That is the name of my upcoming book. It was going to be God Bothering but when people saw my cover and the title they assumed it was a tract on theology. So with a little help from my friends it has a new name.
the title is under reconstruction and anyway the typo is a joy to behold; but it gives you the picture.
Today, well very late yesterday, it was sent to my editor (doesn’t that sounds presumptuous?) for a final read through and tidy up. My darling beta readers have had their comments adopted (or rejected, but everso nicely) and it is finished. When I get it back I will then be read through one more time and then I publish. Coo! A second book.
I love writing books; it really floats my boat. It’s why I tap at a keyboard at all sorts of daft hours. But now I’m excited by this whole publishing malarkey. So I fell to thinking about why I wanted to publish. Was there one reason? And I concluded, no, there are several.
1. I’ve said it before but by publishing, it stops me from tinkering. My first book, Dead Flies and Sherry Trifle, went through countless edits and, by the end, I was changing things around without ever saying anything new. Just finding a new form of words to say the same thing. I hoped publishing – letting the child go out into the world on his own – would put a stop to that and it has. Huzzah!
2. Several people wanted to read it, when they had heard I’d written it. I could have let them have a pdf but that seemed a bit scrappy so offering them a real tangible thing felt like the best way to meet that need.
3. While I try and disown it and do my best to curtail its worst excesses, as the previous paragraph will have highlighted, I have an ENORMOUS EGO. So seeing my name in print made me glow just a tad. Who am I kidding? I BURST WITH PRIDE!
4. I did not expect to make money. I knew it would almost certainly cost me more to launch it that not. I was determined to keep the outgoings to the minimum but even so. So I thought publication should do some good and I decided to offer all the proceeds to charity – in this case The Streatham Youth and Community Trust. I recently received some £200 in royalties. No, not big money but it will all help. And it felt good!
5. Getting a book up in lights has definitely stimulated me to do more; I came to this writing lark late in life (and was suitably chastised by an article in today’s paper that said David Lodge and Kazuo Ishiguro believe writer’s peaks are in their mid forties – hmm) and set off like a train. I have a siding full of manuscripts in various stages of completion so I’m not stopping any time soon. It is a consequence of publishing however that I am now fully engaged in getting the next one released and so on.
6. Publication has been vindication. I wrote but I wasn’t a writer. That silliness stayed until I published when I became ‘an author’. In my head. Somewhere between my heart and my bowel I know I am a fraud to think that, but logic says, if you’ve published a book you can call yourself an author. Of course you can call yourself that a long time before publication but, for me, it has been the tipping point. Even if, when you tell people, in response the utterly and ineffably tedious ‘and what do you do?’ question at a dinner or party you reply, ‘I am an author’ they ask ‘who published your book?’ Cretins. Visigoths. Bashi-Bazouks. Rumpelstiltskins. The worst offenders don’t even ask: ‘ what have you written?’
7. It stops my children nagging me to publish and friends asking ‘when will you publish?’.
8. I have a source of ready made birthday, anniversary, wedding and Christmas gifts.
9. One hopes that in some small way my actions and impact will be remembered by those who knew me after I’m gone but I have no illusions that my name will linger beyond actual memories. Until now. Now there will be a tangible bit of me left. A small piece of me-tritus, washed up on the shores of the future. Maybe it doesn’t tell anyone much about me, other than I had the spare time to put 100,000 words into a laptop. But I will linger on someone’s bookshelf perhaps; and even if that person doesn’t much care for the book, thinks of it as the literary equivalent of herpes, I will still be there. Ego again, see.
10. Lists have to have 10 to be a proper list. This one doesn’t and isn’t.
If anyone thought they might like to read my book so they could post a review soon after it goes live then I’d love to hear from you. This is the current blurb, which may (or may not) tempt you
When British freelancer Maurice Oldham saves American scientist Lori-Ann Beaumont from a pack of journalists at a ProLife conference in San Francisco, neither expects to see the other again. But six months on, Lori-Ann is on Maurice’s doorstep, bruised, penniless and desperate to find her boyfriend, Peterson, who has gone missing in England. Maurice soon realises nothing is as it seems with Lori-Ann. Why is she really chasing Peterson; why has her father, Pastor of the Church of Science and Development sent people to bring her home; what is behind the Federal Agency who is investigating Lori-Ann’s workplace in connection with its use of human embryos; and what happened in Nicaragua a quarter of a century ago that is echoing down the years? For Maurice and Lori-Ann the answers lie somewhere in their Fathers’ pasts. Finding those answers will take Lori-Ann and Maurice from England via America to Nicaragua; in so doing they will have to confront some uncomfortable truths about their Fathers and themselves.
TanGental 
That is a great cover! Cogratulatons 🙂
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Woop! Now Sue given your fab covers that is a real compliment; I will tell my talented young designer.
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😀
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Looking forward to reading this and I love the cover it is brilliant!!
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Thanks Willow; you are, as the youngsters put it ‘super supportive’ and I’m really grateful.
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My pleasure
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oooh oooh oooh….. when are you publishing? this is SO exciting :). Love the title…. very intriguing blurb… I will of course read it… possibly before I read your first actually.. is that allowed?!
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Of course; you read what you can when you can! As for a date, I’m not quite at dates yet. I should link up with Chris at TSRA shouldn’t I to get a launch slot? Do you think?
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Congratulations! Good move to change the title. The God title and the cover page would have made me think the book was a religious anti-abortion, anti-stem cell research book which I would not have bothered with.
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Far from it but, yes, I can see why you would conclude that. Thanks Rachel for the encouragement. it all helps push me closer to the *gulp* moment of pressing ‘publish’.
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Love the cover, and I agree wholeheartedly to the title change. Congrats and best of luck with book sales!
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Thanks so much!
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Really like the title change (and the current title typo). A new word? I sense that you are wearing your author mantle easier now, and you deserve to wear it proudly! I’d love an advanced review copy if you still need reviewers.
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Wow, thanks Charli. I’ve not worked out how best to provide the final copies yet (I’m so old school it seems to be pdf) but I’ve asked my editor if there’s a better format that you’d be able to copy into your kindle. I will come back to you!
Oh and thank you for the kind author remarks. It’s the brass ring problem; if you think trad publication is the ultimate accolade you believe you haven’t quite made it without the ring. That’s me i suppose.
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I can’t wait to read this. I’m tempted to pester your / my editor for a copy. That’s not unethical, is it? 😉
I can relate to many of the points on your top 10 list, especially wanting to see your name in print. I’ve yet to meet an author that hasn’t got a real buzz out of that moment, whether it’s the first book or the twenty-first!
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It was singularly the most nervy moment of the last five years or so when I pressed publish. And then to see it listed on Amazon – whew! As for unethical, perhaps but I’m not proud; if you can do it then, may I can sneak a copy of book three….!!?
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I don’t think he’d send it to me if I asked, he’s far too professional. As for book three, it’s not quite in a state to share at the moment…
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Congratulations, Geoff. It sounds intriguing. But I thought your second book was a sequel to Sherry Trifle. Why was I under that misapprehension? I don’t think you have to give any excuses for being an author. You are a great storyteller, and you have stories to tell, so why not! I can remember being delighted upon hearing that Mem Fox (a picture book author I admire) published her first at age 39. I still had plenty of time to do the same. Sadly that time came and went long ago! We each do it in our own way and our own time. Congratulations of finding yours!
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Thank you Norah; the DFST sequel is in production but I promised myself I would get three books out in my first year and while I might struggle to quite do that I won’t be far off. This did mean the sequel is a little behind but my aim is to make it book four. If I haven’t finished the first draft before nano it will be my nano project.
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Wow! Geoff, that’s some ambition. For many it would be un-achievable, but for you it’s a goal in sight. Well done!
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I have to push myself!
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You obviously get the whip out from time to time to keep up the pace! 🙂
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The very best of luck with the new book, Geoff. Sounds like a fantastic read and, although I’m not an avid reader, I shall pick it up and have a gander.
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You are a human legal high, Mr R. Makes my day to hear it.
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Does that mean the Government are about to make me illegal? 🙂
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Brings a new perspective to ‘Smokin’ Hugh’! And being made illegal might be quite an accolade
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Congrats! Its looking good! Best of luck with it…
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Thanks Ali; it’s getting to the nervy part
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Great list, Geoff and I am interested to read both your books. I’ll have to get myself sorted. I don’t read a lot of fiction but I’d like to read a few of the books written by the people I blog with but even that’s quite a list.
I really agree with what you say about fiddlinbg with the words and that constant tweaking, which really stalls a project. It’s hard to know whaen to press the “end” button for that very last time.
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I’m glad this resonates with you Rowena. Some others look at me as if I’m crazy. Not sure why. And if you do read which would mean so much then do pop up a review too!
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So no worries about the review part. I’ll get what I’m reading now finished and then I’ll read the first one. I’ve probably read bout the equivalent in words through your post already and I do enjoy your writing.
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Sounds excellent thank you!
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Congratulations, Geoff. I LOVE the new title and the blurb is most enticing. Of course you can call yourself an author – I’ve got a post on that coming soon after I attended an event as a member of the Society of authors.
Incidentally, regarding proof copies, I’ve been able to email out Kindle versions of mine as well as PDF. If that’s what you’re wondering, I don’t think it has to be launched on Amazon first.
And what about the launch party for this one – or both together? – And have you had any further thoughts on whether you be able to make mine?
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When is yours Anne? Did I miss the date? I should do something. I should be able to try the kindle review route, because my editor and I did that last time. Charli has kindly offere to read and review so when it comes back from Ben I will have a little look see. And I’m glad you like the title and the blurb
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I actually have not read this whole post so usually wouldn’t comment but must say I absolutely love the title “My Father and Other Liars”. Be back to read more of your not-quite-a-list-list. 🙂
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Thanks Sarah; it does seem to be getting some good responses.
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Looks wonderful (the blurb). Also, great list.
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Enjoyed that post, Geoff. Could relate to a lot of it. As for reading it, I can’t wait. Enjoyed “Dead Flies” and am looking forward to seeing what you’ve done this time.
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coming soon graeme
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