Saving Salt one book at a time

Salt Books who publish the most wonderful books are currently in dire financial straits.

Here's the message posted on their website

As many of you will know, Jen and I have been struggling to keep Salt moving since June last year when the economic downturn began to affect our press. Our three year funding ends this year: we've £4,000 due from Arts Council England in a final payment, but cannot apply through Grants for the Arts for further funding for Salt's operations. Spring sales were down nearly 80% on the previous year, and despite April's much improved trading, the past twelve months has left us with a budget deficit of over £55,000. It's proving to be a very big hole and we're having to take some drastic measures to save our business.

Here's how you can help us to save Salt and all our work with hundreds of authors around the world.

JUST ONE BOOK

1. Please buy just one book, right now. We don't mind from where, you can buy it from us or from Amazon, your local shop or megastore, online or offline. If you buy just one book now, you'll help to save Salt. Timing is absolutely everything here. We need cash now to stay afloat. If you love literature, help keep it alive. All it takes is just one book sale. Go to our online store and help us keep going.

2. Share this note on your profile. Tell your friends. If we can spread the word about our cash crisis, we can hopefully find more sales and save our literary publishing. Remember it's just one book, that's all it takes to save us. Please do it now.

With my best wishes to everyone
Chris
Director
Salt Publishing
http://www.saltpublishing.com

Go on you know you want to

Small sucesses

It was good to have a poem appear last week on Ink, Sweat and Tears. There is nothing like seeing one of your poems 'in print' to give you a lift.

According to my paypal account I seem to have won a small scale poetry competition organised by the Write Idea. We had to write a poem a week for six weeks and I really wasn't expecting to get anywhere with it so that was a nice discovery last night.

I'm going to spend the winnings on some poetry craft books - probably The Poet's companion: a guide to the pleasures of writing poetry By Kim Addonizio, Dorianne Laux once I've worked out how to get the funds out of paypal.

Lots of poems

The lack of blog posts have been because I've been busy writing. What better excuse. It has been good. I've had a couple of acceptances with poems due to appear on Everyday poets and Ink Sweat and tears.

A Handful of Stones

One of my pieces has gone up today on ahandfulofstones This is Fiona Robyn's lovely blog of small stones or moments of paying proper attention to everyday things.

Alison Brackenbury

One of my favourite poets, Alison Brackenbury was on Radio 3 last night with an essay about John Clare. It included her wonderful poem - The Beanfields' Scent.

You have a week to catch it on the BBC player if you missed it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00fs4s2/The_Essay_Under_the_Influence_Episode_2/

Fakenham Poetry Circle Open Competition

During the summer I received a letter telling me that one of my entries was the amongst the twelve commended poems in the Fakenham Competition. The prizes were won by James Knox Whittet, Caroline Gilfillan and Bob Ward.

http://www.carolinegilfillan.co.uk/


My poem Remember to live was my least favourite of the three I entered but that's often the way with competitions.

Applehouse Poetry

I have been writing poems although not as many as I'd like.

One from last month has been chosen by Lynne Rees as her prize poem for June.

http://applehousepoetryworkshop.blogspot.com/