SAMPLE ARTWORK
Cheryl Day
This is a promotional page for a new book in development from Jamie Crawford Storytelling. Tiny Tales of Sussex is a treasury of illustrated folk tales for family audiences. It is principally aimed at the Heritage sector, where there is a gap in the market for a visually appealing story book, with appeal to different age groups, that also serves as an interactive guide to the stories and their locations. I am currently seeking support for the book by way of sponsors, producers and distributors. Please scroll down for a short video (with a transcript below), followed by more detailed info and a contact form towards the foot of the page.
They say that if you can’t find the book you want to read, then write it yourself!
I’m Jamie Crawford, a Sussex storyteller, and I’m very excited to tell you about this project.
All counties have their folktales. Sussex ones tend to be short and pithy. The best ones manage to squeeze in a beginning, middle and end, a dash of magic and twist in the tail.
Unable to find a single collection with all my favourites in, I decided to write my own.
A DELIGHT FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS
When it’s ready, Tiny Tales of Sussex will be:—
Written in the kind of clear, playful language I use when telling (and perfect for reading aloud)
In a dyslexia-friendly font
Illustrated by thirteen artists from the region—each with their own distinctive skills and style—one artist for each story
A colourful pocket book on sale in the gift shops of museums, gardens and wildlife centres as well as bookshops and other outlets
A quirky treat short enough to read in its entirety over the course of a family picnic
An interactive resource, with a map of the stories’ birthplaces; references and notes on how to re-tell them in situ; decorative blank pages for readers’ notes & sketches (& colouring in)
A doorway into these oldest of stories: a shared commonwealth of the ancestral imagination
Affordable but beautiful, a book that appeals to the eye and feels good in the hand, a book that lasts
And this is where you come in: to help pay for the amazing illustrators, the great design and the high production values that I believe Tiny Tales deserves.
FUNDING GOALS
I have divided my funding goals into three tiers:
Tier One: pay illustrators
Tier Two: pay author (including research expenses
Tier Three: pay for additional design and consultancy
The book is written (with just a little editing to do), the illustrations are on their way, and I am currently working towards my Tier One goal.
So, for whatever you may feel able to give, thank you.
Jamie
(J V Crawford. Author)
You can get in touch with me through the Contact Form further down the page.
SAMPLE ARTWORK Ed Boxall
MORE USEFUL INFO
For most of my adult life I have worked as a spoken-word storyteller, telling traditional tales for children, families and adult audiences. I’ve learned much of my craft and content from fellow tellers but the other great source of stories is books. Modern storytellers rely on collections of myths and folk-tales for their material. Many end up writing their own. So although distinct, storytelling, reading and writing go hand-in-hand. And this is how Tiny Tales came into being.
In 2024 I set up an imprint, Shapeshifter Books, for the launch of my debut novel Diveskin, a modern re-imagining of the Selkie legend. So far I have followed a similar process of editing, design and production for Tiny Tales as that I used with with Diveskin. It’s allowed me complete freedom in the way the book is formulated and, crucially, in the choice of illustrators.
Going forward, however, I have decided to seek a trade publisher for the book. This is for two reasons. Firstly, trade publishers are able to produce books to higher standards than self-publishers. (For example, they use offset printing, which only becomes cost-effective at scale.) This matters for a title where the artwork is a big selling point. Secondly, they have the distribution networks to get their titles into bookshops and other retail outlets. (Most self-publishers sell online with a focus on e-books.) A print book (rather than an e-book or audiobook) dependent on a dense cluster of different kinds of retail outlet for sales, as Tiny Tales will be, is going to need this to sell.
An interesting development in the publishing world has been in the growth of various hybrid models, which operate with elements from both conventional trade publishing and self-publishing. Sometimes, this can allow authors to retain more creative control of projects while benefitting from the sales muscle of a traditional publisher.
That’s why I want to find a publisher who will happily partner with Shapeshifter Books to bring Tiny Tales of Sussex to fruition.
What I would bring to the table is a convincing business plan for a ready-made, fully illustrated project with clear target markets; a proven record of team work and sponsorship; clear interest on the part of stockists (such as the National Trust, English Heritage and Sussex Past), and the prospect of follow-on titles in the Tiny Tales series.
The publisher would provide further editorial and design input; premium quality materials and printing; at least some marketing support, and, very importantly, the distribution clout to ensure the book sells as widely and as well as possible.
In the coming weeks I will be enlisting sponsors and contacting heritage organisations, as well as researching suitable publishers and agents. Once I reach my Tier One funding goal (see above) I will pay the artists so that I can then present an illustrated draft of the project to stakeholders.
So that’s the stage we’re at now. This page will be continuously updated to record developments as they happen, so that you can see where your generous donations are going and enjoy a special sense of participation in the project.
Please contact me via the Contact Form below with any questions or discuss further.
Thanks again.
SAMPLE ARTWORK
Ottilie Hainsworth
c o n t a c t
If you’re interested in backing Tiny Tales of Sussex or would just like to find out more, drop me a line by completing the form below.
SAMPLE ARTWORK Rebecca Tann
