Well then, some news from the page formerly known as the Gibbous Shed. Due to circumstances very much beyond my own control, No Good Deed now has a marginally less provisional publication date of September. At least there are no law-suits in view and nor has the book made it as far as proof stage before being declared unfit for publication. No, it is in good nick and has been since the structural edit in November. Anyway, suffice to say, this means I have much more time to write Moffat III as I do not have copy-editor's notes to review for at least another month. Also, there is little point in wandering round local book-shops begging them to take my book or indeed host a launch party as any date set in jelly is not the firmest.
Those of you who haven't spammed e-mails from Unbound better look to reading anything from July onwards as you'll be asked to confirm the delivery address. Those owed special pledge levels (basically anything signed) will need to contact me around that time too.
Nick Goes Phishing
Here’s a story. It’s yours. Not about you, no. But it’s yours. Publish it. Under your own name, under a bushel, under a decade from now. Or not. You can take the credit, there’ll be no criticism. No. How do I know? A reasonable question. Let’s just say, I will silence the critics. There is magic in words, no-one said it has to be white magic. You must copy this out, in longhand, then make your digital manuscript in the usual way. Your runes and cantrips will lie behind in the meta of the file. A combination of keystrokes will attach the necessary code. Not a worm, no, although I loved the symbolism, years ago, though truly, I believed ‘wyrm’ far more appropriate. Nor will it be a virus, just think of it as more magic. After all you didn’t understand the workings of MyDoom any more than those of the fax-machine Mr Bolter used to insist you operate so he could look at your legs. Ah, yes, well I’ve followed your - how to put it - career with interest.
No, you do not need to know what will happen once you attach your file to an e-mail delivered by the client of your choice. Not that sort of client. Yahoo, gmail, whatever. Once the recipient opens it, they will speak to Siri, ask Alexa or worry Weena until they understand what is being asked for.
It will be your book...
Which won’t yet exist...
But will...
Think of it, millions of people asking for ‘The 13th Apostle’, ‘The Pewter Mirror’ or ‘Karen Bigsby is Menstruating’. These are not suggestions. Google them, they are already published, not even by independents, and certainly not self-published.
Yes, you may make up your own title for the story.
Nothing. I want nothing.
Only a signature.
Yours, naturally.
I’ll sign too.
'Til next time!