Claire Fox Quotes

Being a writer can be isolating. It's good to be among readers and booksellers.

When you're an established name, you know that a children's book will have a pretty good chance of getting picked up. Like Madonna. It's not that I had this great idea. Actually, in my case, it was a great idea.

I've never actually even contemplated writing a book or having a book.

What I enjoy about reviewing and writing for newspapers and periodicals is simply the chance to talk about all kinds of books and lots of them.

But I was, and still am, an avid reader and so when I first started I chose to photograph many of the great writers in this country to try and earn a living.

I dreamt of being a writer once I started to read. I started to write 'Bonjour Tristesse' in bistros around the Sorbonne. I finished it, I sent it to editors. It was accepted.

Like most authors, I also love to read.

I'm in the middle of a 25-city book tour, and I like watching what people buy in bookstores. I see people buy books that I strongly suspect they will never read, and as an author, I must tell you, I don't mind this one bit. We buy books aspirationally.

As a writer, I'm always aware of the fact that there are so many books out there.

Writing is a intensely personal activity. I can pen down my best thoughts when I'm alone. But when one is elevated into the stature of an author, you have to think about your books in terms of their business angle.

The idea is to become a best-selling author first and then the rest of my books will be slam dunks.

Any independent bookstore that has managed to survive is the best place to do a reading.

Writers have to be careful not to confuse personal attention with the attention that's going towards the book.

I meet people at book signings. My record now, for signing, is ten and a half hours in one sitting.

The world is crawling with authors touring now. They're like performance artists.

When I wrote about media and technology, I had a lot of lonely, even intimate book talks. Since writing about dogs, I have a lot of company at book signings.

I'm like a unicorn; I'm a midlist writer who hasn't done anything else but write. But because I wasn't amazingly famous, I didn't become Stephanie Meyer, or even a huge literary name like a Jonathan Franzen or a Joshua Ferris.

I've always looked at independent booksellers in a romantic light.

I realized early on that being an author is a hugely misunderstood job. Because there are no pay grades and very little structure, people make interesting assumptions about the profession.

Every writer hopes his or her book will be its own thing.

It's not easy making a living as a writer, and for many years I worked at a Waterstones in Dublin. It was a good environment for an aspiring writer, with lots of events and authors appearing.

When you write a book, you're an expert, and people look at you in a different way.

I love meeting readers and booksellers and am beyond overwhelmed and gratified at the reception. Each day feels like an adventure.

Try to meet as many authors, agents, and editors as you can.

Publishers like their authors to take advantage of publicity opportunities.