Apologies for the shameless self-promotion, but my first published piece will be coming out at the beginning of September. Jonathan Wilson - of The Guardian, SI.com, author of 'Inverting the Pyramid' etc. - has been kind enough to include my essay – to use the term loosely – on the rash of serious injuries at the start of the summer in MLS in Issue Two of The Blizzard which will launch on September 1st.

A selection of my favourite entries in The Blizzard include Uli Hesse’s piece on St. Pauli and Gab Marcotti’s on the ethics of performance enhancement in Issue Zero and James Montague’s on the first Israeli National Team and Kieran O’Connor’s on the financial legacy of the South African World Cup.

The list of contributors to the first three editions is a who’s who of soccer writing from James Appell on the Dark Heart of Russian Football to Tim Vickery musing on the point of it all and all stops in between. If you love the less-mainstream side of the footballing world this is the quarterly for you.

I’ve so far resisted the temptation to encourage eyes towards my blog (which can be found here, subtle), but if you find yourself so inclined the introductory pricing levels of The Blizzard will be changing with the month. Digital downloads will still be available at the pay-what-you-like model, but the bottom end of the hard copy pricing will rise from £5 to £6. You can find all the information on both the quarterly and ordering at their website, http://www.theblizzard.co.uk/.

Excerpts from Issue Two will be featured at the following address http://www.theblizzard.co.uk/issue-two-excerpts/ and for a full list of contributors to the upcoming edition can be found at their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/blzzrd.

If you are wondering whether the hard copy is worth the extra cost, I can only stress that each edition is in itself a work of art and there is no substitute for a dead tree in ones hands. Free digital copies are included with the hard copy purchase.

There are various options ranging from single issue to 4-quarter subscriptions to recurring subscriptions – I’ve signed up for the last option meaning every three months they charge my paypal account and I await the newest edition. I encourage you to check it out, see if it’s for you and spread the word.

If you have any questions, comments or criticisms I can be reached in any number of ways; the forum, PMs, through my blog or on twitter (@grawsee). Again Apologizes for the self-aggrandizing, but this is a project whose merits I truly believe in. I posted a similar notice in the Voyageurs board, so please forgive me for the cross-contamination.

Can't remember which thread it's in, but some of us already subscribe to The Blizzard.

If somehow you ever get to meet Paul Tomkins, tell him he's a genius and I'd probably kill for him.

Congratulations. Pretty sweet spot for your first published piece. If you don't mind me asking, how'd you pull that off?

Other than my man PT, Rory Smith at the Tel, and James Pearce at the Echo, the Guardian has every last great football writer working for them (BG, Hyde, Wilson, Hunter, etc.) so you're keeping good company there.

Will do.

They have a submission email address in their FAQ; I wrote a post for the blog and I thought it was quite good and figured 'what's the worst that could happen' so I sent it in.

Exchanged a few email with Mr. Wilson, worked out a couple of kinks, added a few things and that's it.

I've been nervous/excited about it for months now. I definitely have the least twitter followers of all its contributors, and most of mine are just bots.

The Guardian is king, though I do like The Times as well.

This issue arrived today and your story checks out. ;)

Haven't had a chance to read it yet but i'll let you know what I think when I do.

Following up the Telegraph's LFC writer will be hard to do. Rory Smith is a great writer. His article precedes yours.

Just opened the box. I'll read it after I get off the high from sniffing the ink.

Following anybody was going to be difficult; digestion order is completely understandable.

Ink fumes aside, it is a wonderfully composed publication.

Would appreciate any feedback once you get a chance to read it.

Forgot to post it.

Good article. I doubt the vast majority of readers will have fully appreciated what our players go through. Travel-wise in particular. Good on you for emphasizing the athleticism of our players as well. Seems like many foreign imports feel the same way and it's good to point out to onlookers that what they lack in technical ability they make up for in being better athletes than the average pro footballer from Europe or S.America.