Saturday, April 01, 2006

Author: ALAN NEALE

Author: ALAN NEALE

Published books by the Author: Bricks & Torture

Publisher's website: www.authorsonline.co.uk

Books in Process: None at the moment.

Welcome, Alan.


Interview:

1. When and why did you begin writing?
According to my mother, probably at about 7 or 8 years old – and I suspect got rather more critical acclaim at the time!

2. What inspired you to write your first book?
A curious blend of frustration, a sense of unfulfilled potential – and a 24 carat opportunity with the house renovation.

3. How did you approach writing your first book?
Planning would suggest some grand strategy, which never happened, but having failed in the past to get various parties interested in my writing, I had decided that this time I would, and more particularly, could, do it. The discipline of a diary-based project was what was needed to kick start it, and keep it on course – quite a cathartic experience as it happened!

4. Who or what influenced your writing?
I don’t, or very rarely, read fiction. I much prefer autobiographies, travel writing or documentary type books. I will read mostly Bill Bryson and Clive James but also enjoy P J O’Rourke and Tony Hawks.

5. Why do you continue to write? At the moment, I don’t!

6. What do you hope to accomplish through your writing?
I am afraid it's rather selfish – it gives me a sense of satisfaction and achievement. There ain't too much in this world that I am good at, and while it would seem that not too many agree, I think my writing is at least passable! If others get some joy from it, then great!

7. What has been your experience as a published writer?
Not good (see the article below that I wrote for the Authors OnLine Website)

8. How do you promote your book(s)?
‘Publicity’ – I like the definition from my Collins Pocket Dictionary – ‘process or information used to arouse public attention’ – the thought of trying to arouse the public is both faintly seedy and laughably unlikely. However, it catches the nub of the matter – attracting attention.
If you are like me (and you have my sympathy if you are), the only way to promote your book and reap some reward and return from its publication, is to be a one man/woman/person publicity machine. But if you are like me, you won’t have a clue. Actually, that’s not true, and as so ably put in the guidance provided elsewhere on this website, you will have given at least a little thought to who might possibly be interested in your scribblings that have now been miraculously turned into a crisp, shiny new book. Having said all of this, just as my own book (‘Bricks & Torture’, bargain at £10.99, stonking read, available in all good bookshops and AuthorsOnline) struggles to be classified, there may not be an obvious market, in which case the old adage of all publicity being good publicity comes to the fore – in other words, anything, anyone, anyhow, anytime, anyplace, anywhere (just don’t start singing the old Martini jingle – it wont help!).


First off – you have to do something. Sitting waiting for telepathic signals to wend through the ether and miraculously plant themselves into peoples brains, such that they uncontrollably log on to Authorsonline or Amazon, or burst into the nearest bookshop demanding to purchase 20 copies, is about as likely as George Bush joining Greenpeace. People will only know if you tell them – so, go tell them! Friends, family, work colleagues, distant relatives, strange acquaintances, postmen, dustmen, journalists, producers, editors, politicians, MP’s, Prime Minister, God, Bernie Ecclestone (oops, sorry, duplication there). And how do you tell them? By every means possible, but beware, this is not for shrinking violets (or timid theresas, wimpy wills, nervous nancys – you get my drift).

The phone can be a wonderfully investigative tool, but be prepared to be passed around more people than a ball amongst the England Rugby backs (on a good day). Phone your local television stations, radio stations, newspapers, freesheets, village journals, - in fact any form of media possible. Still further, get out there and knock on some doors, or rather talk charmingly but persuasively (in person) to local bookshop owners and managers, you will be surprised at the positive response you get, but do get your script and approach right beforehand. Entering with a menacing wide-eyed look and blurting excitedly about how they must stock your book, and if they don’t the curse of a thousand Prescotts will be put upon them, will probably prompt a push of the panic button and a banning order. My tack? First, ask if the manager is available, and make sure you do this on a weekday – you don’t want the shelf filler who may lack the intellect necessary to make sound judgements, and if you go on a Saturday, chances are all the staff will be of this persuasion. Next, ask if they sell local books (I admit, this is a little cunning, as they may well think you want to buy rather than sell). Almost certainly, the answer will be yes, at which point, you produce your deviously hidden copy of your book and suggest (firmly, but politely) that they may want to stock it. This has worked in all cases, including, to my surprise, two sizeable branches of Ottakars.

Okay, so this gets you some sales to the bookshops, but how will people know that they are available to purchase? You have to spread the word through the media, and in these cases persistence pays. There is a fine line between being an amiable pest and being a real pain, but do not be put off by apparent barriers, real or imaginary. I have found that a combination of e-mails and phone calls can be quite productive, but be careful of the tack that you take. Local papers should be more than willing to feature your book and your story, but you are likely to have to hound them a little as well as being imaginative with the copy that you give them to attract attention –‘I have published a book, please feature it’, probably will not get them reaching for the phone frantically to bag the main story ahead of their bitter local rivals.
Radio on the other hand has been a reasonably rich, and varied, vein, but in doing so I have had to develop the perseverance and tenacity only generally associated with canines and skeletal parts. Find out who is the most likely lucky recipient of your persistence (a phone call or 10 should do it), and then don’t let go. Granted, you will have to modify your behaviour to make sure you are not classified as a deranged stalker, but you do need to hang in there. Through a variety of the above, I have managed to get myself interviewed (live) on two BBC local stations and one local commercial station, together with a taped phone interview on another (bizarre experience, not unlike talking to yourself with someone else in the room – not that I have ever done that of course). The strange thing was the quality of milieu as between at least part of the dear old Beeb and the commercial station. One was in a dog-eared architecturally challenged building in a rather grimy home counties town, while the other was in a bright and breezy converted milking parlour on a country estate. Still further while bright and breezy gave me a decent cup of coffee in a clean mug, for the alternative, I sipped a weak tea in a chipped mug that looked as if it might have been last cleaned in the time of William the Conqueror. I’m sorry, but Luton has a lot to answer for!


But this is to be ungracious, as the presenters (sorry, they cannot be classified as DJ’s, particularly as one station had not one single D to J) all took the time and trouble to consider my plea, and showed sufficient (and genuine) interest in myself and the book that they very kindly invited me on to tell their assembled audiences all about me and my literary meanderings. For this, I am eternally grateful, for, if nothing else, in the space of just over two weeks I had not only Andy Warhols promised 15 minutes of fame, but second, third and fourth helpings of the stuff. And without exception, they showed consideration and apparent curiosity which restored my faith in mans ability to be human and for once, unobsessed with the growing cult of celebrities. Unfortunately, I am not sure that my performance lived up their expectation, as it is one thing to be entertaining by the written word, but quite another to do so verbally when you are so nervous that you can hear the quiver in your own voice. Still, I achieved what I set out to do, even if I may not have done as well as I would have wanted, and I can tick the box of life experiences that has seen me interviewed live in a proper radio studio. God Bless them, indeed so much so that I will name them – John Pilgrim at BBC Three Counties (laid-back, affable, been there, seen it, done it and on at least his fourth T-Shirt to prove it), Mims Lovelock at Hertbeat FM (sparkling, intelligent, welcoming and plugged the book like she was on commission) and Steve Scruton at BBC Essex (engaging, encouraging and so helpful he probably deserved a big hug – don’t worry, I didnt)

There is of course one other mass medium which is increasingly inescapable, the all seeing eye of television. Interestingly, those in radio have a rather jaundiced view of TV, believing it is fundamentally tainted by its fixation with image and style, and that radio is the purer means of providing information. To be honest, they may be right, but I am unashamedly after publicity, and if any television station or programme wants to publicise and promote my efforts, at this almost amoeba state of my literary career, I would be happy to take anything that’s offered – 30 seconds on a local, local, spot on the mid-morning weekday news slot when the only viewers will be residents of nursing homes, geriatric dogs and those with an unhealthy fascination with third rate makeover programmes, will be just fine by me. However, thus far I have failed, but have had the pleasure of dealing with a peculiar breed who seem to sit on what the television stations call their ‘Newsdesk’. They are disarmingly cheerful, charming and genial, and suck you into believing that they are genuinely enthused by your story, which has the effect of taking all the sting out of your planned firm but polite approach, and most worryingly convinces you that, like that very attractive leggy blonde that you vainly chatted-up at someones 18th birthday party more years ago than you care to remember, they will ring you – honest! Needless to say, the phone doesn’t ring, and you feel slightly foolish and guilty when you ring them back. Trouble is that in this case, you simply go through the same cycle again. At this precise moment in time. I haven’t given up, but neither have I got a slap around the face yet, either actually, or metaphorically.

Finally, be prepared to think laterally about how you can spread the word. For me, this has included running ads in some very local journals (dirt cheap), putting up posters on notice boards wherever you can find room, pressing your work colleagues to buy copies of the book (but stop short of threatening violence), handing out publicity leaflets, stuffing them under car windscreen wipers in car parks, having a stall at a local village fair (rubbing shoulders with the WI and the best Jam in Hertfordshire, but commercially the least productive), e-mailing the editorial sections of some of the large newspapers in the US (astoundingly, I have sold quite a few copies in The States, but whether one of them is to Steven Speilberg I am still waiting to find out), and even printing T-shirts bearing the front cover (even I was surprised at the number of quizzical looks I got).

Remember, people can only say ‘no’ (or occasionally ‘NO!), so be brave, be bold, be imaginative, because its more than likely that these are the traits that got you determined to write and publish in the first place.

9. What advice would you like to share with other writers?
See above!

10. Any other comments you would like to add?
Thank you for taking the time and trouble to read my book, provide feedback, and open a forum of this nature – there are still some things in the world that give me hope!

Thank you, Alan, for taking the time, and as promotion is the primary obstacle for POD authors, a special thanks for sharing your article.

Interviewer: Kaye Trout - April 1, 2006 - Copyright