Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes • 24 May 2007 • The SnowBlog

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

          Well it's all go here, I tell you. Guess what? Both Gilly and James are leaving Snowbooks. Both! They are leaving for entirely different reasons but isn't it just typical that their departures should coincide? In fact, they coincide so precisely that they are both leaving on the same day: Friday 1st June. 

[small, choked sob.]

But although it's sad, I am insanely proud of them both and feel a bit like a mother lion watching her cubs growing up. If you see what I mean. I can never do analogy. You remember that yesterday I remarked on how I like writing royalty cheques: although it means money is flowing out of the business, it is good, healthy money that is going to improve people's lives? Well I feel a little bit like that with Gilly and James. They are leaving the business, which is very sad for me, but it is a healthy sort of departure. They can blog for themselves and tell you whether they agree with this, but for me there is something to feel very proud about in giving people opportunities to try things out, and develop, and grow, and then eventually to outgrow Snowbooks and move on to greater things. 

[sniffle]

I am hugely grateful to the both of them for their dedication and brilliance. And god, I will miss them. Gilly is going to join a company called Youth Media. After hearing me bang on for years about the inherent evilness of large companies her next step is to a company of just 17 people; they don't know how lucky they are. Snowbooks simply wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her hard work and brilliance. James is setting up his own operation, STML Studio, as well as his own, soon-to-be-revealed publishing enterprise. Take a look to see what outstanding work he has done - and can now do for you! You lucky, lucky people. No one - seriously, no one I have ever met in the publishing industry is as talented, productive and brilliant as James is, and in so many areas. Hire him if you know what's good for your business. 

[sigh]

So, me me me. What will *I* do? Why, harness the power of technology, of course!  We have been steadily automating more and more of the dull parts of the publishing process, and we have got pretty slick at the sales side of things. So me, Rob and Anna are going to continue to automate the automatable stuff, to free up more and more time for the exciting actual-book-publishing-related side of book publishing. Personally, I'm very much looking forward to the idea of being a publisher again, rather than just doing the bookkeeping and finance all the time. 

So don't expect coherent thoughts from me next Friday. I will try to be brave, but will make a note to skip the mascara that day. 
Emma