Frequently-asked
questions
What is Lavengro Books?
Why Lavengro?
These books are self-published. Why is that?
How good is a self-published book?
Who are the books for?
How much do the books cost?
How will I receive the book?
You want me to pay by PayPal. What is that?
You want me to pay you before you send the book. Why
should I trust you?
Do I get a proper invoice?
Can I buy Lavengro Books in a shop?
What
is Lavengro Books?
It is a trade name that
Peter Harvey uses for publishing. I am registered with the Spanish tax
authorities as a publisher, with that trade name.
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Why Lavengro?
Lavengro
is the name of a book by George Borrow. The word means word master in
the Romany language. The phrase the wind on the heath is from the
same book. I use it as a metaphor for communication travelling freely,
without barriers.
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These books are self-published. Why is
that?
The number of commercial
publishers of EFL material is small and they are not interested in authors
who approach them out of the blue, as I have discovered. (More information
here.)
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How good is a self-published
book?
Some self-published books
are what is known as vanity publishing; they are often weak in content and
poorly made. Mine is a serious work with attention to quality in content and
in production; it deals with the English language from the point of view of
a professional EFL teacher with thirty years of experience. A sample of the
book in pdf format can be seen
here. As a
teacher of English at an advanced level, and as a translator of medical
papers and of advertising copy, I know the importance of reliable content
and good presentation. It is my intention that every article in the book
should give an impression of accuracy and inspire the reader with a sense of
reliability in the rest of the contents.
The books are printed by a
reputable commercial printer. The cover design is by a professional graphic artist.
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Who are the books for?
A Guide to
English Language Usage is intended for people
in all countries
who have at least an intermediate level of English and want to be sure that
they have a clear understanding of how the language should be used. It
contains the answers to the questions that my students have asked me over
the years; the content is not strictly linguistic in the sense of dealing
only with grammar but it is language-based in that it helps people to
function competently in the English language. It is a reference book not a
text book. It has no exercises. (More information
here.)
Great English
Mistakes is written for Spanish-speakers who have an intermediate level
of English or above.
Both books will
also be of interest to teachers.
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How much do the books cost?
The retail price in Spain
of
A
Guide to English Language Usage is
€34.90;
Great English Mistakes
costs
€14.90. These prices include 4% VAT. The price in other countries varies according
to VAT regulations. Details of prices and shipping charges can be found
here.
Books bought from
Amazon will have a price set by Amazon.
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How will I receive the book?
Books are sent by standard
Spanish letter post. They should arrive in a few days in Europe; outside
Europe delivery will depend on transport times and local conditions, and may
be up to two to three weeks. Postage rates include air mail where appropriate.
(More information
here.)
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You want me to pay by PayPal. What is
that?
PayPal is an established way
of making payments on the internet. Your details will remain secure.
Lavengro Books will see your address (obviously – to post the book to you!)
and the name on your credit card. No other information is sent. (More
information abut PayPal
here.)
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You want me to pay
you before you send the book. Why should I trust you?
A good question. This is the
normal procedure for internet shopping. I am quite well known in Barcelona
as an English teacher and oral examiner for the Cambridge exams. My students
pay me in advance for their classes and I am always there to teach them; I
do not take the money and run. I do not publish my
personal
details here, but my address is to be found in the downloadable sample of
the book and
I am in the Barcelona telephone directory. My address and phone number will
appear on the invoice. In other words, I am not some anonymous person
skulking around on a web site with the intention of taking the money and
doing nothing. I have an established reputation as a teacher, which I am
using as a basis on which to sell my book.
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Do I get a proper invoice?
Lavengro
Books issues
proper invoices, with VAT where appropriate. An invoice is shipped with each book that
is sent. For further
information about billing and invoices, go
here.
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Can I buy Lavengro books in a shop?
I do not expect to sell
these
books only by mail order. But because they are self-published I have to do all
the marketing work of getting the book in shops myself, a process that must
inevitably start in Catalonia and work outwards from there. At present they
are
on sale in Barcelona at
Alibri, Balmes 26 (above Gran Via,
near the University), Come In Books, Balmes 129 (corner of Rosselló,
FGC Provença) and
Llibreria Catalònia,
Ronda de Sant Pere 3 (near Plaça Catalunya / El Corte Inglés);
in Girona they can be bought at
La Llibreteria, Migdia
55, 17003.
Other shops in Catalonia will stock
them in the near future.
In the UK the books
are available from
Amazon.co.uk and
Foyles, 113-119 Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0EB,
orders@foyles.co.uk
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