Which way next?

[SeaShore]

Hi everyone,

A couple of years ago I had some children's novels published but since then I've struggled having my work taken on by a publisher. I've had countless pieces of work returned to me with kind, "reassuring" the message, "your writing is excellent, but as you do not have a media profile, we won't be able take you on".

This became so frustrating that I decided not to go down that route anymore. I learnt how to bind books and since then have started to make my own. These books are handwritten and illustrated, with shabby-chic hand painted calico covers and they have turned out BEAUTIFULLY!

I have now started to put the books into local shops and am designing a website. But I'm now not sure what to do next! If the books sell I could potentially get the bookblocks printed elsewhere then continue to bind and paint the covers by hand . . . but then I'll need many more outlets to sell them. I've considered craft markets etc, but have two young children and so travelling off the Isle of Wight would be too much. Another option could be making a road trip and going galleries/potential shops in one big hit, but I don't know!!!

If anyone has an idea about could get these books out into the world, I would be grateful to hear them!

[jazzactivist]

Hi Seashore. We haven't heard from you for a while, how are you? Your books sound lovely. If you are thinking of craft markets, what about focusing on literary festivals? I have seen stalls with handcrafted books for sale at these and there are usually plenty of browsers and buyers. Hay on Wye has the biggest festival, but they are all over the UK and usually in the summer, so you could travel around and do a tour with your children as a holiday and seeing children on a children's book stall will help to attract people to it. I think that there are even children's book festivals in some places.

According to OH, who is a poet, doing readings and talks usually generates the most books sales, as it helps people to engage with your work and they often buy the book afterwards. In fact, it is part of the etiquette of attending a reading to also buy the book direct from the author if they have any for sale. I am sure that you know already that you don't have to read for free either, and should negotiate a fee, but perhaps you would be willing to do some readings and discussion about your methods to parents groups, in libraries etc for free to generate sales, just beware of schools asking you to come in for free during school hours, as children don't usually have the money on them to buy the book and may forget to talk about it at home! For schools you could produce your own flyer and print it off, then do a reading at schools in exchange for them including your flyer in their next big mailout. Then check that they have actually done it. With regard to making, I would promote the exclusivity of your book and take oreders in advance with a deposit and then make them to order. That's all that I can think of at the moment. Good luck with your book. Jazz X.

[SeaShore]

Thanks Jazz. Great advise . . . especially the literary fairs. I think I may have confused things though; the new book I've been making isn't actually a children's book. It's for women. It's called "Grow Your Own Gorgeousness" and is all about the "dangling carrot of ideal beauty" that is held up to women by the marketing world. The message of the book is that we are all already utterly Gorgeous right now and that by embracing ourselves fully, our lives become fuller and richer.

The book promotes being "fabulously flawed" and to reflect that I've used scruffy writing, spelling mistakes, scribbles and frayed bits. It's a bit like a piece of art.

What you said about readings has sparked off some inspiration though. I think I may try to design a workshop around the concept of the book and then participants can buy the book . . .

I'll let you know how it progresses!

[jazzactivist]

I'll have one for my collection of women's literature, seashore, please let me know how much and I'll send you a cheque. Sorry, I assumed that as you had previously written children's books that your new one was the same. A women's one now with such a good message and in a lovely edition - I would get going round all the women's groups on the Isle of Wight and also take a stall at any suitable Women's Events and festivals. Try to get some reading and workshop gigs with your adult education dept. based around your book. You are in the enviable position of having produced something that has a text that can be promoted at Literary fairs and Women's events and artwork that can be promoted at Art and Craft events. Do you belong to WIRE (Women in Rural Enterprise)? If not, it is quite cheap to join and they have a wealth of advice to offer plus their own events etc. There must be a WIRE group on the Isle of Wight...

[SeaShore]

Jazz - you are a wealth of insight! Thanks so much. I am going to start researching at once. With regards to sending you a copy of the book, wait until the website is together and then have a look at it. I'd much rather you knew what you were getting. Thanks again for your advise and support. And you must let me know the names of OH's books. I'd love to read some of his poetry.

[Crocus]

Hi Seashore! I only noticed this know! All the best with your books - it sounds really interesting! Jazz has given you lots of good advice, so crossing fingers for success with your books. x

[jazzactivist]

Great seashore, I'll look forward to seeing your website and ordering your book. As an avid book reader and collector I am always on the lookout for interesting books to add to my collections, and am a particular fan of women's / feminist fiction and non-fiction. My OH is Andrew Forster and his first book is Fear of Thunder. His next one comes out in May, called Territory, and 3 of his poems have been selected for the GCSE exam syllabus from 2010. He has a blog / website, and you can also pre-order his books through Amazon. I wonder if it might be worth you finding out how much it costs to sell through Amazon. I am not sure how it works for self-publishing and distribution, as it is usually the publisher who deals with all that, but small presses and bookshops do have links on the Amazon website so it might be worth it.

[Crocus]

Hi Jazz, what an achievement for your OH to have some of his poems selected for GCSE
exam syllabus! Congratulations to you both. XX

[SeaShore]

Hi Jazz,
I have looked up your OH's work and am not going to absolutely HAVE to buy Fear of Thunder. The poem I read was delicious. It sent shivers down my spine and I can see why his work is being selected for young people to study. What is the address of his website? Half of my family are teachers and it would be a great book to get into schools down here . . .

[jazzactivist]

Hi Seashore. Andy's blog is at www.andrewforsterpoems.blogspot.com. He hasn't got a full website yet, as he is only just getting round to it. The poems selected for the GCSE are Brothers, Mother Diving and Horse Whisperer. I like the one about the girl who thinks she's a horse best.

[dragonfly]

Hi Seashore, I don't have any experience in selling things so can't advise but Jazz's sound good. I buy a lot from Amazon so think the internet is a good way to sell books.

Your book sounds very interesting and I would love to see it, please let us know when your web site is up and running. I was a bookbinder for 6 years when I left school and love hand made books and have thought of doing it for a hobby.

[jazzactivist]

Bookbinding is making a comeback, DF. Have you ever thought of teaching other people how to do it? The bookbinding course at my local adult ed centres is always full.

[dragonfly]

I haven't done it for many years Jazz so would need a refresher myself. I still have a book I made entirely by myself, except for guillotining which I wasn't allowed to do, and that was when we sewed up the back of the folded pages not glue them like today. I would love to be able to fully restore old books particularly leather bound ones.

[SeaShore]

Hi Dragonfly,

You should most defiantly start bookbinding again! Is there anywhere locally where you could get a refresher? I searched everywhere for a bookbinding course in my area but the nearest was a residential course in Cornwall! I then rang up a professional and asked if he would teach me, but he said no. My sister-in-law knew a few bookbinding techniques from Art College yet turned out to be completely miserly when it came to sharing her artistic knowledge! So I ended up buying a book on the subject and just doing it myself! The book was called "The Bookbinding Handbook" by Sue Doggett. If you can't find a course, it might just be worth getting hold of that.

[dragonfly]

Thanks Seashore, I shall get that book and next year when I am not working I shall look for a course. I was hoping to find someone who renovates books and see if I could work for them, without pay if necessary, if they would teach me the techniques. Bookbinding is probably so different now to when I did it, with all the modern equipment and glues. We used to have an old metal glue pot that we lit on a burner each morning to get the glue really hot and boy did it stink. I think it was made from bones or something from animals. Now it is probably much easier. I think it is not set in stone now either and you can experiment with different materials and techniques.

[Crocus]

Well it definitely sounds like a most interesting hobby. Is it very difficult to do - I suppose it's a painstaking craft? x

[SeaShore]

It is pretty painstaking. But more than anything, it's expensive!!! I have had to charge quite high prices due to the cost of making each book and I'm a bit concerned they aren't going to sell for that. In a moment of inspiration I rang an Island publishing company today . . . They're ringing back tomorrow for a more in depth conversation.

[Crocus]

Oh that sounds good SeaShore, I hope after the in depth conversation they will place a big order! Let us know of course! X

[SeaShore]

Thanks Crocus, I will. In the meantime, will you have a look at the blog I've started and tell me what you think? You can get it by googling Growyourowngorgeousness or bethanstritton.com I only started it last week when Aysha was ill, so there isn't much on there, but if you scroll down to the lower posts, you can see a picture of the books.
I'll let you know what the publisher says when he/she finally rings up!! X

[SeaShore]

Hello everyone! I'm really excited . . . Orders for Grow Your Own Gorgeousness have SNOW BALLED in the last week!!!! I can hardly believe it. This is such a great exaple of how, when you decide to champion your passions, mirciles can happen. Now I have lots of books to make - quickly!!!

[dragonfly]

How wonderful Seashore. Good luck with the enterprise, it sounds like you are going to be very busy. x

[SeaShore]

Oh Gosh.

I've been making books non-stop for days!!!

My back is completely bent over from hunching over a table for so long. But I know exactly what my next step is - which is the question this thread originally . . . !

I am going to have these bookblocks printed up elsewhere. There is obviously a great market for them, so over the next year I'll get them printed somewhere local and depending how it grows, I am going to return to India and set up some sort of printing workshop over there. My vision is to employ local women who have perhaps been widowed or are in some sort of unfortunate situation, making the books fairtrade. because the book is all about empowering women, it would be the perfect solution.

[dragonfly]

That sounds like a brilliant enterprise seashore. Good luck with it.

[SeaShore]

Thank you Dragonfly. I can't believe everyone is on here so late!!

[Crocus]

Wow SeaShore, what an adventure! Please keep us up to date and all the best for it to work out like you would want it to! X

[SeaShore]

I just wanted to add a bit to this thread to tell you what has been happening with the books. I have sent off a copy to a bookbinding company to get a quote for about 200 copies. I am only asking them to print the "book block" which is the bookbinding jargon for the folded pages. That way I can still cover the book myself and give it the handmade feel. In the meantime I am going to send copies to Naomi Wolf - the woman who wrote The Beauty Myth and also the psychologist who wrote Bodies and also Fat is a Feminist Issue (can't remember her name), but she helped found and create the Dove Real Beauty Campaign. Hopefully they'll endorse the book and that will give it a bit more of a standing.

[dragonfly]

Seashore it sounds like a good idea to get them bound and then hand finish them. It will save you a lot of time. I hope the women endorse it for you. Have you sold any yet?

[jazzactivist]

Susie Orbach, SeaShore. I read your blog SeaShore, and loved it. You are such a great writer. The idea for your book is great and looks wonderful. Now I have seen it can I order a copy of one of the handmade ones too? Your poor back... By the way, your visiualisation for living a creative life on page 1 of your blog has really helped me to get into the zone for making silver items every day. I have been having a bit of a crisis of condidence so it was just the thing to prop me up and get me back into it. Thanks X.

[Primrose]

Such an inspirational thread SeaShore and will look at your Blog.

I wish you luck in all your ventures and will be following how you get on.

Thank you. xxx

[Crocus]

All of the best SeaShore - I also read your blog and it's most inspirational. Keep us posted about things go with your book. XX

[SeaShore]

Thanks so much everyone. Especially for having a look at the blog. Blogs are such weird things to write ... I'm still not sure quite what it should concentrate on yet -tools for helping others, anecdotes, or what!! Sometimes it just ends up like a bit of a jumble sale/junk shop of different finds/ideas/reflections.

With regards to sales, the shops I put them in haven't sold many, but before Christmas I got loads of orders via word of mouth. It seems that women read the book and because they identify with the message they then want to buy copies for their friends. After doing the "make believe" exercise that Jazz was talking about earlier, I checked my email and a lady who works for Microsoft in London wants to order a batch of her copies for her friends. It's a bit of a trust game at the mo. - trust that it's all going to work out. But it's good fun! XXX
PS. Jazz, I'll send you a private message and get your address to send you a copy.