Notebook(blog)

Article - The Ottawa Citizen

My article about the day at the 730 Truck Stop, just outside of Ottawa, appears in the Ottawa Citizen today.

You can read the article here. Or I've included the full text below.

The truck stops here

A Toronto writer takes her debut novel on the road to spark sales, but it's a book tour with a difference

Claire Cameron, The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Sunday, June 17, 2007

When Claire Cameron wrote her first novel about a woman's terrifying, transformational ride with the driver of a line-painting truck after her car breaks down on a lonely northern highway, she decided to take her book on a truck-stop tour and try to sell it to those who play in her story -- truckers. This is her story.

I drive an hour outside of Ottawa and find the 730 Truck Stop at Cardinal. It's a huge, sprawling complex, with rows of 18-wheelers lined up in the lot. I hesitate, unsure where to park, and guide my car between two parallel lines that stretch for at least 10 metres. I get my box of novels out of the trunk and walk toward the truck stop.

A blunt object prods my shoulder. I turn quickly. A trucker with a greasy ponytail is standing behind me, his thick finger still outstretched. "Wrong place," he grunts. I shake my head slightly, "No, I'm supposed to be here ... I'm doing a book signing?" It comes out like a question. Am I invading his turf? "Move ... " he says and jacks his thumb, " ... your car." I'd parked in the lot reserved for trucks.

The 730 Truck Stop is the fourth signing of my book tour and I'm still learning the ropes -- of truck stops, I mean. A real truck stop, one where the truckers sleep, wash and socialize, functions like a clubhouse. An outsider is clearly marked by not knowing the rules, especially if you are a blond, slightly toothy, first-time novelist.

Inside, I set up a table in the atrium outside the restaurant. A trucker walks around the table, looking suspicious. He's wearing a belt buckle the size of two fists. I manage to catch his eye and strike up a conversation, giving him the brief version of the plot of The Line Painter -- a woman is on a road trip when her car breaks down just outside of Hearst, Ont.

The line painter, who is repainting the lines on the roads that night, stops to help. It's the story of her trip of terror and their relationship.

He looks more interested and asks, "True story?"

No, I say and start to explain how I research. His eyes glaze and he sucks his teeth, "I'd like it true ... " He walks away. He doesn't buy a book.

The Saturday before, I'd gone to Ottawa's Rideau Street Chapters store to sign copies. The manager was welcoming and had me sign a stack. When I finished, I wandered over to the new releases section. I saw names like Ian McEwan, Haruki Murakami, Michael Ondaatje and then Claire Cameron. I felt a quick thrill and then doubt -- why would anyone choose my book? Just then, I couldn't think of an answer.

The next person who comes to the table is Doug, a trucker from Calgary who drives for an oil company. Doug buys a book for his niece. He makes it clear he won't read it, but stays to chat. He's friendly and open.

As Doug and I shoot the breeze, two truckers come into the atrium.

"Come buy a book," Doug shouts at them. One puts a hand up and nods, but they keep walking. "Angels," Doug mutters under his breath. "Hell's Angels?" I ask, slightly shocked. He purses his lips to shush me. "Tattoos," he says, "that's how you know." Things suddenly seem more serious.

A few months ago, a national paper reviewed my book. I woke up early and read the review online. I was so nervous I could barely make sense of it. I finished and stood up quickly, knocking a glass of water off the desk. My husband heard the glass hit the floor and rushed into the room. I told him about the review.

"Is it a good?" It was, but at the time I couldn't answer. He walked over to comfort me, stepping in the water as he did. His nose wrinkled. "Is it that bad -- you peed your pants?"

Doris Ross walks up. She doesn't look like a trucker. She isn't.

"I couldn't believe my ears," she says of hearing on the CBC that I would be at the truck stop near her house. Doris is the first person who has come to one of my signings on purpose.

I thank her, perhaps a bit too much. We talk about her flying lessons and fear. After a while, she turns to leave.

"I still have no idea what you're doing here," she says, waving. We both start to laugh.

The Sunday before the signing I was interviewed on CBC Radio. Jeff Goodes, the host, asked the obvious, "Why truck stops?"

I explained that my book is partly set in one and it's getting attention. He said that didn't quite wash, I'd only do one or two signings if it were purely promotional. After talking a bit more, Jeff delivered his own verdict: "I think you're getting a kick out of this."

A few people have asked if it was worth doing a book signing at the 730 Truck Stop. I sold four books, so probably not from a sales perspective. But, at this point, I don't believe anything I do is all that productive. It's up to the readers and the book -- not me. The best I can do is collect ideas for my next story. For that, there may be no place better.

Claire Cameron lives in Toronto. Visit her website at www.claire-cameron.com

THE BOOK
The Line Painter
By Claire Cameron
HarperCollins, $17.95

 

Article - Truck stop tour in the National Post

My piece on my truck stop tour is in the National Post today. The full article is here, or see the full text below.

My reports (with photos) from individual stops on the tour are here:

Bradford Truck Stop

Pickering Truck Stop

Mississauga Truck Stop

St. Catharines Truck Stop

A writer hits the road to sell her novel at truck stops

Claire Cameron, Weekend Post                   

Published: Saturday, June 09, 2007

He swaggered toward me, his eyes barely visible through swollen pink rims, his sleeves rolled up to reveal a withered tattoo. He'd driven for a week solid, from Kelowna to Toronto via Los Angeles and Amarillo. He'd managed only an hour of sleep since pulling up to the truck stop.

"Your book?" he grunted and picked up a copy of The Line Painter from the table. I nodded and told him the plot in 28 words, as I've learned to do. He gave me the once over and asked, "True story?" I explained it was fiction and started to describe how my experience is just a starting point for my writing. After a minute he twitched, bored, and interrupted with his verdict. "Better if it was."

I've heard that a book is published somewhere in the world every 30 seconds. My first novel joined the fray on April 7. A bookstore owner shrugged, a festival dithered, a magazine said maybe. Since the story is set partly in a Husky Truck Stop in Hearst, Ont., I wondered if the truck stops would have me?

They said yes. In fact, they welcomed me.

Last month, I held book signings at five truck stops in Southern Ontario. When I arrived at the Pickering Husky Truck Stop, the manager was helpful: "Maybe you should go somewhere where there are more people?"

I said no and insisted I wanted to sign books there. He pronounced each syllable of his reply slowly and clearly: "There are only truckers here." I think he felt sorry for me.

What I was unsuccessful in explaining to the manager, and a few others along the way, was that the truck stops gave me a chance to talk about the themes in my novel. The story is about a woman who takes off on a road trip across Canada. Her car breaks down outside of Hearst on Highway 11. The line painter who is repainting the lines on the highway that night, stops to help. It's the story of their relationship. I wanted to counter the myth about road trips and life on the road, that if you drive far enough away you can outrun your problems. It's not the case for the characters in my novel, nor did it seem to be for most of the truckers I met.

At the truck stop in St. Catharines, the manager pointed me to a table, to the left of the rack of potato chips and to the right of the Lotto machine. I set up, propping my book on a stand, and sat down. Needing something to do with my hands, I got a cup of coffee in the hope that drinking the communal brew might make me seem more accessible. I sat back down and waited, feeling uneasy. A few truckers were eating by themselves. One turned his head slightly, just enough to clock me. Nothing.

Being ignored is the fear of every first-time novelist, or it's mine anyway. It's a real possibility. Soon after my novel was published, I realized there was little more I could do. It's up to the book and the readers, not me. This isn't to say I haven't been busy. I've talked, interviewed, blogged: all the things a writer is supposed to do. My publisher, HarperCollins, has pushed, marketed and publicized with incredible conviction. But what makes a book sell? Most people buy a novel because a friend recommends it. There are exceptions, but not many. How much influence do I have over what your friends read?

In the Husky Truck Stop outside of Kingston, I sat for about an hour before a trucker came over. He bought a book for "the wife," Bertha, which I inscribed. He was from New Brunswick and drove during the week, getting home for the weekends. This is considered an easy schedule. His eye contact was intense, and I found myself unrolling the rim of my paper coffee cup, just to break the stare. He watched for a minute, then stabbed a rough finger in the direction of the cup, "You drink that stuff?"

I met other truckers during my book tour, such as Gary, who wandered around the Mississauga Husky Truck Stop wearing slippers. I noticed him shuffling

up to the pinball machine. He explained he has to wear steel-toe boots when dropping off a load at a warehouse. They are torture on his bunions. Al, who drives with his dog, Spike, in his cab, told me he was looking forward to the Styx concert at the casino on Friday. We talked about music and I couldn't convince him that downloading songs can be legal. A man named George said he regretted the years he partied. He's had to work harder late in life. "There are days my knees are so sore," he said, looking down. Luke taught me the difference between a truck driver, or "steering-wheel holder," as he calls them, and a trucker. A truck driver is a hired gun. Being a trucker is about a lifestyle, the life of a gypsy.

Over the course of the five signings, I sold 22 books. Many, like Bertha's, were gifts for loved ones at home. Some truckers bought the book for themselves. George and Luke, revealing their kindness, told me that a signed first edition might be worth something one day.

Of all the things I've done to promote my book, sitting in truck stops was one of the most productive. Not, perhaps, from a sales point of view, but for the experience of watching, listening and talking. It's like fuel for a writer. And please, if your friend Bertha from New Brunswick recommends The Line Painter, I hope you'll take her word for it.

Exclusive - Results of truck stop survey

Earlier this week I signed books at the 730 Truck Stop just outside of Ottawa and Kingston. I am writing about my adventures for a various publications, so I am going to hold on the specifics. However, I am releasing an exclusive today.

Here are the results of the survey I conducted while being ignored in both truck stops.

Hypothesis: The bigger the belly on a trucker, the bigger the belt buckle
Sample size: 43

My results are as follows (click on the graph to make it bigger):

My results don't suggest much of anything, other than a slight tendency for guys with flat stomachs to steer clear of the big buckles.

I think I know where I went wrong. I formed my hypothesis after seeing a spectacular example of a big buckle proudly shining out from under a monster belly.

I got carried away with an exception. I bet I'm not the first.

Report - Husky Truck Stop, Bradford

This is George and Luke.

I met them at the Husky Truck stop in Bradford, ON on Wednesday, where I had a book signing.

I admit that George and I staged this next photo. I asked him to look interested in my book and he put his glasses to appear more intellectual. This is typical of the sort of symbiotic relationship I've developed with the truckers.

Tally:

- Books sold = 3
- Cokes = 2
- Cuss words learned = 2
- Good conversations = 5

Bradford was the 4th truck stop where I've held a book signing. The previous reports from the Husky Truck  Stops in St. Catharines, Mississauga and Pickering are here.

Article - St. Catharines Standard

This article, about my trip to the St. Catharines Husky Truck Stop, appeared in the St. Catharines Standard last week.

Author pulls out all the stops to find readers for her book; Promotional tour brings rookie novelist to truck stop in NOTL 

      

PETER DOWNS
For: www.stcatharinesstandard.ca

       

- Tuesday, April 24, 2007 @ 01:00

It's the kind of place where you can buy a hot plate of bacon and eggs any time of day or night, any day of the week. 

You can also be guaranteed they'll never run out of strong, steaming hot coffee - regular coffee that's poured from a glass pot, not that milky latte stuff some places pass off as coffee.

And it's decidedly not the kind of place you'd expect to find an author, selling copies of her novel to readers. 

But there sat Claire Cameron at the Husky Truck Stop off the QEW in Niagara-on-the-Lake Monday afternoon. 

The Toronto-born author wanted to give truckers taking a break at the roadside diner a different reason than an all-day breakfast to keep their eyes open.

Just inside the front door of the truck stop's restaurant - beneath a window advertising "Daily Homestyle Specials" - Cameron sat at a little table with copies of her first novel, The Line Painter, ready to be signed. 

Because some of the suspense story's action takes place at a Husky station in the northern Ontario town of Hearst, Cameron and her publicist thought it made sense to promote the book at other Husky stops. 

After her signing in Niagara Monday, Cameron will make similar appearances at Husky locations in Mississauga today and Pickering Wednesday. 

"As a writer starting out, I think you just try to spread your book as widely as you can," said Cameron, 34. "Every book that's out there, you have a better chance of people speaking about it." 

The Line Painter, published this month by Harper Collins Canada Ltd., tells the story of a woman who flees her life in Toronto. Her car breaks down in the dead of night on a deserted stretch of highway between Hearst - where Cameron previously worked summers planting trees - and Kapuskasing. 

The story centres on the relationship that develops between the woman and the highway line painter who rescues her from the side of the road.

"It's kind of a road trip tale with a twist,"   Cameron said. 

Cameron said she first fell for the symbolism of painting crisp highway lines when she was stuck behind a painting truck on a cross-Canada drive.

She initially tried to use the imagery in a song, but it fell flat. "I'm not very good at guitar and I'm a terrible singer, so I had a terrible song about a line painter," she said. 

But she couldn't shake the image. 

Four years after she began writing a story about a line painter, her first novel is on the shelves of bookstores. 

"I'm better at typing than I am at the guitar so it worked out," Cameron said. 

And so did her truck stop book signing. 

Trucker Joe Goicoechea pulled over at the York Road Husky in Niagara-on-the-Lake to get out of the rain Monday and left with a signed copy of Cameron's novel in his hands. 

"I can sit in the hot tub at home and read it," he said as he left the restaurant. 

Staff at the truck stop were pleased to help out with the book promotion, said Tracy Palleschi, a manager at the location. "We wanted to show the different sides there are to us," she said.

 

Report - Husky Truck Stop, Pickering

The Pickering Husky was the third stop on my tour.

My book signings always seem to start in a similar way. Here is the scene as it happened in Pickering:

1. The excruciating first half hour
Every woman is an island when she arrives at a truck stop with a pile of books.

Alex, the manager, gives me a weary look and points me over to a table, across from the canteen, to the right of the arcade and to the left of the toilets. I get my books set up. I sit. A few guys are eating, each at their own table. One turns his head slightly, just enough to clock me.

Nothing.

2. The ice breaker
One of the guys takes pity and pulls up a chair. He's from New Brunswick and drives all week, getting home for the weekends. This is considered an easier schedule, one that lets you spend some time with your kids. He owns his truck, but owes a lot. His eye contact is intense and I find myself picking non-existent lint off my jeans, just to break the stare.   

3. The doctor is 'in'
The first guy leaves the chair in front of my table. This seems to leave a cue for the others. Another guy comes over about 5 minutes later and has a seat. He moved to Canada for a woman and broke up with her shortly after. The weather makes his bones ache, but his kids are here.  He talks me through the audio system in his cab. He doesn't think about much when he drives.

Tally:

- Books sold = 3
- Cups of coffee = 1.5 (stomach lining thinner)
- Broken marriages discussed = 3
- Good conversations = 6

The Pickering Husky was a very trucky-truck stop, but they also have a softer side. The third picture down shows the decorative touch in the women's washroom. It smelled good too.

Thank you to Alex (pictured above) and the crew at the Pickering Husky. I think they weren't too sure of me at first, but really warmed up after a while.

Report - Husky Truck Stop, Mississauga

Day 2 of my Truck Stop book signing tour and the footwear patterns have stabilized. The slippers I spotted yesterday were, it seems, an anomaly.

Trucker's choice of footwear can be summarized as follows:

It was a slower day on the sales front, the strong consensus being that my book would be more interesting if it were true.

Tally:

- Books sold = 2
- Cups of coffee = 1
- Times I was called a hustler = 1
- Good conversations = 4 (quality was high)

A specials thanks to Ron (pictured above) and his crew. There are kind people at the Mississauga Husky.

Next stop is Wednesday, 25 April: Pickering Husky Truck Stop, Hwy 401 & Brock Rd., Exit 5296 from 2-4pm

Report - Husky Truck Stop, St. Catharines

Some truckers read in their downtime. When you are driving all day, it's nice to stop and talk. Choice of footwear is confusing me, truckers seem to wear everything from slippers to sports sandals to hiking boots.

Tally:

- Books sold = 6
- Cups of coffee = 2
- Good conversations = 8

Thank you to Tracy & Sue Palleschi (pictured above) and their father Ray for having me. And to Mike for the homemade burger.

Today I am going to the Mississauga Husky @ 6625 Kennedy Rd. See you there!