On Wednesday evening I attended the Authors of the Year party at Hatchards on Piccadilly. Writing is a solitary profession, and unlike film stars who work with each other, you don't instantly recognise some of your favourite authors, and unfortunately there isn't a natural camaraderie with your fellow writers. However, the highlight of the evening for me was a memorable conversation with John Julius Norwich who told me he had been unable to find a publisher for his memoirs as all the major London houses had turned him down.
'How can that be possible?' I remonstrated.
'Simple really, Jeffrey,' the great man replied, 'I was born into a happy family, my father did not abuse me, and I loved my mother. My school and university days were normal, my marriage is happy, my children are happy, and I don't take drugs. Clearly I've gone wrong somewhere.'
He was able to tell me that he has finally found a small publisher in Dorset, The Dovecote Press, to publish his memoirs, Trying to Please, which will come out in May. It would be very satisfactory if all the major publishing houses were proved wrong and this became a bestseller.
'How can that be possible?' I remonstrated.
'Simple really, Jeffrey,' the great man replied, 'I was born into a happy family, my father did not abuse me, and I loved my mother. My school and university days were normal, my marriage is happy, my children are happy, and I don't take drugs. Clearly I've gone wrong somewhere.'
He was able to tell me that he has finally found a small publisher in Dorset, The Dovecote Press, to publish his memoirs, Trying to Please, which will come out in May. It would be very satisfactory if all the major publishing houses were proved wrong and this became a bestseller.
6 Comments:
Who would have thought that could be possible, Lord Archer?
Unless the publishing houses change their short sighted Jam today attitudes, in a few years time all we will have are paper thin novels, and paper thin autobiographies written by paper thin, here today gone tomorrow, pseudo celebrities. Sadly, it seems to be a feature of British publishing, and an apparent lack of culteral awareness generally amongst the public. If we stop recording the achievements and thoughts of such outstanding people, how dull the future will be.
Personally, my tolerance for 'celebrities' who publicly trade on their private family traumas for cash is zero, and I would never-ever buy such an autobiography, no matter how sensitively or well-written.
I suspect it was St Thomas Aquinas who originally said something like, "To forgive everything, is to understand everything"..........these one- sided spins say nothing good about the authors.
Hi Jeffrey
I have completed my first fictional novel and am considering self-publishing.
I was a little put off when I was reading the website of one book publisher, which said that the writer has to sell themself, and that people were more interested in the person than the book.
Of course I know that not all publishers use this same approach. However, I am wanting to be a fiction writer. I don't have the wonderful personality of many of those in the public eye. I would be pretty useless in this area, and would prefer to be judged only on the literary merit of my novels.
Therefore I am intending to pay for the printing of my books myself, and I will handle all the promotion and sales.
david - While I wish you the best of luck with your book, I would never advise any writer to self-publish. You need to find an agent, and should consult 'The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook' which is in your local library.
Thanks a lot for the advice, Jeffrey. I'll definitely consider this.
Hi Jeffrey
Just read your latest book - fabulous as usual - great fan of your.
I grew up in the then Rhodesia and my children has convinced me to write my memories of growing up on a gold mine in the real 'bush'.
Shirlee
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