After all the hard work, the several proof reads, the agonizing over whether we had missed a mistake in the text, dreading that the cover wouldn’t look good (it does) and compiling a list of people who might buy my book directly from me – I had 200 copies in my room – I’m on the high road of selling and gaining publicity.

OK, publicity is for Troubador to drum up, after all they are the professionals, but I enjoy posting on social media and I have joined 3 Facebook sites used by people, women mostly, but not exclusively, connected with my story. I skip a great deal of the tweets I receive but my followers are increasing in number. In fact, if all my followers on twitter bought a book, my boxes would be empty. More or less.

I will readily admit that I hadn’t expected this stage to be such hard work for me. I’ve written 2 articles for women’s magazines, one is with Troubador to place, the other has already been rejected. Such is a writer’s life. Troubador has asked if it can use a testamonial on their website and I have written a piece for their blog.

https://www.troubador.co.uk/blog/#!janehayward-publishing-journey  click on this link.

Tomorrow I’m meeting with a journalist who is to write a piece about me and the memoir for the publishing prescence of Birkbeck College, The University of London, MIROnline.

Now I’m going to indulge in pure vanity. NB Plot spoiler in one of these – but it won’t make any difference to your enjoyment of The Baby Box, Pub Troubador Publishing  – see above link.

Comments received from early readers of The Baby Box.

The saying, the past is a foreign country, they did things differently there relates to this book and serves to show just how different the 1960s were.

A true story of teenage pregnancy in the mid-sixties, this is a compelling read and I finished it within a few days. It’s beautifully written and paints a vivid picture of teenage life in London during this time. Reading Jane’s story has helped me better understand what unmarried mothers went through: what life was like at home, in the Mother and Baby homes, and how they found a way to express their love for their babies through their baby boxes. I thoroughly recommend this book.

…how much I enjoyed your book…it was such a compelling read. It broke my heart and lifted me up all at the same time…imagine keeping a secret for so long!

I have ordered a copy of your book from WHSmith. I read a preview and now I really need to read the rest.

I stayed in bed until I’d finished it.

I have been engrossed in The Baby Box all morning.

So, listening to a CD of Billy Fury to fill me with 1960s bliss, I say ‘Goodnight’.