I’ve finally got to the end of the first draft of Burke and the War of 1812. I usually take the unfashionable approach of editing as I go, so there’s not a huge gap between finishing my first draft and having something that I feel ready to show to people, but this one has been an exception. I think there’s still quite a lot of work to do. For the moment, though, I am revelling in the fact that I don’t have to write the damn thing for a few days, so I can turn my mind to selling the books I’ve written already. This balancing of writing and selling is one I always find tricky. I love getting readers – that’s pretty much the point of writing – but I’m retired and I don’t have to do this for the money so putting in the hours that I need to promote the books is always a low priority. This pause in my writing gives me a good opportunity to do a little bit of selling. And it’s November: the month when book sales traditionally take off as writers all try to persuade you that books make ideal Christmas presents. They do. They really do!
Tales of Empire is just £2.99 in paperback and if you are on Amazon Prime you don’t even need to pay postage. It’s four short stories by four different authors, including me. It’s an ideal stocking filler.
All of my books are available in paperback. E-books have a lot going for them, but I must admit I don’t feel that they work as Christmas gifts. The James Burke series are my bestsellers and cost £9.50 or less. The most popular is Burke in the Peninsula, possibly because it appeals to Sharpe fans, But if you are giving them to somebody who has never read a James Burke book before, I suggest you start with the first one, Burke in the Land of Silver. It’s based quite closely on the life of the real James Burke and the British invasion of Argentina in 1806. Burke spied for the British ahead of the invasion and his story is a thrilling tale of derring-do and gives a fascinating insight into a little known British military adventure.
The White Rajah was my first attempt at historical fiction and (whisper it) still probably my favourite. It was never a great commercial success, though, which is why you can buy it in paperback for just £7.99.
Besides historical fiction, I also write contemporary fantasy books. My comic fantasy, Dark Magic is a novella and the paperback is only £4.99. There’s an audio book too, which I was giving away free for Halloween. If you’re interested, let me know in the comments and I’ll see if I’ve got any left.
As we draw closer to Christmas, I’ll be talking more about my books. If you don’t want to buy any of them, consider buying something by another independent or small press author. Nobody I know has proper marketing budgets and persuading people to buy books in a market dominated by a few very successful writers (or successful celebrities who have people write for them) is an uphill struggle. If you want new books by new authors, supporting their sales efforts really does make a huge difference.
Thank you.
