Friday, April 27, 2012

Freaks!

It's Friday! Could I be happier? I think not.

Today, I'm delighted to have author Nik Perring here. Nik is a fantastic story-teller, and if you've ever read one of his perfectly formed short stories, you'll know exactly what I mean. Nik's talking about his new book, Freaks, and one of my favourite things: celebrating.

Take it away, Nik!

How Do You Celebrate Your Book Being Released?

I’ve spent a considerable number of evenings over this past few years sitting quietly. Usually reading and often in a pub. And sitting quietly, for me, is important. It helps me recover. Because the majority of my days are spent working hard. Either I’m editing for The Story Corrective or writing stories, or doing other Writing Work, so that couple of hours of down time is really important and, I like to think, they keep me (reasonably) sane. Plus, I really love reading. I love stories. Really, what we do – it’s all about the stories, isn’t it?

Last week Freaks! came out. Freaks! is a collaboration – a short story collection I wrote with the brilliant Caroline Smailes. Its characters all have super powers, some real, some imagined, and it’s something I’m really, really proud of.

And as publication day loomed I got to thinking about how I should go about marking the event, how I should celebrate it. You know, I’ve been doing this a fair old while now and I know that these moments don’t come around too often and that, because they’re special and important, they should be marked in some way.

Now, I’m not the kind of person who really does celebrations. Or is any good at organising anything (and I mean really!). I prefer things to be low key. So, instead of any big party or anything like that, I thought I’d have a nice evening with a couple of friends. Or something like that.

But there was a problem (see the bit about me being crap at organising anything). By the time I got around to trying to arrange something, no-one was about. Most of my good friends live out of town (or the country). My brother and his girlfriend had visited the previous week – they’d even bought me a bottle of Champagne (thank you! ) – but they’d since returned to London. And the other people I would have liked to have spent the evening with were out of town too (curse those FA cup semi-finals).

So, what’s a writer to do?

I’ll tell you what I did. I went to the pub with a book and I sat there quietly. And you know what, it was brilliant. Because I love books and I love stories. And I didn’t have to organise anything with a single person. I was happy celebrating it my way. And it worked.

 So, I’m curious. How would you celebrate your book coming out?


Nik Perring is a writer and editor. He’s the co-author of Freaks!, and the author of Not So Perfect. His website’s http://nikperring.com and he tweets as @nikperring.

Thank you, Nik! Have a great weekend, everyone. 

66 comments:

  1. I have had two books published and as I live alone Each time my book was released I just sat there holding it thinking all my own work.
    No bubbly, but the knowledge know three long years had finally paid off.

    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds like a great way to celebrate, Yvonne. It IS a proud moment, isn't it!

      Delete
  2. I like the cover of Freaks- I'll be keeping an eye out for it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Baygirl23! I'm really leased with how it came out too!

      Delete
  3. Congratulations Nik and Caroline! I think a quiet drink in a pub is a good a way of celebrating your book launch as any! Yay! Happy Friday Talli! Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, love the cover and the premise of Freaks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Em! Hope you enjoy it if you get chance to read!

      Delete
  5. I can't remember how, or even IF I celebrated when 'Home for Christmas' came out. The baby was only 6 weeks old when it was published and I was too sleep deprived to do anything but eat chocolate. So not much different from a normal day then! ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cally - having a baby's a pretty extreme way of celebrating! ;)

      Seriously though, sometimes it doesn't take much. And it's soon forgotten when you're knee deep in all the hard work that goes along with it! :)

      Delete
  6. COngrats, Nik! I plan to purchase it. My book is coming out in a few days but I've been so busy I'm not sure I'm as excited as I'm suppose to be about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I know that feeling! What's your book and where can I buy it?

      Delete
  7. I think for every one of my book releases I've sat around grinning stupidly for at least a week. Of course, this last time that might have been due to my celebratory half-pint tub of Cookie Dough ice cream. =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. India - grinning stupidly is something I have down to a fine art! ;)

      Delete
  8. Release day I'm really busy with online promotions, but a day or two before that my wife and I will go out to eat. That's about it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds ideal, Alex. And also has the benefit of not getting in the way of the hard work!

      Delete
  9. Freaks sounds like a cool book, and doing something you love is the perfect way to celebrate!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kyra! And yep, doing things we love is never a bad thing!

      Delete
  10. Hi Nik! Freaks sounds awesome and I love my quiet time too. I think it sounds like the perfect way to celebrate...soaking up the moment. :-)

    Have a great weekend, Nik and Talli!

    ReplyDelete
  11. That sounds like a great way to celebrate! I know I'd prolly take my fam out for dinner and that'd be it for me. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds like a wonderful way to celebrate too! (I'd make them pay, if I were you!)

      Delete
  12. Nik, I fully applaud your celebratory style--sounds like something I'd do as well! Though, I'd probably drag my best friend along with me and make her take a pic of me holding my book with a Jameson in the other hand. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TL - a woman after my own heart! That sounds perfect!

      Delete
  13. Nik, I love quiet time! Not a big joiner either.

    Congratulations!! I also love superheroes as does my 17 year old son. I'm going to have to check out Freaks.

    A celebration dinner with hubs and another couple who are friends. I know my huge Celtic Clan will throw a big family party.

    I belong to a rather large writing group--we all started out unpubbed in 2007 and about 25% of us are now pubbed and even have NYT bestseller in the mix. We generally throw a group release day party. Everyone tweets/FBs about the new release. Lots of fun.

    Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds perfect, Sia! And your writing group sounds amazing!

      Hope you and your 17 year old like the look of Freaks!

      Delete
  14. LOVE this post!!
    Since i live near all my friends and families, i'm sure there will be a rather large party. My parents and siblings would demand it, but luckily enough, they'd probably plan it too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sarah! Oh you can't beat other people planning things for you!

      Delete
  15. Great post. I've been watching what others do like crazy, and I've got some tentative plans. Once I know for sure which way I'll be publishing.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I celebrated my last book with dinner out with my family. There was bubbly, and they even organised balloons. It was perfect.

    I like your way of celebrating too. I think most writers are quite happy in their own company, and it's nice to have time by yourself to just absorb it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds lovely, Clo! And, to be honest, that'd have been nice too, but it wasn't meant to be and I ended up having a good time anyway. Next time I might try to be a bit more sociable (and organised!).

      Delete
  17. Very much depends on the subject of the book I guess. A woman recently had her launch party in the ladies pond at Hampstead Heath, all the journalists had to swim in very low temperatures. Well, it got a lot of local publicity anyhow!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I LOVE that idea! And I'd hate to think of what doing that kind of thing for my books would have entailed!

      Delete
  18. Sounds like the perfect way to celebrate! Congratulatons on FREAKS! It looks interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Congrats on the release of FREAKS, Nick! I wish you the very best of luck with it. With my prior two releases they've been small celebrations. This next one in May will be huge though as I'll be in Hawaii with my friends!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Heather. I am now very jealous though! Best of luck with your next one!

      Delete
  20. Nice to meet you, Nik. Celebrating in a pub sounds pretty good to me :)

    Hi, Talli!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice to meet you too! And it certainly worked for me!

      Delete
  21. Congratulations, Nik! And hey, a celebration is a celebration when the author says it's one. To each their own! I would probably celebrate with family and close friends at a fun restaurant somewhere. And then we'd do something crazy like play laser tag. It's all about happiness and being surrounded by the people I love!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congratulations, Nik! Sounds like my kind of celebration. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Congratulations, Nik! FREAKS sounds great, I have added it to my TBR pile!

    I have no idea how I'll celebrate when my book comes out, but it'll probably involve going to the pub too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. In the past I've celebrated with 'real' launch parties but my last two books came out as ebooks - so the 'party' was on line. I have to say that I enjoyed them thoroughly - even though I was actually sat on my own and in my pj's the whole time. There was a bottle of fizz involved later in the day of course. Good times should be celebrated!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congratulations Nik! Freak sounds great and thanks for sharing about your experiences.

    Thanks Talli!

    ReplyDelete
  26. That's a good way to celebrate! I don't like a lot of hoopla, so quiet really works for me! Hope I have a story to tell one day :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jemi. Hope you'll have many stories to tell about many celebrations!

      Delete
  27. Congratulations on your book! :)

    That sounds like a great way of celebrating.


    The Eagle's Aerial Perspective

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi Talli. Nik sounds delightful, and I like his take on celebrating. It doesn't have to be rowdy. I like contemplation in a pub.

    All the best for your collection, Nik.

    Denise

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Denise - that's very kind of you to say!

      Delete
  29. I'm with you, Nik! A quiet satisfied feeling is all I crave! And a glass or two would not come amiss...

    ReplyDelete
  30. Congrats Nik! Sounds like a fun book!

    I haven't thought that far ahead yet as to what I will do when I finally have a release date! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Hope you get reason to plan something very soon!

      Delete
  31. I think a good photo taken in a bookstore signing with many people gathered around would be a great way to celebrate!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It certainly is! (Although it's FAR more tiring than sitting down with someone else's book!)

      Delete
  32. Congratulations Nik! Sounds a fun book with a catchy title.

    Thanks Talli!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Congrats! I am all about celebrating, so while I enjoy quiet moment celebrations, I'm all about big parties, too. But it sounds like your celebration was perfect for you, and that's what matters.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I just had my first release day and I spent it stunned or stupefied. It didn't involve drink until later on, and I live in Italy while the book came out in England. We really had the big bash with the launch a week later in Londontown. But release day was quiet and special and yes I wore that stupid grin all day all over.

    ReplyDelete

Coffee and wine for all!