You couldn't find a friendlier, more welcoming place to start your book touring career than "M" is for Mystery. Ed Kaufman owns the shop, and he and his wife Jeannie were fantastic about having a dubious debut author on the premises.
I don't seem to have got it too badly wrong, the only feedback later being to speak more slowly. Which I instantly told my daughter Catriona in email because she's an excellent debater, except I keep telling her to speak more slowly. Clearly it's a genetic fault.
Ed had a whole row of books lined up that were prepaids, meaning people had already ordered them from afar and they needed to be mailed off once signed. Now logically, this makes perfect sense. When one publishes a book, it's generally because you want to sell it. But I was signing books for people I'd never met, and this is an odd sensation the first time you do it. One book was to be dedicated, "To Cindy." Which made me wonder about Cindy. Who is she? Why did she choose my book? Will she enjoy it? If you're reading this, Cindy, do let me know!
Yes, I'm getting metaphysical here, but it really is one of the oddest sensations, and very, very cool.
The first person ever to ask for a signed copy of a book I wrote was a lovely gentleman named Charles. So I instantly asked for his autograph, which caused some slight confusion because the process is supposed to work in the opposite direction. Here is Charles (my first signing!), Ed (owner of "M" is for Mystery), and me. A normal day for most people, but an historic event for me.
23 comments:
You'll be an old hand in no time, Gary!
Congrats and well done.
Wow, you replied to that quickly!
Minotaur party tonight. Panel appearance tomorrow, and then I can relax until Seattle.
Now, if only I weren't totally jet-lagged...oh well, you can't have everything.
What a wonderful thing to ask of your first autograph seeker!
What will you do with it?
I haven't received my copy yet---I'm off to nag Amazon . . .
Congratulations!
Yes, indeed, it is an historical moment for you Gary. I'm looking forward to my own someday--but until then, I live vicariously through folks like you.
Too funny about the autograph, that's brilliant. Glad it went so well!
Well done Gary! Sounds like you had a fun time and met some lovely people - an ideal day in my book.
Kind Regards
H Niyazi
threepipeproblem.blogspot.com
Congrats on it going so well!
You'll have to talk slow in the US because people here have such a bad ear for accents that I've seen English, South African, and Australian folks be subtitled on TV. *sigh*
Can't believe your book is out and the online sellers won't get it to me! I hope it's because they sold out of their first shipment of presales and I got pushed back to presales shipment #2 or something.
Congratulations!! I'm glad to hear it went well! How exciting!
Hopefully all your other events will go as nicely-- and practice will make perfect with slower speech :)
Ohlala! I think it's totally nifty that you have the autograph of your first autograph seeker.
Huzzah on your first event!
Could this become a trend? Authors queuing up to get their readers' signatures?
Congratulations, Gary. Hope the rest of the trip goes as well.
So when will you be in Amsterdam? I'd love to have a signed copy!
Have fun over there!
Gary,
I am so pleased for you!I put a buy this book notice on my blog.
to C. N. Nevets:
Meow. Put the claws in, please. Maybe some people in the U.S. cannot understand accents, but usually, if we can't understand a person, it is because they are talking too fricking fast.
I have a friend whose friends and acquaintances have to regularly remind her to slow down, or you only catch every third word. Or you keep up with each word, and lose the train of thought they have going.
Has nothing to do with accents, sir. Or ma'am.
Congratulations on your book pub, Mr. Corby, and have great fun on this maiden voyage--first time author!!!
Yay!
I'm pissed, by the way. The Barnes & Noble in town told me your book isn't coming out until November 9th. Amazon and Borders have the same info on their websites. None of these people seem to understand that I'm very, very bad at waiting.
Maybe I can order from one of the places where you're having your events...
Jeane,
My tongue was largely in my cheek. I am aware that sometimes people do speak too quickly. That said, I have a great many friends and family for whom the problem is, in fact, accent, and it could be from another part of the US as much as anything else.
But, as I said, it was tongue in cheek remark about my own nationality, just putting a lighter spin on Gary's self-evaluation in the spirit of jocularity and conviviality.
I'm sorry that my remarks caused such tremendous offense.
Glad the first one went well! I, too, am having trouble getting your book in my hands-- had hoped to read it before you arrived but alas, it may not be so...
Ah well, I will just have to wait! I'm excited for you to get down here! YAY PERICLES COMMISSION!!! :D
Sounds like it was an awesome time! I'm so excited to read your book!
Thanks guys! I'm still working through dodgy cafe connections on a netbook, so I can't be my usual loquacious self.
Sha'el, if you get a copy, you particularly want to have a look at the acknowledgments.
I never doubted it!
Cheers!
Gary,
After all my internet detecting and your excellent first chapters way back when .... of course I'm buying the book!
So ummm what did you say about pixies?
And ... a nice guest post on my blog would be welcome.
Would love to do a guest post Sha'el!
It'll have to wait though until I'm home and at least partially sane. Some people work out of cafes all the time...how do they do it?
Congratulations!
I too am awaiting my book with slight impatience. I've pre-ordered it for the Kindle. But I must admit, I love the colour blue of the cover so much, I'm tempted to get a physical copy as well. Whoever designed the cover did a remarkable job. (Not that you should judge a book by its cover, right?)
Anyway, I'm so looking forward to reading the words inside as well. I'm so happy for you and hope your tour goes well!
Thanks Eilir!
There's a story behind the cover which I'll post about some day. But the summary is...what you see was not the first version. Everyone's thrilled by how it ended up.
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