Many apologies for continuing delays, especially with new instalments of Dragon in the Post, but apart from crashing computer systems, pretending I’m an International Corporation, and failing to raise cash, I’ve discovered the miracle of Inkscape, which as a design package is astounding. Since I went head to head with the control freaks in New York, I now realise part of it was about an ache to be directly involved creatively, beyond the long-distance-running sort of loneliness that so affects authors. Oh the joys, not only of writing and conceiving a novel, brilliant or awful, but then designing a cover, finding a facility for banners, logos, whatever, and then seeing work moving towards being realised again. Beyond that, while trying to create your own cottage industry publisher, there are the pearled pleasures of not having to listen to some moronic agent, or even a brand-slotted editor. The only draw back of course is money! Still, hardly the only thing in life. What is absolutely essential to a writer though is the belief that partial work will actually get to some kind of audience. Much coming this week, from instalments to catalogues. A ‘Founder’s Blog’ logo has also been created to distinguish personal posts from the work of the Company. DCD
FOUNDER’S BLOG
Filed under Books, Publishing, The Phoenix Story
STORYTELLERS SHOULD LEAD THE FIELD IN PUBLISHING
From WordPress, David Clement-Davies and Phoenixarkpress.com invites authors, illustrators and designers here, and on Facebook, to tell us how Storytellers and artists can lead the field again, in building a community, rapidly linking friends up for maximum profile, and discussing new forms of storytelling and publishing. Contact us here or on Facebook, under DavidClementDavies. New friends are invited to join the publishing party.
Filed under Books, Publishing, The Phoenix Story
PHOENIX, FACEBOOK AND SKYPE
Phoenix fans are invited to join the story, both on Facebook, at DavidClementDavies, and now on Skype, at Phoenixarkpress
Filed under Publishing
Dragon Egg on Face!
Many apologies, but still a Dragon delay. It must be the cold snap in London. Very exciting things coming next week though.
Filed under Childrens Books, Fantasy, The Phoenix Story
A Charming Letter, On Facebook
Dear Mr Clement-Davies,
I just wanted to send you an email to say thank you! I 1st read Fire Bringer 10 or 11 years ago, at the time I must admit, being 14 I wasn’t a huge reader. I first picked up the book as we had one English lesson per week so we had half an hour reading. I can’t remember the exact reason why I picked up the book, but once I did I couldn’t put it down until it was finished. Since that point, I have regularly been immersed in one book or another.
I recently found a copy of Fire Bringer in a 2nd hand shop and was delighted to have the chance to read it again, and once more I didn’t put it down until it was done!! It really is a fantastic book that has had the same effect on me as an adult as it did as a child.
Many thanks for your time in reading this.
Many kind regards,
AW
Filed under Fantasy, The Phoenix Story, Young Adult
PRESS RELEASE
Someone said that when private hurts are made public, everyone gets a black eye. So, apart from the previous post, anything relating to specifics in New York has been password protected, as has A Letter to My Father. It is part of the record of an extraordinary true story that might wake people up to connections and responsibilities, but a Publisher is not an individual, only a shell to nurture and present authors and their work, in the best way possible. Though a spirit of openness and honesty is exactly what Phoenix is all about, from the personal experience of the founder, blogs will only be used to discuss books and stories, provide Press Releases, and move work rapidly forward, or to highlight issues, ideas and questions readers are interested in. If the founder starts mouthing off, we’ll try to give him a cup of tea, and some pen and paper, but he is, like all of us, only human! PA
Dragon Post and a publishing schedule will appear this Thursday. In the next few weeks the blog will be fully edited and re-styled.
“Any path is only a path, and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you…Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself, and yourself alone, one question…Does the path have a heart? If it does the path is good; if it doesn’t it is of no use.” Carlas Castaneda, quoted in The Tao of Pyshics by Fritjof Capra.
Filed under America and the UK, Publishing, The Phoenix Story
DRAGON COMING…
Apologies for the further Dragon delay. Writing and editing, laying out and designing, has swamped things. Fingers crossed for Monday.
Filed under Childrens Books, The Phoenix Story
NOT UNDERSTANDING
“I hold it true, whate’er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
‘Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.”
Tennyson
I’m not quite convinced Alfred was right, and more especially think that a blog is often a bit like talking to yourself, but it certainly unites all in the sometimes happy, more often sorrowful human condition. Perhaps there should be a Dislike key here too, though, now we’re all forced to turn to ratings pursuits, and Push Button Democracy. As for publishing damsels, over here, this poetic heart certainly loved and lost, but wasn’t that enough, and why did said party just stand around and watch an entire writing career being taken apart too? Is it because everyone in New York is so rigid in their bizarre fears, and levels of aggressive Ego Consciousness, they believe not in the great stories, only in bad episodes of Prison Break, and the violent defence of their ‘rights’? I admit, in the Christian suffering stakes, a writer approaching the question of real good and evil in a book might have touched a sacrificial core, but what is it people really believe in? I think I prefer a quote from Kipling, unfashionable priest of Mowgli, animals and empire, but fine storyteller, to add to the poetic Sweatshop of the Soul:
“Oh, the years we waste and the tears we waste,
And the work of our head and hand
Belong to the woman who did not know
(And now we know that she never could know)
And did not understand!”
DCD
Filed under Poetry, The Phoenix Story
LIKES AND DISLIKES
Dear All,
we had a flag from a friend to say their Like Button showed an error message, and it would help to know if that is happening elsewhere. This is naturally a sneaky way of encouraging folk to press the silly thing.
Filed under Books, The Phoenix Story
BEARS
Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you! I have just read with delight your announcement to publish “Scream of the White Bear” next year. Let us know when we can order advance copies. – Barb
Dear B,
you too, but if I knew precisely what I was doing I would let you know! I am so angry about the last two years I am tempted to give it to fans free, but in the ironies of the human animal, people might think it was worth less. Apart from the fact that I would have to start begging down The Old Kent Road, and Polar Bears still wouldn’t have a chance against Russian oil giants, or conventional New York publishers! DCD
Filed under Childrens Books, Fantasy, Young Adult
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