Booktopia – Jenn J McLeod – small-town storyteller

Posted on 02/12/2016 by Jenn J McLeod — 6 Comments

How to buy a book when it’s not in stock.

You might have guessed already, but with so many new authors being published, and established authors putting out a new book each year — ie more fabulous books to read — this readers’ boom can be the author’s bust. Therefore I thought the topic worth sharing.

Book retailers have limited shelf space so they are unable to stock every book all the time. Many books sell out and are not always replaced — even the big sellers, like House For All Season, for example. It was #5 best-selling fiction debut in 2013 but you’d be hard pressed finding a print copy because retailers have had to make way for all the other great books coming out.

So how do you buy a book when it’s not in stock? (And you know about it from the author’s backlist (that little list of titles inside the front cover.)

ASK.

Walk in, or ring, or email your retailer and they’ll order it in for you. (You want to read it. They want to sell it, and the author wants to know you enjoyed it.)

Same goes with the library? Does the book constantly have RESERVES on it? Maybe they’ll buy in another copy. Is it only in print only and not accessible as an ebook for you to borrow? There’s an option! How can you make it happen?

ASK.

Walk in, or ring, or email your local library. Librarians love to help readers.

Too easy really! There’s always Aussie online retailers of PRINT books with massive warehouses, so try Booktopia and Boomerang Books.

Yes, you may need to be patient while the order is processed, but you know good things do come to those who wait.

Now, can you help me spread the word? Oh, and let me know how I can get an ice cream when I am about 100 km away from a shop!

Posted on 15/01/201402/12/2014 by Jenn J McLeod — 2 Comments

Did you love House for all Seasons enough?

Booktopia vote round one — PROOF! It’s really me up there.

Enough to vote? Because it’s that time of the year when Aussie authors find out who loves them. While the past Annual Booktopia List for Australia’s Favourite Novelist process has been a novelty “vote and watch” thing for me prior to this year, it has kinda been a teensy weensy more exciting and significant as I made the initial list! Not only that, I came 4th in my heat (surprising the pants of many people, I am sure – including me.) And what company!

Look, the online voting process is neither robust nor rocket science in its presentation. this is about showcasing the amazing literary talent in thins country. So, well done to the good people at Booktopia for their continued support of people busting their guts to make a mark in this whacky writing biz. It’s a bit of fun, some good old-fashioned recognition and, most importantly, it is exposure on a grand scale for lots and lots of Aussie authors who might have limited opportunities or means to promote themselves. (I actually had no idea I had that many friends! Maybe I underestimated my readers and myself. I even went and bought friends at Woolies. But when stuck them at the computer and said “VOTE” they said their hands were tied!) Friends

I could have waited until the final TOP 50 results are announced to brag about this. But posting a partial (heat) win is much more fun than posting a major bummer post once the winners are announced.

Voting remains open until 5pm this Saturday. You can vote for any number of authors – not just one. (Just hope I will be one of them.)

And here is the Heat 4 list. Impressive, huh?

Posted on 04/09/201304/09/2013 by Jenn J McLeod — 3 Comments

Imagine – House for all Seasons on the big screen!

movie deal What author doesn’t dream about having their novel made into a movie or an Australian mini-series?

I never considered this a possibility for House for all Seasons. I mean, why would they bother? We all know the ending – right? The ‘twist in the tale’ that people have been raving about is, well, it’s out there… Well before the first scene has been shot the cat is out of the proverbial bag and the horse has well and truly bolted.

It appears that knowing the ending of the story is not the death knell for a Hollywood blockbuster.

Case in point: Ryan Gosling (hubba, hubba) is tipped to play the lead character in the movie adaptation of M. L. Steadman’s The Light Between Oceans. Do we not know how that story ends? What would makes us want to spend money at the box office to see the film when we all know we are going to ball our eyes out as the credits roll?

Is it a Kleenex conspiracy perhaps?

No, it’s because we want to see characters we’ve fallen in love with, cried with, hoped for, laughed with come to life. It’s the characters. We want to fall in love all over again.

I’ve been discounting the movie dream all this time because I figured while Calingarry Crossing is a town keeping big secrets, the secrets in House for all Seasons are out. But if it’s about falling in love with the characters then I reckon my girls would be brilliant on the big screen.

What do you think? If you have a favourite character and an actress in mind to play her, let me know and I’ll pass it on. 😉

Ahhhh! Time to reignite the movie deal dream, perhaps.