Early responses to 'Asboville'
Well, the book is due to be released in less than a month. It's gone out to dozens of potential reviewers, literary magazines, reading clubs and such like. Now we're back to the waiting game again. So far, those that have commented have been positive in their responses, which is nice but a large percentage of these readers know me personally so there is the whole 'pinch of salt' thing. More promising is the response from various young adult readers who have responded enthusiastically, one or two reading the whole thing in just a couple of days. I know for a fact that of those two, one hardly ever picks up a book which must be a good sign, though I think she may have been looking to see if she was represented in the story...
I picked up boxes of postcards and bookmarks from Maia Press at the weekend. I'm going to start farming them out and placing them in buildings and establishments of strategic importance. If anybody wants to help me with this (after reading the book of course) then drop me an e-mail via the contact page on my website and I'll get some out to you. It can be our little conspiracy...
Other wise it's business as usual. The new novel is coming along but it'll take a while. I don't envisage completing it until the summer.
Some people have commented that the blog makes a good read, so I'll endeavour to keep at it and see if it grows. I didn't mean to offend anybody who blogs with my reference to 'self gratification' by the way. Most of the blogs I read are great. One day in the future I'll point you in the direction of them but I expect most people who read this (at least before the book is released) are reading the same blogs I read anyway.
When the book comes out, what I'd really like to see is questions, about the book, the story, the characters, writing, getting published (or trying to get published), you name it!
I picked up boxes of postcards and bookmarks from Maia Press at the weekend. I'm going to start farming them out and placing them in buildings and establishments of strategic importance. If anybody wants to help me with this (after reading the book of course) then drop me an e-mail via the contact page on my website and I'll get some out to you. It can be our little conspiracy...
Other wise it's business as usual. The new novel is coming along but it'll take a while. I don't envisage completing it until the summer.
Some people have commented that the blog makes a good read, so I'll endeavour to keep at it and see if it grows. I didn't mean to offend anybody who blogs with my reference to 'self gratification' by the way. Most of the blogs I read are great. One day in the future I'll point you in the direction of them but I expect most people who read this (at least before the book is released) are reading the same blogs I read anyway.
When the book comes out, what I'd really like to see is questions, about the book, the story, the characters, writing, getting published (or trying to get published), you name it!
posted by Danny Rhodes at 1:11 PM
6 Comments:
I've been pointed this way by dovegreyreader. I hang on her (almost) every word regarding books because she has such a phenomenal capacity for devouring them. As I have a teenage daughter I think that Asboville should probably be bumped up my tbr pile. Don't give up on the blog. You could decide to blog at least once a week and choose a particular day to upload. That way blog followers would know when to take a peek. My day begins with putting kettle on, turning computer on, making tea, reading DGR blog and then everything else.... I'm not promising to become a regular reader - DGR has my heart and will not be displaced - but I'm sure that some people will. All I can say is that that I may well pop back here from time to time
Thanks for this. I'll try to add a regular entry but it's a lot like writing really, sometimes ideas come in floods...
I hold dovegreyreader responsible for my appearance here too! Have The Albion agreed to take your book on? They usually do little "local author" signs stuck to the covers in the window. Do an event: I can think of a few Canterbridgeans who could be persuaded to attend! If you can coincide it with the upcoming Canterbury Festival, you may get an even larger crowd than usual. BTW, loved your piece on the concert and train trip back from London. I did the route back to Canterbury last night and was practically frothing at the mouth by the time I arrived home.
Danny, I didn't even know that you had a blog. I personally am less worried about the self-gratiying side - though there are far too many mememe blogs out there, or buymebuybuyme from authors - but you can certainly avoid that route, and there are very good author blogs as models. Do you know Jenny D's for example? She's having her first YA book published early in 2008, I believe. She's terrific, a great blogging voice, erudite, well-read.
For me the real problem is that blogging is becoming something of an obsession and a way of avoiding my other writing. I see this as the far greater danger.
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In response to equiano, we are busy trying to organise an event. I think I'll make that my next blog entry actually...
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