Anne M Stephenson

December 1st...

2011-12-01T12:22:00.000Z

I'm wondering where this year has disappeared to as I make a start on the last month of the year. I've been busy signing books at Christmas fairs, and getting some more of my book stocks out of their boxes and into the hands of children where they belong.

Yorkshire Craft Fair

2011-10-21T15:03:00.000+01:00

I'll be at St Williams College in York this weekend at an autumn craft fair. This is a well established fair, but my first time at it, so I'm not sure how many books to pack... I can always restock for Sunday as it's a two day event.

New venue

2011-10-17T11:15:00.000+01:00

I was at a new venue on Sunday: The Clock craft fair in the market place in Knaresborough. Sales went well and I'll be back again in December.
Next I'll be at Yorkshire Craft Fairs autumn craft fair, at York's St William's college on: 22 &23 October.

Eyes open... let the exploring begin!

2011-10-12T13:56:00.000+01:00

The kittens eyes are open now but I don't think they are focusing as they still rummage about trying to find warm fur to snuggle up to. They're like tiny little explorers, after every meal they have a nap then set off on an expedition They stagger around on their wobbly little legs until they reach the edge of their oblong world. They've found the edge of the world and it's cardboard...

Out numbered by cats and loving it...

2011-10-03T11:29:00.000+01:00

You wouldn't think that kittens could have a personality before they even open their eyes - but they do. Bumble is the trouble maker and is always knocking everyone off when they're happily feeding and making them squeal. Captain, formally known as no.1 as he was first born, is growing fastest. They all looked the same size when they were born, but Captain must be more efficient at feeding, spends less time squirming about and more time getting on with it.

Distraction or inspiration...

2011-09-30T14:49:00.000+01:00

I've debated before over whether cats are a distraction or an inspiration to my writing. My first stories were cat stories, and my first published work was about cats - published in magazines. And now after my cat gave birth to 5 kittens in the small hours of Thursday morning, I have more distractions than ever. At the moment their eyes are shut and they wriggle around blindly searching for milk - I could sit and watch them for hours. But what about when their eyes open and they spy a whole new world beyond their nursery box... those little bundles of fluff are all going to have individual personalities, and get up to untold mischief.

Excuses not to work...

2011-09-22T13:41:00.000+01:00

For anyone looking for an excuse not to work - here's one... I couldn't get to my computer because there was a wardrobe in the way, but now the decorating is done and the marauding wardrobe returned to it's room - I can get on again, although the computer free time was not wasted as I've been getting on with some drawing. I always feel as if I'm skiving from 'proper' work when I'm drawing, but really it's all part of the process when I'm writing a picture book.

Getting distracted

2011-09-16T11:00:00.000+01:00

Yes I admit it I've been getting very distracted lately with life in general, so now with the new college term begun I have time... somewhere between running Mum's taxi, cooking and trying to get a decorating project finished, somewhere there are some little chunks of time where I can write and illustrate my next book.

Book signing in York

2011-08-26T13:52:00.000+01:00

I'm back at the Guildhall in York this Saturday encouraging everyone to get Lost in Book - not a bad idea if this rain carried on...

Book signing in York

2011-08-19T13:13:00.000+01:00

I'll be in York's Guildhall this weekend at the Collectors, craft and Gift fair, doing a book signing. If you've ever got back from your holidays to find that most of your souvenirs didn't come from the the town or even country that you were visiting, well here's a breath of fresh air - my books are written, published and printed in York!

Kindle book

2011-08-10T12:09:00.001+01:00

More sales reported of Doodle Mayhem on Kindle! and there are 2 more books in the doodle series to convert to kindle...

Happy Birthday But I'm Not Sleepy

2011-08-01T17:04:00.000+01:00

Happy second birthday to But I'm Not Sleepy 2 today 1st August 2011 and still my best seller - everyone can relate to those familiar words by children everywhere at bedtime...

Books can have birthdays too...

2011-07-28T14:21:00.001+01:00

But I'm Not Sleepy is turning 2 on 1st August - Yorkshire Day. I'll be at York's Guildhall on Saturday, doing a book signing - I hope Downboy the sheepdog can keep all those sheep under control...

Books can have birthday too...

2011-07-28T14:20:00.000+01:00

But I'm Not Sleepy is turning 2 on 1st August - Yorkshire Day. I'll be at York's Guildhall on Saturday, doing a book signing - I hope Downboy the sheepdog can keep all those sheep under control...

Splashing around in pixels...

2011-07-20T16:36:00.000+01:00

Well I've tried the professional look for my website - so now I'm just going for fun... I've been splashing around in pixels in my virtual wellies - it's art but without the mess, hmm must get some proper paints out soon... anyway I've released some sheep onto my home page in celebration of the 2nd birthday of my book But I'm Not Sleepy and plan to update other pages soon...

Books in the charts!

2011-07-04T11:09:00.000+01:00

Just what I need on a Monday morning... some great news! 3 of my books are in the Independent Authors' top Ten! that's all of the doodle books: Doodle Mayhem, Lost in the Christmas Post and A Face Full of Snow.

Last few 1st editions

2011-06-22T12:25:00.000+01:00

I have only 8 1st edition Doodle Mayhem left now from a print run of 300! Doodle Mayhem is now out in 2nd edition under my own imprint Lost in a Book and also on kindle.

Lost in a Book goes outdoors!

2011-06-21T11:03:00.000+01:00

OK so I ducked out and went indoors on Saturday - but now I've booked to go to a Summer garden party at Stillingfleet Church ground and village hall - Stillingfleet near York on 2nd July. The fun starts at 2.30pm and I'm hoping for sunshine... well I'm ever the optimist, we could be having a heat wave by then... and if not, well everyone could do with a new book to get lost in when they get home.

Book signing at Naburn

2011-06-20T10:31:00.000+01:00

I had a good day at Naburn tabletop and craft fair on Saturday. This was supposed to be my one outdoor event of the season, but when I was offered an indoor or an outdoor table I went running inside for cover away from the storm clouds which were gathering, but I'm pleased to say that the clouds sailed innocently by so everyone stayed dry.

Getting distracted

2011-06-16T11:01:00.000+01:00

The internet is a very distracting place, in fact I find the best way to get any actual writing done is to switch it off... But my dilemma is, should I be spending my time writing the next book, or trying to find new ways of getting my books out there to the wider population. Of course the answer is, as always - multi tasking. So I've done my bit of research on the net which has resulted in me ending up on amazon and buying a book... oh well I guess I'm just a lost cause when it comes to books... but now I'm going to switch off the net and write!

Outdoor event

2011-06-07T16:01:00.000+01:00

I'm hoping for good weather on Saturday 18th June when I'll be doing a book signing at:
Naburn PTA Tabletop and Craft fair, at Naburn Primary School, York. 11am - 1.30pm I try to keep to indoor events usually but this one has the option of being indoors in case of rain, so no need to start thinking about gazebos.
I've heard a lot of traumatic stories about gazebos - anything from them tearing themselves apart in an attempt to escape their tethers, to actually flying away out to sea when their ropes weren't up to the job, so I've come to the conclusion that, far from being an inanimate object of shelter - they are in fact a wild beast intent on escape...

Quiet event

2011-05-23T13:32:00.000+01:00

It was quiet at the craft fair at the weekend, but I still managed to sell a few books and keep chipping away at the book mountain... they sell a lot faster at Christmas, but a book isn't just for Christmas - reading is an all year round activity. Having said that, I sold a Christmas story in May!

So... tempting as it is to do a 'Father Christmas' and hide in my workshop till the autumn, I still need to find a way to get my books out of their boxes and into little hands so that they can be to read.

Book signing in York

2011-05-19T09:59:00.002+01:00

This weekend I'll be at York's Guildhall on Saturday and Sunday, signing books at the Collectors', Craft and Gift Fair. Not only will I be selling my new 2nd edition Doodle Mayhem, but I also have a few 1st editions left - always popular at this event.

Doodle Mayhem on Kindle

2011-05-10T10:36:00.002+01:00

more sales recorded on Kindle, here's hoping the trickle will become a torrent as more readers discover Iver No-Idea and his mischievous ways in Doodle Mayhem.

New Books!

2011-04-28T16:42:00.001+01:00

Today I collected my new books from the printer! Doodle Mayhem now in 2nd edition has come home to Lost in a Book. Now all my books are published under my own imprint Lost in a Book, and printed locally - home grown books!

Onward and upward

2011-04-26T10:14:00.001+01:00

If there's one thing I've learnt at recent fairs and events, it's that there's no point in going backwards. I started mainly at school fairs as they are generally cheaper, so not as much financial risk if I didn't sell as many books. But experience has shown that each time I step up to a new level, ie a bigger and consequently more expensive fair, I do better. There are some well established craft fairs in and around York with a diverse crowd of people passing through from all over the world, and with a large footfall my sales have increased.

The secret to making a profit from self-publishing is simple - keep the overheads down, and sell each book at a profit. What isn't so simple is getting those books out in large enough numbers to make a living...

New books ordered

2011-04-14T13:33:00.001+01:00

Proof reading is complete for Doodle Mayhem 2nd edition and the books are now ordered. This is where I get to hand the project over to the printers for them to work their magic and produce beautiful books that I can be proud to go out and sell at book signings.

I still have a few 1st editions left which I'll be taking out to a book signing in Knaresborough on Saturday.

Doodle Mayhem 2nd edition

2011-04-08T12:22:00.000+01:00

Doodle Mayhem, the first of the doodle series will soon be back in print in it's 2nd edition. I'll be viewing the proof copy over the weekend, but until then it's available on Kindle from amazon and I still have a few 1st editions left from my website shop or at book signings.

New venue in Knaresborough

2011-04-07T10:05:00.000+01:00

I'm looking forward to attending a new venue in Knaresborough on 16th April D&D Home and Garden Fair promises to be a lively new craft fair of products hand made and produced in Yorkshire. I'll be there signing my books, which I write illustrate and publish myself, and have printed locally to a very high standard.

Ideas are shy

2011-04-01T16:01:00.001+01:00

Why are ideas so shy? When I'm deep in editing or marketing I long to get back to some 'propper writing', the sort where ideas flow and magic happens, but then when the opportunity comes the ideas try to flee to the far recesses of the mind. They need to be coaxed out and herded into order and filtered through the keyboard into the computer.

Downboy the sheepdog from: But I'm Not Sleepy

When I was researching and writing But I'm Not Sleepy I found all sorts of warning notes about sheepdogs - thinking this was strange I read on. Apparently sheep dogs can be troublesome if they don't have sheep to round up, as they have a tendency to round up other peoples' dogs whilst out on a walk.Maybe I need to employ Downboy the sheep dog to round up my stubborn characters, although as some of them are cats it might cause a whole host of new problems...

Dilemma of the self publisher...

2011-03-29T11:09:00.008+01:00

I've zapped my second edition Doodle Mayhem off to the printers - this is the only process I don't do myself, there are now printer and binder machines available but I think that is maybe a step too far, some things I prefer to leave to the professionals, so I have my books printed and bound locally to a very high standard. So now is my perfect opportunity to get some writing done - but here is the dilemma of the self publisher - to write the next book, into which I know I'll get totally immersed to the expense of all else - or to market the books I've already written and published and chip away at my book mountain... As ever I'll have to multi task and try to fit everything in. So it's marketing this morning and then the internet will get turned off and I'll try to drag some words kicking and screaming onto the keyboard.

Iver No-Idea up to his tricks again.

2011-03-25T13:06:00.002Z

I've just been doing the final edits before zapping Doodle Mayhem off to the printers to print the second edition. I think Iver No-Idea must have been up to his tricks again shuffling letters around, but I've found them and done the necessary edits, and locked them into a PDF so hopefully even Iver can't mess them up now...

Online community

2011-03-22T11:47:00.002Z

I've now joined Authorsden, an online community for writers and readers, I'm hoping to find some new readers for my books, and maybe find some books to read by authors that I haven't come across before...

Kindle books for kids

2011-03-18T14:32:00.003Z

No fairs this weekend, but my doodle characters are out and about in Doodle Mayhem on kindle, and available through amazon

Best seller again

2011-03-14T15:31:00.004Z

Yet again, But I'm Not Sleepy was my best seller on Saturday. Surprisingly no Monster books sold - people were running scared of monsters this weekend, preferring to have sheep running around out of control instead...

Chipping away at the book mountain...

2011-03-11T14:19:00.004Z

It's been one of those weeks were life seemed to get in the way of writing, although sometimes I think staying away from the computer can relax the mind and allow inspiration to creep in. So now my head is buzzing with new ideas and new projects.

Tomorrow - Saturday 12th March, 10am - 4.30pm I'll be back at York's Guildhall doing a book signing and hopefully selling a bit of my book mountain - the bedroom is starting to look like a warehouse... I know digital printing means that you can have as few as one book printed, but in reality a bigger print run means lower unit costs, so I have as many books printed as I can reasonably afford at the time.

Bedtime story

2011-03-07T10:51:00.006Z

I was back out there in the real world on Saturday, selling real books to real people while the computer sat home alone.

But I'm Not Sleepy is still my best seller. everyone can relate to a child who says they're not sleepy, but no one has yet admitted that they were just the same when they were kids! And what better thing to fill that gap between getting into bed and falling asleep, than a good bedtime story, to ignite the imagination and go to magical places.

Doodle Mayhem out on Kindle now!!

2011-03-01T11:51:00.003Z

All the hard work has paid off, Doodle Mayhem 2nd edition is published now on kindle and available through amazon

It's exciting to see one of my books up there in a brand new format! one which nearly defeated me, but I hate to be beaten and kept chipping away at the obstacles.

The main problem was the illustrations, they behaved differently in the kindle format, and at first they ran amok through the text; for a printed book I can arrange the illustration where I like, dotting them about at will, but in kindle format I found the only way was to place them between the lines of text, so that they knew their boundaries... I also had to reduce the size of some of the pictures so that they appeared with the text, especially when they were for a chapter heading.

Now I need to get this 2nd edition into print... then I can start on a new project!!

This weekend I'll be at York's Guildhall Saturday 5th March 10am - 4.30pm doing a book signing - I only have a few 1st edition Doodle Mayhem left now...

Doodle Mayhem... out on kindle soon

2011-02-28T15:41:00.004Z

Finally... my edits to the formatting are complete, and I've zapped Doodle Mayhem off into cyberspace - it should appear on kindle in the next few days.

My main problems were related to the illustrations, I think the characters just got over excited with all the extra space and ran amok all over the text. I also reduced some of them in size so that the text fitted around them better.

Formatting on kindle

2011-02-23T12:45:00.002Z

I've progressed a little, I think, towards publishing on Kindle... I now have it in a zip file in kindle format, which apparently I can format at my leisure... when I figure out how to do that.

2011-02-18T16:20:00.003Z

Not a great shock to discover that uploading a book onto kindle isn't as easy as it looks! Or not when there are pictures formatted into the text anyway... My little doodle figures went gallivanting around the screen when I tried to upload as a PDF, they fared a little better as a word document, but appear to be too big for the viewing screen. I'm sure I'll crack it in the end, but for now I'm calling it a day...

Doodle Mayhem

2011-02-17T12:18:00.002Z

...at last the edits are complete and the front cover has had a makeover, now I think everything is ready to publish on kindle, I just hope it's as easy as it looks on the tutorial...

ebook coming soon

2011-02-11T15:19:00.002Z

Why does everything always take longer than I expect? Or maybe someone hit the fast forward button this week, anyway it's Friday and the end of the week has arrived before the end of the work - but the good news is that Doodle Mayhem should be out as an ebook next week :)

Doodle Mayhem

2011-02-08T15:06:00.004Z

I've been working hard towards republishing Doodle Mayhem in 2nd edition under my own imprint Lost in a Book, then all my books will have come home! I've added a couple of pictures and digitally remastered others. I'm hoping to publish as an ebook by the end of the week... then it will be back in print by the end of next month.

This is the book where it all began - the first in the doodle series:

A children’s fantasy where Eric’s doodles come to life.

Eric would rather doodle than write a story, but when the words start to disappear off the page in front of him, and his doodle starts talking to him, he thinks he must be dreaming.

Eric’s doodle has come to life, and he’s getting bored; he jumps into Miranda’s story, where he gets attacked by a rubber, then he’s blown off his feet when Natasha sneezes. Miss Roper is getting angrier by the second. How will Eric ever finish his story, when his doodle just wants to have fun, and create havoc?

2nd print run

2011-01-23T13:23:00.003Z

But I'm Not Sleepy: Stocks of my best seller ran out at Christmas, but YPS have been busy printing more (still 1st editions, but 2nd print run), so I'll have new stocks for my first book signing of the year:

29th & 30th January at York's Guild Hall

I now have a few of the first print run again, after getting some back from an outlet where they were on sale or return.

Second edition Doodle Mayhem out soon...

2011-01-20T10:18:00.004Z

I've been doing a bit of work on the illustrations for the second edition of Doodle Mayhem, and even adding a couple of new ones, but the text remains the same. I've also been researching into publishing it as an ebook - I can feel another learning curve coming on... I expect I'll just have to jump in and have a go.

Craft fairs are starting up again, and I'll be at: York's Guild Hall next weekend 29th & 30th Jan 10am - 4.30pm (4pm on Sunday)

Second print run for best seller

2011-01-10T12:13:00.004Z

After a busy Christmas season I'm now waiting for a 2nd print run of But I'm Not Sleepy, my best seller during the Christmas fairs. I'm also getting ready to publish a 2nd edition of Doodle Mayhem, with 1st editions expected to run out soon...

And after all that, I'll be starting work on a new book...

New date for Christmas fair...

2010-12-07T11:57:00.003Z

I'm pleased to say that Manor School now have a new date for their Christmas fair:
Monday 13th December 6.45pm-8.45pm

So I've a busy weekend ahead, starting at York Guild Hall on Friday, Saturday 10am-4.30pm and Sunday 10am-4pm

Snow everywhere...

2010-12-03T10:26:00.002Z

What a busy week... the snow has been getting thicker all the time, and what started as a pretty backdrop for my new book A Face Full of Snow has now caused tonight's event: Manor fair to be cancelled - hopefully they'll fix an alternative date soon...

Meanwhile - Lost in a Book, my publishing imprint now has a presence on facebook

Book launch

2010-11-29T09:39:00.010Z

A Face Full of Snow

The book launch for my new book: A Face Full of Snow got off to an excellent start at the Merchant Adventurers Hall in York on Saturday, there was even a covering of snow to tie in with the theme! York was full of Christmas shoppers for the St. Nicholas fair.

On Sunday I was at a new venture: Pure Genius, at 3-5 Grape Lane, York. Snow fell most of the afternoon, giving a beautiful backdrop to my new book, where Iver No-Idea gatecrashes Eric's skiing holiday.

Getting home was quite a challenge. One of York's busiest days for Christmas shopping was hampered by the snow - so a big THANK YOU to Phil who picked me up, and drove me home through the gridlocked streets. It took 2 hours to get home, a journey that should have taken about 15 minutes.

Hot off the press

2010-11-25T11:04:00.005Z

I often wonder which is the most exciting part of writing and producing a book. The initial spark of inspiration, the moment when the characters start to take shape in written text, and then get a face through the illustrations, they're all landmarks along the way, or is it seeing the books in all their glory for the very first time?

Yesterday was lucky enough to arrive to collect my books while they were still being finished off - there was a heap of them on a pallet, more on a table, and yet more going through the guillotine to be trimmed and finished, for me this was a very exciting moment, to watch the final stages of the making of my books. Then they were packed, hot off the press and loaded into my car, ready to be launched at the weekend at St. Nicholas Fair:

Book launch: A Face Full of Snow - there's even some snow around to mark the occasion!

Merchant Adventurers Hall, York - Saturday 10am - 4.30pm
Pure Genius - 3-5 Grape Lane (Swine Gate quarter) York - 10am...

Another print run needed!

2010-11-16T09:20:00.003Z

But I'm Not Sleepy is still my best seller, and stocks are getting low, and as I've now added another book signing event at the end of the month - 27th November at The Merchant Adventurers Hall, York, I've asked the printers for a quote for another print run...

Books selling like hot cakes...

2010-11-14T11:22:00.003Z

I passed the reindeer in their paddock on the way into The Farm Shop Christmas fair on Thursday, they looked up as I drove slowly past, maybe they thought I was bringing food...
I had a a good day, people are really getting into the swing of Christmas shopping now.

Another day another fair - Friday saw me book signing in the Guild Hall in the centre of York, it was a quiet day, but with the weather as it was, who could blame shoppers for staying at home... Saturday more than made up for it though, with a very busy day. My first customer of the day was a little girl who emptied out her handbag onto the table, and counted out her own money to buy a book - how adorable is that?

Book signings

2010-11-08T14:03:00.002Z

I've got a busy week this week, starting with a Craft Fair at The Farm Shop, Wigginton Road, York. 11am - 3pm. I'm hoping to catch sight of their resident reindeer on the way in, and maybe even start my own Christmas shopping at the fair, there's always something exciting that you wouldn't find in the shops.

Another self publish book into profit

2010-11-04T11:27:00.003Z

I did 2 weekends of successful book signings at the end of October and took But I'm Not Sleepy into profit after just 15 months!!

But I'm Not Sleepy is currently my best seller, and I'll be needing another print run in the near future. People are attracted to the title, what parent hasn't heard those words at bedtime? Once they start to turn the pages they're drawn to Lucy and her antics, and of course the growing number of sheep, and Down boy the sheepdog who just wants to round them up...

Christmas fairs off to a good start

2010-10-25T12:29:00.002+01:00

I had a successful weekend at York Guild Hall, and I'll be back there next week. For anyone who's looking for a unique Christmas present - what better than a signed and personalised first edition book!

Big smile day

2010-10-19T15:53:00.004+01:00

Last night the proof copy of my new book was delivered!!

Always an exciting moment when all that hard work is in my hand in book form...

Yes I admit it, I had a big silly grin on my face for the rest of the evening, with my book sat beside me, though I had to keep moving it, as the cat was deturmined to add her signiture to the cover...

Book signings and Christmas fairs 2010

2010-10-12T10:02:00.007+01:00

23-24 Oct. York Guild Hall 10am-4.30pm (4pm on Sunday)

30-31 Oct. York Guild Hall 10am- 4.30pm (4pm on Sunday)

11 Nov. The Farm Shop Wigginton Road York 11am-3pm

12-14 Nov. York Guild Hall 10am-4.30pm (4pm on Sunday)

3 Dec. Manor School fair 6.45-8.45pm

10-12 Dec. York Guild Hall 10am-4.30m (4pm on Sunday)

Off to the printers

2010-10-08T15:08:00.002+01:00

Yesterday I made my final checks and edits to the new book, and this morning I zapped it off to the printers... next step proof copy!

Self publish and make a profit!

2010-10-01T16:14:00.002+01:00

Yesterday whilste doing the usually tedious task of updating my spreadsheets, I was thrilled to see that another of my self published books has slipped into profit!! Now I'm only talking a small profoit - but still... I now have two self published books in profit and another one set to break-even before Christmas...

I'm busy booking Christmas fairs (dates to follow soon), and I'm ready to publish the next in the Doodle series, I've got a quote from the printer... busy time ahead!

Sloshing around in pixels...

2010-09-28T14:58:00.004+01:00

I spent most of yesterday playing around in Adobe and making my book cover. Who would have thought I could get a repetitive strain injury making a book cover on a computer? All that moving the mouse around and clicking with my index finger has given me a feeling close to pins and needles in my elbow - back to typing for me then...
Maybe I should have stuck to a traditional paintbrush, instead of sloshing around in pixels all day. I'll display it here when it's finished, but I ended up with the wrong shade of white in a big splodge, so I'll have to risk life and limb and edit it a bit more.

The next doodle book

2010-09-24T16:26:00.003+01:00

The body of the book is now finished for my next doodle book, and with just the cover to finish and the blurb to write, I've contacted the printers for a quote... From this I'll be able to decide how many books to have printed. It feels like I'm on the home straight now.

Book signing

2010-09-21T12:26:00.002+01:00

I'm doing a book signing this weekend at a Craft fair in Copmanthorpe.
W I Hall, Station Road, Copmanthorpe Saturday 25th Sept. 10am - 3pm

Building a book

2010-09-16T13:18:00.003+01:00

I've been busy formatting my next doodle book, inserting the pictures and doing the page layouts. It takes time to get the pictures in just the right place, but now it's all coming together.

I also had another on-line book order to send out this week, which is always good news.

Book signing

2010-08-24T13:20:00.003+01:00

I'll be at the craft fair at The Farm Shop Wigginton Road this Thursday 26th August 11am - 3pm
I'm doing a book signing - my books will fit right in amongst the other local produce and crafts - most of my books are locally produced at a printers in Layerthorpe, York.

Illustrations

2010-08-16T15:44:00.002+01:00

I've been getting on with the illustrations for the next doodle book. I've made a start on scanning and formatting the book - I always enjoy this part, when it all starts to come together as it will appear in the finished book.

Book signing

2010-07-30T14:39:00.004+01:00

I'm doing a book signing this weekend at:
York Guild Hall 10am - 4.30pm Saturday and Sunday (4pm finish on Sunday)

Hopefully it'll be busy event, with all the tourists in York at the moment. Come along and say Hi if you're in York...

Successful re-launch

2010-06-07T10:20:00.004+01:00

Monster re-launch: The Monster Under the Bed - now in 2nd edition from

Lost in a Book.

During my re-launch week at half term I sold 50 books! (These sales included my other titles as well as monster books) Mostly on the Bank Holiday weekend at the Guild Hall in York, and the rest at York Designer Outlet on Friday.

Book signing at York Designer Outlet

2010-06-03T16:29:00.001+01:00

I'm doing a book signing at York Designer Outlet tomorrow 4th June 10am - 6pm come along and talk to me if you're in the area... I'll be in the North entrance along with other half term children's activities.

Monster re-launch

2010-06-01T20:40:00.003+01:00

My Monster re-launch got off to a good start at York's Guild Hall at the weekend. It was a 4 day event, and I met some amazing people from round the world. My books are heading off, not only around the UK, but to Canada, New Zealand and Australia!

I continue my re-launch at York Designer Outlet on Friday 4th June 10am - 6pm

Published today from Lost in a book

2010-05-24T11:09:00.003+01:00

Lost in a Book proudly announce the publication of the 2nd edition of
The Monster Under The Bed

I'll be doing a re-launch book signing at:
York's Guild Hall from Friday 28th - Monday 31st May 10am - 4.30pm
York Designer Outlet 10am - 6pm

The Monster Under The Bed 2nd edition

2010-05-21T20:19:00.003+01:00

I've got my new monster books at last. They're stacked in a cupboard ready for their re-launch next weekend! It was a bit of a scary thing to do - to take a book of print, even though it was selling well, but as most of those sales were from direct sales through me, it made sense to bring it under my own imprint - Lost in a Book.

New monster books coming home

2010-05-20T10:25:00.003+01:00

I've had a call from the printer, and my monster books will be ready to collect today - they're finally coming home, not just in the physical sense of boxes of books, but also home to my own imprint - Lost in a Book. They will be officially published and ready to order on Monday 24th May, and I'll be a out and about doing a re-launch at half term - at:

York's Guild Hall 28th - 31st May 10am - 4.30pm
York Designer Outlet 4th June 10am - 6pm

Next doodle book coming along

2010-05-12T15:52:00.003+01:00

Today I was feeling inspired, and made good progress with my next doodle book. It's nearly ready for the illustrations now... just a bit of editing and rewriting in some sections - the characters are just making sure they've all had their say in the story.

I'm expecting my new monster books any day now - then there'll be some promotional work to do before a relaunch.

Thought of the day

2010-04-29T11:59:00.002+01:00

Why is it that when the book I'm working on hits a snag, it always seems that the next big project (the one whose characters are still forming in my head), seems like an easier task to do?

Maybe it's that ideas at an early stage have the freedom to run riot, but somewhere along the way they need to be organised into a book. And they need to be fed into a computer, and formatted into a file, before they can be printed into a book...

York Designer Outlet

2010-04-27T15:21:00.002+01:00

I'm going to be doing a book signing at York Designer Outlet on Friday 4th June 10am - 6pm.
I'll be in the North entrance where there'll be lots half term activites going on.

Monster on amazon...

2010-04-23T15:58:00.002+01:00

The new monster book is now registered on amazon for pre-ordering. It's jacket image hasn't caught up with it yet though so I hope it doesn't catch a chill!

I sold a few books at a craft fair yesterday, but it was a very quiet event. I have some bigger events planned for May and June, as well as a re-launch for the 2nd edition Monster book.

The Monster Under The Bed 2nd edition

2010-04-19T13:40:00.003+01:00

It's an exciting moment to get the proof copy of a new book, and finally see all the hard work come together in book form. And here is the new cover - not much has changed, the reason for the second edition was to bring my first book under my own publishing name: Lost in a Book and have future copies printed locally. This gives me control over the quality of the paper and card used to produce my book, and I'm delighted with the result.

Most of the work is done now, I just need to check over the proof, as this is the last chance to have any errors changed before I place my order for a print run.

Book signing - event postponed!

2010-04-08T11:30:00.005+01:00

The event I was to attend this weekend in Harrogate has been postponed by the organisers, and will hopefully go ahead in May...

The Monster Under The Bed

2010-03-31T10:25:00.002+01:00

I've been busy formatting my files for the 2nd edition of The Monster Under The Bed. There aren't many changes, on the cover the font has changed for the title - I don't want people to see it and think it's a different book, so the picture of Billy is still there.

The 2nd edition will be printed in York!

I've still got the last few first edition to sell, through my website and at fairs.

Successful book signing

2010-03-22T12:10:00.002Z

I had a very successful book signing on Saturday, I sold 30 books at a fair at York Guild Hall. My box of books was a lot lighter as I came home, which is always a good thing. It was a wet day in York on Saturday, maybe it put people in the mood to snuggle up with a book when they got home...

I'm currently waiting for a quote for printing my second edition of The Monster Under The Bed.

Too busy for coffee...

2010-03-17T11:32:00.003Z

I've been putting together my new cover for the second edition of The Monster Under The Bed, which will be coming out soon from Lost in a Book. I've changed the cover as little as possible, as I don't want people to see it and think it's a different story.
This morning I've been writing the new copyright page, giving publishing history and new details of the book. I can tell I was engrossed in what I was doing, as I let my coffee go cold on the desk next to me - now that is serious concentration!

Limited editon

2010-03-08T15:09:00.004Z

The Monster Under The Bed is currently out of print as I have cancelled my publishing contract with Trafford. This means that the first editions out there are also a limited edition, as only about 400 books were printed in this edition.

The second edition will be coming out in the next couple of months, but in the meantime I still have a few first edition copies for sale through: my website, upcoming book signings and at stockists listed on my website.

My next book signing is at York Guild Hall on Saturday 20th March 10am - 4.30pm

World Book Day

2010-03-04T10:43:00.003Z

It's exciting to know that, although I'm not out there doing any book events today, at least one of my books is!!
A teacher bought a Monster book at the weekend and asked me to sign it for her class. She said she'd be reading it to them on World book Day, and they were going to dress up as book characters and make a fun day of it.

I will have some more exciting news about my monster books soon...

Successful book signing

2010-03-01T10:04:00.004Z

I had a successful book signing at York Guild Hall this weekend. I sold 31 books despite it being a quiet event, hopefully I'll be going back to do another later this month.

I handed out free bookmarks with my website details on, for anyone wanting to buy my books online, or to read my blog and learn more about the story behind the books, and some of the work involved in self publishing.

The hardest part of self publishing is marketing the books, when people meet me and have an opportunity to browse through my books they sell well, but out there in the shops and online they can get lost in a sea of competition, I just need to find a way to make them swim to the top and get noticed...

First edition signed books

2010-02-26T12:02:00.002Z

I've been off line most of this week because my computer crashed, but the time hasn't been wasted, I had a print out of the book I'm working on, so I've done some editing with good old fashioned pen and paper. I've also been working on the illustrations.

This weekend I've got my first book signing of the year at York Guild Hall, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 4.30pm. I'll be there with my first edition children's books

skiing

2010-02-19T14:07:00.003Z

Yesterday I went to play in a freezer - no I haven't gone mad, it was an indoor ski slope. My next book is set on a ski slope, so I could claim that I was working (a writer is always working, because a writer is always thinking, and if we're not - well who can prove it?). Anyway I had fun and got new ideas for my story, so it was a win win situation.

First fair of the year

2010-02-19T13:41:00.004Z

I'll be doing my first book signing of the year at York Guild Hall on the weekend of 27 & 28th February.

Heritage Promotions do regular collectors, craft and gift fairs at the Guild Hall in York, with an interesting array of crafts on display. I'm looking forward to joining them with my first edition children's books.

New header

2010-02-02T11:05:00.001Z

Finally I've got a brand new header (Thanks Kim!!) showing my row of books.

The Monster Under The Bed 5 years on:

2010-01-31T12:14:00.003Z

Happy 5th Birthday to my first book The Monster Under The Bed!

5 years seems to have gone alarmingly fast, but it has been a busy 5 years. I now have 3 other books published, but the Monster books are still going strong, everyone has a story to tell or memory to share about monsters under the bed. The main fear when parents see the title is that their offspring will be scared, but as they read to the last page and discover the identity of the monster it always makes them chuckle, which is just the reaction I was aiming for.

http://www.anne-m-stephenson.com/page7.htm

Avoiding distractions...

2010-01-19T14:51:00.003Z

At last writing is flowing again on my next doodle book. Everything from life in general to boring admin and spreadsheet updates seem to be getting in the way lately. The answer it seems is to turn off the internet connection altogether!

On the up side, I've received a couple of cheques from outlets selling my books, as well as an order for more books - another distraction - I'll be having a sortie down to the Post Office later. Sometimes I wish I had people to deligate some of these things to, now let me see, up to now I'd like a PA and a housekeeper - I think I'll have to sell a few more books first, and there in lies my dilemma - to spend my time selling what I've written, or in writing more books, the answer is a compromise between the two.

New Year

2010-01-04T09:45:00.004Z

It's the beginning of a new year and a new decade, and with the Christmas fair season behind me it's time to get back to some writing. I often hear the advice to write every day, but after having a Christmas break where I've only written and few emails and a few notes when an idea came into my head, I find that the break has done me good. Sometimes a writer needs time to daydream for new ideas to flow. It also helps being able to wake up naturally sometimes instead of being bullied awake by an alarm when it's still dark.

Feeling festive

2009-12-13T10:50:00.004Z

Just when I thought I'd finished my Christmas fairs, I came across another one - a Victorian Christmas Fair at Hesslington church, yesterday. It was a lovely event complete with a town crier who made announcements such as: Santa arriving, and that there was only one jar of jam left on the preserves stall. It was a really festive and fun event, with Christmas music and mince pies...

I sold 11 books, bringing the grand total from this year's fairs to 122!!

On a personal note - we bought our Christmas tree yesterday, so it feels like Christmas is really on it's way now. At 7ft 3" it's the biggest yet, and so far none of the cats have climbed it. Last year Lister was just a kitten and loved climbing the Christmas tree, but this year he seems a bit wary of it. He fuzzed up the end of his tail to show it how big he was when it arrived home yesterday (only the end of his tail mind - so he wasn't fully committed), maybe he was upstaged by its sheer size, but he hasn't tried anything yet...

Busy times

2009-12-10T12:08:00.003Z

I've been so busy lately that I've hardly got any writing done - this is quite typical for this time of year when marketing is a priority, and of course there's all the Christmas stuff to do. But this morning I've had a whole morning to work on my book, oh the luxury! It's quite hard to get back into a story when I don't have time to do a bit every day, but the words are flowing again - it's that pesky character Iver No-Idea, there's just no shutting him up once he gets going...

It feels quite odd not to be going to any fairs this week, my first editions have been selling like hot cakes this Christmas, some of them were going home to be read as a bedtime story, some were being read by children, even at the fairs (waiting for raffle prizes to be announced can get quite boring) and it's lovely to think of many of them being opened on Christmas morning...

There's still time to order from my online shop
http://www.anne-m-stephenson.com/page7.htm

Book signing at Christmas fairs

2009-12-07T10:00:00.003Z

Yesterday I did the last of this year's Christmas fairs, and what a season it's been. I've done 7 fairs in 15 days, and at times it's felt like I was on a Christmas fair treadmill, but it was well worth it, I've sold 111 books!!
The people I've met have been so friendly and interested in my books, that it really didn't feel like work at all, in fact sometimes I think I go to fairs for a rest - I don't have to multi task at a fair, I just spend an few hours talking to people about books. I even met a young aspiring author at a school yesterday, and if she's reading this - good luck with your books!

Doodle series

2009-12-02T12:24:00.002Z

The rewrite of the next doodle book is going well - Eric is on the ski slopes, and having enough trouble staying on his feet, without his doodle, Iver No-Idea turning up with helpful advice, and his doodle dog, HB careering off after ski poles...

Christmas fairs

2009-11-29T14:03:00.006Z

I've had an excellent first week of Christmas fairs, some have been busier than others, but over all, sales are going well. I've got a bit of a break now before the final 3 fairs next weekend, hopefully I'll be able to get some writing done this week. I'm working on the next book in the Doodle series.

Among the reindeer

2009-11-26T10:13:00.002Z

Yesterday I had another successful fair among a herd of reindeer (of the cuddly toy variety) at The Farm Shop, Wigginton Road, York. It all got off to an excellent start when my first customer bought 6 assorted books, while I was still setting up!
There was a variety of local craft stalls, and I even managed to fit in a bit of Christmas shopping of my own.

I'm at Knavesmire Primary school tonight - it's all go this week...

Christmas fair

2009-11-23T11:29:00.004Z

Yesterday I had an excellent start to the Christmas fair season. I sold 40 books at The Main Furniture Company Christmas Fair in Green hammerton! This is a new personal record, beating my previous record of 37, achieved at a Borders book launch.

I talked to lots of interesting people, it was great to see people having a chuckle as they read my books.

My next event is on Wednesday at The Farm Shop, Wigginton Road, there'll be local crafts, and reindeer in the field outside.

Profit from a self published book

2009-11-15T12:00:00.002Z

My big news of the week is that my second book: Doodle Mayhem has now gone into profit!! I've always said I'd get there in the end.