What I learnt on the Aussie Voices in Print Tour

by Karen M. Davis 

I was lucky enough to be a part of a “first” in Australian publishing history recently; a joint publishing house author book tour orchestrated by Simon & Schuster and Harlequin Australia. Three authors on a road trip around rural NSW to meet with readers who don’t usually have access to authors, to promote Australian stories.

My partners in crime were Jenn J McLeod, who writes contemporary small town tales set in rural NSW, and Tricia Stringer, who writes historical and rural romance set in South Australia. Since I write Sydney-based crime fiction we were all very different. A clever move, combining three authors from varied genres, as it provided variety and encouraged readers to look outside their usual preferences and perhaps experience something new.

It also ensured we didn’t hurt the competition – each other...

No, in all honesty, although it got hectic, we survived in a minivan with our respective publishers (5 in total) without an argument or cross word (that I’m aware of) while racking up around 2,000 kms and over 21 hours driving time. Not a bad feat for ladies who hardly knew each other. Thankfully we got along well or it could have been a long thirteen days…

What did we do?

Well, in between brainstorming, singing, eating and sipping the occasional wine, we had an event each day at a local library or bookshop where we each talked everything writing: our love of the craft, why and how we started writing, books, authors and people who have inspired us, the roller-coaster ride of highs and lows on the road to publication. Fortunately each event was casual and we could interact with the readers. They asked us multitudes of questions and we got to not just share information, but to learn from them also.

What did I learn?

Talk about brain overload. I took notes (literally—in my notebook, on my phone). My constant voice-recorded notes caused much amusement but did the job. Jenn and Tricia have been writing longer than I have and I benefited immensely from their knowledge.

Having the opportunity to be up close and personal 24/7 with our publishers was amazing. I learnt so much about the publishing world, and while I know there’s still an awful lot I don’t know, at least I have a slightly more educated insight into the industry.

I learnt about backlists, self-publishing on demand, advertising yourself as a brand, tag lines, networking and self-promotion. I have trouble with self-promotion—I have this thing about not being pushy. My background in policing makes me rather guarded and having been trained not to show emotion or give anything away does not assist in putting myself ‘out there’, even though it’s necessary in order to gain reader interest and let them know you exist.

I’ve always believed in supporting fellow writers but hadn’t thought about supporting bloggers and reading-related Facebook pages. Having met the lovely Shelleyrae from Book’d Out, I was amazed at the time and effort she, and other bloggers, put into their work without claiming a cent. I learnt about i-access, a website that allows vision-impaired readers to listen to books. I learnt more about great resources like RWA, ARRA, Sisters in Crime, and writers' centres.

But the most important thing I learnt is never to trust a person (Jenn J) who says ‘what goes on tour stays on tour’ — after seeing myself and the lovely Anabel from Simon & Schuster on Facebook (in secretly-filmed footage) singing at the top of our voices. Not pretty, but entertaining on some level, I think...

Although it was exhausting at times, it was also exhilarating and an experience I will always cherish and be grateful to have been a part of.

I love to laugh... at anything really but especially at myself. Here is evidence that my partners in crime also enjoy laughing at me...

 I love to love the company of good and inspirational people.

I love to learn to conquer new challenges – like how to negotiate a phone/radio interview on the side of a highway with trucks roaring past...