A Pets in Prospect review

M. Welshman

M. Welshman

Morning folks. Had a nice start to the week drop through in the post this morning. A review of my book in the Daily Echo (Bournemouth) where the reviewer, Daphne Curtis, gave it a 4 star rating and described it as 'hilarious, warm and touching.' That spaced me out. The end of this week sees me giving a talk at the Winchester Writers' Conference.  Let's hope I'm back down on Planet Earth by then. 

Island Girl

Go get 'em, Tiger!

Jay Mandal

Well done! You are keeping a scrapbook, aren't you? In addition to the actual reviews themselves, I keep clippings about the reviewers e.g. Ian McKellen. Also he's famous and won't soon be forgotten, I'm not sure whether people would remember everyone.

Carol

Good start to the week MW.

Jay Mandal

Although, not also.

doodle

good to read positive news MW.  My postman brought two items of mail, both for the previous occupant of the house.  I'm cheesed off, we've lived here 18 months and he still gets more mail than we do!

Carol

Doodly, the solution is to write 'return to sender'on the front and put it back in the post box. Within a few months your problem should be reduced.

doodle

Thanks Carol, I have been doing that, and giving them back to our postman/bundling them back into the postbox.  Previous occupant ran his business from home as well so there seems an extra big amount to deal with.  We still get subscription mags which he must be paying for but he's too lazy to notify the appropriate people.  Still, this Friday none of us will get any mail at all as the postmen are on a 24 hour strike.  So, no rejection letters then! 

M. Welshman

There's a story there.  One day a letter for the previous occupant arrives.  Covered in foreign stamps.  Intriguing.  You end up steaming it open.
Story line?
1.  A former lover confessing all. Now HIV positive.
2.  Someone telling of a baby buried in the garden.

Dilemma: you've opened someone else's mail. What do you do next?

Carol

Don't tell anyone you've interfered with someone else's mail.
Reseal it up and forward to the right person.
Or...

Jay Mandal

One of my flash fiction pieces is about a magazine being delivered to the wrong house. And I've written a story where flowers go to the wrong address.

Howard

I'm delighted for you MW. You know I'm rooting for you with PinP. Keep going. A paperback edition will reach the bookshelves because it's so bl***y obvious that there's a market!

M. Welshman

Thanks folks.  Yes, Howard and Claudia, the frustration continues.  Robert Hale are still holding back regarding a reprint.But as of this afternoon, I've five agents who have expressed interest in helping me out depending on whether they like the book or not.  That's the big 'IF' factor as the book is a very light read and will not be to some of the more 'literary' agents' tastes. I suppose it depends on whether they think it's commercial enough for them to get their cut should they devote time and energy to pushing it. I'm finding a real void between agents and publishers who think there's no market for James Herriot-style stories and the many people who have read the book and genuinely seem to have enjoyed it.  And the latter have not just been friends. People have been coming up to me at library talks and asking when the sequel will be available.  But how can I convince a publishing house that there is this interest?  I guess one could be brutally frank and say that a good editor or agent will realise if a book has got commercial possiblities and that Pets in Prospect hasn't made it as it's just not quite up to the mark.  Get me on 'This Morning'. Then I'll show them.  Grrrrr.

Carol

MW, you have done great at self-promotion, so why don't you get in touch with the production company that produces 'This Morning'?
Consider what angle you are going to use to approach them, and go for it. But it is worth trying- you won't lose anything by it.
If, and it's a very big if admittedly, you do get a spot then it will work to your advantage not only with agents but publishers.
Have you got an outline and any sample chapters of the follow-up ready for showing the agents, if they want further stuff?

Howard

Perhaps you should go on the offensive, Malcolm, and try to get an article in WN about an angry vet ready to castrate his publisher over refusal to reprint or go to paperback. (Vet ready to make Hale go pale ...?)I can see a photo of one very nice west country chap stretching one of those frightening little rubber bands they use/used to use on sheep grinning like a demon into the lens. "Willy, won't he?" might make a good leader in the Sun.

M. Welshman

I'm no Ram-bow but I have to band it to you Howard.  It would give a whole new meaning to 'rubber necking'.

ana

I've got a feeling you'll have an agent very soon.
The sales record is there, you've been energetic and imaginative in promotion, and there's a definite gap for light, funny, feel good reads.

josiehenley

Well done MW, it's good to get positive reviews.