Wednesday, April 16, 2008

An Apology

Simon;

My promises to readers of the blog from now on

  • I will write at least 3 times a week
  • I will still refrain from puting music on the blog
  • I will upload photos of the shop
  • I will keep it relevent
  • I may get angry sometimes
  • I will still teel you everything that's going on

I write this as I've realised it's been a very long time since i last posted. There's so much to talk about....

1. The Friday Project

It's all a bit sad really. And as it was based so much on the internet, we've seen some very angry people talking very angrily about it. I feel very sorry for everyone who got burned. Until we can hear the whole story, it's difficult to point fingers, but given the choice between being an employee at TFP and an author taken on by TFP, I think i'd rather be the former.

2. We have a new bookshop openig soon to cheer and celebrate.

No, not those clever chaps Crockatt and Powell, who should support a proper football team frankly, but Inkspot and Silverleaf a shiny bookshop in Scotland (North London) is going through the 'last few days before we open' feeling right now. Good luck to them.

3. Alright, Crockatt and Powell 2 have a date for opening their shop in the slums of Fulham. May 9th, which coincidentally is exactly 10 years to the day since Dana International the male/female Israeli singer won the Eurovision song contest, and also we will have to miss Billy Joel's 59th birthday party.

4. I went to the London Book Fair for the first time ever, which for those of you who don't know is a Fair in London which specialises in books. I had a red badge, which meant I was a retailer, and similar to the red sqirrel was rare indeed. I bumped into lots of old friends and also I met Vanessa, who we call Fidra Blog. She was very lovely, and thankfully recognised me by my scruffy hat. I was a bit confused because all the other fairs i've ever been to have had carousels and candyfloss, but this one had £5 sarnies and people trying to give me copies of the Qur'an.

5. Dave Gorman (well not him, but those important people who look after him) got my goat this week. I think he's brilliant and love his books, but last year, before the world famous Big Green Bookshop opened, I contacted his publishers and they suggested that he could come to the shop to talk about his book about travelling across the states from coast to coast just visiting INDEPENDENT outlets. It seemed ideal for a little indie bookshop like ours. In fact, I suggested that Dave's bookshop tour should be only Indie bookshops (what a great twist!). Anyway, as it took longer to open the bookshop than anyone had hoped, I contacted the Dave team in February to let them know when we were likely to open and to say we were still up for it. 'Oh no, it's all sorted now' I was told 'he's fully booked up'. And then I look at his schedule..... as the French would say 'Ou est les Independents?' . So, (sorry this is a rambling story) he was on 'Something For The Weekend' last Sunday, (that TV thing with Tim 'Soccer AM' Lovejoy), and Katie and I decided to send him a question on the programme that went something like 'Dave, why don't you visit more Independent bookshops on your book tour, and come and visit mine in North London'. Well we didn't think they'd read it out, but, by jiminy they did! He was very good, and said that he had visited indies, but he also went to the chains, and that was the way it was. I guess that's the last time we'll be working with the publicity department at Ebury then.

6. Sian Berry's coming to the shop on Friday! What fun is that.

There's more, but i'm tired. I will blog again very soon...

7 comments:

Lesley said...

How useful was the fair for you? Apart from coming back with your weight in catalogues?

Alis said...

Hey, great to see you back in blogland! I've missed you... Sounds like the publicity machines for famous authors sometimes take over the author's life. I'm guessing DG would probably really have liked to come to the BGBS but his publicity people organised him to within an inch of his life.. C'est la vie. Hope things go well with Sian B tomorrow.

MarkFarley said...

Yeah, like WTF? You tease us with your story and you disappear! lol

Blogging is hard work, I feel you. It's hard to constantly entertain, especially (I imagine) when you have THE BEST bookshop in Wood Green...

MarkFarley said...

TFP stuff is very sad, because it was a great idea. Didn't make any money, but it was a great IDEA.

They deserve everything they get though for the way they have treated their authors. The word is 'appaling' and said reputations are deservedly in tatters for it.

The very fact that their Commercial Director (a man who has never worked in a bookshop and appointed only for his supposed influence over the industry) has sold his advice and services to small publishers for a 'nominal fee' whilst the very company he was responsible for was going down the pan is truly unforgivable.

He deserves nothing but a street sweeping job.

CPMatthew said...

I once worked as a street sweeper on the Isle of Dogs. It's not such a bad job. It's a lot more useful than bookselling...

Thanks for the new bookshop plug chaps. Keep on blogging - the silence was excrutiating!

MarkFarley said...

I'd actually wouldn't mind doing that at all. I see them on the way to work and I wonder to myself how much free head space they must get. I kinda like that about it.

Not so much the rain though.

Karen said...

Hello! Thanks for the plug and sorry I'm so late in replying. The last few days before opening were absolutely manic but we're now up and running (finally!) and I've almost got time to breathe again now... almost! Glad to see you're back blogging again, and yes, we definitely will have to compare notes on suppliers!