Sunday 21 August 2011

All change please, all change.

You might've noticed that I've been a bit quiet on here for the last few weeks. I've had a lot of things going on, and today-tomorrow everything changes for me.

First off... I've got a job! I'll be working as Receptionist/Publishing assistant (Publicity and Marketing) at Souvenir Press. This is initially a one year contract to cover maternity leave, but who knows where this will lead. It's my first day tomorrow (Monday), so as I type I'm currently very excited-nervous. I feel like my job-hunt went on for ages, though really it was only a few months, I suppose. But it's such a relief to know it's over now, and that I can take a break from looking for jobs for a while! I'm also really thrilled to have this opportunity to join Souvenir Press - the company is celebrating its 60th year of independent publishing this year, which is quite a landmark! I'm looking forward to getting stuck in - fingers crossed tomorrow goes well!

The other big change round here is that I've properly moved in with my boyfriend. My parents brought me over to the flat this afternoon with a car-full of stuff (mainly books and clothes, if I'm honest), and I've spent most of my time since then trying to find space for everything. There's a home for most things at the minute, but we'll see how things go. I've just remembered that I need to go and rearrange my books in a bit, because my parents put them on the shelves, not realising that I at least have some sort of system...

Phew. So all this change is quite exhausting. I'm going to sort my books now.

Thursday 4 August 2011

Job-hunting updates

It's been quite an eventful couple of weeks, if I stop and think about it.

First of all, I got in contact with a woman who lives (as it turns out) just round the corner from me. She runs a one-woman literary agency, and I thought I might be able to help out. It turned out that she also works for a small independent publishing company, so I'm actually involved with that, though on an unpaid basis, because the company has virtually no money. This is sad, but it does mean that I'm getting to do quite a bit. For example, I'm currently putting together their schedule for the Frankfurt Book Fair which is showing that, despite what anyone else might say, I've actually got pretty good organisational skills. Hooray.

But my work with this company is entirely unpaid, and so it's on a very casual basis. I don't feel like I need to be working 9-5:30 every day. I'm working from home, too, which means it's not costing me anything, unlike when I was doing more formal internships in London which cost an arm and a leg... So it's quite enjoyable, and it's giving me something to do with my day.

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I also had an interview for a proper job today. One with a real salary, and everything. It would only be a year-long contract while someone was on maternity leave, but it would be a start, a step in the right direction. They're interviewing for a few more days, but in theory I should know one way or another by the end of next week. Fingers crossed, I guess!

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Other than that, things have been pretty quiet for me, which is why there haven't been many updates. I haven't even read that many books! It's crazy. I read a lot more when I'm working than when I'm not, just because I like to read on the train each day.

Anyway. Enough from me. I've got (possibly) conjunctivitis, my mum reckons. All I know is that my eye hurts, quite a lot. So staring at a screen isn't the best thing for it. So I'll stop typing........... now.