is if they even bother to buy it in the first place. And then you realise, that this is really the crux of the matter. Suppose it just sits there on the bookshelf (virtual or actual).

This week has been rather strange for me. After a fairly good start on Amazon I issued the novel on smashwords.com an independent e-publisher, and it is fairly flying off the virtual bookshelf. As I write, it is in fourth position in the bestsellers list. I know that the buyers are most likely to be in the US, due to the time of day when most of the sales take place. So I have now moved passed the situation where I am selling mainly to friends and family and casual acquaintances.

It is both scary and exhilarating at the same time. I wonder what an American audience make of the novel. But at least I am helping to put Shetland on the map.

Yesterday was census day in Ireland and I have duly done my bit for the country by filling in my form. It feels very much like the bureaucratic equivalent of saying I woz here; and all the more poignant for the fact that I won’t be here for very much longer. Well in Ireland anyway, I do hope to be residing on this planet for a few more decades.

Ireland is in a state of great turmoil. There is a constant stream of newspaper headlines and radio debates about unemployment and the rise in emigration. Apparently over 40,000 young people have already left since Christmas. It is a sad time for many people.

But it is also a time of opportunity. I firmly believe that good things happen in the wake of disaster. The new emigrants will undoubtedly go off and change their lives, probably for the better. They will meet new people, find new careers, start new relationships and will return to their homeland with great stories to tell.

I can’t help but wonder how this period in history will be reflected in literature. I am sure that there are writers all over the world that are already dreaming up stories about the demise of the Celtic Tiger. It has certainly influenced the novel I am currently working on.

A Kind(le) Review

One of the better books on Kindle

Having recently bought a Kindle my reading has been opened up to a whole new world of books written by other writers. And there is such a diverse range of quality out there. Anyone who has a Kindle will be aware that there are loads of books available to download that are free or perhaps just a few pence/cents. Some of them are very good indeed. I would thoroughly recommend Mousetrapped – a year and a bit in Orlando, Florida by Catherine Ryan Howard. (see above)

However, some of them are absolutely dire, and would make excellent examples of how not to write a book for any creative writing lecturer. I realise that everyone has their own opinion about what makes a good book, so I am fascinated by what people have to say in their reviews. I am especially interested now that I am in competition with some of these writers. I have spent the last hour or so ploughing through the list of books available on Kindle and reading some of the reviews. Some of them are so harsh that if I received such a bad review I would instantly withdraw my book, and probably take up another hobby. However, quite a few of the reviews reveal that most of the problems are created by poor editing. There has recently been quite a brouhaha in the world of self-published authors, with a reviewer getting slated for a justifiably bad review. If ever there was a lesson to learn about publishing your own book on Kindle (or similar) it is to make sure you really have ironed out all the faults.

In the meantime I have only received good reviews to date. That may be because most of the people who have purchased the novel are amongst my circle of friends and family. But I am biting what are left of my nails in anticipation of the first critical review.