David Maybury | Blog

So the interview with RTE went well last week. Colm and I both answered a few questions for the soundbytes and were done in half an hour. (We even had time for a celebrity hunt in the canteen. No luck finding anyone though)

No one in RTE was quite sure if our ‘bytes’ would be broadcast but we told our Mammy’s and Gran’s to listen anyway. And they did.

Click here to have a listen.

The guests on the show, Fergal Tobin and Anne Haverty, disagreed with what I had to say. It was both unexpected and unfair and I would like to respond.

Anne Haverty’s opinion that the business end of writing is of no interest to writers seems nonsensical. Publishing, as both guests agree in the interview, has changed over the last 10 years and publishers, editors and agents look upon it from a much more analytical level now. I think the business of writing is very much the business of the writer, literary fiction or otherwise. That includes the general administrative aspects of writing - how to make a submission, where to submit work, help with making contacts as much as the financial ends.

Anyone with an interest in writing/publishing is aware of the market conditions - and Fergal’s suggestion that if I knew the numbers involved with publishing fiction I would probably stop writing is daft. All new writers speak to publishers in Ireland and the UK - each with varying degrees of pessimism - and most people submit manuscripts with the full knowledge of the difficulties.

I am looking at making a career in children’s writing - an ambition that is driven by the same need as Anne Haverty’s, as ‘someone who needs to write books‘. What I mean when I say career in writing, is that I want to continue writing and develop it with audiences and readers through as many outlets, technologies and books as possible for as long as I can. To reach that goal I need as much information about writing, including the business aspects, as I can find.

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Relevant link: American authour John Scalzi offers business advice to writers. (more)

Relevant quote: A friend, who has been submitting fiction for more than 15 years, sent this by email:

Every publisher/agent I’ve ever met has always begun the conversation with: ‘You know you’ll never get a book of short stories published, don’t you?’

Have you heard about the Dublin Book Festival yet? Its a book festival, organised by publishers from around Ireland, to promote books. It sounds simple but it was years in the making. But the festival starts this Friday in City Hall with a reading from childrens’ writer Marita Conlon-McKenna. Also reading on Friday is yours truly at half-past one. (17.5 on the nervous scale)

If your home tonight (or out and near a radio/pc or even a phone with earphones) I’m making a surprise appearance on the Arts Show on Radio One. It was recorded yesterday at PO Box 2222, Donnybrook, Dublin 4. Weirdly I met Rick (grand poobah/king of all men/salty face). That’s not so weird really, considering he works there. But it was unexpected.

And if you don’t fancy hearing/seeing/doing anything related to me, go here and read about Fústar’s plan to rebirth Dreadful Thoughts. First up for us all to read is M.R. James‘ Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad. Discussion time is Monday March 10 at 8pm.

A nerdish link dump - on par with the Grand Poo-bah* himself.

> Never be caught in the embarrassing situation of mispronouncing a writers name again: Hold your head high at parties.

> Since you’re already sounding smart - why not drop a reference to the Large Hadron Collider (The Atom Smasher) and the new developments in atomic physics. Sinead can enlighten you.

> Eventually at this party nature will call. Don’t get caught out by the urinal game - use the divider provided.

> And finally once you’ve had a skin full: Get mad and demand that everyone at the party be versed in interweb etiquette.

*Rick O’Shea is NOT affiliated with name Grand Poo-bah, yet. Who knows, he might stick it on his name tag at the blog awards. Or he might not.