As restrictions are still in place, and I have a new picture book coming out (hooray!!), I thought I’d try and set up a zoom book reading and hope for some sales in my local school. I know the Head and Reception teachers well, having volunteered once a week for several years, pre-COVID. So I approached the local bookshop who are willing to help with publicity and would sell the books. Coincidentally, the bookshop was in the process of arranging a book fair at that same school in early July, so they would sell my books as part of that.

So far, so good. Then we learn that COVID restrictions are not to be lifted today. We have another month to behave ourselves and get vaccinated (I already have been double jabbed and have been trying to behave myself!!) and hope COVID numbers will go down (as they have begun to rise again, thanks to the new Delta Variant). Next thing I hear, last week, is that the book fair is cancelled because COVID restrictions don’t allow people to congregate indoors, and therefore my zoom event is off. Very disappointing as I was planning a lovely virtual session with the Reception Classes and I want to promote my book as much as possible.

The school has suggested that I can do an actual in-person reading of my book in the autumn, which would be good, ‘if it’s safe to do so’. So I’m on hold at the moment and hope this will come to pass then, either as part of the book fair or as an individual effort. I would rather it were not part of the book fair because that would seriously dilute the number of books sold, I would imagine. Meanwhile, my publisher is also happy to assist with posters and bookmarks so I hope there will be some success there, so I’ve emailed the school to suggest we go ahead this term anyway without the bookshop. I haven’t heard back yet.

Hey ho! More later… more positive… about the new book! 🙂