Even though I was informed the official launch of Guardian was scheduled for the 14th June I found out by accident that it is available now worldwide from online book shops.

I have added links to Amazon and Waterstone’s on the purchase page of www.Guardianscifi.com.  So if you want to purchase a copy of my book from a reputable online book seller in your local currency please search Clive Osborne Rapley on your local Amazon website.

The next milestone is the publisher’s seminar on how to sell books. It is scheduled for 19th June and I am looking forward to it. I hope to come away with some good ideas and an action plan.

I must knuckle down and get on with Guardian two. I have found too many distractions lately.    I have only managed a few hundred words. I have plenty of ideas the problem is they don’t seem to come out on the paper right.

Guardian Two word count 22780

I have spent most of this week tweaking my websites (I’m a compulsive fiddler). I had been given some good advice from Steve Barancik of  http://www.shared-self-publishing.com. You can read most of our email exchange if you follow this link http://www.shared-self-publishing.com/clives-website-blog.html. There is a lot of Self Publishing information on his website so it is well worth a visit.

He was quite cutting regarding the original domain name I had chosen for www.partnership-publishing.com. It had not really occurred to me how important the domain name was.

Part of his “off line” mail is reproduced below.  I had asked him if he objected to my new site because after reading his advice I ended up with a website which I thought had a similar theme to his. As he had helped me in the first place I did not want to cause any offence.

Part of Steve’s email
“First, my headline response. I have absolutely no objections to your new site. In fact it’s funny to me, because for some reason I found myself googling (US) Partnership Publishing, and your single page on my site came in #4. That indicated to me what it indicated to you: the subject is under-addressed. I also think your notion of using your book as an example is nothing short of brilliant.

That said, I think you’re making one “mortal” error with your site, and it would feel wrong not to tell you. It’s your domain name! It’s a mistake of HUGE proportions to want to be the go-to site for partnership publishing and not to include the phrase “partnership publishing” in your domain name. PLEASE do not sabotage your efforts by going with publishing-for-mortals–that is, unless you intend to cover a wider range of options than Partnership Publishing. Even though you already own the domain name, I recommend chalking the expense up to experience.”

It is gratifying to think that people you come across purely by accident on the net can be unexpectedly helpful.  Dave Cantu the artist who produced the figure on my cover is another case in point.

Long may such encounters continue!

As you can see this website has a new look. I have changed the theme and split off the Guardian book pages.

I have split off the Guardian pages to make a dedicated website and rationalise the layout of this one as a general information/about me site.

There are now three separate websites.

This one of course
www.guardianscifi.com which is the new Guardian Book site
www.partnership-publishing.com a website dedicated to publishing, principally partnership publishing

Take a look and tell me what you think

I am afraid to say I have not done much on the writing front over the last week although I have jotted down a few ideas.

As a total aside I have decided to sell my lathe and my motorcycle.  I find that I am not using the lathe so much and due to ripping my Achilles tendon I am not going to be able to ride my bike for most of this summer. As the MOT and tax are due in September I thought it best to sell now at the beginning of the summer. If things work out then I will purchase a new bike next spring,

Guardian two word count 22400

I have not posted for a while because on May 2nd my Daughter got married. Everything went to plan and it was a wonderful day. While my daughter and I were sitting in the Hotel lobby waiting for the car to arrive to take us to the church a woman walked in with her small daughter.  “I hope you don’t mind but she said she had seen a Princess through the window and she wanted to see her better”. It happened just at the right moment because my daughter was getting nervous.  It made us both smile and relieved the tension.

The Princess

You can see why the little girl thought she had seen a princess!

I have to say I was a little nervous about my Father of the Bride speech but I need not have worried, as it seemed well received by everyone present. It did take some time and more than a few re-writes to get something I was happy with. I have reproduced it here in full in the hope it may one day be useful to someone else in need of ideas for their FOTB speech.

Speech
Ladies and gentlemen, as father of the bride, it’s my privilege to make the first speech, and I’d like to start by saying what a pleasure it is to welcome you all to Veronica’s & Neil’s wedding.

Today, I look at my daughter and I see an independent, attractive, elegant, stunning young woman.  She has worked tirelessly over many months organising everything, creating the handmade invitations, the Orders of Service, and the menu cards, I’m sure you’ll agree everything is first rate.

It does not seem but a moment ago when she was a little girl. I remember when she was about three. She accidently stood on a beetle and squashed it. She stepped back looked at squashed beetle then up at me and said ‘Daddy fix it!’  Another time we were in a shop and a lady asked her,  her name. She looked at the lady very seriously and said ‘Veroncicia, but my Daddy calls me Pest!’ I often wonder if she changed her name to Ronnie because it was easier for her to say!

One duty of the Father of the Bride is to give the new husband advice on married life.  As I am sure you do not want me to stand here for hours, I have thought of a simple illustration which I think sums it all up.

Veronica please place your right hand on the table, Neil please place your hand over hers…

Savour the moment mate… because it will probably be the last time you get the upper hand!

Now I would just like to leave you with this final thought…

The actor Richard Burton once said that ‘a woman accepts a man for what he is and then spends the rest of her life trying to change him.’… So, we should all take one last look at Neil, as we know him because Veronica’s remodelling work starts first thing in the morning.

Seriously, Veronica is a very caring and loving person. She’s my only daughter, and I love her and I’m very proud to have her as my daughter. I’m also pleased to formally welcome Neil into the family. Anyone can see that they’re made for each other. I’m sure you’ll agree they make a beautiful couple.

So please join me in raising your glasses in a toast to the Bride and Groom – Veronica & Neil.

I’d now like to hand over to my son-in-law – Neil.

Guardian Two word count: 22328 words