Paul Whybrow
Full Member
- Jun 20, 2015
We're expected to be a one-man-band these days, even if we've secured a literary agent and a traditional publishing contract, the onus is on us to trumpet our own talents through blogging, vlogging, social media, book tours and organising interviews with local newspapers and radio and television stations
All of this made me wonder whether writers are good raconteurs? Can they remember and deliver jokes and humorous anecdotes? I guess that it helps if a writer is personable...that is, pleasant in appearance and personality. If you were at a social gathering would you be the wallflower, an average mingler or the life and soul of the party? If a writer was being cunning, they'd carefully target who to capture in conversation—such as a start-up literary agent seeking clients.
The days of the reclusive author are long past. Harper Lee, Emily Dickinson, H.P. Lovecraft, Thomas Pynchon, J.D. Salinger, Marcel Proust and Emily Brontë all hid away from the world, but all penned their stories when the written word was more powerful than the visual image. They could get away with not courting the public.
Georgette Heyer, the English historical romance and detective fiction novelist shunned the press. After her novel These Old Shades became popular despite its release during the General Strike of 1926, Heyer determined that publicity was not necessary for good sales. For the rest of her life, she refused to grant interviews, telling a friend: "My private life concerns no one but myself and my family."
Heyer's books were rarely reviewed, but she was wildly popular with readers, selling a million copies of her books every year, by the time of her death. Even today, 44 years after she died, there are annual worldwide sales of 100,000 copies of her many titles.
Such stand-offishness wouldn't work today. Word of mouth publicity is a rare phenomenon, at the best of times, meaning we have to conjure up some razzmatazz to attract readers' attention. That includes putting ourselves out there!
For my own part, cogitating on ways to publicise what will soon be five novels in my Cornish Detective series, I've been thinking on a local scale, as well as nationally. Despite being renowned worldwide for its art scene and famous authors, Cornwall is terribly served by the literary world. There are really only two book publishers, but they specialise in naval history and tourist guides. I've only found one Cornish-based literary agent, and she's semi-retired. I recently came across two local authors who appeared to be published by Cornish publishers, but they proved to be vanity operations.
I've been doing some lateral thinking, for my stories include references to naturism, paganism, the art colony at Saint Ives, supercars, motorcycles, cats, the Beast of Bodmin Moor, farming, PTSD and mental illness—so, I could seek publicity from groups interested in these things—as well as contacting mainstream media to do interviews.
I really don't want to do any of this! I've become very reclusive in the last eight years. However, I don't lack confidence, and could happily appear in front of a large audience. I've done some public performing as an actor, so am nerveless about being scrutinised.
In the 21st-century, an author is as much a part of the brand as their stories, and, I dare say, that many writers make more from public appearances at festivals and on television and radio, than they ever do from book sales!
How do you feel about becoming a media star?
As Andy Warhol predicted: "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes," so perhaps it's unavoidable. The internet has made us all nosy—we want to know everything about everybody—Facebook and national governments already do, so why can't we delve into the background of our favourite author?
I visited the library yesterday, and browsing novels to read, I found a couple that didn't have author photographs on the book cover flap. I couldn't help thinking, "What have they got to hide?"
Are you ready for your close-up?
Lights, camera, action!
All of this made me wonder whether writers are good raconteurs? Can they remember and deliver jokes and humorous anecdotes? I guess that it helps if a writer is personable...that is, pleasant in appearance and personality. If you were at a social gathering would you be the wallflower, an average mingler or the life and soul of the party? If a writer was being cunning, they'd carefully target who to capture in conversation—such as a start-up literary agent seeking clients.
The days of the reclusive author are long past. Harper Lee, Emily Dickinson, H.P. Lovecraft, Thomas Pynchon, J.D. Salinger, Marcel Proust and Emily Brontë all hid away from the world, but all penned their stories when the written word was more powerful than the visual image. They could get away with not courting the public.
Georgette Heyer, the English historical romance and detective fiction novelist shunned the press. After her novel These Old Shades became popular despite its release during the General Strike of 1926, Heyer determined that publicity was not necessary for good sales. For the rest of her life, she refused to grant interviews, telling a friend: "My private life concerns no one but myself and my family."
Heyer's books were rarely reviewed, but she was wildly popular with readers, selling a million copies of her books every year, by the time of her death. Even today, 44 years after she died, there are annual worldwide sales of 100,000 copies of her many titles.
Such stand-offishness wouldn't work today. Word of mouth publicity is a rare phenomenon, at the best of times, meaning we have to conjure up some razzmatazz to attract readers' attention. That includes putting ourselves out there!
For my own part, cogitating on ways to publicise what will soon be five novels in my Cornish Detective series, I've been thinking on a local scale, as well as nationally. Despite being renowned worldwide for its art scene and famous authors, Cornwall is terribly served by the literary world. There are really only two book publishers, but they specialise in naval history and tourist guides. I've only found one Cornish-based literary agent, and she's semi-retired. I recently came across two local authors who appeared to be published by Cornish publishers, but they proved to be vanity operations.
I've been doing some lateral thinking, for my stories include references to naturism, paganism, the art colony at Saint Ives, supercars, motorcycles, cats, the Beast of Bodmin Moor, farming, PTSD and mental illness—so, I could seek publicity from groups interested in these things—as well as contacting mainstream media to do interviews.
I really don't want to do any of this! I've become very reclusive in the last eight years. However, I don't lack confidence, and could happily appear in front of a large audience. I've done some public performing as an actor, so am nerveless about being scrutinised.
In the 21st-century, an author is as much a part of the brand as their stories, and, I dare say, that many writers make more from public appearances at festivals and on television and radio, than they ever do from book sales!
How do you feel about becoming a media star?
As Andy Warhol predicted: "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes," so perhaps it's unavoidable. The internet has made us all nosy—we want to know everything about everybody—Facebook and national governments already do, so why can't we delve into the background of our favourite author?
I visited the library yesterday, and browsing novels to read, I found a couple that didn't have author photographs on the book cover flap. I couldn't help thinking, "What have they got to hide?"
Are you ready for your close-up?
Lights, camera, action!
