...bodies in the library....

Mes Amis

I have returned from Kirkcaldy, unscathed and unharmed and delighted by the sheer joys of both those readers who braved the descending darkness to come and watch me ramble and the librarians and booksellers who helped put together this rather fine evening.

The event - part of the "Fife Heroes" season of events - was a momentous occasion: my first full length solo event outside of a launch for either book. Could I ramble for a good hour? Could I remember how to do Burns's bastard-gravel voice? Was I about to be lynched for abandoning the homeland and writing about Dundee?

Luckily the fine Kirkcaldy Librarians (who are a bit like the Charlie's Angels of literacy) were on hand to ease me through my worries with some fine coffee beforehand and a lovely glass of red wine following. They also gave me a most wonderful introduction, although I still can't help but laugh when I hear myself referred to as a "Fife Hero".

The crowd was small but dedicated, and I was so thankful to all of them for turning up. But there was a surprise in there. A woman who approached me and asked if I remembered "Sammy The Snake", which threw me for a moment before I suddenly had a strange whiff of a memory in my brain and realised I was talking to a primary school teacher who is one of those people responsible for what I am today. Although Mrs Bruce said she never imagined I'd be a crime writer* it was a delight to see her after so long and to be reminded of one of the people who had truly encouraged me in my creative efforts when I were a nipper.

But it did lead me to a moral quandary... dare I swear in front of the woman who taught me how to tell the time and used to hang her head in frustration when I couldn't grasp the patterns of the Times Tables?

In the end, I admit to mildly editing some parts of the reading. The coward's way out? No, it all went down wonderfully. This was my first chance to read from the US edition of THE GOOD SON, and later I also read a piece from THE LOST SISTER I'd never read before. A longer piece, but I think it went down quite nicely. Also, your Fife Hero got the chance to stick in a hurrah for libraries and librarians and to talk a little about how McNee has evolved and changed as a character over two books.

Anyway, here are a few images from the event:

Yes, my collar was wonky, but it didn't matter since, if we believe this image, I suddenly turned into some kind of slightly camp, nutty professor. This is probably one of the most ludicrous pictures ever taken of me, but luckily I have no ego and thus present it for your viewing pleasure.






After the event, the assembled gathered to buy books and chat about the event. What a fantastic and wonderful bunch of people they were, too.






What's in the glass, you ask? Vodka or water? Only I can say for sure.

And here is your author with one his earliest fans, the aforementioned primary school teacher, Mrs Bruce. Back in primary school, she would refer to the children as her "little ones". Judging by the rotundness of my stomach in this picture, I ain't quite so little any more.



Your beardy hero would like to thank the staff of Kirkcaldy library, the booksellers at Kirkcaldy Waterstones and the lovely, lovely people who turned up on the night. I love doing events like this, and its always worth meeting readers and talking to them about books and about the joy of reading.

Au revoir

Russel


*she figured I was far too quiet, which just goes to show that it is always the quiet kids you should watch out for

Pick me up before you go-go

Mes Amis

Does anyone else think about the publisher before they pick up a book?

Since starting my current day job, I’ve had to brush up on the bookseller equivalent of The Knowledge*. I may specialise in crime fiction but there’s still a whole lot I don’t know. So I take advantage of bookseller ARCS to read books I wouldn’t normally consider and to discover more about the wide world of publishing.

And I’ve started to realise something - - the key to discovering new authors is not to read blurbs but to consider the publisher.

Certain publishers are getting higher hit rates with me. I get excited by Polygon crime ARCS now (even David Ashton, who doesn’t write my typical style, is actually very good at the Historical, bringing to it a fine sense of time and place). Also Quercus, who even if they don’t always publish crime always publish something intriguing (Pilo Family Circus, please stand up!). Orion, of course, as well. And Serpent's bloody Tail who, before I even registered the name, were introducing me to Mosely, Pelecanos and a whole boatload of truly exciting writers.

Certain publishers have a more hit and miss ratio for me, but intrigue me. And certain publishers I tend to avoid altogether apart from a cursory glance.

Maybe its because this is the first time I’ve ever had to think about the publishers, but I’ve found that it’s a way of finding new-to-me authors I’d never have encountered, relying on the strength of the publishing brand to convince me to crack open the book. And if I wasn’t in the job I’m in, I wonder, would I ever do that? I don’t think so, because I don’t think the average reader gives two hoots about the publishing brand. Which may explain why they don’t branch out that often – they have nothing to go on with a new author other than blurbs (which many average people assume are done as favours/for cash bungs if I’m to judge by a few comments I’ve overheard) or advertising (and let’s face it, book advertising is rarely imaginative and often homogenous between publishing houses – coming off the train the other day at Waverley, I saw three publisher billboards for upcoming thrillers from different houses and, names and titles aside, they all looked the same).

Brands can be built. Certain people will only buy shoes from Nike or t-shirts from, uh, FCUK**. But most people will buy books from any publishing house and mostly based on the fact that they… already like the author or it appears similar enough to an author they already like. Witness Andrew Gross being touted as a “best selling co-author” capitalising not on his talent or his publisher, but rather on the brand of the Thriller Machine James Patterson whose name on a book – whether he wrote, plotted or simply came up with the characters – guarantees sales***.

At the same time, getting publisher brands more imbedded in reader conciousness might be a way of leading to more reader experimentation. I will now read any book by Quercus. Or Serpent’s Tail. But if I wasn’t a bookseller, would I even be aware of the publishers? Would the thought of who they are and what they do even cross my mind?

Because I’m sure it doesn’t with most bookbuyers, which might explain why they’re so lost when looking for a good book. Why they don’t experiment.

As ever, I can’t offer answers. Because as ever, this blog is just random thoughts from the top of my head, but I’m interested to know if anyone else will automatically examine books from certain publishers, or if its just me who’s starting to think that way.

Au revoir

Russel

*For those who don’t know, The Knowledge, is like that thing taxi drivers have where they know the ins and outs of the city - - I think it might be a London taxi-driver specific thing, but don’t quote me on that

**Can you tell I’m not one of the people who pays attention to brands on clothes, because I was really struggling to think of them here…

***Very much like Tom Clancy - - these guys are no longer authors but brands of their own.

Professional Ethics

Mes Amis

I am just about to post (over on crimescenescotlandreviews.blogspot.com) a couple of recent reviews.

It is not unknown for me to review people I like personally. In each and every case, they understand that, if I don't like the book, I will say so. They know that I am an honest man and that I will fucking criticise you if I feel you deserve it.

I'm not as ethical as some reviewers in the sense that they will not review friends or people who have bought them drinks. I can understand this approach. But I have always believed in separating the personal from the professional as much as possible.

In other words: you can like a person even if you don't like their books. And you can like a book even if you don't like the author.

I also believe an author should be ready for criticism. Not evil bastard criticism, but honest and well-intentioned criticism. Fuck it, if I ever gets that book out there, I'm prepared for pummellings. I hope I don't get them, but... they'll happen. Its inevitable.

I like to think that even when I am critical of works, I am even handed. I try to approach books as dispassionately as possible. That is I view them in as wide a context as I can and try not simply to promote my gut feelings, but to say what kind of audience a book is intended for and whether I think it might hit that audience.

My reviews have been referred to as "horribly cerebral" and "incredibly detailed" in private posts. Well, what's the point of a review that just says, "I liked it". That's nothing more than a blurb. It tells the reader nothing. Similarly a review that says, "I hated it" is often doing even less. Explain why the book is a failure, you bastards! Go on, pin it down.

If I can't explain why I didn't like a book, I won't review it.*

But I'm straying from the point here, because one recent review has given me pause. Its a bastardly glowing review, I think. For a man I know personally (but then that's never stopped me before) but what makes things diferent now is that... I know him professionally.

He's my agent.

He's the man who champions my writing.

He's also the man who criticises my writing. Really criticises. Destoys it. Takes it apart. Shows me how to make it better. Hell, I'm a better writer now than I was six months ago. Okay, you can't see any proof - but you'll just have to trust me.

And this guy appreciates it when I criticise his work in my reviews (unless I get on at him about sexual dysfunction as a recurring motif in his novels). This is someone who gets what I do in my reviews and knows that I wouldn't lie about his work or let the fact I know him get in the way of what I say about his books. And anyway, I was a fan of his before I knew him at all. The point is, I know and he knows that if I didn't like the book, I'd bloody well say so.

But the charges of cronyism can be easy to level especially considering the nature of some reviews out there.**

But I don't care. Because I loved this book, and I'll put myself on the line for it in this way. Those of you who've read my reviews up to now know what kind of books I love and this one fits right in.

Fuck it, anyway...

Its my damn website.

Au revoir

Russel

And for five quid, I'll make your book sound all intellectual, too...****

**I have, as eagle eyed readers will know, written some love letters to novels myself: but it takes a special kind of book to me go gushy...

***There are other reasons too: lack of time being the most common... I get a ton of books to review these days for various purposes including the day job...

****Obviously a joke...*****

***Fifteen quid is the real price...******

******If Dave White's reading this blog post, he won't get here because we all know he hates footnotes...