by Oakleaf Press Admin | Apr 1, 2023 | Blog
Recently, I had the pleasure of picking the brains of Colin Bateman, one of Northern Ireland’s most successful and popular authors. Born and raised in Bangor, a seaside town in County Down, he worked as a journalist for several years before turning to fiction writing.
Bateman has written a diverse range of works, including crime fiction, black comedies, and young adult fiction. He is best known for his crime fiction series featuring the character of Dan Starkey; a journalist turned amateur detective. Bateman’s novels are characterised by their sharp wit, dark humour, and intricate plotting. He has been awarded numerous literary awards, and his works have been adapted for television and radio – so you can imagine my excitement when he was willing to answer a few questions for me about publishing!
This will be particularly useful to those of you who, like me, believe in the story that you have to share and are navigating the fickle world of publishing…
What is your experience in dealing with agents and publishers?
“Most publishers only take books from agents. Agents are very hard to get. They get sent a lot of stuff and all you can do is keep plugging away! Hopefully, without sounding too glib, the secret to getting published is…there is no secret. It’s just a mixture of luck and talent and perseverance. My first novel took three years to find a publisher. My most recent two remain unpublished. You would think with so many novels – more than ever – being published it might be easier, but it just doesn’t seem to be.”
How do you feel about self-publishing?
“I’ve done it. Self-publishing in print is expensive. Self-publishing on Kindle etc. is free. But you must put a lot of time into marketing yourself to make it worthwhile. That’s not my strong point. Most publishers won’t consider a book that’s been out on Kindle. But then again, most publishers will either pay you no advance, or a very small one because the days of big advances are gone. They also keep more than 90 per cent of what your book sells for – whereas with Kindle you keep nearly everything.”
Do you have any tips on time management?
“Well, it’s my job, so I do it all day. But the important thing for me is/was writing something every day because I’m basically lazy and need to get into a rhythm. Even if it’s only for twenty minutes. Turn the TV off and write something. It then builds up and gets its own momentum. Eventually, you get a book.”
I believe the story I’m telling might find more favour as a TV series, how realistic is this?
“I don’t think you’d have much luck setting up a TV series from an unpublished novel – though I am currently trying exactly this. It depends on what you love doing. If it’s novels, stick to novels. If you want to have a crack at writing it as a screenplay, why not? There are lots of screenplay formatting packages you can download, though the industry standard one is called Final Draft, which I use.”
I simply decided one day to write a book! How important is it to have had training or professional experience in writing to become successful?
“It has nothing to do with training or experience. It’s entirely to do with the quality of the book. That doesn’t mean it has to be ‘literature’. Publishing is a business like any other – if they think there’s money in it, they will go for it. It’s all about sales.”
Follow Colin Bateman on Twitter here.
by Oakleaf Press Admin | Jan 1, 2023 | Blog
Well, everyone, what an experience my writing journey has been so far. I’ve learned so much and have a strong suspicion there’s much more, and it’ll never stop – I feel like the new kid on the block!
There have been many highs and lows over the past two years. Highlights include opening that box and seeing Turmoil in print for the first time; then reading the positive and supportive reviews for not just Turmoil, but Darkness and now Light; it feels almost miraculous!
Other exciting moments have been winning an Indie Reader Award for fiction in the US, along with a 5* score and the Writers Digest’s fantastic feedback and recommendations. Attending the Dingle Literature Festival in November this year, when talking about my writing and books, was one of my most enjoyable experiences so far. Listening to and meeting other Irish authors was such a learning curve, too – especially after COVID. You cannot beat being in front of an audience and meeting people face to face.
Unfortunately, there have been moments when I’ve fallen flat; apparently, it’s part and parcel of the writing experience! For example, when you get a poor review, the printer who promises to deliver but doesn’t, and contentious people. Nevertheless, my husband John has been by my side throughout these moments. Although he has been very poorly in 2022, he has not deterred me from continuing to write, and I couldn’t have gone on without him.
God works in mysterious ways; as part of the Stones Corner storyline, I talk about New York Policemen visiting Derry and eventually starting a project to help children travel to the States for holidays. A true story. Project Children originated in New York in 1975, led by NYPD Bomb Disposal expert Denis Mulcahy and his family. As a result, I have been asked to write a book around his story and the Project Children’s story to support the “How to Defuse a Bomb” documentary by Alleycats Productions here in Derry. It’s the 50th Anniversary of Project Children in 2025, and we plan to launch the book in commemoration of their fantastic work. It’s hard to believe that American families hosted over 23,000+ children! I can’t wait to begin, but don’t worry, I’ve already started on Stones Corner: Hope! Unbelievably, I know how it ends, but I have no idea how I’ll get there! 🙂
I’m so looking forward to 2023. I’ve made fantastic new friends through writing, and I aim to raise awareness of my books as much as possible. Once I finish Hope, I will approach some agents and publishers. Finding an agent/publisher is a long, time-consuming, drawn-out process, and I wanted to finish the series first. As an author, it’s challenging to get your work into major bookstores, especially in Ireland or enter awards like An post or Costa, as most will only accept published authors. For any writer, the power of representation can make a world of difference.
Ultimately, I sincerely thank you for buying, reading and reviewing my work. You’ve made it so worthwhile!
Thank you to John, you know why, Cassie, my daughter, for her fantastic marketing skills and love. Jenni at Little Acorns Bookstore for her never-ending advice and support. Dingle Literature Festival for inviting me to speak at my very first literature festival. Finally, Orla Kelly, Lyn Curtis, Dr Michael Chambers and Derek Young for your continued trust in me.
So bring on 2023! Have a wonderful New Year, everyone, and keep the faith.
Hugs
J x
by Oakleaf Press Admin | Jul 1, 2022 | Blog
Photo Credit: London Photograph by Tim Brown (Hoxton Mini Press’s book The East End in Colour, 1980-1990).
Hello gang 🙂
I’ve been so busy finishing off Stones Corner: Light, I’ll admit, I needed a bit of time away from the laptop. But I’m back now to yell far and wide about the Stones Corner Series and keep you all up to date with how my journey as an author is going. First up, I wanted to share a little snippet of an interview I had with a London friend recently…
As part of my research, I’ve looked at various London events in the early 1970/’80s. I’ve also tried to harness as many different views from people across England/Ireland as I can to ensure the Stones Corner series is as balanced and well-rounded as possible.
This particular friend had parents who were born in Ireland but spent most of their childhood in London. I wanted to understand their perspective on how they felt living in London and being Irish during this time.
“I was ashamed and didn’t discuss politics or the media news about what was happening in Northern Ireland. No one cared until the bombings in London and elsewhere in the UK started. It was too close to home.”
When asked about what was going on in Ireland, I found it very difficult to answer. Any coverage of events in the North seemed to concentrate on events and actions caused by the IRA. I was ashamed to be Irish, and the reason for this was that I could never find logic in the media to justify events going on there. It was all very negative with very little information that I subsequently learnt about atrocities on both sides of the divide.”
Such a strong statement “I was ashamed.” I will share more of this interview at a later date once I have collected a few others. These conversations are always fascinating and often heart-breaking to see how in one way or another, we were all so profoundly affected by what happened here during The Troubles.
Life Update
I’ll admit, it’s been a tough year for me with serious illness in the family and having COVID myself a month or so back. I still feel knocked for six. I’ve done nothing but sleep and eat, and now that Summer is in full swing, I’ve decided to go through a change too.
I dearly hope to visit Auckland to see my grandchildren and family for Christmas, along with a book launch at the Auckland Irish Society in late January 2023 and several other venues, including Christchurch, NZ. As part of this trip, I’ve made a personal pact to do the following and be ready for the beach – no holiday for three years!
Give up the vino (I mean it this time!)
Enter a 10km race
There are so many more I’d like to do, but in the past, I’ve always set my goals way too high and failed – miserably!
Stones Corner, Light V3 is due back from my editor the week after next, and I admit we’re running a wee bit behind in its launch, so it’ll likely be the end of October, if not sooner, that it’ll be released, so please bear with me. I want it out there as quickly as possible, but like my mother says, “If you’re going to do something, do it right!”
I hope you’re all keeping well. Thank you, as ever, for your ongoing support.
by Oakleaf Press Admin | Apr 1, 2022 | Blog
A few weeks ago, at a very lively Foyle Women’s Information Network Facebook Q&A session, I was asked, “what’s the most difficult thing you found when writing?” Instinctively and without thinking, I answered, “the naughty bits!” I’ll say no more other than when writing a few sexy scenes, I’d continually blush and panic, thinking, “me, mammy’s going to read this!”
But on a serious note, there really were some moments that I found extremely hard when writing. My research was particularly difficult as I’d sit and watch hours and hours of newsreels and YouTube documentaries about The Troubles. The carnage and atrocities I learned about, I’ll never forget. I’d listen to interviews with victims on both sides of the divide and read book after book – some of which gave me nightmares. I was almost ashamed but astounded at how little I genuinely knew – yet I grew up in the heart of it all. The Troubles affected everyone in the North in so many different ways and at so many different levels.
There were times when I felt anger and frustration too. However, I held back, knowing it was imperative to remain objective when writing Turmoil. In writing Darkness, I’ve found exactly the same issues. There’s no doubt I’ve hardened, albeit some of the scenes in Darkness brought me to tears too.
The CAIN archive (Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland) proved invaluable as part of my research. The site is a haven of information, including its surreal photographs. If you’ve never taken the time to browse it, do. I highly recommend it and guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
Given what I discovered during my research and my emotional journey, it’s made me even more determined to complete the Stones Corner series, publish it and make it a success.
It’s almost ironic, therefore, with what’s happening in our cities at this time, that the sole purpose of writing the Stones Corner series was to educate our youth and others. Some who have read it lived through The Troubles and recognise so much. I’ve tried to write a clear-cut story of what it was like to live through the thirty-year atrocities that were The Troubles. I want them to learn and recognise it must never happen again. However, tragically today, we see 12-year-olds rioting on their very own doorsteps.
In my mindset, I couldn’t imagine a teenager seeking out and reading the numerous political and historical books and papers written and centred around the war in Northern Ireland. As such, I thought I’d write a “factional” thriller that would be both exciting and gripping. A good, solid story with all the necessary ingredients to attract attention and interest.
As a writer, I wanted those who live outside the North of Ireland as well to understand our history and recognise that bitterness still exists here. Of course, it’s not everyone, thank goodness. But still, there are those few who just aren’t prepared to look to the future. Sadly, in our Province, our peace remains extremely brittle. These naïve youngsters are rioting on their own streets, destroying their own communities, and terrorising their own people, and we should see this as a warning. Beware. They’re being led on by criminal gangs that no longer have the control they once had. They’re being led on by politicians who are determined and angry at the British Government over the Protocol – a result of Brexit that some voted for.
For our beautiful country to find real and lasting peace, we must continue to seek ways of wiping out the segregation that exists to this very day. It’s apparent through our education, housing and even up to our language and sport that we must break these barriers down. It breaks my heart. Let’s move on.
Haven’t you had enough?
And on that rather depressing note, I’m away to try and colour my 3” roots myself. Why? “Because I’m worth it!”
Jx
by Oakleaf Press Admin | Jan 1, 2022 | Blog
This past year, I’ve spent hours and hours marketing Stones Corner, Turmoil. It must be said there’ve been days when I’ve opened my email with eyes full of hope, eager for any response from the numerous news agencies, magazines, radio stations, book distributors, authors, you name it, I’ve contacted in the hope of recognition or promotion! It has to be said that – at times – it’s sooooo depressing, BUT once in a while, I get a positive response and that warm gooey feeling sets me off for the day!
In between all this, I’ve been reading so many marketing and sales books. My God, there’s so much information out there – it’s mind-blowing! And me being me, I find myself lying awake at night thinking, “How do I know if my book is a success? How many books do I have to sell? What else can I do?” In the end, I found I was driving myself (and my husband) crazy! With so much advice, it was getting too much, so I made a decision.
I decided to step back for a moment and re-think my whole approach to marketing and promoting. And so, rather than send numerous emails to Tom, Dick and Harry, I’d focus on the core but fundamental rules. I’m told one of the most important steps in promoting a book – and I know I’ve had you all tortured in asking you to do it – is to get reviews. Reviews are extremely important, but I’ve come to the conclusion that “word of mouth” matters as much. How many of us have asked family or friends, “Did you see such and such on Netflix?” Do we read reviews on Netflix? Not always, but we listen in anticipation when someone tells us excitedly to watch something. It’s the same with book buyers! The experts predict (and of course, they must be right!) that out of every 100 readers of my book, I’d be lucky to get between 5-10 reviews 🙁 So everyone, my point – spread the word about Turmoil AND, if you feel like it, make my day and do a review!
The SC Turmoil e-book is now waiting and ready to purchase on numerous online platforms including, Good Reads, Bookbub, Booksprout, Amazon and many more. Given I’ve self-published, it’s proving almost impossible to get onto the “biggie” on and off-line distributors like Gardners that’ll allow me to sell to local and national chain bookshops.
As a result you can only buy a paperback copy of Turmoil and pre-order Darkness (by the way this is coming along nicely!) on my website.
And finally…
I’ve tried to tidy my desk up this week, and from the image here, you can see I’ve failed miserably 🙁 Another task to add to my unending “To Do” list. This is where it all happens, this is where the next book begins very soon, Stones Corner, Light.
All day, I’ve been printing off the labels and preparing packages of Stones Corner: Turmoil, ready to fulfil my outstanding orders and my goodness, I’m on a high!
I can only thank you for reading my book, signing up for my newsletter, reading my blog, buying Turmoil and for your continual support. I don’t say thank you because I can; I say it because I mean it – I couldn’t have gotten this far without you.
Have a peaceful weekend, everyone, and a Happy New Year!
J.
by Oakleaf Press Admin | Oct 1, 2021 | Blog
The photo is sourced from the Belfast Live and is not a representation of the couple.
Born into a Protestant family, William* attended Foyle College in Londonderry before securing a job with a local clothing manufacturer. He attended several training courses at colleges in England and constantly met people who told him, “sure, there’s Irish in my family too!”
As a naïve 16-year-old, he vividly remembers dating a Catholic girl. One day they were happily walking up Waterloo street, hand in hand, wearing their school uniforms – he in his Protestant Foyle College uniform and she in her Catholic Thornhill College uniform. Within seconds, they saw four young lads walking towards them. As they passed by, one of them suddenly spat at William and called him a “Jaffa bastard!”
When William got home, he asked his mother what they’d meant. She laughed and explained he’d been called a “Jaffa” because they’d assumed he was an “Orangeman”, quickly adding that he obviously wasn’t and that he definitely wasn’t a “bastard!” He still laughs about it today when he recalls how green (forgive the pun) he was!
When talking of his wife, he describes it as “love at first sight!” William says of Gina, “I was moved to a rural factory and was being introduced to the staff by my boss. I was 28, and she was only 20. Gina was from a Catholic family (Italian Grandfather) with dark hair and that beautiful olive skin. She was gorgeous (and still is!), and I knew right then that I would marry her.” They’ve been married now for 34 years,
One Friday afternoon, when they’d finished work, Gina asked William to give her and a friend a lift into Derry to do some shopping. He invited them to the Mourne Bar for a drink before they parted company. Left on their own for a brief moment, he’d been staring at Gina when she’d asked what was wrong. He laughs again when he recalls his cheesy answer, “nothing, I’m looking at your lips; they need to be kissed!”
Gina lived in quite a Republican area, and William lived in a Protestant area in Derry. It never concerned him, not once, that Gina was Catholic. However, her father began to worry when he thought the relationship was becoming obsessive, announcing that if William came near the house again, he’d get “the two barrels.” An optimistic friend of William’s suggested perhaps it meant he’d get two barrels of beer (ah, bless). But somehow, William didn’t think so!
Gina’s dad was a devout Catholic who, whilst working for the Forestry Commission, naively joined the UDR part-time during the early days of the Troubles. He decided to leave quite quickly when he concluded that metal shutters on his windows and front door and having to meet callers after dark with his shotgun was not conducive to a happy home life.
A year after the couple started seeing each other, they got engaged on Gina’s 21st birthday. William was asked to meet the local priest one evening for a “wee chat..” Unfortunately, he’d also accepted an invitation for a few drinks with the lads in the cutting room at the factory as it broke up for Christmas. When he did manage to make it back to pick up a furious Gina, she’d shouted angrily at him, “look at the state of you! We’re seeing Father Malley tonight!”
William apologised profusely and tried his best to pacify her as he explained, “but I only had a few drinks with the lads.” It goes without saying the eventual meeting was not a success since Gina’s parents were later told by Father Malley “that one’s too set in his ways!”
Sadly the relationship with Gina’s parents collapsed, and the young couple booked a holiday to the Caribbean island of St Lucia. William secretly ticked the “Honeymoon Special”, and after changing flights at Heathrow, the BA cabin crew announced there was a honeymoon couple on board. The whole flight clapped and congratulated them, and they were presented with a bottle of champagne. Gina was a little shocked but delighted even though William warned her it was going to be a very small wedding.
During the first week, they organised the church and the licence, signed by the Governor of the island as was the legal requirement. Word spread quickly as the couple made friends with guests and hotel staff. The best man was actually there on his own honeymoon, and his wife became Gina’s bridesmaid. William borrowed a jacket from another holidaymaker who gave Gina away, and another couple suggested their young daughter act as a flower girl. Another guest even offered to video and photograph the whole event! Remember, this was 34 years ago before packaged “Weddings abroad” were even thought about 🙂
As William was leaving the church, he was approached by a guy who introduced himself and his French Canadian wife. He explained he was originally from Pennyburn in Derry and had emigrated to Canada 25 years earlier. When William invited them to attend the reception, he accepted immediately, saying, “me ma will never believe I was at a Derry man’s wedding in St Lucia!”
Although there was no immediate family in attendance, the guest list had somehow grown to 30, with the hotel laying on a cake and champagne. It’d been a truly wonderful day!
Arriving back home just before they were due to return to work, Gina rang home to tell her parents she and William had married. Her mother worked in the same factory, and Gina wanted to prepare her. The following day word spread fast around the site, and Gina’s mother became so upset with all the questioning she had to leave for home.
There was no communication from then on with Gina’s family until the birth of their daughter Orla a while later. Gina’s dad contacted her and asked if he and his wife could see Gina and meet their newly born granddaughter. This resulted in a complete reversal of fortunes, and the ice was finally, and to everyone’s relief, broken.
Shortly after their son Shane was born seven years later, William was offered the position of Operations Director with a UK-based company. It meant the whole family would move to Colombo, Sri Lanka, where the offshore production facility was.
The children attended an international school made up of 26 different nationalities. There were Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian pupils with no mention of Catholic or Protestant. Home was never far away from their thoughts, especially when William’s driver, Randolph, continued to play his favourite Daniel O’Donnell tapes in the car!
The family never encountered any religious bigotry whilst in Sri Lanka and had friends from all sections of the community. However, upon returning home to Derry, Orla was quickly asked what religion she was. She was proud to respond by saying, “I’m half and half.” Even though Shane returned to his original primary school class, he was renamed “P*ki” given his skin had become so dark from the sun.
Within days of returning home to Derry, William was surprisingly offered a job in Tarapur, India and Gina was left to unpack their 20 ft container of personal belongings from Sri Lanka. Ouch!
William describes India as “an attack on the senses!” Sri Lanka had only partially prepared him for India’s fast, highly populated and industrious society. This job led to another project in Romania, where he was offered a General Manager’s position. However, given the lack of English-speaking schools, that would’ve been too detrimental to the children’s education. He turned it down.
Additional work then took William to Estonia, Turkey, China and Bangladesh. Importantly, he accepted these offers knowing Gina was providing the children with a solid and safe family environment back home in Derry.
William returned, and he and Gina are now settled and happily living in Derry. However, no doubt encouraged by their worldwide adventures at such an early age, their two children live in Perth, Western Australia.
Like many proud Derry families, William and Gina are counting the days until they can once again fly to Australia and finally hug the children they’ve missed so much.
Bon voyage (hopefully soon!) 🙂
*Please note names have been changed to protect the family’s privacy.
