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Some schools include a book signing as part of my visit. I’m happy to sign old books as well as ones purchased on the day.
I don’t bring my own stock of books to sell so – if you want children to be able to buy books for me to sign – the school will need to organise this.
Click here to download a list of my books currently in print which you can use to put together an order with your local bookseller or other supplier.
The best time for a book signing is usually at the end of the day. If this isn’t practical then make sure you build time for signings into your timetable.
If you are planning to sell books through the school there are two approaches:-
A few weeks before the visit contact your local bookshop or regular supplier and ask if they will let you have books on a sale or return basis, some booksellers may also offer a discount on cover prices. Find out which books I will be featuring on the day and order more copies of those.
The Bookcase bookshop in Lowdham can arrange to have books delivered directly to East Midlands schools on a sale or return basis and offer a 15% discount to schools (so the school can keep 15% of the takings if books are sold at cover price). The Bookcase don’t provide a bookseller, so school staff or volunteers will need to handle sales on the day. The Bookcase require one week’s notice to arrange a delivery. You can phone children’s bookseller Louise Haines on 0115 9664143 or email the shop to discuss the possibility of The Bookcase supplying your school.
Whoever supplies your books, let parents know that they will be available for sale. You could send out a list of titles and prices so that children can bring in the right money.
Please ensure that a bookseller or at least one member of staff or a parent helper is there to take the money and ensure that the children have paid for their books before I sign them.
This approach requires a bit more preparation but has the advantage of familiarising the children with my books before my visit.
A few weeks before the visit arrange to borrow a selection of my books from your local school library service. If that isn’t practical, then the children can see excerpts from all my books by looking at the book pages on this web site. Check which books are available with your local bookshop or other supplier and then send out an order form with titles, prices and the address of this web site. Order the books well in advance to ensure that they arrive in time for the visit.
Autographs: Children often ask me to sign autograph books and even scraps of paper. I’m happy to do this, but once I’ve signed one scrap of paper, the number tends to escalate rapidly. So, if time is limited I would be grateful if teachers can ensure that children with books to sign are given priority.