City of Dreams and Nightmare reviewed!

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by The Judge

Do they contact you/your publisher to provide links, or is someone googling your name a lot?!

That someone doing a lot of googling would probably be Ian, unless he is remarkably cool-headed for an author with a book just out.

At the same time, yes, reviewers do often send copies of their reviews to publisher -- perhaps in the hope that a blurb will be used and their name splashed over the cover of the book -- and the publishers pass on the information.

[ctg]

Originally Posted by Ian Whates

ctg, I honestly don't know. With NewCon Press books I physically send out the review copies, but, as this isn't one I've published, I'm not sure where any such have or haven't been delivered.

Interesting. So for the NewCon you're a co-Editor with Mr Watson (?), and the sole Publicist(?). But for this one the publisher is acting on your behalf, or have I misunderstood completely?

[Ian Whates]

Guilty as charged. Theresa's quite right - I googled, not expecting to find anything, and discovered the first review straight off... then, the next day, googled again and found the second.

ctg, you're more or less correct. As a publisher, I own NewCon Press, which is essentially a one-man band: me. I decide on the books I want to produce, commission the stories, sort out contracts/pay etc with the authors, organise the covers and oversee the art, edit the stories, rationalise all content re: punctuation and other conventions (ie single or double inverted commas, how elipses, long dashes etc are represented, whether it's okay or OK, all right or alright etc etc), create the title page, Verso page etc, do the initial layout of the book, oversee the printing and am then solely responsible for the marketing and selling -- storing the books, keeping a record of sales, responding to queries, wrapping up and sending out the books as they're ordered and bought.

Of course, I don't do this entirely on my own. Storm Constantine does the final layout of the text, and Ian Watson sub-edits the stories with me.

With City of Dreams and Nightmare and its sequels, (as with The Noise Within, due out in May from Solaris, and its sequels) the situation is entirely different. These are novels I've written as an author and sold (either once written or as a concept) to a publisher. In essence, once the book has been written and delivered, my roll is over; the publisher does the rest, and I only become involved again when the book is out, on the promotional side of things (for obvious reasons).

So, in a sense, two separate careers within the same industry: author on the one hand, editor/publisher on the other. It keeps me busy.

[ctg]

Makes me wonder where do you find all the time and energy? Don't answer. Just let me believe it's another scifi story.

[Fried Egg]

Did you know your book is in the "Three for Two" offer in Waterstones, Ian?

I was tempted to pick it up but I could only find one other book I wanted (in the promotion). May come back to it...

[Ian Whates]

Originally Posted by Fried Egg

Did you know your book is in the "Three for Two" offer in Waterstones, Ian?

I was tempted to pick it up but I could only find one other book I wanted (in the promotion). May come back to it...

The solution's obvious, FE... You buy two copies of mine, one for yourself and one as a gift for a deserving friend or relative. There, problem solved!

Actually, thanks for confirming this. I knew the book was going to be 'on display' (ie on a table) in Waterstones and that there was a chance it could be included in the 2-for-1, but hadn't had confirmation, so that's great news.

Must try to get into a Waterstones to see it!

[Fried Egg]

On the Waterstones website, it's in the "up to 50% off" promotion so that might be a better plan for me if I can't find three books I want.

[Ursa major]

And Waterstones is having an double points weekend, so if you have a Waterstone's card you won't lose out if the promotion discount happens to be fifty per cent. (Sorry, but the Scots, Yorkshire and Dutch blood kicks in from time to time.)


Or is the 50% discount only on the website, FE?




Either way, I'm seriously tempted to pop down into town tomorrow.

[Stephen Palmer]

Originally Posted by Ian Whates

Guilty as charged. Theresa's quite right - I googled, not expecting to find anything, and discovered the first review straight off... then, the next day, googled again and found the second.

We all do it.

[Fried Egg]

Originally Posted by Ursa major

And Waterstones is having an double points weekend, so if you have a Waterstone's card you won't lose out if the promotion discount happens to be fifty per cent. (Sorry, but the Scots, Yorkshire and Dutch blood kicks in from time to time.)


Or is the 50% discount only on the website, FE?

It is only on the web site and it's up to 50% off (i.e. less than 50%).

[Ian Whates]

Amazon currently have the book discounted as well, by 30%.

What a bargain... my wondrous words discounted all over the place! (Sigh)

[Ian Whates]

Originally Posted by ctg

Any Guardian or The Times (or any national) reviews coming up?

Apparently, yes, ctg!

This in today's Guardian: Science fiction & fantasy roundup | Books | The Guardian

[Ursa major]

And the reviewer sums it up thus:

...Whates's assured prose, slick pacing and inventive imagination make for a gripping read. His first novel is the work of a born storyteller.

It's a shame that they weren't a bit more enthusiastic, really ().



Add to that the bargain price and there's no reason not to buy the book, is there?


.

[ctg]

Originally Posted by Ian Whates

Apparently, yes, ctg!

This in today's Guardian: Science fiction & fantasy roundup | Books | The Guardian

Good stuff Ian. Now let's hope that will translate to sales and people find the book enjoyable so that they start to talking about it. Then next in the line should be more press, and a possible interview in the BBC 4. That would be great, yeah?

[The Judge]

Got mine today! (And at full price. Not sure if that makes me foolish with money or too impatient to find 2 other books I wanted.)

One minor disappointment - the beautiful cover art is almost completely obscured on the back with writing and lots of busy-ness. What someone needs to invent is blurb and other stuff which can be faded down to near invisibility.



PS 'The City of a Hundred Rows'? Blimey. Must be a quiet place. I have that many arguments just in my living room...