Well, here I am on the blogspot after a longish break from updating my page..
This has been for various reasons: firstly, having put huge amounts of energy and enthusiasm into promoting my book during the first two weeks or so, I slowed down a lot in the third week, feeling it in some ways to be a fruitless cause as it seemed clear that a lot of the authors were netting vast shoals of fish in their nets because of being already very well established on the web, and well connected in general (perhaps because of owning businesses or whatever); secondly a large number of the people I contacted by email never got back to me with any feedback at all for whatever reason, which gave rise to more of that fruitless feeling as I seemed to be simply throwing coins into the void; thirdly I don't think I ever was a natural born blogger in the first place, and the idea that anyone might be actually reading it seemed doubtful to say the least; and finally, I went away for most of last week to Cornwall to celebrate my 40th birthday, and was quite relieved to let it all go for a few days before coming back to Oxford and pulling all the stops out until the end of April (the voting for round one ends on Sunday 2nd May).
All of which may sound a little defeatist, but have no fear - it was only a phase! Several things have now transpired to put me back in the zone, and make me feel I'm still in there with as good a chance as the next person.
The competition organizers have now told us that, of the original 2500 entrants, only 750 actually put a video or audio pitch on their profile page (making them eligible for votes). As 250 people are still going to go through to the second round, we all now have a one in three chance of making it, instead of one in ten.
The flyer that I'd put round the cafe where I nearly always sit and write the book was supposed to be accompanied by an A4 sized version to go up on the walls. This didn't happen before I went to Cornwall because of an alleged problem with blutak on walls, etc - but now it's been approved, and they've been up for a few days now. As there's a small photo of me on the flyers and 'posters', I'm now a lot less in my comfort zone in that cafe than before, but I'm telling myself it won't be long before May 2nd, when they can come down and everything can (maybe?) go back to normal :-)
The best thing to report, however, is that, having written an email to someone at Radio Oxford about the possibility of my going on one of their shows, and not having had, as I thought, any response at all, it now transpires that for some reason their original reply had simply failed to reach me, and in fact they are interested in having me on after all.
So, at the very last minute, I'm going to be recording with them on Thursday 31st, then the show will go out on the Friday (30th) - just in time, I hope, to mop up a whole load more votes before the end of May 2nd!!
So keep tuning in, campers - it may not be all over yet!