Category Archives: Events

I had a dilemma when launching ‘Search for the Pearl Inside Yourself’

My dilemma

I usually give two or three copies and prizes and a couple of mugs at the launch, but then was I going to raise money for charity this time, as I did for ‘The Healing Paths of Fife’? I wasn’t sure.

I would dearly like this new little gift book of mine to reach Young Adults to help some of them through this difficult, disruptive period in their lives and so I wanted to keep the costs down if at all possible. It is only £5.99 on Amazon.

To Reach out to those who would benefit

I came up with the idea of ‘read and pass it on.’ I decided to giveaway fifty books ~ a small print run with the wonderful Biddles Books, an old family firm of printers in Kings Lynn. In each book I would put a letter saying:

• I would love to hear from them if they found the book useful

• To pass it on to someone they think might benefit if they didn’t enjoy it

• To pass it on to another person when they’ve finished with it

Cover Design

I have designed several covers for others and so I decided to do this one myself too. I know it is a ‘no-no’ in the writing world, but I designed ‘The Healing Paths of Fife’ and I’ve raised over £700. I requested quotes and received four of them for around £400. Now, I know designers have to make a living too, but it often appears that writers are at the end of the list to be paid, and so what I’ve saved in doing my own cover I am putting into giving away books for free to those who need it.

Why 50!

Once we’d organised the print run for ‘Search for the Pearl Inside Yourself’ I chose to giveaway 50 books and here are my reasons:

> I saved the money on the cover

> I will giveaway 20 paperbacks in July, 15 in August and 15 in September

> The majority of those given away will be local to here in Fife or in Bedfordshire, many delivered by hand but up to 5 maximum each month by post(UK only).

>All publishing companies of size giveaway many, many advanced reader copies for reviews, to bookclubs, on line book reviewers and individual. (I will also ask politely in my letter for a review, if they would like to do so, but this in no way guarantees getting them.)

How to recover costs

Although I will absorb some of the costs as my donation to a good cause, I will hopefully use the sales of the ebook published in August to cover the larger costs so far. The e book will also be at a low price, 99p, with free period, to reach as many as possible.

Then I have other decisions to make…