There’s been a bit of a flurry in sales of The Banjo lately. This was helped by the talk I gave at Dagenham Library on 6th December – and greatly enjoyed! – followed by a posting on the Memories of Dagenham Facebook Page by someone who’d got a copy for Christmas. Long story short – a rise in sales of Kindle copies and also paperbacks.
The Banjo – Book One .
Now, as I’ve mentioned before, I encountered huge difficulties in trying to sell paperback copies of my books through Amazon. We now think it’s because I work from an iPad and it distorts the cover images and will be having another go in the New Year. So at the moment I get the books printed myself and distribute them. It’s a sort of cottage industry and one that takes up quite a bit of time. But, I am delighted to do it as it means people are buying my books.
So, back to The Banjo – I have had a good run on orders, as I say, and quite a few were to people in and around Dagenham so this morning I took myself off to deliver them. And what an absolute joy it was!
I met people who were just like those I remember from my childhood: Dagenham People. These were the people who shared the memories and the love of Dagenham – a much maligned place but it was OUR place, a place we loved and none of us would change our childhoods for the world.
Everyone invited me in. I was offered cuppas and asked for selfies. I met someone who was at school with the Daughter and someone I was at school with. And even delivered a copy to someone living in Newbury Close – a road of new-builds on the site I’d set the fictitious Cromwell Close i.e. the Banjo itself! It was so lovely to chat to and meet my readers like this. And to confirm that The Banjo Book Two will be out in 2020. Definitely.
I am so grateful to everyone who’s ever bought one of my books. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous 2020 to you all.
