"Personal" question(s) to John Jarrold

[John Jarrold]

Shouldn't be any issues re. stories with characters they've used in novels, as long as the novels were their own invention - not 'shared-world' work like Star Trek!

As a publisher, I never cared whether or not the writer had been published previously in short form - nor do the bookselling chains. Only the novel counts.

Pitfalls? Not really from my point-of-view, just a lot of hard work involved - and I assume it'll be self-published, since I can't see any mainstream publisher being interested, for reasons already stated...

Good luck!

[Anatedhrai]

I've edited or co-edited three writers' group anthologies.

Firstly, I would be very clear as to whether this project is intended primarily as a souvenir for your group, or if you intend to potentially sell the book outside it. This will be reflected in the number of copies you print. The first one I was involved in had 200 copies. That proved to be too many, so the other two had 100 each. Nowadays, with print-on-demand you can print extra copies when needed instead of committing to a larger print run.

Don't expect to sell huge numbers to outsiders who aren't friends or relatives. Many of your would-be readers (of short fiction - not so sure about poetry) are would-be writers. It's hard to sell something to writers that they wouldn't be able to submit to later, as you would with a magazine or a semi-regular anthology series.

If you want to sell your book more widely than privately, you will need an ISBN - and I understand they are chargeable nowadays. (You're not obliged to have an ISBN, but people will need one to order your book unless directly from yourself.) You will also need six copies to send to the copyright libraries. Along with review copies, contributor copies and other free copies, these are things you will have to include in your budget.

Don't skimp on time for copy-editing, as nothing looks more amateurish than typos galore, or conventions on spelling (-ise or -ize?) and punctuation (single or double quote marks?) changing from one story to the next.

You might want to consider separating out publishing and marketing. I found that by the time the book was in my hand I was burned out from copy-editing, preparing it for typesetting and printing etc (and all the last-minute crises that come up). At that point it can be useful to have someone fresh to take over at that point and sell the finished product.

See if you can get the book reviewed. The Fix and Laura Hird's site are two online places that might review your book. Put together a press release and send it (and a copy of the book) to your local newspapers. If you're REALLY aiming high, send copies to the national press...and if you know a journalist, send one to him or her individually as well. (The Guardian occasionally reviews small-press books in its Saturday review section - I can't speak for other papers.)

Organise a book launch which needn't be elaborate - you can hire a room in your local pub if you like. But it's nice to have a party.

Anyway, best of luck!

[John Jarrold]

FYI, I'm away from Friday morning for a few days, back online next Wednesday. Off to celebrate my 55th birthday.

Good grief...

[Wayne Blackhurst]

Originally Posted by John Jarrold

FYI, I'm away from Friday morning for a few days, back online next Wednesday. Off to celebrate my 55th birthday.

Good grief...

Enjoy your spa weekend, John. Don't overdo the steam sauna. Things shrink, you know.

(I jest of course... Enjoy your birthday.)

[David Elliott]

Originally Posted by John Jarrold

FYI, I'm away from Friday morning for a few days, back online next Wednesday. Off to celebrate my 55th birthday.

Good grief...

Have a good one, John!

My very best to you and yours ...

My second best to them and theirs ...

And remember what Dave Allen once said: "I don't mind getting older .... not when you consider the alternative."

[John Jarrold]

I'll tell you a shaggy vampire story from Dave Allan one day...

Cheers!

[gary compton]

Have a wee dram on me John and remember, if God's good you have got 45 years left. Imagine that? It could happen

[John Jarrold]

Here I am again. Great weekend, ready to rock and roll...

[scalem X]

"Great weekend." Wow you managed to edit it down to two words. Welcome back, happy belated birthday and hope you had fun.

[John Jarrold]

I always loved precis!!!

[chopper]

"we'll always have precis..."

[David Elliott]

Welcome back, John ...

This isn't really a publishing question, just something that's been bugging me ...

Does anybody remember those kid's books, where it gave you the choice of what to do next, at the bottom of each page?

Eg: If you want to open the door, go to Page 35 ... if you want to jump through the window, go to page 27.

If so, whatever happened to them? They seemed to be everywhere during the 80s ...

[andrew.v.spencer]

I think they were dungeons and dragons books by (mainly) Gary Gygax who I think died recently. A friend of mine had a whole bunch back in the eighties, I don't know when they stopped making them... and I dimly remember the name Ian Livingstone as an author. I'm sure somebody here has the full story.

[JDP]

There were also the Fighting Fantasy books by Steve Jackson et al. They usually had a limey green spine and back, I think. They were awesome.

[David Elliott]

I can remember lending several of them from the library; SF, Fantasy, Horror ... all sorts of things ...

And then there were those kid's crime books; where it'd give you the solution at the end of each chapter, but you had to work out how the detective had come to that conclusion ...

Eg: How did Inspector Moss discover that Lady Appleby's goldfish had stolen the Duke of Kidderminster's space-hopper?

Ah ... good times, good times ...