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My book was published yesterday

mrs quoad said:
Forgive me for asking, but why isn't that in the blurb?

From reading the description on the random house website, if I'm honest I don't feel as if I get an understanding of what ties your book together - what's the central thrust or (sorry!) in academic terms its original contribution? Is it descriptive, original research of your own, or mostly writing about other people's research? I don't know if my uncertainty is bc there's no single, clear, unifying strand running through it, or bc RH's synthesis was a bit patchy.

Mentioning a load of interviews about drug dealers sounds like a really interesting piece of work, and makes me far more interested - but, for example, that's mentioned nowhere in the blurb!
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Lowly no-name authors like us have little say on blurb and cover, but compared to what could have been, its ok. Our premise was that everyone's got an opinion on the drugs issue Branson, Brand, Hitchens, M Phillips etc but few people have got a clue, let alone a 360 degree view, of the trade behind it. We wanted to look at the drug trade away from the myths and hyperbole as an economy like any other, to speak to users, sellers, cops, how the trade operates from street to port, and the motivations of those involved. In looking at this we have also included the media and political swirl that accompanies this trade, and how different this is to the reality of day to day live as street dealer, drug squad officer etc. Certainly the drug trade is not an underworld, and is far more embedded in mainstream society than people think. We have chosen to steer a more investigative line, speaking to people ourselves, but we have also include the best academic research as well.
 
maximilian ping said:
Lowly no-name authors like us have little say on blurb and cover, but compared to what could have been, its ok. Our premise was that everyone's got an opinion on the drugs issue Branson, Brand, Hitchens, M Phillips etc but few people have got a clue, let alone a 360 degree view, of the trade behind it. We wanted to look at the drug trade away from the myths and hyperbole as an economy like any other, to speak to users, sellers, cops, how the trade operates from street to port, and the motivations of those involved. In looking at this we have also included the media and political swirl that accompanies this trade, and how different this is to the reality of day to day live as street dealer, drug squad officer etc. Certainly the drug trade is not an underworld, and is far more embedded in mainstream society than people think. We have chosen to steer a more investigative line, speaking to people ourselves, but we have also include the best academic research as well.
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IMO it's a real shame that isn't mentioned on the cover / their blurb - your description, IMO, gives a far better idea / impression of what you've done than their synthesis. Is there any way you could push for it? Or a description of the fact that you carried out interviews, at least?
 
You're going to have to get a lot better at self-publicity! Post a link to the amazon page. Tell us all to tweet and facebook it - we'll do it for Urbanz! You're going to have to get over being afraid of looking like you're trying to sell something ;)

In fact, here you go: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Narcomania-...0834/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349791392&sr=8-1

Kindle edition: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Narcomania-..._0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349791483&sr=1-1

Go forth and shill yourself. :) Email interested companies and groups. Tweet it to anyone you think might be interested. Definitely contact local media.
 
Try asking nicely for an RT from folk on twitter who would have some interest in the topic. Try Irvine Welsh @WelshIrvine, Howard Marks @OfficialMrNice, James Brown (ex-Loaded editor) @jamesjamesbrown, Martin Deeson (ex-loaded staff) @martindeeson etc. I'm sure urbanites can think of others.
 
mrsfran said:
You're going to have to get a lot better at self-publicity! Post a link to the amazon page. Tell us all to tweet and facebook it - we'll do it for Urbanz! You're going to have to get over being afraid of looking like you're trying to sell something ;)

In fact, here you go: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Narcomania-...0834/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349791392&sr=8-1

Kindle edition: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Narcomania-..._0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349791483&sr=1-1

Go forth and shill yourself. :) Email interested companies and groups. Tweet it to anyone you think might be interested. Definitely contact local media.
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Yes well if anyone is up for Tweeting the link to the book please do. that would be brilliant. Our book's Twitter address is @narcomania so please follow for your daily dose of drugs on Twitter.
 
I just had a look at your twitter account and I can't see a single link to the amazon page of your book - for the love of god, make it as easy as possible for people to buy it as soon as you mention it! If you make them search for it they'll get distracted after 3 seconds and forget. Point them straight to it. Repeatedly. Wave it in their face until they buy it. There is no room for being coy when you've got a book out.

I have tweeted the link for you anyway. :)
 
TheHoodedClaw said:
Try asking nicely for an RT from folk on twitter who would have some interest in the topic. Try Irvine Welsh @WelshIrvine, Howard Marks @OfficialMrNice, James Brown (ex-Loaded editor) @jamesjamesbrown, Martin Deeson (ex-loaded staff) @martindeeson etc. I'm sure urbanites can think of others.
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Well James Brown's new project Sabotage Times did actually do Narcomania's one and only bit of publicity here, featuring extract and some guff from me http://www.sabotagetimes.com/life/narcomania-a-journey-through-britains-modern-day-drug-underworld/

Fair enough re Mr Nice, but we want to slightly distance ourselves from Howard Marks and the old schoolers, nice bloke that he is and I know his daughter, but he is a bit of a relic from the past and not sure whether he would know meph if he tripped over it
 
maximilian ping said:
Fair enough re Mr Nice, but we want to slightly distance ourselves from Howard Marks and the old schoolers, nice bloke that he is and I know his daughter, but he is a bit of a relic from the past and not sure whether he would know meph if he tripped over it
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I get your point, but it's really his 15,000 followers you want. I'm sure many of them will be a bit more up to date.
 
Yes i've been wondering about that - how the fuck do books get in libraries? its a moneyspinner, cheers TheHoodedClaw. If anyone happens to be ringing up their local library this afternoon for a general chat about book and silence, please ask for Narcomania
 
mrsfran said:
I just had a look at your twitter account and I can't see a single link to the amazon page of your book - for the love of god, make it as easy as possible for people to buy it as soon as you mention it! If you make them search for it they'll get distracted after 3 seconds and forget. Point them straight to it. Repeatedly. Wave it in their face until they buy it. There is no room for being coy when you've got a book out.

I have tweeted the link for you anyway. :)
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thanks. yes I'm useless at this stuff but my co-author Steve has the skills of a 100 year old eskimo when it comes to social networking etc
 
mrsfran said:
I just had a look at your twitter account and I can't see a single link to the amazon page of your book - for the love of god, make it as easy as possible for people to buy it as soon as you mention it! If you make them search for it they'll get distracted after 3 seconds and forget. Point them straight to it. Repeatedly. Wave it in their face until they buy it. There is no room for being coy when you've got a book out.

I have tweeted the link for you anyway. :)
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RT'd
 
I put the link up on stumble upon, not sure it went to the right section though, I decided to go for drugs rather than books as the latter one had too many subsections none of which readily applied.
 
Have you thought about contacting lecturers at colleges/universities that have criminology degree courses with modules about drugs and see if you can get on to the reading lists?
 
Congratulations. Looks good. My mate can get hold of a pirate ebook version, so I look forward to reading it soon.
 
poisondwarf said:
Have you thought about contacting lecturers at colleges/universities that have criminology degree courses with modules about drugs and see if you can get on to the reading lists?
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one lecturer has done that. but no idea how others are approached in bulk. will have word with publishers - maybe this is in same ball park as library hassling
 
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