Jessica Daniel 5: Playing with Fire competition – win a copy
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Playing with Fire (Jessica Daniel book five) is out on July 18 and I have five paperback copies to give away to readers.
Entry is completely free and all you need to do is guess the word count of Playing with Fire.
As a clue, it is between 85,000 and 105,000 words. For extra guidance, The Woman in Black is 104,644 words and Think of the Children is 89,770.
Simply e-mail me using the subject “Competition entry” and let me know:
- Your name
- Your address
- Your guess
The closing date is Saturday, June 22 at 6pm.
After that date, the five closest guesses will win a copy of the book. Simple as that.
You can’t enter if I know you personally – and only one entry per person (although if there’s more of you living in one house and you have different email addresses, you can have more than one per household).
I’ll post the winner’s names on the Facebook page and will email them personally.
PLAYING WITH FIRE (JESSICA DANIEL BOOK FIVE)
(Coming: 18 July 2013)
Seven years ago Martin Chadwick set fire to a Manchester pub, not knowing a teenager was sleeping inside. Chadwick’s release from prison is imminent, with journalists gearing up for a good old-fashioned media lynching.
With the victim’s father telling the papers he is out for revenge, DS Jessica Daniel is left to keep an eye on Chadwick and his fiery eighteen-year-old son.
If that’s not enough to keep her occupied, a private investigator is doing a fine job sticking his oar in, it looks like there’s a schoolgirl suicide ring in operation, her car is working a little too well, and the endless rain continues to pound her northern home.
Jessica’s personal and professional life is in the balance – giving her barely enough time to focus on the person in her midst seemingly intent on burning everything to the ground.
- Available to pre-order as an ebook via: UK Kindle – iBookstore
Jessica Daniel series extends to a minimum of nine books
April 30, 2013
This post has been a long time coming – but I thought I’d give everyone an idea of what’s going on with me and my various series.
In short:
- Pan Macmillan have bought three more Jessica Daniel books from me, meaning they will publish a minimum of NINE in the series
- Jessica 5: Playing with Fire is out in the UK in ebook/paperback (Macmillan) /audiobook (published by AudioGo) on 18 July 2013
- The Jessica series launches in the USA in July 2013
- Jessica 6: Thicker Than Water should be out in the UK late in 2013
- Jessica 7: Behind Closed Doors will likely be out in the UK during the first third of 2014
- Jessica 8 / 9 will follow
- My young adult/sci-fi/fantasy series – the Silver Blackthorn trilogy – will begin to come out from spring/summer 2014, with the second book likely to be released later that year
- I am giving up my full-time job as a sports journalist to either, a) Retire; b) Be unemployed; or c) Be a full-time writer, depending on which way you look at it.
I know I said “in short” but there’s a fair bit there!
Essentially, I’ve been trying to juggle two full-time jobs for two years now – that’s 16- and 17-hour days, commuting, and many hours looking a computer screens. For the most part, I did that because I really enjoyed my job as a sports journalist and I liked writing books too.
With my job, I got to work on the London Olympics, which was utterly fabulous. That career was what I wanted to do with myself and I’ve had a great 10 years since I graduated.
The problem is that I simply cannot fit it all in any longer, so had to make a decision.
Think of the Children has (I’m told) done very well for the UK publishers, Pan Macmillan. As far as I know, I’m the only UK-born/based person to self-publish through Amazon and then go on to have a paperback in the UK’s top-20 chart (feel free to correct me).
I’ve also now sold over half-a-million books in the UK…and it’s all gone a bit beyond me sitting on my sofa trying to do two jobs.
That’s 12 books that Pan Macmillan will be publishing from me, with only four of them out at the moment. That still leaves quite a bit of work for everyone.
Something had to give – and it’s not the books, or, hopefully, my sanity.
Lastly, for anyone who enjoyed the Q&A at the back of Think of the Children, I’m doing another one for the back of Jessica 6. There will be a month-long window after the release of Jessica 5 to e-mail me whatever you want, or to post on the Facebook group’s wall.
Thanks for reading,
Kerry
Kindle Touch 3G competition winner
March 30, 2013
A quick post to say that the winner of the Kindle competition is (drum roll)… Nicky Wright from Thornton-Cleveleys in Lancashire.
She took the picture below in Tesco, Blackpool, which shows Think of the Children at number three in their chart.
Thanks to everyone who entered – I had loads, as ever.
Jessica Daniel 5: Playing with Fire is out on July 18 and I’ll have some copies of that to give away in due course.
Win a Kindle Touch 3G – free to enter
February 26, 2013
OK, so Think of the Children is *this* close to finally being out! In fact, the print version is already in stock on Amazon and in many bookshops.
To celebrate, I have a brand-new Kindle Touch 3G to give away. Entry is completely free and you don’t even need to do much. Simply e-mail me a picture of any of my books or, if you’re in Greater Manchester, one of the advertising posters. Examples are below.
Include:
- Your name;
- Your address;
- Where you took the photo, ie shop & place;
The books should be available in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, WH Smith, Waterstones and a bunch of other places. There are two scrolling banners in the Arndale centre if you live in Manchester, and around 90 train station posters around the north west. Photos of any of those count.
The closing date is (Good) Friday 29 March at 6pm – so you have loads of time to take your photos. They should be in enough places that you don’t really have to go out of your way.
Simply e-mail them and you get an entry into the draw. After that date, I’ll pick one entry at random – it’s not to do with quality of photo or anything like that.
You can’t enter if I know you personally – and only one entry per person (although if there’s more of you living in one house and you have different pictures and email addresses, you can have more than one per household).
I’ll post the winner’s name on here and on the Facebook group’s wall sometime over that Easter weekend.
EXAMPLES:
Think of the Children poster (taken by one of my mates!)
Think of the Children, Waterstones, Arndale, Manchester
Locked In – Waterstones, Arndale, Manchester
Locked In, Vigilante x2, Woman In Black, Waterstones, Arndale, Manchester
Jessica Daniel 4: Think of the Children is Amazon UK’s no.1 ebook pre-order
February 2, 2013
The title pretty much says it all.
I’m not sure what to say, really. The publishers haven’t even begun marketing, yet the fourth Jessica Daniel book, Think of the Children, is the no.1 pre-order on Kindle in the UK, a full four weeks before it’s even out.
This is entirely down to the many, many fabulous readers who have read the first three Jessica books and waited so patiently for its release since The Woman In Black was out in November 2011. I’ve been waiting too … I finished the first draft in the same month, so it’s been 16 months since then. I can barely remember half of what happens in it!
The good news is the Jessica 5: Playing with Fire is coming in July 2013. It has an amazing blow-you-away cover to look out for.
So, after a 16-month wait, you’ll have two Jessica books within five months. Whew.
Guess what? Jessica 6: [Title under wraps for now!] won’t be too far behind either.
Thanks so much to everyone who has pre-ordered it. Now I just hope you enjoy it.
Jessica Daniel – Think of the Children: Competition winners
December 15, 2012
The five winners of the competition to win an advance copy of Think of the Children are:
- Craig Pampling from Essex;
- Mike Evans from Warrington;
- James Gordon from Argyll & Bute;
- Andrew King from Nairn;
- Amy Stokoe from Tyne and Wear;
They correctly knew that the name of Jessica’s boyfriend in Vigilante was Adam Compton. I accepted “Adam” as well.
Thanks to all who entered – there were many – and only one incorrect answer among them, which was particularly pleasing considering people had to have read the books to know it.
If you want to pre-order Think of the Children – out on February 28, 2013 – you can do so here.
I *might* have a few more copies to give away in the new year, so keep an eye on this website, my Twitter feed, and the Facebook group. You can also e-mail me and I’ll put you on my mailing list. You won’t get spam – only the odd update about releases/pre-orders/competitions, etc.
Jessica Daniel competition: Win Think of the Children
December 5, 2012
It is now less than three months until the release of Think of the Children. It has – literally – been over a year in the making already. I am giving away FIVE copies of the paperback proof edition. This is the copy that goes out to reviewers / bookshops / newspapers, etc, so aren’t the final paperbacks you’ll be able to buy in shops. As such, they are limited edition. I’ve even soiled them with my incomprehensible scrawl.
If you’d like the opportunity to read Think of the Children a full two and a bit months before anyone else, just answer this question: WHAT IS THE NAME OF JESSICA’S BOYFRIEND IN VIGILANTE?
If you know the answer, e-mail me:
- using the subject title “Win Think of the Children”;
- in the body, include your answer;
- your name;
- your address.
Assuming your answer is correct, you will go into the draw. The closing date is 18:00 BST on 14 December 2012 (Obviously we’ll hope to get the book to you before Christmas).
I will post the winners’ names here and on the Facebook group’s wall.
Here is the small print which HAS GOT TO BE HERE for legal reasons and all that:
Please read these competition rules carefully. If you enter the competition, I will assume that you have read these rules and that you agree to them.
1. To enter a competition you must be: (a) UK resident; and (b) 18 years old or over at the time of entry.
2. Competitions are not open to employees (or members of their immediate families) of Macmillan, Macmillan Ltd or any subsidiary of Macmillan Ltd, nor anyone that I know personally.
3. No purchase necessary.
4. Only one entry per person.
5. Enter by sending your answer, name and address by e-mail
6. Sending an e-mail is not proof that I have received your entry. No responsibility can be accepted for entries that are lost or delayed, or which are not received for any reason.
7. The winner will be drawn at random from those who answer the question correctly.
8. The closing date is 18:00 BST on 14 December, 2012
9. You will be notified by e-mail. The decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
10. The winner’s name will be posted on kerrywilkinson.com and facebook.com/JessicaDanielBooks after the closing date.
11. By entering the competition the winner agrees to participate in such promotional activity and material as Macmillan may require.
12. The prize will not be transferable to another person.
13. No part of a prize is exchangeable for cash or any other prize.
14. Incorrectly completed entries will be disqualified.
15. This competition is being run by Pan Macmillan Ltd of Brunel Road, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire (“Macmillan”) in association with Kerry Wilkinson.
16. Macmillan will endeavour to send prizes within a month of the competition end date but cannot guarantee this delivery time.
Winner of the signed print covers
October 1, 2012
The winner of the competition to win signed prints of the Jessica Daniel covers is Sara Jackson from Lincolnshire.
She correctly knew the answer to the question: “Which police station is Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel based at?” was “Longsight”.
In the coming weeks, there will be a new competition to win signed copies of the uncorrected proof paperbacks of Think Of The Children. More details when they are available.
Thanks to all who entered. There were many.
Pan Macmillan to publish my Silver Blackthorn trilogy
September 24, 2012
As reported this morning in the Bookseller and by Pan Macmillan themselves, I have agreed a deal to publish three more novels.
These are not Jessica Daniel books, nor are they crime fiction. This is a hybrid young adult/sci-fi/fantasy series – the Silver Blackthorn trilogy – which is, essentially, everything I grew up reading.
In addition, AudioGo will produce audiobooks of the trilogy – as well as the Jessica Daniel titles.
Here is the synopsis:
In the village of Martindale, hundreds of miles north of the new English capital of Windsor, sixteen-year-old Silver Blackthorn takes the Reckoning. This coming-of-age test not only decides her place in society – Elite, Member, Inter or Trog – but also determines that Silver is to become an Offering for King Victor.
But these are uncertain times and no-one really knows what happens to the teenagers who disappear into the castle. Is being an Offering the privilege everyone assumes it to be, or do the walls of Windsor have something to hide?
Trapped in a maze of ancient corridors, Silver finds herself at the mercy of the mad King. In this warped world of suspicion it is difficult to know who to trust and who to fear. The one thing Silver does know is that she must find a way out…
Jessica Daniel fans should rest assured that I have already written and submitted these books to the publishers, so it is not distracting me from writing or working on Jessica Daniel titles. I still plan to continue writing them and have long-term plans for the series.
This is something supplementary and, if all goes to plan, I will have three novels out in 2013:
- Jessica Daniel book 4: Think of the Children (February)
- Jessica Daniel book 5: Playing With Fire (July)
- Silver Blackthorn book 1 of 3 (Autumn)
It is quite an exciting time for me. For someone unheard of a year ago to have sold nine books to a major international publisher is about as unprecedented as anything in the publishing industry.
I also answered a few questions for fellow author Tasha Harrison, which you can read here.
More news as and when…
Jessica Daniel competition: Win signed, framed prints of all four covers
September 10, 2012
Last week, I showed off the new covers for all the Jessica Daniel books.
In collaboration with Pan Macmillan, I am giving away signed, framed prints of all four covers. This will only be done once, so is unique and exclusive. Well, it is until I scrawl my name untidily across it.
To enter, just answer this question:
Which police station is Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel based at?
If you know the answer, e-mail me:
- using the subject title “Competition entry”;
- in the body, include your answer;
- your name;
- your address.
Assuming your answer is correct, you will go into the draw. The closing date is 18:00 BST on 28 September 2012.
I will post the winner’s name here and on the Facebook group’s wall.
Here is the small print which HAS GOT TO BE HERE for legal reasons and all that:
Please read these competition rules carefully. If you enter the competition, I will assume that you have read these rules and that you agree to them.
1. To enter a competition you must be: (a) UK resident; and (b) 18 years old or over at the time of entry.
2. Competitions are not open to employees (or members of their immediate families) of Macmillan, Macmillan Ltd or any subsidiary of Macmillan Ltd, nor anyone that I know personally.
3. No purchase necessary.
4. Only one entry per person.
5. Enter by sending your answer, name and address by e-mail
6. Sending an e-mail is not proof that I have received your entry. No responsibility can be accepted for entries that are lost or delayed, or which are not received for any reason.
7. The winner will be drawn at random from those who answer the question correctly.
8. The closing date is 18:00 BST on 28 September, 2012
9. You will be notified by e-mail. The decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
10. The winner’s name will be posted on kerrywilkinson.com and facebook.com/JessicaDanielBooks after the closing date.
11. By entering the competition the winner agrees to participate in such promotional activity and material as Macmillan may require.
12. The prize will not be transferable to another person.
13. No part of a prize is exchangeable for cash or any other prize.
14. Incorrectly completed entries will be disqualified.
15. This competition is being run by Pan Macmillan Ltd of Brunel Road, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire (“Macmillan”) in association with Kerry Wilkinson.
16. Macmillan will endeavour to send prizes within a month of the competition end date but cannot guarantee this delivery time.
Jessica Daniel book four: Think Of The Children cover
September 7, 2012
Over the past three days, I have revealed the covers for Pan Macmillan’s re-released versions of Locked In, Vigilante and The Woman In Black.
Here is the cover for Think Of The Children (Jessica Daniel book four). It is out in February and you can pre-order the paperback here. The ebook pre-order will be posted in due course.
Jessica Daniel books: All-new covers for Locked In, Vigilante, The Woman In Black
September 4, 5, 6, 2012
With the Jessica Daniel books being re-released by Pan Macmillan later in the year, we have some very nice new jackets for them. I am going to publish one a day here until the end of the week.
The Woman In Black:
Vigilante:
Locked In:
Ebook sales overtake paperback sales on Amazon UK
August 6, 2012
I’ve been in the news a little bit today because Amazon UK announced that for every 100 paperbacks/hardbacks they sell, they sell 114 ebooks.
As well as being one of Amazon UK’s top-10 bestselling authors of 2011, I am also one of their top-10 of 2012 – which is nice!
The press release from Amazon is here.
There’s still lots more Jessica to come:
- February 2013: Think Of The Children
- Summer 2013: Playing With Fire
- February 2014: Book six
Jessica Daniel: As If By Magic – a massive “thank you”
July 20, 2012
As you may well know, As If By Magic is out. You can buy it for your UK Kindle here for £1.59 or your international Kindle here for $2.99.
Yesterday, it was Amazon UK’s No.1 “Mover And Shaker” – basically meaning it was their highest new entry. It went straight into the top-50 books overall and the top 15 crime chart. All with zero marketing budget, no pre-orders and promotion only through here and Facebook.
So this is a very big “thank you” to anyone reading this for continuing to support the character and myself.
Launching a book is very hard anyway, let alone when you’ve not brought anything out in eight months – and you’re working full-time too.
Essentially, despite any stories you might read about me, this still comes down to me sitting on my sofa with a little netbook and writing every day. The fact you keep returning to buy my stuff is constantly and magnificently humbling.
Thank you
Reader interview for the back of Think Of The Children
July 9, 2012
As you are probably aware, I get interviewed a fair amount about book stuff but I realise that sometimes journalists don’t ask the questions that most readers are interested in.
At the back of Think Of The Children, I am going to run an interview with a bit of a difference… you ask the questions. In the Kindle edition, it will be in print. It *may* be videoed and used online, or as part of an extended ebook. It depends on a few things and I’ll let you know.
So, this is your opportunity to ask me anything you like. If you want to know where Jessica’s name comes from, now is your time to ask. If you have ever wondered if a specific part or character is based on a true story, then go for it. The point is for you to ask anything you want. About me, about the books, the characters, the plots, influences – anything. Be as traditional or as obscure as you want.
There is only one rule. When you ask, tell me your name and where you’re from. This can be as vague as you want – Joe Smith, Lancashire is fine, as is Joe Smith, Chorlton if you are happy to be more specific. Your name will be at the back of the ebook with your question and the answer, so you will be immortalised too.
Depending on how many questions I get, I may not be able to answer everything, but I will put in what I can. I will only answer one question per person – but you can ask two or three and I’ll pick my favourite if you prefer.
If you are happy to ask in public, or if you want to see what others are asking, you can go through Facebook or Twitter – else email me.
A day in the life of writing a Jessica Daniel book
With two weeks to go until the release of As If By Magic, I thought I would give you a little insight into what it’s like when I have a “writing day”.
When I am working on something, I write every day without fail. I still have a day job and that means I spend much of the week grabbing an hour or two here and there to keep things ticking. I usually get at least one day a week where I have nothing to do other than write.
Because I have to get up at 6am to go to work, I stick to a similar routine on a writing day and am up by 7am at the latest.
I’ll usually make some coffee and quickly check my emails and tweets and then it is down to business. I am one of those horrible morning people Jessica so hates, generally thinking clearer and working better first-thing. Almost nothing has changed from writing Locked In to writing everything since.
This is my cheapo little netbook. I’ve written almost everything on this. I don’t use a table, I write with it on my lap. The ‘E’, ‘A’, ‘S’ and space bar are particularly worn.
Most of my writing is done from the corner of our slightly scuffed sofa. I suppose everyone has their own ways of working but what’s best for me is simply to get on with it. I’m quite disciplined and rarely get sidetracked. I’ll stay on top of my emails but not get involved with too much else during the day.
When I started out writing, I needed it to be quiet but now I can work anywhere. As If By Magic was written at home, on trains, in hotel rooms, in a cafe, and on my lunchbreak at work. My first edit of Think Of The Children was completed on a plane.
At home, I quite often leave Spotify running in the background. Most of As If By Magic was written with Oasis on a loop (I know they’re not on Spotify but I imported the tracks) and a bit of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds for good measure. I once listened to that album on shuffle/repeat for ten hours straight.
I drift between all sorts of music; everything from classic rock to John Williams and Hans Zimmer soundtracks. At the moment, I am into country.
It’s a bit non-British, I suppose, but country music often contains brilliant pieces of storytelling. Listen to something like Sara Evans’ Suds In A Bucket or Brad Paisley’s Mud On The Tires. And then there is the imagery of Postcard From Paris by The Band Perry. Or Toby Keith’s Beers Ago – a song where he chronicles the moments of his life by how many beers he has had since they happened. Like the song or not, that’s pure creativity. I love it.
Anyway, that’s the interesting stuff. Aside from a mid-morning coconut ring or five (that’s not a euphemism), I basically just write.
I’m lucky enough to have had a full-time job since I graduated and even before that I’ve worked in various part-time jobs through the later years of school and university. I’ve done overnight shifts, earlies, lates, 10-hour days, 12-hour days and so on. I’ve been in factories, call-centres and offices. I’m used to working, so a writing day is the same as any other. I’ll work all morning, stop to have something quick to eat, and then write all afternoon.
If I’m in the mood, and my wife is off doing something else, I might even keep going well into the evening. It’s not that unusual for me to write from seven in the morning until seven, eight or nine at night.
As for writing speed, it depends. If I’m starting something, it is slower and a bit harder to get into. When I’m into the final third, it is almost as if it writes itself. 10,000 words a day – or more – wouldn’t be unusual if I am in the second half of something and have a whole day with no interruptions. I wrote the final 13,000 words of Think Of The Children in one go. Part of it is that I’ve grown up using computers and am a very quick typist.
And that’s it. I figure writing, like most things, is as complicated as you choose to make it.
I plan something, then I work every day until it is finished.
Not having children helps … although a greedy turtle begging for food (again, not a euphemism) can be quite distracting.
Jessica Daniel: As If By Magic – coming 19 July, 2012
June 16, 2012
OK, this is the news I have been teasing for long enough…
The next Jessica Daniel story is called As If By Magic and will be released on 19 July 2012.
[19/7 edit: It is here (UK) or here (USA)]
It is not quite a full-length Jessica book. Vigilante is around 98,000 words, and this is a bit over 50,000. It will cost somewhere between £1.50-£2.00. I haven’t quite figured it out yet.
Any questions, come say hello on Facebook, tweet me, or email me.
SYNOPSIS:
After finding an abandoned package at Manchester’s Piccadilly Station, Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel has two choices. One option leads to the entire north west transport network grinding to a halt – and more importantly Jessica missing her train – while the other involves her opening the box.
For Jessica, the choice is clear – but what’s in the box, who left it, and how will it affect her weekend away?
This is a special Jessica Daniel “interlude” to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Locked In’s release
Jessica Daniel’s summer story for 2012
May 31, 2012
As many of you now know, I have signed a book deal with Pan Macmillan for Think Of The Children to be released in February 2013. Before that, though, Jessica has a story coming this summer.
Full details, including the release date, title, synopsis, cover, etc, will be released at a later date but, for now, here is a short extract.
This is obviously copyright Kerry Wilkinson 2012, etc, etc. You know the drill.
This is an exchange between Jessica, DCI Cole and DI Reynolds discussing her upcoming appearance on the TV news…
——————————————————————————————————————
‘You won’t be on your own,’ Cole assured Jessica. ‘Rosie is going with you.’
‘The press officer woman?’
‘Yes, not ours, the one from Greater Manchester. She’s got the contact that enabled us to go on the news.’
‘You’ve set that up on purpose as well, haven’t you?’ Jessica asked with an annoyed shake of her head.
Cole laughed. ‘It’s not all a conspiracy…’
‘But she is the most annoying person I have ever met – and that’s saying something.’
‘Rosie is a perfect professional,’ Cole replied, although he was smiling, clearly understanding Jessica’s point.
‘But she’s always grinning and going on about how “fabulous” everything is. She keeps calling me “darling”. The last time she was here, I was coming back from a job and was piss-wet through. My hair was stuck to my face, my suit was drenched, and she goes, “Oh, what a fabulous look for you, darling”. I looked like I’d been waterboarded.’
The other two officers were stifling laughter before Cole responded. ‘Just make sure you listen to her advice – she’s an expert at this type of thing.’
‘She was an extra on some daytime soap and acts like she’s got a mantelpiece full of BAFTAs at home.’
‘Regardless, she’s going with you later, so be nice.’
Jessica stood up ready to leave but, as she opened the door, she heard Reynolds calling after her. ‘Have a fabulous time, Jess.’
——————————————————————————————————————
THE END (well not really but for these purposes it is)
Want to tell me what you think? Here I am on Twitter, email, or Facebook.
Locked In is the No.1 crime book on iTunes
April 28, 2012
I am not entirely sure I can explain this – but after eight months, Locked in has gone to No.1 on the iTunes/iBooks crime chart in the UK.
The highest it had ever reached in the Apple charts before was number three, when it was also number three in the overall charts.
In the coming couple of weeks, I should have some news about the next story involving Jessica – and you won’t have to wait until February 2013 for it…
Jessica Daniel audiobooks are coming…
April 26, 2012
This is one of those posts where the headline pretty much tells you all you need to know.
I have agreed a deal with AudioGo to produce audiobooks of what will eventually be six Jessica Daniel books.
Locked In should be out towards the end of 2012 to coincide more or less with the Macmillan paperback version, with Vigilante, The Woman In Black and Think Of The Children following in due course.
Locked In will be available as a digital download through Amazon, Audible and AudioGo itself, among other places such as iTunes – so it will be easy to find. It should also be available as a CD release if that is more your thing.
AudioGo create all of the BBC audiobooks, including the Doctor Who and Torchwood releases and are based in my hometown of Bath. I am really excited to be working with them.
More details on the narrator, pricing and pre-orders, etc, as and when I know it.
Kerry Wilkinson on BBC Radio 4′s PM programme
I was on BBC Radio 4′s PM programme for five minutes on Saturday, March 11 talking about ebooks briefly with Jojo Moyes.
You can listen here:
A Jessica Daniel Facebook page
March 4, 2012
Due to a few people asking, I have setup a Facebook page for the Jessica Daniel books. If you click here, you will be able to ‘like’ the page and then any news or updates will automatically drop into your Facebook stream.
A few follow-up answers from the Macmillan announcement
March 1, 2012
It has certainly been a busy 24 hours since Pan Macmillan announced their book deal with me…
First off, a big thank you to everyone. I have some great emails and tweets and people have almost entirely been very nice and supportive. It has been incredibly heartening.
I have actually got at least one more really exciting thing to announce in the next few weeks…
I’ve had a few readers’ questions:
- People have been asking about whether or not Jessica will still “feel” liike Jessica once the books have been re-edited. All I can really say is that Pan Macmillan bought the rights BECAUSE of Jessica’s voice in the books. They aren’t looking to change her, they will just be cleaning up some of my clunkier paragraphs and doing their best to make the books better.
- I’m afraid I don’t know how much the books will cost. I wouldn’t even be able to speculate because it isn’t something anyone has discussed.
- Books four, five and six will be released as both paperbacks AND for your Kindles / iTunes, etc. The release should be simultaneous.
After all of that, I have been interviewed in a few different places over the past 24 hours.
- Anita Singh from The Telegraph writes about the deal here.
- CrimeFictionLover write about it here.
- Crime author Richard Godwin, who has his own Mr Glamour novel out this month, interviewed me at his blog here.
I also wrote a piece for FutureBook … which is perhaps more for fellow authors.
There was also a new piece out today, which ranked me as one of Amazon’s top 10 UK authors worldwide for 2011. I only started selling at the end of July, so not too bad really.
Finally, I am going to be at the Digital Minds conference in London on Sunday 15 April. You can read details of that here.
So, all in all, quite the 24 hours!
As ever, you can find me on Twitter or email me.
If you have any further questions, drop me a line.
Jessica Daniel books 4-6 to be published by Pan Macmillan
February 29, 2012
Seeing as it is the rarest date in the calendar, it seems as good a time as any for this to come out…
Somewhere around the middle of April 2011, I started writing Locked In. At that time, I had no plans to release it as it was only ever a bit of a challenge to myself to see if I could create something.
Ten and a bit months on, there are three self-published books in the Jessica Daniel series, I have had the number one book in the UK, been Amazon’s No.1 author for the final part of 2011, and sold over a quarter-of-a-million books.
Not bad for under a year’s work!
I didn’t self-publish for any reason other than I figured I had nothing to lose. I didn’t hawk the books unsuccessfully around publishers and I was never turned down. Most importantly, I never set out to “be” an author. Most of this has happened accidentally through word of mouth and readers’ support.
But what did begin to happen was that agents and publishers began to pay attention to me.
I will spare you all the ins and outs for now but, with that in mind, I have some pretty big news:
I have agreed a six-book deal with Pan Macmillan for the rights to the Jessica Daniel series.
First the bad news: Jessica Daniel book four: Think Of The Children will not be released until February 2013.
Yes, 2013.
I know a lot of you reading this will be disappointed by that. I have had so many people email and tweet me asking about the release date. It’s been overwhelming, humbling and incredibly flattering. I’ve had emails from teenagers all the way up to people who are retired. From people in the UK, to Australia, Canada, Greece, the Ukraine, Spain, South Africa and all sorts of other places in between. It’s blown me away. So I understand the wait is a long one – but there are large benefits too.
Firstly, I was talking to Pan Macmillan before any of the publicity happened. They aren’t people who jumped on a bandwagon looking to exploit me or, far more importantly, the character of Jessica.
They are investing heavily in the series and want to expose Jessica to a far wider audience. I’m not naive – I realise I wouldn’t be in this position if I hadn’t sold so many copies – but I also know they have read the books and “get” the character.
As part of the deal, Macmillan will re-release Locked In, Vigilante and The Woman In Black towards the end of 2012. They will be re-edited and tidied up – then published as ebooks with new covers and branding – and as paperbacks too, including WiB for all the people who have asked me about that.
This is the first big benefit of working with a publisher.
I realise the books aren’t perfect in their current form because I don’t have the access to the same copy control and editing processes that publishers do. On my own, I can compete in terms of storylines and price – but I can never match the quality of product.
But this does take time, so it isn’t just about editing and releasing book four. Macmillan will be editing and releasing four books in around 12 months. That should hopefully tell you how much they want to build the character – they are putting a lot of effort and expense into this. This type of six-book deal for a “nobody” like me is absolutely unprecedented in the publishing world. They really want to make it work – and they really like Jessica.
What it should also mean is that, roughly this time next year, you should all have a professionally-edited Think Of The Children which you can read and – hopefully – enjoy without being put off by my odd typo or strange turn of phrase.
The other benefit is that, from then, there should be a regular schedule. Book five, provisionally called Up In Flames (previously Playing With Fire), will be out the following summer, with book six – Thicker Than Water – approximately six months after that.
If they go well, there will probably be more. I still have a big pad of ideas and, crucially, a long lead time.
I have had lots of people ask me about audio books and/or television adaptations, etc. The chances of either of those happening are vastly improved by this deal. Previously, there would have been almost no hope of that occurring. This means greater exposure and more awareness.
Also, this really isn’t about the money. I won’t go into the complexities of royalty arrangements and regularity of payment and so on – so you will have to take my word for it. If it was only about the money, I would have been better off releasing Think Of The Children on the back of all the publicity from Amazon earlier this month.
I promise you this is about the quality of the product, the long-term benefit to the character and the passion of the people at Pan Macmillan.
I know there is a wonderful community of people who like Jessica, Dave, Iz, Garry, Hugo, Caroline and everyone else. I know you want to know what happens next in her story. I promise you I have made this decision to try to benefit everyone in the long-term. I am as disappointed as you – probably moreso – that you’re going to have to wait for what I know is a long time. I want you all to find out what happens to Jessica next and I assure you there are some moments in book four and five that you’ve all been asking and speculating about.
I just hope you can stick with me for 12 more months and then we will be on a regular schedule.
In the coming days, if there is interest, I’ll post a Q&A on here to answer any other questions you may have. Feel free to email me or tweet me anything you want to know and, if I can, I’ll post all the replies next week.
