Forthcoming Atrocities

10. Publishing do

Part One – Pitching

'Roman has several new developments on Raposo. Someone will be looking to take advantage of the current tumult in that market,' Cora told the publisher's head of non-fiction books. 'You'll explain better than I can, Roman,' she threw me the ball.

Nervous that I was just fraudulently borrowing from Declan Cooke's feature plan, I started. 'Well, you're probably aware of the news media picking up on the Raposo legend...'

'Due, in no wee part to Roman's talks and promotional tour,' Cora was trying to inject some adrenalin into my hesitancy.

'But also a social media feeding frenzy around the idea that the world needs Raposo and she's back,' I said, aware how ridiculous that sounded.

The publisher guffawed. 'But that's bullshit, obviously. You can't be proposing to set fire to your academic reputation by endorsing that moonshine, Roman.'

By challenging the credibility of the phenomenon, he had changed it from a pitch, which I was rubbish at, to a debate, which I knew how to do.

'The academic angle is to research for indications of historic Raposo figures. Weirdly that seems to exist. There's stuff we didn't publish in the first Raposo book but I've recently seen evidence that also suggests similar figures appearing in material relating to imminent disasters in pre-Conquistador Mexico –'

'Aztecs,' Cora said.

'...and seventeenth century Quin dynasty China.' I'd read up on the train and made some guesses. 'Of course it can't be the same person but, academically, there's evidence of a basic human need to conjure such a figure at times of impending disaster. A need that seems to transcend religion and cultures.'

'Roman doesn't need to endorse the supernatural element for people to want to believe it, and want to read about it,' said Cora. 'Sometimes it's a case of the weirder the better. Remember crop circles.'

'This new media "she's back" storm becomes a further proof of people's willingness to revert to fantastical beliefs in trying times, coating them in whatever explanation suits their bias: heavenly, spiritual, other worldly,' I dangled a silence.

'So, if people believe Raposo's back,' the publisher looked to have bitten, 'presumably they imagine she's got a new set of doom-laden prophecies?'

I nodded.

'Now that's a book I'd love to publish.'

Part Two – Pick up

Cora was convinced that we had a new book advance. She'd added The Times feature and the possibility of Victor Olsson supporting a Raposo exhibition now seemed a lot more likely when Cora spoke about it.

After we left the table, she dragged me around the floor to introduce me to other rival publishers, 'just to remind him that we have options,' she said.

After a while, though, she parked me with another publisher and worked the room with her other clients. She had someone else she wanted to introduce me to later. My conversations petered out. The penguin suit, Cora's underling had hired for me from measurements I'd given over the phone was proving too tight, which I put down to my vanity, the nearby hotel room block-booked for some guests by the publishers felt an appealing option, if I hadn't promised I'd hang around.

I drifted to the bar for a refill as I needed the prop. I promised myself I'd leave as soon as the DJ started up.

'You must be an author of...' the young woman next to me at the bar said. She gave me a mock-appraising stare, '...of books about whales.'