So this is it. I'm tired of waiting. With helicopters low overhead, the slight tinge of smoke on the air here in London, and more than the usual number of sirens howling past, I feel some kind of purpose. That in pushing this, the work of over thirty individuals over three years, perhaps I have unwittingly found the most appropriate timing. I'm not going to suggest that anybody is furious about not being able to find this in stores, but maybe they should be. It is very, very good.
Yes, sketches, the anthology book of all the little paper issues, I declare thee 'For Sale'. I feel that the pricing is not offensive, and even shipping costs aren't too bad, not if you consider that they'll ship to pretty much anywhere in the world (as far as I know). And how the things are actually being printed and bound between you clicking the 'Buy' button and it falling onto your doorstep.
I am quite new to all this, so things will have to move slowly, but surely. I know what needs to be done. The plans are in place for an exciting subdomain, here, dedicated to sketches, and removed from my insane rantings. I've contacts in certain positions. I'm making the underground movement. Everybody just needs to tell everybody else.
- Only slightly smaller than the standard Penguin size.
About the book itself. What can I say. I'm including a picture of it on my bookshelf for all to see its scale. It isn't a large scale, and not terribly lizard-like. It is quite small, but I wanted it to be as close as possible to Penguin's regular print size, which seems to be the usual size for pretty much all cheaper paperbacks. Ones with slightly thicker covers tend to be at the same size as the current Penguin Classics collection.
So the only book I have that is comparable is an American printing of The Island of Doctor Moreau, what does this imply for sketches? It isn't full of things about vivisection, I swear. But perhaps it is an example of modern literary vivisection, accommodating as it does so many different voices and feelings.
What I will say now is that I want to compile an all new issue as soon as possible, and I'm opening it up to the world. And don't think you can sit on your hands, some people are already clamouring to be included, and I've already got one or two items in the editorial phase. So yes, unsolicited submissions, please. I promise to be understanding.
Hopefully this will all be made more professional within the month...
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/sketches-anthology/16445994