Last month I received confirmation from the publishers that last year were very keen to publish "Happy@work: job hunting for mid-lifers+

Sadly the book is another victim of the recession - doubly sadly as this is the very book people need during this time.

Here's what they said:

We have been discussing in some depth the Happy@Work proposal and it gives me no joy at all to have to say that we have decided not to publish. It has not been an easy decision to make, and it is fuelled primarily by the downturn in the economy and its harsh effect on the book trade. We really have been obliged to pull in our horns, and I’m afraid that despite your very reasonable assurances that a strong market exists for your proposal, we would maintain that sales in this particular area of the list are particular hard to predict, and we are simply having to take a cautious line.

So now, I'm taking a breather and planning how best to approach the issue of publish or not publish myself. I have been let down buy the people editing my book too - after assuring me it would be ready for the planned launch last year they didn't deliver and I had to cancel. Now they have sent me (5 months late - when they told me I would have the edited version 2 weeks after I gave it to them) what they call the final version. Except it's incomplete - the US edition is missing and edits have been omitted. The whole thing is tiresome. I thought I was dealing with professionals - I realise now they didn't share my passion.....I shoud've trusted my gut instinct in this respect.

yet I live and I learn and as the publishers said to me when I told them I understood their situation:

Thank you for seeing the positive side to it, and I really do wish you the very best. If attitude counts as much as I think it does, you’ll fly

here's looking forward to flying!

Let me know if you know anyone who may be interesting in partnering with me to publish:)


ps just received insider information today that the publishing company who turned the book away due to recessionary caution has made 50% of its workforce redundant. Times are tough indeed for so many.