Launch day approaches...

In Judgement of Others

Next week In Judgement of Others will be out in the world in paperback, eBook and audio, so I thought I’d catch you up with the last few weeks of publicity and run up, the exciting, exhausting, thrilling ride to publication.

I did a shoot for Femail where I pretended I knew what I was doing in heels and suit, backdrop and people watching. Lovely make up artist Amanda Haley-Clarke made me look presentable, Camilla Ridley-Day pinned me into outfits and Neale Haynes captured moments when I wasn’t slack-jawed or wild-eyed, making me laugh instead at the whole absurd shebang and have more fun. The interview will be out soon…

On Wednesday I took part in the panel discussion “Publishing your own way”, broadcast by The Women’s Prize Trust and hosted by Jamilah Ahmed. If you were there, thanks for joining us. An hour’s discussion between me, Preethi Nair and Elizabeth Kuligowski on our experience so far as independent artists.

I put on my grown-up outfit and put my best foot forward, unconsciously stepping into the message that I bang on about constantly, the need for professionalism in the indie world. It’s a subject close to all our hearts, Preethi, Elizabeth and I have each come to it for different reasons and pursued its aim using different modals but the shared experience of running your own show was great to talk about, and the sense that upping the game, producing books that in content and production value are on a par with our mainstream peers, was palpable in the room. To this end, if you’re thinking of going your own way, I encourage you to use The Alliance of Independent Authors as your resource for filtering out what’s needed and finding contractors you can trust.

Preethi also mentioned that Waterstone’s Piccadilly have a dedicated “indie” shelf in this flagship store. Who knew?! (Preethi knew, and now you all do too). I’ll be going down there with book in hand to persuade them to stock mine.

Back in November I spent three days in a studio recording the audio book, an experience that has given me a new found respect for actors.

I’m happy to announce it will be available on audible from next week, and in paperback worldwide through the usual channels. You’ll be able to order online wherever in the world you are, but the best way to help an author is to go into your local bookshop and ask for the novel. If they don’t stock it yet, they will now. By ordering your copy for you they’re likely to order a few more for the shelves. You can also pre order the eBook right this minute, wherever you are in the world…

In other news,

Anna Davidson

flagged up Podium to me this morning, a digital-first publisher committed to discovering, developing, and amplifying the works of emerging and bestselling authors. How great is that? A publishing house which recognises the power and process of the Indies. I’ve submitted my work, and you can, too.

And finally, the bit where I turn up in my local indie bookshops and not so local and not so indie, novel in hand, spiel at the ready, hoping those lovely booksellers will stock my book. Thanks to The Haslemere Bookshop, Petworth Bookshop and One Tree Books for yesterday’s Yes’s (hashtag awkward sentence of the day), and especially to Steve in Petworth who invited me to speak at Billilit in April. All hail the local literary festival. These people are heroes.

That’s it for now. More next week. Thanks for reading…