Graham House Dornie IV40 8AP

A series that changed so much is coming to an end

I remember when they released Horrible Histories about 20 years ago. My oldest kids were still in primary school, and dreaded the old history books. They essentially found them stuffy and heavy going. Along came the Horrible Histories and changed their perspective. I assume they changed the perspective of so many children and made history a more exciting and accessible subject for many. The author Terry Dreary has finished his 60th book, and will not write any more books, according to an article in the Daily Mail. I know there have been so many spin-offs and we at Bombadil wish Terry Deary all the best and thank him for the revolution he has started.

Read More

Where do publishes get their statistics?

It is very difficult to get information about publishing straight off, because so much of it is kept secret or the various big publishers use in-house statisticians who inevitably compare different sources. Comparing apples and pears often gives a mix of incomparable information, but don't give up. It is possible, but first you need to know the different main sources. For the UK and for the English speaking world of publishing, The Bookseller is one of the best sources. It sends daily digests about what is happening and have a hot line with Nielsen Book Scan, which is a pay-for information-book-sales-tracking-company. Nielsen often does not monitor what goes on in small companies, and only scan the retail market. Subscribing to information...

Read More

Publishing – need your questions

I have spent a long time preparing for this day. Not really because it is a difficult day, or the task at hand is difficult. No, I have spent a long time deciding how to ensure that our publishing company is ahead of the game with regards to the more traditional giants in publishing. Interestingly enough, it came to me while walking around the street of Derby, pondering on how the industrial revolution became a revolution and not just a small fizz in the giant explosion of change in society. Freedom of speech. The UK allowed the exchange of ideas and thoughts already from the beginning of the 18th century. People could talk, and discuss, and critique. It was not...

Read More

Back to Main Page