Turning down a great opportunity

I turned down the chance to be in the I.Y.P.I programme being organized by the British Council here in Muscat in affialiation with the London Book Fair 2006.

I had turned it down for a number of reasons. First, it needed someone to have several contacts in the publishing industry. That being said, I have barely published two books, written a few articles in theweek and run two blogs on the internet. That hardly qualifies me as a person who has several contacts in the Omani publishing industry, in my opinion.

Another reason I turned it down for is because they needed an in-depth analysis of the industry in terms of competitors, publishing agents in Oman and the kind of quality that they represent. I admit that I read a lot of Omani and sometimes - very rarely, actually - international newspapers and/or magazines. Thus, I don't think that enables to make full in-depth analysis of the industry again.

The strongest reason for me turning down the whole project was that I was told about the whole thing last Thursday (5/1/2006) and they needed the whole thing from me by today - Saturday (7/1/2006). So you can imagine the surprise that I felt and the nervousness from being reluctant to commit to such a project.

All in all, the whole project is a great challenge, and I would have loved to participate into it had I had more time to reflect upon it and more experience to share.

But like Jamal Al Moosawi from the British Council, Muscat said to me over the phone; 'Perhaps another time'..