So what's next?

Let's have a look at that checklist:

• Red Plus Zone written √
• Red Plus Zone edited √
• Cover designed √
• e-Book published √
• Paperback published √
• Family, friends and colleagues cajoled into buying copies √
• Place on an Amazon bestseller* list achieved √
• Impromptu book signing session today (hence the picture!) √

All done. Cue a pat on the back.

But what's next for Red Plus Zone?

Well, the next stage of the 'Grand Plan' is to organise (through fabulous publisher Matt) for a short print run of Red Plus Zone paperbacks to be done so that copies of the book are then available for local bookshops to stock; couple that with directly contacting independent booksellers in Lancashire and, hey presto, the vision of Red Plus Zone sitting on either the sci-fi shelf (next to something by Gary Gibson, perchance) or the 'local interest' shelf (next to a book about Lancashire Pub Walks)) is realised. Progress with contacting local booksellers so far...? Sadly, not as good as I'd hoped, but then I guess it's still early days. Patience, dear boy. Patience.

And what about drumming up some interest through the local newspaper? Well, I'm on with that as well :)  Fingers crossed that a story about someone doing something creative for once is given precedence over articles about illegal drivers and perverts. That would be refreshing.

And not forgetting reviews - oh yes, I'm afraid I'll need to keep pestering those who read Red Plus Zone to go onto Amazon (.co.uk and .com), as well as Goodreads, and wax lyrical about how much they enjoyed it, so that I can then tweet and blog about it and maybe get more people to download the e-Book or buy the paperback, so they can review it and wax lyrical about how much they enjoyed it, and so on...of, you get the picture.

And in the future...?

Well, I do hope that a couple of members of the British Science Fiction Association will come across RPZ, read it, be utterly blown away by it, recommend it to their friends, then nominate it for a Best Novel award, which it then wins, leading to fame, a massive publishing deal, an obscene advance on an eight book deal and, ultimately, sufficient sales to enable me to buy this:

Oh, and there's still the dream (and it is a dream) of seeing Red Plus Zone on the shelves at Waterstones in Bolton...though some may say that's a likely as me owning the camper van!!

A little more realistically,maybe, and perhaps more intriguing as well, is the recently discovered possibility of having Red Plus Zone available as an audiobook...yes, that's right folks, an audiobook!

You see, in much the same way as Amazon's Createspace print-on-demand mechanism has made it possible for my e-Book to take on a physical form, so Amazon's acx.com mechanism creates the potential for the aural form to be realised as well. Of course, there's countless questions to be asked and answered first, such as:

• Should I do Red Plus Zone first, or maybe start off with The Book That THEY...?
• Can I find a narrator who fits the bill (and lives up to my expectations), and who'll also go 50:50 on royalties (because there's no way I can afford to pay up front!!)
• Or maybe I should I think about setting up a little home studio and doing the narration myself - now that would be fun!

Much to ponder on the audiobook front, methinks.

And finally, the last action in my Grand Plan?

Well, it's not exactly guaranteed to generate more sales of Red Plus Zone - in fact, it's very much dependant upon people having read RPZ:

Write a sequel.

Working title: BLACK PLUS ZONE

I've decided that this new detective mystery will take place only three weeks after the events of Red Plus Zone and it will be darker in tone than Red Plus Zone (deeper 'Nordic Noir', as Stranger Views called it). I already have the plot mapped out and the scene plan drafted.

All I need to do now is write it!

* #14 on Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Post-Apocalyptic

A Bittersweet Rating

It's a strange mix of emotions, receiving your first 'dis-satisfied' Goodreads rating.
In this case it was a 2 stars out of 5 for 'The Book That THEY…Part 1'.
My first emotion, I have to admit, was one of outrage. I immediately reached for that long list of people's names that I keep secreted away for the day I have enough money to hire a hitman. Hell hath no fury, I told myself, like an author scorned.
But then, once I'd got over the initial shock, I found myself thinking a little more rationally (helped by a good cup of tea and a couple of slices of toast). Rather than bemoaning what has happened, I found myself recognising (with surprising maturity) that receiving a less than glowing review, whilst undoubtedly disappointing, was not only an inevitability but was also something I should, in reality, be pleased about.
But how so?
Well, let's consider the perspective of inevitability. The moment anyone decides to share something they've created with the wider world (especially when said creation is something 'arty'), there must eventually come a point when someone takes a look at it and decides, for any of dozens of different reasons, that it simply fails to float their particular boat. It's not anyone's fault, it just is. That's the whole point of 'art' - different people like (and dislike) different things for all sorts of different reasons. With a book, dislike can sometimes stem from the reader preferring a different writing style (more or less description), or simply failing to connect with a character or engage with a storyline. Perhaps the reader is a sci-fi fan, but prefers the hard sci-fi of Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov and Greg Bear, rather than the soft, comedic approach of Douglas Adams. Who knows?
The fact is that people can read the same thing and have a completely different opinion about it. That's life.
Which brings us to the point of why I should be, somewhat perversely, pleased.
Well, it's really quite simple. In order for someone to have decided that what I've written is not to their liking, they have at least to have read it. That, to my mind, is much better than the alternative - that they haven't read it at all.
So, whilst there is a little tinge of disappointment that I now have a 'dis-satisfied' Goodreads reader (who shall be known as Reader X to protect their identity), that disappointment is tempered by the knowledge that at least Reader X not only took the time to read 'They Book That THEY…Part 1', but that they also took the time to post a rating of it.
So, far from placing Reader X onto my hitman target list, I'd instead like to say a little thank you to them for at least showing an interest.

Now I'm going to go and find a cat to kick!

Behold - My Roll(s) of Honour...are you on it?

Actually, there are two Rolls of Honour.

The first is for those intrepid individuals who were the first in their country (remember, by country, I mean any sovereign state that it a member of the UN) to download a copy of Part 1 of 'The Book That THEY...'
Now, bearing in mind that this number may change a little as large states break up into smaller ones (I'm thinking Yugoslavia, Sudan, etc) or as small states join together (not that that seems to be happening much at the moment), there can only ever be 206 names on this particular Roll of Honour...and, already, there are 2 fantastic dudes inscribed upon it:

• Magnus (Sweden)
• Javier (Spain)

Note - there has already been a purchase in the US, but alas the identity of that individual is not known to me; as for the UK, well, that could get a little messy because a lot of people downloaded Part 1 as soon as it came out...not sure what to do about that!
So what's so good about being on this particular Roll of Honour anyhow, I hear people in the cheap seats shout. Well, at the moment, not a lot - but when I am a multi-millionaire author with a jet-set lifestyle, large mansion, swimming pool in the shed and my own reality-TV show, I will send everyone on that Roll of Honour a bottle of very nice Single Malt Whisky (probably from Islay) along with a box of Thornton's Continental chocolates (a large one), and a big Post-It note saying 'Thanks!!'
Not a bad deal, eh?
Now, there are still 202 places on this Roll of Honour up for grabs, and all anyone has to do is post a comment saying that they've downloaded Part 1 (all I need is name and country) and, hey presto! you'll be on the list (by the way, I have ways and means of checking, so any erroneous claims will be identified and referred to my new friends at the NSA, MI6 or FSB for...intervention - you have been warned!) - a link to Amazon is on the right hand side of this blog page!

Now, for those other billions of people who have unfortunately missed out on the Roll of Honour relating to first purchases, there is an alternative.
This is the Roll of Honour of those who have read one of the three parts of 'The Book That THEY...' and posted a 3*, 4* or 5* review of it on Amazon or Goodreads.
I haven't decided what benefits (other than my heartfelt thanks and appreciation... (which perhaps should be enough...)) being on that particular Roll of Honour will bestow - perhaps someone could suggest something (though an all-expenses-paid trip to St Lucia is out of the question!!)
To date, there are 5 people on this particular Roll:

• Peteturbo
• Maddie
• Chris
• John (twice!)
• Mary W

I'd love to be able to add a few more in the weeks and months ahead so, if you are reading this post, why not download Part 1, see if you like it and, if you do, put in a good word on Amazon and Goodreads.

And if you haven't already done so, check out the videoblurb at:
http://youtu.be/HLX7tYCZGpc

And don't forget the Facebook page at:
www.facebook.com/IveReadItHaveYou

There - shameless plugging of my book over for another few weeks!!