Yay me!
I'm especially overjoyed because now, when I walk into my local bookstore, I'll see my book!
It also means I'll have to stop at every bookstore I pass to see if the book's there and sign every copy I come across. Which will cause the store owner to ask why am I scribbling in his merchandise. Then when he doesn't believe me he'll call the police and I'll be arrested.
So now I'm published by St Martin's Press in the US, and Penguin in Australia & New Zealand. It might seem a paradox that two publishers who are competitors will actually cooperate on a book, but that's the way the system works.
The acquiring senior editor at Penguin is Belinda Byrne, about which I am happy indeed because Belinda is a lovely person. I met Belinda for the first time a couple of months ago over lunch and I've been jumping up and down wanting to announce this ever since. Penguin HQ is in Melbourne and I'm in Sydney, so I still don't have an editor in the same place as me, but it's close enough I can pop down to meet the nice people at Penguin.
The Pericles Commission will be out in Australia & New Zealand in January 2011
Yay!
So now I'm published by St Martin's Press in the US, and Penguin in Australia & New Zealand. It might seem a paradox that two publishers who are competitors will actually cooperate on a book, but that's the way the system works.
The acquiring senior editor at Penguin is Belinda Byrne, about which I am happy indeed because Belinda is a lovely person. I met Belinda for the first time a couple of months ago over lunch and I've been jumping up and down wanting to announce this ever since. Penguin HQ is in Melbourne and I'm in Sydney, so I still don't have an editor in the same place as me, but it's close enough I can pop down to meet the nice people at Penguin.
The Pericles Commission will be out in Australia & New Zealand in January 2011
Yay!
54 comments:
But who is going to be exporting to Indonesia?
Robert, I would love an Indonesian edition. Because then you could translate it.
Congrats! Fabulous news.
Thank you, Anjali. I think this might be the first time you've commented here. Welcome to the blog!
Congrats! And now you can sneak into the bookstore and secretly turn your book to be one of those "outward facing" types. :) Er, not that anyone we know would ever do that ... :)
Thanks Susan.
No, of course not on the book turning! Hmm.
But my guess is, anything I sign will be turned out anyway. But not, of course, put on the tables next to the entrance. That's reserved for Twilight at the moment.
Yes! *fist pump* Congrats Gary!!
Thanks Valerie! It's like the first sale all over again, if that makes sense. Which it probably doesn't.
What I've discovered it, selling books doesn't get old.
CONGRATS!!!!!!
Congratulations! HOw exciting!
Thank you Carrie! The support from my blog friends has been fantastic! Seriously. Everything would be a vacuum if it weren't for you good people.
Thanks Sarah! (You're not just another Sarah, either, btw. Each Sarah is unique...)
Hurrah! I'm so excited for you :) How cool it's coming home to you, as it were.
Will it have a different cover there?
Well done.
==========================
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Thanks Peter. Of course, you're a seasoned pro at this sort of thing!
For those not aware, Peter runs the very excellent Detectives Beyond Borders blog, which is all to do with non-US crime books.
Hi L.T. Thanks!
Yes, the cover will be different. One of the first things Belinda said, when we met over lunch, was that the cover looked great but wouldn't work.
Apparently US and ANZ audiences have a noticeably different reaction to covers, so much so that they virtually always change. I don't know why that is.
If I can find a guru on the subject I'll see if I can get an answer, but it might simply be one of those things ripe for a PhD dissertation in sociology.
How interesting. I'm going to have to check it out and see the differences in some books I know.
Congratulations!! That's great!! I hope the foreign (domestic?) rights sales keep rolling in!
Thanks for the kind words, though I am hardly seasoned.
==========================
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Congratulations, Gary!!! I hope you see them on the front table of every bookstore you enter. Scratch that, I hope you see a blank that needs to be restocked on the front table where a stack of your books were before they all sold out :-)
Woohoo! And hey, if you can get one blog post instead of one phone call, we'll bail you out. (Or we'll be so envious we'll just let you stew for a while.)
Super exciting news! Now you can do what my friend does- ordering her brother's books into the store, picking them up, but leaving them on tables in the bookstore.
Congratulations!
Thanks Stephanie!
Doesn't the bookstore notice your friend's behaviour after, say, the 20th order for the same book?
Peter, you might not feel seasoned, but it will come with thyme.
Very kind of you, Rachel. I can just see myself explaining that. "No, seriously, officer! If you just post a comment and wait a bit..."
Thanks Amalia, I'm enormously thrilled with what I've got!
Very cool!
Merry, I'm hiring you to write all my wild fantasies from now on.
Thanks Meghan, and thanks too for the interview on your blog. I really enjoyed doing that!
Congratulations! That's fantastic! It will be interesting to see what your ANZ cover looks like!
Also, thanks for the lovely serifs! And I'm sure Peter's thankful for your sage advice.
Peter, you might not feel seasoned, but it will come with thyme.
A sage observation.
==========================
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Oh dear! I can't begin to bandy puns with two such erudite people. I'll end up looking like a dill.
Ha! The same pun two minutes apart! I was probably hitting "post" as he started typing. Great minds think alike, Peter, and so, apparently, do ours. ;)
And, Gary, don't deprive us of your wit! You know we'd never try to keep you at bay.
If only I'd been just three minutes faster ...
==========================
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
I was bemused by that too. Peter, I'm sure you'll cumin first next time.
Perhaps Peter was approaching the post gingerly, not wanting to pepper Gary with bad puns. I, on the other hand, always salt my conversations with groaners.
And now I must bid you both good night. Much as I would like to tarry, I find my time to tarry gone. :D
Really good news, Gary, you must be delighted!
I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy. Reading your posts has rekindled my love for Ancient History, something I managed to lose while studying the subject at uni.
And if Stephen King can get arrested for signing his books in Alice Springs, so can you ;-)
Loretta, The Reenactment sounds brilliant, and I love the premise. But why, oh why, are you not writing humour?
I haven't read The Reenactment, but my impression is it's a serious mystery, since serial killers don't tend to be funny.
Any chance I could persuade you to write a funny mystery next?
For those unaware, Loretta is signed with the inimitable Janet Reid. Her first novel is The Reenactment.
Thank you Peter! I'm looking forward to signing your copy! Which I have a feeling might happen.
The story on Stephen King if you haven't heard it...a few years ago he walked into a bookstore in Alice Springs, which is in the back of beyond, totally unannounced and unrecognized, and commenced to sign all the copies of his books. The store owner had no idea who he was, thought he must be a vandal, and chased him down as he walked out of the shop. It all ended happily.
Great, great news Gary. Even I feel excited for you. And it's just the beginning.
Thanks Bill! But I don't know about this *even you*. You've been helping me out for years now!
Aww, gosh! Gary, you really are too nice, you know that? The Reenactment does have some levity. I don't know if I could deliberately write humour or not, though. Funny is something that just sort of happens when I stay up too late watching Hercules and OD on allergy medicine. ;)
HUGE congratulations!!!!!! Do we have the shark to thank for this? How awesome for you! I can't wait to pick up your first book. Is it pre-order? I'm seriously going to be one of your first readers.
Hi Anne!
I have the nice people at the foreign rights department at St Martin's to thank, and, of course, Belinda for making the offer.
You're very kind! As it happens, the first book is on pre-order now. The links to Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Borders are in the top right corner of this page.
I very much hope I get a chance to sign your copy some time!
That is SO exciting. I will be able to drag all my friends into bookshops and show off how great my big brother is!! Woo hoo!!
Yep, the odds are good it'll be in a store near you, somewhere.
Ah, now here's an odd experience for you...
If they buy the book you can sign it as my proxy.
So will you do a 'book tour' to Bathurst?
Sure, it can be done if we can satisfy two requirements: a bookstore that wants to host the event, and people who want to turn up to it.
It's been done before - the ABC shop occasionally gets authors.
Hmm. Okay! I have a feeling ABC only stocks books associated with their TV shows.
I'll ask the Penguin publicist.
I didn't realise that (which is why I've started getting ABC gift cards from them for the girls - maybe I should stop doing that and get something more useful), but now you mention it, I have noticed that in other ABC shops. The one in Bathurst stocks way more than just ABC type books... I've just looked it up on net - it's also a Leading Edge bookshop, so I guess that's why. It's called BooksPlus.
It's fine, they like the stuff from ABC!
Post a Comment