My book babies have arrived!

23 Nov

Yippeee! There's nothing quite like the smell of a new book, is there? Seeing my four titles en masse blows my mind a little.

After quality-control checking all the pre-orders (with my very helpful 6-year-old assistant), there's a whole gang in the post, and some personal deliveries about to be fulfilled (awaiting my order from Officeworks so I can actually pack them for you - just simple brown carry bags, how long can it take?!).

To get my book published felt like an insurmountable obstacle. When I celebrated signing the contract, I realised the marathon didn't end there. There were illustrations to agree on, printing to wait for, hoping local and international buyers would want to stock the books.

Once the beautiful rainbow of books finally arrived, I wondered how the heck I was going to sell it all. To be discovered in a market that is saturated with bigger, much better known names, is challenging and it'd be easy to curl in a ball and hide under my doona.

But I want to get these little slices of sunshine out into the world, into the hands of cherubs who are absorbing language and finding their love of books. I've been incredibly lucky so far, or perhaps determined is a better word. I've sold almost half of the stock - and that was before I physically had them in my hot hands.

I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to all the people who bought the books. Some bought them as Christmas gifts, some bought them as a way to support me, some bought the books purely to keep on their own shelves, even though they have no-one of the relevant reading age to enjoy them. Whatever the reason, I am humbled by the kindness of my family, friends, writing comrades and perfect strangers.

For the local bookshops - The Book Barn & Seven Pages - that I approached, who opened their arms to me and welcomed my stock, I thank you. We all have to start somewhere and this is my start.

If you missed out on pre-orders and would like to buy a set (or an individual book), please go to the orders page here.

Happy reading!

Kylie