http://umbrellabooks.com/blog An imprint of Portobello Publishing Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:10:37 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Five months have passed since my last blog and I've almost forgotten how to do them. I can't believe that at one point I was doing these on a daily basis. So what's new in the publishing world? More returns - so I am thinking of remaindering Halfway to Venus ... http://umbrellabooks.com/blog/?p=252 I’m increasingly thinking of Venus as last year’s project … however still have to do a VAT return and I had to send a cheque to Central my distributors because of all the returns. The system is really skewed when bookshops can send back returns indefinitely – it means no ... http://umbrellabooks.com/blog/?p=248 Another long gap – but until last weekend Venus seemed to have been sleeping. However there was a review in last weekend’s Mail on Sunday by Kathryn Hughes – 8 months after publication. But it was a much-needed boost and was due to Marilyn Warnick at the MOS to whom ... http://umbrellabooks.com/blog/?p=239 Did boring things like the VAT return last week. Christmas sales of Venus have been dire – Amazon keeps flagging up ‘more on the way’ – but neither Bertram’s or Gardner’s figures change. Very mysterious. I have spoken to the agent, Melissa, in New York; she was enthusiastic and said ... http://umbrellabooks.com/blog/?p=199 I sent out a page of reviews to about 100 bookshops in the hope that they might order in Venus for Christmas. This was about 3 weeks ago and since then there have been more returns than sales so I think it might have backfired – reminding booksellers that there ... http://umbrellabooks.com/blog/?p=198 There was a review in the Church Times written by Lavinia Byrne a few weeks ago – so things are still happening. I’m torn between still trying to push Venus and getting on with my new ideas. I’m certainly painting and drawing more – and will soon start putting some ... http://umbrellabooks.com/blog/?p=194 The sales of Venus are pretty slow but I'm still getting very positive responses from people who hear about it, buy it and read it. I did an interview with Conscious TV a couple of weeks ago and I'm hoping  the link works here. I've been approaching American publishers - ... http://umbrellabooks.com/blog/?p=192 Sunday Times http://umbrellabooks.com/blog/?p=191 I've just updated my Contact an Author site - maybe one day it will produce a talk or something? I have recently put my flat on the market - so that is the recent publicity I've been getting (rather than for the book) - all because of the film Notting ... http://umbrellabooks.com/blog/?p=189 Have talked to an agent about foreign rights. She was positive – but until something actually happens I’m not going to think about it. She only does foreign language so I will have to the US myself – I am beginning to accumulate contacts and am sending out feelers to ... http://umbrellabooks.com/blog/?p=188