Another book

I worked for the Economist, a weekly news-magazine, for about ten years. My main tasks were writing about Asian affairs (I had lived for a time in South-East Asia) and producing an obituary page each week. No one much wanted to be the paper's undertaker, but a job is a job, and the editor's word is final. You couldn't interview the subject of the obit, as you would with an ordinary article. On the other hand the subject was not in a position to complain about anything you wrote. You had the world's dead to choose from; and not ncessarily the obviously great and good. All the editor asked for was someone interesting. The editor once met Bill Clinton, then American president. Clinton said he read the Economist. What did he think of it? Clinton said he always read the obituary. Bill Emmott, the editor, took it on the chin that the world's most powerful person did not immediately turn to the Economist's leading article to find out what he should do. He stoically told the story at the paper's weekly editorial meeting. The obituary page acquired a sort of respect among the staff as they dealt with mere mortal matters. Ann Wroe runs the page nicely these days, but I don't know if George Bush is among her readers.

Anyway, what this is leading to is that the Economist is publishing a book (with Profile Books) of obits later this year, so that an eager world can find out what it was that grabbed Clinton's attention. I am happy to give it a first review. My verdict: 'Brilliant, not to be missed.' As I mentioned in an earlier post, the other big publishing event of the year is of course my novel Beyond Reason (Solidus), now flying off the bookshops' shelves.

Rejected novels

An interesting article in yesterday's Guardian about Joanna Kavenna who has won the Orange prize for her novel 'Inglorious'. It was her eighth novel. No one wanted to publish the previous seven and she appears to have abandoned them. Two were lost in her computer and the others "are just lying around somewhere".

There are probably many more unpublished novels than published ones. But should they be thrown away? J.L. (Jim) Carr, a friend, sadly now dead, always persevered. He is probably best remembered for 'A Month in the Country', which won several literary prizes and was shortlisted for the Booker. I don't know whether it was snapped up for publication at once as it should have been, but he told me that one of his novels was rejected by 17, or it may have been 18, publishers. It was eventually published with success. "Never throw anything away," Jim said.

First words

Beyond Reason, my new novel, is published today. The typescript was delivered to my publisher, Solidus, about a year ago. I started writing the book about two years ago. Turning what started as no more than an idea into a story that you hope may beguile a reader for an hour ot two takes some time. Even a human being only takes nine months to make.

Looking at the finished product, neat in its jacket, do you get a feeling of satisfaction? Of course not. WH Auden said that a poem is never finished, only abandoned. The same can be said for a novel. Your only excuse is that it is the best you can do.

Will the book be reviewed? Some books are, most are not. Luck helps. Contacts help. Hamish Hamilton, the publisher of my first novel, The Money Tree, said he was disappointed by the small number of reviews it attracted, although I was thrilled to see it get any reviews at all. When my next book, Point of Stress, came out he told those of his authors who were also book reviewers in various papers to provide a bit of support to this newcomer to their trade. They responded like good soldiers and gave the book super reviews. Embarrassingly so. The book did reasonably well and went into a second edition, but it never took off. There are various theories why some books sell well and others don't. Word of mouth counts. 'Try this one, you'll like it' is the best review an author can get. Think of the recommendation doubling all the time as it is passed from person to person. It works like compound interest. So try 'Beyond Reason', you'll like it. I think.

This blog is not really intended to be a puff for the book. I see it as the start of an exchange between writers, published or unpublished, or indeed anyone interested in writing. I have had a few adventures in the course of writing ten novels over the years and I'd be interested in hearing of others' experiences.