candace robb
walking the Mean Streets of Medieval York
Edmonds Bookshop Signing 2 March noon-1:00 pm! Plus…
I’m delighted to be signing copies of the Kate Clifford series, (first face to face booksigning for A
Murdered Peace!), at the Edmonds Bookshop in Edmonds, WA, on Saturday, 2 March, from noon till 1:00 pm. It will be SUNNY! Edmonds is on Puget Soundm and tomorrow the view will be spectacular across the Sound to the Olympics. Sparkle on the water! But first, come chat with me.
Attending events such as this show your support for local authors and keep independent bookshops in business. Watch for them and make an event out of your attendance–you’ll make authors and bookshop owners so happy.
My inspiration for this blog post was a Twitter thread by Joanne Harris, an author I admire (and enjoy). She regularly invites requests for 10 post threads, many of them writing tips. This particular one was #TenWaysToSupportWriters. It wasn’t just about the increasing importance of following your favorite authors on amazon and goodreads (those algorithms) and writing short reviews on amazon and goodreads (again, algorithms) and pre-ordering their books (at all on-line bookshops). (HINT! A Conspiracy of Wolves is available for preorder now!) It was also about authors supporting each other. My favorites from Joanne Harris’s list:
1. Writers need support at all levels, whether they’re just starting out or whether they’re well-established veterans. We often feel isolated in our work. We can – and should – try to help each other.
2. If you’re an established, successful author, try to pass on some of your experience. You can do it at any level – on social media, or by mentoring an upcoming writer who needs help. If anyone helped you on the way up, try to pass it on someday.
3. On the other hand, think hard before making requests of a fellow-writer, especially if you don’t know them in real life. And never ask a writer to do something (editing, manuscript assessment, etc) that any other professional would charge for.
4. Like their book? Post a review. So much of marketing relies on algorithms nowadays, and reviews often mean greater visibility.
5. You may not be able to buy every one of their books. But you can order them from the library, which means another sale for your author friend.
6. If you do buy a book, try to either pre-order, or buy during the first week of the book’s release. Pre-orders do a lot to ensure that publishers continue with a series. And the first week is especially important for placement in the book charts.
8. Support under-represented groups of writers. If you have a platform, by all means use it to help; but most of all try to listen, and to amplify their voices.
10. Understand that supporting other writers does not diminish your success. Quite the opposite: any support that you can give that makes the community of writers stronger, also benefits you.
Hm… I eliminated only two, and only because I’m still pondering them. What do you think of these?
Do follow Joanne on Twitter–she’s so inspiring. Oh, that’s another one–follow your favorite writers on twitter and facebook! HINT! (Instagram as well, I’m sure, though I haven’t added that to my time killers.)
See you tomorrow in Edmonds!
candace robb 
There’s food for thought there. What do you think about people sharing books with friends and family (which I’ll admit to doing frequently)? Does the potential for new readers, including people who wouldn’t necessarily have tried an author’s work otherwise, outweigh any short-term reduction in sales? I’m also intrigued to know which suggestions you left out or aren’t sure about.
Looking forward to hearing about any events in or around York when you come over.
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Sharing books might not be quite as helpful to writers as suggesting they borrow them from their local library (and request their library to order them if they don’t have them yet!), but I suspect that the notion of passing it on can motivate someone to pay the price of a new copy, and that’s very very helpful. Buying a used copy is of no help to a writer–but I’m sure you know that. It’s all a balance.
The two I didn’t include were:
7. Don’t support institutions that pay some authors, but not others. There’s no room for “I’m all right, Jack” in this business.
I didn’t include that because I’m not sure what institutions she meant–most conventions pay the way only for the stars, and the writers actually pay the same as the audience, even if they’re speaking. I’m burning out on conventions–as my dear friend Mary Daheim told me early on, “not enough bang for your buck.” But for those starting out, they’re helpful.
The other was:
9. Be as open about your experiences as you can. Don’t allow the book business to keep fellow-authors in the dark.
And, again, too vague for my comfort. I would agree that if a writer asked me, in private, about an agent, editor, publisher I will share my experience, but ask them to keep it confidential. My experience isn’t necessarily everyone else’s. Of course, if I’d encountered egregious abuse I would speak out, but I’ve never had that nightmare.
I’ll be updating my Events page in the next week! Watch for it!
And thank you for reading and engaging with me, Catherine.
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Thank you for elaborating- and yes, those points don’t seem so directly relevant without personal experience or extra information.
The book-buying balance will always be a challenge, with financial, and I’d add environmental, factors weighing against the desire to support writers whose work you’d love to see more of. I’ve frequently read a library book and then gone on to buy my own copy, partly for re-reading and to support the author, and sometimes for lending. (The first in your Kate Clifford series was one such book- I ran into York on Christmas Eve to buy my own copy and complete the collection, so enabling my mum to read all three over the festive period. She declared it the most decadent Christmas imaginable, being allowed to read good books and do nothing else, only occasionally breaking for a meal.)
I don’t think I’ve said yet how much I’ve been enjoying the Kate Clifford series. I think it’s because I find her such a satisfyingly complex character and so I care about what happens to her. Though I do fear that she’s beginning to muddle my mind as I’ve had moments walking around town and lost in thought when I’ve forgotten she’s a fictional character. I also enjoyed the meeting of your two York series and the opportunity that presents to show well-known characters from different angles.
I’m delighted to hear that events will be publicised soon. That should give me plenty of time to rearrange other commitments or sort out childcare if necessary.
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I am so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the Kate Cliffords, and how my two York series are beginning to blend. I love both casts of characters.
I’ll be working on the events page soon, but specifically for York, mark 21 May 6-8 pm on your calendar! I’ll be at YSJ with Chris Nickson and my editor Kate Lyall Grant to talk about how we bring history to life in our crime novels. Hope to see you there!
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