Where've I been?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Haven't posted for a month because July was an interesting blur. This is literally the first day I've had to do activities of daily living as they say in the medical world. So, here's a summary if you're interested.
Had a fabulous ThrillerFest in NY where I got to do all sorts of book signings and hob-nobbing with publishers, agents, writers and fans. If there's a better-organized group on the planet than International Thriller Writers I haven't seen it. They put on an outstanding conference for writers and readers. I had the honor to be part of this year's debut author's group. To be up there on the dais with Steve Berry introducing and David Baldacci speaking was sublime.
July continued to be a hot month for book sales, particularly in Italy, where La Biblioteca dei Morti has been on the top-ten bestseller list for 3 months straight! Hats off to my small army of Italian fans who've been waving the flag. I really appreciate their efforts.
Book of Souls, my second book is weaving its path to the booksellers. It will have the same title everywhere which I appreciate. I've just seen the advanced reader copy for the UK and it looks terrific. Expect to see it February 2010 in the UK, April 2010 in the US/Canada, and then a roll-out in 25 languages to follow. Here's the UK cover. Like it? I do.
Yesterday was the pub date for Secret of the Seventh Son in the US! Finally. If you buy it and you like it, please post your comments on Amazon/ B&N etc. If you don't like it -- oh heck, post your comments anyway. Lots of launch activities but the one I'm most looking forward to is a reading and signing in my favorite bookstore in Massachusetts, the Harvard Coop 7PM Aug 19th.
And finally, I've pushed like hell and finished my 3rd book which Random House UK will call The Tenth Chamber. They didn't like the working title, The Perigord Manuscript, and because I love those guys to death, I offered up a new one. We'll see what other publishers/countries think. I'm in the just-finished and shell-shocked mode but I think it's original, really interesting and pretty damn exciting. The manuscript is with my totally brilliant agent, Simon Lipskar, but I expect he'll have me jumping through some hoops before it's declared publisher-ready. Novel-writing is a lot less collaborative than screenwriting, but the contributions of agents, editors and copy-editors and translators can often be the difference between a hit and a miss.
posted by Glenn Cooper at
5:34 PM
6 Comments:
Hi Glenn
I like 'The Tenth Chamber' for dramatic impact but, sight unseen, does it give up too much of what might otherwise create suspense by telling the reader where the real action is? Also, I feel the name resonates too strongly with Library of the Dead - both titles have associations of past times, concealment, excavation, secrets - and that makes Tenth Chamber feel like a sequel when it's not that; it's a new start. I suppose the choice has already been made and you obviously have huge respect for the marketing nous of the people you're working with but I have to say I prefer The Perigord Manuscript.
I think you're correct. The choice in the UK was made for dramatic impact, with the notion that people would wonder too long what Perigord means and move onto the next book in the rack! I'll give other publishers the choice and see what decisions are in each country. Should be interesting.
Hello Glenn...
You have a new fan. I picked up 7th Son for an airplane flight and became engrossed and entranced. The characters' imperfections made them all the more engaging. The convergence of the three temporal threads did not feel contrived. There were sufficient clues along the way to sort out the puzzle alongside the protagonist.
I look forward to the sequel.
I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
Glenn: Jenny here from Innisfree. We cannot wait for your signing next Saturday the 22nd!
I read your book. Nope, that's not right. I devoured it! I loved how you weaved so many different genres together, and I was just amazed at how it all ended!
See you on Saturday!
Jenny @Innisfree Bookshop
Jenny, That's great! See you on Saturday, Glenn
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