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Archive
Behind-The-Books Blog
Articles by Lesley
In need of a pedicure? Send in the Garra Rufa fish.
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
You may not be surprised to hear that I’m not much of a pampering girl. I mean there aren’t many beauty treatments that justify a half hour of boredom, in my opinion. You can’t hold a book with tacky nail polish and you can’t have much of a conversation when your face muscles are being [...]
Your language needs you!
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
We’re all used to hearing news stories every year about the shiny new words that have had the official stamp of acceptance by the English language and have made it into one of the dictionaries. Just the other day, chillax made headlines as it was welcomed into the Oxfrod Dictionary of English (how a word [...]
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside
Monday, August 16th, 2010
That’s your lot people, we’re fresh out of summer. According to my mother (obviously your first port of call for a long-range weather forecast) we might even have snow in the next month. So, this weekend wasn’t the best bet for a trip to the seaside, but nevertheless that’s what I found myself doing on [...]
Interesting public publicity stunts…
Monday, August 9th, 2010
A few stories have caught my eye recently about publicity stunts in public places, many of which were in New York city (co-incidence? You decide.)
First of all, a troupe of improv actors are trying to brighten up everyone’s day by acting out scenes from famous films. Read more here…
I don’t know about anyone else but [...]
I'll have a Russian Stoat, please.
Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Doom Bar, Iron Horse and Smild (the latter probably accurately pronounced with a bit of a slur).
‘Why are you throwing these strange words at us Lesley’, you may very well ask, ‘what on earth are they?
‘Beers, of course’, would be my worldly and slightly superior reply.
About a week ago I enjoyed a lovely day out [...]
Not for the needle-phobic
Monday, July 26th, 2010
Today, in amongst the usual post that arrived at 13 Charlotte Mews (and the not so usual - a Russian food delivery service also caught my eye…) was a leaflet from the NHS Blood Donation people. Now I am the not- so-proud possessor of a Donor card given that in the past 6 or so [...]
Market research and free wine…
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
I’m a bit of a sucker for market research. A few years ago I remember being very pleased with myself when I got paid to spend an hour talking about women’s deodorant, but hey, that’s just me. I also spent hours in a MRA scanner doing brain experiments at university, an easy way to make [...]
Colouring in the World Cup
Monday, July 12th, 2010
So, that it then. The World Cup is over and everyone around the world, even those who detest football, probably won’t be able to avoid the news and pictures of Spain’s win.
What many people may not know is that England’s lacklustre performance has had a ripple effect in the publishing world - news is that [...]
Fishy reads… (literally)
Thursday, July 8th, 2010
There are a number of anglers in my family. My dad, my husband and my father-in-law are all keen anglers which has its up and downsides. The gutting of fish being one of the latter. But on the plus side, buying birthday presents for any one of them is actually quite easy as I can [...]
World Cup woes..
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
So, that was it then, England’s (belated) exit from the World Cup. Humph, well can everyone now please put away the plethora of flags, please? Yes, even you Mr Cabbie with your rather ingenious St George flap sock contraptions that go over your wing mirrors.
In a tournament where England really didn’t dazzle, the few goals [...]
If it was my home.
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
There’s obviously been a lot in the press recently about the BP oil spill, but as with many things, if it isn’t on your doorstep it’s quite easy to be blazé about the impact. Which is why I’m so impressed with this website which puts the spill into startling perspective. Visit www.ifitwasmyhome.com and you’ll find [...]
Roll up, roll up – get your publishing tour here
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
There are always some novel ideas being floated as to alternative ways for us publishers to make some money. Could marketing a grand tour of our offices could be one of them? Read this article on Publishing Perspectives.
This piece made me smile, though I’m not completely convinced it would work in practice. Yet it begs [...]
Tough acts to follow
Monday, June 14th, 2010
Working on this side of the publishing industry’s fence I know how difficult it can be to be a debut author. There are so many hurdles to cross and people you need to win over, starting with your agent, to your editor, to the all-important sales team (I would say that wouldn’t I?!) before the [...]
Sign of the times?
Monday, June 7th, 2010
Last weekend, I had a lovely but all-too-brief wander through my favourite city, Cambridge. The market square was packed, the sun was (briefly) out and the gorgeous John Lewis (Robert Sayle for those of a certain age it now seems) and Arcade development are still a wonderful novelty to me.
As time was quite short, I [...]
What every bride-to-be needs?
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
This August I will have been a ‘Mrs’ for a whole year. And 2010 is a busy one for weddings and I’ll be a bridesmaid for the first time next spring. Should I suggest this cake topper for the bride that has everything already sorted?!
Lesley Crooks, Sales & Digital Manager
One of life’s great little discoveries
Monday, May 17th, 2010
Now, I’ve never been one to forget a friend’s / mum’s / significant pet’s birthday… yeah right… but I’m now all set for any future near-miss date disasters because I have now discovered Cupcake Bouquet. Yes - that’s a bouquet of cupcakes. And if I’m any kind of guide, I’d swap a bunch of flowers for one of [...]
Daddy gadget classes…
Monday, May 10th, 2010
Ha! Here’s a news story that caught my eye the other day.
I can appreciate that preparing for impending fatherhood must be a daunting business. There’s your hormonal partner for one and the joys of anticipation when it comes to nappy changing for another. But I hadn’t quite realized that parents were feeling quite so clueless about the [...]
Americans go crazy for the iPad
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
While I was on holiday at the beginning of April, I happened to be in New York over the Easter weekend. It was lovely! The weather was balmy to my winter-numbed skin, the blossom in Central Park was beautiful (see pic) and there was a buzz in the air. That buzz though may have had [...]
Letters of Note
Friday, April 30th, 2010
Blogging is an ephemeral business: if we have second thoughts about a blog there’s always the option of erasing it from the online world. Which makes me wonder whether this is the reason we are becoming more fascinated with the letters of yester year? Were people more decisive or opinionated when the missive was a [...]
Election Debate
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
Did you watch it? It seems that a fair number of us apparently apathetic voters around the country did tune in for the first leaders debate on Thursday night. It was definitely subjected to a ‘water-cooler’ moment here at the A&B office, as well as at the offices of my husband. OK, so some of [...]
Currently we are...
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...reading
The Slap , by Christos Tsolkias Lara: An excellent reading group choice as there’s much to discuss. Clever, yes. Would I recommend it? Not so sure. Very interesting subverting of characters but it’s taken me till around the middle of the book to start really getting in to it.
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