Snow Leopard

Each time I have visited independent bookshops, galleries there has always been a demand for my books in hardback, especially The Snow Leopard.

When I first began illustrating books there was a received ‘wisdom’, or should I say folly, that 2 000 was the maximum number for most hardback sales and then a book should be paperbacked. It seemed like folly to me because the population is not static. Children grow up, new children are born. Maybe they might have parents or grandparents who might want a hardback too. So far Barefoot Books have sold about 30 000 of Classic Poems ( this despite being told poetry doesn’t sell), Tell Me a Dragon is in its 7th or 8th edition, and East of the Sun is in its 5th edition.

Anyway, after much nagging of me by booksellers and then so much nagging from me of my publisher, so much so I thought their ears might start bleeding soon, I now have 1000 hardback of Snow Leopard to offer. This has been made possible by loyal indie bookshops agreeing to take between 30 and 50 of this title alone, a big ask I know, and I really appreciate their commitment to this.

So, if you wish to buy a copy, move fast. They will be available only through indie bookshops. They will be signed with stamps designed by me, and my hand written signature. ( The stamps were produced by KR Stamps, with great speed!) The photos below show what they look like. If you are a bookshop and want to order them do so quickly through Frances Lincoln as if they ever reprint again it will take 3 months for them to arrive.

I fail to understand the economics of bookselling. I have at least 2 contemporaries whose latest book sold out within a week of publication. As authors we are beginning to hang our heads and ask, what is the point? Why does no one look at the economics of not ever printing enough copies because they are too cautious when year on year we sell out?

I could rant. But what I want to do instead is get these 1000 copies into bookshops and into the hands of new readers, who want a hardback book they can keep and treasure and share.

Not sure how the above image snuck in. It was me being filmed for ITV something or other about Ffion’s falcon.

Meanwhile below are the drawings used to make the stamps.

It takes 14 hours to sign all these books.

At the end of the signing I will have 3 stamps left still, rubber stamps designed by me, unique. Leave a comment on the blog below and share something about the snow leopards, or this post, or my blog and I will pick a name from the comments and post them one of the stamps by way of a thank you. One I will send to a bookshop that orders a minimum of 30 copies. The other I will keep and play with here. So, share, leave a comment. And thank you.

So far books from this edition are available through

Solva Woollen Mill

The New Hedgehog Bookshop

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