It’s been a long time, over half a year, but, before I attempt any kind of long-term recap, there are a few recent notable events I’d like to share….

Firstly, my publisher (of ‘Valletta and the Year of Changes’) has just ceased trading. This was a huge blow to my plans and hopes, however, the writing was ‘on the wall’ for a number of months if I’m honest. I could tell almost the month after publication, when I’d had my two little launches-cum-tea-parties up at the farm – thank you Tracy, the cakes were amazing!! – that all was not well with Pretty Pug.

The demise of that business has left me with quite a few problems. Pretty Pug was still listed as publisher and distributor on Nielsen. This is the where a book’s ISBN numbers come from. Data held by Gardners (from whom Waterstones, amongst others), order their books, is fed from the information held by Nielsen. I’ve now managed to amend Valletta’s listing so that, for now, I’m listed as the distributor, which is a success. However, as an independent, Valletta is not allowed either to be a stock book which can be ordered from a catalogue; it has to be a ‘special order’. And only ‘stock’ books are allowed to have advertising in the catalogues…So far, so frustrating.

Then, of course, there’s Amazon. They have such a scarily huge share of the bookselling market. On the big A, ‘Valletta and the Year of Changes’ is now listed as ‘currently unavailable’. The only ways I can see to make it re-available for purchase through A is to either for me to become a registered Amazon seller, which costs, I believe, from about twenty-five pounds a month plus obviously the commission on books sold on said platform, or to find another publisher to take on Valletta, do a reprint and then be there, ready-and-waiting, for her sequels. Am still unsure what to do here. Oddly, it was the publisher’s lack of progress in producing an e-version of my book which fuelled my suspicions.

This is not, of course, to forget the remaining books from the original printing in June which I have yet to get hold of. Fortunately, I have stock here, some stock to keep me going for a while. I’m not sure what lessons I’ll have learnt by the end of the year, but there will be some! I remain pleased with and proud of my first foray into children’s fiction. Positivity is returning!

Meanwhile-

Don’t try to buy Valletta through Amazon – you won’t succeed. I do however have a couple of e-books up there. Do buy through one of my lovely local stockists – (am always happy to provide a current list).
Do buy from the farm shop at Ceridwen Centre, SA44 5XE.
Do buy from me direct – I’m on email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and there’s now an Etsy page too.

Thank you/Diolch yn fawr