I’m sorry to say I have not caught up with my blogs now since way back in November when I wrote about participating in the Nottingham Radical Book Fair organised by Five Leaves Bookstore in Nottingham. Prior to this I shared about how I promoted my book on social media and promised to talk about using other forms of media for promotion, so better late than never, here it is!
I have had some great coverage over the past year. It has included interviews for small scale local publications like Life Magazine in March 2018, as well as wider coverage in the well-respected Left Lion Magazine and linked Nottingham City of Literature website. Thanks to an interview with Caroline Barry and a meeting with Matt Turpin, the article in Left Lion and subsequently on the Nottingham City of Literature website was released in May 2018.
It hasn’t just remained local either. Thanks to an interview with Danielle Mustarde an article featured in Diva Magazine took my tail to a national level in March 2018. It reviewed my book alongside other LGBT friendly titles for children.
I’m pleased to have also been invited to do a radio interview with Alan Clifford on BBC Radio Nottingham too. During this interview Alan asked me about my time with Magdala, recollecting interviewing me almost 25 years earlier when I won the Hidden Voices competition. This resulted in a scholarship to learn to sing with Michelle Wegwart. This humble act developed my self confidence enough to train to become a teacher, that in turn enabled me to write for the children in my care in schools. So I have this whole experience to thank for being able to raise awareness and respect for diverse families through my book (available on Amazon).
So what’s next? Well as I write my next book I would like to return to some of my connections to get further interviews but I would also like to get some recognition on the television too, perhaps on Notts TV… who knows?
The key thing I have learned though is to be persistent. Despite having several knock backs, those who have believed in what I am doing have supported me. If you are also writing your own stories, keep going because someone out there will believe in you too.
Troy Jenkinson 