How Do I Get Rid of 687 Books?
No book burning allowed 🙅🏻♀️
Many thanks to the hundreds of you who have already purchased a copy of my best (and only) book How to Build a Bike, the perfect book for beginners who have had a taste of bike maintenance and are hungry for more. It has sold over 13,000 copies worldwide, which is apparently a good number in the book arena (but not good enough for my publisher anymore.)
You can read more about my book writing journey here.
Amazon #1 Bestseller 2017
Granted it was on the “Vehicle Owner’s Manuals & Maintenance Guides” list but it still counts dagnabbit! I was a hot new release in my day!
I’m now in a pickle – some of you may remember that my book was remaindered last year, which means that it would have been sent to the pulpers to be destroyed. This is a horrible thought for my second child (my first child is LBK). I gave my publisher my credit card and said I will buy every single remaining copy (788 to be exact.)
Last year I contacted almost every single community bike shop in the UK to see if they wanted to buy in bulk at a special wholesale rate - only one replied yes. So maybe they weren’t the right market.
This year, with the likelihood that I will be handing over the business to another bike project (more on that in a future newsletter, we are still in talks right now), I need to move these book copies fast.
OFFERS GALORE!
Anyone who books a class with us will get a free copy.
The book is now on sale for £10. If you would like to buy in bulk (more than five copies) I will give you a rate of £7 per book (email me directly).
Shipping only, no pickups at the shop.
I will also do the same offer I did last winter which is if you become a paying subscriber I will send you a free copy! This offer expires the 31st of December and is only valid to UK residents because the cost of shipping overseas now is extortionate.
I’m also doing a talk at Herne Hill Velodrome next week Thursday, and all attendees will get a free copy of How to Build a Bike.
But I don’t think this will move all 687 copies and so I want to get in touch with independent bookshops to see if they would like to buy some. Who is your favourite indie bookshop? Let me know and I will send them an offer.
If you have any other ideas, I am all ears. I cannot give them away for free because I have to pay back my credit card which has an interest rate of 25% and is killing me right now. (And yes, I’ve tried applying for a 0% balance transfer and also a personal loan, and both were rejected - my credit score is atrocious, what a stupid made up system used to control people 🙄).
Help me get out of credit card debt, buy my book, and add a tome to your library that is both beautiful and useful.
49 five-star reviews on Amazon can’t be wrong - but don’t buy from Amazon, buy from me or your local independent bookshop!
I was surprised to see Sky News give us a live reframing of the footage of Israeli football hooligans. It so clearly illustrated how media are trying to keep a certain narrative in the public eye and ear. I was not surprised that they did it, I was surprised that they showed us in real time how they did it.
has a good overview of the whole thing if you’d like to go on a deep dive. at interviewed the photographer Annet de Graaf whose footage was twisted to fit the US/Israeli narrative.But right now the easiest and quickest thing you can do is to sign the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s petition to send to Ofcom. They need 5856 more supporters.
Help us to hold the British media to account.
Ofcom is Britain's regulator for communication services, including broadcast television. We will be sending the complaint below to Ofcom about Sky News' recent attempt to cover up the racist violence perpetrated by Israeli football fans in Amsterdam.
I hope you are all managing to stay warm and look after yourselves. I have been knitting in my downtime, and I find the repetitive task to be calming. That, plus herbal tea and candles are my winter staples.
I leave you with Owen Jones’s video, it’s thorough, infuriating, and educational.
Maybe I’ll catch you next week at Herne Hill Velodrome!
Ride on,
Jenni x
Try the Folkestone bookshop - admin@thefolkestonebookshop.co.uk. very cool indie shop and the owners are into cycling
Hi! Try the Heath bookshop in Kings Heath, Birmingham. They’re my local indie shop that might be interested. I don’t know their stock/decision making basis, but might be worth a try.