There is a rule in fiction publishing. Publishers should never encourage their authors to meet each other. It can only end in unionisation, jealousy, and collegiate authorial carping. We broke the rule last night at the Savile Club (although we were in a slightly less palatial room than this one).

The event was a Society of Bookmen (yes, bookmen not bookpersons) dinner where the guest speaker was Brian Martin, the author of North. He spoke about the problems of finding a publisher when your work might not fit into a currently popular genre. He was one of the first (if not the first) authors in the Macmillan New Writing series, a project for which we received a significant roasting from established literary commentators.

The project was, of course, a risk but not as risky as having five of its authors at the same dinner. Somehow we survived.

A little while ago I reprinted an interview from the excellent journal for publishers, vendors and librarians, Against the Grain. I've just received the printed copy and it looks great but more importantly the issue is full of fasinating and entertaining articles. Here is just one example - an alphabetical fable about Article and Book (aka Ant and Bee) meeting Google written by Margaret Landesman of the Marriott Library at the University of Utah.

My route to work this morning took me past one of the great bookshops of the world, Hatchards, which has managed to retain (and enhance) its identity in spite of ownership changes and varying corporate philosophies. Hooray.

I was surprised to be told by a reader yesterday that one of the Google ads which appeared here was for a product to fight insomnia. I'd have thought that the blog itself would suffice.

And the Otto Preminger story the other day reminded an old friend of the wonderful Dorothy Parker line:

"The two best words in the English language:Check Enclosed".

Yesterday I mentioned that I was off to hear Tony Blair speak on the British creative economy. I waited for a bus to take me there but when it arrived it was full. Immediately behind it was a number 14 which takes me in the direction of my office. I decided to give Tony a miss but here is his speech in full. For those of you who would prefer an abstract, what he said is that arts are important, that before he came to power Britain was in a shocking state culturally, that he invested in the arts which are as a result flourishing as never before, and that he has commissioned a Green Paper which will make things even better. In the words of Macmillan's former Chairman 'You've never had it so good'. I think I may have made the right decision in taking the number 14 bus which passes the great grocery store, Fortnum and Mason on its journey towards the Macmillan offices in Kings Cross.

Yesterday saw Microsoft attack Google for its cavalier approach to copyright as reported here. It is true that Microsoft's dealings with libraries have always been respectful of in-copyright works and it is certainly in Microsoft's interests to support the legal protection of intellectual property. There are those who are suspicious of every move that Microsoft makes but I feel comforted that we publishers seem to have a rather substantial ally in our efforts to protect our authors' rights and a business model which not only rewards creativity but also encourages freedom of expression.

It was fascinating to read that one of Reed's former star authors, Naomi Campbell, is set to start mopping floors. When we published her 1996 novel Swan (Five girls and a dream to die for!) there were those who said that she hadn't actually written the book. Maybe she won't actually mop the floors either. I couldn't find a picture of Naomi in the swan dress she wore for the launch, so here's the book cover instead.

There has been a debate today about whether independent educational establishments should continue to enjoy charitable (hence tax-free) status. There are apparently new much tougher public benefit tests which the organisations have to prove. There is much information about all this at Charity Commission's website. It will be interesting to see whether some publishers who are exempt from UK corporation tax on the grounds of their educational remit will find the new tests to their liking and how long it takes the Inland Revenue to wake up to this tax-raising opportunity.

When I began in this strange industry in the early 1970s it was dominated by men. Women were allowed to take significant roles in children's publishing as their minds were considered 'well tuned to understand children's tastes'. Publicity and rights departments were well stocked with women and there was an occasional brilliant woman editor. By and large, however, management was masculine. That has all changed, thank goodness, and women hold leading and very senior positions across the industry. Two of the big four general publishing houses in Britain have female chief executives (Gail Rebuck at Random House and Victoria Barnsley at HarperCollins). At Macmillan, well over half our divisional directors are women and a number of our overseas companies have women managing directors (e.g. South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Peru, Poland etc). The trend will continue.

The industry has benefitted enormously from this change but it clearly has effects on the women themselves. Here's an interview with Jane Friedman, head of HarperCollins worldwide. A more typical insight into the life of a publishing supermum can be found on this baby juggling blog from Pan Macmillan's e-publishing guru, Sara Lloyd. And here is a great piece from the Girl Frday blog of Clare Christian of the Friday Project.

Next stop on my architectural route to work is the wonderful Harvey Nicks store on Knightsbridge whose real glory is its window displays.

Thanks to Adam who spotted my non-deliberate spelling mistake in yesterday's title (which is now corrected to spare my blushes).

Off to see T. Blair deliver a speech on the creative economy. I can hardly wait.

Finally, I'd like to congratulate Ghana on its celebration of fifty years of independent rule. Macmillan has been publishing specifically for the Ghanaian market since 1965 through its local company, so another eight years before we can celebrate our half century. Greetings to all our team - and have a great day.

I was told a wonderful (probably mythical) story about the film producer and director, Otto Preminger. While making the epic, Exodus, in Israel he needed a huge number of extras and the budget was tight. He managed to recruit five thousand by the simple ruse of offering to allow people to appear in a Hollywood movie for only ten shekels a day. A true entrepreneur.

He came to mind when I was reading the rather interesting proposal in this week's Bookseller to turn the new Harry Potter publication day into a celebration of independent bookselling. The article requires a subscription to view and so I haven't linked but perhaps a kindly Bookseller executive might cut and paste the piece into the comments section below.

The proposal came from Matthew Clarke of the Torbay Bookshop in the West Country of England. I knew Matthew and his wife Sarah (always Randall to me) in the old Oxford University Press days. I have never been to their shop but what they're doing seems to me a fantastic exemplar of entrepreneurism in action. Check out their website. They're offering just about every service a book lover could want. I bet it's not easy making a living in an English seaside town but it looks to me that they are succeeding.

And a final bit of entrepreneurial thinking. Hinkler books is a value-for-money children's publisher in Melbourne. They were spawned from the former Budget Books owned by Reed International and managed by Robert Ungar. Hinkler is now managed by Robert's son, Stephen, who has taken the almost treasonable (under Australian law) act of advertising in the Bookseller for Pommie publishers to go and work in Australia, presumably because they are better than the equivalent Aussies. As he says in the ad, candidates will have their own flip-flops, visa and air ticket... Sounds irresistible for budding British publishing entrepreneurs.

Next stop on my architectural route to work is the absurdly over-the-top Harrods bazaar.

Next stop on my daily way to work is the Brompton Oratory and I thought I'd show the top of it for a change.

Eoin Purcell works in publishing in Ireland and in addition he runs an excellent blog. I had an enjoyable lunch with him in London a little while ago which may explain why he rates my blog at number 11 in his top twenty blogs on books, media and publishing. The lunch was only fish and chips in the local pub. Perhaps I should have invested more... In any event his list is interesting and should sit on most publishers' bookmarked favourites. For those who don't click on links and in the hope that Eion doesn't sue me for breach of copyright here is his top ten.

1/ Publishing 2.0
Scott Karp really does think and it shows. His posts are clear, concise, well written and interesting. If he is driven more perhaps from the revenue perspective his commentary only benefits from this.

2/ if:book
The Institute of the Future of the Book’s blog. The Ronseal of Book blogs [It does what it says on the tin], this site is really a hub for changes and possibilities on text and its future. Well thought out, at the forefront of change and tools for change this blog is for theory and application what Scott Karp is for the economics and revenues.

3/ Buzzmachine
Jeff Jarvis is the real deal. In a phrase he likes to use himself, he “gets it!” Never afraid to try (witness his own video reports) always encouraging and enthusiastic his blog is one of the most important in point possible directions for the news media (especially the changes necessary for print media).

4/ Open Access News
I don’t think you can discuss the changes in media and print without considering Open Access and its potential. If you care about these topics then you need to read Open Access News written by Peter Suber.

5/ Booktwo
Though not new, Booktwo is new to me. That aside it is an essential link to the changing technology and media environment. Somehow James manages to get his hands on great links and info before anyone else. And he works at one of my favourite publishers Snowbooks.

6/ Medialoper
Medialoper is one of a pair of blogs (booksquare being the other) that I love and read daily. It is not simply the links and nods to others in the area of change that Medialoper provides freely, Medialoper as a blog takes a much more considered perspective and avoids the breathlessness that can at times enter the discussion about the future. I like that.

7/ Plagiarism today
Jonathan Bailey has built an impressive body of material regarding copyright/plagiarism and the abuse of content on the web. In so many ways his site allows the reader and the less well informed to not only keep up to date with developments in protecting content from scrapping etc. but also the theory and debate that underpin modern copyright.

8/ Personanondata
If you want to know more about the possible tie-ups between the powers in publishing, the potential for data in the digital future or the likely trajectory of digital text in the education market, Michael Cairns’ blog is the spot for it. Relatively new on the scene it is one of the best in terms of analysing and discussing change both real and possible. His knowledge of the US market is hugely useful in making sense of company announcements and strategic decisions.

9/ PaidContent
Who doesn’t like PaidContent, a blog that has industry access, runs meet ups and generally functions like an institution much older than it actually is. Not only is PaidContent a blog about the changing nature and economics of Content it is itself a paragon example of that change.

10/ Invisible Inkling
Ryan Sholin started this blog as a student of journalism and has developed it since. His posts are insightful and useful for those wondering what the people entering careers in the media are thinking.

Over the last week or so I've published a few photos of views from people's offices around the Macmillan world (I'm still waiting for a view from the Flatiron). There can be little doubt that Kings Cross has so far won the competition for the least attractive but these two from the other side of the building show a rather different perspective.

Most of us are aware of the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, and his famous annual letters to shareholders. I confess thought that I had never actually read one. It is an extraordinary letter - give it a go. It may not be great literature but it is an example of great straightforward capitalist writing.

And as it's a Saturday with perhaps a little time to explore more, here's a link to Adam Hodgkin's  blog about things digital (and other matters) and here's a link to a new blog by a Boston-based academic publisher.

His remarks on architecture reminded me that I want to share my architectural route to work when I'm in London. If I put up pictures of all the great buildings I pass every morning it would take hours to load up, so I'll do one at a time. Here's the first, the Victoria and Albert Museum.

At this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere there seem to be a great many coughs, sneezes, colds, and runny noses. This Japanese contraption may be the solution.

A couple of days ago we threw a party to wish one of Pan's greatest stars a very happy retirement. Ray Fidler had chalked up 39 years and 4 months service. It is a real testament to Macmillan that an earlier smaller gathering of friends and colleagues held on Tuesday evening established over dinner that between the 13 of them they had 282 years service.

A propos of absolutely nothing, I loved this quote from the guy organising Anna Nicole Smith's memorial service: 'It will be something very beautiful, very private, very over the top and very pink.'

It's just under a year since I last wrote about World Book Day which celebrates its tenth birthday today. It has been a huge success in the UK. I wish it would take off elsewhere to the same extent. Perhaps we should plan to celebrate its twentieth birthday in Beijing. Anyway, a few facts from the UK.

Record numbers of retail outlets are taking part this year. The total number is around 3300 stores. Every  major retailer and  library authority in the UK is supporting Quick Reads 2007, to encourage non-readers to pick up a book. 47,000 World Book Day packs for primary and secondary schools and preschools have been sent out this year, all with World Book Day £1.00 tokens for every child on the roll. More than 90% of schools celebrate World Book Day in some way. Over 400 stores around the UK are using World Book Day to work with their local communities to collect Books for Hospitals. And more, plenty more.

And I recommend you click here with the volume on to hear a song by Julia Donaldson which celebrates her World Book Day book.

 It will be a good day for books if J.K.Rowling succeeds in her case against eBay. She has won the first round with an Indian injunction won by Akash Chittranshi, the lawyer who represents the Publishers Association anti-piracy activities in India. Some publishers (particularly some general book publishers as opposed to academic or educational publishers) think that spending money on anti-piracy activities shows little benefit. Here is an example of where it does and with implications way beyond India and eBay. Essentially, web retailers will have to take responsibility for ensuring there is no distribution of illegally created or imported copies of books through their services. Such a shift will protect authors, copyright and the free movement of legal copies - hooray. I've never met J.K.Rowling but I think the global book trade should thank her and not just for Harry Potter.

Good news today for Palgrave Macmillan who have signed an agreement with the hugely important International Monetary Fund for the publication of the IMF Staff Papers from April this year.

I think this photo wins the futile advertising of the month award. The bus stop is round the corner from Nature's Kings Cross, London offices in Caledonian Road. Apart from the Nature team (who already subscribe to Science) there can be no potential readers of this excellent but very high-level journal at this bus stop. The poster is there (at significant expense) presumably simply to irritate the Nature team (I can think of no other explanation). What it does suggest is that 'not-for-profit' publishers (Science is owned by the learned society, AAAS) can be more liberal with their subscribers' money than privately-owned ones.

It's the first of the month and so time for charkinblog stats. In February we had 66527 visitors, down from January's record 73059. My rather feeble excuse is that February is three days shorter than January. I guess I'll have to be a little more controversial or undertake a free marketing campaign to get the numbers moving again. Total visits to date are now 539533.