MOSTLY OK

Yep, this week everything will be mostly OK. I can feel it in me bones, like.

Slightly better than OK is two new signings for October. In a deal fiercely negotiated late last week, Andrew Crofts is the latest best-selling author to go with ‘the best thing to come out of Newcastle since coal, Viz and Brown Ale’ (that’s Tonto Books, if you didn’t knaaa). The Change Agent: How To Create A Wonderful World and Lily To Lily, released on October 21 and 28 respectively will soon be up on the website and amazon for pre-order. I’ll post up further info on them this week.

I’ve been dying to sign Andrew up for yonks – here’s his blog with some info on the book, and his website here. The only quote missing on his site is from Ray Winstone ‘Andrew Crofts is the daddy of ghostwriting.’

So, if the current schedule for this year stays, we’ll be publishing thirteen books. It better not be an unlucky number. October is going to be the mental month – it’s always the busiest anyway, but now there are five books planned for that month. Jeez, I’m off to be sick. Last year with three books late in the year was stressful enough. Still, if it doesn’t work out I could always go back to litter picking. That was the bestest job I ever had before this.

I spoke to the author who demanded his manuscript back on Friday too. Although he didn’t and wouldn’t pay postage on his manuscript, he told me I’m legally obliged to go out of my way, against company policy and pay my own money to send it back to him immediately or he’d take me to court. After laughing up my sleeve, I told him I’d wait for his solicitor to send me a letter and we’d sort it out in court. It sounds serious, so I may have to remove this part of the blog in the near future. It’s all fodder for Adventures In Publishing though.

Matt Hilton is launching his new book Slash and Burn in Waterstone’s Carlisle on 31 March at 6.30pm. Get along if you can – there’s a bit of a sesh on after it too.  Matt will be published in Even More Tonto Short Stories on 6 May. I’m sure we’ll have a party to celebrate the EMTSS launch, even if it’s a few cans and a pipe of Pringles behind the Community Centre.

Right, I’m off to let Robert Endeacott out the dungeon. He did a rewrite of Disrepute t’other day and can be released on good behaviour once and for all now.