Interview with James Barclay

- Are there any news pertaining to an American book deal?

Nothing yet. We’re hoping the new Raven book will finally knock over the first domino. It’s a question of patience and continuing to prod away where we can. I’m with a terrific agent and so in the best hands. It’s frustrating because I genuinely believe my work would be enjoyed by readers in the US. Indeed I have plenty of fans over there but all have had to shell out more than they ought to read my books. There’s even a school in New York studying my writing this year. But I can gnash my teeth all I want. US publishers are horribly commercial too and so they should be. So while I’m frustrated, I’m not complaining. Confused maybe…

- Cover art has become a very hot topic of late. What are your thoughts pertaining to that facet of a novel, and what do you think of the covers that grace your books?

I think we all need to be honest here. Covers help to sell books. People have picked up my books because they liked the covers, or more specifically, the colour of the covers. Put it this way, it’s terribly PC to say that you need to look at the whole person to know if you are attracted to them. And I’m sure that, eventually, it’s true. But in the first instance, that’s crap. Which of us has ever asked out another on a date if we find them physically repulsive? The unfortunate might be the most intelligent, witty and loving person in the world but first impressions are important, critical even. They just are.

So it is with a book and its cover. If it leaps off the shelf to us, we are more likely to take it to the checkout. If this was not the case, all we would have would be plain covers with title and author name on the front in plain type. Covers are marketing and sales tools. Powerful ones too. And that means that cover art has to work very hard. It has to stand out from its peers and it has to either lead the reader into the story within, or engender a reaction in the mind that prods the reader into a purchase. I disagree wholeheartedly with covers that are not representative of the world within the pages but I can see why that is sometimes done.

I’m very happy with my covers. The original Raven covers were paintings by Fred Gambino and gave me the start I needed with readers of the genre – no doubt that Fred’s Dawnthief cover attracted readers. After all, in the early days when it was selling heavily, there was precious little other information, nor many reviews. The later covers moved me into a different sphere. We went for silhouette-style covers using black and a strong second colour. And they worked very well on the shelf. We’re going to re-jacket the series when Ravensoul comes out and I’m very much looking forward to seeing the new artwork. I’m equally happy with the covers for the Ascendants books. A variation on the silhouette theme and one that works very well.

I’d like to say I felt the same way about some of the covers on my translations. I can’t. Some extraordinary artwork there. My French covers, for instance, are fabulous, really beautiful stuff. I won’t name and shame others though. But the thing is, publishers in their own countries know their marketplace. Or they should. So while I might not like what I see, I have to respect what they are trying to do.

- More and more, authors/editors/publicists/agents are discovering the potential of all the SFF blogs/websites/message boards on the internet. Do you keep an eye on what's being discussed out there, especially if it concerns you? Or is it too much of a distraction?

There are some terrific blogs and boards out there and they are becoming a more and more useful resource for the genre from publisher to fan. As an indicator of trends and views, they are incredibly valuable though there is a band-wagon tendency on some boards which is not healthy. When a board is not properly controlled, an author can be praised to the heights or lambasted unfairly without any balance being shown. Blogs don’t tend to succumb to this, fortunately.

Absolutely I keep an eye on discussions. I love to know what’s out there and what people think. I’m a moderator on the sffworld boards because I think I can be of use, particularly on the writing forum there.

And heavens, yes, I take great notice when I’m being discussed. There’s nothing I like more than having my ego buffed to a dazzling shine, after all. Mind you, it isn’t all sweetness. My books have traditionally polarised the fantasy audience and so I get a bit of a kicking every now and again. I do comment on discussions of my own work but I’m very careful what I say. I don’t do self-promotion on message boards. I think that’s a sad way to go. I very much respect negative opinion even though I rarely agree with it. Authors need thick skins and the rise of the message board and blog means that opinion is out there in the public domain far more than even five years ago. That’s life. We none of us like being insulted and there is a fine line between criticism and insult which some posters need to learn. But if a criticism is thought out and articulated, what else can I do but accept it?

Does it distract me? Yes, but I keep a lid on it.