It’s two years since we founded Ignite Books. And it’s been quite a ride. We’ve published four books and three e-books (with more in the pipeline), and had them reviewed in papers and magazines as diverse as The Guardian, Q magazine, and the Morning Star. We set up this website, complete with the Ignite Shop, so you can buy books from us direct. And our writers have performed at festivals round the country, and done readings on tours we’ve organised to promote their work. There’ll be more of that next year, too.
Not a bad start, all in all.
But it is just a start. As anyone running a small business will tell you, there’s always more to do. Dealing with challenges and opportunities and problems while not losing sight of the bigger picture and getting bogged down in the day-to-day stuff isn’t easy. Imagine patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time as you concentrate on keeping a series of plates spinning* – and don’t forget to smile – and you’re halfway there.
Over the last month or so, we’ve been mulling over how to take Ignite Books forward. We’ve made a decent fist of things so far, but with the nation bumping along in a double-dip recession, disposable income being squeezed from all sides, and the Ignite birthday cake waiting to be eaten, it’s a good time to move things along. None of the changes we’re planning are particularly radical – they’re more evolutionary than revolutionary – but we hope they’ll make it easier for you to connect with us and keep up with what we’re doing. So, in no particular order….
mailing list: we’ve added an Ignite mailing list, which you can sign up to here. Once a month we’ll send you an email packed with our latest news, and details of any special offers.
twitter:you’ll find us, unsurprisingly, at@ignitebooks. The twitter account will increasingly be taking over from our facebook page for day-to-day info, so do sign up.
payment:the big newshere is that anyone wanting to pay for books by credit/debit card can now email us athello@ignitebooks.co.ukand we’ll explain how easy it is to do this via electronic banking. The Paypal system in our shop will remain unchanged.
blog:not least, we’ve started up this blog, which gives us a chance to talk directly to you about whatever’s bugging us, putting a smile on our face, or causing us to run off at the mouth and blather. A betting man might care to put a small wager on at least one future post being dedicated to a broadside at Amazon… we couldn’t possibly say.
More news is doubtless in the pipeline. For now though, if you’ll excuse us, it’s time for some cake. And maybe some fizzy pop followed by a burst of hyperactivity and a little lie-down. Or just the little lie-down.
See ya!
*If you are going to try this, please, use someone else’s crockery.