The Enid Blyton Society

I get a great many emails sent to me on a regular basis which I have no desire to answer at all. Any questions about the Society or any questions from Society Members get answered, but plenty more just get buried in my inbox. Many of these are asking me to value things - despite the contacts page saying that we don't offer valuations, but others raise the occasional smile and I thought it was about time that I let the forumites enjoy some of them too, so read on and enjoy!

hi i have a book by enid blyton hurrah for the circus by newnes it is a pale yellow coulor and as no jacket how will i no wot edition it is as iv no idear .please help id be extremly grateful

Just wanting to sell - as I discovered when she phoned me the following day!

I have a copy of this book SBN 361 00458 3 on the contents page I have the following
London
Sampson Low , Marston @ co . LTD.
and Dennis Dobson LTD
Is this book a fist addition

Another seller. I don't know about a 'fist addition', but possibly worth a punch as SBNs didn't come in until 1970!

With profound regards we humbly request you that We are a voluntary organization which sets up work in Indus Valley Sindh, the southern part of Pakistan our project is to help and facilitate a libraries program in Sindh, with the name of “Mother of Civilization Library” We therefore anxious in collecting resource materials including any books of Charles John Huffam Dickens most popular English novelist of the Victorian era, and responsible for some of English literature's most iconic character.

Very polite and part of a much longer email, but I don't know how many Dickens books they expected to get from an Enid Blyton Society!

I am [name removed] from US and I have a questions about Enid Blyton's books. Do you sell the book?!

I wonder what 'the book' is, I always thought that Enid had written more than one!

I love the phrase "fist addition" and the fact that the people wanting books by Charles Dickens give his full name (Charles John Huffam Dickens), presumably in case you're not sure which Charles Dickens they mean!

A long time back I myself sent a stupid mail to Tony. I hope that he doesn't publish it here.

What always amazes me is that people these days seem to write not using capital letters and punctuation anymore. Don't they teach this in schools now!!!

Not surprised you trash them, Tony. Maybe you could have a pre-set email that goes of to them, something along the lines of: 'your query is of a nature that we are not interested in'?

Julie2owlsdene wrote:What always amazes me is that people these days seem to write not using capital letters and punctuation anymore. Don't they teach this in schools now!!!

You worry about punctuation in children, Julie, then what of this!!

Thanks for ur mail.
I was horribly busy.
As such I could not answer u.
very sorry.
Regarding interview thing- I am not interested.
I always welcome criticism/comment on my books.
Someone mailed me having e-mail address-"pingpongball"
and yours is- mingmingkhan, whats wrong? ha ha ha

This person happens to be a traditionally published writer who I emailed because I wished to interview him for next month's issue of the magazine where I work! Talk about rudeness!

That seems to me to be an extraordinarily rude reply to you Ming. I would not buy any more of that author's books. Surely an interview with a magazine could only bring him more sales and more new readers. He must have a very high opinion of himself if he thinks he doesn't need any more readers.

Lucky Star wrote:That seems to me to be an extraordinarily rude reply to you Ming. I would not buy any more of that author's books. Surely an interview with a magazine could only bring him more sales and more new readers. He must have a very high opinion of himself if he thinks he doesn't need any more readers.

I agree with you, John.

It is a very rude reply to you, Ming. Have you responded to the email?

Sounds like this person is not only rude, Ming, but slightly arrogant, and not very professional. If this is the attitude from the work place these days, I'm glad I retired!!

I did - it was a short 'thanks for your reply and no that was not me'. I wanted to write a lot more but I figured that there was no need to have him target me (and the magazine) back, especially as the article was one not assigned to me by the editors but rather something I took my own initiative to do.

And John, I never read his books. They came free with a bunch of books (by another author) my mum bought in 2009. I think the gentleman in question was offended that one of the questions I asked included 'how well are your books selling after the National Book Fair ended?' They probably aren't selling at all, given that the only time I ever saw his books were at the Fairs and that too as part of a book package.

You'd think a guy like that would like the publicity an interview with a business magazine would grant him!

I started this thread by give examples of some of the 'nuisance' emails that I receive, but I also get a fair number of perfectly reasonable emails that either have nothing to do with me or would require lengthy answers if I am to address them fully. Here are two examples of emails that I have received in the past three days:-

Not sure whether you're the right person to email this through but my ever observant 8 year old has noticed a minor typo on the above book {The Family Collection] (ISBN 0 603 56076 8, Red Cover, printed by Egmont Books) and wondered if you could pass this on to whoever makes the editorial correction for future prints.

Page 107, last paragraph - the aunt is referred to as Mollie. In all other places she is Molly.

He'd love an email back (well actually he was hinting for a reward like all industrious children!) saying thanks for his eagle eyes it will be corrected in future releases ...

No, I am not the right person to write to. Numerous children's books contain typos and if I wrote to every publisher involved it could almost become a full-time job! This type of error is quite common and might well have been in Enid's original book.

I have only just stumbled across your website, and I hope you are able to help me a little..

My son is hooked on the Secret Seven.. He is turning 9 on Saturday, and wants to have a Secret Seven Party...

We have gone ahead and invited some of his friends.. there should be around 10 kids there, and plan to have the party at an Old Railway Museum... I have found several ¨Mysteries¨available to buy online, but none are actually SS related...

You obviously have a wealth of information, and I was hoping for some ideas... We want to let the kids explore the Museum, trains and keep them busy too... by finding clues, to solve a mystery.. but I have not yet pieced everything together..

We will be serving Ginger Cookies and Lemonade...
and get them to wear some SS badges... Any other tips.. Thanks.

Greetings from South Africa...

A nice idea, but a time-consuming answer required at fairly short notice.

I also get a number of letters from children, done as class exercises and often accompanied by a teacher's note asking me to reply. They are mostly written to Enid Blyton and ask questions like 'where did you get your idea for such and such a book' and 'what is your favourite colour'. I feel bad at not answering letters to children, but there simply aren't enough hours in the day and I seldom manage to get out as it is.

I think a great many people imagine this is a well-staffed office, but it it is just one disorganised individual struggling to keep pace with his current workload!

Tony, I do hope you sometimes receive some nice thank you emails from the people you have been able to help????

Its funny how good manners or just some small words of appreciation can make helping someone seem so worthwhile isnt it!

Regards

Pete

pete9012S wrote:Tony, I do hope you sometimes receive some nice thank you emails from the people you have been able to help????

Its funny how good manners or just some small words of appreciation can make helping someone seem so worthwhile isnt it!

Regards

Pete

I have only just noticed this post, Pete, and I am sorry I didn't reply at the time. The short answer is that we very rarely get any thanks of any sort. This is particularly noticeable on the Message Board, where Barney (no, it isn't me before Zaidi asks!) takes a great deal of trouble over answering questions and gets almost no thanks at all - it's a dog's life!

I was looking for this thread as I thought you might like a nice New Year smile from an email I received two days ago:-

Dear Sir,

I want short summary i.e.250 to 300 words of short summary of here's the naughtiest girl. please send it as far as possible.

I sent it as far as my junk box!

That's got to be the most outrageous email I've ever seen.

Sounds as though they were behind with their holiday homework and hoped you'd do some of it for them, Tony!

Hmm they wanted a short summary of a short summary? You have sent back "She's very naughty".