Well, what a week! Last Friday, I launched the second in the Stones Corner Series Darkness and what a day that was! The event at the Verbal Arts Centre started at 7.00 pm, and all afternoon we were getting the room prepared meanwhile waiting for the books to turn up! It was a last-minute rush, and they were literally "hot off the press!" I was thrilled at how many people turned up and, more importantly, delighted we all had so much fun too, so much so, we overran and moved onto the Bishopsgate Hotel! Sometimes a thank you doesn't seem enough, but I tell you now I mean it every time I say it; thank you to everyone who came out and supported me. If you didn’t manage to make it, you can view our speeches and readings here.

Since Friday, I've had an awful head cold, and yes, I've done the test, and no, it's not COVID - thank goodness! It's funny, though, whilst in a garage early one morning this week all masked up, I took a fit of coughing, and you should have seen the expression on the poor girl's face behind the counter - she was terrified! Remember everyone, people do get the usual colds and flu at this time of year, especially since the temperature seems to have suddenly dropped and the nights have become darker, quicker. :)

Next week, I'll be walking the streets of Dublin with me books in me hand, cold-calling bookshops. I've had an okay response getting books into some shops in Dublin, but a lot have flatly refused - self-publishing does have a stigma.   

In talking to other Irish self-publishing authors, we're all experiencing the same thing. We're frustrated when we submit to the big four publishing houses, namely Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster & Hachette Book Group, and they make it impossible for upcoming writers or poets to get published. It appears they concentrate purely on established writers and pay little or no attention to new work.  

Other vanity publishing houses give you that moment of hope and accept your work, and then after the sheer of believing you've found a publisher, they tell you what they're going to charge you! It's heart-breaking because most self-doubting writers (like me!) would die for a traditional publishing deal; it's the icing on the cake, the dot on the 'i', the cross on the 't', it reassures you that your writing is worthwhile, and not crap! Yes, I do have many doubts, no matter how many tell me otherwise :) 

This dilemma is where I need your help. It's simple. I don't have a huge marketing budget like a traditional publisher; I don't have the radio or TV stations contacts to get interviewed. I don't have connections at the national or international newspapers. However, what I do have is you!   

The only way I will get my books out into the big world is by you sharing my blogs, videos, messages, images and promoting my work and not just sharing but encouraging your friends to share and promote my books, creating a giant snowball! Can you do that for me? Can you help me make my books a real success and prove to the big four - we don't need you!

Phew, I feel so much better now, getting that off my chest!

Have a lovely weekend!

Hugs. Jx