The New Rope String Band asked us to update their web site with the news that one of the group – Vera – will be taking a break for maternity leave. The announcement takes the form of a short video clip, used in the New Rope String Band’s performance at The Sage Gateshead 28/4/07.

A different kind of ultrasound from Steve Holmes on Vimeo.

Another success for a client of ours: Michael Jecks has been long-listed for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, for his book The Death Ship of Dartmouth. There’s a page here where you can vote and, we hope, propel him onto the shortlist and the prize itself!

Given that publishing is all about disseminating information, you’d think that publishers would love the internet. Book publishers produce easily-posted items for a niche market which is scattered worldwide: a web site is the perfect way of selling to that market. And many small publishers know this, and make use of it (and I’m not just talking about our clients!).

So why do the big publishers so often have terrible sites? The design may be attractive enough, but they are so often a nightmare to navigate, and months (at least) out of date.

I was looking for information about a forthcoming publication from the French publisher Belfond: I didn’t find it…

1. Roger Says:
   May 18th, 2007 at 11:14 am Belfond have repaired their site now, though the information on it is still woefully out of date.

Two of our clients have been to the London Book Fair and have blogged about it, so follow the links to read what Ellen Phethean of Diamond Twig and Ann Cleeves made of it all.

Michael Jecks has a guilty secret.