My reply to Jordan …
After I’d received a very warm e-mail from Katie Price - aka my one-time Sun colleague Jordan - last week, I’d spent some time considering how best to reply to her.
For although Katie’s note had been friendly and upbeat, I didn’t really want to impose myself on her. She is, after all, one of Britain’s foremost writers. I didn’t want to seem presumptuous.
I mean Katie had sounded as pleasant as always in her chirpy e-mail. She’d given me a few tips on how to write a bestseller; and she’d even admitted to fancying me just a little during our days together on The Sun.
But nevertheless I was still very aware that I had to know my place - for I was, after all, in the manner of a supplicant at her feet.
So last night I was up till 4am writing draft after draft to Katie. I was striving for the note to be short and sweet. The tone had to be spot on.
This, then, was what I wrote her. (In capital letters because that’s how she likes ‘em):
"HEY KATIE - GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU! YOU’RE LOOKING BETTER THAN EVER! LOOK, NEXT TIME YOU’RE UP IN SCOTLAND LET’S HOOK UP. BRING PETE ALONG TOO, COZ I DARESAY HE’S THE JEALOUS TYPE. ANYWAY, WE’VE GOT LOADS TO TALK ABOUT - NOT LEAST YOUR STELLAR CAREER AS A WRITER. LOVED CRYSTAL BY THE WAY! SENSATIONAL! OOOOOODDDDLES OF LOVE, BILLXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
Small might call it toadying. I could not deny that.
One thing that pleased me greatly about Katie’s note was that she still uses a freebie Hotmail account. Not for her the expensive e-mail accounts which charge you £20 a month. She mixes with Kings - and yet she hasn’t lost the common touch.
February 27th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Have to remind you Bill that you called the book ‘rotten’ at Kensal and I’ve got audio evidence. Doubt if Ms P will listen to the podcast, though the listeners have increased dramatically since I uploaded ‘Meet My Publisher’ and one has even commented about you – ‘Loved the Sun journalist guy and his Amazon story too.’ High praise.