IN PRINT

31 May 2007., and “Folmer” is listed at Authorhouse. The search engines are picking it up and although Amazon have not heard of me as yet, all my friends are buying it – I hope! The learning curve is steeper than I thought it would be, and although I am making progress with the marketing aspect, reviews etc., I need a lot of help and advice. It seems that the book sellers receive a monthly list on CD of all of the newly printed books from their distributor (generally Gardners or Bertrams), and then “Folmer” will be listed on their computers. This could happen within a fortnight after publication (depending on when it is added to the new CD), or it could take up to 4 - 6 weeks, depending on when they receive the "new publications" CD & how long it takes the bookshop to upload it to their computers. This is why it's important to wait until the book is available to order from the bookshops' computers before promotion, otherwise interested parties may be told by the sellers that the book is not available in the local book shop. I am currently trying to get newspapers etc., interested in doing reviews: they need to apply to Authorhouse for “review copies” of the book and if they agree a feature is worth while, the dates will be arranged. Loretta Lay of Lay Books has been most kind and helpful: I have a blurb on her website www.laybooks.com and through links to “Ripperologists” she has been kind enough to furnish, I have already had a request for a review copy from an interested party in Germany. My man at Authorhouse – Daniel Cooke – is a true diamond and is helpful and very understanding regarding what I am sure he feels are my inane enquiries.

9 June 2007., and my (free) copy of the book has arrived. Very impressive – but like I have said no great thrill seeing my name in print: I will wait for the first royalty cheque! I have got several reviews in hand, local papers and radio and other provincial newspapers and hopefully a few magazines as well. My local (Plymouth) Waterstones have been very good and will be taking some copies and I am blasting away at the fiction buyers in their other shops across the country. WH Smiths are very difficult: having sent e mails and left messages for the local manager I got to talk to him on 2 June: he said he had not received anything from me so I sent it all again and have still not heard anything. Par for the course, I wonder, but I hope he will get back when he has the time. An independent bookshop said they would certainly not take a self-published book, no matter how good – which says a lot for the manager’s adventurous spirit, I suppose, and came as no great surprise. To a very large extent I am in the dark and have no idea if the book is selling or even if there is much interest. Amazon have got it, of course, and the press releases have all gone out and both the book and I are now well provided for on the net, but who knows? It is a strange situation, of which, I imagine, JK Rowling has no experience.