Hello, welcome to my publishing tale
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http://followmydreams.co.uk
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A publishing tale of how I came to complete Arthur's last dream of publishing his story.
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Monday, 12 August 2013
Dilemma
How to describe this book?
I have written this book in the first person using Arthur's words. Is it an autobiography or a biography?
Is there a better description? Arthur's own account.
Reader's comments:
"At first I was expecting a biography written by Miranda but it was an autobiography!"
"it is written like a professional biography. It is well written, edited and polished."
"A fascinating insight into the life of Arthur Llewelyn. The memories described were very vivid and odd things reminded me of my younger days(like the £5 fine for pulling the communications cord). The writing was clear and I enjoyed the chapters I read although personally shorter chapters are always preferred!"
"I completed the first chapter from where Ivor's Boy is born right through to where he makes the biggest decision of his life to break away from that which everyone else did in Wales. He started studying the sciences. There were a few tongue-in-cheek moments - I particularly liked the breastfeeding episode on the train, which fascinated young Arthur, but he quickly found looking at the cows in the meadows more interesting! "
"A great deal of fascinating insight, as well as uncovering a number of potentially controversial facts concerning the bombing of Dresden"
"The book is a pleasure to read, particularly the relationships between Arthur and the people he met throughout his lifetime. The intimate relationship he formed with Joan is beautifully conveyed through letters and it is satisfying to watch their relationship blossom over 59 years, through difficult times and across continents."
"A fascinating account from the pint of view of both social and technological history"
"the way Arthur took the USAF's radar recce system by the scruff of its neck and improved it thousand fold was an enormous credit to him"
"a complex; highly intelligent; man of vision; years ahead of his time; self disciplined; independent; able to compartmentalise his career, his private life and his family"
"one of the father's of the Cambridge phenomenon"
How to describe this book?
I have written this book in the first person using Arthur's words. Is it an autobiography or a biography?
Is there a better description? Arthur's own account.
Reader's comments:
"At first I was expecting a biography written by Miranda but it was an autobiography!"
"it is written like a professional biography. It is well written, edited and polished."
"A fascinating insight into the life of Arthur Llewelyn. The memories described were very vivid and odd things reminded me of my younger days(like the £5 fine for pulling the communications cord). The writing was clear and I enjoyed the chapters I read although personally shorter chapters are always preferred!"
"I completed the first chapter from where Ivor's Boy is born right through to where he makes the biggest decision of his life to break away from that which everyone else did in Wales. He started studying the sciences. There were a few tongue-in-cheek moments - I particularly liked the breastfeeding episode on the train, which fascinated young Arthur, but he quickly found looking at the cows in the meadows more interesting! "
"A great deal of fascinating insight, as well as uncovering a number of potentially controversial facts concerning the bombing of Dresden"
"The book is a pleasure to read, particularly the relationships between Arthur and the people he met throughout his lifetime. The intimate relationship he formed with Joan is beautifully conveyed through letters and it is satisfying to watch their relationship blossom over 59 years, through difficult times and across continents."
"A fascinating account from the pint of view of both social and technological history"
"the way Arthur took the USAF's radar recce system by the scruff of its neck and improved it thousand fold was an enormous credit to him"
"a complex; highly intelligent; man of vision; years ahead of his time; self disciplined; independent; able to compartmentalise his career, his private life and his family"
"one of the father's of the Cambridge phenomenon"
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Progress towards publishing.
Option 1. My manuscript is now definitely with a publisher for a read through.
Option 2. I went to see a large printer group in Wiltshire where I talked through the preparation for, litho printed, sewn book and actually walked round the factory to see the process at work, also compared with the digital option.
I understand much better now what's involved and what deadlines to work to. The place gave me a good buzz and afterwards I walked through the offices were loads of people working and dealing with the client side. I would be assigned someone to look after my book and liaise with me.
It was made clear to me that it did not matter what font style I use as it will be changed for a book type face and also how I lay it out in Royale size will also be changed. All my footnotes will have to be stripped out and also the photos and diagrams even though I am putting them in with the text. I also need 100gsm coated paper to do this. I now have the margins and layout size of the dust jacket so I can rough something up but the printer will design it for me.
I need to get my ISBN numbers ordered and with a batch of 10 the printer suggested I start thinking of my next book! When we talked I found I had 2 new book ideas already. I'll need an ISBN per edition, one for a hard back, one for a ebook which the printer can organise too. It is nice to feel in control. If I want spaces between paragraphs as I am doing here I need to hit the return key twice otherwise all double spacing will be ignored.
Is anything reading this? Oh and an index, has to be left till all the text is edited and proof read and then I will do it by hand. I am also planning a Glossary of acronyms and abbreviations.
That's enough for today.
Option 1. My manuscript is now definitely with a publisher for a read through.
Option 2. I went to see a large printer group in Wiltshire where I talked through the preparation for, litho printed, sewn book and actually walked round the factory to see the process at work, also compared with the digital option.
I understand much better now what's involved and what deadlines to work to. The place gave me a good buzz and afterwards I walked through the offices were loads of people working and dealing with the client side. I would be assigned someone to look after my book and liaise with me.
It was made clear to me that it did not matter what font style I use as it will be changed for a book type face and also how I lay it out in Royale size will also be changed. All my footnotes will have to be stripped out and also the photos and diagrams even though I am putting them in with the text. I also need 100gsm coated paper to do this. I now have the margins and layout size of the dust jacket so I can rough something up but the printer will design it for me.
I need to get my ISBN numbers ordered and with a batch of 10 the printer suggested I start thinking of my next book! When we talked I found I had 2 new book ideas already. I'll need an ISBN per edition, one for a hard back, one for a ebook which the printer can organise too. It is nice to feel in control. If I want spaces between paragraphs as I am doing here I need to hit the return key twice otherwise all double spacing will be ignored.
Is anything reading this? Oh and an index, has to be left till all the text is edited and proof read and then I will do it by hand. I am also planning a Glossary of acronyms and abbreviations.
That's enough for today.
Monday, 22 July 2013
Influences and big issues.
It turns out there is more to connect Arthur with Doug than I first thought.
Doug was finishing his degree in electronics in 1945 when he was called up. He had chosen to study electronics at Oregon University because he was fascinated by radar and the secrecy that surrounded it during wartime. So he joined the Navy to train as an engineer technician. He sailed for the Philippines just as Japan surrendered. It was there in a thatched library he read about the concept of setting goals and working on big problems to assist mankind.
Doug's career was centred on collective intelligence via the interactive computer. He was 20 years ahead of his time.
"Douglas Engelbart never really gets credit for the larger contribution that he worked to create: an integrative and comprehensive framework that ties together the technological and social aspects of personal computing technology."
He was a new kind of person. This resonates so well with Arthur.
Arthur once said" he was concerned that certain parts of the world were progressing rapidly and becoming richer. These parts may become greedy and full of fear. The other parts of the world are caught in the spiral of hunger and poverty. He wished and hoped that people like us would balance the world."
Anyhow I wanted to share these thoughts because we are in a very serious place in the world's history - our politicians do not know how to handle the problems we face example: by 2017 official figures show we will have to find £70 billion just to pay the interest on the National Debt the equivalent of today's budget for Defence and Education put together. WHOW.
It turns out there is more to connect Arthur with Doug than I first thought.
Doug was finishing his degree in electronics in 1945 when he was called up. He had chosen to study electronics at Oregon University because he was fascinated by radar and the secrecy that surrounded it during wartime. So he joined the Navy to train as an engineer technician. He sailed for the Philippines just as Japan surrendered. It was there in a thatched library he read about the concept of setting goals and working on big problems to assist mankind.
Doug's career was centred on collective intelligence via the interactive computer. He was 20 years ahead of his time.
"Douglas Engelbart never really gets credit for the larger contribution that he worked to create: an integrative and comprehensive framework that ties together the technological and social aspects of personal computing technology."
He was a new kind of person. This resonates so well with Arthur.
Arthur once said" he was concerned that certain parts of the world were progressing rapidly and becoming richer. These parts may become greedy and full of fear. The other parts of the world are caught in the spiral of hunger and poverty. He wished and hoped that people like us would balance the world."
Anyhow I wanted to share these thoughts because we are in a very serious place in the world's history - our politicians do not know how to handle the problems we face example: by 2017 official figures show we will have to find £70 billion just to pay the interest on the National Debt the equivalent of today's budget for Defence and Education put together. WHOW.
Saturday, 20 July 2013
'Follow My Dreams My Life & Times Arthur Ivor Llewelyn'
copyright Miranda Andrews 2013
I thought I had sent my manuscript to the publishers via a "send large files" service as at 13.8MB it is too large to send by email.
When I received an email from the publisher saying they were still waiting to receive the manuscript I at first thought that meant back from the editor; then I thought OMG perhaps they never received it in the first place. It always pays to check and check again.
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