And so things continue at an absurd pace. I would do a daily summary like the last one, but frankly, I've lost track of what's happened over the last three weeks in any detail.
As a rough guide, I've been drowning in article submissions and requests for style sheets from people who want to write for Scarlet (deadline is next Friday so things are a tad insane). I've also been dealing with a surge of press releases (and many cool products been sent to me for review - the perks of my job rock. I now have a well-stocked bathroom cabinet loaded with moisturisers and loads of other beauty products that I so couldn't afford in 'real' life. Plus many, many, many sex toys and condoms. And some tapes to help me learn German for some reason - maybe so I can understand the porn I get sent? Though my favourite freebie has got to be One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed - an incredible and honest novel that, despite its title, isn't about sub-dom. Well, only very vaguely. It's a beautifully written book about a teenager's sexual experiences; by no means easy to read if you have any kind of emotion, but terrifyingly honest.).
As Scarlet is only a month away from launching, I've been on the PR trail. I was interviewed for a piece in The Mirror about women in the sex industry, was filmed for Channel Five show 'Sex Sexy' talking about porn for women (on Bravo in late October and Channel Five in November some time) and have done my usual London Live and LBC slots. (Hmm, while I'm on media stuff, if you have UK Gold and want a laugh, watch out for my 'No, I'm not a media sell-out at all' pundit appearance, talking about sex in the Vicar of Dibley, coming some time in September.)
Moving swiftly on, one particular highlight for me over the last few weeks was getting feedback on my second book. I was dead chuffed that the editor wants to take it straight to copy-editing stage, so I don't need to do any rewrites. If I'd needed to do them, it would have meant cutting down to about three hours sleep a night, so it's a huge relief.
Freelance-wise, I've written the pieces for Glamour and Men's Health magazines, along with some stuff for a new sex toy website (yet to launch), most of the new Lovers' Guide video and the Joan Rivers' show stuff. Not sure when the show is aired but I was gutted not to meet the lady herself. One day...
In pervy event news, Scarlet sponsored the women's zone at the Night of the Senses (previously called the Sex Maniacs' Ball.) Other than letting loads of people know about the mag, highlights included seeing a firebreathing dwarf, meeting loads of amazing people (including the fab table from Outsiders - if you're rich - or even if you're not - consider donating some money to the trust. It's a great charity helping disabled people find partners - but it's so much more than a dating agency.), and accepting an award on behalf of I'm not sorry - a pro-choice website - because they're based in the US and couldn't make the ceremony. I had no idea what to say because I'd just been asked to collect the web award on behalf of the best website, but didn't know who the winner would be. So, to buy some time, I ended up snogging last year's winner on stage (not that I'm complaining - ace snog - and inspiring enough that I could come up with a serviceable speech.) However, the entire world appears to have seen the snog - or at least they did if the amount of mails I've had about it is anything to go by. On the plus side, I did manage to keep my kit on - what little there was of it - for the whole night so I didn't have to deal with the same mails as last year saying 'Hey, saw you naked on the cobweb,' from business clients. Always a way to make the next business meeting fun...
After all that was out the way (and I'd recovered - it didn't end until 7am and I so can't party all night any more) I got straight back to work. I was offered a commission for another book (details tbc but it's about sex games and dice which sounds intriguing, if somewhat opposing my view that playing games to have sex is overly contrived. I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt because I'm a big fan of The Diceman. Time will tell.) There was more writing for Scarlet and more replies to emails from new (and established) writers interested in the project.
And then, on Friday, I finally took an hour off. I could justify it because it was work. I went off to do a spa review. OK, that's possibly the most decadent kind of work ever - even better than reviewing sex toys (once you've reviewed 200 toys, there's only so exciting a job it can be, and using your hand becomes a favoured option because at least you know you won't have to write 'the thumb was particularly flexible but the index finger could have been more sensitive' or whatever. No, really, next time you're wanking with a sex toy, try to take note of what it's doing in such a way that you could report it back in detail and see what it does to kill the experience.) So, I was there, sipping champagne and getting a massage at The Parlour, and God, was it bliss. I strongly recommend the place: for £65 you can get a manicure, head, neck and shoulder massage and mini facial. Though I have a hard time seeing the word 'facial' nowadays without my mind going in entirely the wrong direction.
So, anyway, taking an hour off was clearly far too frivolous of me, so I've spent the bulk of today writing. On the plus side, I had a lovely catch-up with a top girlie mate this evening and have got another day off planned tomorrow (yep, over a day off at the weekend - I'm getting really lazy) It will be ace to relax tomorrow. But I'm really looking forward to getting the first issue of the mag sorted next week too. Someone really clever once said that enjoying your job was one of the ways to be happy (I'm paraphrasing - they said it in a much wittier way) and I've got to admit, they're right. It still feels odd getting paid to do something I love. I feel lucky (and relieved that the slog I did to get to this stage actually was worth it).
Well, lucky and tired...
Posted by emilyd at September 12, 2004 01:31 AM