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View Doug's Forum Chat - Archived Chat for Info
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Rob Ganley
 16 Aug 2008, 16:40 #42070 Reply To Post
Hi Doug
Many congratulations on your success.
What happens next for you? Is your deal with Random House for follow-up books? And what are you working on now?
Callant
 16 Aug 2008, 16:41 #42071 Reply To Post
Quote: josiehenley, Saturday, 16 Aug 2008 16:18
Hi Doug, I think the others have already asked the questions I had which were about marketing and how much time you now have! Do you feel your life has changed considerably since being published, i.e. is it the holy grail we expect it to be?


Hi Josie, no it isn't the holy grail, but it has made a huge difference. I think the way I'd put it is that it hasn't changed my life in any great way; I still work, I still worry; but it has changed my outlook on life. The confidence that Stan has in me and the investment Transworld have made in me have given me confidence. My name's Doug Jackson and I'm a writer, it's as simple as that. I know now that I'll always write because it's what I love and what I think I do really well. I have a lot of catching up to do and I'm really looking forward to it. I have another half a dozen books written in my head, all I need is the time to write them.
Linda
 16 Aug 2008, 16:44 #42072 Reply To Post
Hi Doug. Congratulations. Can I ask please ask about your writing methods? As you're able to work on the train, you must be able to switch off from what's going on around you. Did you work the plot out in detail before writing, or did you just have a rough idea where the story was going? Thanks.
This post was last edited by Linda, 16 Aug 2008, 16:46
leighvtwersky
 16 Aug 2008, 16:44 #42073 Reply To Post
It's Hibs 3 Falkirk 2 for whoever was interested (wonder who??)
Have one eye on final score
demolinero
 16 Aug 2008, 16:46 #42074 Reply To Post
Hi Doug

Congratulations of writing a great page-turner.

I think my previous question has been answered, but can you tell us how much difference it made to you when you actually found an agent and could spend more time writing rather than pitching?

-Liz
-Demolinero

Find me at at http://www.elizabethjasper.com


Callant
 16 Aug 2008, 16:47 #42075 Reply To Post
Quote: Rob Ganley, Saturday, 16 Aug 2008 16:40
Hi Doug
Many congratulations on your success.
What happens next for you? Is your deal with Random House for follow-up books? And what are you working on now?




Hi Rob, I have a two book deal with Transworld. I've written a follow-up I think of as The War God, about Claudius's invasion of Britain in 43AD, and I'm really pleased with it. I'm working on the editor's suggestions at the moment. He's come up with some good points and it's really making a difference.
That said, The Emperor's Elephant naturally splits into three, and as soon as I wrote Caligula I knew I had at least a trilogy on my hands. It's just a question of how the first two sell, but my gut instinct is that Transworld will want to finish the story. I think the print run for Caligula was originally 9,000 which isn't huge, but it's been high up on Amazon and one of the top historical novels at Waterstones, so it seems to be going well. It's already on sale in Poland, and will be published in Portugal, Russia, Italy and Serbia.

Doug
HJW
 16 Aug 2008, 16:51 #42076 Reply To Post
Quote: Linda, Saturday, 16 Aug 2008 16:44
Hi Doug. Congratulations. Can I ask please ask about your writing methods? As you're able to work on the train, you must be able to switch off from what's going on around you. Did you work the plot out in detail before writing, or did you just have a rough idea where the story was going? Thanks.


I'd like to know that too!

Also, with the fictional characters, are you the sort of writer who writes pages of notes about character's favourite biscuits etc, or do they reveal themselves to you as you write the first draft (the characters that is, not the biscuits!)?
This post was last edited by HJW, 16 Aug 2008, 16:52
Are you hooked?

Oh blogger

Callant
 16 Aug 2008, 16:51 #42077 Reply To Post
Quote: goldiebeth, Saturday, 16 Aug 2008 16:19
Hi Doug,

Congratulations on your great success! I have two questions at the moment.
1. I live across the pond in a little place called Texas and Caligula isn't available in bookstores here until February 2009. The dollar is really taking a beating against the pound right now, so I suppose I'll have to wait. Any suggetions?
2. My finished novel, Night Journey, came about from an epiphany after a dream and a vacation (kind of like your idea about the elephant in Rome). I've had problems with genre classification, since it encompasses several of them and I've had a problem getting past the query stage because it's difficult to sum up the plot in a snapshot. Did you ever have that trouble before joining YWO?



Hi Goldiebeth, to answer your second question first. I've never had trouble summing up what the book is, probably because my job with the newspaper is coming up with short, succinct descriptions of complicated stories. I think genre classification is a problem. I've been waiting in hope of an American deal, but my publishers tell me that historical fiction isn't a big genre in the States and that could be holding it back.
If you look on the internet there are dozens of places you can buy Caligula, some of them in dollars (although I think that might be Canadian). I hope you enjoy it when you get the chance.

cheers

Doug
Lawrence Poole
 16 Aug 2008, 16:52 #42079 Reply To Post
Hi Doug,

did you try to ignore the Caligula of Robert Graves' 'I Claudius' books, and Juhn Hurt's famous portrayal of Caligula, when you decided to write your book?
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!
Callant
 16 Aug 2008, 16:53 #42081 Reply To Post
Quote: David Milnes, Saturday, 16 Aug 2008 16:24
Doug - could you tell us about the business-side of translation rights? Your book is now in Poland and Italy and . . .
And does Random House give you regular updates on world-wide sales?


Hi David, all I really know is that I get e-mails saying Caligula has been bought by such and such a publishing house in Italy and the royalty rates are such and such.
It was published in Poland before Britain and I wasn't even aware of it!

I haven't heard a thing about British sales yet, never mind worldwide
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