Category Archive: Cri Du Chat Syndrome

1. Book Proof Arrives….!

   April 11, 2013 8:48 pm Leave a Comment

   The last few days have dragged waiting for the proof of the book to arrive…it finally did yesterday. Despite having eagerly anticipating this moment for a long time, it was strangely flat. The book looked like a book: I did notice that the cover was a little flimsy at 250gsm (I have negotiated a free upgrade to 300gsm) and that there was a mistake on the contents page, it was not the momentous moment I thought it was going to be.

   However, it was nice to see all the work come together in one place, the cover art appeared so much better actually on a book instead of a .pdf on the screen. I like the design; it really gives a good representation of the content. The pictures in the book are a touch grainy but then none of them were taken with a decent camera (some with a different camera) and I suspect the paper used is not the same as if I had used a publisher and charged £12.99 for the book.

   

   In terms of corrections, I have started to proof read it (again) and have picked up a couple of semi-colons that should be commas and vice versa. The majority of the changes are around re-wording sentences. I am happy with 95% of it but there are still pieces that need attention. After this re-jig, that will be it – back to the printers as a signed off proof, this will mean amending the word document and resubmitting.

   Mark Crone at http://www.clearwatertraditionalmarketing.co.uk has produced a fantastic website; I am very grateful and have enjoyed working with him. He sent me over a test page which shows the book cover off nicely and gives people the opportunity to buy. I think this looks really nice, clean and easy to use. Check out his website if you get a few minutes spare.

   There is still a long way to go before the first box of books arrive for sale but I hope to have it ready for launch by the last week of April. I’ve come this far and don’t want to spoil things by rushing now. Now that year end has finished at work and I can start cycling again, I fully expect my mood to lift and everything to come right; happy and sunny days are on the way!

2. Holidays and Training

   March 19, 2013 7:00 pm Leave a Comment

   Continuing with the cycling theme, we have taken a mid-week break at Centre Parcs leaving all of the mundane work stuff behind. It feels great just to please ourselves and not have to worry about anything. We like the Centre Parcs environment where the car is a second class citizen and people walk or cycle to their chosen activities.

   Although the shops and attractions are not that far away from our accommodation, it’s nice to jump on your bike and bimble through the forest. Even the kids are keen to drop down to the shops for a pint of milk so it must indeed be a novelty. So far, I have put away a pint of Guinness and a huge, American style meal leaving me painfully full. I did spend a couple of hours in the pool but most of this was sitting in the hot tub making sure the kids weren’t drowning.

   The recent chest infection (which is still hanging around in a gunky green way) has meant very minimal training. Today is probably the first time in 10 days that I have felt like doing something. With less than 2 weeks to go before the Radley SWICLE event, I need to remind myself what sitting on a bike actually feels like. I have a two hour ride planned this evening which will mean leaving the Centre Parcs site and riding along the A350; an hour out and an hour back (well, hopefully back in less than an hour). I think a nice, evenly paced ride will serve to blow the cobwebs away and not leave me too sore in the morning. I’m sort of looking forward to it.

3. Book Cover Shot….it can’t be that difficult, can it?

   March 13, 2013 1:35 pm 1 Comment

   I had planned to get a cover photograph last weekend but the weather forecasts were so shocking that we just didn’t bother. Today’s forecast was better so we decided to give it a go.

   One good thing about this whole project is the resurrection of old friendships from my school days. During last years ride, Wayne May put me up at his house in Cornwall and Penny Mumford made the effort to feed and water me at Ludlow train station to name two. Today I hooked up with David Clements, he still lives and works locally and hasn’t really changed that much since 1988. We played a lot of school rugby together but, as we left school to pursue their own lives, friendships went on hold for a bit. David is a keen photographer so I pitched the idea of getting a cover shot for the book.

   Thinking myself just a bit clever for checking the forecast on Sunday and deciding that tonight would be bright and sunny, we planned to meet at 5pm on Chain Hill, just south of Wantage on the Newbury road. I had prepped my bike at the weekend with things like racks and bar bags; the panniers were stuffed to make them look full and my summer gear was neatly piled up ready to go. The brief for the picture was ‘long, winding and undulating road, solitary cyclist struggling with kit on a sunny day’…no problem with the struggling bit as I am still trying to shake off a liberal dose of fatal man flu; the weather changed it’s mind around 3pm which buggered up the simulated summers day a treat.

   Not to be beaten, we decided that the shot would be a moody weather scene instead. I cycled off down the hill for a few hundred yards, turned around and selected a big gear to add to the effect of struggling up a hill. So far, so good, no cars in the shot and the rolling hills appeared in the background. The cold was making itself know by the pain in my fingers; despite wearing gloves, David still struggled to operate the camera. Having got the first run of pictures out of the way, we did another couple of run throughs and seemed to get some nice shots. By this time, it was getting very unpleasant and I was relieved to get back to the car.

   The beauty of this picture revolves around the fact that I am in it but my face will not be visible, always a bonus when you are trying to get people interested with a photograph. The cover shot should make people pick up the book and read a little further (hopefully turn it over and read the blurb). If I could have ordered up the weather, I would have gone for blue sky, sunshine and fluffy white clouds but this was not to be. A more threatening sky and landscape with a lone cyclist would fit in nicely with how I felt at the end of Day 9 near Dalwhinnie in the Highlands. It was cold, damp and windy with a definite sense of being the middle of nowehere.

   I’m looking forward to seeing the results once David has worked some magic on the raw pictures, I can then move onto the next stage of getting the cover designed. Thanks for your help mate, another debt of gratitude to be repaid in the bar!

4. Point North & Pedal launch update.

   March 8, 2013 9:25 am 1 Comment

   The April launch is still looking good but there may be a short delay due to a lack of optimum photographic conditions this weekend (I think it’s due to rain!).

   I had a cover photograph planned which requires the right light, a bright sky and no cars in the shot – I don’t think I am asking for much but the weather may think otherwise. This picture would complete all the media needed to produce the book cover; a quick trip up to Scotland to the graphic designer followed by an initial print run of 100 books would complete the process.

   Once all of this has been sorted, the e-book will be uploaded so both the print and digital versions are available at the same time. Being realistic, this will probably happen towards the end of April. In the meantime, I am continuing to develop this website with the expert help of March Crone at www.clearwatertraditionalmarketing.co.uk. Mark’s knowledge and eye for detail have produced a really good looking, functional site.

   Fingers crossed for a patch of decent weather this weekend.