Freedom From The Mundane » Publishing and Marketing

Rooney Dropped By HarperCollins

colingalbraith — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:00:04 +0000

Image: BBC Online

This week seems to be dragging in no matter how busy I am. One would think if I am extra busy then the week will fly past extra quick. But no, it just plods along lifting its head every now and then to see how far it’s got.

I’m taking part both as a competitor and as a sponsor in the upcoming Poetry Superhighway Poetry Competition. I’m offering up 1 signed copy of FRINGE FANTASTIC but also in my role as an editor, I’m pleased to say the Ranfurly Review will once again be offering a showcase interview with one of the competing poets. Click here for the full list of sponsors.

Back to work on GREENER IS THE GRASS after the day job – a few good solid hours into the evening.

Booktrade.info mentioned Wayne Rooney’s staggering £5m deal with HarperCollins in 2006, to produce five volumes of autobiography over the course of his career (his agent said it would be “like the Star Wars series”). One of the tomes was to be a diary of the England lads’ glorious 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa. However, with Rooney currently sunbathing in Barbados without a single goal to his name, the book has been quietly shelved. Full story at The Independent.

The Huffington Post had a fascinating article on the top 11 most surprising books ever banned. I read it over lunch yesterday and was surprised both by the number of children’s books and the appearance of the poor old dictionary among them.

Peace and out!

June Review Of Work

colingalbraith — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:00:11 +0000

Image: Weekly Reader

Looking back, June was a great month. May had been good and I had been wanting to build on it, so when carrying out my GDR review of the past 30 days I was delighted with the results of both the amount of work I’ve got through, the quality of my submissions, the changes made to my routine and of those unexpected things that popped up along the way, of which there were a few.

So here’s my review. As you can see by the length of it’s been a stonking month. It started off small—I’d deliberately laid out a thin set of plans—but as the month wore on I seemed to become more motivated. Long may that continue!

Fiction
* Complete first rewrite of GATECRASH – done; carry into next year for completion.
* Polish final draft of GREENER IS THE GRASS – IP; final target end of July.
* Write at least one new short/flash story – done.
* Catch up on short/flash story backlog – IP; final target end of July to complete.
* Re-submit any rejected/recalled short stories – done; new submission tracking system now in place.
* Submit to selected fiction/poetry competitions – several poetry and short stories entered.
* Rewrote PAINT for a submission.
* Highly polished A POINT OF VIEW for application.

Poetry
* Write at least one poem per week – 5/5 done.
* Catch up on backlog – IP; final target end of July to complete.

Editing
* Publish June ‘10 issue – done.
* Announce hiatus – abandoned.
* Update site to reflect – abandoned.
* Stay on top of submissions to get ahead – IP; issue 12 – full; issue 13 – 50%; issue 14 – 10%

Freelance
* Get some local gigs to review for NotW – Supergrass gig covered but not for newspaper.
* Keep all websites updated and relevant – minor updates; new news page; new splash designed; new anthology added.
* Wrote Six Nations preview article including paid advertisement.
* Edited photographer’s advertising copy for new campaign.

Reading & Learning
* The Grave Tattoo by Val McDermid (48%) – IP
* Work anthology – complete.
* The Kenneth William Diaries by Russell Davies (38%) – IP
* Suggs and the City by Suggs (2%) – left just now.

Things That Turned Up
* Attended author event with Yann Martel at the Traverse Theatre.
* Made some technically interesting improvements for photography client’s website.
* Edinburgh Book Festival/UNESCO reading opportunity application sent in.
* All events wanted for EBF in August I managed to get.
* STELLA released on Kindle.

Submissions Made
6 poems sent out – 1 sold
18 shorts sent out – 2 rejections

Outstanding
Short stories – 16
Poetry – 5

Successes
* THE FINAL NAIL poem bought by Every Day Poets. Publication pending.
* MIDDLE AGE poem was included in Poetry Rivals Anthology 2009.

Failures
None. This has been a great couple of months. I am on a ROLL, DUDE!

Till tomorrow. Peace and out!

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Available until 30th June only: buy any of my poetry books from my website or the Books page on this blog, and qualify for free ground shipping up to the value of £25 if you enter FREEGROUND305 when checking out. Available through Lulu.com only.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Gail Galbraith Photography is offering portrait shoots for £25 (knocked down from £40) if you book before 31st August 2010 and you use the word “Leith” in your query. For that you get a 1 hour session in her new studio in Leith, 1 free 8×6 print, an online gallery to show off to friends and family and where images can be purchase direct from, and all images from the shoot on a free low-resolution CD. (Subject to max of 4 people per session; each additional person is £5 each). You can contact Gail at gail@gailgalbraith.co.uk and view her website at: www.gailgalbraith.co.uk

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It Pays To Google Oneself

colingalbraith — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:42:00 +0000

Image: Forward Press

A bath of ice. That’s what I need to cool my skin and return to a more normal temperature. I’m not really enjoying this week’s “great weather” because I can’t find a balance with clothes.

It’s not sunny but icky and sticky and sweaty (I’ve used that phrase before but I like it). The women in the office are lucky—they can adapt their clothing—but us men are restricted to long trousers and shirts. It can get a bit drab sometimes, but hey, it’s not a bloody fashion parade, right?

An email came round at work yesterday: Fabio Capello’s face morphed onto a photograph of Tommy Cooper. I could hardly tell the difference.

My iTunes library is now about 6x larger than the space available on my iPod and I’ve only imported about two thirds of my CD collection and zero percent of my vinyl collection. Selecting what I want to listen to while on the move is now proving to be quite difficult. Why did I tell you this? Because I spent a portion of last night selecting a bit of everything to try and appease myself. The trouble is, though, I like to listen to albums in their entirety. They just don’t make iPods big enough.

I sent off my application to read at the Edinburgh Book Festival as part of the UNESCO Story Shop programme. A POINT OF VIEW is now in the hands of the decision makers and I should hear sometime after July 21st. Fingers crossed. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted it but the more I thought about it and the more I have practiced, the more I really want it. I would love to get the opportunity to do it and I think it would be a great step forward. If I don’t get it, does that mean I shouldn’t be seeking out to perform my work elsewhere regardless? Certainly a question to mull over with a large whisky.

Some of you may have noticed it’s the last day of June. This means a couple of important things:

My June GDR review will by my final monthly wrap-up of my writing year.
Tomorrow I kick off my July GDR plan.
Tomorrow I begin reviewing the 18 months just passed.
In 1 month I begin the process of formulating my GDRs for the next 12 months.

It’s an important few weeks coming. I’ll post my June GDR review tomorrow and my July plan after that.

Before I logged off last night I decided to give my name a quick Google. It sounds vain but it’s actually a good way of seeing who’s talking about my books, adding links to my site, and checking if any websites out there might need to be updated with more accurate information.

And last night it was really worth it. Last year I submitted a poem to the Poetry Rivals competition. Those short-listed were invited to London to perform at a nationwide Poetry Slam tournament.

An anthology of all of these poems was published in a POETRY RIVALS’ COLLECTION 2009 book. One thing I wasn’t aware of was that the poems that were long-listed were also included. My entry, MIDDLE AGE, a poem about growing older, or refusing to let it change you, was part of that long list. In other words, I was published last year and never even knew it. The book cover is today’s image and the details are as follows:

Title: Poetry Rivals’ Collection 2009 – Lines Of Light And Shade
Published: 08-12-2009
ISBN: 9781844185030
Editor: Angela Fairbrace
Price: £19.99
Purchase from Forward Press, Waterstones, Blackwells, WH Smith and Amazon.

Blurb: A vibrant and lively collection, it is sure to delight and entertain its readers time and time again. Inspired by a diverse array of themes and tackling various poetic forms, no matter what you’re looking for there is something inside for everyone to enjoy.

Till tomorrow. Paz e para fora!
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Available until 30th June only: buy any of my poetry books from my website or the Books page on this blog, and qualify for free ground shipping up to the value of £25 if you enter FREEGROUND305 when checking out. Available through Lulu.com only.

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Missing Scottish Weather

colingalbraith — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:35:18 +0000

Image: BCMom

Bit of a slow day yesterday. It’s become so sticky and muggy over the past couple of days that commuting has become a misery (I’m sweating way too much) and sleeping is almost impossible (like lying in a pool of water). It’s so bad I actually yearn for the air conditioned office where my day job is carried out.

I need rain and lots of it. And I need the wind to blow it in my face; traditional Scottish summer weather that refreshes the soul and blows away all this icky wicky sticky sweaty nonsense. The trouble is this weekend is set to be another scorcher, with temperatures getting as high as 27 in Scotland (32 in the south east!) so I’d better not put that bottle of sun tan lotion away just yet. Not if I’m going to get that garden sorted without burning my napper again.

I write up my application for the UNESCO Story Shop programme at this year’s Edinburgh Book Festival but couldn’t send it in. I found myself tweaking the story slightly as I gave it another read-through, and with changes made I wanted to sit on them for one more night. Today it goes off otherwise I’ll be like this every night.

Later today on BBC Radio 4 you can hear a programme called Flash!. Over the course of the week, 16 flash fiction stories written by Tania Hershman are being read out in a celebration of this burgeoning art form.

I came to know Tania through her fabulous submissions to the Ranfurly Review, one of which is being read today; At Camden Town He Said He Loved Me is a fantastic piece of work and that’s why I’m thrill to boast I spotted it first! It was published in issue 3 of our humble magazine, which you can download for free and read here. Flash! is on from 3.30pm to 3.45pm.

Not much else to report so have a great day.

Pace e fuori!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPECIAL OFFER * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Available until 30th June only: buy any of my poetry books from my website or the Books page on this blog, and qualify for free ground shipping up to the value of £25 if you enter FREEGROUND305 when checking out. Available through Lulu.com only.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPECIAL OFFER * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

STELLA is also available now to purchase from Kindle. Click here to buy a copy priced $5.29.

English For A Day

colingalbraith — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:50:33 +0000

Image: The Mirror

England got a taste of what it’s like to be Scottish yesterday: dramatic failure after a bunch of promises about what might and should have been.

Yes, England failed in the most Scottish of ways; they inflated their own self worth and never saw the juggernaut of reality coming their way. Germany walked over them to the tune of 4 goals to 1 in their 2nd round World Cup clash.

It was a shame. I was on England’s side, but watching them play and seeing the fans reactions only reminded me of witnessing another Scotland failure. We have so much in common, our two nations, so it totally typical that on the day I decided to be an Englishman, the Englishmen that mattered decided to be like Scots.

I downed tools for the day to watch the game from the comfort of my couch; beer in one hand, St George’s cross in the other (kidding, but the beer was true). With it being the hottest day of the year (allegedly) I sank a fair few bottles of America’s finest beer and carried on through to the Argentina versus Mexico match. 9 goals in two games and as many bottles to boot. Quite a day’s footballing and bevy action.

I’d spent my morning up in Edinburgh, nothing fancy, no major walks, just a jaunt to the newsagent and then an hour spent relaxing in a coffee shop. Back home I worked on GREENER and finished my polishing of A POINT OF VIEW, my application for the EBF reading programme. I gave it a couple of readings aloud and it comes in just under 10 minutes, so with the introduction and my own words, should be just right for the slot. If I get it! One more run through tonight and then off it goes.

Only a week after my surprisingly high royalties for my poetry books came in, I received monies for the sale of STELLA over the last quarter. Sales have risen but are still much lower than I was hoping. There are two things I can do to improve things: 1) re-launch a new marketing campaign and 2) get BACCARA BURNING out there.

Have a great Monday.

Paix et dehors!

STELLA is also available now to purchase from Kindle. Click here to buy a copy priced $5.29.

Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 2

colingalbraith — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:37:32 +0000

Image: David Goehring

I’ve decided what I’ll submit to the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust’s programme for reading slots at this year’s Edinburgh Book Festival. I wanted it to be something punchy, engaging and would prove a good advert.

I had two stories immediately in mind. I was cut between LETTING GO, a sad story about two old men gone fishing, one of whom is struggling to get over his wife’s death. It’s good and fits the length requirements but it’s possibly that little bit too sad and slow moving. My other idea was A POINT OF VIEW, the sharply emotional story of a guy being sacked from a job he never really liked anyway. It’s fast paced, intense and engaging from the start. Above all it reads well aloud and is solidly in my own voice.

I went with the latter and spent the last two nights polishing it up. I’m going to give it some vocal try outs this weekend just to be sure.

I’ve also been working on GREENER IS THE GRASS, moving through the manuscript while remembering some of the tips I picked up from Stephen King’s On Writing. Nothing complicated, just things I never used to look out for specifically, like adverbs, themes and concentrating more on what the readers sees. It’s getting there.

I’ve had no more submissions back but I do have some ideas for new markets. New Writing Scotland has opened for subs to their next anthology. They should expect something from me very soon.

The sun has finally given in to cloud over the past couple of days but it’s still as warm as a brothel’s boiler room. Scotland in June and several days of sunshine means we are already talking about droughts and possibly hosepipe bans. Meanwhile, in the highlands, there is still snow lying on the ground. What a contradictory place we live.

Speaking of the sun, I think I forgot to mention we booked our family holiday last week. We’re flying off to the Algarve in a few weeks for some relaxation of intense proportions. The whole family needs this; it needs to be a good one.

I’ve got a busy weekend coming up: Edinburgh Book Festival tickets go on sale at 9am tomorrow, so tonight I’ll be finalising the events, workshops and debates I want to attend. I also have to start getting some new clothes in for going away—I’ll need a bunch of new thongs and vest tops, maybe some new hats and definitely lots of sun cream.

Wife and daughter are heading to Glasgow for the day tomorrow and won’t be back until late. Cue much unbroken writing during the day for me, with some spells out playing with Pippin in the garden. Tomorrow night I’m planning an Indian take out; something hot like Madras, along with a good film and some really cold beer.

Shalom!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPECIAL OFFER * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Available until 30th June only: buy any of my poetry books from my website or the Books page on this blog, and qualify for free ground shipping up to the value of £25 if you enter FREEGROUND305 when checking out. Available through Lulu.com only.
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Reasons To Be Cheerful

colingalbraith — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:04:06 +0000

Image: Elegant Chic

Yesterday was the 14th anniversary of my first ever Madness gig at a London venue. I’d seen them before by then, but travelling to London to see the Magnificent 7 on their home turf is like going to see Scotland playing at Hampden Park—it has an extra special something.

The occasion was the third installment of Madness’ successful Madstock festival; loads of bands and beer throughout the day topped off with a massive dollop of Madness in the evening. 40,000 Madness fans descended on Finsbury Park in North London that day, 22nd June 1996, and it lived up to everything I’d been told.

That day was also significant in that England were playing Spain in the quarter finals of Euro ’96. The match ended in a draw and went to penalties, at which point I remember the gig being halted so they could play the radio broadcast over the massive speakers at the side of the stage. England won and it was party time (thought they went out a few days later in the semi final to Germany), which was very surreal being one of only a handful of Scots among a very large and drunk crowd. Only one week earlier, a certain Paul Gascoigne had scored the goal of the tournament to help beat Scotland 2-0 at Wembley.

Although yesterday turned into a pretty long day (10 hrs working time and then travelling) I had some good news waiting for me when I got in to boost my sapping energy. Every Day Poets has accepted my poem THE FINAL NAIL to be published at some point in the future. EDP is a popular site that sends out a poem each day to its subscribers, which usually provides me with some good lunchtime reading most days. Therefore, I’m delighted they took the poem, which is a new one by my standards and one that came as a direct result of my new approach to writing poems last year.

Remarkably, THE FINAL NAIL will be the first poem I’ve had published that isn’t part of a chapbook since December 2007! I’ll post the date when it’s due to go out as soon as I have it.

At the same time EDP turned down SCOTLAND NEGLECTED. I’d totally missed the fact the poem was already published in Circadian Poems, which I think was caused by my transference to a new submission system. I simply missed it.

Interestingly, though, they provide rare and valuable feedback of the editors’ comments as the poem gets passed around for reading with the acceptance/rejection. One said: “I came away wanting to hear something more about Scotland, instead of just comments on all the Irish stuff that gets the attention – the poem does the very thing it complains about. That’s a problem because if that were all I knew of Scotland it would leave me thinking “So?” instead of wanting to pin on a sprig of heather and celebrate St. Andrew’s Day.”

This criticism is precisely what the poems is about. The reader is supposed to come away wanting to know more about Scotland because the poem is a complaint that Scotland is forgotten among the Scottish fascination with Ireland. The poem is meant to reflect the fact that people in Scotland are happier celebrating St. Patrick’s Day than bothering to do anything at all for St. Andrew’s Day.

In a survey (at the time of writing) a large percentage of Scots thought St. Andrew’s Day was on January 25th, which is actually Rabbie Burns Day and measurably more popular. Why do we not do the same on November 30th?

Therefore, paradoxically, the reason the poem was rejected by this particular editor is the precise reason the poem was written and what it was meant to achieve. C’est la vie.

Applications are being invited by the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust for new writers to have the chance to read at this year’s Edinburgh Book Festival. There are slots open daily at 4pm for 10-minute readings for writers who fit the bill. I’m going to apply. I’m still at the “do I write a new piece or send in a good one I already have” stage but I have a few weeks to get my application ready.

England play in their vital World Cup match today. I won’t get to see it unless I spend the afternoon in the canteen so that isn’t going to happen. I’ll have to settle with the sporadic updates from the Internet and then the highlights later tonight.

Later, I’ll be working on the same thing I did last night: GREENER IS THE GRASS. Originally that was only a working title but while working through the story on paper I have seen the theme does actually exist so I’m going to keep it. It works quite well.

There’s a special offer running on my books at the moment. If you head over to my website (or the BOOKS page on this blog) and purchase any of them, when you are directed to Lulu simply enter the code FREEGROUND305 to get free ground shipping up to the value of £25. Offer ends 30th June.

STELLA is also available now to purchase from Kindle. Click here to buy a copy priced $5.29.

That’s all for me just now. Peace out!

Edinburgh Book Festival Programme Announced

colingalbraith — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:21:39 +0000

Image: British Council

I logged on to the Edinburgh Book Festival website first thing yesterday morning, but my hopes of an early scan of the 2010 events programme was dashed when I found out it was a 12 noon launch. I had to wait. It was tortuous.

Eventually the EBF launch press release was announced and by 1pm I’d had my first tentative scan through the PDF version of what August has in store. My first thought: deflating.

My first look at the programme is usually quiet an exciting moment, as I find out which local and Scottish authors are on their way to Charlotte Square, which of my personal favourite authors are coming, and which big names will be treading the boards. But there was none of that. In fact, it’s a pretty dire programme from a personal angle.

There’s a couple of notable exceptions such as Philip Pullman, Fay Weldon, Seamus Heaney and Lionel Shriver, but that’s pretty much where it ends. There’s nobody to get really excited about, no authors I’ve never seen that have always to meet, and many of the regulars I would always make the effort to see are notable in their absence.

The theme for this year’s event is “the new world order” and it seems there is a new order in the Book Festival management with new director Nick Barley making an immediate mark. U.S. writers will play a prominent role among the 750 authors from 50 different countries that will be available.

Barley aims to hold “an ambitious survey of American contemporary writing,” with more than 45 authors coming under the American theme, including Garry Trudeau, Bill Clegg, David Vann, Willy Vlautin, Leanne Shapton, Simon Rich and Adam Ross. They aren’t names I recognise so I’ll be looking to my Stateside writing buddies for recommendations. And how can anyone talk about contemporary American writing without Paul Auster being involved?

The next step is to get a hard copy of the programme and plan out my August in fine detail. There’s obviously going to be a lot more research to do before I order my tickets but in the lack of there being any magical “must-see” events, I still intend to get a lot out of it. It IS the Edinburgh Book Festival after all, and it IS my end of writing year, so there’s bound to be something good to come out of it—there always is.

My royalty statement came in from Smashing Press yesterday and it would appear there has been a rather hefty boost in my sales. It makes for odd reading.

Sales of my latest poetry book, SILLY POEMS FOR WEE PEOPLE VOL.2 matched sales of FRINGE FANTASTIC, so even though FF was released five years ago it still matches my newest work in terms of sales. What is really odd is that sales of POOLSIDE POETRY outstripped both by double the amount. It was traditionally my weakest selling book but for some reason has become popular. Long may it continue!

If you want to join in the mass celebration of my books head over to my website (or the BOOKS page on this blog) and order some copies. Here’s something to make it more tantalising for you: type in this offer code when you get to Lulu and you can get free ground shipping on purchases up to the value of £25. Offer ends 30th June. The code is: FREEGROUND305.

It promises to be a busy weekend when I get done with the day job later today. I’m hoping to grab a couple of pints in Clark’s and catch the England World Cup match against Algeria, and tomorrow I have a to-do list as long as my leg before my parents arrive on Sunday for a visit and a nice roast dinner.

If you’re an e-book fan, then you might be interested to know that my book, STELLA, is now available to purchase from Kindle. Click here to buy a copy of STELLA, the Kindle Edition, priced $5.29.

Gail Galbraith Photography is offering portrait shoots for £25 (knocked down from £40) if you book before 31st August 2024 and you use the word “Leith” in your query. For that you get a 1 hour session in her new studio in Leith, 1 free 8×6 print, an online gallery to show off to friends and family and where images can be purchase direct from, and all images from the shoot on a free low-resolution CD. (Subject to max of 4 people per session; each additional person is £5 each). You can contact Gail at gail@gailgalbraith.co.uk and view her website at: www.gailgalbraith.co.uk

That’s all for me just now. Peace out!

And So, The Peeling…

colingalbraith — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 09:53:51 +0000

Image: Kellogs

Get this. Yesterday I mentioned one of my short stories was rejected on Tuesday after 3 days and that I’d sent the piece straight back out. That same piece was returned to me YESTERDAY—1 day on submission!!! Obviously it’s already back out there but come on! It’s a good story, people! It’s called WHISKY SNATCHING—doesn’t that whet everyone’s literary appetite? I feel sorry for it being abused in such a way and I’ll be keeping an eye on those markets concerned for the future.

My sister sent me Marian Keyes’ latest newsletter, her first for quite a while. It seems she’s been having a terrible time this year, which is a shame because she’s a great author and I’d been hoping to catch her at this year’s Edinburgh Book Festival. I doubt that will happen how. You can read Marian’s newsletter here.

Speaking of the Edinburgh Book Festival, the programme gets announced today at 12 noon. I’ll be online then checking it out and will grab myself a hard copy for analysis. Let my August planning commence!

Also in the news, David Murray has announced that Rangers FC are no longer for sale because he “has been unable to find a deal that benefits the club itself, its shareholders and its fans”.

What he really means, and what Celtic FC would also mean if they had to try and sell up to survive, is that nobody wants to own companies rotten to the core. Bigotry, it seems, just isn’t paying off as much as it used to. £30 million in debt tells its own story. God bless St Mirren.

I was so tired after work last night I accidentally fell asleep for an hour on the couch. I was so tired, in fact, I lost my appetite and could only stomach a toasted bap and cup of tea for dinner. I never wrote/rewrote anything—I just couldn’t drum up the energy and went to bed early, but then, as you might expect would happen after my foolish slip into sleepiness earlier on, I couldn’t get to sleep when I needed to. It was so hot last night that I just couldn’t nod off and was still sitting up wide awake at 1am.

When I woke up this morning my skin had started peeling off my head. Despite days and nights lathering after-sun cream on my head to try and stave off the drying out, yesterday I had several twitchy moments as the scalp itching started. I remained in hope, but alas, when I looked in the mirror shortly after 6am there it was, peely wally skin falling off my head like feather light snow flakes. Typical. My head looks like The Cornflake Man.

If you’re an e-book fan, then you might be interested to know that my book, STELLA, is now available to purchase from Kindle. Click here to buy a copy of STELLA, the Kindle Edition, priced $5.29.

Gail Galbraith Photography is offering portrait shoots for £25 (knocked down from £40) if you book before 31st August 2019 and you use the word “Leith” in your query. For that you get a 1 hour session in her new studio in Leith, 1 free 8×6 print, an online gallery to show off to friends and family and where images can be purchase direct from, and all images from the shoot on a free low-resolution CD. (Subject to max of 4 people per session; each additional person is £5 each). You can contact Gail at gail@gailgalbraith.co.uk and view her website at: www.gailgalbraith.co.uk

That’s all for me just now. Peace out!

National Crime Fiction Week

colingalbraith — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:51:06 +0000

Image: Alan Cleaver

I was rather disappointed to see not a single Scot among the shortlist of best young crime writers from the CWA’s inaugural National Crime Fiction Week awards. All the finalists were English or Welsh, which I hope isn’t an indication that “tartan noir” is on the droop. Mind you, if it is, that leaves the way wide open for me (he says with an evil smirk) although probably not in the “young” category.

Some of my readers might like to know that although STELLA was a paranormal suspense novella, as will be its successor, BACCARA BURNING, my full length novels and the one other novella I have on the go are all crime related. GATECRASH, SLICK, GREENER IS THE GRASS and even BLOOD TIES (an unfinished Lennox novel) are all crime, the latter a true piece of crime fiction in that it is a detective story. The rest revolve around the criminals as opposed to the coppers chasing them, which is an angle that comes quite naturally to me I find. Except for Lennox; he’s an enigma.

With all my short fiction now out I was amazed to receive a rejection from a top end magazine so quickly after they received it. Three days for a magazine that claims to receive thousands of submissions each month, and can so only use half of 1% in any given year? I think not. I suspect this one is closed off and the piece wasn’t even read. The good thing about it was the speed I turned the submission around and got it back out to another suitable market (by suitable I mean the kind of fiction it publishes) within minutes.

While I was in the software that I use for managing my submissions, I accidentally submitted a few more poems to some magazines. I’ve got a fair few out to competitions and poetry rags just now, such is the ease of the whole process I can simply fire them out when they are ready or when I see a magazine that speaks to me; I simply add it into the software and fire off the sub.

I began work on the final draft of GREENER IS THE GRASS. It’s very exciting. I reckon it won’t take too long to work through the printed manuscript, collecting errors, typos and making notes as I go. In the first chapter alone I’ve taken out several large chunks; a bunch of unnecessary sentences that were harder to spot on the screen but somehow jump out more easily from the page. And I’ve got a couple of markets in mind for this one already so the quicker the better.

This Thursday will see the publication of this year’s Edinburgh Book Festival programme. With Catherine Lockerbie gone and the new guy in, I hope the festival doesn’t lose any of its appeal. It wouldn’t be the same without that special something, that wee bit of magic that makes August in Charlotte Square such a special time. And I certainly hope they don’t change the format too much, not too quickly anyway.

If you’re an e-book fan, then you might be interested to know that my book, STELLA, is now available to purchase from Kindle. Click here to buy a copy of STELLA, the Kindle Edition, priced $5.29.

Gail Galbraith Photography is offering portrait shoots for £25 (knocked down from £40) if you book before 31st August 2014 and you use the word “Leith” in your query. For that you get a 1 hour session in her new studio in Leith, 1 free 8×6 print, an online gallery to show off to friends and family and where images can be purchase direct from, and all images from the shoot on a free low-resolution CD. (Subject to max of 4 people per session; each additional person is £5 each). You can contact Gail at gail@gailgalbraith.co.uk and view her website at: www.gailgalbraith.co.uk

That’s all for me just now. Peace out!

Creative Suspicions

colingalbraith — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:04:16 +0000

Image: Green Office

I had a surprise day off work yesterday when I had to call in for some time so I could look after a sick family member. My doctor’s duties were called on until mid-afternoon, which meant I missed all of the warm sun that had been afforded Edinburgh. By the time I had some time to myself the sun was gone, it was cooler outside and so, I thought, was the best part of the day with it.

Determined not to waste the afternoon, in between checking up on my patient and making sure she wanted for nothing, I got to work on other things. Task one was to rewrite PAINT, a short story I wrote a while back but which I was never completely happy with the ending. This time I got it right and I found myself off to a flyer.

Next up, I finished sorting all my markets into their new categories. This took a little longer than I thought it might but not quite so long as I feared. Strange, eh?

Time out to help the bed-bound invalid then I spent what was left of the afternoon and the evening working on GATECRASH. And that was where the second high of the day came from, for I completed the second draft, which included the writing of the final chapter.

There came an awesome feeling from this. Not only is it a great feeling to always complete a major piece of work and to be able to see it clearly in one’s mind’s eye, but it takes my GDR possibilities to new levels of expectation. I now have one full novel settling down in my mind waiting for the day I print it off to proof it, and two novellas—BACCARA BURNING and GREENER IS THE GRASS—that are both in the final throes of proofing.

My mind was buzzing with the story of GATECRASH when I finished and not even a plate of mince and tatties could empty all the story noise in my head. So I watched some of the Italy versus Paraguay World Cup match and then stuck a DVD on: Protégé, a Chinese film with some pathetically dubbed voice overs but which was actually a good film by story and by the way it was filmed.

To today then and it’s back to the office. The sun is shining this morning once again and this time I know I will definitely miss it through the day job. My head is turning over some short fiction ideas, which if I can get them down on paper and clear my thoughts I will prove to myself what I am beginning to suspect: that I’m moving into a creatively rich time in my year.

Tonight I will make a start on the printed manuscript of GREENER IS THE GRASS. It’s the one nearest completion and the one that needs the least work.

If you’re an e-book fan, then you might be interested to know that my book, STELLA, is now available to purchase from Kindle. Click here to buy a copy of STELLA, the Kindle Edition, priced $5.29.

That’s all for me just now. Peace out!

Rewriting And Turning Over

colingalbraith — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 07:54:49 +0000

Image: 123rf.com

I spent most of yesterday lathering after-sun cream on my pink forehead and the back of my neck. I was positively glowing as I walked around Edinburgh in the morning and stopped for a coffee and pastry to read the paper. No wonder people were looking at me and tourists were confused.

My neck is worst because it constantly rubs against my shirt and it wasn’t the sort of weather for walking around topless. It rained most of the day.

So after checking in on the work going on at Gail’s photographic studio (I wasn’t needed) I got on with my own work back in my office. First up was to turn out the remaining fiction on my list that needed to go to market. Everything is now out including work to some new magazines and a bunch of carefully selected (and at times reworked) poems.

I rewrote some of my short fiction (quite a lot of it, actually) before turning it back out. One of my favourite but as yet unpublished stories (although it got to the short list of a very prestigious magazine once), was refurbished and sent out proudly into the world again. I think it’s perhaps the best work of short fiction I’ve written and I simply WILL get DAFFODILS published eventually.

I had to laugh when heard BBC commentators talking prior to the Germany versus Australia World Cup match last night. Despite only managing to scrape a 1-1 draw against the USA, and despite a passionless performance that included a fumbled and embarrassing goalkeeping manoeuvre, they were actually Discussing Germany as England’s Round 2 opponents!

Come on guys! Being positive and supportive is one thing but being disrespectful to the nations the viewers had tuned in to watch by talking about England is another. Further to that, what kind of arrogant assumption gives the BBC the right to assume England will even BE in the Second Round? Even further than that, you’re broadcasting to more then London!!

If you’re an e-book fan then you might be interested to know that my book, STELLA, is now available to purchase from Kindle. Click here to buy a copy of STELLA, the Kindle Edition, priced $5.29.

That’s all for me just now. Peace out!

Supergrass And An Evening with Yann Martel

colingalbraith — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:21:33 +0000

Image: Leap in the Dark

It was back to work for me yesterday after a couple of hell-raising days off work. I was through in Glasgow on Tuesday and got back late on Wednesday afternoon, my mood one of cheery ridiculousness after a day out with my sister, a few beverages partaken, and a superb gig at the Barrowlands—Supergrass bidding a fond farewell to their Scottish fans.

We started our day in the Clockwork Pub on Glasgow’s south side. I’d had an easy start to the day and after dumping my overnight gear at my sister’s we headed round to the pub and commenced the proceedings. Several pints were consumed before we ordered dinner: pizza for me and scampi and chips for my sister.

When the food arrived it looked delicious. And it was. My sister’s, however, arrived minus any sachets of tartar sauce, so (and I kid ye not), she complained vociferously to the manager before running home and returning with a jar of tartar she had in her fridge. Mission accomplished, and so embarrassed was the waiter, we got a free round of drinks for our efforts. Cue double vodka and Red Bulls.

After a few more voddies we piled into a taxi and raced towards the Barrowlands. The place was sold out for the last ever Scottish gig by Supergrass since they are formally calling it a day after this tour. They divided the set into their album years and played a selection from each. It was a novel way to do it but it also meant the craziness never really hit the heights until the latter half of the gig. All the great ones were there: Moving, Richard III, Alright, and of course, Pumping On Your Stereo to name a small few.

Into Wednesday and after an easy morning at my sisters that included a leisurely brunch in Ludovics, I was back home by 5pm and painting my wife’s studio (coat number four) by 6pm. We used one-coat paint but still it will need more coverage. The walls are in a terrible state but it has to be done and it is getting better day by day.

And so it was back to work yesterday. It felt like a Monday having been off for two days, but it was also quite good because it meant I was only two days from the real weekend. I started late and finished early—it’s been months since I could so I took advantage.

Last night I went to an event at the Traverse Theatre just off Lothian Road. Yann Martel was in town to promote his new book, Beatrice and Virgil, in association with Canongate press and Waterstone’s.

After reading a short extract surrounding the make-up of a pear, Martel discussed the book with host Richard Holloway, and inevitably, the effect that winning the Man Booker Prize with Life of Pi had on his life.

Beatrice And Virgil has taken him five years to write, the first two years after his big win being spent on the road touring and not writing a thing. It’s pitched as taking the reader on an imaginative odyssey, on the way asking profound questions about life and art, truth and deception, responsibility and complicity. It forces us to look in-depth at the human capacity for cruelty and examine our own ability to react to it. Unknown to me, it also centres around the Holocaust, which led to a couple of very tight and loaded questions from the audience, mainly concerned about the absence of Israel in the book and the fact that the subject matter has been seen by some to have been treated poorly with a story told through animals. Martel’s defence was admirable, referencing the lost art of the allegory and the innocence and non-judgmental approach that we, as humans, have towards violent animals as opposed to violent humans.

Martel confirmed that Life Of Pi is definitely being made into a movie, an announcement that was met with a lot of ooh’s and aah’s from the audience. He also talked about his mission to educate the current Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, who it appears hasn’t picked up a book since his early twenties. Martel revealed he has been sending Harper books of all possible genres and types along with a handwritten letter to Harper every two weeks for the past three years. And when Martel is not in town other Canadian writers take up the task.

Martel argues how anyone can possibly be a leader without ever seeing the other person’s point of view, without seeing things from someone else’s skin, without travelling or reading literature. Fiction analyses the human condition, therefore, how can we trust anyone in such a position of power to make the right decisions if their minds are closed to such things. “What does Harper dream of if his imagination is not being used?” he says, and it’s a good point he makes. Following it through in the manner he does should be applauded in my opinion.

Rather tellingly, Martel has not heard a thing from Harper—no letter, email, phone call, zip.

It was a fascinating 75 minutes but I didn’t stay for the signing, preferring to head off home for a cup of tea and to reflect on Martel’s words. Looking back I don’t feel I really connected with him. He won the Booker in 2002 and spent two years touring. Fair enough, it changed his life and comes with the territory when you turn a relatively decent selling book into a multi-million pound entity. But five years to write what is actually a very short novel that claims to be so very deep and philosophical, seems to me to be a bit fearful, and dare I say it, arrogant. I‘m not at all surprised he’s getting bad press but I do hope the book does well. Maybe if he just wrote more he wouldn’t feel as though he was up against it so much.

I’ll be heading home early later today and I’m going to enjoy my weekend immensely. The Leith Festival kicks off tonight and tomorrow is the Gala Day. It should be a great day.

Until tomorrow—peace out!

Itching

colingalbraith — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 07:38:38 +0000

Image: Randy

A most enjoyable and somewhat extended Sunday morning in Edinburgh yesterday, complete with a call out from my work while I was on the bus heading into town. It was a call to discuss a situation, which meant I had to log on later in the afternoon and take care of some work, but it was no big shakes and it all worked out well in the end.

I popped into Curry’s while on walkabout and bought a couple of necessities, stopping outside the store to watch the first stanchion to hold the overhead tram cables being put into place by a massive crane. On first glance it’s going to look ridiculously unsightly as it runs the length of Princes Street, but hey, that’s progress for you!

I bought a paper and headed into Costa in the Waverley Centre to down a large cappuccino for an hour, before heading back and stopping into Gail’s studio to admire the new door being put into place. I’ll be down helping to paint the interior later tonight; further progress of a rather more exciting nature than trams, let me tell you.

Back home and after lunch I gave my office a quick tidy and it was back to work. I decided to kick things off with the more technical side of things: the photography website updates. I’d been trying to solve the small matter of a layout problem in the coding by changing things around, but then it hit me I should try introducing new code. I did and it worked. There are still some design flaws, which I need to talk to Gail about, but ultimately I think it’s going to take me less time to complete than first envisaged.

I also set about inserting my list of submissions into Sonar3—there are only half a dozen so that didn’t take me long! At the moment my list is alphabetical, which is no good at all because some of my markets, although all in the same class, are still more preferable than others. Things like response times, if they’ve previously liked my work or if I simply like the kind of work they publish, all of these things boost a magazines profile and desirability in my mind. I’m going to order them as such in each section so my favourites go first.

I made a curry for dinner. My family don’t like them hot and spicy so it had to be a bland korma with basmati rice and naan bread. After serving up their plates I added a dash of Scotch Bonnet into the pan, gave it a good stir and served my own plate. Roasty toasty!!

The evening didn’t go quite as planned so no work got done but I did manage to get some time on GATECRASH later on in the evening. I feel like I need to get my submissions back out urgently first, though. Now I’m organised on that front I feel like I have this irritable itch all the time until I do. I just want to get everything moving again!

All in all, though, it was a very productive and relaxing weekend where it needed to be. Today will be busy again (I’m painting tonight) then tomorrow I’m off to see Supergrass at the Glasgow Barrowlands. It’s the fairwell tour and by all accounts it promises to be a cracking show.

Until tomorrow—peace out!