Welcome to my shed!
Come in, and pardon the dust – I’ll just sweep away these cobwebs. Make yourself comfortable, loads of cushions (too many cushions), and I’ll put the kettle on.
Thank you so much for supporting News from the Home Front. I can’t begin to express how grateful I am that you’ve taken this leap of faith in me, and been the first (of many, I hope) to get behind my story and buy the book. I’m thrilled that you’ll all have your names printed in the book as supporters of my literary endeavours.
I was reminded of the subscriber model of publishing that Charles Dickens employed in this excellent Virgin Podcast with Unbound’s CEO, Dan Kieran: https://www.virgin.com/entrepreneur/the-virgin-podcast-dan-kieran
Do listen if you have a moment. Dan explains why Unbound was established, the company’s entrepreneurial ethos, and how technology has transformed the publishing industry. If you’ve known me a while, you’ll know that I love history (especially 20th Century art, architecture and literature), but I’m also a big fan of new ideas and innovation. This is exactly why I’ve chosen to sign with Unbound.
When you read the book, you’ll also come to understand how entrepreneurial military spouses have to be. I’ve had to give up jobs (and salaries and pensions) that I’ve loved in order to live with my husband. If we hadn’t decided to prioritise Jon’s career, I’ve no doubt that I would still be at the FT in London. I was on the features desk at FT Business, the newspaper’s magazine arm. I loved the writing, my colleagues, and life in London, more than I probably should have. But I love Jon more.
When we moved away, I had to think of new ways to develop a fulfilling career, and I’ve been pretty fearless in approaching organisations for work. I went into reporting and presenting news shows for commercial radio, editing a business magazine, and launching a lifestyle magazine. More recently I’ve become a senior university lecturer, gained a Postgraduate Certificate of Academic Practice and been made a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
I talk about the constant moves and the self-reinventions in the book, and in the weeks and months ahead I’ll share with you the next episode in this frustrating and thrilling way of life. Jon has just been seconded to the US Navy, so in a few months we’ll move to America. I haven’t yet had an opportunity to process how I feel about this move, but I’ll be back in the shed with more news from the home front soon!
Best, Rachael