How I Became an Unofficial Doctor Who Author

There are a few things that have been a feature of my life since before I can remember, stretching back into those misty moments of early childhood that my brain decided not to store. Among those memories lost to time are the first time I wrote a story, and the first time I watched Doctor Who.

Time Scope 2020 mockup generated via Book in Motion

Doctor Who - Time Scope edited by Matthew Rimmer

Time Scope is an unofficial and unauthorised charity e-book of short stories, poetry and art inspired by the Doctor Who universe, edited by Matthew Rimmer and featuring memories from cast and crew members who have worked on the show itself.

I know Matthew via his Who Hats account on Twitter, which catalogues every appearance of headwear in the show and is an indication of his encyclopaedic knowledge of Doctor Who.

At the start of the Coronavirus lockdown in the UK, Matthew contacted me and other fans of the show and invited us to contribute. I suggested an idea for a short story, and you can guess the rest.

Time Scope 2020. Click here to buy.

This is not your standard fanfic. Matthew has worked tirelessly over the past eleven weeks to bring together fans, authors, artists and performers to create an illustrated work of fact and fiction that runs to 360 pages, not including the cover, contents and contributor biographies. The full PDF is a hefty 417 pages long and is on sale from today, July 4th 2020.

Getting Hospitality Marketing Ready for Day One

James Mason, CEO of Welcome to Yorkshire, appeared across the BBC in the past few days to urge hospitality businesses in the north to prepare for 'Day One'.

In interviews on BBC Breakfast on May 17th and on BBC Radio Humberside's David Burns show on May 18th, he explained that different hospitality premises might be given permission to reopen at different times - but Day One is coming for all.

Speaking to Radio Humberside local legend Burnsy, he added that the two key words for hospitality marketing right now are 'confidence' and 'trust'.

'Day One is coming'

"We know that Day One is coming for everyone. If you're a bed & breakfast owner you can prepare your messaging, you can make sure that your marketing is right and say 'Listen, if you're concerned about having breakfast down in a common room, maybe we can deliver to your bedroom,' etc."

- James Mason, CEO Welcome to Yorkshire, BBC Radio Humberside, May 18th 2020

The date when lockdown is lifted may differ for different businesses - for instance, outdoor venues like campsites and caravan parks could find they are allowed to open ahead of more confined spaces like hotels and guest houses.

But the day is coming and it's important for hospitality marketing in Yorkshire and across the north of England to be ready to capitalise on any opportunities that lie ahead.

Business as Usual and the New Normal

Just a few weeks ago when I wrote my previous post here, we were entering the Coronavirus pandemic. While it's far from over, we are starting to see some progress.

Importantly, I think most of us have a good understanding of what business can be done, and hopefully in the very near future, more businesses will return to trading in a more 'normal' way.

For my part, I continue to take orders as usual, so if you need to hire a writer, I am available.

Marketing Communications and Coronavirus COVID-19

The disease officially named COVID-19 but more commonly known as Coronavirus is likely to take several months to peak and dwindle, with significant implications for businesses of all kinds.

Most people who contract the disease will recover from it, but we are still entering a period of likely substantial disruption to many daily practices we take for granted.

The daily commute, working from a shared office or open-plan workspace, shopping for essentials like food and household goods, are all on the agenda.

For commercial entities the coming months are a minefield as you seek to share important information with your customers, without appearing to take advantage of the situation.

On a personal note, I don't think anyone should try to capitalise on the coronavirus, but certain marketing communications still need to be written and sent out.

As I see it, there are a few scenarios in which Coronavirus could disrupt your marketing communications, so let's take a look at some of them...