Galway Print - Independent Book and Website Publisher

Merging of Print and Web Publishing

2011-12-06T16:03:00.000Z

As an Independent Publisher and also involved in print and web design in Galway it seems all these activities are merging in many ways for me. The lines of differences are becoming blurred in this Age of the Interweb. This blog was originally intended to focus on my print publishing efforts, promoting of course, the few books so far published by Galway Print, but also to engage in general discussion about books and the independent publishing world.

Lately it seems I am spending more time talking about website design, which is really just another form of publishing of course, less heavy on the rain forests though! Indeed, most of my efforts to tell the world about the most recent book published by Galway Print, Barbelo's Blood by Joseph Ferri, are conducted through the web. The mainstream publishing world and the system that operates between them, the wholesellers and the high street bookshops are not at all friendly towards small independent publishers. The Big Boys of the publishing world rely on their relatively small number of best sellers for their income, the majority of the other books they publish are there to fill the shelves and huge numbers of them are destined for the pulp mill. The punative sale or return policies that rule the publishing world is a game that few small independent publsihers can afford to play.

The web allows me to sidestep many of those difficulties and opens up the whole world to readers in a way never before possible. Publishing a website for a book, such as Barbelo's Blood brings an author directly into contact with the reader. Making the book available for sale and despatch worldwide by an online independent bookshop such as my own website here cuts out so many folks in the middle.

My next step in merging web and print publishing will be to also publish Barbelo's Blood in full electronic form. Still researching the best way to develop that, quite a few formats available, but one factor will be to again try to avoid being trapped within the constraints of the traditional (or newly online traditional) giants.

Wordpress and Business Website Design

2011-12-02T12:14:00.000Z

As a web designer at Galway Web Works Wordpress is my preferred platform for business website designs. Wordpress allows excellent content management for clients with an easy to understand dashboard and simple editing of content and webpages.

Allowing unlimited designs for business and personal websites Wordpress is Open Source and constantly being developed by thousands of volunteer developers to maintain security and improve the platform. Many free plugins extend the features that a website can have, such as automated backups of the entire website, integrated analytics, search engine optimisation, secure contact forms etc.

I am currently working on a range of video tutorials that will be accessible from the client's dashboard that will walk them through some of the simple editing tasks, such as adding a new web page, editing a web page, uploading images to the website etc.

Although based in the Galway area I can design business websites for clients throughout Ireland. If you want to know more about business websites please contact me here

Neil Mount
Galway Web Works

Bethlehem Restaurant and Takeaway Galway

2011-11-30T10:13:00.000Z

Introducing a new website designed and launched by Galway Web Works for Bethlehem Restaurant and Takeaway in Galway.
Hot tasty food Cooked to Order to eat in Bethlehem's comfortable restaurant or to takeaway. They also offer a Delivery Service throughout most of Galway City. Bethlehem is one of the most popular takeaways in Galway City and offers fresh healthy food in a wide variety of tasty dishes, cooked to order for you.

They also offer a Corporate Food Service for your office party or lunch and dinners.
Click here to visit Bethlehem Restaurant and Takeaway in Galway.

The Ravishing Readers Book Club in Ireland

2011-03-02T07:56:00.000Z

The Ravishing Readers are a book club based in North County Dublin, Ireland.

They have been ravishing books now for four years as a group and have called their Book Club The Ravishing Readers.

They meet every four weeks to discuss their latest literary victim. After every Book Club meeting they write up a review taking into account everyone’s opinion and score the book on our list.
You can see some of those books with full reviews at Book Aware here

Ken Bruen book list

2011-03-01T13:57:00.001Z

Ken Bruen's book list of favourite crime novels is now on Book Aware here

A great book list as you would expect from a great writer!

Book Aware - a New Online Bookstore based in Ireland

2011-02-24T14:42:00.000Z

Book Aware

An online bookstore with a heart, Book Aware will feature a growing number of recommended book lists compiled by Book Aware volunteers, in addition to contributions by authors, bloggers and well-known personalities in literary and arts’ circles.

20% of all Book Aware revenue from sales commissions will be donated to Sightsavers International, who combat avoidable blindness worldwide. At no extra cost, buying just one averaged-priced paperback book here could save one person from river blindness.

All books featured in our lists, plus two million other books, include FREE worldwide delivery through our main partners, the Book Depository.

The ethos of Book Aware is to share our love of great books, provide affordable and competitive prices, whilst enabling online book buyers to help less advantaged people with each purchase.

In addition to the Reading Rooms of book lists, Book Aware will soon include other interactive content, such as Listening Rooms with free streaming audio books from the LibriVox volunteer project, giving people with reading/sight difficulties access to many books online for free.

With your participation, we look forward to helping Sightsavers International in eliminating curable blindness, and to Book Aware growing into a significant resource for readers worldwide.

At present this is a new website under development/testing, and there will be an official launch later in the year.
If you wish to contribute a book list of your own please submit using the submission form here. If your list is accepted it will be promoted on our site, with your bio, a photo if desired and links to your websites and social network pages.

So please, don’t forget to bookmark this site, and -

Happy Reading!

Book Aware

Sci-fi film with Patrick Moore filmed at Castle Leslie

2010-08-17T00:26:00.000+01:00

Showing at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin, August 21st, got to be worth a watch!

A science fiction film featuring astronomer Sir Patrick Moore has been unearthed, more than 50 years since it was filmed in the grounds of an Irish country estate.

Them and the Thing was the work of aristocrat Desmond Leslie, a UFOlogist and amateur film-maker who was friends with Sir Patrick.
It was filmed in the mid-1950s at Castle Leslie in County Monaghan, three years before Sir Patrick began presenting The Sky at Night, one of the world's longest-running TV shows.

Full article here

Film Rights signed for Jack Taylor Series

2010-07-28T13:37:00.003+01:00

Ken Bruen is a prolific writer with many fans around the World and 28 novels behind him already. Ken Bruen is a prolific writer with many fans around the World and 28 novels behind him already. Galway based Magma Productions have signed a deal on the rights for the full series of Jack Taylor novels, more of which to be shot in Galway in late 2010 and 2011

Having just finished number ten in his critically acclaimed Jack Taylor series, there are no plans to call a halt just yet so we can look forward to many more great crime thrillers!
You can find a excellent interview with Ken by Jo Lavelle at the Golden Egg website here with lots more from the great Ken!

Jack Taylor - The Guards by Ken Bruen - TV Pilot

2010-07-27T19:16:00.000+01:00

Good news for Ken Bruen fans and anyone who likes good crime thrillers! The TV pilot of the Jack Taylor films, The Guards, is to air on TV3 on Monday 2nd August 2010
Time: 21:00 to 22:45 (1 hour and 45 minutes long)

More details and promo videos here http://jacktaylorfilms.com/trailer/ on the Jack Taylor Films website brought to you by Magma Productions

So mark that time and set your Sky Plus (or whatever) and settle down for a treat!

New Online Independent Bookshop for Galway Print

2010-07-19T12:18:00.001+01:00

Well, doesn't time fly! Not posted here for an age as work has been battering me relentlessly! Starting to find clear water ahead thankfully and finally catching up with other things, hence my new online Independent Bookshop for Galway Print Publishing books.

The Independent Bookshop is here

At an early stage and limited to the titles published by Galway Print only to begin with but have to start somewhere! I do think that independent publishers and independent bookshops are having an especially hard time of it lately, not that mainstream bookshops are exactly having much of a party these days either!

As a small independent publisher the crippling terms and discounts that most traditional routes from publisher to reader seem almost hopeless sometimes, so I hope that over time this new Independent Bookshop will grow and be a direct route between authors/publishers and readers.

Neil Mount

Jack Taylor Films - new website for Ken Bruen's tv series

2010-02-25T16:06:00.000Z

Just to let you know about the launch of a new website for the pilot tv film of Ken Bruen's "The Guards", from the Jack Taylor series of novels. The website is Jack Taylor Films and has some stills from the pilot film with details about the production, cast and proposed further episodes.

The film was produced by Magma Productions in Galway and the team were (amongst many others):

KEN BRUEN, creator and writer of the JACK TAYLOR novels.

STUART ORME, pilot director (Merlin, Cold Blood, Lewis, Morse)

IAIN GLEN, lead actor (Tomb Raider, Pope Joan, Law and Order, Game of Thrones)

ANNE MCCABE, script writer

MARTEINN THORISSON, script writer

CLODAGH FREEMAN, producer

RALPH CHRISTIANS, executive producer, writer

DR. DIRK SCHWEITZER, executive producer, RTL

It is just a start and if you want to be kept updated with the website you can contact myself, as I designed the website. We intend to update shortly with latest news about the tv series and add more content with reader/viewer comment sections etc.

Neil

New Poetry Book from Galway Print Launched - Disposable People

2009-10-26T09:47:00.002Z

I am delighted to announce the launch today of the latest title from Galway Print. 'Disposable People', a poetry book by the talented Romanian poet Denisa Mirena Pişcu. This work is in English and also Romanian and well worth reading and will initially be available at each of the readings and also by mail order if you contact me directly. Will later be available in bookshops throughout Ireland.

Denisa will start her readings in Cork, info here and then in Limerick on the 28th at The Whitehouse in Limerick, and then Over the Edge in Galway on the 29th, info here

Her debut collection, Fluffy and Mechanical, was published in 2003 by Vinea Publishing House and was awarded the prize for best debut by the Association of Writers in Bucharest. Her poems are included in many anthologies, including Generation 2000 in Romanian Poetry, edited by Ştefania Mincu, (Pontica,2007). During 2007-2008, she was involved in the international project Overcoming Dictatorships - the Encounter of Artists, Poets and Writers, sponsored by the EU, gathering artists and writers from the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania and Poland.

We are very happy to welcome Denisa to Ireland.

Neil McCarthy has assisted greatly in bringing this work to publication in Ireland and many thanks are due to him. Neil is a poet currently working in Vienna, previously in Galway, and his fantastic poetry book, 'Seven Cities', was the first book published by Galway Print in 2008

Barbelo's Blood Reviewed

2009-10-09T16:41:00.000+01:00

Another great review of Barbelo's Blood, this from Gerard Brennan of Crime Scene Northern Ireland.

http://crimesceneni.blogspot.com/2009/10/wee-review-barbelos-blood-by-capt.html

Well worth a read

Super Review of Barbelo's Blood by Donna Moore

2009-09-09T17:57:00.000+01:00

Well, super and lovely review indeed!

Should be best read in full on Donna's (Go To Helena Handbasket) blog, Big Beat From Badsville here

Donna starts thus "First of all, this book is completely bonkers and defies all reviewing," which I confess gave me a start for a moment! She then of course continues to give a masterful review capturing the fascinating exciting craziness of Barbelo's Blood. Read the review!

One Way Trip To Mars Anyone?

2009-09-03T00:07:00.000+01:00

Popular idea or not? Well interesting article, for those of us who gaze starwards, in the International Herald Tribune (my fav newspaper) by Lawrence M. Krauss which argues that the economics of manned travel to Mars are so overwhelming huge that it might not happen any time soonish. Unless... well read the full article for yourself here

Mind you, the perpetual monsoon that seems to have descended upon Galway over the summer months do not make this concept seem so unreasonable. I could of course consider an alternative destination, such as our house in Pacentro, Italy, where I am told the sun shines in exact opposition to our hours of rain. However, that would entail a flight on Ryanair, the time altering flight that makes two hours feel like six months and the return journey a vague aspiration.

So Mars, a one way trip or not? Well I am a man of simple needs. An adequate and large library of books and films, a substantial and un-ending wine cellar.. plus my wife of course, and I shoud be good to go!

No rain to speak of.. plenty of sun.. a bit chilly to be sure but what are polytunnels for?

I might even find time to write at last.

Review of Barbelo's Blood - Galway Book Club

2009-08-31T11:10:00.008+01:00

Thoughtful reader review of Barbelo's Blood below by Tristan Goodfellow of Galway Book Club.

First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for coming to our BookClub discussion last night, and especially to Joe, the author, and Neil, the publisher of Barbelo’s Blood. I have never written a book but I can just imagine that it’s a very tough thing for an author to do, to attend something like this and face people who could potentially tear your work to shreds!It was a great night.

As hoped, Joe gave us a very good insight into the story itself and especially the main character Barbelo. This is not a word for word quote, but the author said that he tried to squeeze lots of concepts into the book in order to provoke thought amongst the readers; allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions to a certain extent…and there are lots of concepts to help stimulate those brain cells. I read the first 320 pages as normal but I have to admit that the last 120 were very rushed due to a lack of time.

This book can’t be rushed if you are to pick up on all the underlying details and nuances.The story is cyclical overall - but to me it seemed as though there were more discrete storylines within the main plot itself and this is why I think that you really need to take your time with it. It is obvious that the author did lots and lots of research for the book. The detail is very intricate in places and the dialogue between the characters is true to the area of London where the story primarily takes place, and from where the main character Barbelo hails.

Someone commented that the dialogue seemed unnecessary at times and that this made the book a tougher read than it should have been, and because of this, the impact of the dialogue (mostly between Sid and Barbelo) was lost as you progress through the story. The author commented that he was aware of this, but it was because he wanted to keep the characters as authentic as possible, and as this is the way that many of residents of this area of London speak amongst themselves and to others, it is true to say that in real life much of the impact of the language is lost and this is what the author was trying to convey.The character of Barbelo, I found to be very interesting.
There’s no beating about the bush with him. He’s straight to the point about everything and I think that the intense dialogue portrays this very well. I also like the idea that he seems to struggle with his emotions a lot. On the one hand, he’s very tough and thick-skinned. He tries to pass a lot of things off in the story as being idiotic or as being lunacy (especially many of the things that Brid tells him) but yet; he can’t seem to help himself paying attention to it and at least considering the possibilities. He finds himself questioning his own beliefs more and more…beliefs which he knows are often the product of his own brutal conditioning as an orphan and as a soldier.

There are lots of other interesting characters in the book which for me continuously peaked my interest in the story. There’s a lot of variation and the pace of the story is quick. If you don’t concentrate, you can miss out on important details quite easily. I would highly recommend it to anyone who’s interested in reading something different. Joe mentioned on a couple of occasions that he was very conscious of getting the overall balance of the story just right; leaving the story open to different interpretations whilst still not being flaky. I thought the balance was very good throughout and compared with some of the books I have read in the book club, including Booker Prize winners such as The Sea or DBC Pierre’s Vernon God Little; Barbelo’s Blood is easily on a par with them, and better than many of the books.

In a nutshell, I really enjoyed this book…just take your time with it Thanks again to everyone who showed up and congrats to Joe and Neil on the great achievement!

Thanks again Tristan, excellent and insightful review.

Book Clubs - Scary but Nice!

2009-08-27T20:11:00.002+01:00

Well myself and Joe went to the Galway Book Club meeting to hear what they had to say about Barbelo's Blood. Now we are new to this experience and it was a little scary but the members gave us a warm welcome and great hospitality.

A nice evening and very perceptive and interesting questions about the book, the character of Barbelo, the process of writing a novel, the research required.. all good stuff and in my opinion exactly what a good book club should be. If I was not so busy, as a reader, I would find that a great way to share and explore reading books.

For Joe, as an author, it was a very rewarding experience to meet total strangers who had read his book and answer their questions. For myself as a new and small publisher, trying to promote a new author and novel, very useful also.

I think the book club members enjoyed the evening too, certainly their first event at which they could meet the author of a book they had read. Tristan, who organised the event has written an extremely thoughtful and interesting review of the evening and Barbelo's Blood. I shall post that tomorrow in its entirety as it deserves its own post but firstly wanted to thank the Galway Book Club for all the above. Fair play to them!

Crime Always Pays

2009-08-20T10:47:00.002+01:00

Declan Burke is taking a little time away from entertaining us with his excellent blog Crime Always Pays to concentrate on entertaining us with even more great writing elsewhere, hopefully more great novels!

I was away a few days and missed the popular uprising amongst his many fans, friends and fellow writers, so looks like Declan may have been persuaded to continue with a reduced input of perhaps a weekly update, which will be welcomed. As many others, once I found Crime Always Pays I made it a daily visit to follow the always interesting articles and information and witty observations.. so shall reset myself to getting used to my new weekly routine!

Many thanks to Declan for all his efforts in creating one of the best blogs in bloggyland for those interested in crime fictiona nd writing in gerneral.

An Interview with Captain Joseph Barbelo or is it?

2009-08-13T09:39:00.005+01:00

Greatly entertaining interview on Gerard Brennan's Crime Scene NI with Captain Joseph Barbelo (AKA Joseph Ferri, AKA Joe, AKA J.J. San Martín) the author of Barbelo's Blood. Here http://crimesceneni.blogspot.com/2009/08/interview-captain-joseph-barbelo.html

Taste of:

Q7. Plans for the future?

Presuming half the planet isn’t wiped out from
vitamin deficiency and man-bird-pig, or some likewise bio-engineered terror
virus, I plan to procure land. High ground. Defensible position. Or a boat. A
gunboat. Failing that, a well-armed fit-bird with a boat – head for the
Philippines.

Trust me, the way things are going, good future plan by
anybody’s standards.

As Joe's publisher, we have a few things to do before he can head for high ground though! I am especially looking forward to the second novel in the Barbelo series which is going to be great!

Galway Book Club reading Barbelo's Blood

2009-08-12T12:21:00.003+01:00

The very perceptive folk at Galway Book Club are currently reading Barbelo's Blood by Captain Joseph W. Barbelo and will have their next meeting 25th August, The Cottage Bar, Salthill around 8:30pm.

New members are always welcome and it is a very active bookclub, most recent book read and discussed being Catch 22 by Joseph Heller.

Tristan from the book club was nice enough to come along to the launch at Charlie Byrnes and persuaded the author (we think) to come along to this meeting and chat about the book, which I think will be a first for them, the opportunity to talk to the author of one of the books that they are reading. That should be fun so anyone interested let me know and will pass on contact details for the club.

Anti-Heros are just that

2009-08-11T08:56:00.004+01:00

Interesting interview last evening on RTE's Arts Show with Stuart Neville, talking about The Twelve. A great insight into the novel and the background therein and look forward to the other books in the series.

The interviewer asked one question that I thought was of especial interest.. about the difficulty of having the central character like Fegan be doing such terrible things and yet the reader is supposed to be sympathetic with him.. or something like that. A common misconception I think and one which has arisen with some readers of Barbelo's Blood too.. you are not supposed to AGREE with him I say! Barbelo is a monster, not of his own creation, but as result of what he has been through and become.

He is also funny and crazy and has a world view unlike any other.. which drives his story and his actions. Many great stories revolve around an anti-hero, not to be agreed with but enjoyed. One of the greatest anti-heros I ever read was the infamous Capt Harry Flashman, the brilliant creation (well re-creation) of George MacDonald Fraser. A loathsome character with few redeeming qualities, yet utterly entertaining and fascinating. Fraser painted a vivid historical picture into which Flash Harry bounded with cruel amoral enthusiasm, driven by nothing but vanity, avarice and lust!

The ultimate cad with not an ounce of loyalty to anyone but himself. In Flash at the Charge, pursued by terrible cossack lancers in a bid for freedom across a frigid frozen lake in a sled, he looks back at the rapidly closing enemy, takes one glance at the beautiful young blonde duchess he is fleeing with and who is in love with him... and shoves her right off onto the ice to lighten the load!

Anti-heros are just that.

A View of Publishers & Librarians: Two Cultures, One Goal

2009-08-10T11:38:00.005+01:00

Interesting article on library journal online by Barbara Fister.

For two professions so committed to meeting the needs of readers,
publishers and librarians have distinct cultures. Put simply, one culture is all
about developing and selling books; the other is about sharing them and
fostering a culture of reading. But there's another basic difference, too.
Publishers work closely with authors and use sales figures to tell them what
readers want, interpreting those figures like tea leaves. Librarians work
closely with readers, using them as informants to help them select books that
will satisfy the diverse tastes of a community.

The full article here which is a great insight into the differing yet related worlds of publishing and libraries. From my earliest days of reading and growing to love books I remember well that lovely warm calm feeling that surrounded me in the school library, an escape from the hectic trivial daily routines and into a world of endless possibilities.

It is years since I was last in a library, shame on me, I will put that on my list of things to do soon!

A novel for our paranoid times.. Barbelo's Blood, Review by Kevin Higgins

2009-08-08T08:16:00.004+01:00

Well I did say it was controversial! Interesting and thoughtful review in local newspaper by Kevin Higgins.

Extract here and full review below:
"Barbelo's Blood... drips with irreverence and ends up being the place where The Da Vinci Code meets A Clockwork Orange and Mein Kampf... once it’s had its way with you, you’ll never be quite the same again."

Or as the author, aka Captain Barbelo, responded "Mein fucking Kampf?? haha well at least that was a bestseller too!"

It is fascinating how different readers take different elements from Barbelo's Blood.. that is because it a huge book in so many ways. When speaking of it to new readers I often focus on how fast paced and thrillingly dramatic it is, how dark and noir it is and yet at the same time so funny.. the turn of phrases that make me laugh aloud.. that it is a book hard to put down..

Another recent reader thought it was a brilliant exploration of post traumatic stress.. another intrigued by the myths of ancient history woven through the narrative.. and the mysterious Illuminati..

One thing is clear.. you WILL have an opinion and it will stay in your head for a long time. Anyway, thanks to Kevin Higgins and here is his review.

A novel for our paranoid times

Galway Advertiser, August 06, 2009.
It has been said that contemporary Irish fiction writers tend to attack the past with relish - the Ireland of Christian Brothers and cowsheds and dark family secrets - but to be a little too gentle with the present.

Someone recently asked me why so many new Irish short stories are about nice middle class people making their way in a Dublin apparently devoid of criminals or Polish people; in other words a Dublin that does not exist and perhaps, unlike the cowsheds and Christian Brothers, never existed?

Well, Barbelo’s Blood by Capt Joseph W Barbelo (published by Galway Print, €15.99) is perhaps the answer to that person’s prayers.

To paraphrase what George Orwell said of TS Eliot’s Sweeney Agonistes, it achieves the difficult feat of making the contemporary world seem worse than it actually is. If your idea of relaxation is reading internet articles about bankers, Zionists, Donald Rumsfeld, and world government, then this novel is for you.

The narrator, Capt Joseph W Barbelo, is a maniac of a character, who becomes obsessed with the elite group of Illuminati who allegedly rule the world one of these Illuminati presumably being the aforementioned Rumsfeld. To “cull” the population, the Illuminati keep the world in a state of perpetual war. Like most elite groups they delude themselves as to their real motives: “They actually think they’re saving civilisation, and from an even greater evil…a world without them to take care of you all, to save you from yourselves.”

This is an almost exact description of the basic guiding tenet of American Neo-Conservatism, a philosophy which has in recent years done more than its fair share to keep the recent boom in both war and conspiracy theories going.

From the first sentence: “The scent of ionised concrete; the underpass, dripping the evening rain, thundering a hundred regrets into my brain”, the novel’s manic prose style
gets down to business. It’s obvious the author had great fun writing this monumental ramble of a novel which drips with irreverence and ends up being the place where The Da Vinci Code meets A Clockwork Orange and Mein Kampf.

On a train journey to Limerick we meet Roberta, a holocaust denying, fanatical republican student with “two legs up to her arse, mad corkscrew red hair, green eyes”. Roberta believes that those in on the world government conspiracy have, down the years, included Augusto Pinochet, Kurt Waldheim, Heinrich Himmler, the Rothschilds and, of course, Tony Blair.

This novel left me in no doubt of one terrible truth:
the real Roberta is out there somewhere and waiting to accost me on a train journey any day now. It will probably happen in the run up the second Lisbon Treaty referendum in October. And she’ll start by telling me about something she read on the Net…

Barbelo’s Blood is a novel that often overreaches, but once it’s had its way with you, you’ll never be quite the same again.

First molehill scaled.. on to Everest

2009-08-04T09:01:00.003+01:00

A fascinating piece by Stuart Neville here about his recent trip to London promoting his great novel, The Twelve. An interesting insight into the publishing world from an author's perspective.

As a new independent publisher I know how little I know, or as Rumsfield might say, I know there are are unknowns ahead, known unknowns a plenty but the unknown unknowns will be everywhere.

Stuart describes how many people are busily and determinedly striving away on his behalf and how much work it takes behind the scenes to achieve the satisfying sight of those books on the shelves. I have to be all those people myself, the thought of which makes me want to go back to bed!

I flew through Birmingham airport the other week and saw the great placement for The Twelve in W.H. Smiths, that must have been a great feeling for Stuart, warmest congratulations. I told Joe about that, aka Capt. Barbelo, and that one day we would see Barbelo's Blood proudly ranked along such a wide shelf. Just a few million hours of work ahead!

I feel a little like I have successfully scaled the first molehill on a one man expedition to Mt. Everest!

Tips for tiny print runs

2009-08-03T09:52:00.002+01:00

Great article on EditorialAss Blog about author's with small print runs for first novels and how to put some of your own efforts in, extract below with link to full article.

n 1997, a first novel was published very quietly by a literary
press. The first print run was 1,000 copies, smaller by a third than the average
modest reprint of another book, and the trade would only take half those
copies--the other half went to libraries, where, presumably, they can still be
found today. In other words, stores weren't even willing to take the risk of
stocking this book, even on a returnable basis. The publisher must not have had
very high hopes--printing 1,000 copies is so modest most publishers would not
have bothered to put the book in print at all, since their gross earnings would
be so minor (or negative). But they did. The name of the book? You might have
heard of it. It was called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Rest of article here well worth a read and interesting comments too.

Sarah Palin gets some editing

2009-08-02T09:43:00.002+01:00

This is just too funny!

Vanity Fair "If you watched Sarah Palin’s resignation speech, you know one thing: her high-priced speechwriters moved back to the Beltway long ago. Just how poorly constructed was the governor’s holiday-weekend address? We asked V.F.’s red-pencil-wielding executive literary editor, , together with representatives from the and departments, to whip it into publishable shape. Here is the colorful result."

Link to the full article here it really is worth looking at, just the first page below, it gets better! I watched that speech live for fun and cannot see Sarah Palin without thinking it is really the Saturday Night Live version.

Charlie Byrnes Bookshop - Or how a bookshop should be

2009-07-31T18:12:00.005+01:00

Just going through some of the photos of the launch of Barbelo's Blood last week at Charlie Byrnes bookshop in Galway. Some pretty good ones that Olivia there took, many thanks to her! I took my video camera down but forgot to switch it on when Seamus was doing his amazing reading! What an idiot! Well it was a fairly new experience for me, I was lucky enough to get through it one piece I suppose.

Lovely bookshop it is by the way, if you do not know it, seek it out when in Galway. Books of all manner stacked from floor to ceiling filling every space available.. new and used.. every genre and type.. a pleasure to spend time in.

Reminds me a little of some of the best bookshops in Hay on Wye, the second hand book capital of the world. I should remember next year to go over to the Book Festival there, sounds like quite some event.

Galway Races & Ladies Day

2009-07-30T21:22:00.003+01:00

Ok, why is Galway the Party City of Europe? 2500 words or photo book accepted.

In a rare moment of sunshine, sipping coffee along the boulevards (alleyways) of Galway this morning, chatting intelligently to my author of Barbelo's Blood, just before delivering the first batches of said novel to Eason's and Dubrays bookshops (Buy the Book!), the answer was clear.

Ladies Day. Photo Book preferred!

After weeks of torrential rain the sun shone and Galway was the place to be. The gorgeous ladies wove an unsteady path on their high heels through the street artists and placard bearers, heading for the Anthony Ryan prize of the best dressed of them all, traffic permitting.

Galway really does it best. One festival after another it seems, all through the year, what is next? Oh yes, the Oyster Festival! Ever spent an afternoon on Nimmo's Pier in the Marquee during the World Oyster Opening Championships? Would you remember if you had?

The Moon or Bust! Or maybe later...

2009-07-30T08:06:00.003+01:00

Forty years on, thought we would have moon bases for sure by now! Declan Burkes review of the new film 'Moon' reminded me of watching the moon landing around the time of my brother's wedding in Italy, little black and white telly surrounded by excited Italians.. and me.

The year before I watched with enthralled confusion Stanley Kubrick's '2001 A Space Odyssey', inspiring to a young lad with a view to the future. Fortunately the book of the film came out a little later and Arthur C Clarke was able to clarify a few wee things for me!

Arthur C Clarke was not the greatest literary writer of sci-fi from those days but his vision was superb and out of his imagination came at least some of the future we now know, without which I would not be watching endless re-runs of Stargate every night!

Possibly his greatest concept is yet to be realised, in 'The Fountains of Paradise' (I think) he described the 'Elevator to Space', a Jack and the Beanstalk approach to getting off-planet, which if built in the future will change everything. Virtually costless once built, not only unlimited payloads launched but also a way to dispose of all those horrid toxic trash mountains we have been constructing, instead of moonbases.

Mary Hanlon and Deirdre Kearney Launch First Collections at Charlie Byrne’s Literary Jamboree

2009-07-29T09:30:00.000+01:00

Galway is a great place to be just around now.. I have a new poetry book in the pipeline for the autumn so shall definitely be heading down to this event!

Over The Edge presents the launch of two debut collections of poetry, Dear Beloved by Mary Hanlon & Spiddal Pier by Deirdre Kearney, both published by the Belfast based Lapwing Press, at Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop on Thursday, August 6th from 6.30pm.

The evening will also see the Galway launch of Chora: New & Selected Poems by visiting poet Nigel McLoughlin, which has just been published by Templar Poetry and Transmorphosis & Other Short Story by Boris Belony (aka Stephen Hughes), which was recently published by Stitchy Press.

And there will be a short reading by David Starkey, the Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara, California who is visiting Galway.

Barbelo's Blood Launched!

2009-07-28T12:04:00.000+01:00

The launch of the new novel by a Galway author, known as Captain Barbelo, took place at Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop in Galway last Thursday. The event was well attended by over one hundred guests and was a great success.

I managed to introduce the evening in pretty good order and presented the author who signed copies of the book.

Galway actor Seamus OhAodha delivered an electrifying reading from the first two chapters which was enthusiastically received by the audience.

Barbelo’s Blood has received praise from the likes of Ken Bruen and lately Declan Burke, author of the Big O and regular contributor to national newspapers as well as Today FM. “Every now and again the world of Irish crime writing throws up a maverick genius, and ‘Capt. Joseph Barbelo’, pseudonymous author of the quasi-autobiographical BARBELO’S BLOOD, is this year’s diamond shining on crazily from the rough”

The festivities continued at Bar 8 where people were able to meet the author in a more informal setting.

Further book signings are being arranged with local bookshops in the coming weeks.

For more information about the book contact me at neil@galwayprint.ie or 087 6252680

Crime Always Pays

2009-07-21T13:34:00.001+01:00

Declan Burke has been kind enough to post the first few pages of Barbelo's Blood on his excellent blog, Crime Always Pays, link below or from list of followed blogs to the left of here.

http://crimealwayspays.blogspot.com/

There is some speculation about the 'true' identity of Capt Barbelo.. well only one way to find out at this stage.. come along to the launch folks!

Independent Publishers

2009-07-16T10:51:00.000+01:00

Interesting article in the Irish Independent by Alison Walsh, extract below and link to full piece at the bottom.

"Far from being tweedy old fogeys, smaller publishers have an energy, a focus and a commitment to books that can often get lost in the larger corporate world, where decisions are increasingly made by marketing departments and publishing priorities are decided by the level of advances paid. Smaller publishers publish books that are mercifully outside the mainstream, that can surprise us and remind us why we love books."

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/indie-publishers-move-in-for-their-share-of-the-pi-1229933.html

Barbelo's Blood Launch

2009-07-16T09:52:00.000+01:00

Galway Print is pleased to announce the launch of our new title, Barbelo’s Blood by Capt. Joseph W. Barbelo at Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop,The Cornstore, Galway on Thursday 23rd July at 6pm

Signings by the author, guest speakers and other events planned.

Refreshments & food available.

You are also invited to an after launch gathering at Bar 8 on the Docks