A Tribal Affair
The new book is written and has been delivered to my commissioning editor. According to him: “It looks great.” My sigh of relief on hearing this was so deep I think the subsonic hum caused damage to the Westway’s concrete.
The good news keeps rolling with the discovery that the project is going to be copy-edited by Tim Dedopulos. This is a lovely bonus. Tim’s name was in the acknowledgements as one of my ‘brothers by other mothers’ long before I knew he would be working on the book.
Writing it with Matt Adams – whose name would have been in the acknowledgements of any project – then being edited by Tim makes it feel like a tribal affair. Sharing the spoils of a kill, turning one gig into work that helps keep three of us in the black. The running tribe model, the 21st century way,
The project is my first humour book in a decade. Unlike the crime against trees I put my name to help clear Anne-Marie Forker’s student debts, this one is almost readable. I am happy to admit it is a hack gig. When you need to pay for a funeral, there is no better way than to write a book about death. As Andy Warhol would say: “I’ve got to bring home the bacon, someone’s got to bring home the roast.”
However, doing this book has also meant being commissioned by someone I really rate and like, writing with one of the people I am closest to and being edited by a man who I consider a brother despite him having once stolen my name. It really does feel like the way forward. Working with my friends, dividing the score.
Now the book is over, there is only one more thing to do before I can get back to life. After I get back from the hospital I can concentrate on the important things. There are ducks to feed and brioche bread and butter puddings to make. A 99-year-old Nanna to spoil and lazing in bed with the Sunday morning papers to catch up on.
The good news keeps rolling with the discovery that the project is going to be copy-edited by Tim Dedopulos. This is a lovely bonus. Tim’s name was in the acknowledgements as one of my ‘brothers by other mothers’ long before I knew he would be working on the book.
Writing it with Matt Adams – whose name would have been in the acknowledgements of any project – then being edited by Tim makes it feel like a tribal affair. Sharing the spoils of a kill, turning one gig into work that helps keep three of us in the black. The running tribe model, the 21st century way,
The project is my first humour book in a decade. Unlike the crime against trees I put my name to help clear Anne-Marie Forker’s student debts, this one is almost readable. I am happy to admit it is a hack gig. When you need to pay for a funeral, there is no better way than to write a book about death. As Andy Warhol would say: “I’ve got to bring home the bacon, someone’s got to bring home the roast.”
However, doing this book has also meant being commissioned by someone I really rate and like, writing with one of the people I am closest to and being edited by a man who I consider a brother despite him having once stolen my name. It really does feel like the way forward. Working with my friends, dividing the score.
Now the book is over, there is only one more thing to do before I can get back to life. After I get back from the hospital I can concentrate on the important things. There are ducks to feed and brioche bread and butter puddings to make. A 99-year-old Nanna to spoil and lazing in bed with the Sunday morning papers to catch up on.
Labels: Hack gigs, Matt Adams, Running Tribe, Tim Dedopulos, Writing
posted by David at
10:48 PM
6 Comments:
Cool!! :-) That must be a weight off.. I at least get Saturdays and Sundays to call my own, I guess writing a book doesn't allow you that, does it?
Well done! Enjoy your Sunday lie-ins!!
Hurrah for a job well done. Enjoy the respite.
Puss
What a relief. Do be careful with those subsonic hums, please ;0
Excellent! Congratulations! I know it's a relief to be nearly done with a project, isn't it?
I just handed the edited files back over. It was fun to work on, and delightfully easy to edit :) I'm sure I've managed to sub in a couple of accidental typos, of course *wry grin*. I particularly liked your Top Ten lists... *grin*. It should be a thoroughly amusing book!
Chandira – It is a weight off.
Puss – Thank you. I will.
Captain – You are right, the subsonic hums can be dangerous, especially to 1960s concrete.
Marvin – The last word is always a relief.
Tim – You know me Tim, even when it is hackwork, I always try to deliver good, professional hackwork. I would have liked an extra week to make it even easier to edit and smooth over the issues of divergent style you can get when co-authoring, but I am glad both you and Roland liked it. The Top Tens are the books USP and I am quite pleased with one or two of them. Hopefully the book will go down well in Australia.
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