It's all about the sales...isn't it?
This morning, I dropped forty-one copies of Granny Rainbow off at the school I'd visited on World Book Day. Forty-one!
Of course it's gratifying to sell copies - I've sold almost a hundred since taking delivery of Granny. Some might say I've shamelessly used my connection with the school; my kids went there and I worked there in both voluntary and paid capacities (still helping out in the library now) so I know a lot of folk. Or they might say that it was just good timing; I'm donating an amount from every book ordered through school to a parent-led 'funding for books' appeal.
But you know what? I don't give a monkeys what people say.
Because when I took the copies to the classrooms, particularly those where I'd held the storytelling workshops, I was greeted with a chorus of 'Hello Mrs Hetzel!' 'Have you brought the books?' 'Yay! Granny Rainbow!'
Because I was shown the display 3/4IM had made for parent's evening; their own one-sheet storybooks with hand-drawn covers, stuck to the wall...
Because in 4MC, I was asked to give the books out myself and discovered that one young man had been so determined to get his order in first, he bought the form in the day after the workshops...
Because a parent doing volunteer reading with KS1 as I delivered the books told me her daughter (Y4) had been checking and rechecking that mum had actually put the order in and had come home every day disappointed that the book hadn't arrived yet...
Because another parent who attended the launch told me how her daughter had shared the stories with her own Grandma that very evening...
Because staff were asking how to get hold of copies (they'd unfortunately been missed off the original email) and three more copies were bought today...
Because my little book is having an effect on the young readers I'm writing for.
Amazing stuff.
Of course it's gratifying to sell copies - I've sold almost a hundred since taking delivery of Granny. Some might say I've shamelessly used my connection with the school; my kids went there and I worked there in both voluntary and paid capacities (still helping out in the library now) so I know a lot of folk. Or they might say that it was just good timing; I'm donating an amount from every book ordered through school to a parent-led 'funding for books' appeal.
But you know what? I don't give a monkeys what people say.
Because when I took the copies to the classrooms, particularly those where I'd held the storytelling workshops, I was greeted with a chorus of 'Hello Mrs Hetzel!' 'Have you brought the books?' 'Yay! Granny Rainbow!'
Because I was shown the display 3/4IM had made for parent's evening; their own one-sheet storybooks with hand-drawn covers, stuck to the wall...
Because in 4MC, I was asked to give the books out myself and discovered that one young man had been so determined to get his order in first, he bought the form in the day after the workshops...
Because a parent doing volunteer reading with KS1 as I delivered the books told me her daughter (Y4) had been checking and rechecking that mum had actually put the order in and had come home every day disappointed that the book hadn't arrived yet...
Because another parent who attended the launch told me how her daughter had shared the stories with her own Grandma that very evening...
Because staff were asking how to get hold of copies (they'd unfortunately been missed off the original email) and three more copies were bought today...
Because my little book is having an effect on the young readers I'm writing for.
Amazing stuff.