Emma, you’re more than welcome. Bring a bottle.

Rugby seems an awful long way south, though… how about Leeds?

Dee

Leeds is fine. I'm sometimes up there for work. Weekends would be pure pleasure of course.

Jim

Listen guys, anything north of Watford, and I start wondering if I should bring thermals and a GPRS receiver. Leeds? Oh, I know, I whizzed through it in the middle of the night once, on my way to Scotland...

Emma

<Added>

For the avoidance of doubt, that was self-satire, by the way. I know what Londoners look like to the rest of the world.

Now come on, Emma… you can't kid me like that… no one, but no one whizzes through Leeds! OK, it ain’t London, but we have traffic up here too – so you're telling porkies. Either that or you came through on a Sunday, or in the middle of an afternoon, or early in the morning, or late at night, or Christmas, or when Leeds were playing away…

Jimbo’s up for a meet in Leeds – see – some people are brave enough to venture North.

Anyone else up for it?

Dee

Dee, I was on a train. At least, I think that particular set of points that nearly made me roll out of my berth must have been Leeds... Blame my being a diplobrat, if you like. Until I was 13 or so, I'd never been further north than Oxford, except on the boat-train to Holyhead.

Emma

Any more for any more, Leeds, perhaps early November?

Jim

Perhaps if we’re trying to organise a meet-up, it should go in another thread…

Yes, Leeds would be fine for me too.

Grinder

I went to my first Society of Authors do last week and found it very rewarding. The panel discussion - already précised by EmmaD - was highly instructive. What struck me was the gulf in perspectives between the author and the agent and then between the agent and the publisher. As for that between the author and the publisher, well that was almost unbridgeable. Perhaps that's why there are so many agents around.

What they did all agree on was that an ounce or two of courtesy goes a long way. Try to hit your deadlines and, if you can't, let the other party know in good time.

What also struck me was the degree to which the publishing side of the industry does not need individual authors. Unless you're in the top rank of authors, they just don't need you. To be more accurate, it's like the NHS' relationship with the nursing profession. It needs them desperately as a class of people, but as individuals they are utterly disposable.

It was good to meet up with fellow WWer, EmmaD.

I was also hoping that there'd be a few more WWers around. Maybe next time.

Tony

To be more accurate, it's like the NHS' relationship with the nursing profession. It needs them desperately as a class of people, but as individuals they are utterly disposable.

Tony, I'd never thought of it like this, but you're absolutely right. I've been trying to put my finger on the oddness of the relationship - on one hand, you know they'd drop you pretty quickly if your sales weren't good enough, on the other hand they'll spend a fortune to make sure - say - a touring author is housed and fed and supported really, really well. This pins it down beautifully.

Another analogy might be with the theatre and broadcasting on one hand, and actors on the other.

Emma

It does seem like a very good analogy.

Without writers, publishing companies would have nothing to publish. But there is no shortage of writers, so in a way it's a buyer's market - the buyer being the publishing co.

It's not unlike farmers: there are even fewer supermarkets than there are major publishers, given that publishers imprints make their own buying decisions. There are alternative - farmers' markets, farm shops, etc. - and that's growing, though the big boys will always rule the roost.

Emma

I like the farming analogy too. We plough our own furrows, sow seeds, hope they bear fruit. Then someone else comes along and tells us that our potatoes are the wrong shape. "But it's not about shape! It's about taste!" we protest. "People like nice regular shaped potatoes," we are told. "Not these strange misbegotten oddities."

Then there's the backache.