Festival town calls writer 'Jilly Cooper of Nairn

by Margaret Chrystall

NAIRN writer Sam Derbyshire’s latest novel features a personal trainer – maybe the next one should feature a life coach.

The writer has recently been ticked off by a friend for not embracing her new status as a writer.

But it sounds as if she is starting to face up to the reality – Sam has two and very possibly three successful novels on her hands.

Sam will appear at a book launch event as part of Nairn Book And Arts Festival on Friday, unveiling her latest book, Trust Me I’m A Personal Trainer.

The book is the third in a series that began with what Stays On Tour and continues with Text Me No Lies.

And Sam’s chosen genre which she describes as “humorous contemporary reads, fast-paced and fun, with characters you can easily identify with”, is picking up good sales on Amazon.

Did we mention that Sam is also masterminding her own publishing – initially also editing and still marketing the books herself too.

For Sam the whole thing began almost by accident.

I was in a writing group in Nairn called The Pen & I which is still going and I just wrote for fun.

“They have a short story competition every year, I entered and won it.

“And Norma Penfold who used to run it said ‘You are going to try writing a novel!’.

“I told her I didn’t have enough patience or time! To me it was a task too far though I had always been interested.

“But I didn’t really know what to write about and then the only thing I knew about at the time was travelling round junior golf competitions. So I thought ‘Why don’t I just make something up about that?’.

“And it is fictional by the way, as my husband will point out!”

Sam said: "When I had finished it I thought it would be a shame not to put it out. I didn’t even bother going to publishers because I thought ‘You know what? They are not taking anything at the moment and it was all celebrity publishing.

"I went to a self-publishing company- that got me started and then everything ticked along quite nicely. Then I got help from Highlands and Islands Enterprise Emergents team and they gave me a little bit of funding to help me get my website up.

"I had some time with an online consultant and that got the website going.

"Then I had to learn about social media to get that going and I just learned about it.

"Without social media I wouldn’t be selling books.

"People want to know everything about you – I’ve got Instagram and Twitter and Facebook and the more personal you make it the moreI find people are interested.

"On Instagram I get more likes if I put a picture of myself on rather than, say, a rainbow! And I do a blog and I sell more books if I put out a blog and put it out through Facebook and Twitter.

"I don’t know if anyone is reading them, but definitely book sales increase. It ticked along quite slowly until four or five months ago when it seemed to just take off. I have no idea why, whether word is getting round, but it is quite exciting - and I keep going."

But Sam has to escape to be happiest writing, she revealed.

"The funny thing I have discovered is I write better when I’m not at home.

"A café, a train or an airport, is better because as a woman at home I feel there are so many things I should be doing.

"For a while I had a hard job prioritising the book.

"Before I didn’t feel I could justify prioritising it when it was just a hobby, but now that it is coming togther, I feel I can."

Writing dialogue is a pleasure of Sam's and she would like to pursue screenwriting too as well as her novels.

"I really like writing dialogue rather than long descriptions and I would maybe like to write drama on TV. That would be something I would be interested in long-term. I think I am an observer and I do like listening to conversations. And I think when I am writing I am imagining I am there.

"I went to Scottish Screenwriters. I really liked it, but actually I think I am more suited to to maybe TV drama than film. With film there is not so much dialogue - you have to cut a lot out and I don’t really like that. I much prefer, drama I think."

Sam is enjoying growing sales, particularly of her e-books, and she revealed that behind her back in the town she is referred to as the ‘Jilly Cooper of Nairn’ – and Sam is an animal-lover like Jilly.

On Sam’s blog she reveals that her new dog Roxy is supporting her new hobby ...

“One day walking Roxy on the beach I thought the sea looked really nice and we now go in every day for a swim.

Now it’s September, Roxy’s a bit more reluctant – I’m giving her a hot shower when we get home – and maybe we will both have to get wetsuits!”

It sunds rather like the germ of an idea for a book in the “humorous contemporary reads, fast-paced and fun, with characters you can easily identify with" category!

Nairn Book And Arts Festival’s Sam Derbyshire book launch is at The Invernairne, Nairn, from 10pm-late on Friday, September 14. Tickets can be reserved by calling: 01667 453476. Find out more about Sam and her books at: www.samderbyshire.org

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