SnowBlog
31 May 2008: Rizwaan Sabir
Continue reading "Rizwaan Sabir" »
posted on May 31, 2008 11:50 AM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
31 May 2008: Bibliotastic
I can't think why I haven't mentioned this before, but my ace pal Jenn has been busy reinventing bits of the world again and has set up a website with a fellow librarian so that they can throw open their collaborative novel to the world. It's here and it's called 'Sh'. Check the sidebar to see how to contribute and who's been doing the spade-work up 'til now. And remember to lead inventive lives, like Jenn and her friends.
That picture, by the way, is only there because it happens to show a very interesting Life After People kind of library. It's by someone called Lori Nix. Click on it once to see a larger version. Click on that to go to the artist's website (albeit in an annoyingly small window). So here's the direct link too.
posted on May 31, 2008 11:15 AM | link | Comments (3) | Leave a comment
31 May 2008: The unlabelled years
I've griped about this before, but what is this decade called? And the next one? Consider the appalling filler TV shows I Love The Eighties and I Love The Nineties. What's next in that series? How can this decade be mostly done with and it's still not been classified? I think I've finally made my own choices for decade names, though. This decade I shall call the 'Two Thousands'. The 's' on the end is important there. And for the next decade I shall adopt the semi-popular label the 'twenty-teens'. There. Settled. Everyone else please follow my lead. Or, do I prefer 'twenty-tens' instead? Damn.
posted on May 31, 2008 10:15 AM | link | Comments (4) | Leave a comment
30 May 2008: Most Shiny
Last time I bought a really small laptop it was about four years ago and it cost nearly £2000. That seems an unimaginable amount to spend now, not just because I'm poorer these days. Last week I bought the smallest and most beautiful laptop I've ever owned, and it cost £300 (ex. VAT.). It's got a keyboard that's over 90% of full-sized, so I can touch-type without a hitch. In fact it's probably the silkiest keyboard I've ever used. It's got a bright and beady little display that crams some ridiculous resolution onto its 9" screen. Not so good if you struggle with small print, but great if you're me.
Continue reading "Most Shiny" »
posted on May 30, 2008 05:14 PM | link | Comments (7) | Leave a comment
30 May 2008: Counterbalance
Although I no longer have any standing water in my house, it's still not as easy to get excited about things today as it sometimes is. And what with the recent posts about Life After People and the shortsighted desire to keep the fossil fuel taps wide open it's easy to let an element of wistfulness creep into one's vibe. Looking at the picture to the left helps a little (click it for a decent-sized version). A nice shiny gadget. Taking a picture of itself on another planet. Another planet. It's NASA's Image of the Day. Thanks, NASA. Assuming you're not investigating Mars because you want to strip mine it or bomb it or something, then I can happily bask in the nobility of your pioneering spirit.
posted on May 30, 2008 12:46 PM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
30 May 2008: What a difference
I have just finished typesetting a particular four colour fully illustrated book that has taken a full month of working time, spread over 6 months. The author doesn't have a computer and - and I honestly thought this breed had died out - is proud of the fact. I think that explains in large part why it's been such an eye-wateringly difficult project. In truth, I'm glad to see the back of it.
I've moved on immediately to the next project - another four colour book. The author has delivered the manuscript in a Word document, and has used paragraph and character styles. He's used consistent notation to mark where images should go. I reckon I'll have the basic layout done by this afternoon, ready for the (clearly labelled and catalogued) images to drop in.
Guess which book I'm going to do a better job of marketing? The one I can't bear to look at any more or the one whose author has made it a joy to work on? Prospective authors: making other people's lives easier matters.
posted on May 30, 2008 11:04 AM | link | Comments (6) | Leave a comment
29 May 2008: Metrics
In my State of the Union post, #1000, I provided some of Snowbooks' key performance metrics. Here they are again if you missed them:
• Average Sale per unit £2.26
• Average margin per unit £0.88
• Returns: 20%
• Stock value: £35k
• Sales/print multiple: 1.9x
An anonymous commenter from a business books publisher provided their metrics too:
• Average Sale per unit £11.17
• Average margin per unit £5.22.
• Returns: 6%
• Stock value: £48k
• Sales/print multiple: 2.32x
Which is utterly fascinating. Please, do post your own here, anonymously is fine (use my email address when you're posting your comment if you like - emma at snowbooks.com.) I think this would be really useful for people to see, and might provide us all with some useful insight.
I've provided more info on how to calculate these numbers below the cut.
posted on May 29, 2008 02:40 PM | link | Comments (0) | Leave a comment
29 May 2008: The 2000th Snowblog commenter is...
...KatharineC! Who, it should be noted, won the 1000th commenter prize, too. That shows dedication and grit.
Kat, drop me a line with your chosen book and I'll pop it in the post!
posted on May 29, 2008 12:52 PM | link | Comments (4) | Leave a comment
29 May 2008: Our real priorities
I sort of feel this flap over fuel prices exposes our real state of preparedness - both mentally and in practical terms - when it comes to averting climate change. Of course, we're going to wean ourselves off fossil fuels in time to avert a global catastrophe. Bio-engineering technologies will save us. And Britain's green revolution is underway. Just don't for a second threaten our ability to burn at least as much fossil fuel as we did last year. Any risk of us having to use less petrol and suddenly it's pleading and threats to OPEC and talk of cutting fuel duties. I understand that people are suffering, but we knew this was coming. Is the plan really to save our civilisation by using up all the fossil fuel as quickly as possible?
posted on May 29, 2008 06:50 AM | link | Comments (2) | Leave a comment
28 May 2008: glubglub
my front garden
Pesky climate. It's been raining for most of the last week. It's really hit a kind of determined, marathon form of precipitation that just keeps steadily dumping water from the sky. Four or five hours back puddles and pools started to form in my garden. A couple of hours ago, the dip outside my front door filled up and the water started to well up inside my house. Like it did last summer... for the first time anyone could remember (and it's an old building). I did what I did last time - which apparently you're not really allowed to do - which is to pop the inspection hatch on the sewer and set up some lengths of hosepipe to siphon water out of the little lagoon in front of my house and into the drains. The yicky part is sucking on the hosepipe to get the water flowing. It's bad enough sucking up rainwater (and that's really all it is), but this time there was a dead mouse floating in the puddle - half de-composed - where next door's cat had left it. So I've been gargling with dead mouse water. Anyone fancy a snog?
posted on May 28, 2008 05:11 PM | link | Comments (4) | Leave a comment
28 May 2008: Paris Immortal: first chapter
We're dead chuffed with Paris Immortal, and it's getting good reviews too. Here's the first chapter to whet your appetite.
posted on May 28, 2008 01:34 PM | link | Comments (4) | Leave a comment
28 May 2008: Comment 2000
Having just posted Post 1000, very soon we're coming up to Comment 2000. A Snowbook of your choice to the lucky commenter - I'll let you know who and when!
posted on May 28, 2008 01:32 PM | link | Comments (0) | Leave a comment
28 May 2008: Snowcase #...
or thereabouts
...er, I can't remember which number we're at. Let's say 50. [Rob's comment: 43, Em. It's 43.]
//update, 14th Jul 08 - the author has request that Low Tide, Lunan Bay be removed from the SnowCase as it's now being published and she's worried that her publishers might object. Sorry about that. For reference, all SnowCase submissions are lsited on the assumption that they're displayed permanently.//
posted on May 28, 2008 09:25 AM | link | Comments (0) | Leave a comment
28 May 2008: Post 1000 - State of the Union
Hey, it's SnowBlog post 1000! Whoop!
For post 500, I wrote about the genesis of Snowbooks. This time, here's a State of the Union - a full update on how things are going. Warning - mammoth post with many tangents. Get a nice big cup of coffee first.
Continue reading "Post 1000 - State of the Union" »
posted on May 28, 2008 07:25 AM | link | Comments (5) | Leave a comment
27 May 2008: Battling misanthropy
It's not easy. Read the newspaper and it's full of the bad, bad things humans get up to. Then watch a program like Life After People and it's difficult not to feel like the world would be a very agreeable place without humans: clean seas teeming with life; cities overgrown, the skyscrapers cracked and open, full of birds, vines wrapping everything, trees growing through the concrete, the air fresh and smelling of plant life. The program was a History Channel special and I missed it while I was in the States. Fortunately it popped up here on Channel Four last night and will be shown again on the History Channel on the 28th and 29th of June. The tone is one of tragedy: all of mankind's works fading and crumbling. But I couldn't help finding it optimistic. I really must focus more on the positive. Remind me again: what's good about there being six billion of us?
posted on May 27, 2008 01:02 PM | link | Comments (5) | Leave a comment
27 May 2008: My new house
Some images from our new house - mainly the outside bits - which we got the keys to at the weekend and move into mid-June.
Front door:
Continue reading "My new house" »
posted on May 27, 2008 09:49 AM | link | Comments (8) | Leave a comment
26 May 2008: Little Brother Book Review
Time to air some of my preconceptions. I think of most SnowBlog readers as being more sophisticated about literature than I am. You listen to more Radio 4 (in the evenings sometimes!) and you like more classical music than I do; you probably have complex opinions about the Dutch School and the Arts & Crafts movement. You can reel off the names of the Bloomsbury set but struggle with the cast of Eastenders. You'd have plenty to say when comparing the merits of Eliot and Dickens, and there are Booker prize winners that you genuinely enjoyed reading, no pretense or lying required. And none of you can write a decent computer program or see why you'd want to. Silly and fanciful stereotypes I know, but if I'm right, then you probably won't like Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow. But I loved it.
Continue reading "Little Brother Book Review" »
posted on May 26, 2008 08:01 AM | link | Comments (12) | Leave a comment
25 May 2008: People like their favourite authors
I imagine there are some highly sophisticated people out there who despise their favourite authors. They probably wouldn't use the term 'favourite' in fact. They might say that some of the work that they find most stimulating and intellectually satisfying is created by human beings who are not intrinsically likable and who might not be especially deserving of praise in other areas of their lives. But I suspect that's a minority attitude. My suspicion is that most people see their favourite authors a little like they see their favourite bands: as well as appreciation, there's a good helping of affection and a hint of awe in there too. It makes me wonder if authors who relied on voluntary donations would thrive or starve. I imagine Cory Doctorow thinks about that too. He has a new book out and it's available in shops... and online for free.
Continue reading "People like their favourite authors" »
posted on May 25, 2008 09:23 AM | link | Comments (2) | Leave a comment
25 May 2008: Pre-emptive fun
Joss Whedon created the TV shows Buffy, Angel and Firefly. Firefly was cancelled after a few weeks and has done fabulously, unbelievably well ever since on DVD. It was popular enough, despite being cancelled after half a dozen episodes, to warrant a movie sequel: the critically acclaimed Serenity.
Joss Whedon has a new series in the works: Dollhouse. In my snarky way, I made these predictions for its roll-out. It seems l'm not the only one who thinks this way. There's already a campaign to stop Dollhouse being cancelled. It won't be on TV for another eight months, but fans are fed up with good shows being pulled and they intend to begin campaigning for it to be saved long before some moronic TV exec has the bright idea of terminating another piece of original and enduring television. I love that idea. It amuses and encourages me.
posted on May 25, 2008 08:03 AM | link | Comments (0) | Leave a comment
25 May 2008: Like Bookbackers, but more musical
Check out slicethepie.com for a musical - and live - version of Bookbackers.
posted on May 25, 2008 07:04 AM | link | Comments (0) | Leave a comment
22 May 2008: TFP update
laudably humile
There are two new items on this - the first is written by one Mr S Pack, which makes a lot of sense, and the second is a fascinating and insightful feature in the Bookseller. Very interesting. You'll be glad to hear that I designed the cover of their first new book, The State of Me, which I've recently sent the layered artwork and fonts over for, so no doubt Harper Collins will be calling me soon to arrange to pay for it, as I've requested. Annny day now.
posted on May 22, 2008 02:07 PM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
21 May 2008: Alt.url
If you don't have the snowblog bookmarked, and if typing in snowbooks.com/weblog is a pain, then you can also go to www.thesnowblog.co.uk which will direct you to this page. Just a little thing.
posted on May 21, 2008 10:47 AM | link | Comments (0) | Leave a comment
21 May 2008: Secrets of Getting Through Things
I've just written, and deleted, a long, self-absorbed, pathetic post about how poor I am and how I wish Snowbooks would make more money and how it's not fair that we have to work so hard for so little financial reward. I deleted it because it did its job - it made me realise that I was wallowing and not noticing all the excellent things I have. Writing is very good like that. It's a good tool to use in managing my temperament - one of the big Secrets of Getting Through Things.
Continue reading "Secrets of Getting Through Things" »
posted on May 21, 2008 06:49 AM | link | Comments (7) | Leave a comment
20 May 2008: End of the day
And no magic email from Cactus TV saying we've been selected for Richard and Judy's Summer Reads (today was the day by when they tell publishers). Of course, you know it's never going to happen but there's still a tiny part of you that thinks 'just maybe...'. But no. Sorry, authors.
posted on May 20, 2008 05:45 PM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
20 May 2008: Sacrilicious
I try not to just copy things off of BoingBoing and say 'Look! I discovered something!'. Mr. Doctorow might have picked this story up, but I think I would have got their own my own soon enough, because this relates to Russell M. Davies (he of the Eggs, Bacon, Chips and Beans wonder-tome, not he of the sputtering Who franchise (if that makes any sense)) and he's someone I've already blogged about and swapped comments with. Look at what he's done to his MacBook Pro. That's it there. The thing you think is a blackboard. I bet that splits you right down the middle, blog audience, doesn't it. Click on the thumbnail to see what an unvandalised/unenhanced version looks like. Here are his thoughts on the subject.
posted on May 20, 2008 04:47 PM | link | Comments (2) | Leave a comment
20 May 2008: Flavour
also good for finding submarines
Big day, yesterday - Andy and I went to the hospital in London to have our 20 week scan. And we found out the sex! It's a...
posted on May 20, 2008 07:31 AM | link | Comments (7) | Leave a comment
19 May 2008: Tingly
So, how often are you reading a rather dense book - albeit a supposedly non-technical one - about developmental psychology & neuroanatomy and you come across something which sends a shiver down your spine? Em recently read a book about how babies' brains develop and what role interaction plays. It's called Why Love Matters - how affection shapes a baby's brain, and it's by Sue Gerhardt. I suspect Em found it interesting from a practical point of view, whereas I think she probably passed it over to me for a more abstract appreciation of its themes.
posted on May 19, 2008 12:54 PM | link | Comments (3) | Leave a comment
18 May 2008: Weekend review
Phew. Thank goodness. An episode of Doctor Who that didn't make me feel weary and frustrated. All really rather silly, but original, thank goodness. I've really felt the quality of Who slipping even further this season with the previous two stories so fumbling their denouements (ooh, matron) that I'm still not exactly sure what happened. [There be spoilers ahead, yarrr!]
Continue reading "Weekend review" »
posted on May 18, 2008 05:42 PM | link | Comments (9) | Leave a comment
17 May 2008: Guardian mention
Joel Rickett mentions Rob's Bookbackers idea - one that is 'promising', in his view - in the Guardian Review today, as well as a round up of the Nibbies, in which we're not mentioned but hey ho. Just thought I'd let you know.
posted on May 17, 2008 12:32 PM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
17 May 2008: Did I mention?
We won a Nibbie! OH MY GOD!
posted on May 17, 2008 10:47 AM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
16 May 2008: Nibbie pics
Lovely Mostly Books picked up the Nibbie for best new indie bookshop this week, and have a very thorough and professional write up of the night on their blog, complete with pictures including one of my staring at my toes as I accepted our XSL award. Read it here and pass on your congrats whilst you're there as they, along with Mr B's who got best indie, are very worthy winners.
posted on May 16, 2008 04:08 PM | link | Comments (0) | Leave a comment
16 May 2008: Oil touts
Here's an idea: buy up oil as soon as it becomes available and then sell it to other people at a profit. Sounds a bit farfetched, doesn't it. We're used to the idea of investment bubbles in most areas: bubbles being caused when buying and selling become more about profit than use. Which is to say, when people buy a house or a ton or copper not because they plan to use it, but because they plan to sell it again at an opportune moment. But somehow you don't expect people to do that with oil. You get the impression that it will be used up as quickly as it's available. But the ever excellent Jon Taplin, whose blog I find distinctly more-ish, sees just such a speculative environment. I'm glad to have stumbled upon his explanation, because the record profits of oil companies have had me baffled for a while. Usually, when the cost of your raw materials go up, your profits are squeezed. But not if the price rise is down to stockpiling and tactical selling. See here and here for more.
And if you're interested in such things, read his excellent thoughts (which coincidentally mirror my own) about a catastrophic Republican meltdown in the offing here.
posted on May 16, 2008 01:14 PM | link | Comments (2) | Leave a comment
16 May 2008: How split personalities begin
There's a little piece in the latest Bookseller sort of written by me. I wrote the first draft, but it's changed a bit since then. Something like that always seems to happen and it's a weird thing being rewritten. I like to think that with a clear brief I'm not a bad writer. I wrote a book about retail strategy a while back and the global head of McKinsey was very complimentary about it. Stuart Rose (boss of M&S) liked it enough to give a quote for the cover. I've also had some success with fiction. I think you could find my novels without too much trouble in most European countries (including this one). So all in all, I don't tend to feel like I need someone to step in and fix my prose for me. A hint or two is all I need. So if you happen to see the article and you wonder why, instead of ridiculing phrases like 'Publishers often engage with questions of finance...' or 'The clarity this affords is paramount;' I seem to suddenly be embracing that sort of corporate silly-speak, the answer is that my words were given a smart new suit of clothes and a haircut after I finished with them.
Continue reading "How split personalities begin" »
posted on May 16, 2008 11:27 AM | link | Comments (2) | Leave a comment
16 May 2008: Kleine Buch
OK. I don't speak German, so I don't really know what that means. I just thought it might mean 'little book'. Note to self: bilingual puns are tricky if you don't speak the language. Anyway, the little book in question is the paperback edition of Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine which is now out in affordable and portable paperback. It's a love story set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, told through the eyes of one of Marie Antoinette's ladies-in-waiting. Well, not really. I just thought if I said that people would be more likely to read it. It's really about less romantic things like how the world works. People insist on democracy, so if you want to start wars or steal billions you have to do it subtly. This book is about exactly how that sort of thing happens right under our noses. And when I become Emperor, I'll put it on the school syllabus and give tests afterward to make sure everyone reads it. Here are links for the Book Depository and Amazon (just in case you're tempted).
I'm thinking of buying a ticket for the London launch of the paperback on Monday. Anyone want to come with me?
posted on May 16, 2008 10:46 AM | link | Comments (3) | Leave a comment
15 May 2008: Making things
Emma Barnes in action
Much of last Sunday was spent musing about how I was going to make my new bullwhip, in honour of the new Indiana Jones film (said films being a primary reason for me doing an archaeology degree. Oh yeah, that and screwing up my history A level so I couldn't do history. Thanks, Dr Arthurson, wherever you are, for teaching us the wrong syllabus). But now I want to make one of these. Isn't it gorgeous?
Rob's comment: I will be lending Em my copy of Make Magazine issue 9 and pointing to p82 where they show you how to make a bullwhip.
posted on May 15, 2008 09:33 PM | link | Comments (2) | Leave a comment
15 May 2008: Not quite
Just read this in Publishing News which says we are developing the Bookbackers idea into something tangible and real, right now. There's no reason why they should know, I suppose, but we're not actively developing Bookbackers at the moment. We'd love to, of course, but the only way it will work is as an industry initative - hence the presentation at the BA conference in a session about industry wide initiatives. I got lots of good feedback at the conference, so do get in touch if you'd like to form a team to develop this idea. And bring your corporate credit card and diary, as it'll need money and time to work - another reason why we're not developing it immediately ourselves.
posted on May 15, 2008 07:34 PM | link | Comments (2) | Leave a comment
15 May 2008: P.S.
There was something I meant to add to my Otakunomics post. Having bought a new copy of Serenity, I now have a secondhand copy which I am willing to part with for free, gratis and no money down. If you want me to send it to you, valued blog habitué, then e-mail me at the gaudy address to the left and tell me why I should send it to you (and where in the world you want it to go).
posted on May 15, 2008 09:57 AM | link | Comments (6) | Leave a comment
14 May 2008: Snowbooks XSL project
If you're not sure what we won that Nibbie for last night, here's our entry form (pdf, 165kb) which should make it a bit clearer. We can do this stuff for your business too, comparatively cheaply, so drop us a line if you'd like to save several months' time a year.
posted on May 14, 2008 09:12 PM | link | Comments (2) | Leave a comment
14 May 2008: Bookbackers presentation
At the BA conference I gave a pitch, as part of the Next Big Thing discussion, for a new innovation called BookBackers. As with most things at Snowbooks, BookBackers is Rob's idea which I pinched for the BA conference, and I'm sure he'll be adding in a more erudite way than me to this idea over the next few weeks. But in the meantime, here's the transcript of the presentation, dreadful lame jokes and all. If you'd like to see the slides that go along with it, here they are
(PDF,451kb). The dots in the text below indicate a new slide!
Continue reading "Bookbackers presentation" »
posted on May 14, 2008 08:40 PM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
14 May 2008: Clink dunk clink
is the sound that two nibbies and an IPA award make when banged together, which is what I've just been doing. Huzzah, we won the Innovation Nibbie last night.
Continue reading "Clink dunk clink" »
posted on May 14, 2008 02:31 PM | link | Comments (4) | Leave a comment
14 May 2008: Otakunomics
Sorry for the blog-dearth of late. I've been frolicking about in the States (and then chain-snoozing since I got back) and Em has been off prize-hunting at the BA conference - which is just embarrassing if you've ever seen it: Em takes her big carpet bag with her to Brighton and starts pestering people to give her prizes. "Can I have that prize?" "Well, this one is for literary agents. Are you a literary agent?" "Might be. What about that shiny one? Can I have that one?" "Well, this one is for innovation. Have you innovated much recently?" "Probly. So can I have it?" And this goes on until someone weakens and says "Oh, OK" and another prize goes into the carpet bag.
Anyway, now that I'm back and reasonably compos mentis I just wanted to tell you about a purchase I made while abroad which fits very well with one of Maestro Godin's views on Valued Customers. I bought a Collectors' Edition of the movie Serenity. This is not shocking news in itself, except that I already own an excellent DVD of that movie. I bought this one because it has Bonus Material. The cast and director got together three years after the movie was made to record a second commentary. Is that - plus a few other odds and ends - really worth $21, given that I already own a copy of the film itself? And the answer to that is obviously 'No'. Except if it's one of your favourite movies and you're a bit obsessive about the cast and crew and how the movie got made.
Continue reading "Otakunomics" »
posted on May 14, 2008 09:54 AM | link | Comments (2) | Leave a comment
11 May 2008: A lovely sunny day
Our day in pictures. First, apple blossom
Continue reading "A lovely sunny day" »
posted on May 11, 2008 06:23 PM | link | Comments (3) | Leave a comment
10 May 2008: I'm on a roll!
No posts for 3 days then two in one hour. Maybe I'm just angling for the prize for blog post 1000 (this is number 972).
This is a post for people who run companies that are office based. You might like to know how my days in the office break down compared to my working from home days. If you can't be bothered to click to read on, the summary is that I get approximately one million times more things done at home than in the office. It's genuinely worth thinking about whether your business would be more productive if you sent everyone home.
Continue reading "I'm on a roll!" »
posted on May 10, 2008 03:03 PM | link | Comments (2) | Leave a comment
10 May 2008: Oops, it's Saturday
Letting off steam
And I haven't posted for a few days. I have been busy, and also it's been gorgeous out there so I've done more than my usual amount of being outside, and also Rob isn't here which for some reason has affected my blogging rate. I think we have chats about things and get each other fired up which leads to a blog post, and that hasn't happened so much. But he's back from his exciting holidays tomorrow which is nice for me, maybe less nice for him.
I did actually write three blog posts, but they are not to be published. Sometimes when something has annoyed me I blog about it, and then carefully make sure the post is set to 'unpublished'. It's excellently cathartic, stops me fuming and keeping such posts unpublished avoids me getting into trouble. I usually write a much more tempered version a few days later, so they are quite useful source material! I suppose in this respect a blog is less useful than a diary, which is secret and so there's no problem, but I can't be bothered to maintain a blog and a diary.
To make up for my (published) blog silence, here are some nice photos to illustrate my week.
Continue reading "Oops, it's Saturday" »
posted on May 10, 2008 02:05 PM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
07 May 2008: New blog
Not content with bringing you the best damn werewolf novel EVER PUBLISHED, Thomas Emson is now delighted to bring you a new website plus blog! Have a read about his writing and writing tips, plans, inspiration, murderous forests and a comic called 'Action'.
posted on May 7, 2008 08:33 AM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
06 May 2008: I had put some time aside
to do all my boring year end tax stuff this morning - P35s and P14s - but it turns out my fabulous bookkeeper has done them, last week, online, without me even knowing. That's the kind of accounting I like. To celebrate, I've had a cheese sandwich and read this excellent article about freeconomics, and you should too.
This afternoon: P11ds. It's not all fun, fun, fun at SnowCentral.
posted on May 6, 2008 12:45 PM | link | Comments (2) | Leave a comment
06 May 2008: Sanity
What a sensible article. It uses words like 'insane' to describe the returns process. Hear hear to that.
posted on May 6, 2008 08:56 AM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
05 May 2008: FT and fibbing
Here's a nice little piece in the FT about how to resign, which I contributed to in my own small way. Don't worry, Rob, I'm not planning on doing it again.
Continue reading "FT and fibbing" »
posted on May 5, 2008 07:19 PM | link | Comments (3) | Leave a comment
05 May 2008: Parade
I'm in Minneapolis right now. Today was a day of powerful sunshine out of cloudless blue skies. I am scorched a slight pinkish colour. Anna and her friends invited me to watch the Mayday Parade with them and I beheld all kinds of eyeball-boggling things. The bear in that thumbnail (click for a larger version) was amazing. And why wouldn't there be a little kid riding along on top? There were dozens of bands, and giant papier maché trucks and heads and something-I-couldn't-identify that was was either a bug or maybe the planet. It was really something. More pictures below.
posted on May 5, 2008 03:25 AM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
04 May 2008: Baby update
I've tried to keep baby stuff to a minimum on here, but I think I'll do sporadic updates just so you're in the know! People uninterested in anything to do with pregnancy (which was me until 19 weeks ago) look away now.
Continue reading "Baby update" »
posted on May 4, 2008 11:47 AM | link | Comments (10) | Leave a comment
03 May 2008: The other news
is something that I just can't let myself think about too much, in my delicate condition. Must think about those cortisol levels.
Suffice to say: How? Why? How? I don't understand.
posted on May 3, 2008 11:41 AM | link | Comments (5) | Leave a comment
03 May 2008: Lovely
Here's a lovely photo of Sarah Bower and pals celebrating the publication of The Book Of Love. That's the shy author there, behind the hardback of her new historical novel.
Tell you what, selling hardbacks is good if you can do it. We sold over 200 copies of BOL's hardback on the week it was published, primarily to libraries - it's a £19.99 book at a 55% discount. Very nice.
posted on May 3, 2008 09:39 AM | link | Comments (3) | Leave a comment
03 May 2008: Inflammatory post of the day
I have a contentious thing to say. Feel free to fight with me. It concerns the role of agents.
Continue reading "Inflammatory post of the day" »
posted on May 3, 2008 08:30 AM | link | Comments (10) | Leave a comment
02 May 2008: Litro
I've just been told by Mike Fell of Litro that a short story by one Robert Finn will be appearing in next week's edition. Litro, for anyone not familiar with it, is a sort of literary alternative to the Metro (one of the free London papers). It's available to commuters, and others, who might fancy reading a bit of fiction on their journey. It pops up at the places listed here, so look out for it. The Robert Finn story is in a very different vein to his usual work (we did sneak a link to it into a former blog post - but perhaps we'll do so a bit more overtly after the Litro edition has been distributed). If you look around, you'll see that the Litro site also has an archive which holds all their former editions. Lots there to dig into for anyone interested.
posted on May 2, 2008 12:20 PM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment
01 May 2008: Weird comment problem
A couple of people have said they can't post comments on the snowblog. I have hit the server with an IT spanner and can't see an obvious problem, but if you do get stuck, feel free to use my email address where it says to provide your email. That should work. It's emma [@] snowbooks.com.
And do let me know if you keep having a problem. Thanks!
posted on May 1, 2008 12:55 PM | link | Comments (1) | Leave a comment