Friday, May 14, 2010

A new era of joy peace and prosperity. Perhaps.

So, the political horse-trading is over and as I predicted, one man has a lot of time on his hands. Probably preferable to what lies ahead for the new government, especially if you have a good pension. I have just over 3 years to wait for mine, and it can't come soon enough for a number of reasons.
Still utterly unvisited, at least the blog makes me think 'book' on a regular basis - sales still ticking along, but it is so annoying that folk will insist on lending a book they have enjoyed to another friend or relative. If they enjoyed it they should guard it jealously and make other people BUY their own copy. But that's ideal world stuff from the impoverished writer's point of view. In reality I am just grateful that feedback seems very positive. I must get stuck into a second volume, but of course that doesn't just pit me against the rest of the writing world - it pits me against my first effort, and that makes it a real challenge! Ah well, off to Shetland in early June, a chance to relax and leave the real world behind. The journey there is always wonderful, the journey back always a terrible effort, but for the next 3 years I have to keep going back to get to work I suppose. How irritating.

7 Comments:

At May 24, 2010 at 12:46 AM , Blogger Ben said...

Is there a post where I can comment on the book?

 
At May 24, 2010 at 9:14 PM , Blogger Tom Ratcliffe said...

You can comment here (if you can fight your way through the tumbleweed!) or there is the facility to comment on Amazon or on book depository at http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781848762169/Prisoners-Property-and-Prostitutes?b=-3&t=-21#Reviews-21
I suppose I should check if it is favourable or not first, but there's opnness for you!

 
At May 26, 2010 at 3:38 AM , Blogger Ben said...

I posted it on amazon.com. I gave it a strong recommendation. Let me know what you think. Ben.

 
At May 26, 2010 at 11:19 PM , Blogger Tom Ratcliffe said...

Still waiting for it to filter through to Amazon, but many thanks and glad you enjoyed it - some 800 or so are now in circulation which is encouraging, and any further publicity is obviously very welcome. Lack of publicity can kill a good book, and equally do wonders for a bad one - I was told that David Blunkett's memoirs sold in their droves but a survey showed it to be one of the most un-finished books ever among readers apparently. Hope I don't fall into that category!

 
At May 27, 2010 at 12:06 AM , Blogger Tom Ratcliffe said...

Hi Ben - found your comment on the .com version of Amazon. It won't let me post any reply on there as I haven't bought from the US site! - But here is what I tried to post..
Many thanks for the comments, glad you enjoyed it. I understand what you say about the title, but choosing one that didn't scream 'just another Police memoir' was incredibly difficult. The idea in the end was to find a title which grabbed the eye and was slightly unusual and perhaps offbeat. Anyway, better than a perfect title and a confusing book. And yes, we really did get a petrol bomb over the counter of the Police Station. Saved on heating bills (briefly) but ruined the year's maintenance budget....
Best regards,
Tom.

 
At May 27, 2010 at 1:48 PM , Blogger Ben said...

How did you select the picture on the cover of the book? I can't recall any anecdotes in the book that would relate to her.

 
At May 29, 2010 at 12:05 AM , Blogger Tom Ratcliffe said...

Much discussion with publisher and trawling of photobanks - the photo was felt to sum up a number of themes - the tunnel gives a view of a journey leading to some form of unknown as it is a job where you never know what's coming next, there's the traffic theme, and the girl is looking at something out of view approaching out of the viewer's sight. A broad series of suggestions of some atmosphere rather than an illustration of a specific event. After all, consider how some of the incidents in the book would look on a book cover - they could be quite offputting to someone browsing in a bookshop!

 

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