How to get books noticed at London Book Fair

Anyone who’s been following my fledgling attempts to carve out a writing career, and eat something other than tinned tuna, may have already heard the news. Two of my books are winging their way to the London Book Fair. While I’m thrilled beyond belief, the consumer psychologist part of my brain has the optimist part tied to a chair and keeps taunting her with a map showing the sheer size of the Fair. Something needs to be done or she’ll submit to the tyrannical pessimistic cousin who ruled her teenage years.

The London Book Fair runs from March 14 – 17th at Olympia London. Thanks to the tireless work of Serenity Press I have the opportunity to send not one but two of my books along – 50 Ways To Grieve Your Lover (the one that saw me profiled by Seth Godin) and Me Time (the People’s Choice Winner).

With books spread over three floors I can only hope that my little needles in the paperback haystack do something utterly scandalous to get noticed (sorry Serenity Press ladies). I don’t ask for much but here’s a couple of suggestions should any of you happen to be attending.

• Maybe on day two as an exhausted publisher approaches our display she notices a long lost rival publisher across the room. Looking for something to hurl, she happens upon a copy of 50 Ways To Grieve Your Lover which turns out to be the perfect hold to hurl weight ratio, apparently.
• Or a strung out unpublished author standing in line to get a book signed by her favourite author and lecturer John Tiddles, picks up a flyer about his upcoming novel. After a second read she  recognises the story line and character names from her own Creative Writing thesis.  As she strides to the front of the line to confront him she passes my stack of 1,000 flyers, picks up a handful, jumps the author table and starts stuffing them down his throat.
• Or one of the London Fair volunteers peruses Me Time during her lunch break. After reading the last page she races to the 5 minute interviewer stage, grabs the microphone off the Fair Director and declares that the author of this book is ‘the best new voice in the industry’ and ‘must be signed to a publishing house this very day’.

Cough, oh, um, sorry about that.

I’m so chuffed to be involved, the only thing that could make this opportunity any better would be if were traveling with my books. In the meantime I shall wait to hear what happens at the Fair and hope that I (and Serenity Press) don’t make the news for all the wrong reasons, or the MI5 Watch List.

P.s. No John Tiddles were hurt in the writing of this post. (if there is an author John Tiddles promoting a book at the Fair please say sorry from me).

Stay tuned for more information and photos from the Fair.

Click here for more information about London Book Fair  and Serenity Press