My first book, Down to Earth, is seven years old today, it was published 22 February, 2012. My editor, Jo Rosenberg, said she thought the book would sell for a long time and yes, it's still in the book shops and selling well. It helped me get to know so many people I would never have met otherwise and opened up many opportunities. Penguin sent my sales figures yesterday. So far, Down to Earth has sold 23,056 copies.
Just to remind myself how exhausted Hanno and I were, I'm reprinting the itinerary and publicity Penguin arranged for the book launch. Crazy days!
Down to Earth Itinerary and Publicity
PRINT COVERAGE
AUSTRALIAN HOME BEAUTIFUL MAGAZINE NATIONALLY
Extract to appear in May issue
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH NEWSPAPER NSW
THE SUNDAY HERALD SUN NEWSPAPER VIC
THE SUNDAY MAIL NEWSPAPER QLD
THE SUNDAY MAIL NEWSPAPER SA
THE SUNDAY TIMES NEWSPAPER WA
body+soul
AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY STYLE MAGAZINE NATIONALLY
Review to appear in April issue
HOBART MERCURY NEWSPAPER TAS
Interview to appear February 28
INSIDE OUT MAGAZINE NATIONALLY
Review to appear in the March issue
COSMOPOLITAN MAGAZINE NATIONALLY
Review to appear in the April issue
GARDENING AUSTRALIA MAGAZINE NATIONALLY
Review to appear in the April issue
MADISON MAGAZINE NATIONALLY
Review to appear in May issue
SHOP TILL YOU DROP MAGAZINE NATIONALLYl
Review to appear in the April issue
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN
Review to appear in March
FERNWOOD MAGAZINE
Review to appear in April issue
AAP NEWSWIRE
Story to appear 22 February
THE AGE NEWSPAPER VIC
Epicure
Review to appear in February
CANBERRA TIMES NEWSPAPER
Review to appear in March
ORGANIC GARDNER MAGAZINE
Review to appear in May issue
ONLINE
Booktopia
10 Terrifying Questions
Hoopla
Wendy Harmer
Rachel Smith
RealityCheck
PUBLICITY
CHANNEL SEVEN NATIONALLY
Today Tonight
At: Rhonda’s House, Sunshine Coast, Hinterland
12:30pm Vic COMMERCIAL RADIO 89.9 LIGHT FM MELBOURNE
(11:30am Qld) Afternoons
Interviewer: Clayton Bjelan
PRE-RECORD
11:00am AAP NEWSWIRE
Interviewer: Jennifer Ennion
FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY
2GB Chris Smith
2.10pm
3PM
Gleebooks signing
Glebe Point Road, Glebe
MONDAY 27 FEBRUARY
MELBOURNE
2:00pm Vic ABC RADIO GOLD & SUNSHINE COAST FM
(1:00pm QLD) Mornings
PRE-RECORD
3:30pm Vic 891 ABC RADIO ADELAIDE
(3:00pm SA) Afternoons
Interviewer: Sonya Feldhoff
LIVE
9:00am CHANNEL TEN NATIONALLY
Interviewers: Gorgi Coghlan & Yumi Stynes
LIVE
10:00am Arrive for
10:05am 666 ABC RADIO CANBERRA
Mornings Interviewer: Alex Sloan LIVE
11:00am 774 ABC RADIO MELBOURNE
tbc The Conversation Hour Interviewer: Jon Faine
LIVE
5:00pm Vic 720 ABC RADIO PERTH
(2:00pm WST) Afternoons
Interviewer: Gillian O’Shaunessy
LIVE
4:45pm Vic COMMERCIAL RADIO 5AA BRISBANE
(3:45pm SA) Drive
Time tbc Interviewer: Amanda Blair
LIVE
10:00pm Vic 612 ABC RADIO BRISBANE
(9:00pm QLD) Evenings
Interviewer: Peter Gooch
11:00am BOOKSTORE VISIT & STOCK SIGNING
Book City Ballarat
1:00pm BOOKSTORE VISIT & STOCK SIGNING
Stoneman’s Book Castlemaine
2:30pm BOOKSTORE VISIT & STOCK SIGNING
Collins Bendigo
THURSDAY 1 MARCH
ALBURY WODONGA - CANBERRA
9:00am Store visit Albury-Wodonga
12 noon Leave for Canberra
4:00pm Arrive in Canberra
4:30pm Store visit Canberra
Paperchain Canberra
FRIDAY 2 MARCH
WOLLONGONG
Springwood: Turning Page
Blackheath: Gleebooks
WEDNESDAY 14 MARCH
SUNSHINE COAST
6:00pm BOOK EVENT: ROSETTA BOOKS - the Queensland launch
At: 30 Maple Street, Maleny
I think this is Ballarat.
Packing food for the day ahead at the luxurious Olsen Hotel in Melbourne.
Settling into our room at the Olsen. This is the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in.
Lunch on the road.
Meeting Lisa at Ballarat (I think). I'd know Lisa for years but had never met her. There were so many of these first meetings of people I already knew. Hello Lisa!
Being interviewed by Richard Stubbs in Melbourne.
Getting from one place to the next - map, GPS and THE itinerary.
I don't remember a lot about the day-to-day activities but I do remember a day of radio interviews at the ABC building in Melbourne and I remember driving between towns and having to pull over for interviews on the side of the road.
I want to say a special hello to everyone Hanno and I met on that book tour. We were out of our comfort zone and tired most days but so many people came to meet us and brought us home made gifts, it made us feel at home in every town and loved by everyone we met. Thank you. xx
And to everyone who bought Down to Earth, thank you. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
