There wasn't a blog post yesterday as I spent all day working at both of my 'two jobs'. In the afternoon I was racing around East London rushing genuinely ill people into hospital. In the morning I was doing a bit of publicity for my book.
Now – given how us ambulance people make fun of each other, I'm writing about this only because you, dear reader, deserve a good laugh. I fully expect to get ridiculed at work. Can you see the trauma I put myself through for you?
The plan was simple, there is a company that make short 'talk to camera' videos of authors talking about their books. These videos then get posted on the internet, get linked to from Amazon, get sent out to independant bookshops and find their way onto touchscreens in Tescos. It's all good publicity, and I am a whore for publicity these days. They are called 'Meet The Author'.
So I found myself in my publishers office having to talk about my book in an unscripted fashion for around one or two minutes. In one take. While everyone in the office watched.
Well, after four or five attempts This is what we got. Please do not mock the video virgin.
Many thanks to John the camera guy who made the whole process much less painful than I thought it would be. After the first take where I stated my name, the title of the book, whimpered the word 'ambulance' and froze, he took his time to get me warmed up to the idea of talking on camera.
So, when you view the video I want you to remember that I had to talk off the top of my head into an unblinking camera lense.
One thing though – I do seem to be channelling Norman Lovett (without the jokes).
Of course, when I got home the first thing that I did was take a look and see how other authors did, and there are a lot of authors there and a lot of big names. I'm heartened to se that some of them look more frightened than I…
…although if I'd done my research I took could have had a 'stunt lime'.
Did you notice that you are #1 on the Top 10 on Meet the Author's home page?
Right Tom i think it's time to Post that on the Red Dwarf webboard. It's one of the best Holly inpressions i seen for a long time.
interesting how terribly relaxed you always look on camera for me baby!
You weren't joking about the Norman Lovett thing. You should of worn a black jumper for the video to complete the feel (although you should feel better due to having a lot more hair)
I like the red shirt.Does it feel weird introducing yourself verbally as “Tom Reynolds”?
After a very long time of reading your blog I finally decided that the convuluted comments method was worth battling only to find that RudestLink had beaten me to it with the comment I was going to make!Good for you Tom and I look forward to reading Da Book. I hope you don't mind if I have two copies and Bookcross one.
Well I thought it was quite proffessional, didn't cringe once :o) So when does the book hit the shops????
A little weird but not too much – I used to introduce myself as Tom at blogmeets and I still have a fair number of friends for whom 'Tom' is right and good, and 'Brian' is somehow *wrong*.So I'm Tom in the same way that Bruce Wayne is Batman.
erm…Think Smauel Clements and Mark Twain
We are still on track for 18th of August.More when I know what the front of it will look like…
You sound nothing like I imagined…Hi. Long, long, long time reader. First time commenter.
… Eric and Bananaman…
http://www.bookcrossing.com/From the site:
bookcrossing
n. the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise.
Basically, you put a sticker in the book that directs people to the bookcrossing site, then leave the book in a public place. Anytime someone enters that book's number into the site you get an email telling you where your book's ended up, so you can track it in its travels.
Oh man your accent is TOP NOTCH++++++++++++++. It made me giggle :DI will be buying your book. DEFFO!!
I thought it was pretty good – it's hard to sit and talk at a camera like that! Nice accent!
Well it sounded good to me and it was nice to put a face and voice to the words I've been reading for sometime (and I've pre-ordered your book on Amazon!).
Wow, I had a quick look before reading the rest of the article, and I actually thought Norman Lovett. It was good though, I don't think you have much to worry about, if I'd have to have done it then I'd have just sat there giggling inanely.
Brian? Nah, you seem much more like a Tom than a Brian. Good luck with the book.