Tommy Donbavand: Learning From the Best

by Jo Wyton


A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article for this blog about the usefulness of finding a good network as a writer. Not long after voyaging into the world of Actually Talking To Other People, I signed up for a writing retreat (which you can read an article on here). I don't really know what I was expecting, but I do know that I turned up on the first night a bit of a trembling mess, really. I recall a room full of people sitting on the floor listening to a talk on building a platform (I think. The nerves really were terrible. It might've been a talk on koala bears for all I would've noticed.)

Mostly the nerves were because I hadn't really met many published authors. I had met some at the end of teetering signing queues. And I think it's fair to say that some of those had ended with me nearly getting 'Never Meet Your Heroes' tattooed on my forehead, but quite frankly my forehead is big enough without calling further attention to it. 

This particular writing retreat had as its Writer in Residence a certain Tommy Donbavand. It was a great few days - cake, wine, writing - but my favourite moment was something unrelated to the main business of the retreat.

This is Tommy. See? Serious Business.

This might be a good time to point out that this article is a little different from those that normally appear on this blog, but it's part of something Big. Important. Put That Piece Of Cake You're About To Eat Down And Pay Attention Important. Because Tommy has cancer.
And he needs the support of fellow writers.

And he didn't turn out to be terrifying, after all. In fact, he's one of the nicest bloody people I have ever met.

My favourite moment of the retreat? Several drinks into Saturday night festivities, along with another published author, we retreated into one of the classrooms to... that's right - gather around Tommy's iPad to watch Doctor Who. That's right. Doctor Who. And it was an AWESOME episode.

But what was important was that Tommy invited me in. Made me feel like being a Published Author wasn't an exclusive club. Not an unreachable dream but a much-dreamed-of reality. 

He also, incidentally, introduced me to somebody - the other published author staring at the iPad, waiting for the internet to reconnect in time for the big reveal at the episode's end? He's now my other half.

Tommy shooting Tim Collins (said other half) with a balloon crossbow. Because cakes and wine can't keep you entertained forever.

So I have quite a bit to repay Tommy, you see. This blog isn't much of a way of doing that, I don't suppose, but I do genuinely think that meeting Tommy played a big part in my existence as a writer, and I'd only encourage others who haven't spoken to many published authors to seek them out. They were once dreamers, too, and they're really very nice (the occasional signing queue aside).

And if you feel like supporting Tommy, who's had to give up the school visits that sustain him financially, you can do one of three things:

1. Buy a copy of Doctor Who: Shroud of Sorrow (which is, naturally, brilliant fun for kids, with a few serious bits thrown in - reviewed here)

2. Enter one of the fabulous competitions being run. You can win TONNES of books. They will appear on some of the blogs, which are listed on the image at the bottom of this blog. The first one can be found here.

3. Visit his blog. Join his Patreon scheme, where you sign up to loads of 'how to write' content.

4.

(Yes, I know I said three, but it's a good one.)

4. Leave a comment on his blog. Offer some support on Twitter or Facebook. Or just raise a glass to his continuing brilliance and friendliness and to your own dreaming. Go on.

Marketing for (Almost) Authors

By Jo Wyton

How much marketing is an author expected to do? How much does marketing cost? How do you go about marketing your book? What the hell is marketing?

All questions posed by Nick Cross at the recent SCBWI retreat.

He was faced with a standing-room-only room of writers: some aspiring, some nearly there, and others already there and figuring out answers to the above questions right now. Tough gig. Fab job.

Before I arrived, I got busy trying to summon all of my marketing knowledge. I quickly came to the conclusion that I didn’t really have very much. Oh, I had no idea…

You can find detailed answers to the above questions over at Nick Cross’ WhoAteMyBrain blog, but for now I thought I’d focus on what I got from it all as your average Slushpiler.

It all started so well ....

Conference organizer Sue picks a cozy spot

It all started so well...

The first question posed was all about what marketing means for a published author – nothing to worry about for the average Slushpile Resident – everything pretty much as you’d expect. National ad campaigns vs reader targeted campaigns – usually the latter for children’s books, unless you happen to be J. K. Rowling.

Nick tries to define Marketing. Tougher than you think.

The second question – how much marketing is an author expected to do for themselves? Here’s where it got interesting. (Or horrifying, depending on your point of view.)

It seems to me that you can do as much or as little as you like. Preferably the former, if you want to turn your novel into a career.

And yet somehow I think we’d all like to believe that once you’re on the bookshelves, either a) your book will sell itself (if only), or b) your agent/editor will don their superman capes and sort it all out for you (you never know. No, really).

Sadly, no. More and more it’s being left to the author to publicise themselves and their book. Sometimes they’ll have the help and money of their publisher behind them, other times it’s a more independent route. When I first thought about that, I found myself thinking, ‘Who better to publicise you and your book, than you?’

Easy to say, huh?

But if ever faced with the reality of driving my own marketing, I’m pretty sure my reaction wouldn’t be, “Sure, that seems like the sensible option.”

It would be more like, “ARGH! HELP! Please God, somebody tell me what to do!” yelled at the top of my voice just prior to my head exploding. Well, if I ever find myself shouting those words to the empty vastness above, I at least know that being surrounded by the most supportive group of people on the planet in the shape of the SCBWI will get me through.

Coming back to the original question though – how much marketing is an author expected to do? The answer, from those in the room, is ‘a significant amount’.

Do as much as you can – it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Marketing on a shoestring! Cunning, Nick Cross. Very cunning.

It’s up to you to generate your platform and expand on it. No harm in building that platform before you’ve had your manuscript plucked from the Slushpile either. Get building a network now – it’ll come in handy later.

Then came the next, truly alarming thing – the list of possible marketing techniques you should consider.

We’re talking websites, facebook, twitter, YouTube, trailers, t-shirts, bookmarks, banners, business cards, school visits, mugs, mugshots, posters, festivals, workshops, ads in the yellow pages. OK, I might have made that last one up.

The list went on, the published folk in the audience continuing to offer up titbits of wisdom freely and without a thought for my slowly dropping jaw.

Let’s start at the very beginning – the internet. (A very good place to start, apparently.) The advice from the room? Keep it professional.

You’ll probably need a Facebook page designed to represent you as an author – same goes for twitter. Your readers (i.e. kids) may be looking at this, so make sure you’re comfortable with the material you’re putting out there.

You’ll also need a website – the first place most people will go. It needs to represent you as an author, but it also needs to show off your book. Especially when you’re writing for kids – anything interactive is great, as is anything that keys into the tone and themes of your book.

It doesn’t have to be expensive – as with everything else, find some friends to help you.

Here are the websites for Candy’s Tall Story, Tommy Donbavand’s Scream Street and the author site of Sara Grant (Dark Parties).  if you want to take a look.

Then there are trailers. As trailers go, those for books are quite unusual, because generally speaking the only people who are going to see them are those who already know they exist and are deliberately searching for them.

Tommy Donbavand's Scream Street book trailer

Unless they screen yours at the local cinema ten minutes before The Hobbit starts. You never know. The limited audience reach of a book trailer raises questions over whether it’s necessary.

Candy Gourlay's book trailer for Tall Story

Then again, as somebody on the night pointed out, a trailer does at the very least guarantee you a spot on YouTube – and considering that a lot of kids avoid search engines and go straight for searching directly through YouTube itself, it seems like it’d be useful for something to pop up.

Trailers are also a good tool to have to hand for school visits. Lots of trailers are home-made, too, so again, no need to worry about cost.

The only cost here seems to be time and effort, and it’s up to you how much of both you want to put in.

Sara Grant's German book trailer

In terms of bookmarks, banners, posters etc – from what I can tell, the appropriateness of that sort of thing is going to depend on your book. And target age-range It seems an effective way of getting your name out there though –something good to hand out when you score that spot at the local literary festival.

Candy with the Human Topiary at the recent Pop Up Festival. Photo: Bridget Marzo

Last but not least (which I say because I’m sure there’s lots I’ve missed out here) come the festivals and school visits themselves. This is probably the most intimidating idea around marketing for most writers – at least, I find it pretty scary to think about.

Again, everything depends on the age range you’re writing for. If you’re lucky enough to be writing for an age group where visits to primary schools are a possibility, then look no further.

The brilliant Tommy Donbavand retreated with us to Surrey, and he brought his Amazing Box of Wonders.

Tommy reveals the contents of his box of wonders.

Werewolf's Claw

Mummy's heart

Zombie's tongue.

Now, Tommy’s a guy who can transform a room of 30 grown-ups into a bunch of giggling five year olds in thirty seconds flat. If you’re ever wondering what authors do on school visits, check out Tommy’s pdf guide for schools wanting to know what he does here, or even better, look out for any festival appearances.

Tommy used to be a clown. Really truly. So his school visits involve balloon shapes and gags - including this William Tell re-enactment (assisted by award-winning Wimpy Vampire author Tim Collins)

At the retreat, Tommy showed us (because we’re writers and telling is so last season) what he does.

Cue vampire hissing (camp as you like), werewolf growling (no better) and toilet paper shenanigans (I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures by now).

Maureen Oakley (who writes Puddle the Naughtiest Puppy series for Ladybird) gets toilet papered as part of Tommy's school visit demo. Photo: Wendy Jones

It was all about bringing the book to life – showing kids how much fun books can be, and how much fun getting involved is.

Tommy winning children to reading. Photo: Mostly Books blog

The brill Addy Farmer blogged about this exact topic the other week too, having spoken to Linda Newberry, Penny Dolan, Katherine Langrish and Jane Clarke about their experiences of school visits.

And of course, with Skype and so on, school visits don’t even have to be face to face anymore. Embracing the international market is becoming more and more accessible from the comfort of your armchair (do try to change out of your jimjams first though).

Of course by the end of this session, I wasn’t thinking about ‘embracing the international market’. No – by that point, my jaw was firmly on the floor, my glass of wine virtually untouched and hidden away under my chair lest my dropping jaw knock it over.

All I could think was: how on earth do people find the time? Let alone the willpower and enthusiasm. So much to do – and how on earth do you even go about building a platform, let alone expanding on it?

Then again, we’re writers, aren’t we? Futile enthusiasm is what it’s all about. Until, one day, you find yourself calling on a few friends, developing your website, drawing up some posters and visiting your first school.

Can’t wait!

With photos by Teri Terry and Candy Gourlay