Since I was a small goblin child, I’ve been obsessed with the acknowledgements in books.
They’re a little piece of the story of how the book was created and the minds behind it and gratitude is always a delight to see anyway, right?
And, if I’m being totally honest, part of me was hoping to see my name there, too.
Which makes absolutely no sense, given I was — as mentioned — a small goblin child.
Even then, I wanted to be involved in writing books. My own, yes — but also other people’s because I knew instinctively how difficult it can be to stand up and say,
“This is me. This is mine. I made this. It’s for you, I hope you love it.”
I was fascinated by the making process.
I’d read those little love notes and marvel at how many people it took to write a book, and the many and varied roles they played. The editor, proofreader, illustrator, cover designer, typesetter, yes — of course. The publisher, the agent — obviously.
But it was the other stories that pulled me in.
The author’s cat or dog who had been there as a quiet support the whole way through, and who had sometimes eaten a page that frankly deserved to be eaten anyway.
Or their partner or children or parents, who had created the space and time and support for the writer to write.
The friends or writing circles who listened to the inevitable and semi-regular wailing and gnashing of teeth and who read shitty second drafts and helped make them better.
Sometimes, the coffee shop owner who might never know the role they played in the creation of a book.
On occasion, that one English teacher who told them they’d never amount to anything.
All acknowledgements are nice, of course, but my favourites are the ones that come with a little story. Not just a list of names; a series of tales, sometimes cryptic, about each person’s contribution.
A tiny teeny piece of proof that someone made a significant and positive difference in someone else’s life, down there in black and white for everyone to see, for as long as we have books and people to read them.
So when I saw my name in someone else’s book for the first time, it was such a thrill. Almost as thrilling as unboxing my very own books. Maybe as thrilling but in a different way.
There it was: tangible proof that I made a difference.
Someone’s book is in the world that wasn’t there before, partly because of me.
How fucking cool is that?
That thrill never goes away. Every time a new book by a client lands on my doorstep, with my name in the acknowledgements (which is always a delightful surprise and never expected) the thrill compounds.
I’m not a small goblin child anymore, I’m a small goblin book and writing coach and I’m still obsessed with the acknowledgements in other people’s books, whether I had anything to do with them or not, because stories are magical and I get a little peep into someone else’s life and process and that’s amazing.
Oh hey are you writing?
If you’d like to write more, I’d like to help — a group can be incredible. I have such a group! A little one, a friendly one, a place of joy where we talk about all kinds including whether or not Aramis from Dogtanian was a fuckboy (definitely) and our theories about other people’s walking speeds.
And we write.
It’s called the Creative Playground and I am opening the doors for another five people to join in June.
It’s £50 + VAT per month and includes 10 live co-writing sessions per week, monthly writing workshops, monthly hot seat Q&As, a private Telegram group, and regular writing challenges.
You can try it for £1 for the first week.
Right here:
And now for the Friday Goodie Bag — I found this little lot for you:
Not everything has to be epic, make it ridiculously teeny
Have you seen the 0.05k Bridge Run? No, that’s not a typo and I’m sharing it because its very existence cracks me up. In Annapolis, USA, there is a bridge. The Eastport Bridge. It was rendered obsolete in 1998, but the good people of the town were not having that. So they created “the least challenging athletic event ever conceived” (according to Runner’s World magazine). There are plenty of prizes and I really want to enter one day.
The Bernatek Footbridge Acrobatic Sculptures in Krakow
My friend Sarah visited Krakow earlier this month and sent me photos of “Between the Water and the Sky” — a sculpture trail on the Bernatek footbridge. There are tightrope walkers, Olympic rings, hoopers, and acrobats, and they’re beautiful. Check ‘em out here.
It is possible to do great things with almost no money
Did you know Mary Mcleod Bethune built a school with $1.50 in 1904? Nor did I, until I read Dr Karida Brown’s LinkedIn post. Back in Jim Crow, most Black schools were private because of segregation, which means there were not many schools for Black kids, which was the point. But Mary Mcleod Bethune was not having that nonsense and she founded the Daytona Industrial School for Negro Girls with nothing but $1.50 and the kind of determination that changes the world.
You can read a little more about this remarkable woman here.
How to stay sane during The Screaming
I found (via a group I am a member of) a really helpful, short article, about how to cope with all the political nonsense and sheninagans. It is six simple pieces of advice that we should remember when voices of hate and division are screaming at us as loudly as they can. This is aimed at Americans dealing with their toddler-in-chief, but it is also useful to us in the UK and everywhere, dealing with the Farages of the day.
This podcast about emojis in court
I had never really thought about how emojis affect legal trials and interpretations but they are now a part of our language so you’d think there’d be clear legal guidelines, right? Not quite. One of my fave pods, 99% Invisible, did an episode about emojis and law and a little about the history of emojis and it’s super interesting!
What I’m reading
I’ve just finished Robin Ince’s new memoir Normally Weird & Weirdly Normal: My adventures in neurodiversity and I’ve put a sticky note marker on every other page. I love this book SO much. It’s not “just” a memoir; it’s extremely well researched and he’s talked to a lot of neurodivergent people about their experiences and way of moving through the world, and I absolutely loved it because I have just been officially diagnosed autistic after a process of several weeks.
His book is really about understanding how our brains work, whatever type of brains we have, and how important that is. It’s a kind, generous, expansive, beautiful and — of course — entertaining read.
12/10 would recommend.
What I’m writing
Notes for my next MicroWorkshop on June 19 — tentatively titled “From Rage to the Page”, all about using a Burn Book to get your draft started. Keep your eyes open for registration in a few days.
Word of the day
tchotchke
Yiddish has SO many good words and this is one of them. I learned it on LinkedIn the other day and I cannot remember who said it (apologies if it’s you).
It means “a small object that is decorative rather than strictly functional; a trinket.”
My space isn’t rammed with ornaments but I do like the odd tchotchke that has a bunch of meaning for me.
Quote of the day
“Optimism is a political choice!”
— Carly Heath
Right, I’m off to Dorset to look for fossils and other weird shit on beaches. Peace out and have a splendid weekend!
How to work with The MicroBook Magician
MicroBook Magic: Write your MicroBook in just 8 weeks — book for October 2025
Creative Playground: Write every day + get advice, support, and bonus access to my workshops! (1 week trial for £1)
Book Coach In Your Pocket: Let’s see how much you can get done in just 30 days
VIP Book Breakthrough Day: Make a quantum leap in book progress in just one day (or two half-days)
Nonfiction Book Ghostwriting: Idea to book in just 20 weeks
Buy My Book: How the hell do you write a book?