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Want a free book? Well, here’s your chance. The lovely people at Boomerang Books have copies of my novels, Gamers’ Challenge and Gamers’ Quest, up for grabs. Follow the link and fill in the form for your chance to WIN WIN WIN!

This giveaway is in celebration of the recent release of Gamers’ Challenge. Remember Gamers’ Challenge? I blogged about it a couple of weeks ago (see “How to sell a sequel”). And now it is with much excitement that I present for your viewing pleasure, the book trailer…

This trailer was created by Henry Gibbens (see my previous post “Pushing Pixels with Henry Gibbens”), who also put together the trailers for my previous novel, Gamers’ Quest, as well as for Mole Hunt, a YA science fiction novel by Paul Collins. Although I loved the trailer he made for Gamers’ Quest, I’m even more enamoured with the new one. It’s more dynamic and has a greater sense of drama.

The music was again composed and performed by the talented Marc Valko (who happens to be my brother-in-law). It’s the same basic theme as last time, but more upbeat and techno. A great reworking of the original music.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve shown the trailer to Year 5, 6, 7 and 8 students during a school talks. The reaction has been terrific! Lots of positive feedback. So I’m happy.

At the risk of over-dosing you all on info about MY NEW BOOK (can you tell I’m a little excited?), I have one last thing to tell you. Although Gamers’ Challenge has been available since the 1 September, it will have its official launch celebration this coming Saturday (17 September) at 12.30pm at the Richmond Library in Victoria. The book will be launched by Michael Pryor, author of The Laws of Magic series. If you’d like to come along, here are the details…

Book launches are a lot of fun to attend (although rather nerve-wracking to organise). There’s usually a couple of speeches, a reading, a bit of autographing and some drinks and nibblies. I was lucky to have had Richmond library host the launch of Gamers’ Quest a couple of years back, and now we’re back again for Gamers’ Challenge. In a library, surrounded by books… great atmosphere for a book launch.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post in which I’ve done very little other than blather on about MY NEW BOOK. Forgive me… I’M EXCITED! (I may have mentioned that already.)

And tune in next time, when I promise to blather on about someone else’s books.

Catch ya later,  George

PS. Follow me on Twitter… or I’ll renege on my promise and post some more about MY NEW BOOK.

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Last night I dreamt about my new novel, Gamers’ Challenge. I dreamt that it was released with a fanfare to thunderous applause. And then no one bought it. Stacks of books languished, gathering dust, as people walked by them, happily chatting amongst themselves, completely uninterested in even picking up a copy to read the back cover blurb.

Gamers’ Challenge was released yesterday. I’ve now had the dream, or variations of it, for several nights in a row (I’m hoping they don’t last too much longer). I guess it means that I’m a little nervous about my new book. Let me tell you why.

Gamers’ Challenge is a sequel. Although the first book, Gamers’ Quest, did not set the literary world aflame, it sold quite well and continues to do so. It also received quite a number of really positive reviews (as well as a couple of lukewarm ones and one fairly negative one). Basically, it did well enough for my publisher (Ford Street Publishing) to ask for a sequel.

Generally speaking, a sequel can have a tougher time out in the market place. Not everyone who bought a copy of the first book will have liked it enough to seek out the second. A sequel is also less likely to get reviews. Not everyone who reviewed the first book will necessarily come to review the second. After all, people move on… and in the two years between books it’s likely that reviewers for various publications have changed. And a reviewer who has not read the first book is less likely to want to review the second.

As a reviewer myself, I can attest to this. If I’m offered a second or third book in a series, it’s unlikely I’ll want to review it if I haven’t read the first. There are exceptions of course. If the series interests me enough, I may seek out the first book and then go on to review the sequel. But frankly, that doesn’t happen all that often.

Now, despite my anxieties (pretty normal for many writers), it’s not all doom and gloom. Gamers’ Challenge does have the potential to do well. It’s had one review so far… and it’s a good one! I intend to promote my little heart out, to let people know that both it and Gamers’ Quest exist. And by promoting the new book, there’s a chance that the promotion will have an affect on sales of the first book. And if sales of the first book increase, then chances are, that a certain percentage of those buyers will also go on to buy the second book.

Then there may end up being a demand for a third book. And really, that’s why I’m so nervous about it all. You see, I have a third book all planned out in my mind. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I started writing book two. It just seemed to make sense. In book one my heroes are trapped in a game, but they don’t know it. In book two they are still trapped in a game, but they are now aware of it and are trying to get out. It’s logical that there should then be a book three in which they get out of the game, and find out who controls it and why. It would be the ‘big revelation’ book and I’m DESPERATE to write it.

But I need to wait. And waiting is hard! If sales of book two do not warrant a third, it would be rather pointless to write it. So I’m nervous!

I’m trying to allay my nerves by throwing myself into the promotion. I’ve got a stack of guest blogs and interviews coming up (three up already, in case you’re interested — here, here and here), and I’ve been doing school visits, library talks and festivals. There’s also a book trailer on the way. And with a bit of luck, I’ll soon be able to start work on the next Gamers book. I’ll keep you posted!

Catch ya later,  George

PS. Follow me on Twitter… and buy my sequel!

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Yesterday I attended the Macmillan Winter Sales Conference along with the team from Ford Street Publishing. Why? Because Macmillan distribute Ford Street’s books. And Ford Street will be publishing my new teen novel, Gamers’ Challenge, sequel to Gamers’ Quest, in September this year. (Actually, I got my advance copy at the conference. Exciting!) It was an odd, exhausting but ultimately fulfilling experience. So I thought I’d tell you about it…

Here’s how it all works. During the conference, half a day is set aside for a publisher’s expo. All the publishers who are distributed by Macmillan come along and set up on tables with their books and promotional material. And each publisher is allowed to bring along a couple of authors and/or illustrators. And then three hours of literary speed dating ensues.

Macmillan sales reps from around the country (and New Zealand) come along and visit each table in groups. Four or five of them sit at each table and the publisher and authors/illustrators get about 20 minutes to promote their books. Then the MC calls swap time and the reps move to the next table. And so it goes until each rep has visited each table.

The whole idea is that the reps become more familiar with the books that they will be selling into bookstores across the country. Given the number of books that are published each year, it is a real asset for publishers to have reps who are actually familiar with their books. And it’s easier for the reps to sell books that they know a little something about. So it’s a win/win situation.

It’s all actually a lot harder than it sounds. It’s nerve-wracking. It’s tiring. But also, ultimately, rewarding.

I was lucky enough to be invited by Ford Street, along with award-winning illustrator Anna Pignataro, whose picture book Ships in the Field (written by Susanne Gervay) will be published in February 2012. This meant that my book got a little extra time, as I was able to spend five minutes telling each group of reps about Gamers’ Challenge, how I will be promoting it, and why I think it’s a book that bookstore will be able to sell. And just as if I had been speed dating, I desperately hope that I’ve made a positive impression in my small amount of time — that the people I’ve spoken to will remember me; and that when they come to visiting bookstores, they’ll say something nice about my book so that the stores will want to stock it.

Like any author, I want my new book — my baby, that I’ve spent months labouring over, and that will now go out into the world on its own — to be liked and to sell well. And this sales conference was one step on the way to that goal.

But there’s still lots more promotion to go!

Tune in next time for a guest post from Hugo-nominated author Sean McMullen.

Catch ya later,  George

PS. Follow me on Twitter… speed tweeting, anyone?

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I love short stories so much, that one post just wasn’t enough. So here I am, with my second post about them.

Last time I mentioned Neil Gaiman and Peter Ustinov as two of my favourite story writers. Let me now add Aussie author Terry Dowling to that list. He writes science fiction and dark fantasy with an absolutely unique style and approach. I have had to read some of his stories a second or even third time before finally having things click into place. Don’t let this put you off. Each and every story of his that I have read has been well worth the effort. Many of his stories are connected, dealing with the same characters and settings. He is probably best know for his Tom Tyson stories, amazingly vivid tales sets in a future Australian landscape, collected in four volumes — Rynosseros, Blue Tyson, Twilight Beach and Rynemonn. But my favourite of his stories are those collected in Blackwater Days, all set in an around the Blackwater Psychiatric Hospital, which begin with the following line:

“When shadows move in Casna Park and the wind is in the trees, I can’t help but see it as the most terrifying place in the world.”

To find out more about Terry Dowling, check out his website.

Although my latest book is a novel, I began my writing career with short stories. My very first book, published way back in 1999 (and now sadly out of print) was a collection of YA stories about life in high school, Life, Death and Detention. Even my current novel, Gamers’ Quest, is connected to short stories. It is based on “Game Plan”, a short story published in Trust Me!, a YA anthology edited by Paul Collins. After the novel was complete, I went on to write a further two stories about some of the characters, for the book’s website.

Last year, I had a story called “Photographic Memory” appear in the first issue of [untitled]. Early this year I had the great pleasure of launching the second issue. Now, as [untitled] prepares for its third issue, publisher Blaise van Hecke has dropped by to tell us a little about this mag.

I’d thought about starting up a writers’ magazine but soon put the idea away as being something too hard for one person. But when Les Zigomanis came to me at the end of 2008 and made the suggestion, I was more than willing to give it a go.

[untitled] was born as a forum for storytelling and a way for new and emerging writers to have a voice. This is our mission statement:

[untitled] has no pretentious literary aspirations. Nor is it on a crusade to ennoble some ethereal literary collective, or enrich the community – literary or otherwise. It doesn’t really want to change the world – sorry, but it doesn’t. Because for as unique and enlightened and even sublime as that endeavour would seem, it’s all been done before, it’s all been tried before.

It just wants to be about stories.

It wants you to forget every manner in which you’ve been conditioned, and remember what it’s like to read, to enjoy, and to escape.

The physical form of [untitled] is what has set it apart from other writers’ magazines that are on the market. Firstly, it isn’t actually a magazine because it’s pocket-sized and it has no articles or non-fiction. Call it a journal if you will.

I like to call it a pocketbook.

[untitled] is run purely on the goodwill of talented editors, led by Les Zigomanis, who give up their valuable time to read submissions and give diligent editing advice to new writers, all for no remuneration. We hope this changes as our reputation grows. With two issues out in the marketplace, we’ve come a long way in a short time. Our goals are to be able to pay the editing team and of course the writers for their stories.

In the meantime, the printing of the publication is funded by our business, Busybird Publishing & Design. Kev (my husband) and I do the entire layout and design. It’s very much been a matter of ‘pay the printer and cross our fingers that we make the money back’.

All that hard work is very gratifying when we get continued respect and comments on the publication (both its physical form and the quality of the stories). This is what Kalinda Ashton, recent recipient of the SMH Best Young Novelist 2010 and author of The Danger Game, has to say about it:

“[untitled] is a desperately-needed place and space for short stories at a time in Australia when most publications are eschewing that form. Courageous, curious and an admirable project”.

Now that we’ve had a taste for the publishing racket, we’ve got other ideas for future projects. Currently, we’re writing up a proposal for a book called ‘Journey’ which will be a collection of stories from men and women who’ve had experience with breast cancer. We’ll be calling for submissions soon and we’re aiming to have this out in October 2011.

Thanks Blaze. For more info about [untitled] and for submission guidelines check out the website.

And so, dear readers, this brings us to the end of the short story posts. All that’s left for me to do is ask you who your favourite short story writers are? Leave a comment and share your opinions.

And tune in next time to find out what I’ve been reading lately.

Catch ya later,  George

Last time around I introduced you to a few of my favourite book trailers. I’ve got some more for you to look at this time. Plus, I also pose the question: Are book trailers worth the effort?

But first, let’s take a look at the awesome trailer for Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan:

It’s a complex, beautifully animated trailer. But simple animation can also work. Take, for example, the trailer for Wardragon by Paul Collins. It’s not in the same league as the Leviathan trailer, but… Some simple animation, a bit of text and some stirring music combine to make an effective trailer.

This trailer has been online for about nine months, but it’s only had about 180 viewings. This begs the questions: is the time and effort (and possibly money) that is invested in making a trailer, really worth it, if only a couple of hundred people will watch it? This is the question I put to Paul Collins, who is the publisher at Ford Street Publishing as well as an author. Here’s his response:

“I think this latest publishing phenomenon is too young to predict how useful it is. Providing publishers/authors/illustrators can get their trailers done reasonably cheaply, or they can produce them themselves, I see trailers as yet another cheap means of promotion, much like blogging/reviews, etc. Truly inspirational trailers must cost thousands, but the viral impact is tremendous. So if a book trailer can fire up the viewers to send it on, then it can’t fail to promote the book. But looking on Ford Street’s YouTube channel, I see our most viewed trailer, My Private Pectus, has only had 536 views, and the second most viewed trailer sits at 436. How many of the viewers bought the book/s? Hard to quantify!”

Check out the trailers at the Ford Street YouTube Channel.

While the Ford Street trailers are counting their viewings in the hundreds, Leviathan is clocking up multiple thousands, as is the trailer for Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters (see previous post). It seems to be a case of big name authors and large publishing houses (who have more money to spend on producing trailers and promoting them) are getting the huge audiences (and huge sales), while lesser known authors and smaller publishers are struggling to get their trailers seen by more than a few hundred people.

Last year I had a book trailer created for my teen novel, Gamers’ Quest. It’s a computer animated video, put together by H Gibbens of Finger to the Bone. It’s had a little over 450 viewings. It’s not possible to know how many of these viewings have resulted in a sale. But for me it is more than just a video to be uploaded to YouTube. I use it during school talks and I also have it playing on a screen beside me when I do book signings. It has proved to be a great way to grab an audience’s attention and so has been an invaluable marketing tool for me.

I think that books trailers are now evolving beyond their initial intention. Just like the music video has become so much more than just a way to advertise a new single, the book trailer is also evolving beyond a simple marketing tool. It is becoming an art-form of it’s own. Just take a look at what the New Zealand Book Council have put together for Maurice Gee’s Going West:

Art? Or mere advertising? What do you think? And what are some of your favourite book trailers? Post a link in the comments section.

And tune in next time for even more amazing trailers.

Catch ya later,  George

At the end of my last post I said that I would next be blogging about what my family and I had been reading. Well, I will… but not today. For today I’m slipping in an extra post — a post in which I shall shamelessly promote my book signing this coming Saturday.

As you may or may not know, I’m an author. In October last year, my teen novel, Gamers’ Quest, was published by Ford Street Publishing (to find out more about Ford Street check out the latest post on Kids’ Book Capers). Since then I’ve been promoting my little heart out. I’m exhausted but I’m still at it. Frankly, the whole promotion thing is way more difficult than the actual writing! But it’s a necessary part of the process, especially when you’re an unknown author (George? George who?) with a small publisher.

Click to see full-size image.

Gamers’ Quest – that’s my book in case you’d forgotten – is a science fiction, action/adventure with a healthy dose of fantasy thrown in. I wrote it with young teens in mind but it’s suitable for ages 10+. It’s the sort of book that I, as a Space Invaders obsessed teen, would have loved reading! I’m hoping that the current crop of computer game-playing kids will like it as it’s set within the multiple worlds of a sophisticated virtual reality computer game.

Gamers’ Quest has got it all — dragons, mages, lasers, drones, starfighters, a giant robotic spider, lethal shrubbery and even a bit of toad-flinging. Doesn’t that just make you want to rush out and buy a copy this very instant? Come on, you know you want to! Perhaps it’s time for me to shut up and just give you the signing details…

BOOK SIGNING — GAMERS’ QUEST
Come and meet George Ivanoff — author of the Chronos Award-winning science fiction novel for kids and teens, Gamers’ Quest.

Location: Angus & Robertson Ringwood bookstore (Shop L026a) in Eastland Shopping Centre, Victoria

Date: Saturday 8 May 2010

Time: 11.30am-12.30pm

To find out more about Gamers’ Quest, check out the website. And take a look at the trailer:

So come along and meet me. You can tell me in person how much you love reading my blog! Or you can get my autograph — it’s bound to be worth at least a couple of cents some time in the next 20 years. Or you could come along simply to heckle… “Hey George, is that a tumble-weed I just saw rolling past?”

Anyway… thank you, dear readers, for indulging my little lapse into self-promotion. I promise not to do it too often.  :-)  And sincere thanks to Boomerang Books.

Tune in next time when Literary Clutter will return to its regular programming.

Catch ya later,  George