Independent Bookshops

Wednesday the 18th March is a big day for the Moose and especially Stephen Clayton. As part of The Exclusively Independent promotion, http://www.exclusivelyindependent.com/ Steve, author of The art of being dead, has been invited down to the Metropolis to read from his novel at Hammersmith Library, doors open at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm. Tickets have been selling for £30,000 pounds, well, it was worth a Michael Jackson punt, and he is also doing four signings at Indie Bookshops in the capital. Dulwich Books, Bookseller Crow on The Hill, Housemans and Peckham Review. For independent publishers like Bluemoose, and that's independent in the true sense, not indie in the Faber and Bloomsbury mold, EI is a fantastic opportunity to showcase new writers with something different to say. The Moose wanted to joind the IPG, independent Publishing Group, but the annual fee is £500 and there's no sliding scale for fees according to turnover. Now £500 goes a long way to designing a jacket and methinks the burghers of the IPG should have a rethink. I'm still waiting to hear from the publishers association who I contacted on Friday morning regarding an enquiry about foreign rights although a kindly rights specialist did contact me and I've now sorted that particular problem out. Thank you Jane. Much appreciated. Laura Brudenell, the high priestess of publicity and marketing for the House of Moose completed the 13 mile course of the Bath half marathon yesterday. Congratulations. She was dressed as a Bluemoose, you can't have missed her, so today she's bathing her antlers in salt. Off to sunny Manchester today, will report back to see what 'that dirty old town ' has been up to over the weekend.