Spare a thought for spiders. With all you folk isolated at home, I’m sure the brilliant sunshine, in the south, anyway, will show up a cobweb here and there, prompting the thought ‘spring-cleaning’. Also the thought, ‘glass of rosé on a terrace’, but that’s not my point. Our isolation has spiders in peril.
This summer Arachne Press (Arachne, spiders, geddit?), which has published half a dozen of my stories, is celebrating a birthday. Cherry Potts and Arachne have been wonderfully encouraging to me and other small-time writers. Now I have two stories about spiders in its 8th anniversary short story anthology, No Spider Harmed in the Making of this Book.
Nothing too dystopic, and therefore perfect reading for the times, you might say. But, without bookshop launches, it is going to be even harder than usual to pass the word on and get the books sold. And worse, small publishers, like independent bookshops, are in danger of being swamped by Amazon’s best sellers.
So here’s how you can enjoy a great read, treat your friends, and cheer up a beleaguered publisher:
Put in an advance order for one or more copies @ £9.99 (and let me know that you have done it). So much the better if you can do it right away. Order here
If you know of someone who might help us get the book reviewed in June – reviewed anywhere, to be honest – please get me an introduction
Suggest other ways to give the book a boost. Book club, spider aversion therapy, language school, …?
Spiders, trust me, will thank you.