Monday, March 19, 2007

The appliance of science

My ongoing statistical investigation (to identify the correlation between mentions of my new book, Welcome to the Machine: OK Computer and the Death of the Classic Album, and online indicators such as Amazon ranking and my own Google rating) has gone completely tits-up. Since the last mention in this blog, on Friday, Amazon has plummeted; while Google is as chirpy as an Irish cricketer.

Never mind, I'm going to hell anyway.

Update: Maybe that simile about the Irish cricketer wasn't so apt, if the subsequent tragedy and ongoing allegations of skulduggery are anything to go by? Chirpy as a Pakistani bookie? As a Jamaican conspiracy theorist?

25 comments:

patroclus said...

I like the fact that on Amazon, people who viewed your book also apparently viewed 'The Tiger Who Came To Tea' by Judith Kerr. There's no escaping the tigers.

Annie said...

Er, I think that might have been me.
I have unorthodox reading tastes, you know.

Tim, no one has cussed or dissed you so far. Are you losing your touch?

Tim F said...

Oddlier still, Patroclus, there are no tigers in my book. There are four references to William Blake, but that's as close as it gets.

Unorthodox tastes, Annie, but splendid ones. That book's almost as good as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Harry The Dirty Dog. But you're right about losing my touch. Maybe I should just write an article about how the Israelis and the Palestinians can both just piss off because they're boring and they smell funny. That might get things bubbling...

Rog said...

Is it too late to change your name to Mrs Rine? That would get you to the top of Google before the first book leaves the shelf.

Rog said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Your book has just arrived at my house now, I live in the middle of the Welsh mountains.
And I saw your blog about Goody in Saturday's Guardian.
I am enjoying second-hand kudos!

Tim F said...

Maybe I'll save that for the film adaptation, Murph.

Hello, Anon, thanks for popping over. I had no idea the Goody post had made it to print. Or, indeed that Amazon was sending out copies. Life seems to be spiralling out of my control. Maybe that's how it should be.

Let me know what you think of the book.

patroclus said...

What - the book is already available? Where's my copy? What's going on?

*goes to lie down*

*gets up again*

Four references to William Blake! This already sounds like the best book ever, despite my shameful indifference towards Radiohead. Must track down my copy immediately.

Billy said...

For some reason, I now have an image in my mind of Radiohead doing a musical setting of The Tyger.

Thom Yorke's face when he sings is way scarier than the tiger in the original engraving.

patroclus said...

Woo - my copy has dispatched from Amazon! I'm scheduling it in to read this weekend.

Rog said...

Amazon only had 2 left so thought I'd better get in quick. The new quantity left is, er, 2. They must have quickly ordered another one.

Will it be reviewed in the Sunday papers so I can see if I liked it or not?

Annie said...

What? What's going on? I thought it was out in April - and it's already selling out. Hurry, everybody!

Tim F said...

Well, entirely thanks to that unexpected flurry (ie Murph), the sales rank has gone up to 9,057, and they've now only got one in stock.

And I don't think it needs reviews in the Sundays, not after "This already sounds like the best book ever, despite my shameful indifference towards Radiohead."

Can we use that on the back of the reprint?

Billy - yes, Blake's Tyger is rather sweet, isn't he? I've got him on a coffee mug.

FirstNations said...

hey. i live in the middle of nowhere too. where's my damn book, tim?

yes i hold you responsible. i was raised catholic. we blame people. what?

fantastic cif! mwah!

Mapeel said...

I pre-ordered on Amazon. I'll let you know when stateside copies are emerging.

Until then, I have a video up at my place with your name on it . . .

Billy said...

Done.

Dispatch estimate for these items: 22 Mar 2007
Delivery estimate: 23 Mar 2007 - 24 Mar 2007 1 ""Radiohead" - Welcome to the Machine: "Ok Computer" and the Death of the Classic Album"
Tim Footman; Paperback; £8.57

Sold by: Amazon.co.uk

Tim F said...

Well the US publication date was meant to be a week earlier than the UK one... so God knows what's happening.

But thank you all for being so supportive. I hope you find something of interest in there, and overlook the typos, most of which weren't my fault. Do let me know what you think.

Tim F said...

Hang on... it's now flipped back to "Not yet published".

Maybe that was like the 10-minute teaser on the naughty cable channel, before it goes all scrambly. So I'm told.

Spinsterella said...

I have just ordered the Last One Ever from Amazon. Woo.

patroclus said...

My copy has apparently arrived at my office in London! I'm going to pick it up on Friday! I am very excited!

realdoc said...

Book on order.
Apropos of the fish badges, we used to wear fishing flies to piss off the fishy people.

patroclus said...

I now have your book in my very hands! I'm supposed to be working rather than reading it, but I have just read the first couple of pages, and would like it put on record (for the umpteenth time) that I didn't shag Thom Yorke when I was at Exeter either, but I did have a brief - ahem - liaison with his housemate.

Looks good though Tim. I'll be reading it this weekend, and posting a review (of sorts, as I am rubbish at reviewing things) on my blog.

Tim F said...

Thank you again, everyone. The sales rank briefly flipped above 4,000, but now (since it's reverted to its not-yet-published status) it's dropped back to a zone somewhere around the 20,000 mark. Someone will tell me one day what these figures actually mean.

And although I fully accept that did Patroclus not shag Thom Yorke, she is not the anonymous Exonian who appears in the book on the basis of not having shagged Thom Yorke (although I think they were on the same course, maybe a year apart).

Glad that's sorted.

Flirty Something said...

Well done on book sales - not such good news for Irish Cricket. I supposed we should have guessed something was up.

Tim F said...

Yes, Flirty, it's sad that all this business has overshadowed one of the great upsets of the game. But your lads can be well chuffed with their achievement, even if it turns out the Pakistanis chucked it.

Oh well, they're about to get creamed by the Windies anyway.