A responsibility weighing heavy...

It's been a busy last few weeks, and the next month or so isn't going to be any quieter. Yesterday saw the finishing touches put to the design and layout for Pocket Rocket, the autobiography of 1980s British cycling star Steve Joughin. While there are a few tweaks here and there to make, what we have now is pretty much how the finished book will look.

I'd meant to accompany this post with a pic of the front cover, but I've spotted one or two things that need smoothing out, so that has to wait for another day.

I emailed a PDF of the book to Steve and his co-author Richard Allen and then sat back, nervously checking the inbox every five minutes. In some ways, it's worse than being an author submitting a manuscript to your publisher. Both Steve and Richard are relying on us to do their book justice, which is a responsibility that can weigh heavy. As is making sure the finished product looks as fine as you can make it, because - it being our first publication - we know that it's got to sell if Nemesis is going to flourish.

Thankfully, both Steve and Richard came back to say how impressed they are with it. At first I thought they'd probably say that anyway, but then I put myself back in the writer's shoes and thought, if I wasn't happy with a draft that came my way, would I say anything at this stage? Absolutely, hell yeah.

I've a meeting tomorrow night with Richard to talk through a few minor issues, but unless anything major crops up, it should be going off to print in the next week or so, which is just as well, as we're working to a deadline.

That deadline has been fixed by Steve's annual participation in October's Cycle Show in Earl's Court, London. He takes a stand there each year for his Pro-Vision Clothing business and if you're looking to launch an autobiography of one of Britain's most popular cycling stars from its golden age of the 1980s, then where better to do it than at a four-day event that is expected to attract around 25,000 people who are, how shall I put it, somewhat enthusiastic about cycling.

In addition to finalising the layout for print, there's a backlog of other jobs that need attending to - the website needs a final polish and some additional text before going live; there is a local launch and book signings for Pocket Rocket to arrange; the final print spec needs confirming with the printer; reviews of the book to be arranged in all the leading cycling magazines, for which Richard is a regular freelance contributor (if you're a writer still confused by what an author's platform is, Steve and Richard are superb examples); and a host of other bits and pieces which eat into your time.

Ultimately, this is at once a cool and yet terrifying time. We're about to make our first big step into the dark and dangerous world of publishing, and, not to put too fine a point on it, I'm bricking it.

Ah well. To borrow a well-known advertising line, what's the worst that can happen...?

Indesign, print runs and new blog pad

The final draft of Pocket Rocket, the autobiography of former British cycling champion Steve Joughin, appeared in our inbox on Wednesday morning. Other than a few final tweaks that proofing always throws up, what we have now will constitute our first official publication - and it's incredibly exciting and absolutely petrifying in equal measures.

The last two nights have been spent putting the words into the Indesign file and connecting the pages to allow the text to flow throughout. That was a slow, tedious job, but now everything is in place, I can crack on with formatting and slotting pictures into relevant spots. The cover artwork was already all but done - we've managed to source a fantastic photograph of Steve crossing the winning line, arms aloft, a look of sheer ecstasy on his face. It makes for a very simple but effective front cover and I just hope I can do the picture justice.

Design work will continue over the next week or so, while attention turns to finalising the print spec and weighing up options for the size of print run. It’s a bloody tricky balance. The more books we order, the lower the unit cost, but the higher the overall initial outlay. And, of course, there’s also the issue of gauging how many copies we think we can shift.

As we’re working to a budget tighter than my slacks after one of Mrs Q’s fine homemade pizzas, it’s going to need some careful consideration.

One other point to make, and it’s a fairly important one.

This will most likely be our last post from this blog - when our website goes live (probably mid next week), there is a new blog built into the site, so all future missives will come from there. We will, however, leave this blog in situ for a while to direct folk over to the new pad.

Right, that’s all for now folks. Take care, and we’ll see you in our new home.

Taking the fiction plunge

One of the most challenging aspects facing us as we look to carve a small niche for Nemesis comes in the form of novel submissions.

With non-fiction, the subject of your book will, generally, identify your market for you. Our next book, Steve Joughin's autobiography, Pocket Rocket, is a prime example; being a local lad, the Isle of Man market should be receptive, and with Steve still being renowned and respected within the UK cycling fraternity (and further afield), we know that the market for his life story should be there. What's more, we know where we need to go and what we need to do to hit both of those markets.

We have other non-fiction projects in the pipeline, along with the first issue of the Vertigo anthology, which, while fiction, is being aimed at a niche market. (There's another fiction anthology we're looking at, but I can't tell you anything here. Far too top secret and all that)

But what we're really looking for is one or two novels to launch that side of Nemesis. The problem is this; fiction is so bloody subjective, it's difficult to know what might sell. And being a small publisher trying to get established, we need each project we take on to do one thing - make some money, as that's the only way we're going to grow and, in turn, be able to publish more books.

I've put aside this week to read the submissions that have built up recently, with a view to clearing the decks by this time next week, although that might be a tad ambitious. I read a lot of fiction, and review some, but when you're reading a manuscript, with a view to backing it with your hard-earned, it's somewhat tricky to be objective about something that is so subjective.

As with most fiction, you're flying blind. You can only trust your instincts, go with what you have a feel for, the kind of story and characters that hook you in the same way as all those good books you've read over the years. And even then, that's no guarantee that a particular story will be marketable. If I had a quid for every time I've heard an unpublished writer moan that agents and publishers overlook good manuscripts 'just because' it might be a tough sell, I'd be relaxing in the Maldives right now. Okay, maybe the Orkneys.

Will any of the current raft of submissions hook me? Tune in next week. Or maybe the week after that.

Time to kick ass

There are times in life when good intentions and supposedly well-thought-out plans can leave you feeling somewhat embarrassed by their naivety.

Those who have followed this blog from the beginning (bless you) may recall that it was to be a quick-fire affair, regularly updated, following our adventures in establishing Nemesis as an indie publishing house. The idea was to give readers an inside look at the pitfalls facing such a venture, and sharing our small successes along the way.

Those same dedicated followers will know that, so far at least, it hasn't worked out that way. Posts have been sporadic, and it's been a frustrating time. There are several factors behind the slow progress, most having nothing to do with Nemesis whatsoever; day-to-day matters that have conspired against us (babies, day jobs, writing books, deadlines for other projects, everyday life - that kind of thing).

Yet one of the greatest things about this life we lead is the ability to look at how events have transpired in the past and say 'bugger it all to hell - today we start anew'. And so here we are. With a zesty freshness and a spring in our step, we're going to kickstart this blog from here on in. Regular updates guaranteed.

However, despite the lack of posts here, things have been quietly moving along behind the scenes - Pocket Rocket, cyclist Steve Joughin's autobiography; first issue of the Vertigo anthology; Nemesis website; calls for submissions for other projects - all of which I'll post about over the next few days.

Watch this space...

Pocket Rocket - the 1980s incarnation of Mark Cavendish

With the first issue of our Vertigo anthology set to go to the printers in the next few weeks, we're turning our attention to the next book, the autobiography of a British cycling icon of yesteryear.

If you followed British and European cycling during the 1980s, you'll remember the name Steve Joughin.

Twice British National Road Race champion and a stage winner in the Kellog Tour of Britain, what the Manxman lacked in stature he more than made up for with a fearsome sprint, and those who watched him in his pomp now look at 10-time Tour de France stage winner (and fellow Manxman) Mark Cavendish and nod their heads in recognition.

Steve was the Cav of his time. He took on and beat some of the world's best, turning pro in 1983 and enjoying eight years at the top. He became known as the Pocket Rocket, the little guy who could beat them all in a sprint.

Not only was he one hell of a cyclist, he was (and still is) a great character, with colourful tales to tell of his time racing around the globe, from dodging guerrilla fighters in New Caledonia to winning a race in Ireland and finding out that his prize came in the shape of a skutch of gas cookers, which he had to pay to have shipped home - only to discover they didn't work on Manx Gas...

Yet, as with all glory, it didn't last. Steve retired in 1991, unable to secure a ride. In a bid to help fill the huge hole that racing, and the thrill of success, had left in his life, he turned to the bottle. By 2001, he was lying in an Italian hospital bed fighting for his life. Not one to dodge a battle, Steve began the long journey towards putting his life back together.

Today, Steve is a volunteer for Alcoholics Anonymous, helping recovering alcoholics along the road he has walked. He lives in Stoke, where he runs a successful online cycling sportswear business with his son, and regularly returns to the Island to see family and friends.

Now, having turned 50, he's put his life story down on paper, with the help of author and cycling journalist Richard Allen.

When Richard approached Nemesis to publish the book, a read of the manuscript and a look at Richard's credentials, along with the knowledge of Steve's popularity within the cycling fraternity, made the decision a fairly simple one.

Richard is the co-author of Elite Cycling Performance and is a regular freelance contributor to Cycling Weekly, the UK's biggest-selling cycling magazine. He's followed Cav during the Tour de France, and there aren't too many names in the world of cycling media that he doesn't know.
As far as author platforms go, Richard's is firmly established - plus he has Cav lined up to write the foreword.

All being well, Pocket Rocket will be published in mid-to-late June, just before the 2010 Tour de France gets underway in Rotterdam, and we'll be blogging regularly in the build-up to publication.

This book is a major step for Nemesis - it is only our third publication, and we didn't expect to have a book with such a strong platform quite so soon, and this in turn has meant a bigger print run than we would have anticipated.

Of course, with book three in the works, we're looking for book four, which we would like to be a novel. We're reading through submissions now, on the lookout for 'the one'. You'll be the first to know when we find it.