Category: Marketing

Catherine Cookson meets Downton Abbey meets John Grisham...

14/9/2011

'Catherine Cookson meets Downton Abbey meets John Grisham...'

WoW! It is all happening today!

Mike Kelly, a reporter with the Newcastle paper, 'The Journal' contacted me on Monday and did a telephone interview. You can read the full article he has written about Catching the Eagle and the research behind it, on the link below. It might take you some time, though - it is three pages long!

I absolutely love this quote:

'And not surprisingly. With its Northumberland roots, upper class versus commoner intrigue and hint of a miscarriage of justice, it was like Catherine Cookson meets Downton Abbey meets John Grisham.'

Thanks Mike. :)

http://www.journallive.co.uk/lifestyle-news/newcastle-features/2011/09/14/interview-author-karen-charlton-61634-29416839/2/#ixzz1Xvdhejrm

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A busy, busy summer...

10/9/2011

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A busy, busy summer...

The front and back of my new postcards

I did not get much chance to notice the blistering heat and balmy evenings of summer 2011. During the six week school holiday, I was so busy with marketing, writing and researching book two in the Regency Reiver series, that I forgot to nip into the back garden and top up my tan. What's that? I would probably have caught pneumonia if I had tried to sunbathe this year? Oh well, maybe next year. ;)

Marketing Catching the Eagle

This is going well. I have read the tomes which were recommended to me about how to market your book. Following this, I had some fantastic postcards printed with the book cover on the front and the blurb and other details on the back (see above.) Armed with these, I jumped into the car and set off for Northumberland. As you can see from the forthcoming events column, I managed to interest four Waterstones managers in book signings. The Northumberland Book Launch is organised at Kirkley Hall and the guest list seems to be getting larger all the time. I am also investigating the beautiful Middlesbrough Reference Library for my Teesside Book Launch. Thanks to help from my friend Jill Boulton, I have put a press pack together and we are about to start approaching the media.

The Missing Heiress
A Detective Lavender Mystery

I had hoped to have had this nearly finished by now but it is only half way through. However, the writing is going smoothly and I am thoroughly enjoying myself. I have decided that 30,000 words is not bad for four months work.

Is this our James Charlton?

Researching Book Two in the Regency Reivers Series

We have taken two trips to The National Archives in Kew this summer, and spent four very long and tiring days pouring over 200 year old, dusty manuscripts, searching for further details about Jamie Charlton's fascinating life. He has never been an easy character to pin down in the archives but we have now got some very tantalising leads. Of course, most of his escapades were because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time - he should have been awarded a medal for this skill - he definitely was a born survivor when it came to dealing with the curved balls which fate dealt him. Quite frankly, I think that people are going to be very surprised about what happened next. Book Two in the series is already an amazing journey for me - and hopefully it will for the readers, as well... :)

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Launched on the Publisher's Website...

8/8/2011

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Launched on the Publisher's Website...

Yeeey! I'm officially launched on the publisher's website.....happy dance. :) Click on the link below to see my profile, mug shot and a sample chapter of Catching the Eagle.

http://www.knoxrobinsonpublishing.com/authordetail.php?id=45

Very exciting. Strangely enough, the thing that gives me the greatest thrill is seeing the ISBN number of my forthcoming book.....how unreal is that? Little, old me has got an ISBN number!

Happy dance again..... :)

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'Carry on' Photography...

17/7/2011

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'Carry on' Photography...

Photo by Iain Wolstencroft

What a carry on!

A few weeks ago, Dana Robinson asked me to provide a decent photograph of myself for the Knox Robinson Website.

Not an unusual request, nor a particularly difficult one to fulfil - for most people. Unfortunately, I am the most unphotogenic person on the planet. Even as a child I always came out looking 'odd.' For the past seventeen years I have hidden behind my children on family photos and made sure I wore big sunglasses.

Now I had to have a decent photograph or two, which would be posted on T'internet for the whole world to see. The whole thing threw me into a frenzied panic.

Photograph by Iain Wolstencroft

Fortunately, our friend, Iain, who has the patience of a saint, came to the rescue with his camera. The poor fellow had a hard time with me. I couldn't decide what to wear and I didn't know whether I wanted the hair up or the hair down. It was hot and I kept rushing off to powder my nose (literally) to reduce the shine. To make matters worse, I couldn't keep still and chatted non-stop.

'Will you try to relax?' Iain pleaded.

When I received the disc containing the 368 finished photographs, I was appalled. Not with Iain's admirable efforts, but at myself. I really am the woman with 1001 expressions - and most of them were quite frightening. I had my eyes closed on the majority of the photos, and heaven knows what my mouth was trying to do in the rest.

Lurking at the back in big sunglasses

An expressive face is quite useful for amateur dramatic performances. It also has its place in a classroom full of teenagers, whom you are hoping to intimidate into submission. However, in middle age, an expressive rubbery face usually just leads to first prize in a gurning competition. Hubby took one look at the photos and grunted.

'Hmmph, the bust of Barbara Windsor - but the face of Sid James,' he commented.

Fortunately, my daughter was more sympathetic. With her help I finally managed to whittle them down to half a dozen, which I hope won't frighten away the readers.

I suppose, if all else fails, I can always apply for a part when they remake the 'Carry On' films. ;)

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What's in a name?

15/7/2011

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What's in a name?

Well, everything really - especially where the marketing of a novel is concerned.

I spent hours worrying about whether, or not, to use my real name - Karen Charlton - when submitting this book to publishers. I was unsure if indicating my family connection to the characters in Catching the Eagle would help or hinder my quest for publication. I was terrified of appearing like a woman seeking justice for a wronged ancestor, rather than presenting myself as a serious novelist.

As it turned out, I was missing a trick. The very first time I promoted the family connection behind Catching the Eagle, I landed a publishing deal. I now realise that publishers want the author to provide a marketing platform to sell their novel.  The book has got to be different from all the rest.

Fortunately, the story behind Catching the Eagle (the genealogical research) seems to be already attracting attention. I have only put out a few tentative feelers concerning the marketing - but already my details are being sent to a 'leading Women's Magazine.' Apparently, they are looking out for a story just like mine. Of course, this may all come to nothing - but it is certainly a start.

A few weeks ago, I suggested to Dana Robinson, my publisher, that I would be happy to use my real name as the author of the novel and drop the pen name, 'Susanna Famelton.'

She instantly agreed: 'I don’t think you need it. Your given name has a much stronger appeal and the audience will immediately note that you share the same name as your hero.'   So began the demise of poor Susanna Famelton (who has proved to be fairly resistant when I have tried to eradicate her from the internet.) Confessing I was a Charlton, did the trick when it came to getting the publishing deal. Now it seems that using my real name on the book cover might help increase the sales.

Ironically, although I have no problem with my surname Charlton; I have always had a really big problem with, my first name.  'Karen' was hugely popular in the UK in the late fifties and sixties, and I was very dismayed to find myself sharing a class with four other 'Karens.' For most of the time I attended that school, my fellow 'Karens' and I remained distinctive by using nicknames. I answered to 'Kit' for five years and grimly resolved to do my best to make sure that my kids had more unusual names.

Apart from the fact that 'Karen' was so bloody common, I was also horrified to discover that I had been named after one of my Dad's ex-girlfriends. I had big issues with this when I was younger - in fact, I think I'm still traumatised.   I was also completely baffled about why Mum was so cool about it. But as my parents have just celebrated their Golden Wedding, I can only assume that it is another sign of the tolerance needed to make a successful marriage work.

Of course, I could have changed it by deed poll years ago, if I was really bothered, or asked Dana to keep the 'Susanna' part of my pen name. But I didn't. There's something about Dana's phrase 'given name' which sums up my reluctance to alter my identity.

My name, Karen, was the first thing my parents ever gave to me when I arrived into this world on that snowy November day. They must have spent time discussing it and considered it carefully; most young parents are quite excited about naming their first child. Despite its weird origins, my name was their gift to me. Changing it would be like throwing my very first birthday present back in their faces.

Like it, or not, I am a Karen - and will be until the day I die.

I take comfort in the fact that, although there were several girls named 'Gladys' in my Dad's circle of friends, fortunately he didn't get the hots for any of them.

Yep. It could have been a lot worse. ;)

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Forward>>

Catherine Cookson meets Downton Abbey meets John Grisham...

'Catherine Cookson meets Downton Abbey meets John Grisham...'

A busy, busy summer...

A busy, busy summer...

Launched on the Publisher's Website...

Launched on the Publisher's Website...

'Carry on' Photography...

'Carry on' Photography...

What's in a name?

What's in a name?

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