5 Lessons I Learned from Self-Publishing - a guest post at Book And Brew

Hello hello. 

This month (May 2017) marks 12 months since I made the decision to indie-publish my book of Snipped Tales (available here). 

One small year; one whole lot of paper shuffling, designing, decision-making and self-promotion. 

And I'm far enough away from the thick of it, to be able to pause, reflect and synthesis some of the thoughts and experiences I had during the process, and offer up some advice to anyone hoping to do the same.

To read my 5 snippets of advice (actually 'snippet' is an understatement. It's almost a book chapter. A book about writing a book ... mmmmmm ... food for thought ...) where was I??? Oh yes ...

...to read my 5 snippets of advice head over to Book & Brew where you'll find the full article.

Throughout the publishing process alongside the details, the finances, the design choices, the structural ideas, all the nitty-gritty - I occasionally scribbled notes on what was happening and how I was feeling:

All in this notebook in fact:

Create Your Own Story huh? I guess I really took the cover slogan to heart didn't I?

(Hey, that could be another top tip for newbies: 'Do all your planning in a notebook with an appropriately motivational phrase' ... can't hurt anything, can it?)

So -

• if you're contemplating self-publishing a print book (I haven't yet published an e-book), 
• or you're thinking about thinking about, maybe, perhaps, one day, possibly, potentially, self-publishing a print book ...
• or even if you're absolutely certain that you won't, or can't, self-publish a print book ... 

... do head on over to read through the 5 Lessons I Learned from Self-Publishing over at Book & Brew ... and who knows where you'll be this time next year ...

Julie

Adventures in self-publishing: customer feedback, kind words and the cover-quote of my dreams. (If I'd ever dared dream that big.)

Hello, hi, how's things? 

Only now, after I've prepared all the info and images for this post, has it occurred to me that I might just be preaching to the converted. 

Below I've collected together some of the feedback, reviews and general loveliness Snipped Tales readers have offered through Etsy and Instagram over the last few weeks ... and I now realise that the majority of those supportive words have come from you: people who read this blog!! 

But ... perhaps there'll be a new set of eyes reading this, someone who really would like to hear what other people thought of the book before giving it a try themselves. Or perhaps you'll just enjoy seeing if other people pointed out the same thing you did in your comments. So let's begin ...

If you read my previous post, where I talked about the events following the book's release, I mentioned that - if I ever happen to do a second print-run - I now have a quote I can use on its cover. And it's this quote: 

Andrew Miller has been one of my favourite writers ever since I read his first book Ingenious Pain, which remains one of my favourite novels ever. And now I have this, from him. 

I could explain to you how this came about ... or at least, I could tell you the technical and chronological steps that occurred in order for an award winning novelist to be talking about my little self-published book ... 

And I could tell you that I sent him a copy of the book as a gift ... and that he enjoyed it so much he offered to help support it. I didn't even have to ask.

But, actually, I can't really 'explain' explain it ... there's a lot of serendipity involved, more than a little awkwardness, some 'hold your breath and just do it', and a good dose of 'don't squander this opportunity but don't abuse it either'. And somehow here we are. 

(BTW: if you've read the 'Full Disclosure' section on my About Me page then maybe this has shed some light on which novelist I was referring to there.)

Somehow several years ago the universe conspired to put me in touch with an author who would eventually offer to support a book I hadn't even considered publishing at the time.

 And while I can't give advice on how prospective writers can emulate this particular set of events I can stress the importance of being open to opportunities and making genuine connections with people along the way. You truly never know when they'll offer to help you out. 

And speaking of people who've offered their words in support of mine ... here are some of the other humbling and rewarding things Snipped Tales readers have been saying. 

Kind words about the contents of the book.

*  I absolutely love this book! Such a clever, original idea. Some tales made me laugh, some were just so cleverly put together, and one in particular brought a tear to my eye. If you are looking for a totally different, interesting book, look no further!

* Lovely bedtime morsels to cure Monday.

* I just love this book! I have been dipping in when I want a moment to reflect or to smile and it is full of little treasures, it is magical.

* This is fantastic. Perfect for often interrupted reading and actually quite magical to read. I love it!

* Devoured it over a big mug of tea and will go back and re-read. Made me smile, made me think. Love it.

* This is a gem of a book ... something for everyone.

* This is the most unique, thought-provoking, funniest compendium of stories I have ever had the privilege of reading. [...] Julie Kirk's witty way with words (a mouthful!) is a true talent ... hoping for more "snipped tales" in the future!

* Wonderful read, and inspired both myself and my friends (great idea for a New Year party!) to make up stories from snippings.

* The book is lovely and I and my friends all adore it!

* A gift to myself that I love and will look at daily and smile, and be reassured that there is someone else out there on my wavelength. Thanks for setting a precedent by publishing your kind of fiction.

* This is a wonderful idea and a beautiful little book. If you like oddities, little poems, and tiny stories, you'll love this. I bought one for me and one for my sister-in-law... then loved it so much, I've just bought another two copies as presents for other people I know will love it.

* Fantastic little book.

* I love the style of this book! It's very thought provoking, I love the way it's laid out and how cleverly you've used the book text in such an imaginative way!

* A wonderful book! I love the whole concept of 'snipped tales'. I have been eagerly awaiting this book and when it finally arrived it did not disappoint. Delightfully quirky!

* Absolutely fantastic. Such beautiful new stories made from old ones - a little something for everyone!

* Loving these collaged treasure tales and my unique tag, all beautifully done,

Compliments about the look of the book.

My good friend and long time collaborator Kirsty Neale created the illustrations for the book and Graeme at 6E Publishing incorporated them into the kind of cover design I had in mind. And really ... feel free to go ahead and judge the book by its cover ... because its outsides really are a good match for its insides. 

* I love this book for so many reasons. Beautifully printed and designed and lovely to flick through randomly.

* Couldn't resist sharing another shot of #snippedtales just because it's so beautifully photogenic.

* Beautiful and intriguing ...

* I've had it for half an hour and all I want to do is find a quiet corner to read it from cover to cover.

Praise for the packaging.

When you buy a copy through my Etsy shop each one comes gift wrapped complete with a one-of-a-kind tag featuring a mini snipped tale just for you because I love the idea of making it feel like you're receiving a gift even if you're buying it for yourself.

* This lovely book would make a great gift: the packaging was almost too nice to open.

* Beautifully wrapped.

* Even the packaging was individual and very lovely.

* Love the personal touch of a snipped tale on a handmade tag.

* Beautifully packaged and personalised.

* Amazing packaging, personal note welcomed. 

* I ordered three copies (two as gifts for friends) and all three arrived beautifully gift wrapped.

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I hope you'll forgive me blowing my own trumpet here, it's all just part of the job, the next step in the process. I spent time, care, and - yes, if we're not being coy about it - money, putting the book together and really do want as many people as possible to get hold of a copy. And no, it's not about the money, truly; I'm not going to be buying that villa in Florida my Dad asks about, or the bungalow my Mam's been hinting at, any time soon! (Sorry about that.)

When I was in the middle of the pricing/print numbers meltdown I mentioned in my previous 'Adventures in self-publishing' post, James - hero that he is - made me stop and tell him the main reason why I wanted to publish the book, and my answer was that I just wanted the right people to find the book, to have it in their hands, to share it with them. And that still stands today. 

There are some stories in there that will lift your spirits while others will tug your emotions, keep you company or raise your eyebrows. And hopefully posts like this will help someone new discover these eclectic little messages so they get to hold the physical book in their hands, while letting the contents hold them in return. 

Julie x

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**Next week (30th Jan - 3rd Feb)** 

• Kirsty Neale and I are hosting a 'Snipped Tales Takeover' of our collaborative Instagram account @thecopyandpasteproject
• All week we'll be sharing behind-the-scenes details about how we collaborated on the book and various aspects of the creative and publishing process. 
• Join us there @thecopyandpasteproject from Monday! 

Instagram ~~ Etsy ~~ Facebook ~~ Website

Adventures in self-publishing: the first 7 weeks in the life of Snipped Tales.

Hello hello. 

This month, on my birthday appropriately enough, my book - Snipped Tales - turned one-month-old; meanwhile the month prior to that had been an entire blur. So - now that things have calmed down a little I thought I'd share an update, fill you in on the gossip, let you know how it's all going. 

Before the book arrived ...

My hope - ever since first committing to publish the book back in May - was to have it ready for the Christmas gift-giving season so it was really stressful when the delivery date changed several times, creeping ever nearer to Christmas, before finally arriving. 

On December 10th 2016 I met it for the first time with only 20 minutes to spare before I had to arrive at a Christmas market where I'd booked a stall. My first published book was arriving and I had no idea if it would all have turned out OK, and then - introvert that I am - I had to then turn around and face people for the rest of the day at the market. 

If you can't quite imagine my stress levels on that Saturday morning then please do pause to consider having booked yourself two particularly anxious-making appointments for the same day, one straight after the other. Say like: your driving test and delivering a public speech, or ... going for a job interview followed by a smear test. You get the point. 

Anyway I didn't need to worry ... it turned out beautifully in the end: 

The Christmas market? Not so much. All things considered I made a loss. But then, my stall was directly below some kind of Communist propaganda flags in the room in the gallery which also contained an exhibition of photos from Chernobyl. So, I don't know, maybe not the most conducive atmosphere for encouraging sales of vintage Christmas cards and craft kits ... 

Putting the book out into the world ... 

If you saw my Bad Portraits 2016 post you'll have also witnessed how I was apprehensive at hitting the button to set the book live in my Etsy shop (remember the photo of me clutching my breast?!). Fortunately - apart from the occasional discomfort at holding up the queue in the Post Office - that's where my fears ended because the response was overwhelming.

The first order ... came through less than 20 minutes after I made it available. I had goosebumps. I might have leaked through my eyes a tiny bit. 

To date I've posted out books to ...  9 countries across 4 continents. It's completely surreal seeing it pop up across social media in its many and varied new homes! 

The lady in the Post Office ... asked "Have you got a Mary Poppins bag?" when the envelopes just kept coming. Meanwhile I tried to ignore all the eyes in the queue burning into the back of my head. 

Around 15% of orders ... have come from people ordering more than one copy, or those who've ordered one and then popped back for another. It's been a complete joy knowing so many people trusted me enough to buy it for themselves let alone to give as a gift!

Every copy comes wrapped, the first in vintage paper and twine, and any second/third copies in kraft with gift ribbon. 

And this month I gave a 2 part interview to ... @comebackmag on Instagram which you can find here and here.

So what's next? 

I'll be updating the book page of my website as well as creating a blog post so I can share some of the lovely feedback the book's received. I'm gathering together reviews, Etsy feedback (21 people so far), Instagram posts and other lovely things people have said.

I'll continue checking Instagram for people using the #snippedtales hashtag ... when they share photos of their books - and the one-of-a-kind tags each copy comes with. And speaking of tags ...

I'll continue to share one of my #snippedtalestags each day on Instagram ... until, erm, until I stop I suppose. I'm just enjoying making them right now; the process helps me unwind on a night.

I'll be approaching alternative places to promote not only the book itself, but the whole process of making Snipped Tales ... including magazines (online and print) and, when I'm feeling particularly confident, in 'real life' independent local book shops. 

When I sell around 40 more copies ... I'll have paid off all of the costs relating to the project (eg. design and layout, the print run is already covered. As each page is a colour reproduction of the pages of my notebook the process is more costly than printing a novel.)

Back in December, when I had a total meltdown while trying to make tea while also panicking about how many books to order I would have calmed down much more quickly if I'd have known then what I know now: that people will want to buy it and that it won't all have been a big mistake!  

And if I ever need to do a second print run ... I now have a cover quote from an author who's kindly offered his words of support! And I'll be sharing that quote in my next post along alongside some of the other kind words I've gratefully received.

So that's me ... now, do you need anything? 

If there is any way in which my experiences in self-publishing can come in useful to you do let me know ... and I'll start keeping a list of questions, concerns, observations which I can address in a later post when I've had had more time to reflect.

If you have any burning questions about the book that you don't think I've covered ... either here -- on my website -- or in the Etsy listing then shout up and I'll do my best to answer your queries.

And to those of you who already have a copy ... you did check the Acknowledgements page in the back didn't you?  I meant what I said you know?

Thank you all so very much for your support ... you don't know how much it means to me every time I see a familiar name pop up in my Etsy orders. I absolutely, 100%, utterly and entirely, without exaggeration, could not have got this far without you. Thank you!!

See you soon,

Julie. x

Instagram  ~~   Etsy  ~~   Facebook  ~~ Website 

The Snipped Tales have landed! You can now buy my book of collaged short stories.

Hi you. 

Remember when I said that this whole publishing process wouldn't make sense until I could hold my book in my hands and hand it over into yours? 

Well ... suddenly it all makes sense (well, we all know there was nothing particularly 'sudden' about it!) ... because they're here. And here you go ...

At some point, when I've had more sleep, and when my adrenaline levels settle down, I'll share more about it here. But, until then, you can read about - and buy - the book (with its one of a kind gift tag) here in my Etsy shop.

While I've been writing this post I sold my first copy. So, I guess it's really happening now!

See you soon.

Julie


**You can buy a copy of 'Snipped Tales' here*. 

Snipped Tales: What to expect from each chapter, plus a peek at some of the pages

Hello you. 

There's a rumour ... that my book might just be ready next week. (Edited to add: the book is now available here).

But who knows? It's entirely beyond my control now (just imagine how that's making me feel ... ). I can only sit and wait patiently (you know the 'patiently' part is a complete lie right?), and try to answer people's questions when they ask when they can buy the book. 

But, if we're going to trust that that everything will run smoothly, then we have to believe that this time next week I will have the shelves of my shop stocked with Snipped Tales books! And so it's about time I gave you chance to look inside. 

In  between its lovely (deliberately) shabby and distressed covers you'll find:

• 69 tales pieced together from the pages of dozens of old books.
• new narratives constructed from lines and words from existing ones (everything from kids' Christmas annuals to books covering history, medicine, 1950s DIY advice and gardening tips).
• a colour photo reproduction of the tales exactly as they are in the pages of my notebook. (That particular notebook was a gift from a friend and the cover appropriately reads"If you want to be a writer, write" - which I have ... with a little help from several pairs of scissors and handful of glue sticks).

Unlike if I had a taster of a 60,000 word novel to share, at only a page long each, it's almost impossible for me to offer you a flavour of these short short stories without giving you the whole meal, dessert and the bill in one go. But here's an idea of what the book pages will actually look like:  

When I was creating these graphics the images were larger and you could actually read snippets of the stories ... it's not that I'm trying to hide them that much -but something got lost in re-sizing! So apologies if you're straining your eyes. (For larger versions head over to this post on my Facebook page.)

Here's something a bit easier to read ... 

I didn't write any of the snipped tales 'to order'; I never deliberately set out to write about a particular topic; I would just sit surrounded by paper until something bubbled up, then I'd grab it, cut it free and offer it a new life inside a new turn of events. 

However ...

 ... once my notebook was full I realised that the jumble of disparate moments I'd created could actually be organised into smaller collections each with their own broad overarching theme. 

I noticed that among the ad-hoc, willy-nilly, serendipitious, 'where the mood strikes'stories, there recurred distinct subject matters and attitudes, with similar emotions and topics cropping up again and again, and after much shuffling and rearranging these broad themes became the book's seven chapters. 

Contents:

• Chapter 1: 'Being Human' offers ... safe harbour to the vulnerabilities of being human. Its tales touch on inner conflicts, battles in our own brains, the difficulties of caring for others and the need for self-care. 
• This is the chapter to read when ... you're wondering if it's just you. It isn't. 

• Chapter 2: 'A Life Documented' offers ... a glimpse at the motivations, misfortunes and meanderings of someone else's existence. Find out Margot's back story, hear what the rich young man left behind and sympathise with Anne's crafting calamity. 
• This is the chapter to read when ... you fancy walking a page in someone else's shoes, trying on someone else's perfume ... trying on another life to see how it fits. 

• Chapter 3: 'I'm Just Saying' offers ... an opportunity to vent your frustrations and allow your sarcastic self to come out and play. A chance to snarl, snipe, lash out, and get it all out of your system! 
• This is the chapter to read when ... you've been far too polite for far too long. Take inspiration from Sarah ... and start sharpening your claws ... 

• Chapter 4: 'Brief Encounters' offers ... a judgement free zone to indulge in your romantic side. Get swept into the whirlwind of attraction, embraces, pledges ... but hang on to your tissues because there are things left unsaid and missed connections along the way too. 
• This is the chapter to read when ... you're all out of Jane Austen. Either that or you want to know the final straw that made Benedick realise his relationship could go no further and why Joan doesn't consider Fred 'marriage material'. Poor Fred. 

• Chapter 5: 'Oh My!' offers ... something a bit fruitier than Jane Austen! Something sexy, seductive and provocative; something saucy, and sea-side postcard-ish. 
• This is the chapter to read when ... you've run out of shades of grey. (Side note: this isn't a chapter for kids. Unless you want to explain the phrase 'naughty dungeon' to them over breakfast.) 

• Chapter 6 : 'Minor Mythologies' offers ... the tallest of the tall tales in the book. It's a chapter of fairytale flights of fancy, moments of magical realism and seriously surreal happenings. The stories herein are performed by a cast which includes a chorus line of animals, winged middle-aged men, Humpty Dumpty ... and dragons! 
• This is the chapter to read when ... you need a departure from the realities of regular, daily living. And if ever there was a year that needed escaping from ... 2016 was certainly it! 

And finally, once you've made your way through those 6 chapters ... refreshments will be served at the end. 

No, really ....

• Chapter 7: 'Refreshments Will be Served' offers ... you the chance to eat, drink and be merry before you close the book and head back out into the world outside Snipped Tales. Whether you've an appetite for a glass of wine after a long week, or beans on toast, or afternoon tea or one of Sally's biscuits it's all on the menu in this chapter. (Although, when you find out where she keeps those biscuits you might reconsider.) 
• This is the chapter to read when ... you're trying to decide what to have for dinner. 'Today's Special' has some great suggestions, anyone for 'rich organic elk poached in a light tetanus serum'? No?

As far as possible each chapter begins with some of the more serious, thoughtful tales  ... and then drifts gently into lighter territory, where the more surreal, humorous, or tongue-in-cheek tales hang out. (And in the case of chapter 5 that tongue might even find itself in someone else's cheek.)

So there you have it - 69 tales, 7 chapters, 1 book. 

A book which hopefully will finally find its way into readers hands sometime this month. (I really wish they hadn't used the word 'hopefully' - twice - when I last asked when it would be ready ... but I must stay positive!.)

This whole process won't make any sense until someone else reads through these scrappy little stories of mine and finds one that speaks directly to them. One that makes them laugh out loud. One that takes on a new life inside their imagination.

Because I already know what they all say. I already know what they all mean to me. I already know that some of them still manage to make me laugh, or give me a pang of empathy, even though I created them. 

I now need someone else to open the book ... and get to know it for themselves.. 

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I really would LOVE to hear which of the 7 chapters you're looking forward to reading first.  

• Is it the fantastical adventures you're after? Or the romantic encounters and the sexy times?! 
• Or - if all of that sounds too exhausting - would you prefer to indulge in a spot of introspection, while noseying into other people's lives while mumbling your frustrations into your tea and biscuits?

And - to be clear - yes, I will totally be judging your personality depending on your answer! Of course I will!!

Leave your revealing comment here or get in touch via Instagram, my Facebook page or on Twitter.

More news when I have news. (Snipped Tales is now available here.)

Julie ;-)

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p.s: If you missed it - I shared the cover and the back-cover blurb in a post of their own here. 

Snipped Tales: book cover and blurb reveal.

Hello hello. 

You know that time, a few weeks back, when I asked you to just give me a vague, non-committal, mumble if you thought that maybe, perhaps, there was a chance that you might, possibly, at some point, consider buying my book of Snipped Tales? Well, thank you, so very much to all who responded; it really helped me decide how many copies to print. 

Not that I ordered the exact number of copies I knew I could sell. No. I ordered far more than that! 

There were several reasons for that, one may well be that I'm a dreamer, but another was definitely more down to earth: the financial logistics of it. I won't go into details - unless I ever create a workshop for self-publishing-virgins someday - but there were a lot of calculations happening behind the scenes regarding costs, print prices that scaled, and profit margins. And, of course, all those calculations depend upon selling all the copies .... and yet ...

I decided to invest heavily in the project for one simple reason, a simple reason I'd very nearly lost sight of until James stopped me mid-meltdown and asked: 

"What do you want out of it all? Why are you doing it?" And it was like a break in the clouds, and I remembered:

I just want people to find the book. I want it to find the right people. I just want other people to have it their hands. 

(BTW: I can barely talk about the book without making a gesture like I'm holding an invisible book in my hands and am about to hand it over to someone else. Here, take this.)

And that was that, the minutiae of profit percentages and commission rates etc were pushed aside; and the decision to just go for it was made. And there's no turning back now, it's been sent off to the printer's, it's very much out of my hands. Then when it's finally in someone else's hands, yours perhaps, this is what it will look like: 

A papery bundle tied up with string, ready to be handed over to you to open up for yourself.  And if you flip it over you'll find this description:

The human experience and countless old book pages find themselves dissected and reshaped in this patchwork anthology of collaged fiction. 

Though short these tales make room for the awkward to feel understood, the quiet to speak out, the frustrated to vent, the weary to rest and the romantic to woo. Not to mention finding space to pitch battles against conformity, dangerous urges … and dragons.

Take a journey in small steps to discover what gets left behind at the Lost Property Office, where Sally hides her biscuits, why Fred and Joan weren’t a suitable love match, and how Casanova fills out his online dating profile.

Moving from reflective and poignant to mischievous, seductive, and surreal, this is storytelling to delight, console, and remind us that there’s never only one way to tell a story; you can always slice up the old one and start again.

Maybe that helps give you a clearer idea of what you can expect to find inside? I hope so. And actually the cover itself actually holds clues to the topics that appear in the tales; everything from thinking a lot, to eating, reading, loving, and breaking things. Quite literally the story of my life, probably yours too.

In the next book-themed post I'll reveal all the chapter titles and a little more about the structure of the book (if you follow my Facebook page you'll have seen one of the chapter titles already, last week.) and it should all help build up a clearer picture of what's on its way just as soon as it arrives back from being printed!

So, now you've seen it, what have you got for me?

• Reactions? (Are you swooning over Kirsty's lovely illustrations too?) 
• Excited squeals, jigs, waving jazz hands? (Just me?)
• Questions? (Anything you want to know about the book? Anything at all?  Anything about the cover, the contents, the process, ... I'll do my best to answer.)

Leave a comment here, shout, pass me a note, tug my sleeve as I pass by, email me at withjuliekirk (@) gmail.com (remove the brackets!) or get in touch via Instagram, my Facebook page or on Twitter. 

Do whatever;'s easiest, but do speak booky to me! 

Julie x

Sneak peek of my 'Snipped Tales' book cover

I'm publishing a book!

I mentioned it a few weeks ago.  You might remember. It's called Snipped Tales, is a book of colour photographs of my short-short-short-collaged-stories, is approximately 70 pages long, has a gorgeous cover (scroll down for a sneak peek!) and is out ... soon.  

And - if I'm really honest with you (which I'm rather prone to being) - it feels a bit strange that I haven't shared more of the process with you here. This wasn't a deliberate decision and it's not like I'm coy with you here (I mean ... there's that time I talked about my experiences of depression,  and I annually share the worst photos of myself, and we mustn't forget the time I told you how my period almost got out of hand while in fancy Fortnum & Mason's.)    

But, as much as I'm usually free and easy with the revelations ... there are several reasons why things have been a bit different with the book ... things such as ...

• I'm not 100% in control of the process, I'm using a local indie imprint to create my cover, copy all my images and format them into a book, and arrange the whole printing process. 
• I'm not superstitious but ... I've been really wary about sharing everything before I knew it was definitely all going to go as planned!
• My brain's bursting with book-related decisions and I'm a bit book-blind right now. Have you ever built a house? Or completely redecorated? Or re-designed a garden? Or something like that? Then you'll know how there comes a point where what begins as "Yay! I get to start from scratch, get everything I ever wanted, and make all the decisions myself!! Woo hoo!" .. turns into "Oh my goodness. I have to make all the decisions. On my own. What if I get it wrong??!!!" ... that's where I am right now! 
• I think I'm a bit too close to the whole thing right now to really be able to say anything useful yet. I haven't fully digested the book-making process which reminds me ... there's a actually a story about someone who eats the dictionary in the book. Naturally. Anyway - I reckon that in a few months/a year I'll have some great content to share to help anyone who fancies doing something similar themselves. Just not this week. 

What I can share right now though ... is a sneaky snippet of my front cover. My. Front. Cover. Mine.  (Still doesn't feel entirely real just yet.)

Are you ready? OK, here it is: 

Pretty much everything the book is about is right there:

• VINTAGE PAPER!!! (Sorry to shout but vintage books pages are what inspired the idea of my Snipped Tales at the very beginning. It was only right that the cover reflected that vital aspect!)
• the vintage, battered, well-loved feel.
• the tag-line ... which must have been re-written at least 20 times - at least - until it said what it needed to say.
• illustrations by Kirsty Neale - the most talented, patient, and supportive of friends a debut book-creator could hope for!
• the idea of the book as a bundle of stories held together in a printed book you can hold. 
• the idea that the book as a gift (to yourself, to someone else .... and one I've given to myself.)

Now that all the design work etc is complete I now need to decided how many copies to print as an initial print run and so ... can I ask a big favour? 

If you think you might consider buying it (once you've seen more of it, and once you know all the details, of course), or if you know of a shop that may consider stocking it, would you let me know? 

• You can leave a comment here - as some of you have on my earlier post (thank you - you're so lovely!!)
• you can email me at withjuliekirk (@) gmail.com (remove the brackets!)
• or you can get in touch via Instagram, my Facebook page or on Twitter.

I'm only looking for a very general idea of how much interest there is out there; you will not be held to any kind of commitment, and I certainly won't be making a list and checking it twice! Promise. It's purely for my own confidence when I have to make that final numbers commitment. 

Some people have suggested I take pre-orders before deciding but the printing process takes a little while so I need to get a move on to have a chance of having it ready for the Christmas gift-giving season. Anyway ... 

I love my little book and while I'm aware I'm introducing you to one another slowly ... I hope that this tiniest of glimpses might help you feel friendly towards it. 

Thank you for all your support so far ... here's to the final push! 

Julie x

Exciting news! Think: old papers and a new book

I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while now but, until very recently it didn’t feel quite real enough to say out loud. But now it does, just about, feel real enough, so here goes: 

I’m publishing a book.

I want to tell you all about it, I do. And I can tell you about it; and I will.

In fact, I’ll probably go on about it for so long that it’ll make those 15 months I stretched out the story of ‘when I saw Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet’ seem as brief as an England football manager’s career.

But, right this minute … today ... I don’t know how to begin, or in what order to spill my beans, or how much to say without knowing all the specific details so … 

.... how about I just make a start in this post … and anything I forget to say, or anything you want to know more about we’ll take it in turns sharing afterwards? OK? OK …

So what’s the book?

The book is a collection of my Snipped Tales; my short, short, stories collaged together from words found in old books.

If you want to know what they look like then you can find several examples of them in this post.

That post was one of just a handful of times I've shared finished 'tales' from my book and - strangely, because I've shared all kinds of other collage projects here -  I never did share any more. 

I think part of me, somewhere, buried deep (possibly beneath many layers of paper) ... part of me  always hoped ... always knew ... that I was saving them up until I had a book's worth. 

A Snipped Tale in progress - on felt, because it prevents the snippets from slipping about too much.

And now I do; so I'm making a book filled with them!

Here's a link to one that I can share because it isn't in the book, but it does have a connection to it. I made that particular piece as a gift for my friend and frequent collaborator Kirsty Neale who has spent the summer reading through the tales and creating illustrations that pick out the book's main themes. I can't share any of those yet ... but here's some of my plans whose scribbling showing the kind of thing you can expect: 

This is how it began it's journey into a published book ... rough photographs of each page, printed out then sifted and sorted into 7 themed chapters: 

 Here's the first draft:

It's since been finalised and I gave my indie publisher's a second, completed, rough copy as an example ... and then handed over my actual original notebook filled with the tales so they can professionally scan and arrange them.

Is it an e-book or a paper book?

Go on; guess.

Yes, it’s going to be an actual papery book. One you can hold in your hands, slide into your bag, leave on your bedside table.

• Paying for a colour print reproduction of my micro-stories is a gift I'm giving myself. 
• But I'm sharing the work because it's filled with all kinds of wild and wonderful stories to make people laugh, smile, and maybe feel a little less alone, a little more understood. So I hope it's a gift to others too.  
• And if it's then given as a gift ... then wouldn't that be perfect full circle? 

As for a digi-version – I don’t know. As it’s a photo-book I don't know how that works on an e-reader … so I’m not sure. File under: to be answered later. 

And finally ...

When will it be available?

It’s forthcoming. (ie. that's my attempt to sound professional while admitting I’m not sure).

It's not quite finished yet ...

But both me, and my indie-publishing house, are doing everything we can now to get it released in time for Christmas list making season. 

There's a chance we'll be taking pre-orders once the design work has been completed but while it goes on its journey to and from the printing process. Once all that's clarified I'll let you know. 

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So that's my news ... but ... before I go ...

Even though you didn't know anything about my plans, I wouldn't have done this without you.

Without your comments and support over the 8 years I've been blogging here I wouldn't even dare to think that my own private notebook of eccentric collaged stories was something I should even attempt to share with a wider audience.

And now, because some of you seem to think I'm not so bad to have around ... I'm taking a chance that other people might feel similarly. 

Thank you. 

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If you have any more questions ... do ask, ask, ask.

Do you know how hard it's been to keep quiet about all this for so long? But now that the cork's out the bottle, the genie's out of the lamp, the cat's out of the bag, and the page's been torn from the book ... there's so much we can talk about.
And rest assured that when I have more to tell ... I'll come and tell you ...

Julie x



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