# Do you like very, very Funny lad-lit? a la Hornby



## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

If you are reading this thanks

My novels been called lad-lt and chick-lit

here's a very funny excerpt

http://bit.ly/dJIpQO

here's a synopsis:

Film fanatic Rob Smith is thirty-eight, newly single and on the wrong side of two marriages. 
Rob's looking to get back into dating but quickly discovers that in the ten years he's been married the rules of the game have changed. After a couple of disastrous blind dates, Rob strikes it lucky when he meets the supremely confident Jenny on URdate.com.
As Rob blunders his way through their early dates, he begins to discover there's a price to pay for the upturn in his sexual fortunes.
Rob has to deal with an anarchic house, three teenage boys, his own sexual inadequacies and the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that, just maybe, Jenny is not all that she seems.
If all that's not enough his best mate Steve's insatiable desire to be crowned 'Halton and District over 35s Five-a-side Champions' is adding to the pressure.
Will love, sex and Tesco's finest cava be enough to see him through?

For genuine reviews

http://amzn.to/hRft4Y

.

Steve


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome to KindleBoards, Steve, and congratulations on your book.

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## Maryn (Nov 24, 2010)

Steve, it sounds like a really fun read!  I love funny romance


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## Dana Taylor (Jan 8, 2010)

I'm always on the look-out for funny romance.  Interesting to see how a man writes.

Dana Taylor


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

Thanks Dana

Even if you don't want to buy it you can dip into it on Amazon kindle and give me some feedback

I would really appreciate it.

And I take it all as constructive

Thanks

Steve


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

My contemporary romance has been deemed lad-lit by some, chick-lit by some and just very,very funny by others.

what do you think?

http://www.lovesexandtescosfinestcava.co.uk/


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

http://bit.ly/dJIpQO

S


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## ReeseReed (Dec 5, 2009)

Definitely sampling here!  Sounds like it's right up my alley!


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

ReeseReed said:


> Definitely sampling here! Sounds like it's right up my alley!


I really hope so.

It's doing well in the UK no 9 in Kindle ebooks/humour

S


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

My novel 'Love, Sex and Tesco's Finest Cava' is doing really well in the UK but very little in the US

It's on Smashwords--would anyone be so kind as to read it and give me some constructive feedback?

Is it to British for the market? Do the US not read this type of US lad-lit Hornby-esque books?

I would appreciate any constructive comments

Cheers

Steve


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

http://www.lovesexandtescosfinestcava.co.uk/5.html

or






Cheers Steve


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

Steve,

Your subject line caught my attention because I love Hornby. Additionally, reviewers have compared my novel, "The Brightest Moon of the Century," (KB Book of the Day today) to Hornby and John Irving. I am about to teach Hornby's "Juliet, Naked" to my college English class in a week.

I'll be curious how you do with your book and the ways you find to market it. I'm not sure "lad-lit" is the term, but perhaps it is. Did that term ever catch on? It suggests Hornby's work (nd yours?) is lighter than it is. "A Long Way Down," for instance, while very funny at times, is about four people, strangers to each other, who try to kill themselves on New Year's Eve by jumping from the same roof, and they stop each other. "Juliet, Naked" explores the deeper reasons why promising relationships and careers--even life--can dwindle.

I grabbed a sample of your book and look forward to trying it out.

--Chris


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

Christopher Meeks said:


> Steve,
> 
> Your subject line caught my attention because I love Hornby. Additionally, reviewers have compared my novel, "The Brightest Moon of the Century," (KB Book of the Day today) to Hornby and John Irving. I am about to teach Hornby's "Juliet, Naked" to my college English class in a week.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your interest. When people first read the book I was tempted to tag it as chick-lit--But some of my friends said it wasn't chick-lit but lad-lit (Which term probably never caught on).
So I have found myself in a difficult position when marketing. It is very like Hornby's early work, I admit. It is very British in syntax, style etc. It's selling very well in the UK where people know what it is from the synopsis.
I worry that in the States some readers may be put off by this. 
I read some of your work last night. Your writing flows very easily and your laconic style reminds me of James Rainsford and his book The Incredible Layla Moon.

Good luck to you with it

Steve


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

please read the British reveiws

thanks

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B004DI7P8K/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

Steve,

Your links for buying your book go to the UK, which makes sense because you're in Scotland. You want to give U.S. readers a U.S. link. I've created a link using your bookcover, here:



People just have to click on the cover to get a sample or to buy the book. I have your sample--I just have to read it still. Soon!

By the way, I just finished Nick Hornby's "Juliet, Naked" last night, which I thought was very good--not quite as good as "A Long Way Down," but there are a lot of serious ideas in both books beyond the humor. That's what I like about Hornby.

Best,
Chris


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

I've sold three copies in the States this month

Thnaks for the link

I've bought Juliet Naked and intend to get to it after Kig's latest epic

Will let you know what I think

Good luck with your book

S


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

Steve--

You've sold four. I read your sample and it's extremely well-written and funny, so I just bought the book. I'm glad I found your thread.

Anyone in the U.S. wanting the U.S. link, here it is again:



--Chris


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## Cameron_Hughes (Jan 21, 2011)

Very funny excerpt, indeed.

This is one of my favorite genres, as well. I tried to put a different spin on it in my book.


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

Christopher Meeks said:


> Steve--
> 
> You've sold four. I read your sample and it's extremely well-written and funny, so I just bought the book. I'm glad I found your thread.
> 
> ...


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

This book is now on offer for Valentines because it has the word LOVE in the title (geddit?)

Clever marketing I hope you fall for.

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Tescos-Finest-Cava-ebook/dp/B004DI7P8K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&s=books&qid=1291134664&sr=8-1

Buy it with some cava--very romantic gesture

S


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

LOVE is what does it, eh? I'm now feeling good about the title of my upcoming book, "Love at Absolute Zero." ( I'll write about it on its own thread as soon as I look for beta readers. It will be published this September--and I like to think of it as "a la Hornby," too.) 

I'm enjoying your book thoroughly, by the way. I had to stop temporarily to teach three books to my college class, including Hornby's "Juliet, Naked." The students definitely were attracted to it for the word "Naked" in the title, and most students enjoyed the book. I didn't find it as rich for teaching as Hornby's earlier "A Long Way Down."

Happy Valentines Day and sales.

--Chris


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

Christopher Meeks said:


> LOVE is what does it, eh? I'm now feeling good about the title of my upcoming book, "Love at Absolute Zero."
> --Chris


let me know where I can read some Chris and keep me up to date with it--thanks for your kind words on mine

got a new cover now which has boosted sales in the UK no end

would like your opinion on it if you get bthe chance

Happy teaching


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

Steve--

Thanks. I'm in the process of switching agents, so I don't know if "Love at Absolute Zero" will go the traditional publishing method or the way of "The Brightest Moon of the Century," which is through direct upload to Amazon Kindle and print versions through Lightning Source. Independent publishing can be satifying, yet as you're disccovering, marketing is a huge challenge, and we're up against traditional publishers who have had years of experience and big budgets in promotion. We're also vying with the hundreds of thousands of new books that appear on Amazon each year through self-publishing.

In fact, to help me sort through this, and to understand better the best pathways of publishing literary novels--which I consider yours, comic novels being a subspecialty--I'm writing an article, titled, "How to Market Your Literary Novel Through Independent Publishing," which I'll include on Kindleboards when it's done.

By the way, when I go onto American Amazon and type the name of your book or "Steve Carter," I don't get your book. In fact, here's the link for your name, and you can see what comes up: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=steve+carter This is to say, you might find out how to get your book on American Amazon, and your sales might increase a lot.

While "Love at Absolute Zero" is done, I'm moving ahead carefully. I'm at the point of test marketing it. If you'd like a Kindle copy, drop me a line at [email protected]

--Chris

Update, I put my article on Kindleboards, but you can also read it in full here: http://www.redroom.com/blog/christopher-meeks/marketing-your-literary-novel-through-independent-publishing


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## Cavaguy (Nov 28, 2010)

Christopher Meeks said:


> Steve--
> 
> By the way, when I go onto American Amazon and type the name of your book or "Steve Carter," I don't get your book. In fact, here's the link for your name, and you can see what comes up: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=steve+carter This is to say, you might find out how to get your book on American Amazon, and your sales might increase a lot.


Just hit no41 in the whole of UK

Hoping it takes off in the US

some hope

Steve


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## Christopher Meeks (Aug 2, 2009)

Steve--

The main thing is to find out HOW to get your book listed in the U.S. Amazon. When I type your name in, your cover doesn't come up. If you're doing so well in the U.K., there's good reason Amazon U.S. would be interested. The problem is, I don't know who you contact in Amazon. 

--Chris


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## svinacour (Sep 24, 2012)

This seems like the perfect thread to also mention my novel. A comedy about relationships from a male perspective.
Never Go Back by Steven Vinacour is available to download from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Never-Go-Back-ebook/dp/B008Z125CM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358179466&sr=8-1


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