Start following what we are up to here: http://twitter.com/eburypublishing
Danny Wallace mania has been sweeping the nation this week, with the premiere of the movie version of Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey and Zooey (which I finally found out is just pronounced Zoe, confusingly) Deschanel. An overexcited Ebury contingent donned their glad rags and braved the freezing red carpet in support of Danny this week. Jim and Danny and made a grand entrance on top of a double decker bus which drove into a packed Leicester Square. There were swarms of people, and Danny and Jim spent a good half an hour working the red carpet. After being ushered through the pleb entrance (as opposed to the paparazzi one) we settled in to celeb-spot and yam the free popcorn. Jim Carrey was running about being his usual hyperactive self. The film was a real feel-good movie, and did make us laugh out loud. Danny had his moment of glory as Man at Bar, which went down a treat. The film comes out on Boxing Day, and the tie-in book is in the shops now.
Staying with Danny – we recently organised a photoshoot for the jacket of the Friends Like These B format, which is due out in July ’09. This involved a drive-in studio in Holborn and fitting Danny and four of his friends into his Nissan Figaro, which is not the largest of cars. Naturally we put Lucy (a petite girl) in the front and made Wag, Richard and Other Danny wedge themselves in the back. Danny (Wallace) admitted that no-one had ever been in the back of the car before because he didn’t think they could fit (I’m quite glad he didn’t tell me that before the shoot). The boys got cosy and we got some great shots. We also made everyone pretend to be pushing the car, for some action pics, and Danny’s actor friend Richard pulled out all the stops with his posing. The jacket is nearly finished and looks great.What do you think?
Ali -Assistant Editor
See the winners of the David Attenborough photography competition on Flickr!
Random House have put together a fantastic advent calendar this year. Pull the chimes to find today’s competition and enter to win some great prizes!
Since April 2008, we have been running a competition through the David Attenborough website. Entrants had to e-mail in a photo that related to one of the 5 Life themes: Life in Cold Blood, The Life of Mammals, Life in the Undergrowth, The Private Life of Plants and The Life of Birds. We had a great response to the competition, with some fantastic entries, making it quite hard to choose the winner. However, finalists from each category have now been shortlisted and put on to Flickr. The shortlisted photographs have been sent to Sir David who will choose 2 runners up from each category and an overall winner. The 10 runners up will receive a copy of the Life in Cold Blood book and DVD and the overall winner will win the book and DVD as well as a Canon Digital IXUS i7 camera.
To see the shortlisted entries, visit flickr.
To find out more about the Life series and Sir David and to submit your nature photos to the online gallery, visit the David Attenborough website.
Clare - Senior Marketing Executive
You are the Editor
You have been sent the first draft of a manuscript – a work of adventure travel in which the author cycles across the Atlantic in an inflatable Penny Farthing. Your anticipation quickly turns to dismay as you realise much of the writing is slapdash, the tone of the book is inconsistent and key elements of its structure simply don’t work. Do you:
a) Arrange a face-to-face meeting with the author in which you calmly and constructively discuss how best to rectify the problems within the manuscript, giving specific examples of how it might be improved – for example, how unpunctuated stream-of-consciousness prose is unsuitable for the genre and that perhaps three chapters is an excessive amount to give over to his at-sea toilet arrangements.
b) Film yourself feeding the author’s contract to a tramp, upload it onto YouTube and email the author the link.
c) Draw a diagonal line in red felt-tip pen across every page and post the manuscript back to the author along with a note saying, ‘A chimpanzee on acid could have done better, and would have required a substantially smaller advance.’
Answer c) – Communication with an author should leave no room for ambiguity.
You are the Sales Director
You are pitching the company’s big autumn title – a warts ‘n’ all memoir by the runner-up of Celebrity Dog Swap called Please Fido No – to the buyer of a leading bookshop chain. The buyer is looking distinctly unimpressed, seemingly more engaged by two pigeons mating on the windowsill, one of which appears to be dead. The success of your company’s autumn publishing depends on getting the book into promotions. Do you:
a) Clearly and concisely list the book’s key sales points, citing similar bestsellers in the genre (such as the million-selling When Bonzo Comes Home), a cross-promotional campaign with Pedigree Chum, and an author reading tour that will take in kennels nationwide.
b) Take out the sealed manila envelope stuffed with twenty pound notes from your briefcase, place it on the table with a knowing wink, and announce you are going out for some ‘fresh air’.
c) Throw yourself at the buyer’s feet, burst into tears and wail that if they don’t put the book front-of-store your crippled nephew Timmy won’t have goose for Christmas.
Answer b) – In publishing, as with any other business, money talks.
You are the Publishing Director
It has come to your attention that your PA – a pretty young thing given to wearing short skirts and low-cut tops – has been engaged in intimate liaisons with several members of staff from different departments, all unbeknownst to each other. The secret is now out, threats issued, Facebook friends rejected, and inter-departmental relations are strained to say the least. Do you:
a) Call all involved into your office, emphasise the importance of a harmonious and productive work environment, and stress that personal issues should not allowed to disrupt this.
b) Corner your PA in the photocopier room, place your hand on her thigh, and whisper in her ear that she’s a ‘dirty, dirty girl’.
c) Request your PA put her experiences to paper, and schedule The Erotic Confessions of a Publishing Callgirl for the first available slot.
Answer c) – Publishing is all about seizing sales opportunities.
Ken - Editor
Remember that by posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.