{Plans}[30th June 1984]

[Redbook2:337-338][19840630:1315]{Plans}[30^th June 1984]

19840630.1315

Impelled by the pressure of mental activity – unbearable and physical, at times – we have made a crucial decision to give up over the next few months the client who provides more than half our routine (and nearly all non-routine) work, and around a quarter of our fees: gaining thereby the free time we had expected but not obtained, at the cost of £[...] (taxable) per month. An excellent bargain, but one not easy to assess in the middle of it all. We will also lease a photocopier capable of producing saleable copies at an economic price (if there is one), and buy binders etc.. We may even instal a computer system (for our clients).... We are moving again, in the right direction, and my writing is becoming pompous.

Not winning even one of the five travel awards in the Betty Trask prize was surprising*, in a way, but contributed to the firing of resolve to do it alone. If Fabers only** will offer a limited contract, and that is as much as 20 years with 10 year review, should even accepted authors be using publishers? In due course we shall produce partially-typeset material using Wordstar on the Sirius [PC], master-printed on the automatically-fed Juki (if I have time to acquire the knowledge, I may try to write a true typesetting program for Wordstar output); we shall copy these single-sided A4 masters automatically onto double-sided A5 copies; we shall bind them as best we can within the budget, and distribute them, first in London, then elsewhere from a motor-home converted into a travelling office.**

*Come on! – Not their kind of romantic fiction.... <930117>

**[i.e. alone.]

**Oh, plans! <930119>

[PostedBlogger14082015]