Nothing useful, but everything else, by Catriona

Apart from print and e-books, what other formats have you explored—such as audio books, foreign translations, film rights? Do you have advice for a newbie writer exploring additional income streams from the same book?

This is a great question for indie authors - they'll have useful stuff to say. "Explored" isn't really the word for traditionally published authors like me. It's more like I've sat here at my desk, writing, and some of these things have happened out there in the world of publishing. Or nearly happened. So, with apologies that none of this is ever going to help an author with their career . . .

My first audiobook wasn't a download. It wasn't even a CD. They were on cassette! THE BURRY MAN'S DAY was published on 10 cassettes in something the size of a shoebox. Audio has been intermittent since then. Some are; some aren't.

One thing I am happy about is that all my books come out in large print. It's less universally crucial these days, when readers can increase the font size on their e-readers, but for devotees of paper books large print is great. And they're very expensive so I'm always thrilled when I can hand my author copies over to the local public library.

I've had a random handful of foreign translations: one book in German, one in Turkish, one in Korean etc. The German one was interesting because I've got enough knowledge of the langauge to check out what they did with some knotty bits of Scottish culture. The Turkish edition of THE CHILD GARDEN was notable mostly for having the hands-down worst-ever jacket design pitched at my agent and me. It was so hilariously bad I'm sorry we vetoed it: the eventual choice wasn't good and wasn't funny either.

Film rights? Ahhh, the first time the BBC took an option on the Dandy Gilver series (2012) I was convinced that I'd be hitting the Sunday night telly by the end of the year. The renewed BBC option saw me less sure. The third option (STV drama) was nice but I didn't bother announcing it. Now, I treat film options as little bonuses and expect nothing. (She lied. We writers imagine stuff for a living. Of course I imagine what I'll wear to the BAFTAs if my agent tells me a production company has been in touch! (Molly Goddard, btw.))

One other very specialised format I like is the auctioning off of the first draft, complete with coffee mug ringmarks and scribbled notes. I've helped raise money for trans rights, children's literacy and prison libraries by letting my Anne Lammotty first drafts out in public.

Finally, you know you always ask "Is there anything I  can do?" when a loved one is going through hell - cancer treatment, for instance? I love being able to say "Hey, do you want me to send chapters of the new book that no one else has even had a sniff of, including my agent and editor?" I put an entire short story into Fb messenger a couple of weeks back to offer distraction to a sweet soul in crisis. 

You couldn't do that with a film contract, eh?

Cx