Friday 9 March 2012

Signed, sealed, but still to be delivered: my new book deal

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about the joys of working in local newspapers that was based on a photograph I knew I had, but couldn't find. Well, I found it. As you can see I did not lie. We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun. The gent at the back is my friend Benjie, who went on to a career in the City. The guy at the front is me.

Of course, I needed an excuse to link it to this blog. Well, last week I finally signed a contract to write another five books for Transworld. Signing a books contract is always a great occasion. Not only does it vindicate what you've achieved in the past, it puts money in the bank. It doesn't make me a millionaire, far from it, but it does give me at least a couple of years of security to do what I enjoy doing most: writing books. This contract is to write another three historical novels featuring my hero, Valerius, which is a huge shot in the arm, because not only do I know him like a brother, the world he inhabits is fully formed in my head. There'll also be another two Jamie Saintclair thrillers, which is genuinely exciting and gets me out of sandals for a while.


I can remember every contract signing I've done. The first was in the summer of 2007 in a coffee shop near the Jenny Brown Associates office, which was then in Newington, just off the Meadows in Edinburgh. I sat with Stan in a coffee shop full of interesting people, and it was only when I put pen to paper that I realised I was probably the most interesting person there. The second time, we were in the Tun, a pub across the road from The Scotsman, and the contract changed my life, because the day I signed it sealed my decision to give up journalism and become a full time writer. The third was for my first two thrillers, and Stan produced it at the agency's summer party in a tent at the Edinburgh Book Festival. The latest, I signed at my dining room table. Not the most romantic of locations, but hugely significant, because it will take me up to my twelfth novel and by then royalties might not be something that only happen to other people.

It's odd that when I look at this picture now, I see a cheery chap on the cusp of a long and successful career in newspapers, on the brink of creating a happy family. Yet at the time I know he was angst-ridden and confused and feared he'd be trapped in his present job forever. He also worried he was fat. The one thing I guarantee, though, is that if you'd told him that in thirty years time he'd be where I am now, he'd have been a very happy young man.

8 comments:

Simon Turney said...

Fab news and a fab post, Doug. That young journalist would faint if he knew what you'd achieved and how many fans you have.

Doug said...

Thanks, Simon, you're absolutely right

readinggivesmewings said...

Great news Doug! Will be great to see more of Valerius and Jamie!

Nick

Alun said...

I can almost remeber when I had hair! I am enjoying 'Hero' at the moment and wish you great success with the new ones

Alun

applegarth said...

Well done Doug,i am sure you have shares in a bookcase company.It would be great if the Jamie Saintclair books could come out in hardback as well paperback,anyway keep them coming,can not wait for the next Valerius.

Best Jim Eves

Jake said...

Congratulations & well deserved!

Bob Scotney said...

Congratulations, Doug.

Gabriele Campbell said...

Congrats.

More Valerius - so we'll get the Year of the Four Emperors and the Batavian Rebellion in all its glory? And what next? There's a bit of a gap re. cool events until the war against the Chattians and Agricola's campaigns. Maybe there's some attempt to undermine the building of the coliseum, and yeah, the Vesuvius eruption to keep our friend busy.