It’s fairly simple: don’t travel.
That’s my solution; watch the Police and the Tax-Man miss me; I’m immobile!
Having arrived at the start of June realizing that The British Fantasy Society’s FantasyCon was only a little over four months away, the state of the finances of both myself and the company couldn’t be described as being ‘set on solid ground’, and indeed the great statistical likelihood that things will get worse before they get better, the decision has been arrived at that the United Kingdom will be an I.A.M.-free zone during the coming autumn.
This is not something I’m too happy about, obviously, but given the reality that I have yet to repay a single dollar of the costs of last year’s event-filled trip (my première voyage off the North American continent was destined to be legendary, and I’ve never known how to do anything in half-measures) and as my only employment is through Humdrumming it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to do anything about that in the interim, never mind get my hands on the same amount again in a matter of a dozen weeks, there was no choice but this one to be made. Granted, a way for the company to pay my way over and back could be found, but only at the cost of the authors’ well-deserved fees. This is hardly a solution, however, as the only thing that the firm has in any tangible fashion is the goodwill of the authors whose works we publish. Lose that, and the firm has little — if anything — with which to exist.
 Our Table at the 2007 FantasyCon |
What is potentially the most disheartening possibility is that this may be the year that Humdrumming is realistically likely to be nominated for, and potentially win, something during the BFS Awards event. Even if we were only to be granted a look in on the nominations list, the opportunities presented during three-day flurry of events to meet authors we’re publishing, as well as ones who might be a part of our stable either soon or in the more distant future, is not one which is properly appreciated until the thing is experienced. You fall into conversation with people you’d not have met otherwise, people whose work is already proudly presented is seen in a new and brighter light as a result of hearing others speak in reverential terms of the writing, perhaps a chance meeting with a Guest of Honour leads to opportunities not even considered possible until then.
Indeed, this year we have a number of wonderful books to launch, and even have a couple of wonderful things to make official announcements of for the first time. We even are to have our own book launch event, something rarely heard of for any publisher, and certainly not for one whose existence is less than five years in age.
Yet, sadly, this is the way things have transpired this year.
Ah well, one makes what decision one can based upon the information available at the time one makes it.
Still… it’s an arse, i’nit?
Ian Alexander Martin [
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That it a real shame mate.
Any idea on when there might be a resolution from last years trip?
Resolution? You mean about the whole car hire situation? Sadly, no end so far is looming. I recently was able to get my bank account back into a positive state due to small freelance gig I picked-up, but I have yet to have the courtesy of a reply from any UK solicitors I have contacted via e-mail, fax, or post.
How are you making out with your Campaign for Real Service in your area? You were intending to bludgeon anyone not following your own example of actually doing things for your clients, as I recall. It doesn’t seem that too much enthusiasm is being engendered within the legal community, but how’s things going with the retail world “oop nort’”?
To be fair, I’m not encountering good service from a lot of the businesses that I deal with privately.
A good example was when I applied for a new job a couple of months ago. I had to apply through an agency as that was the propper proceedure. Once I made my application, I was assured by the agency that they were processing it for me and sending it off to the company where the role was vacant. I followed it up a couple of days later, by e-mail and phone and was told I would be contacted later in the day. The call never came, so I rang them, to be told that the company had conducted interviews that morning and appointed someone.
That wouldn’t have been too bad, except for the fact that I learnt that the agency hadn’t bothered to submit my application at all! The interviews were conducted for all the suitable candidates and since as far as the company with the vacancy were concerned, there were no further applicants, they appointed someone on that basis.
Needless to say, I was not in the least bit happy with the agency. The real problem for me now is that there is another job going at the same company and they are unfortunately using the same agency, so I have applied through them again. Needless to say, I am trying to stay as close to my application as possible and if I don’t get some kind of confirmation that my application has been processed today (I submitted it last Thursday), I am going to go completely mental with them.
Watch this space.…..
Arse, didn’t get the job.
However, all isn’t lost. I have a few irons in the fire and one in particular looks quite good. A new job isn’t far away.….….… honnest.