This is a story I've told to a few friends but kept out of general circulation.
But if not now, when?
My first novel, The Housemaid's Daughter, was lucky enough to be widely translated. One of those was into a Mediterranean language. The publisher created a beautiful book with an elegant cover... and a glossy coloured brochure for distribution to bookshops and publicity contacts. Having printed several hundred (thousand?) they sent one to me. Not necessarily for approval, but to show how hard they were working to promote my book. I was impressed: a handsome multi-page foldout, sure to entice.
I glanced at pages 1 and 2 and recognised the translated material from the English edition, and then turned to the back page. There was a small biography of the author that looked familiar (I often use Google translate to be sure), alongside which was the standard author photo. However, in place of me there was a picture of an attractive, forty-ish blonde. Now, those of you who know me will know that I am none of those.
I pondered this for a while. A mistake, surely?
Or a local custom? Perhaps, in certain countries, they prefer to show a picture of the translator rather than the author who sweated to produce the original?!
I called up my agent. She said she would make discreet enquiries.
A day or two later I received a reply.
Such a dreadful mistake! Heartfelt apologies! Mortification! Would I forgive them?
Rest assured that all the existing brochures would be immediately pulped!
The new brochure duly arrived, with my picture correctly appended.
But.... I wondered.
Should I have kept quiet?
Maybe they knew a forty-ish attractive blonde would more shift more copies than me...
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