Anyone who has read the Prologue and is interested in knowing what constellation Icera was looking at, might want to have a look at this Web Page

http://www.crystalinks.com/pleiades.html

Be interested in any comments

Andrew, are you coming to Brighton? (See Brighton Rocks! in the forum.)

Am looking forward to meeting Spike...'his coat culminates in a sort of spiky ruff either side of his neck where two directions of hair meet...'

...sounds like a bit of a punk! )

STOP PRESS
The name of the Celtish tribe maybe changing from 'the Wildenfolk' to 'the Hendas'. The name means Ancestor in Cornish.
(you saw it here first folks)

Andrew, I'm definitely not bringing Spike - see Brighton rocks forum!

<Added>

Andrew - I'd just turned the computer off and was on my way to bed when it hit me - have you managed to get hold of a copy of Solitary Pleasures?

It was the phrase you used to describe Spike on this forum earlier, is that also the same phrase you used to describe the dog Spike in your book too? I will try and get hold of it over the internet.. or do they still sell it on Preston Park Station? If they do, I will wait till the visit to Brighton? How are the sales going?

Ah, my goldfish memory again. Re. Preston Park Station, I did bookcross three copies there, and one was logged in to the BC website once only, but there's nowhere to buy books there. I have some author copies though, so if you make it to Brighton you're very welcome to one. As for sales, I've no idea, SP still has not appeared on Amazon and... well, I can say no more.

Am happy to buy a copy of your book, Nell .. is it available on the internet? Please give me a link to the best source (as Amazon do not seem to have it).

It seems to me that once a book is published which we regard as one major hurdle... getting the book marketed so that people know about it, seems to be the next one and in some ways is even more difficult.

Does the publisher let you know how the sales are going? What is the procedure?

Would love to know about your experiences to date Nell. Maybe that will be one talking point (of many) when we all meet up?

I would like to know whether people have designed their own web sites and how they have gone about marketing their work. I was listening to a tv documentary about David Niven where they said he went around hundreds of bookshops in turn in person, and with his charm, persuaded each to stock his book and put it in the window. Not sure if that is true but it sounds about par for the course.

Hmm Andrew..

do you think you might follow David Niven's idea and do it that way )

Andrew, re. my book - it's a very long story.

I'm sure David Niven's book needed no promotion - it would have flown off the shelves - I've read The Moon's a Balloon and Bring on the Empty Horses - both wonderfully warm and witty with his personality leaping from the pages. Not that I can't imagine him going round all those bookshops - I can.

Here's a link to the publisher - you'll find it there - but I'm very happy to give you a copy on the 23rd - don't feel you have to buy one!

http://www.vistahouse.net

Nell, thanks for that link

SOLITARY PLEASURES Nell GREY 1-84199-079-5 £6.99

is certainly listed on the publishers site but not how to purchase it, ...other than the assumption of having to order it through a bookshop, but surely people don't do that with fiction books?... they buy through Amazon or W H Smith. So how does one ensure that Amazon and W H Smith stock it? Do you just leave it in the hands of the publishers? It cannot be in the publisher's interets to publish and then for copies to sit in the warehouse?

Nell, Would you recommend your publisher to others?

Ellie, no .. assuming that it is published sooner or later, hoiking the Icera Stone around all the bookshops does not appeal, but the topic of promotion marketing and distribution was raised as an area of interest where it might be possible for people to gain from the shared experience of others. Perhaps it deserves its own Forum?

Andrew, I believe you have to click on 'contact us' to order one by email. And I'll see you in Brighton.

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Re. your questions, see my reply to Katie's post asking for information on one of the forums recently, it's headed: Paragon Press.

Nell,
yes I followed up your comment/warning? in the Forum re Paragon Press .. very interesting, thanks,

Andrew

http://www.author.co.uk/vanity/7_Vanity_Press_Update_8_July_2003.pdf.pdf

PARAGON PRESS PUBLISHING
Suite 676, 37 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7QF
On June 26th 2003 a senior employee for WH Smiths wrote: “Thanks for contacting us
recently with regards to the publishers Paragon Press, Cromwell Publishers, Milstone Lit,
M&N Publishing and Wentworth Sterling. I can confirm that we do not purchase centrally
from these companies at present. Our stores may stock their books on a local basis if
approached by individual authors. We may be able to place customer orders for titles by this publisher, subject to availability.”

I have also noted that the same address at 37 Store Street is used for a company called 'Serendipity', in the back pages of the Writers Forum magazine, while in the back pages of thw Writers Magazine dated March 2003 Blackie and Co were still claiming to have accounts with WH Smith and Waterstones, and yet from the web site link (mentioned above), it would appear that this is not the case.

I know that there is a Forum on here called 'Vanity Publishing' and it is probably better that further chat on this is under that Forum or on the one called 'Getting Published'

However, this is all very interesting and being a novice I am finding out from scratch what this is all about.

Here is a link to the web site for the Icera Stone. It will be further developed over the coming weeks.

http://www.theicerastone.com/

A very professional looking site Andrew, I was the seventh visitor, this must in some way be significant, as seven is a lucky number as you know. Is that Flash? Did you build it?