Behind the Scenes: Publication Day

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Last Thursday, 13^th of February, my book ‘The Far Edges of the Known World’ was officially published!

It is not the first book I have published, but it is the first time that publication day has been so busy! Usually, I have felt that days where your work is completed and out for everyone to see to be rather anticlimactic. I don’t really know why. I suppose it is because you build up the excitement and anticipation in your own head and then, when it finally happens, nothing really changes. Except the excitement and anticipation has now gone.

But not so for this book. In terms of scale and outside interest about the book, this is not something I have encountered before. Even now, before sitting down to write this, I have just okayed the German translation’s title and front cover – it is all quite surreal for a writer who has been plugging away at this since 2010 for smaller publications and publishers.

So, I thought I would peel back the curtain somewhat and show you what happens on publication day!

Publication Day

Waking up is perhaps the strangest time, wondering if you have dreamt it and there actually is no book being published today. But a quick congratulations from my wife put me straight. Any time to revel in the accomplishment is quickly swallowed up by the school run – publishing on a Thursday, oh well.

I return home after a difficult drop off (my children do not attend mainstream education here in the UK) cold and a little battered; so the kettle goes on and a nice cup of tea is made. It is important that we live up to our cultural stereotypes! I should really start some work but my phone and emails are pinging through with congratulations from my editorial team at Bloomsbury, my agent, friends, even some half random people on vaguely know via social media who sent me photos of my book having arrived at their house, or on the shelf of their nearest bookshop.

I must admit, the photos are always a thrill. After years of working on the project, it is nice to see it out in the world.