News from Manhattan

I went into NYC today. Back in the day, going to Manhattan seemed such a big deal to me. There was so much to discover there: music, food, clothes, magazines, books. So many things you couldn't find anywhere else. I remember I used to see King Britt at Market East taking the R7 train from Philly up to New York to shop for clothes and records; this was back when we were both in our teens. King was always a cool dude, but the fact that he would go up on his lonesome to the big city just blew me away.

Now, with the internet and the rise of the big boxes, it's not like that anymore. While the rural areas are suddenly more livible, the downside is that our cities have lost their monopoly on the world's treasures. Walking around town, I was struck by that, depressed by it too. But then I remembered one thing they have that you can't find anywhere else: all those people. Where else can you walk around and watch so many different kinds of human beings? When I figured that out, it put me back.

The reason for my trip was largely to meet with the publicity folks at Bloomsbury to discuss their promotional plan for Great Negro Plot. To be honest, I was surprised that there was one: I was expecting them to just flick it out there and see if it floats. I was pleasantly surprised that they were investing more than that. They even had a galley made up of the thing, much to my surprise. (A galley is a soft cover version of the uncorrected manuscript printed cheaply for the purpose of print reviews, bookstore buyer sales and blurbs.) I don't know why all this should surprise me, but it did.

I sold my first novel to Bloomsbury eight years ago. I remember walking to their office in the Flat Iron Building, elated because it seemed my dreams were about to come true. That it was in this historic NYC landmark just made my years of New York starvation more poetic. When I arrived at the actual office, I found it to be a dirty-ass, dusty mess that looked like it had been empty for years. The main room had some Apple IIe computers forgotten in one corner and a dead hibiscus plant in the other.

For a second, I thought it was a scam. But Karen Rinaldi, the editor, was real, and she liked the same things about Drop that I did, so I went with her. Later that week, there was a generous offer from another house for $15,000 more, but I had a good feeling about this upstart British press built on Harry Potter money, so I gave my book to Karen and the two other employees that comprised Bloomsbury USA.

Today, the Bloomsbury I visited takes up three floors in the building and has 80 employees. And me? I've sold at least 80 books. Thank god they don't ask for the advance money back.

Sincerely,

Mat Johnson
www.niggerati.com