Friday 14 November 2008

October and November publications and a look ahead

Due to a severe lack of time on my part, the two most recent additions to the Macmillan New Writing library have not been posted on this blog until now (I don’t have interviews to accompany Dogfellow’s Ghost or The Opposite Bastard, but the two novels below are a fine example of the wide range of publications that Macmillan New Writing delivers), so my apologies to you all.

Next month it’s the turn of Michael Edwards' comedy, Wild Oats, and then the new year will bring books by Doug Worgul (February) Len Tyler (March) Faye Booth’s Trades of the Flesh (August) and my little opus in January, not to mention paperback editions of Light Reading, The Herring Seller’s Apprentice, The Dog of the North, Testament, Sleepwalkers Guide to Flight, The Secret War, Gallows Lane, Restitution and a host of others (again, my apologies if I've missed anyone out!).

2009 is going to be a good year. I can feel it in my bones, folks.

But on a more administrative subject, my tenure as blog administrator will soon be over. I guess what I’m saying is that after my second book is published by MNW in 2009 I will no longer be a Macmillan New Writer – just a Macmillan Writer.
This isn’t “goodbye, and thanks for all the fish”; I’ll still be part of this community (in my opinion one of the best writing communities for published authors out there) and I’ll still contribute to this blog, but come summer next year – what with everything else going on in my life - I’ll be looking to hand over the admin duties of “Macmillan New Writers Blog” to one of the other members.
So, how about it? Any volunteers? David is the other co-admin bod for the blog, and there needs to be two. Does anyone here have the blog know-how and the inclination to take this on?

7 comments:

Frances Garrood said...

I'm sure we are all very grateful to Matt for his hard work in keeping the Blog going. I find it an entertaining source of information (and sometimes consolation), although I suppose, like Matt, I'm no longer technically a Macmillan New writer. Not being Blog-literate, I can't offer to help, but I can thank Matt very much for all he's done, and wish him a wonderful 2009, with his new book and, more importantly, his new baby. Cheers , Matt!

Len Tyler said...

I'd just like to add my thanks to Matt and David for running this for us. Hopefully one of the other MNWers will feel able to take this over. (I'm just about up to posting things but I wouldn't have the first idea how to run a blog.)

I certainly hope we don't all abandon the blog with the publication of our second book. Once an MNWer, always an MNWer, in my view!

Ellie said...

I've just realised that I'm no longer 'new', either, with the publication of RESTITUTION. Yikes.

Yes, thanks to Matt and David for putting this blog together.

Eliza

Brian McGilloway said...

I'll add my voice of thanks to Matt and David - though have to cry off any admin duties as well. I'm afraid the third baby means I've hardly time for writing the books never mind anything else. Good luck with your own forthcoming arrival, Matt.

Cheers

Ann Weisgarber said...

Thanks Matt and David -- you two are doing a terrific job keeping us all connected.

I don't know the first thing about managing a blog so I can't help either. Somehow we have to keep this going. Any chance someone might volunteer when you all get together later this month? Would a few drinks help?

Tim Stretton said...

I'm happy to take over co-admin duties. I have my own blog so I can't plead ignorance...

mattfwcurran.com Web Admin said...

Thanks, Tim. I've amended your profile to include admin privileges so you can tinker with the blog at any time from now on. I'll continue doing the monthly publications bit (apart from my own in January - which I'll ask David to do!) until April. We'll chat about it a little more on Friday (can't wait to see you all!).

And thanks to everyone for their words of support. The blog has been a labour of love (such a great way to keep the community going). I still (and probably always will) think of myself as a Macmillan New Writer, but I’m thinking about getting new blood into this blog and I’m being prudent. I’ll have little time next year to give (especially after April), and I wouldn’t want the blog to fall over due to my neglect. Also, more blog savvy people, like Tim, could probably “tart it up a bit” (it’s not the most visually arresting blog around and could probably do with a paint-job).