Idle Tom makes an admission
I don’t want to be whiny about my publisher, Idle Tom.
I mean he’s got a lot of great things going for him. Plumped for my book, just for starters.
So, first of all I’d like to accentuate the positive. Idle Tom is a good guy. Personable. Charming. Bookish. Idle.
But - if I may - there are a few slight negatives.
Ahem … the cover of The Well-Tempered Clavier …
The fact that he’s prepared to give up Legend Press for how ever many months to appear on The Apprentice …
His very modest editing skills …
His penchant for the word "bitter-sweet".
And …
"Tom!" I said. "That day we had at Eton last week. How many copies of the book got spoiled in the rain?"
"Umm," he said. "Quite a few."
"Ten?"
"Probably tens -"
"Tens? That’s a lot of books Tom - and all on account of the fact that you haven’t yet passed your driving test."
"Well you don’t really need your test in London."
"It’s essential!"
"And I tried once and failed -"
"Are you pulling my leg? You gave up on your driving test after one failure? Do you know my brother Toby? He failed over a dozen times! He’d still probably fail it now! But he stuck with it! But you - you give up after one failure??"
"Driving’s hard in London -"
"This is unbelievable. Heyy! Is there anything else you can’t do? Can you swim?"
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:52 am
Cheeky monkey! I would like it to be known that I failed twice, or possibly three times at the very most. Furthermore it was only because the examiner didn’t appreciate sitting on a passenger seat caked with the usual cow dung, mud and dog saliva.
June 4th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I’ll have you know Bill I passed first time! Tom will eventually pass one day!