Posted on January 26, 2008 - by MG
Rallying the pals…
So I’ve been shamelessly urging my friends to go buy a copy (or more!) of “The Joshua Files – Invisible City”. Of course! Can’t expect the publishers do do all the leg work…and friends and family have to be the first enthusiasts.
I was particularly touched by my good friend Debbie Simpson and her daughter Ellie (pictured above), who bought a little stack which I signed for them in our local Costa. Debbie told me how she’d watched the whole process – starting with me saying I was going to write a novel when I broke my leg, all the way through to publishers making offers for the title, with increasing amazement.
“I was worried for you at first, because when you broke your leg and decided you were going to try to get a book deal, I was scared that you’d be disappointed…”
Now she tells me!
“…and then I started to see how determined you were…and then last year when you showed me the stuff the publishers gave you when they made their offers…I was so excited, I could feel my heart racing…I thought this is really the start of something…!”
Well I had my doubts on the way too, like all first-time writers. You can never know that you’re going to get your book published. You can only know how far you’re prepared to go to get the deal.
I have to say I was pretty determined; I would have gone on for at least another year – full time. Here’s a secret – I was prepared to write four manuscripts before I gave up.
I really admire people who’ll work even harder than that. They do exist!
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Website of MG Harris, author of the children's book series "The Joshua Files".Information for school visits and events.
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January 27, 2008
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Thats amazing! They really got that glowing effect in that picture.
FOUR manuscripts!? You were determined.
I saw copies of Invisible City in Waterstones AND WHSmith on the Isle Of Wight. Waterstones were selling! And WHSmiths were practically all gone. Though, unfortunately for the publishers, WHSmith was selling an uncorrected proof. I thought that was a bit, money grabbing, since they don’t have to pay for those. I came ridiculously close to buying a copy. I spent most of my day yesterday stroking, yes, stroking the slipcase. I think i even deciphered the code. But i won’t enter. That just wouldn’t be fair. I also got some strange looks, when i was stroking that slipcase. I tried to look inconspicuous, but i think the hyper active giggling gave me away.
Lukas…
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January 27, 2008
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Well..Joshua was my third…and I had already started Jaguar’s Realm when Joshua was bought by Scholastic.
You know Quentin Tarantino wrote four screenplays before he had one made. The fourth was ‘Reservoir Dogs’. Later he made some of the others too.
You should enter the competition, of course! I haven’t told ANYONE anything about that code, except Scholastic. Not even my daughters! I will get a copy to you by the end of the week I promise. And then you should get cracking on the code asap because only one person can win the iPod Touch. The runners-up get an iPod Shuffle.
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January 27, 2008
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iPod Touch!? Well then.
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January 28, 2008
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Just got my copy from Amazon – so so cool! That cover is amazing. I shall be reading it – ostantatiously – on the train to London tomorrow.
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January 28, 2008
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MG was kind enough to answer some questions for me, which are now posted at
http://www.lukasj.weebly.com
Thanks again MG.
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February 3, 2008
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Great prominent displays of Invisible City in both Waterstones and WH Smiths, Stratford-upon-Avon. Thought you’d like to know!
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February 3, 2008
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Hi Maria
I will be going to Newcastle in the next couple of weeks. Once there I will go straight to Waterstones and get a copy of Invisible City. I’d get one from WH Smiths in South Shields, but as I have a few things to do in Newcastle I might as well make a grand ceremony of it!
Lord knows when I will be able to read it: I have so much of my own to write and I know I don’t dare read it, in case it affects what I’m doing. That makes the whole of JK Rowling’s, the whole of Philip Pullman’s, and the whole of MG Harris’. Guess I’ll have to stock up on some Bacardi to get me through it all, too! The future’s orange lol!!!!!