Travel, and dropping the email portcullis

From: Christine

I couldn't get to Porter Square [Boston], unfortunately. I would, however, love to have more east coast opportunities to see you read. From, say, NY eastward. I figure if 100 readers send you a similar message this week, it might impact your itinerary, so I'm pitching in my two cents on the matter. 

I've had many variations on this AN question. I'll answer specifically and then generally.

Right now, no, even a thousand emails would have no impact on my itinerary: I'm not travelling again for a while. In 2015 I'll be in Boston in July (I'm Guest of Honour at Readercon), in August I'll be in Spokane (for Worldcon) and in October I hope to be in the UK (for family stuff). And that, I hope, is it. I've already cancelled a couple of things I had tentatively agreed to, because all I want to do is stay at home and write.

I've talked elsewhere about the odd mental bifurcation required of a writer when trying to mix writing and publicity (see Branding: It Burns). I love talking to readers—but it gets in the way of doing the actual work that they want to talk to me about. Which is why I'm dropping the email portcullis and raising the communication drawbridge for a while. Actually, the email portcullis came down a week ago, and I'm dealing with zero email until January 12. After that, I'll be judicious.

In the event I decide to travel in support of Hild II, I might consider polling readers about places to go. But right now, I'm seriously considering not travelling for Hild II but just moving straight on to Hild III—and then doing a blowout tour. But that won't be for a while.

Meanwhile, if any organisation wants me enough to take that on (I talk elsewhere about what I need to travel), I generally plan a year or so ahead. In other words, look at 2016 at the earliest.

This blog has moved. My blog now lives here: http://nicolagriffith.com/blog/