Discovering life: taking a break in the final spurt

Was I alive today?

Yes. The best part was being outside in the drizzle and walking around the area.

What new things have I discovered about life?

You can still take a breather right at the end. The publisher’s preview – essentially a preview of the titles we’ll be publishing over the coming months – has to go to print tomorrow. It’s always an enormous amount of work. Titles and subtitles have to be agreed precisely with the authors, ISBN numbers have to be assigned, covers designed, and descriptions found for books that haven’t even been written yet. Usually four or more people work on it – and if you count the authors, far more still. Everything has to be just right. In the end, the graphic designer and I put the finishing touches to it. There are often eight or ten versions of the preview before everything is just right.

I took an hour’s break at lunchtime anyway and popped to the optician’s to have my eye checked (better safe than sorry – the optician couldn’t see any injury under the magnifying glass). And then I just went for a short walk in the drizzle. And my graphic designer took an hour’s break later in the afternoon. I’m proud of us for still making sure we maintain a balance, even in the midst of all the stress. Next time, however, it might make sense to agree on our breaks and take them at the same time….

What new things have I learnt about myself?

I suppose I wasn't born to be a candle-maker.