Engine Punk

Back from my travels to Edinburgh, I was shooting the breeze with my neighbours. Around here tractors are a great source of pleasure. I'm not into them but a lot of my mates are. One or two could be Vintage Things. Most of my tractor fan mates are called Andrew. You'd think this would make life more convenient but it doesn't. More on that another time. Anyway, I'd just bumped into Andrew in town buying some "proper job" aluminium number plates for one of his Fordson Majors. He said how much he was looking forward to the forthcoming vintage shows despite the price of fuel. He was determined not to let anyone "piss on my firework." When I came home, Andrew and Andrew were fitting a warning beacon to Andrew's souped up, hot rodded six-cylinder Major. Andrew's got one of these, too. In fact he's got three now and is well into double figures with his tractors. I told them I'd just seen Andrew and they knew all about what he was up ...

Somebody was asking me today about my books and how they were selling. I said that recently sales have dropped off significantly and told her that some of my self publishing acquaintances are actually mothballing some of their projects until the economy pick up. As soon as I'd opened my mouth to explain this I realised that this was entirely the wrong approach - mothballing book projects, not opening my mouth (although some may beg to differ). The internet is a cheap form of entertainment for many people and if I can entertain them for free now (free podcasts coming up soon, folks!) then that will probably build up my goodwill - well, their goodwill towards me will be built up. Dreckly (there's a beautiful Cornish word) they will take the plunge and buy my book(s). It all comes back to the rule of seven - impinge on your customers awareness to motivate them to buy your goods or services. So mothballing now is entirely the wrong thing to do. If the competition for people's ...