Merry Christmas Dinofans!

​I just wanted to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas at this most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas is a time for me to be grateful for all the things we have, so...

Thank you for reading and buying our books.

Thank you for all your support and likes of our Instagram and Facebook posts (nearly 1000 followers now).

Thank you to coming to our events and taking part in our promotions and competitions. Hope to see you again at more events in the New Year.

It really has been a magical December for the books, with I think our best-selling month on record, nearly a hundred books sold so far this month as we speak. Now that may not sound a lot, and I'm sure David Walliams can probably manage to sell that many in a minute! However for a self-published author, it's a dream come true. Bradley and the Dinosaur has certainly found favour with thousands of children, and it's great to think of all the copies out there being read at bedtime or whenever. 

Thanks again to all of you who have bought a book recently.

More books to come in 2020! ...and if you're wondering what wonderful Christmas present you could get us, then please remember to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads!

Merry Christmas - and a Happy New Year - see you in 2020!! 

Happy Fridays Frog Fans....!

...and Dino fans, and Carpeteers and good little sausages everywhere...

Well, I'm sure we're all busy with Christmas preparations. Goodness knows I've only written about six Christmas cards so far and bought about three gifts. So I've still got plenty to do... but before all that, I just want to let you know that I am REALLY excited about the last date in the calendar for 2019 for Singing Frog Publishing.. and that is me doing a Story Time event at Paignton Library at 11 am tomorrow.

It was funny, when I did the first one of these, because I was booked somewhere for, like two hours and I had just the one book that I'd written - Bradley and the Dinosaur. I kept thinking to myself before the event, 'How can you make a book that takes about six minutes to read last about two hours??' Do I just keep reading it again and again??

Well, anyway, I think only a handful of people turned up at that first one, so I needn't have worried. Anyway, three years later, I've got three books under my belt (that are published) and only half an hour - so if anything, I'll have the opposite problem. Too much to tell, and not enough time!

There'll be a competition for anyone who joins our mailing list, and free exclusive stickers for any little ones who 'stick' it out. I'll have books for sale too, if you're still thinking of someone who might like one in their stocking for Christmas, and happy to sign a dedication too.

So plenty of reasons to pop in and say hello. Where else can you get a signed copy of a children's pictuer book by a local author and support your local library?!

For any who've already bought a book, why not bring it with you to read along, and I'll happily sign it afterwards. 

Whatever you're doing this weekend, I hope the Chirstmas Spirit is with you and slowly but surely, you're getting in the mood for a wonderful Christmas!

And if you're not a Christmas fan, Happy Dinomas! Or Merry Sausage & Mash - take your pick...:0)

Where. Does. The Time. GO to....?

You know, it seems like two minutes ago I was designing a Christmas Doodle for this blog this time last year. I had recently been introduced to Instagram... and I was drawn in to its charm. Makes me think that I should be drawing another one soon... but they take a while to do, you know?

This year, I feel much less prepared... though with almost 1000 Instagram followers, I feel a lot of good feelings towards all the people who have taken a look at my page since it started. Yes. It started, like all things, with just a couple of friends and family. Hi Eva! I think you were one of the first follows.  It's funny, when you look at your Instagram account, and you have, ... 8 followers... and you think. hmmm.. I wonder what this thing is...? But thanks to people, strangers and friends, like #thehunterc a fabulous actor and stunt double, and other illustrators and artists.. I quickly got a feel that Instagram is a different kettle of fish to Facebook and exotic... and opens up a whole new world of friends.

I've had a page for Bradley and the Dinosaur on Facebook or, now, Singing Frog Publishing for some years now... and I do like Facebook.. (probably because I'm older than some).. but even now, we're only up to about 150 friends.. and probably most of those ARE friends! But Instagram is a whole other thing... and I really recommend any authors or illustrators out there set up an account, because Instagram is a great way to meet people in your line of work.  Authors like Jana Broecker (of Cranky Cat fame) and SchockoBart and many others... libraries and printers and cafes and publishing companies... (not to mention photographers and climbers and dental hygenists!) all of whom i would never have met were it not for Instagram. Even Rob Pudner, of Artz4U... I met through seeing his show.. and then following Entertainingly Different through Instagram.

Now it was a pleasure to be on his show... and I hope you caught it. Thanks Rob! We talked about the books some more, and the recent uptick in sales since being on the radio last time. Being on Rob's show is like being at a great party. He even had a snow machine! I was not expecting that!

Thanks to all who have bought the books recently... I hope you have a very Merry Christmas! We've sold more books in the last three months than the last two years I reckon. I hope you leave a review too, because it really helps us self-publishers! No million pound marketing machine here.. just word of mouth. But books like Wonkey Donkey show, that if people like a book, it doesn't matter who publishes it.. word gets around.

Merry Christmas!!

​Julian