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In This Months TF Magazine

3K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  mike fox 
#1 ·
In this months TF magazine. Don't know where the reviewer gets "Inspiring" from as the term is never used in the book. I use the term " spark an interest"? Agree with the most part though? Newspaper Font Publication Material property Handwriting
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#3 ·
Haha!! What I find bemusing is the heading used as nowhere do I claim the book to be 'inspirational'. It is a memoir of my experiences. The two poems were written by an angling forum member and the late Frank Sawyer, both of which I think make entertaining reading to the "Average Angler". None of it is of 'professional quality', but I enjoyed writing it which didn't take that long, I logged 112 hours. The photos are taken with my mobile phone as the action happened and they are not staged.
Generally though, I am happy with the review as I agree that half is "totally forgettable". BUT isn't that the case with the majority of angling literature. ;) As someone else said "you can only please some of the people some of the time.
 
#5 ·
Although my book is what it says on the label....'Memoirs of an Average Angler', so I'm not sure how much sizzle can be cooked up. And the fact the reviewer as a fly fisherman can discredit the previously unpublished 17 verse poem of Frank Sawyer, i'll never understand. It's brilliant.
 
#6 ·
I wonder it TF magazine will print my letter in response to my book 'Just Me And The Fish' review this month.

I must thank the editors of TF magazine for the inclusion of a ½ page review of my book Just Me And The Fish (TF529). However, I am somewhat perplexed as to the accuracy of your reviewer Jeffrey Prests’ comments. Nowhere in the book do I claim it to be “inspiring” although if the book makes someone feel they would like to go fishing and do so, then it has achieved something to the good. I am all in favour for the good, bad and even the ugliest of criticism, but inaccuracies within a review cannot be credible. The book contains 144 photographs of which there is only one picture of a mechanical digger, ‘excavator’ to those who know what they are speaking about. I can honestly say that in many years of teaching angling I have never compared the sport to “advertising sausages” however great or small the sizzle. The comment of “The inclusion of 2 random, grating poems” surprises me the most as one being written by the late Frank Sawyer, ‘The Chalkstream’ which has never been published before and surely must be of interest to fly fishers across the world. Finally, the very nature of my book being a “memoir of an average angler”, would it not be pertinent to include a selection of angling experiences (memoirs) accompanied by some photographs taken at the time, whether they be of interest to “the largely uninitiated” or not. I conclude with the feelings that Jeffrey’s review is somewhat “totally forgettable”. But thanks again all the same.
Mike Fox
 
#8 ·
I've kept out of this thread until now, firstly because reviews are always subjective and secondly because I've had my say, and Mike is perfectly entitled to have his.

On the topics of inspiration and inaccuracy, however, there follows a copy of the press release which Mike sent to one of my colleagues when the book first came out. Hopefully, this clears matters up but if you still want your letter to go in the magazine, Mike, just let us know.

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#9 · (Edited)
I've kept out of this thread until now, firstly because reviews are always subjective and secondly because I've had my say, and Mike is perfectly entitled to have his.

On the topics of inspiration and inaccuracy, however, there follows a copy of the press release which Mike sent to one of my colleagues when the book first came out. Hopefully, this clears matters up but if you still want your letter to go in the magazine, Mike, just let us know.

View attachment 21531
I'm NOT going to get into a spat with you Jeffrey on a public forum, but you really must read again what I have written. Your review was about my book for which I thank you. The above cropped photocopy is NOT the Press Release as you well know. You have quoted the short PRIVATE covering letter of the Press Release I sent to Steve Fitzpatrick of the Angling Times. I also sent a copy to Russell Hill of Trout Fisherman.
The following is the text of the Press Release that you have folded out of view.

JUST ME AND THE FISH

PRESS RELEASE
Published by Mereo Books 25th March 2019
Available from: Our Books Selfpublishing Mereo Books Priced £20.00
As a 7 year old boy, Mike was infatuated with nature. When, one day, near his home in Petworth, West Sussex, he noticed someone fishing the local brook for minnows.
Unbeknown to him at that time, it was to be the beginning of a lifelong obsession with angling.
A journey of now more than 50 years of angling encounters applying self-taught skills, led Mike to becoming a qualified Level 2 coach in angling and the environment. His dedication to the sport extended to the successful delivery of a coarse fishing environmental restoration project prior to a change of direction in the pursuance of game angling.
Visiting many rivers and still waters across England, Scotland and Wales, Mike engages the reader into his world of angling. This book is written by Mike in his own style with some satirical humour, including a selected anthology of experiences, supported by amusing photographs within. The book is a light hearted, easy reading memoir of an average angler, concluding with a delightful poetic composition written by the late Frank Sawyer, inventor of the Pheasant Tail Nymph.
'Tell Me and I will forget, Show Me and I will remember, Involve Me and I will understand'

END OF PRESS RELEASE

I clearly stated at the top of this thread that "inspiring" is never mentioned within my book of which I understood the review to be about. I had no idea your review would include a quote from a PRIVATE statement used as an initial introduction. I have to ask, would this be normal practice for you to make public a PRIVATE statement between two others without their knowledge? Surely a review of any kind should be accurate and not an invention!!

I would be very grateful if you will publish my letter within the 'LETTERS' page of your magazine. You should, by now, be in receipt of a hard copy sent in the post.
 
#10 ·
The only reason I posted an extract from the document was because it shows the relevant part, namely the intent with which you wrote the book. If you want to keep correspondence private, Mike, it's probably best that you don't put the words 'PRESS RELEASE' at the top of it.

I have submitted your letter to the Editor, asking that it be published in our next issue.
 
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