The Moose that Roared

PIG IRON by Benjamin Myers

2011-12-29T10:56:00.003Z

Bluemoose editors are in the final throes of finishing the edit for PIG IRON by Benjamin Myers, which we'll be publishing on May 31st 2012.

PIG IRON is a beautifully written book by a very gifted writer.

THE STORY.

John-John wants to escape his past. But the legacy of brutality left by his bare knuckle boxer father, self-styled King of the Gypsies, Mac Wisdom, looms large over his life. John-John's new job as an ice cream van man, should offer freedom, but instead pulls him into the dark underbelly of life in a northern town where his family name is mud.

As John-John attempts tp trade prejudice, parole officers and local gangs for 'the green cathedral- - the rural landscape that provides solace for him - the story of Mac's rise and spectacularly bloody fall unravels.

PIG IRON is the story of a traveller who hasn't travelled; a young man fighting for his very survival.

Antler TV

2011-12-28T06:53:00.005Z

Good morrow. Have been resting the antlers. A lot has happened since I last posted. KING CROW by Michael Stewart won The Guardian's NOT THE BOOKER and we have sold the rights to this book and GABRIEL'S ANGEL to Russian Publisher AZBOOKA-ATTICUS, owned by the chap who now owns Waterstone's, Alexander Mamut. Penguin Books USA are reading KING CROW too, with a view to publish, as are several European publishers. Alistair Sutcliffe, author of THE HARDEST CLIMB was invited to Buckingham Palace and there is now a Bluemoose book inside the throne room. We have full CCTV access and audio contact withing the palace. I will of course keep you updated about royal events before they happen throughout the year. Antler TV will be fully operational by January 1st. WATCH THIS SPACE.
This, and my Republican views has nothing to do with Philips' recent cardio thoracic difficulties. Several hundred thousand feathered friends, relieved that their festive tormentor spent Boxing day on his back and not armed with several shotguns, will be involved in a celebratory murmaration and fly past of the palace on NEW YEARS EVE. I am now reliable informed that The corgis too had a restful Saturnalia
Alistair was on MIDWEEK on the 21st December and sales went through the roof on Amazon. 39th bestselling biography and into the top 200 bestselling books too. You can also buy ANTHILLS AND STARS on KINDLE. I've got into bed with the 'A' beast,and all our titles will be avialable by electrickery by the end of the year.

MOOSE on TOUR

2011-09-19T07:01:00.002+01:00

I had a great time selling books in The Hebden Bridge Bookshop, even cajoled two unlikely browsers to purchase THORN by Michael Dean and The Hardest Climb by Alistair Sutcliffe, two of the latest Bluemoose titles. The Moose was on tour over the weekend, going down to Waterstone's Chelmsford on Saturday for the book signing of THORN by Michael Dean. It was a great success, good to meet Michael and have a chat to Marissa, the very passionate book lover and manager of the Wats store. Michael will be giving a talk and signing copies of his book at Colchester Library this forthcoming Saturday 24th September. And we've just had some exciting news about films and one of our titles but I can't say too much as blood has yet to be spilled in negotiations and we're trying to keep the lawyers at bay. Toodlepip book lovers.

Moose loose in a bookshop

2011-09-16T06:48:00.003+01:00

This morning I am to be let loose on the unsuspecting book buying public of Hebden Bridge. Gillian and Ross, the proprietors of The Hebden Bridge Bookshop have left the county for the day and have given me the keys. Now I have been a sales rep for myriad publishers from pension stealing and spy Robert Maxwell to the Earl of Donoghmore's son, Tim Hely Hutchinson, but I have never sold books directly to readers. I'm also a publisher at Bluemoose books and the simple deal is that we publish great stories that engage and inspire. Well today, I'll find out how inspiring our books are. I have threateend to turn the bookshop into a shrine to the moose, and I may. Photographs will follow. But the great thing about bookshops is the browse factor. You can't get that with your Amazon online brief perusal nonsense. You have to pick ip a book, feel it, smell it and read the first page. At Moose Towers we pride ourselves on production and our jackets. We have noticed that potential purchasers when picking up one of our books find themselves stroking it. You can't stroke online, well you can but it is an arrestable offence.
Well, I'm Off to put some Eau De Biblio on, that should entice the book buyer public into the shop. That and shouting at them should do it.

THORN signing

2011-09-15T07:13:00.003+01:00

Michael Dean, author of THORN, will be signing copies of his new book at Waterstone's in Chelmsford on Saturday between 11am - 1pm. Award winning writer, David Nobbs, creator of Reggie Perrin, amongst others, has called it an, 'astonishing and powerful novel.' Come and meet Michael, myself and Hetha as we bring news of Bluemoose to the southern climes and educate those that have been in darkness for so many years.

The art of being dead.

2011-09-13T06:52:00.004+01:00

The head of big words at Leeds Metropolitan University contacted me yesterday and said that one of our titles, THE ART OF BEING DEAD ,was now being studied as the main text on their MA in Contemporary Literature. The hallowed walls of academia are trembling. A bit. Great news for Stephen Clayton, the author and Bluemoose of course. Toodlepip, off to dust down the ermine and mitre board.

Happy Birthday to us!

2011-09-09T07:13:00.003+01:00

I have baked a cake for everyone at Moose Towers today because the Moose is five years old. It is five years since we started publishing here in Hebden Bridge and we have come a long way. Moose titles have been translated into Russian, Hollywood production companies have got excited and readers from Australia to the US have read our titles. Great stories have legs and find their natural homes amongst readers who are ready to engage and get inspired. I have ranted and raged and waved a clenched fist at the fiefdom of publishing that is run by the posh people in the Metropolis. We have had national reviews, sold rights abroad, been on local and national radio and last weekend, international radio. But the most important aspect of it all is that we have found great stories that have been beautifully written that otherwise wouldn't have been published because men with graphs and red pens didn't think they would sell. How wrong they were. Long live the Moose!

Worldwide Hit

2011-09-07T07:22:00.003+01:00

Since Leonora's interview on Radio Netherlands worldwide we have seen sales of her book come in from the United States of America and Australia. That's the beauty of stories. You find them, or they find you, you polish them up with a bit of editorial shine, wrap then up in great covers and send them out into the world all on their own, and then wait. And you know you've succeeded when people email you with great comments. One lady, a vicar, has said that 'The book has changed her life.' Another from Australia can't believe that the authorities in this country have behaved in such a draconian fashion. Neither can I. The truth has a way have catching up with those that have manipulated a system for their own means. Watch out officials, the story is coming to get you.

Moose Summer Offensive

2011-09-03T07:20:00.003+01:00

Leonora Rustamova, author of STOP DON'T READ THIS is on the award winning radio show THE STATE WE'RE IN, this afternoon at 14.00hrs. It is broadcast by Radio Netherlands and can be heard in the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and all of Europe.

The Bluemoose Summer offensive is bearing fruit. First Russia, then Bulgaria, Holland today and before you know it Col. Gaddaffi will be surrendering to all at Moose Towers. Let us hope the international community are generous with their support.

Sofia , so good.

2011-09-02T07:41:00.004+01:00

It's been a busy week in Mooseland. Our foreign rights people have been meeting European Agents. Sounds all very James Bond, but the deal is, prior to Frankfurt, the biggest rights fair in the world, the agents are told about all the new titles that are to be published in the next 12 months and some books they may have missed that we recently published. This year we have already sold two of our books to a Russian Publisher AZBOOKA-ATTICUS, who are based in St Petersburg. They bought GABRIEL'S ANGEL by Mark Radcliffe and KING CROW by Michael Stewart. Yesterday we sold KING CROW to a Bulgarian Publisher called ARTLINE. Extremely pleased. The book is out with at least another 10 European publishers, so no doubt we'll have more good news soon. I phoned Michael to impart the good news that KING CROW would soon be hitting the bookstands of Sofia. He was suitably pleased but the line seemed a bit distant and as he only lives near Bronte country just over the hill I asked why? 'I'm still stuck in New York courtesy of Hurricane Irene.' He said. He was on his mobile and I was on the Moose landline. I did a quick calculation and ended the call. He's back on Saturday and we'll have a proper chat. I don't want to be wasting too much money on transatlantic phone calls when I should be investing the hard stuff in new writers. Wasn't there an incident on London bridge many moons ago about a Bulgarian diplomat being killed by an umbrella to the leg? Still the wall is down now and we're all chums, especially when it come to reading the same books.

manuscripts

2011-08-29T09:54:00.000+01:00

Reading manuscripts today. Sshhh.

The suits just don't get it

2011-08-28T09:19:00.004+01:00

There was a great piece in The Guardian yesterday by Jane Rogers. Her latest book, The Testament of Jessie Lamb has been longlisted for The Man Booker. She has written many books for established 'London' houses , as they like to call themselves but her recent sales have not been heading in the right direction on the sales graph. So they didn't offer her a new contract. She went to an independent called Sandstone Press based in Inverness. They loved the story and guess what? So did The Man Booker judges and now her sales are going through the proverbial. I bet there is one keeper of the sales graph at a very famous 'London' publishing house who is crying into his spreadsheet. And so he should. As Jane said, people want stories to read. Simple really, just a shame the suits get in the way sometimes.

Thorny issues

2011-08-27T08:16:00.003+01:00

Team Moose off to Leeds Waterstone's this morning for a book signing by Leonora Rustamova. She will be talking to the book buying public about her book 'STOP DON'T READ THIS - THE STORY'
Yesterday we received THORN by Michael Dean from the printers and it looks fantastic. THORN is a Rabelasian tour round Amsterdam in the middle of the Great Dutch Golden era of the mid 17th Centruy. Spinoza and Rembrandt are exiled, one for his philosophical treatise and the other for his pictoral depiction of the great and the good. A great read and very funny. David Nobbs, who created Reggie Perrin says, 'An astonishing and powerful novel.' Top man.
It is published on September 1st.

Queen Moose

2011-08-25T04:23:00.004+01:00

I'm off to Londinium to see the queen this morning. Let us hope she has bathed and scrubbed up in preparation to meet the Moose. The talk at the society of young authors went really well. I spoke on how independent publishers are taking up the creative slack in publishing today. The big six are merely trying to replicate the successes they have already had, to keep the schekels coming in to satisfy their shareholders. This of course means they are publishing very little that is different to what you see on the 3 for 2 tables in our high street stores. Cast your weary eye, dear reader across the bookshelves and the covers of the books look remarkably similar. It is called genre publishing. Here at Moose towers we like to offer the reader something different to read. Not your average supermarket fare,there is no Scandawegian crime here, more like a delicatessan has to offer the discerning literary palette. Original fiction at its best. Now if I can get Mrs Windsor to read a couple of Bluemoose Books as she wiles away the hours playing backgammon with the corgis, the future will indeed be bright.

Society of Young Publishers

2011-08-23T08:01:00.003+01:00

I am speaking at the Society of Young Publishers tonight in Leeds. They have never left London before and they might be a little trepidatious of our northern manners and customs. I'll be gentle. I will be talking about independent publishing and Bluemoose Books. It may be the first and last time I will be able to give a valedictory address to bright young things who have come to listen to pearls of wisdom. Well, that might be pushing it a bit. I won't be thanking my mum, or crying. The audience may by the end of the night after a thirty minute tirade against the evils of Amazon and Google. But these are great times for indie publishers. The big houses are too big to move to the constant changes within publishing and we're filling the creative gaps with great stories that engage and inspire the reader. We have come a great distance since we started five years ago. Hollywood directors are reading our books. Penguin in the States is also reading a couple of our titles and the Russians can't get enough of Bluemoose. All is well and long may that continue in the good ship Moose.

The Guardian Shortlist

2011-08-20T09:21:00.003+01:00

Heaven forefend! There's lots of angry people on The Guardian books website. KING CROW did get onto the short list for THE NOT THE BOOKER. The prize, a Guradian mug.Nothing to write home about, but the most important aspect of the whole process is that it gives a national platform to small and independent publishers to promote their books and authors to a group of people who wouldn't normally view such titles. Why is that you ask? Well, reviewers don't on the whole review books sent to then from indie publishers. Why not? You'll have to ask them I suppose, but my conjecture is that they deem books by those not already signed to the mainstream publishers not really worthy. Publishing is very conservative you see and run on very upper middle class sensibilities. I've worked in publishing for 25 years and my first job was as a rep for a new publishing house run by the son of an Earl. You get the drift. Eton. Oxford. Publishing house. Natch. And publishing is run via a very old model. Agent signs up new wunderkind, sells first new book to commissioning editor for zillions, publisher has to get buzz going so gets Camilla from in house PR to take reviewers out for lunch or the opera and over dinner, chats about new wunderkind and three weeks later wunderkind is all over the books sections like a priapic Oxford poetry lecturer is over a nubile undergraduate. Simple really. Access is denied to the likes of Bluemoose as we can only run to an Avacado and radish sandwich.
For 5 years I have tried to get one of our titles reviewed. Nothing. That is until this year when The Guardian ran their New First book Award and asked bloggers what titles did they think they had missed. Irate Moosers around the country told them about KING CROW. The books editor in her wisdom bowed to the presure, asked for a copy, read it , and loved it. Job Done. Then a week later a review in the newspaper itself. I doffed my antlers to her, now that she had seen the light, and hopefully new Bluemoose titles won't find their first port of call, a bin. Let us hope , dear readers, that all the harrumphing will stop, reviewers will realise that mainstream is replicating the same old, same old and its the bright new buttons in the sticks that are pubishling great new books.
Toodelpip, off to Waterstone's Bradford to see one of our finest writers, Leonora Rustamova, sign copies of her book STOP DON'T READ THIS. I've sent a copy to the shadow education secretary Andy Burnham. The great hope of newish labour. If he reads it, they may have a chance, if not, bunker down because the toffs will be running the asylum.

Book for Europe

2011-08-18T07:22:00.003+01:00

Looks like KING CROW made it onto The Guardian's NOT THE BOOKER LIST. About time those scribes in Londinium realised what talent lay outside the gates of the Metropolis. We've got Hollywood excited about KC, and Penguin USA, so, its not before time that they realised we can read and write and publish great stories up here in the wilderness under Ted Hughes' eyebrows in Hebden Bridge. Having said that, they did give it a marvelous review a couple of weeks ago. Mustn't let my inverted snobbery get in the way of a good old rant. Well, its taken four years. So why not?
I received the last re-write of PIG IRON by Ben Myers yesterday and handed it over to one of editors. It's a brilliant story and beautifully written. It should win every prize on planet letters. Ben tells a story that beguiles and illuminates, is lyrical yet visceral, sharp and thoroughly entertaining. It is published next May 2012. Get your orders in now. And we have a jacket image that will blow the beejesus off you.
Toodlepip

Its about the stories , stupid.

2011-08-17T08:07:00.003+01:00

The Guardian's NOT THE BOOKER LIST is in its final hours of voting. KING CROW by Michael Stewart, which we published in January of this year, is in the running to be one of the 6 titles they choose to review and discuss over the next 6 weeks. As 83% of all books are sold on recommendations, getting a book seen and reviewed by the press is essential to get the book seen by as many people as possible. To get a reviewer to open the first page and jump in is the trick. For the bigger metropolitan houses this is far easier than small indies in the beautiful north. There is still an institutionslised bias against small presses. Small is not beautiful in the reviewers eyes. Small means not being part of the established more successful publishing industry. HOW WRONG THEY ARE. Look at the Man Booker long list. Of the 13 on the list, 9 are from independents and 3 from very small presses. What does that say about the huge houses? Same old same old. For a long time, which started in the mid '80s, publishing got obsessed with literary theory. You know all the post domesticated modernism and the story, where a book has a start a middle and an end, revolutionary I know, became old hat. It became all tricks and whistles and plot and structure went out the window. In my experience, most people want a damned good story, and a great plot that is beautifully written. Period. Now the great unwashed are fighting againtst those books that are only concerned about what happens between each full stop. Most of us don't care about isms. Isms are self generated ivory tower building exercises by professors of long words who are trying to create their own legacy. Stories have been with us for ever, and they always will. From the oral to the written we all need stories and KING CROW is one of the best you will read. I guarantee it.

Book banning Mormons

2011-08-16T19:27:00.003+01:00

Now those far sighted followers of Joseph Smith have got an old testament bee in their bonnets. They have complained to the local authorities in Alabama, or some such creationist state in the American south and said because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'A study in scarlet,' has some anti mormon passges in it, it should be taken out of every school library and off any reading courses. The authorities in their wisdom have done just that. It is now banned. You know what is next. Every book will be banned bar Mr Smith's words and God's diary. Oh dear. No wonder America is such an intolerant country. My dad burned my copy of 'A clockwork orange,' because of what he read in the press in 1973, I told him about another book burner, Adolf Hitler. He wasn't impressed with my history lesson. My reward?A fat ear and a few more prayers to commit to the ceiling. Now, if there is one book that should be considered off the curriculum....Nah, people should read as much as possible. It helps, it really does. You might not understand everything, but you'll have one thing in your favour if you do read. You'll be more willing to listen to another's view. Remember, you read it here first.

All GOOGLE Eyed

2011-08-15T07:09:00.003+01:00

Those boys and girls at Google will have you believe that everything should be free. The search engine that is taking ove the world, made zillions of dollars for The Brothers Grin last year, wants to abolish copyright. They want all books to be available free at the click of a mouse. Sounds brilliant doesn't it? Every book online free. Literacy rates would soar and we would all have a library at our fingertips. But stop there reader and just think . Google doesn't do everything out of the kindness of their corporate heart. Google exists to suck as much money out of advertisers as they can. They are The Goldman Sachs of the internet age. Don't be fooled by their zany ball pool head offices and driving around the grounds on big boys toys. They want dollars, and they want them now. Free books? What about the content? Who provides that? of course the author. The Creator of those magic words that transport each and everyone one of us from the tedium of our daily existence. How does the writer get paid if the copyright is free? Content is king and the writers need some sort of protection to put food on the table Mr Grin. Copyright is there for a reason, to give them enough calories to finish the next chapter. When the CEO's of Google are taking their billion dollar dividends and buying spaceships to go to Saturn because its a hoot, remember, your search enging relies on the content of others. Journalists and writers. Without them you will have nothing to search for. And if they do get their way and abolish copyright and everything is free, then we will see them start to charge for everything. When the fences are broken, the big bad fox won't have to blow anything down because dinner will have been provided, all trussed with condiments too. Beware those that say all lunches are free. They're not and they never will be.

MOOSE on TOUR

2011-08-14T10:48:00.002+01:00

We have an extremely busy few weeks ahead of us at BLUEMOOSE BOOKS. On the 1st September, we are publishing an historical fiction title called THORN by Michael Dean. Spinoza and Rembrandt on a Rabelasian tour of Amsterdam in the middle of the 17th Century. David Nobbs, the acclaimed author and creator of Reggie Perrin, says, 'It's an astonsihing and powerfull book.' Praise indeed. Michael will be singing and talking about his book at Colchester Central library on Saturday 24th September at 11am and at Waterstone's Chelmsford on saturday 17th between 12-2pm.
KING CROW by Michael Stewart has been nominated for The Guardian's NOT THE BOOKER LIST, get your votes in now.
Leonora Rustamova, fresh from espousing her thoughts on BBC Radio Leeds on Thursday 11th August and after being interviewed by The Telegraph and Argus, will be signing copies of her book STOP DON'T READ THIS at Watesrtone's Bradford on Saturday 20th after 1pm and the following Saturday between 11 - 2pm at Waterstone's Leeds

The Bishop Of Bradford

2011-08-11T06:24:00.003+01:00

We're off to BBC Radio Leeds this morning. That is, Leonnora Rustamova and I. She has been invited onto the morning show to talk about how she managed to engage with five disaffected young lads and get them to come back into school and finish off their education. She succeeded and the result is her book, STOP DON'T READ THIS - The Story. Because she was so successful, she was sacked. Madness I know, but when the educators find somebody getting great results but not following the dictats and formula, they get worried. Then we're off to see the Bishop of Bradford. He's worried that he can't speak to the youth of Bradford. He doesn't know the 'idiom and argot' in which they speak. He's blogging. We're going to see if we can help. Leonora's not one for pointing. She lsitems. Perhaps there should be more people like her. You can't have a conversation without listening, and defintely not with water cannon and rubber bullets on the streets. Wasn't Mr Cameron part of a social group that met in pubs in Oxford, got drunk, trashed the rooms but then paid the owners for the havoc they'd wreeked? It's called hypocrisy. The youth know, you know.

AGENTS

2011-08-09T07:25:00.003+01:00

I heard Andrew Wylie on the radio yesterday. The press have given him the moniker 'the jackal.' He was the chap in the late eighties that ramped advances to authors through the roof. Now I'm all for writers getting what is their due, but the astronomical sums that are still being given to writers is unsustainable. Mr Wylie was moaning about Amazon and digital rights. Should one of the questions being asked, do we really need agents? What do they really do for their 10%? The most important person in publishing is the creator of the content, the writer. After that it is the editor. Now, there are some unscrupulous publishers out there, but surely it is not beyond the wit and ken of writers to have a template for a contract that gives them ample reward for their efforts. They surely can use the author's society as their union to watch and advise with contracts.I don't think we need Mr Wylie to advise on the publishing model. No doubt he has the writers welfare at his heart, and of course his cut of their earnings. There's a word for that.

Mooses and Pirates

2011-08-07T11:29:00.003+01:00

It's Sunday, Purple Jesus looks down on me, no this isn't a new sect started by his purpleness Prince, the diminutive musician of a paisley persuasion, but the purple Jesus that resides on the top of my bookshelf and looks down on everyone at Moose Towers. It has no religious significance, its just a great statue and makes me laugh. We also have a Ganesh and a plastic Moose to cover all faiths, well two. This revisionist look at religion has started after I bought a book called'the Gospel To the Flying Spaghetti Monster by Bobby Henderson. It is a response to the propogators of Intelligent Design, those flat earthers who think that the world is only 6000 years old, creationism is a scientific hoax and the world will end in a rapture in a Macdonalds off Route 66 some time in 2020.It is hilarious and the premise is that if followers of ID can put their belief system forward with little if no scientific findings, established religions too, then why can't anyone have their own beliefs that can't be challenged either, in a scientific context. One theory that is very funny is his statement that global warming has got significantly worse sinse the demise of PIRATES. HAHAAAARGH to that.

The Moose on Tour

2011-08-06T09:11:00.003+01:00

We have four new author events to tell you about. Leonora Rustamova will be signing her new book STOP DON'T READ THIS-The Story at Waterstone's Bradford on Saturday 20th August 11am-2pm and then again at Waterstone's Leeds on Saturday 27th August between 12-2pm.
Michael Dean, author of THORN will be signing copies of his book at Waterstone's Chelmsford on Saturday 17th September, 12-2pm and the following week he will be talikng and signing at Colchester Central Library between 11.30-2pm.

Moose Abroad

2011-08-05T04:49:00.003+01:00

A massive publishing house from the USA got in contact yesterday and asked if they could read two of our books, with a view, I hope, of publishing in the States. The two books in question are KING CROW by Michael Stewart and GABRIEL'S ANGEL by Mark Radcliffe. Now, it's alright to get excited , but I've been here before, and sometimes it doesn't work out as planned. However, it really is pleasing to see that stories have a resonance and can be truly international. It is one of our basic traits as humans to tell and listen to stories, wherever we are. It helps. When you realise you've just spent your last 17 trillion dollars and the credit card company have come round to seize the laptop, keys to the car and the house, its time to grab a book and head for the cave you bought on a timeshare four years ago. Books matter. They can't save lives and feed people , but they do matter, simply as a way of easing out the creases of our daily lives.

INDY SUMMER OFFENSIVE

2011-08-03T05:18:00.005+01:00

One of the great things to come out of KING CROW's recent review in The Guardian and on their blog site is that I several indy publishers have been expressing the same views about getting their books reviewed. Or lack of it from the broadsheets. There seems to be a consensus that the smaller presses don't get a fair look in. Fortunately we have cyber allies, readers who have come across websites and bought some great books and then gone on various blogs and spread the word. Hopefully now that reviewers know who and where we are, the great stories we publish, they will give us a fair shot next time. But chickens will remain in their coops uncounted. What we have to do collectively as independetnts is to work together, signpost our readers to other publisher's websites and let them know about the great books we are publishing. BUILD A READERSHIP FANBASE. INDY POWER. THE INDY SUMMER OFFENSIVE
It's simple really, it's all about the stories and that's what readers want. Something different and they're voting with a click of their mouse.

The middle class sensibility

2011-08-02T04:17:00.003+01:00

I thought I'd draw attention to the reality that publishing panders to many middle class sensibilities in that the vast majority of Literary agents and editors are middle to upper middle class, and as they control the gateways to most of our contemporary fiction, they are somewhat disdainfail of working class lives characters in fiction today.

Here's what Helen Walsh, author of GO TO SLEEP, published by Canongate, has to say about it.

'Prior to writing, I worked in a literary agency in London, and I was acutley and horribly aware of the prejudice against working class lives and characters in contemporary fiction. The 'taste-setters' the agents, junior agents and readers who are the first port of call for manuscripts - are largely upper middle class, as are most of the editors working in British publishing today. This raises many questions then about the non-varied and class dimensional reading of manuscripts and the extent to which such readings reflect and pander to an upprer middle class sensibility.'

I take my hat off to her.

Dispatches

2011-08-01T19:27:00.002+01:00

I'm not going to go all Oscar Night on you, dear readers but KING CROW by Michael Stewart has just been praised by leading Literary editor Claire Armitstead, who runs the books section at The Guardian.

'King Crow reminds me of Kes, both in its use of birds and in its setting.' Praise indeed. Now as KES is one of my all time favourite books, I'm loathe to make such comparisons because it just doesn't feel right. Perhaps in time we can put them side by side but let's just see what longevity KING CROW has. I'm convinced it will, but then we published it. As we all say at Bluemoose, great stories travel. And look how far. All the way to London.

Cyber- Ink Synergy

2011-08-01T08:16:00.003+01:00

I have been told that 83% of all book sales are through recommendations. Either through reviews in papers, from friends or on the net. That is a big figure. I would presume the other 13% of impulse buys are mainly through the supermarkets and a some through the high street. This is the new frontier for indy publishers . Getting an audience for your books. Finding readers. With high street and wholesale discounts being so high, we have to look elsewehere for readers whilst still using some of the traditional outlets. Waterstone's is still the shop window but gaining readers from previous visitors to the website and finding book lovers and telling them what great stories we have is the key. There was a commentary on a website about KING CROW, one of our recent publications and the lit ed of a national newspaper picked up on it, read the book, liked it and then reviewed it in the newspaper. Now Techhies will have you think that INK is dead in the dailies but the sales from that review provided a spike. Reviews do matter but the cyber readers and followers are making great inroads.

Books in Space

2011-07-30T08:39:00.003+01:00

I have not only got into bed with the rapacious beast that is AMAZON but I've been nuzzling up and tickling toes. I've converted my book ANTHILLS AND STARS into a KINDLE format to see what all the fuss is about. I'm trial running this ebook stuff because at Bluemoose Books we'll soon be all digitised on the ebook front and I want to use ANTHILLS as a sort of cyber guinea pig. You know, how to market on the web and create an audience, upweight our digital activity and outcare our competition. I haven't been to a seminar but have learned that all these terms are imperative when trying to sell literary wares on the cyber market. Will let you know how it all goes. I have even started twittering, which is just insane but necessary. I won't tell you what I have for breakfast but hopefully give you some insight in to running an indie press from the shores of HEBDONIA.

The Rest Home For Men Who Wear Cravats

2011-07-28T07:55:00.005+01:00

It's already started. The literati who think The Man Booker has been sullied by books that don't, in their opinion, reach the literary standards of the past, are moaning. In 'their' opinion it is all down hill from here and literature these days is nothing more than commercial pap. These are the people who only read the great works in their original language and if you haven't got a double first in Classics your existence is worthless. They career round this green and pleasant land on Penny Farthings, doff boaters to corseted women and spend their afternoons reading Proust whilst spearing small men 'who do' with hot crumpet forks. It is they who should be removed, quietly to The Rest Home for Men Who Wear Cravats.

The Bookerati

2011-07-27T06:41:00.003+01:00

The Booker list has been announced and everyone who knows what a compound modifier is, is going all Doolally tap. Of the 13 on the list, 9 are from independent publishers, although I do struggle to see how some are indies. Of those 9, 3 are from smaller presses, which is great news. Again, I won't go all Colin Welland and state that 'the Indies are coming,' but it does say something about the state of publishing in the UK, that the stories that are making the biggest impact are from those houses willing to publish writers that the main stream deem too quirky, and for you and me that means, not commercial enought to take a punt on. I know that one author on the list was dropped from a major house and was subsequently signed by one that is now on the Booker Long List. They must be gutted and the sales and marketing director may well have his head in a bin this morning. He should have. The sales graph is now the most important part of the publishing house and if the trajectory isn't stellar, the boys and girls in suits harrumph, point and show writers the door.
Well, suits will always be that, suits. Shame.

Stop Buy This!

2011-07-24T08:51:00.003+01:00

Leonora Rustamova signed copies of her new book at Waterstone's in Huddersfield yesterday and once again records were smashed, for Bluemosoe that is. We sold 25 copies of Stop Don't Read This, which to some may not seem record smashing but for someone like myself who has organised and been to a couple of hundred book signings, it is.
I have organised signings for Duchesses, screen royalty, TV Soap stars and multi million book selling authors. One decided to get her own motorcycle outriders and police escort without telling the publishers, cost us thousands, another brought five wigs, three types of different water, usually brought to these shores from an Himalayan spring by a posse of indigant Sherpas, and she ordered lots of food and ate not a scrap and at another signing no one turned up and we had to dress up members of staff, divvy out fivers from petty cash and get them to buy the book as 'random members of the public.'
Book signings can be fraught not only with indifference from the great British public but from the machinations and egos of self interested and demanding 'artistes.' It takes a lot for somebody to meet their literary idols or to ask questions from somebody they have never met. But they did yesterday. And they bought Stop Don't Read This, and perhaps after they know the truth about what really happened, more questions will be asked and those in the upper echelons will have to answer. Of course they will obfuscate and deflect and bewigged corpulant men from far off places with twinkling cufflinks will hurl long words around, but a course has been set and without the need of a custard pie, Leonora will have her day in the court of the public and those that have bore witness to this travesty will be shamed and pilloried. And rightly so. There endeth the lesson. Well it is Sunday.

It's the Story, Stupid.

2011-07-23T06:52:00.004+01:00

KING CROW by Michael Stewart is the first Bluemoose book to be reviewed in the braodhseets in the UK. It is in THE GUARDIAN today. Congratulations Michael. This is what they said. 'Michael Stewart is a poetic writer - about nature, about boys and casual violence.King Crow's psycholgy is spot on.'

Brilliant.

After four years of trying to tell the people who review books in Londinium that we are publishing great stories up here in Hebden Bridge, they are starting to listen. It's a start. There are many other great indie publishers up here in the North. I won't go all Colin Welland and start excaliming that the northern publishing hordes are coming but it does behove everyone in the publishing industry to start looking at other indie presses and publishers. Having lots of money does not necessarily make you a great publisher. Remember, it's all about the story. Put down your bells and whistles and post domesticated modernism, readers want stories, period.

DAVID PEACE

2011-07-21T08:06:00.002+01:00

The acclaimed and multi award winning author David Peace has given this quote for KING CROW by Michael Stewart.

"KING CROW is a gripping and moving story told in a unique, yet authentic Northern voice. It is a brilliant first novel and the best debut I have read in a long time. I am excited and intrigued about what Michael Stewart will write next."

Top banana.

Custard Pie Free Moment

2011-07-20T06:14:00.003+01:00

We received plaudits from a writer and the literary editor of a heavy hitting broadsheet yesterday. No monies changed hands and no custard pies were used to elicit the responses we gleaned. David Peace, author of The West Riding series and That Damned United, and an internationally acclaimed writer has just read KING CROW by Michael Stewart. He said it was 'Brilliant.' And then news from The Guardian Books Blog that Claire Armitstead has also read Michael's book. She said. 'We have made some great discoveries and enjoyed KC.' Praise indeed. Here at Moose Towers we have been trying to get our books through the Praesidium Guard of Londinium people of letters for four years and at last we have. Of course the deal is to get the story to as many readers as possible and you have to use all avenues. The twitterati and facebook acolytes still herald these sites as the way to get your story to the readers but STILL the review pages of the newspapers, or certain newspapers means readers will use these 'recommendations' to search and purchase the book.

Stadium Lit

2011-07-19T07:16:00.003+01:00

Leonora Rustamova, of Stop Don't Read This fame, will be signing copies of her book at Waterstone's at Kingsgate, Huddersfield on Saturday 23rd July between 1-3pm. Alistair Sutcliffe, the maruading GP and author of THE HARDEST CLIMB gave a presentation and talk at The Ripon Yarns Festival on Sunday 17th July. It was exceedingly successful. The point is, that for small publishers getting your authors out onto the road to greet and meet the public is essential. We don't have the spending power of the more traditional houses. So we have to be smarter to get the story to the reader. It's like when you start a band and you have to play all the pubs and clubs before you get to the stadiums. You have to do many, many library events and become a rash on the social networks. It does pay dividends as we have seen at Bluemoose, with more and more readers coming to the site and to events.

Mooseleaks

2011-07-17T09:32:00.002+01:00

Just as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and other such worthy freedom of speechers failed to turn up to Julian Assange's party last week, they also failed to turn up to the launch of STOP DON'T READ THIS- The Story, by Leonora Rustamova at The Hebden Bridge Bookshop yesterday. Rather amiss methinks but they were probably rescuing a waif from some Australasian shore. However, many people did turn up and bought bucket loads of the book. It was a great success. SDRT has become,overnight,the bestselling book the bookshop has had in over a year, so gold stars all round and now the story must travel and the truth will finally be heard.

Hebden Bridge Launch

2011-07-16T07:53:00.004+01:00

Today we are launching STOP DON'T READ THIS - The Story by Leonora Rustamova at The Hebden Bridge Bookshop between 12 -2pm. As we have witnessed of late, some of the press always sink to the lowest common denominator and go for the salacious aspects of any story. We appear, as a nation, to decry acts of goodwill that are done purely to help an idividual or a group to get along. In our cynical world there must always be a personal motive for doogoodery, and doogooders are 'interfering ne'er do wells,' who practice the dark arts. Leonora wrote a book for 5 pupils who had been marginalised and were on the edge of being excluded. Her book was heralded as a great success and she was promoted but then arrived the serial careerists, small people with small minds and blinkered vivions, the type who like uniforms and always point to rule books and harrumph a lot. We won't be letting these people into the bookshop to celebrate what is a brilliant piece of writing. They will be banned and banished for their lack of humanity. We will kill them with our smiles. Oh ,and they wear brown. A lot.

London Calling

2011-07-15T06:29:00.002+01:00

After four years of publishing in the northern outposts of Hebden Bridge, the carrier pigeon of news has just reached Londinium. I received an email from the books editor of THE GUARDIAN asking me to send two copies of KING CROW by Michael Stewart. They wanted to read it as part of The Guardian's First Novel award. They'd asked for titles they might have missed. A lot of people commented on the web blog malarkey thing and left great messages about KING CROW. So the pigeon was sent Dar Sarf with a couple of books. It is a stunning read. KES meets FIGHT CLUB as one reviewer said. There is a conversation to be had about access to the lit ed pages but one for another time methinks suffice to say that when there was a two line review of GABRIEL'S ANGEL in The Gaurdian on the 1st January 2011, it was a readers GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR, we sold over 300 copies in ten days. The social network wallers and the twiterati may bleep you into submission but a decent review in the hot metal press still works wonders. I've lit two candles in the publisher's chapel of rest for the safe passage of the pigeon.

Rusty on the airwaves

2011-07-14T06:37:00.002+01:00

Leonora Rustamova, author of Stop Don't Read This, was on TV and Radio yesterday and the sales of the book on AMAZON went through the roof. It is now in the top 800 bestselling books in the UK. The old adage about , Product, price , placement and promotion, is true but I'm not about to go all Marketeery on you. Great stories have a way of getting to their readers. It does help of course that newspapers and the media are alerted and you don't publish stories in a vaccuum. At a time of great austerity, economically, it is to such stories the public go for reassurance that there is more to life than paying back debts to usurers and their ilk.
Off to Whitby tonight to present a talk by Alistair Sutcliffe, author of The Hardest Climb. Alistair is the first man to summit the highest mountain on each of the seven continents at the first attempt but last Feb 1st 2010, he suffered a massive sub arachnoid haemorrhage. The doctors told his wife to say her last goodbyes as he would be dead in the morning. He survived. This is the stuff of legend and he'll be at Whitby library tonight from 6.30pm to talk us through those desperate times. The credit cards can wait.

Shameless meets The Famous Five

2011-07-13T06:31:00.003+01:00

Today we publish STOP DON'T READ THIS - The Story by Leonora Rustamova 9780956687630.
Leonora was a teacher who wrote a book for and about 5 pupils. She did so to get them back into class and start reading again. They were all in danger of being excluded. It was a success. The head called it a triumph but there was a few swear words and it appeared on the internet. People panicked. The walls were closing in and the careerists needed a fall person. Leonora was sacked. It became a Kafkaesque nightmare but like Terence Blacker said in The Independent. 'WE SHOULD BE HIRING MORE PEOPLE LIKE MISS RUSTY, NOT FIRING THEM.'
Every parent and teacher should read this book, as well as young adults. It gives great insight into disaffected teenage minds and reveals how the education system in this country is failing so many pupils because they don't fall easily into the education box. Carnegie medal and multi-award winning novelist MELVIN BURGESS has heralded it as ' a model of its kind for working with disaffected male teenagers.' And more importantly all the lads stayed on at school, and have progressed either to college or gained apprenticeships. Inspirational teachers do matter.

Gabriel's Angel Launch

2010-07-23T06:26:00.002+01:00

Gabriel's Angel by Mark Radcliffe is published tomorrow, July the 24th and the Family Moose will be going on a road trip to Brighton where the launch will be held. Those lovely people at Amazon have already been selling it and there are two great reviews. It is also going onto Waterstone's core stock, which means every Wats in the country will have at least a couple of copies, a first for a Bluemoose title. We have been led to believe that there will be a review in The Sunday Times but I'll believe that once I see it in print. Then it's on the road. 6 Wats in Leeds, Bradford, Nottingham, Chichester, Brighton and Portsmouth. See local stores fpr press , as they say. Mark will be appearing on BBC Radio Leeds on Saturday 31st July at 9.45 talking about his book and on Monday 2nd August on BBC Radio Manchester in the afternoon at 4.15. He's doing readings at Hove Library, his hometown on Tuesday 27th July at 6pm , Hebden Bridge Library on Monday 2nd August at 8pm and Rochdale Library on Wednesday 4th August at 2pm. If you are anywhere near these venues, please do pop in and have a chat.
We are all very excited and proud to be publishing Gabriel's Angel. It's a great book. You must by a copy.

Moose on Radio 2

2010-06-15T06:47:00.002+01:00

Last night was a first for Bluemoose Books and author Mark Radcliffe as his new book, GABRIEL'S ANGEL got a two minute slot on the Maconie and Radcliffe Show on BBC Radio 2, Monday 14th June 2010. For an indie publisher and first time author to get any coverage on a radio is great, but to break through onto the national radio airwaves means we're getting the message that we're publishing great books that engage and inspire the reader to a bigger audience. Stuff like this happens all the time for the supposed big metropolitan publishing houses, but for indies like Bluemoose its a brilliant platform. And we thank those who had enough vision to see what a great book it is.
Mark will be appearing on more radio after the publication of GABRIEL'S ANGEL on July 24th 2010. Will update you as and when.

MOOSE WAVES

2010-06-08T06:54:00.002+01:00

Mark Radcliffe, author of GABRIEL'S ANGEL will be live on air this afternoon on the Sarah Gorell show, at 2.10pm BBC Radio Sussex. Mark will be talking about his new novel which is published on 24th July 2010. Mark lives in Hove and will be doing a National book tour when the book is published. He will be signing and reading from GABRIEL'S ANGEL at the following Waterstones.
Saturday 31st July LEEDS
Tuesday 3rd August BRADFORD
Thursday 5th August NOTTINGHAM
Saturday 14th August CHICHESTER
Saturday 21st August BRIGHTON
Saturday 28th August PORTSMOUTH

The award winning author Christopher Brookmyre has said some wonderful things about Mark's book.

'I thoroughly enjoyed reading Gabriel's Angel. I thought it was seductively melancholy without being miserable, its philosophical deceit leavened with a delicately measured humour and its characters - both in this world and the next - as engagingly flawed as they were tenderly wrought.'

Here's the quote for the jacket.

' You might think you'd rather die than go through therapy, but what if death was no escape? Gabriel's Angel is the perfect antidote to the glib platitudes of emotional quick-fix culture: tender, astute and very funny.' Christopher Brookmyre

Enough said. Until tomorrow.

The Moose is back

2010-06-02T09:04:00.002+01:00

The Moose is back. Will report later on what has been happening at Moose Towers. Very exciting times at Bluemoose Books.

Alan Silitoe

2010-04-26T07:52:00.002+01:00

Alan Silitoe died yesterday. The loneliness of the long distance runner is, in my opinion, one of the best short stories ever written. If you have never read it, go out and buy it today. He was one of our greatest writers and the Amis's and Rushdies, who today are lauded as literary giants will not be read in 100 years time. Silitoe will.

Christopher Brookmyre

2010-04-18T16:59:00.002+01:00

FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS has finally got an entry in the 'London,' Press...The Observer has mentioned Anna's book as a regional bestseller, which is great news.....I was on BBC Radio Leeds yesterday reviewing the national news with Lisa Holdsworth who is a writer for TV.
We have just had a great review from Christopher Brookmyre for GABRIEL'S ANGEL 9780955336782 by Mark A Radcliffe. Holt Jackson's, one of the country's biggest Library Suppliers, is making GABRIEL'S ANGELS their Book Of The Month for July, which is fantastic news.

"You might think you'd rather die than go through group therapy, but what if death was no escape? Gabriel's Angel is the perfect antidote to the glib platitudes of emotional quick-fix culture: tender, astute and very funny." - Christopher Brookmyre

It's The London Bookfair this week, and our foreign rights team will be there to sell our titles. Fingers crossed that the Icelandic Cloud of Ash hasn't kept away the people with the chequebooks.

Moose on the airwaves

2010-04-14T07:55:00.002+01:00

The Moose will be airing his views in BBC Radio Leeds this Friday at 10.40am. The subject is ghostwriting and celebrity authors....Should be fun. Random House last week wrote off £2Million, rumour has it that it was allied to the flop of The Peter Kay book, Saturday Night Peter. Tim Hely-Hutchinson, CEO of Hachettte, the largest publisher in the UK has said that non fiction celebrity titles will be cut by 25%....The Sleb gravy train is over....for now..until the next time.
It is The London Book fair next week and our foireign rights team will be selling the list, amongst them FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS. We've already sold the rights to a Russian Publisher and we have, apparently interest from another eight Europena publishers. Exciting times.
We've also had a fantastic review from Christopher Brookmyre, who read the Ms of GABRIEL'S ANGEL over his Easter holidays, and many thanks to him for his time and generosity. This is what he said.

" I thought it was seductively melancholy without being miserable, its philosophical conceit leavened with a delicately measured humour and its characters - both in this world and the next - as engagingly flawed as they were tenderly wrought. "

And then he gave us this top two line nugget.

" You might think you'd rather die than go through therapy, but what if death was no escape? Gabriel'sAngel is the perfect antidote to the glib platitudes of emotional quick-fix culture: tender, astute and very funny" Christopher Brookmyre.

I love that man.

Falling through clouds hits the Metropolis

2010-04-01T11:51:00.003+01:00

The Moose has stormed through the ramparts, and is working its way to the heart of London....ish. We are finally getting a mention in this Sundays' Observer Newspaper. In their New Review section, they contact bookshops around the country to find out what the nation is reading. This morning they phoned The Bookcase in Hebden Bridge and asked Felicity what their bestselling book of the week was, and yes, it is a Bluemoose title, FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS by Anna Chilvers. Great stories that are beautifully written do sell. I think people are sick and tired of reading books about writers writing about writing and how they overcome writer's block. Dull, dull, dull, dull, dull.

Off to buy a giant Easter egg.

From Russia with love.

2010-03-30T08:53:00.003+01:00

There has been a spate of emails and Press Releases relating to our deal with a Russian Publisher, most of them had a Bond or Beatles theme, yes , you guessed it, From Russia With Love, Back to the USSR and others. All good news of course.
We are now four months away from the launch of the next Bluemoose title, GABRIEL'S ANGEL by Mark A Radcliffe. The jacket has been finalised, the Advanced Information sheet prepared and now its time to get out and sell what is a great story to the libraries and booksellers. It now has an official ISBN, so you can type it into your tinternet 9780955336782 and there it will be. A jacket image will be arriving within the next week or two, but I would prefer it f you bought it from a terrestrial bookseller or our own website. More money to publish more new books.
I am applying for the position of Professor of Happiness. Its a proper job and you don't have to tell any jokes. Smiles all round.

Moose and Bears

2010-03-26T13:30:00.002Z

A Russian Publisher has bought the rights to FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS by Anna Chilvers. they will publish within the next 18 months. This is great news for Anna and for Bluemoose. I hope this is the first of many foreign rights sales, but this puts Bluemoose on the international publishing map, and for Anna an opportunity to sell her great story to as many people as possible. As Buzz Lightyear said, 'To the world and beyond.'

To London and don't spare the Sherpas

2010-03-24T04:47:00.003Z

Off to Londinium to see the Queen. Whoever is running the trains on the East Coast these days is having a laugh. It would be cheaper, though less fruitful in the afterlife, to hire a Nepalese Sherpa to carry me down to the Metropolis on a Palanquin. And I have to get up before the earliest bird even considers donning a napkin to breakfast on worms. That said, I will try and pop into some bookshops and see what they're pretending to read darn sarf. Toodlepip.

Books Etc

2010-03-23T07:05:00.003Z

The new Books Etc website has been polished and tweaked and is now up and running. www.Booksetc.co.uk FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS by Anna Chilvers is one of the promotional books of the month. We have just had the second improved image for GABRIEL'S ANGEL from our designers in Canada, the font needs adjusting and a few amendments here and there but it looks good, very good. I emailed Christopher Brookmyre a few weeks back to see if, in his busy schedule, he would read Mark's novel and hopefully give us a quote. Well, the good man that he is, despite being in the middle of writing his next novel, has said he will do that over the Easter break. I'm sure he'll like it as it's a fantastic story, beautifully written. Mark has such great insight into the minds of his characters, you feel as if you're part of the action. Brilliant. He could give a few Prize winning novelsists a run for their prose, in fact he'd beat them hands down. Off to sunny Manchester to see what the booksellers are up to. Then tomorrow its off to the metropolis to see what the linen suits are up to.

Great Stories

2010-03-22T08:43:00.003Z

Apologies for being away over the past two weeks. I have been travelling the four corners of this green and pleasant land and although I know there is the technology to blog from wherever, I don't. I have to be in front of my PC at home. A luddite I know. The Moose goes from strength to strength. Since I last ranted, together with Anna Chilvers and Stephen Clayton we spoke at The Huddersfield Literature Festival, Sheffield Central Library, which was well attended and the audience threw some great questions at our authors. I also attended a prison to read from my book and answer questions, and it was very interesting if a little unnerving.
Our next publication GABRIEL'S ANGEL by Mark A Radcliffe will be out on July 24th 2010. The first draft has returned form the typesetters and looks like a proper book. We have received the jacket image from our designers in Canada, and it looks fantastic, very excited to have an image that really does grab the readers eye and reflect what the book is about. Thinking of a strapline for this book and have come up with, WHY HAS GOD REBRANDED SIN? Before you die you have to undergo psychotherapy just beneath heaven led by two angels. It is one of the funniest books I have written in ages. Made me laugh and cry in all the right places and Mark is such a gifted writer.
He teaches nursing at Brighton University and writes for The Nursing Times.

In the bookselling world it was great to read that Foyles are selling books at full price, haven't rid the shopfloor of knowledgeable booksellers and have increased their stock range and guess what? This has increased sales substantially . Rocket science I know. The chair of The Orange Prize had a dig at publishers about what they seem to be presenting to the reader. Books that start bleakley and then get progressively darker. She wanted 'stories.' Well, get yourself a Bluemoose Book. Stories that engage and inspire the reader.

Homecoming

2010-03-06T07:58:00.004Z

Anna Chilvers gave a reading last night at Hebden Bridge library. It is always daunting to read in your home town, you never know whether the assembled throng are there to applaud or assault. It was the former and they asked some great questions. I ranted on a bit about the high street bookshop monopoly and how the 'Lit Eds' from the broadsheets never seem to want to review new writers from independent publishers. To the internet and beyond.
Anna will be reading at Sheffield central library on Wednesday evening at 6pm, at The Huddersfield Literature Festival with Stephen Clayton on Thrusday at 4pm, they are the warm up act for Alexie Sayle, but I think it's a printing error and should be the other way round. We are now proofing GABRIEL'S ANGEL by Mark Radcliffe and it gladdens the heart to realise you're publishing a really great story. It is making me laugh out loud, always a good sign and for all the right reasons.

Moose on tour

2010-03-04T07:20:00.002Z

Back from Scotland and Glasgow is just not the same without the great Borders bookstore that was there. Anna Chilvers, author of Falling through clouds will be speaking at Hebden Bridge library on Friday 5th March at 7.30pm....What do they say about 'prophets not being welcome in their own towns,' well I'm sure it won't happen to Anna. Book sales continue to be very strong and now we will have to do a reprint. Anna and Stephen Clayton, author of The art of being dead, will boith be at the Peacock lounge on Thursday 11th March at 4pm as part of The Huddersfield Literature Festival. All are welcome. On Wednesday 10th March at Sheffield Central Library, Anna will be talking about her book between 6-7.30pm. Thursday 13th May at 12-1pm Anna will be at The Lincoln Literary Festival and then a week later she will be one of four authors, including Gervaise Phinn as part of the Stockport readers day at Stockport College. The day starts at 9am and goes right through to 1pm.
I am at Wakefield Prison on Monday 15th March reading and talking to their reading and writing groups.
The first typsetted proof of GABRIEL'S ANGEL has returned from Carnegie, so we're all busy going through it with a fine toothcomb. We should have jacket images of the book by Monday 15th march from the designers in Canada, and we've also got a very famous writer who has said he will read Mark's book GA and hopefully review it. Fingers crossed, but as it is such a great read, I'm sure he'll find it a great read.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

2010-02-20T09:25:00.003Z

FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS is the 'Must read book of the month,' on the New Books etc website which is launched on Monday.You can go to www.Booksetc.co.uk.

One of the problems of having a book on the internet, is driving your potential readers through the zillions of titles that are on there. However, as Anna's book is in one of the major promotions, MUST READ BOOK OF THE MONTH, the discerning browser will come across her book, the great jacket and superb recommendation from award winning author Lesley Glaister, and then, purchase said title. Hopefully. Yesterday afternoon I met the 23 Reader Development Officers from the North West of England at The Hornby library, in Liverpool Central Library. It was an opportunity to tell them what we're trying to do here at Bluemoose, publish great writing that engages and inspires the reader.
As you may have read here in the not too distant, I have a problem with Martin Amis and the acres of print the supposed literati in the Metropolis give him. Well, in the letters pages of The Grauniad today is a riposte from Anna Ford. Music to my ears. She has a right go at his persistent whingeing at the press and tasks him to take at look at himself. Apparently he lacks 'empathy,' 'is a narcissist,' and is altogether a numpty of mammoth proportions. Ha ha, ha. And these days he can't write either. Marty, me old chuffer, get thee to Uruguay, spend your wifes millions and don't write another thing. Please.

GABRIEL'S ANGEL

2010-02-17T08:28:00.002Z

The final edit has been donme to the next Bluemoose title, GABRIEL'S ANGEL by Mark A Radcliffe....We haven't gone all American on you by adding an intial between his first and second name, but there's a certain Radio 2 DJ with the same name. The book will now go off to be typesetted and then returned looking like a real book. We will then get it back and have a further chance to re-read it, check it for typos , send it off again and then have one last chance to proof it before it goes to the printers. Our designers in Canada, now have the brief and we look forward to getting some images back in the next two weeks. It will be published on July 24th 2010 and is an absolutely stunning book. Great story, beautifully written by an writer who has the capacity to make you laugh and cry in equal measure and for all the right reasons.
Gabriel's Angel is a comic love story set just beneath heaven.

Gabriel Bell was a web journalist with a low sperm count. He was 44, grumpy, sarcastic and irritated by the accumulating disappointments in life. Described by his girlfriend Ellie as ' a man who used to clap like a bloody seal when he saw a beautiful sunrise,' Now the only thing that would make him clap more is more sperm. He keeps checking but to no avail, so IVF it is. So it was bad enough when he lost his job but getting run over and waking up to find himself in a therapy group run by Angels just below heaven, really pisses him off.

It's unique and I know that every reader with a soul will be touched by this book. Grand statement, but a one of the best books I've read in the past ten years. I liked it so much I sold my life insurance!

Falling through clouds

2010-02-13T09:20:00.003Z

Moose Mania abounds....Well, a bit. Anna Chilvers, author of Falling through clouds did a reading at Blackburn Central library on Wednesday evening. It was well attended and we managed to get the Moose message across. Great books that engage and inspire the reader. We have a few weeks off before we start on the road again. Sales are great, reprinting soon. Anna's book has been chosen as The Must Read Book of the month for the new BOOKS ETC Website which will be up and running next week......You can go to www.Booksetc.co.uk and there you'll see the book in all its glory....Week three of all the newspapers going overboard about our man with new teeth, Mr Amis......Madness......I'm now in therapy.....
I am doing two visits to Wakefield Prison in March to talk about my book ANTHILLS AND STARS and then I'm to be interviewed for the prison magazine...Then it is back on the world tour for Falling through clouds....And I haven't even told you about the new addition to Moose Towrs...Eric, the labrador puppy.....

The GOOGLE Con

2010-02-09T07:46:00.002Z

The boys at GOOGLE are at it again. It's all to do with them wanting to get their hands on every book that has ever been written, and the new ones too. And then they put them online for everyone to download for free. The call it free advertising. I call intellectual land grab. The intellectual copyright belongs to the person who created the work. Period. The wholesale acquisition of books has nothing to do with the promotion of literature and everything to do with the Googlemoths attempt to control the tinterweb. Pay per click makes Google billions of dollars per year. They market themselves as some kind of philanthropic virtual free public library. Far from it. They want control. They want creative control too. The Google boys may wander round in T's and Sneakers, but underneath they are chasing the dollar like any other Wall Street Banker. And we know what bankers are.

The linen suit brigade

2010-02-08T06:33:00.003Z

Anna Chilvers, author of Falling through clouds, has been invited to The Lincoln Literary Festival in May. Thursday 13th of May has been pencilled in. I may have to buy a linen suit and wander round with a Moleskin and pen waiting for the muse to descend. It will not happen, the muse may descend but I will never, ever buy a linen suit. I was told a great anecdote about two of our 'favourite' authors, lets call them Jules and Seb, who used to be the best of friends but 'allegedly' fell out because one thought he spoke better 'French,' than the other. You couldn't make up stuff like that, could you?

Provincial, but better than most

2010-02-05T12:34:00.003Z

Anna and myself were at the first event to publicize The Huddersfield Literature Festival on Wednesday night. Anna read from her novel, FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS and I ranted on about the plight of the independent publisher. Great night had by all and cheaper than therapy, for me that is. I have just sent off Anna's book to all the Lit Eds in London , again. The first hurdle we have to get over is the one labelled 'PROVINCIAL'. Yes, I know it sounds like the opening line from a Jane Austen novel, but one of the worst things you can be called in publishing is 'Provincial.' So, what we are doing at Bluemoose is publishing top stories, beautifully written that engage and inspire the reader. None of this, 'Writers writing about writing,' styley stuff. Dull, dull, dull. The British public don't buy it. Mr Amis's book will sell, but it won't sell enough to earn the massive advance he was given and all the other poor old sods who have books out at the same Publishing House will suffer at the hands of the marketing department who will be going full out to make Marty's book a bestseller. It won't be. But you can bet in another ten years ,if the orthodontally challenged writer of restricted growth publishes another book, the fawning will commence.
Invest in new writers. It's the future don't you know.

AMAGOOGLE

2010-02-02T07:52:00.003Z

Amazon have capitulated over the pricing of Macmillan ebook titles. They will accept Macmillan's pricing structure of their ebooks. We must never forget that any company wishing to sell a book, in whatever fashion, must always ask permission from the intellectual copyright holder, or those holding the rights, before they unilaterally sell 'the work.' The work belongs to the creator, the author. It does not belong to any company. Google and Amazon are massive organisations, but they create nothing. They are delivery systems. The artists should always be in charge of their own work. If it ever changes, we're in trouble. But don't think that this will be the end of it. Amazon used the word 'monopoly' in their statement. And American courts don't like that word. But if the creator of a book can't have a monopoly over what they have produced, who Can?

Authornazia

2010-02-01T07:46:00.003Z

I am retiring underground for a couple of weeks. I cannot stand it anymore. Kingsley Junior, our man with the new dentures and largest forehead in literature, is everywhere. He has a new book out and the lit eds are laying down their garlands of approval with hectares of Martinprint. He wrote a good book once but that was 26 years ago. Please take all writing implements away from him. Now. Put him out of his misery. Authornazia is the only decent way to end the interminable agony of waiting for Martin's Mojo to return.

Moose Miles

2010-01-29T07:24:00.003Z

The last 36 hours have been truly hectic. On Wednesday evening both Anna and I were at Blackwells Sheffield Hallam, where she was signing books and talking about her novel. Lesley Glaister, the award winning author was there and was effucive in her praise. The next day, Anna was appearing on the morning show on BBC Radio Coventry/warwickshire at 10am. Due to a no show, I achieved a lifetime's ambition. I was asked to choose a favourite record, a first song that inspired me. Well, it was Tears of a clown by Smokey Robinson. I was 6. In my opinion the percet three minute pop song. Soul at its best. But the real point was for Anna to do her interview about her book, her signings at Waterstones in Nuneaton on Saturday 30th Jan at 12.30 and then at Nuneaton library at 2.30. We left Coventry and flew up the M1 to do an event at Brighouse library at 2pm. Many miles, lots of chatter and lots of people buying books. We will altready have to do a reprint after only 3 weeks after publication. FAlling through clouds is exceeding all expectations.

Son Of Kingsley

2010-01-25T06:18:00.002Z

They were at it again yesterday, the lit eds that is. Mr Amis, the dimuntive author with the expensive teeth and very, very rich wife, has a new book out. Let the fawning begin. The Grauniad are holding an event where the son of Kingsley will hold forth and talk about his book Times Arrow. He has a new book out and yet is talking about his old books. Why is this newsworthy? Why are our supposed critical literary press giving page after page to an elderly writer who hasn't had anything interesting to say for a decade and a half? Surely there are new writers who are talented enough to warrant an interview. His dad was famous, he slept with some women, he smokes a lot and had a fall out with his agent to get a bigger advance and had his teeth done. Anyone who makes up the word 'edificide,' about the murder of a building concerning September 11th needs leaving in a darkened corner with something damp to mop his ever increasingly wrinkled brow.

School of hard sentences

2010-01-23T11:15:00.003Z

Off to the Leeds this morning where Anna Chilvers will be signing copies of her novel, FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS at 1pm in Waterstones. The great reviews and ringing endorsements keep flooding in for this 'erotically charged literary thriller.' Anna's book has just been chosen as the Exclusively Independent book of the month for March. EI promotes new writers throughout indie bookshops and libraries in the UK. Next week, Anna will be at Blackwells, Sheffield Hallam on Wednesday at 6.15pm and Waterstones Nuneaton on Saturday the 30th.
I met Mark Hodkinson yesterday, he is the owner and publisher at Pomona and they used to be based in Hebden Bridge. He's publishing some great new stories from Barry Hines and Alan Sillitoe. When the scribes from the Metropolis whinge on about Amis and Barnes and Rushdie, let us not forget they can't hold a candle to these two writers who transformed literature in this country. The three Amigos will be forgotten because they come from the school that doesn't tell stories, merely the corduroy and linen suited litfest school of hard sentences.

World Tour Update

2010-01-21T13:31:00.004Z

There was a fantastic turnout yesterday at Littleborough library, where Anna Chilvers talked about her debut novel, FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS. She told the story of Gawain and the Green Knight, and then read a passage from her book. Anna received some great comments about her book and there were some incisive questions about independent publishing and bookselling. There was more good news last night when I found out that Anna's book had been selected to be Book Of The Month for Exclusively independent, an organisation which promotes new writers throughout independent bookshops and libraries in the UK. The word is beginning to spread. Anna will be signing books at Leeds Waterstones on Saturday from 1pm onwards. Next week she will be back in her hometown of Nuneaton pressing the flesh, doing radio interviews and signing books at Waterstone's on the 30th.

Hubbologists

2010-01-18T07:36:00.004Z

The book signing at Waterstones Bradford on Saturday has been rearranged for the beginning of February. I will let you know the date later on this week. There may have been a change at the top of Wats, but the old problems are still there. The book was ordered and arrived digitally. It arrived in a 'tote' and on the Wats Bradford computer system the book was in the store. However, when said tote was opened the cupboard was bare. The system didn't work. Every digital bell and whistle said the book had arrived. But because they have no goods in staff anymore, they were all made redundant, goods in has to rely totally on what the computer says and the computer lied. The Hub didn't work and there were red faces all round. But all is not lost. FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS will become the best selling new title at Wats Bradford this year. I have been promised and that was from a human being. You know the ones, they breathe and speak. IT Directors take note. Totes and systems are not working.

Waterstone's Bradford

2010-01-16T07:56:00.003Z

There was a fantastic review of FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS yesterday in The Yorkshire Post. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk and today Anna and myself travel to Waterstones in Bradford to do her first book signing. Very excited. I have done many signings with the great and the good. Film royalty, Joan Collins, now she did have a rider and the Duchess of York, she just had motorbike outriders and they can be hit and miss affairs. What is most important is that it is an opportunity to get the bookshop and the local press right behind an author and the book. Despite all the recent bad press about Wats, they have always got behind Bluemoose titles and I thank them for that. Ian Oldfield at Bradford has given Anna's book a tremendous review. He says it is an' erotically charged literary thriller.' That will do me, thank you very much Off to iron the Bluemoose shirt for the residents of Bradford. It's expected don't you know.

Holistic Knee Capping

2010-01-14T07:22:00.003Z

The Moose and Anna Chilvers, who will be reading and taking questions about her book, FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS, are at The Saltaire Bookshop tonight at 6.15. Chains have been placed on the moosemobile tyres, a thermos filled with wholesome soup and of course the obligatory spade. All tools which are essential for the up and coming author these days. There is a two page interview in The Yorkshire Post tomorrow and Anna appears at her first Waterstone's on Saturday 16th in Bradford at 1pm. Sales have been fantastic so far and the reviews have been very good indeed. Of course there will be one that isn't but we will consign that to the bin and the author of such uninformed drivel will be subjected to some Holistic Knee capping. I am a master in that dark art, so be warned.

Book of the month

2010-01-12T07:03:00.003Z

The Moose has the blogging rights at www.incwriters.com for the month of January as a part of their Save Our Presses campaign. Two of our authors, Stephen Clayton and Anna Chilvers have already given us their words of wisdom and I have ranted on apace about the shennanigans and practices in the bookselling high street. Publishers 'buy' space for their books. This is achieved with bigger discounts and one off payments. Nothing illegal in that, but when a store publices their book of the month , I think the public should know that a large sum of money has passed between publisher and bookseller for that book to have a prominent position within the store. It is a financial decision not a literary one.

Wholesale Mugging

2010-01-11T07:17:00.004Z

Getting the book to market is one of the hardest things to do for an independent. There is no point in publishing a book if your readers don't see it on the shelves. This is where the wholesalers come in. They do a great job in distributing titles to every indie bookshop in the country. However, this comes at some significant cost. Discount. A lot. Now, one of them has decided not to stock our titles unless we give them an extra 5% discount. On a £7.99 pbk, that's an extra 20pence off the bottom line. No discussions. Give it us, or we don't stock it and we will only order it on special order. The noose gets tighter and tighter. I could always kill them. Rather radical. Perhaps holistic knee capping will suffice. I may even try and talk to them, but these days speaking to anybody in a big organisation is proving more and more difficult. Our website is the answer. www.Bluemoosebooks.com Go directly there and do not stop at Amazon. If you do, your soul will blacken and my children will starve.

Moose Tour Starts tomorrow

2010-01-10T09:18:00.004Z

Great launch party last night for Anna Chilver's debut novel, FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS. Despite a few cancellations from people heading from the metropolis and other such snow bound places, the Trades Club was full and everyone was well watered and fed. Great buzz and excitement. Fellow Bluemoose authors were in attendance, Stephen Clayton and soon to be published writer Michael Stewart. Many books were sold and signed by Anna and now the world tour starts off in Halifax on Tuesday and all points North, South, East and West. I will place the link to the Yorkshire Post Podcast next Saturday of Anna reading from her novel,
The Moosemobile is MOT'd today for it's long and arduous adventures. To the Moose Cave and away!

Five, Four, Three, Two, One...It's PUBLISHED

2010-01-09T08:23:00.004Z

Anna Chilvers' debut novel 'Falling through clouds,' is published today and the reading public are in for a fine old treat. Award winning author Lesley Glaister loves it, and Waterstones are promoting it as an' erotically charged literary thriller.' Even the weather can't dampen our spirits. Once the tsunami of reviews reaches those blinkered old lit eds in London, perhaps they will be able to see a little farther than their Amis's and review a great book by a very gifted writer. Toodlepip, off to make some vol-au-vents!

The Moose and beyond

2010-01-08T07:26:00.003Z

Yesterday Anna Chilvers was interviewed by Nick Ahad, Literary Editor from the Yorkshire Post. It will appear in The Culture Section of the newspaper on Saturday 16th January. Anna also appeared in The Halifax Courier and Hebden Bridge Times talking about her debut novel FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS. Today she will be appearing on The BBC RADIO Leeds Janothan I'Anson programme at 10.15am , again talking about her novel. It's all about building momentum, to get the word out about what a great read it is. Word of mouth is everything, and so far we have had nothing but excellent reviews.
The launch of the book is tomorrow. There is nothing The Moose can do about the weather, so we just hope that everyone who said they are coming, do, and enjoy what will be a wonderful event.

Moose News

2010-01-06T07:40:00.003Z

The Moose has contacted the Metereological Authorities and the weather for Saturday the 9th January will be fine and all roads to the launch of FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS by Anna Chilvers at The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge, will be open. Tomorrow, Anna is being interviewed by Nick Ahad, the literary editor of The Yorkshire Post. There will be a two page interview and podcast. Anna is also appearing in The Halifax Courier in The THursday issue and she is taking part in a half marathon at the end of February. The Moose model is to start local, build the momentum, and the wave of enthusiasm will finally get to those who shoul knnow better a few months down the line, but then isn't that how it ever was?

That was the week that was

2010-01-04T06:03:00.004Z

It's book launch week....Falling through clouds is launched at The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge on Saturday 9th....Anna Chilvers will be doing an interview with The Yorkshire Post today, plus a Podcast where she will be reading from her book. This will be downloadable from their website. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk All the media interviews will be scaled out at the end of the week for maximum exposure.
Bluemoose is also blogging on the Incwriters, Save Our Presses site. Our first blog will be by Stephen Clayton, author of The Art of Being dead. It is witty and erudite, as you would expect. I will be having my say midweek and then Anna Chilvers, Michale Stewart and Mark Radcliffe will be talking about their writing and being published by an Independent Publisher. It's all about getting the word out about what we're trying to do at Bluemoose. Publishing beautiful stories that are wonderfully written. To promote and publish new writing that engages and inspires the reader.

In with the new.

2010-01-03T08:02:00.004Z

The review pages have been full of,' the best books of the decade,' 'books of 2009,' and what we can expect from the next year. One name was worryingly high on the list for 2010 and already the lit eds are foaming at the mouth. Mr. Amis has his next 'oeuvre' out and the fawning will begin. Martin will create several new words, talk about etymylogical half siblings, go on and on about his teeth, tennis and his father. There, that's his autobiography sorted. Teeth, tennis and father. Heaven forefend. What we should be talking about is all the great new writers, producing magnificent new work, like Anna Chilvers, Mark Radcliffe and Michael Stewart. Out with the old and in with the new, especially when the old have nothing new to say.

World Tour and Book signings

2010-01-02T07:57:00.003Z

World Tour for Falling through clouds by Anna Chilvers: January 2010

Saturday 9th January 2010 - Launch at The Trades Club Hebden Bridge @ 5.30pm

Tuesday 12th January - Halifax Central Library @7pm

Thursday 14th January - Saltaire Books, Saltaire @6pm

Saturday 16th January - Waterstones Bradford @1pm

Wednesday 20th January - Littleborough Library @2pm

Saturday 21st January - Waterstones Leeds @1pm

Wednesday 27th January - Blacwells Sheffield Hallam University @6.15pm

Thursday 28th January - Brighouse Library @2pm

Saturday 30th January - Waterstones Nuneaton @ 12.30pm

Saturday 30th January - Nuneaton Library @2.30pm

That's all folks.

Year of The Moose

2010-01-01T10:02:00.003Z

Greetings and felicitations....The Moose has been somewhat indisposed, I will point the finger at computer viruses and cyber hackery....but I'm back in 2010 and we have a very busy start with the launch of FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS at The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge next Saturday 9th January and then the Moose World Tour starts again, taking in several Waterstones for book signings, including Leeds, Bradford and Nuneaton, where Anna Chilvers heralds from. From then on it's libraries and Lit festivals all the way. There will be newspaper coverage coming up in The Yorkshire Post next week along with the local press. Pre pub sales have been fantastic so far and it all bodes well....I have sent review copies to Londinium but don't hold out too much, but to be honest it's such a great read that word of mouth will make it a success....and then we move on to our next publication, GABRIEL'S ANGEL by Mark Radcliffe, another Bluemoose treat. One of our authors, Stephen Clayton has a special birthday on Sunday 3rd January and I wish him well.
So here we go, the year that the Moose goes global....Hahahaha, what fun we'll have. Get to the bookshops and invest in a Bluemoose title, you'll not be disappointed. There, that's the sales plug.
www.Bluemoosebooks.com

Toodlepip readers.

Half Price Sofa Slebs

2009-12-11T07:24:00.003Z

A worrying sign of the times at Waterstones. Now that they are the only dedicated High Street bookseller these days since the collapse of Borders, it is disconcerting to hear from the powers that be, the reasons why they order books.

1. Track record of sales
2.Publisher Support
3. Market Context
4. Price/Cover

No mention of the word, 'Writing.' Nowhere to be seen. It is irrelevant. Half price Sofa Sleb musings on away days in the jungle. That's it. Good night.

SAVE OUR PRESSES

2009-12-09T07:20:00.004Z

The Incwriters Society started a campaign at the end of September called, SAVE OUR PRESSES. It is a vehicle for all independent publishers and presses in the UK to get together and promote their books. They are starting a Blog in January 2010 and Bluemoose Books will be the first Publisher to write about what we're doing. Of course it's a great vehicle for our writers to talk about their books and writing. The first author will be Anna Chilvers',whose novel, FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS is published on the 9th of that month. This will be followed by Marc Radcliffe, GABRIELS' ANGEL and then Michael Stewart, KING CROW. They will talking about their expectations and the whole process of being published for the first time. I will, at a later date, give you the blog address.

Get out of Gaol free card

2009-12-07T07:00:00.003Z

I went to bed last night with a fevered brow. I had read that the sainted Jeffrey Archer had just signed an £18Million advance with his publisher for a five book deal to produce a contemporary 'Forsyte Saga,' based on a fictional family called the The Cliftons. Now, whatever you think of our Jeff, he is a proven bestseller, so he's in the big league when it comes to advances, but 18 big ones is a tad excessive methinks. Just think how many new writers Macmillan could publish and promote that will be selling millions of copies when the dear lamented gaol bird 'Wor Jeff has long left this mortal coil. Forward thinking, I think not.

Moosefest

2009-12-04T07:18:00.003Z

The Moose has secured a one hour slot at his first Literature Festival. I haven't yet had the pleasure of rubingb shoulders with the great and the good from the Literary world and so, next year, in March, I will be offering Moose opinions to those who wish to Listen at The Huddersfield Literature Festival. Me and Alexei Sayle. Or is that Alexei and I. I will have to buff up on Albanian tractor works and the like, as this Liverpudlian funster used to go on holiday behind the Iron curtain. Stephen Clayton and Anna Chilver's, will be reading from their novels, THE ART OF BEING DEAD and FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS and I will be talking about what an Independent publisher is looking for in a Manuscript. I could tell you here, but then I wouldn't be allowed onto the lucrative litfest circuit. I have bought my Moleskin and white linen suit and have joined the list for Hay on Wye tickets. I think not.

The books have left the building

2009-11-29T21:22:00.004Z

The distribution Hub at Bluemoose will be working double shifts tomorrow as all the orders for FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS will be wending their way to the major wholesalers and library suppliers. We have already sold nearly 40% of the first print run, which is fantastic since the pub date isn't until January 9th 2010 and we have 600 Facebook chums on the FTC Facebook site. Fortunately we haven't sent any books to Borders UK, which has just gone into administration. I hope all the excellent booksellers there manage to keep their jobs or get something before it all goes pear shaped. I personally would like to thank the booksellers at the Birstall Borders near Leeds who made Stephen Clayton's signing there this year for his book, THE ART OF BEING DEAD, such a wonderful experience.
Off to make sure we have enough tape and labels.

Borders are breathing their last

2009-11-27T07:26:00.004Z

The Abacus boys have moved into Borders and as eggs is eggs they will make sure they get their monies worth before they shut the doors forever. They are trying to get somebody to buy the business as a going concern but I don't hold out too much hope for that. The company has been run into the ground by the management for months now. I blogged here some six months ago and stated that you don't become a great bookseller by selling crisps and chocolate bars. The writing has been on the wall for ages but still a beligerent management continued on their blinkered path. You can't compete with the Tinternet and the supermarkets, so don't bother, do something different. Create a bookshop that is a customers delight. Fantastic customer service, brilliant events, become a part of the community, have a different stock profile. Even Amazon don't hold every book, they use wholesalers and publishers and it can take two weeks to get a book. The high street can compete, it just takes a bit of nouse and courage. Let the booksellers run the bookshops and the suits with their Harvard MBA's can count the pennies. Just because you've read Michael J Porter's Competitive Advantage, and Competitive Strategy don't think you have all the answers. You patently haven't.

Pre Pub Sales

2009-11-25T07:22:00.003Z

The FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS Facebook site now has over 350 'friends,' of course some of these might be fly by night chums and don't really care, but the main idea is just to get the name of the book out there in the land of Twitter and Facebook, into the cyber bookselling land and it has worked. Pre Pub sales for Anna's book are excellent and the orders keep coming in, which is great news, considering the book isn't officially out until Jan 9th 2010. We've had some great feedback from Booksellers and authors, which is always great, but the proof will be in how many members of the Great British Public put their hands in their pockets and buy the book.

Borders

2009-11-23T07:35:00.004Z

News that BORDERS bookshops are about to blow is very depressing, especially for all the dedicated staff that have ben trying to keep the company afloat. The writing was on the wall when they closed Books Etc in London and five prime Borders sites around the country. Another telltale sign that all was not well was when they started to sell Mars bars and crisps. Not that I have anything against such commestibles, but when you're trying to gain a competitive advantage against your competitors with Mars bars, the company model would seem to be broke. The printers have told me that posters for FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS have arrived
which is great news. Several books will be leaving Moose Towers this morning to the various Nabobs of the literary world. I will let you know if any of them have the decency to even regsiter our existence. Again, the Moose is fueled by anger and outrage that new writers get little or no coverage in the Metropolitan press. I have therefore sent a copy to Scott Pack at ME AND MY BIG MOUTH blogsite. He loves the cover and is calling it a Literary Thriller. He will post up a review in the next couple of weeks. Toodlepip.

New Frontiers

2009-11-20T07:12:00.003Z

We now have an official Facebook site for FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS and it goes by that very name. Within the space of two days it has 220 friends. Scary as you like. I will post up the FTC World Book Tour which starts on the 9th January 2010.
Every day we are receiving pre-publication orders and invites for Anna to attend library events around the country, which is fantastic. Withering Heights News, our newspaper now has another writer on board. She has some great credits to her name and will be an incredible asset. I welcome her aboard.
You can go to www.witheringheightsnews.blogspot.com follow the exploits of the town and comment if you like. Off to sunny Manchester to spread the word.

World Philosophy Day

2009-11-19T08:55:00.000Z

It's World PHILOSOPHY Day today. Is It?

Falling through clouds

2009-11-18T07:49:00.002Z

The books are arriving today. 'Falling through clouds'that is, the great new novel from Anna Chilvers. Very excited. Yesterday Anna was interviewed by Virginia Mason of The Halifax Courier. She's their features editor and the piece will be in the newspaper towards the end of November. That's when the media whirl starts. The Moose will be sending review copies to The Manchester Evening News and The Yorkshire Post. Start locally, build the momentum and then send s few copies down to the metropolis. The Guardain , Telegraph, Mail, Times, Independent. Our intern, Bernadette has set up a facebook site for 'Falling through clouds.' The site is called Falling through clouds. I may poke you one of these days and already facebooky chums I don't know have been contacting Moose Towers, via the internet. Technology. I might even Twitter around publication time, Jan 9th. I will also be sening copies to Scott Pack at Me and MY Big Mouth, Mike at A View From. Get a buzz going in cyberspace and who knows. But for now I'm Postman Pat. I will not strike.

Book Launch

2009-11-14T10:59:00.003Z

It's a big week for Bluemoose as Falling through clouds will be arriving from the printers on Wednesday. And then it's all about press releases, contacting Literary editors from the regional and national press, talking to local radio and tv stations to coordinate with them with all the signings Anna will doing in January and February. The viral marketing will start Monday, with the help of Bernie, who will be at Moose Towers for the week, learning the publishing ropes. I will then get on my bike and take Anna's book to the main Waterstones in Manchester and Leeds and get them to read this great story and hopefully they will put it on their,'Recommends,' list and through word of mouth, Falling through clouds will become the bestseller it deserves.
I have created a fictional town near Haworth called, Withering Heights. I run the local nespaper The Withering news with my wife....Here's the blogsite link. www.witheringheightsnews.blogspot.com I have just received an email form a BBC Producer who's interested. Move over the ARCHERS, here comes WITHERING HEIGHTS.

Discover something new

2009-11-12T08:51:00.003Z

The Moose has returned from his trip to Scotland and although I wanted to post a list of books that was whetting the appetite of the readers north of the border, I have to report that as Christmas starts earlier and earlier, all the bookshops I visited had their Christmas bestsellers at the front, middle and back of store. So it was Ant and Dec, Peter Kay, Jamie, Jordan and a splattering of Martine. So, nothing new, which is always disappointing. Waterstones were piling everything high and selling them cheap. You can now buy one get one free, although all the titles were not new, but backlist titles. Same old, same old. I will be ordering books from my local independent from now on, at least they seem interested in trying to provide the reader with something new to read.

Ecosse and beyond

2009-11-10T07:38:00.001Z

Greetings from Scotland. I'm in the Kingdom of Fife and about to head off to Dundee and all points North. Will report back on what books are causing a stir in these parts. Toodlepip.

Road Trip

2009-11-07T12:58:00.002Z

The Moose is preparing for another sales trip to Scotland. My youngest is preparing a road trip CD, Ecosse desert Island Discs. I will be visiting Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth and Sterling and will let you know what new writers are causing a stir north of the border. There has been a notable backlash to celebrity novels in the wake of Martine McCutcheon's burgeoning literary career. I haven't read it but the word on the street is that it's a pile of the proverbial. Apparently she writes like an angel, according to her publicist. Mmmm. Enough said. Sales of Sleb autobiographies are significantly down on last year, even given that Wats and Smiths are virtually giving them away. People become wary of books that are so below the RRP. Editors and Sales Directors from the big six will be worried. Very worried and rightly so. When the investment in writing is so skewed towards the quick buck from 'sofa names,' then the car crash is just around the corner. Thank the Lord there are independent minded publishers out there like Bluemoose, committed to publishing great stories from talented and gifted writers.

Viral Marketing

2009-11-05T14:53:00.003Z

The Artwork has been sent to the printers and so we will have the posters for Falling through clouds. very soon. The invitations too, are being printed for the launch at The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge on January 9th 2010. Bluemoose has its very first intern who wil be starting at Moose Towers on Monday 16th November. She will be helping me with the viral marketing campaign. Hopefully by then we will have the books sorted, so we can send them off to reviewers. Time online and on the phone to start the momentum and keep it going until after the launch.

I am Martine.

2009-11-03T07:01:00.003Z

Today the Moose is booked into a clinic and is undergoing plastic surgery. I want to become Martine McCutcheon. It would appear that Woman's Hour on Radio 4 only interview Soaplets, or other such Slebs for the book spot. So, it's under the knife I go and then I can appear on Radio. Of course you don't have to be beautiful to appear on radio, but it helps. I have tried the face masks, but these BBC Producers are made of sterner stuff and could see straight through my charade. When I'm next in London I may have to storm the Beeb and demand they interview a writer that hasn't received a seven figure sum purely because she's well known and appeared pouting on our screens. That lady is Anna Chilvers, author of Falling through clouds.