My publisher has set up a book trailer for Secret Son. Take a look:
I had never even heard about book trailers when my first book was published in 2005, but with so much new technology, I’m sure there will be many more differences between that launch and this one.
Earlier this week, the Irish novelist Colm Toíbín told an interviewer for the Guardian (MJ Hyland, herself a novelist) that he found no enjoyment in writing:
“Oh there’s no pleasure. Except that I don’t have to work for anyone who bullies me,” he said in response to Hyland’s question about how writing makes him feel. “I write with a sort of grim determination to deal with things that are hidden and difficult and this means, I think, that pleasure is out of the question. I would associate this with narcissism anyway and I would disapprove of it.”
The only aspect of writing he liked, he said, was getting paid. Now other writers, including AL Kennedy, Hari Kunzru, and Joyce Carol Oates, are chiming in with their stories of what they like or dislike about their profession. I think AL Kennedy sums up my feelings when she says, “The joy of writing for a living is that you get to do it all the time. The misery is that you have to, whether you’re in the mood or not.”
As the publishing date for Secret Son comes closer, I find myself struggling to keep up with everything that is happening in the background: tour events, promotional trailer, advance reviews, foreign editions, and so on. Here, for instance, is the final cover for the novel, with bigger fonts and a more streamlined look:
You can pre-order it here, here, or here. And of course it will be in bookstores on April 21.
Meanwhile, I’m getting ready to do a couple of events at the end of this week in Washington, D.C., as part of the Arabesque Festival at the Kennedy Center. The events are free, but you will need to get tickets in advance.
