Open Out

It's here!

After a little bit of a delay, my new book Pull to Open has finally been released! Copies have been arriving with people over the past week, and very excitingly on Friday I received a box with my copies inside. Not that I'm so massively egotistical as to want lots of copies of my own book hanging around the place - although I do want some, of course! - but there were various people to whom I'd promised copies.

I am very proud of it - and the pleasing thing is, it seems to be going down very well so far with those who have read or are in the process of reading it. Earlier this month I recorded the first interview I'd done with someone about the book with someone who'd actually read it, which obviously was a nervous moment. But Steven Schapansky of the Radio Free Skaro podcast was extremely complimentary, and was kind enough to record a very long chat with me for their most recent edition which was released last Sunday. If you'd like to have a listen to that, you can do so here:

There's also been a very kind review from the Sci-Fi Bulletin website - 9 out of 10, I'll take that! And it was also flattering to see Doctor Who Magazine generate a nice amount of space to the book in their 'Gallifrey Guardian' news pages. This was the medium through which I first read about so much Doctor Who news and heard about so many new books and products when I was a child and a teenager, so it was very pleasing to see it featured there. I've also done interviews about the book for the CultBox website, and for the Who's Views YouTube channel.

As the book has been arriving with people in recent days, one of the things that's been nice has been seeing photos posted on social media as it's excitedly shared that they have it. Many of them also sharing the free Sydney Newman sticker, in the style of the 1972 Sugar Smacks stickers, which they get with it! Thanks to Paul Burley for creating that one. People being excited to receive a book that I have written is one hell of an ego boost, as I might imagine. I just hope these people are all as pleased by it once they've read it!

There've also been some very generous comments online, including very flatteringly from the esteemed Doctor Who historian, and general television historian, Andrew Pixley. One aspect I'm particularly pleased about is that people seem to be enjoying one of the main elements of the book, providing extra background and context about British television and the BBC of the time, to try and give more of an idea of the world into which Doctor Who emerged and why certain things happened. I knew that people like me would probably enjoy it - so it's nice to know that there are other people with tastes along those lines out there to justify that faith!

But anyway, yes - an extremely successful launch so far, I'd say. I really am very happy and very proud.

I should also add that before the book came out I was kindly interviewed by The Doctor Who Show podcast - another very enjoyable interview which if you wish to hear you can find below. The start of another 'Podcast Book Tour', perhaps? If any other podcast producers out there would like a chat, I'm more than happy to oblige!