Tag: Audible

I got a rejection this week… and I’m in good company…

I loved this Tweet from VE Schwab asking authors if they had received rejections of their work recently…

She was deluged with replies, some from some very big names, and one from me. Only last week, I had a book pitch rejected by a publisher. The response I got was, “We pissed ourselves laughing, we loved it, we just don’t know how to sell it.” And that’s fine. I appreciate the honesty and know that there would be nothing worse than slogging away on a novel for however many months only for the publisher to give a shrug on publication.

I more positive news I was inspired by blog posts from a couple of writers friends. Julian Barr talks about what he strives for here, and Laurence Doherty talks about working up from rejections to the NI New Writers Focus Scheme here.

And the big treat for the week is the Bestseller Experiment live show with Orion editor Emad Akhtar (pictured above). He answered all sorts of listener questions on writing, editing, storytelling and WWE wrestling… Yes really. You can listen here.

Till next time, happy writing!

The Prologue of the Robot Overlords audiobook is now on Youtube…

I’ve been meaning to do this for ages! The whole of the book’s prologue, featuring an excellent reading by Rupert Degas, is now on Youtube for your delight and delectation. Enjoy…

The full audiobook is available on Audible and iTunes, and if you’re a first time visitor to Audible then you can choose a FREE audiobook, so why not start with an epic story of Robot world domination overthrown by a bunch of kids from the UK? Go on. You know you want to…

Audible UK: http://goo.gl/fzwGCc
Audible.com (USA & elsewhere): http://goo.gl/yPrp67
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/audiobook/robot-overlords-unabridged/id1006874299

And there’s more about the book here: http://unusuallytallstories.com/robot-overlords-get-the-book/

Listen to these exclusive clips of the Robot Overlords audiobook…

I took delivery of a master CD the ROBOT OVERLORDS  audiobook today, and have been able to listen to a couple of previously unheard clips and I’m delighted to share them with you today!

The audiobook is read by Rupert Degas, one of the best readers in the business, and I’m absolutely thrilled with what he’s done. Rupert hasn’t seen the film, so his voices are based entirely on the characters’ descriptions in the novel (Mr Smythe sounds like Brian Clough!), and he’s made the story his own, giving fresh readings to lines familiar from the film.

It’s also been beautifully produced by audiobook veteran Peter Rinne, who has seamlessly woven in excerpts from Christian Henson’s movie score, and the film’s original sound effects. The audiobook also includes the short story THE MEDIATOR PROTOTYPE and my behind-the-scenes shoot diaries, and it’s available to order now from Audible UK and Audible.com and iTunes.

The first clip is from the prologue, THE DAY WE LOST THE WAR and features multiple vaporisations – enjoy!

 

And this clip is called BEWARE THE SENTRY and finds our heroes on the run from the clankers…

 

The Robot Overlords audiobook is now available to pre-order!

9781409162520

Absolutely delighted to report that the audiobook version of ROBOT OVERLORDS is available to pre-order from Audible now – it’s released on 18th June and is read by audiobooks legend Rupert Degas, who has hundreds of audiobook credits to his name and also crops up in some of my favourite cartoons, including THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL. I’ve only heard a short excerpt, but what he’s done with the Mediator’s voice is absolutely brilliant: the love child of Stephen Hawking and a Dalek.

You will also be able to hear my dulcet tones as I’ve recorded my ‘Afterword on living life dangerously’, and shoot diaries as added extras. In early May I found myself in the beautiful Gloucester countryside recording in producer Peter Rinne’s start-of-the-art recording studio/garden shed…

The perfect man cave...
The home studio that I want when I grow up…

The audiobook will also include the short story THE MEDIATOR PROTOTYPE, an abundance of stomping, clanking and blasting Robot sound effects from the film, and excerpts from Christian Henson’s magnificent score, so it’ll be a full-on audio treat.

You can pre-order now from iTunes, Audible UK and Audible US. Happy listening!