Bookseller Information

'SANDMAN' is available from Gardners and Bertrams.

AI Sheet

Front (Author Sophie King's endorsement, cover image, cover blurb)

Rear (Reader's Choixce Book Review, book data)

Stocking the novel: SANDMAN

The novel 'SANDMAN' is set in real locations around Christchurch Harbour in Dorset, England, including Hengistbury Head and Mudeford Sandbank—all near the tourist resort of Bournemouth. I chose this location for several reasons. Firstly, I know the area well and I wanted to make the location integral to the story. Secondly, its close association with this beautiful area allows me to invoke both a geographical and a literary 'sense of place'. Thirdly, the notoriously expensive beach huts that feature in this novel are often mentioned in the media for being probably the most expensive beach huts in the world, so they are familiar to many; check out this BBC News item to prove the point; this article mentions £80,000 price tags but the maximum was around £120,000. Finally, it allows me to use a cover image of a beach hut style from an area that many people will recognise: given both the fame of the beach huts and the fact many tourists have been to this beauty spot while visiting Bournemouth.

For the latter reason, plus the fact that beach scenes provide a psychological attraction because of their association with vacations, relaxation, and even relaxed reading on the beach, I urge you to display this book cover-out to maximise sales. The pleasing picture is designed to draw the eye and cause the book to be lifted from the shelf. I guarantee good results will be achieved through the combination of the cover image and this psychological relaxation-associated appeal. If in doubt, just buy 5+ and try it for a week or so; this, I trust, will prove my point.

Genre placement

Feature this novel as both a 'psychological thriller' and 'contemporary fiction'. Also, don't overlook your 'LOCAL' section if this is appropriate (eg within say 30 miles of Bournemouth), given the real setting is in and around Christchurch, Mudeford Sandbank and Hengistbury Head, in Dorset.

SANDMAN is available from normal suppliers such as Bertrams and Gardners.

Become a listed stockist

If you decide you would like to stock SANDMAN and agree to continue to offer a cover-out or cover-up table display, let me know the minimum stock you intend to carry and we can then discuss whether you would like to become a 'featured stockist' listed on this website (complete with a link to your website, if you have one). Even if you do not display SANDMAN like this and just put it spine-out on your shelf, if you agree to maintain a modest stock you could still be listed on this website. This is a difficult time for authors and bookshops so we need to work together so we can all survive!

Get a shelf label to emphasise the setting

To make this book fly off the shelf, contact us to ask for one of our FREE 'SANDMAN Shelf Label' sheets. Each label on the sheet measures 100 x 50 mm. These are suitable for clip-on label holders or to affix to the shelf.

The label sheet comprises 8 different pre-printed labels for you to place beneath a cover-out or spine-out display of SANDMAN books, including 2 with space to add your own comments.

Take a quick look at the A4 'pdf' version here. You could then save this file and print to your colour printer in order to display one of the labels in your normal label holders.

An example of just one of the labels is shown below:

The flexibility doesn't even end there. Click here to download an rtf version of the A4 label sheet template. You can then edit this to suite your needs. The lower two versions even allow you to edit the orange portion of the headline, so you could change it from 'has a LOCAL SETTING' to 'BEAUTIFUL DORSET SETTING', for example. (You then need to use your own method to afix to the shelf, of course.)

Contact me to get a window/wall poster by post

If you are interested in boosting sales through the use of a wall or window poster, please contact me with your name, position and business name and address, stating your preference for a plain paper or laminated version and A4 or A5 size (default). There is space for you to write your own message at the top and/or bottom (such as 'AVAILABLE HERE').

Download and colour-print a window/wall poster

Download and SAVE (pdf A4 version) of the poster with 'AVAILABLE HERE' already on it. ('AVAILABLE HERE' is part of the main document and is easy to change.) Make sure you print it in colour.

Download and SAVE an A5 (pdf) version of the poster with 'AVAILABLE HERE' already on it. Make sure you print it in colour.

Download and amend a window/wall poster to suit your needs

The following are files you can download and amend within your favourite word processor program to change, for example, the 'AVAILABLE HERE' caption to something else, such as 'LOCAL SETTING', 'SIGNED COPIES', AUTHOR SIGNING ON <DATE>', etc., as appropriate. )

Download and SAVE (rtf A4 version) of the poster with 'AVAILABLE HERE' already on it. ('AVAILABLE HERE' is part of the main document and is easy to change.) Make sure you print it in colour.

Download and SAVE (rtf A5 version) of the poster with 'AVAILABLE HERE' already on it. ('AVAILABLE HERE' is within the header and footer. Within Microsoft Word™ use: 'View > Header and Footer', to gain access to, and change, these legends; use the 'Switch Between Header and Footer' icon to switch between them while amending.) Make sure you print it in colour.

Register for a signing

If you are prepared to carry a worthwhile (non-returnable) stock of the book and would like to arrange an author signing, just let me know, stating how many copies you will order for the event. I periodically travel and will try to tie in a visit to you providing you agree to display a good quality colour window poster advertising an agreed event for at least two weeks prior to the set date. (Please note it is much easier to arrange a near date if you are located in southern England.) Thank you!