A friend rings to tell me of an article in yesterday’s Independent about a woman who had had meningitis and had to have both her hands and feet amputated. She has started a charity 500 Miles which aims to provide prosthetics for those in desperate need. Get in touch with Askews the other library supplier, … Read more
Apart from telling people about the book – I didn’t do any work over Easter – however someone who works in Waterstones in Tunbridge Wells was at lunch on Easter Sunday. This morning I went to Waterstones in Brighton who were interested, then to Kemp Town Books – a nice shop where I had a … Read more
Get in touch with Holt Jackson who want an advance copy – no response from Askews. Ring bookshops in Brighton, Kemptown and Hove. Only set up one appointment for Tuesday but will also go into Waterstones on spec. Do the Q & A for Grove magazine (their May issue) also do what’s needed for Lovewriting … Read more
The proofs arrive back safely at Butler and Tanner – now it really is too late to change anything. Establish that both Gardners and Bertrams will take the book as stock. In the afternoon I drive to Central Books in Hackney Wick to deliver my copies of Inside Notting Hill. Getting there is not too … Read more
Ring Butler and Tanner to see whether they want the proofs back (with no changes – I so hope I’m right about that!) – they do. Go to the post office to send them off. Have a day of going all over London including lunch with a bookseller to talk about self-publishing and ending up … Read more
The proofs didn’t arrive on Saturday – but they came today. Being a novice I panicked when I saw that every other page was blank – so I rang up Butler and Tanner immediately and they reassured me that when they are doing a proof, they can’t print on both sides. The pictures also look … Read more
Try and set up a day in Oxford next week – but no one rings me back. In fact leave many messages today that get no response … very frustrating. Paul Vlitos has done a really nice introduction for donowdo.com – it won’t go up until the beginning of May though. Depressing day weather-wise transmits … Read more
Full of energy this morning and do all kinds of things that I’ve been putting off: let Nielsens know I am moving my other 2 titles to Central, start the organisation process of getting them there. Sort out a complicated accounts issue with Bertrams which I’ve been putting off. Talk to the London Review Bookshop … Read more
Rupert comes round to help me with advice as to other ‘social networking’ venues. I slept so badly last night that I don’t take much in – he’s off to live in Canada at the beginning of May. Help. Achieve very little during rest of day – not sleeping is really the worst. Woman’s Hour … Read more
Meet Margot from Midas at a studio in Margaret Street to record a video for Meet the Author with David Freeman. He does no takes and I talk for 1 min and 47 secs and then that’s it. Am concerned that there are ums and ahs and that I don’t say enough about the book. … Read more