Me and Mickie James Cover

This week I received the cover for ‘Me and Mickie James’. I was surprised. I was expecting a picture. Instead it is covered in writing, front and back. Also it’s black.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a book covered in writing and I can’t think of many black books.

The last thing Felicity, my agent, asked me for before sending the book out was a blurb. I ran upstairs, grabbed a few books I liked and quickly wrote one. Those are the words that are now all over the cover, in squiggly white letters.

I’ve been looking at it a lot. I printed it off and took it to bed with me. I didn’t actually sleep with it but it was there on the bookshelf next to me. I kept taking out other books and comparing them.

“Yes,” I said, “it’s your cover.”

I held it at a distance.

It looks at a fly-poster for a band. The book title is in yellow and the writing under it is white. It’s like the name of a pop group and then the venues they are performing at underneath. This is a good thing as the book is about a pop group.

Looking at it more closely I like the quirky details. There are astericks in yellow and little pictures. There’s a picture of a toilet and one of St Pancras Station. There’s a boat, and a weapon of mass destruction. This is a good thing too as the book is quirky.

It works I think as it would make someone want to pick the book up. They would want, I think, to know what the writing says. And hopefully then take it to the cash desk and hand over some money.


That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

Well, perhaps. It’s scary that people are investing money in me; designing a cover, editing the manuscript, producing the book.

But for me I would do the writing regardless. This week I’ve been working on The Penguin Variations. It makes eighteen days now that I’ve been going over the first two chapters. I’ve been reading them again and again and again. I look at paragraphs for minutes on end, thinking, ‘is this any good?’, cutting bits, adding bits, for hours and hours.

I think about it when I’m lying in bed, when I’m at work. I feel guilty when I take a day off, which I haven’t, and do anything else.

It’s worth it. Because then I might get to see another nice cover.

You can see the ‘Me and Mickie James’ cover here.

You can join the ‘Me and Mickie James’ Facebook group here.

You can pre-order 'Me and Mickie James' here.

Currently reading - Six Word Stories (read them and vote for your favourite)

Currently listening to - Children of Men soundtrack (fantastic - John Lennon, Jarvis Cocker, Deep Purple, Donovan and so on)