Wednesday, July 02, 2008

It's The Big Green Bookshop Poster Competition

Simon:

Hello my lovely friends all around the world, and also those of you in Hull. We have a new competition where you can win prizes. Quite good prizes too(but more about that when we've thought of them).
Here are the rules.



1. Print this poster(click on the poster and then it'll get bigger. Then press print and in theory it should print out).

2. Put it somewhere like on the eiffel tower, the statue of liberty, on your dog or maybe even in your window.

3. Take a photo of it and send the picture to us on our email (enquiries@biggreenbookshop.com)

we will then put it on our gallery of fame (which will be a link on the side of the blog).

the best 5 will be put to the public vote and the winner will win a lovely prize.

THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER COMPETITION FOR OUR BLOG READERS IN WOOD GREEN AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
the lovely council have scuppered our attempts to advertise on the High Road (the main road that our shop is off). We started off by asking if there was any funding available to advertise the bookshop after it won the council's New Business of the Year award. The answer so far has been no, despite many phonecalls and emails. We then made a 'Golf Sale' type sign, saying 'Big Green Bookshop, this way' and sat on a barstool on the HIgh Road for an afternoon. Miraculously it worked extremely well, so we did it again. This time a 'Street Enforcer' came along and told us that we couldn't do this. Quite understandably probably...
Anyway, then I emailed the council asking if I could do any of the following
1. Wear a T shirt saying Big Green Bookshop and point up the road (NO)
2. Walk around with the sign, so as not to be a hazard (NO)
3. Put an A sign up on the High Road (No)
4. Stick the sign on the top of the fruit and veg stall at the end of the road (NO)
5. Pay for a sign to be put up on the High Road (yes £1600 a year)

OK, so not too good so far.

We then put some of or lovely balloons up on a lamp-post at the end of the road. We were careful not to cover any of information on the lamppost and we made sure it was well above head height so as not to get in anyone's way.
We got a phone call yesterday from the street enforcment office. they told us if we didn't take the balloons down we will be fined.

This is the street that has just opened it's 12th betting establishment in a space of 800metres.

So in our familiar style, we're asking you a favour.
Could you print this poster off and put it up in a window, or anywhere else you think might enlighten the wonderful people of Haringey who don't know about us.

Please take a photo, or email us with the location and we'll add you to the hall of fame.

I have this dream that all around Haringey, in a way similar to the Mayoral Elections, there'll be posters in hundreds of windows saying 'I Buy My Books From The Big Green Bookshop'.

I'll put one or two up over the next few days just to start the ball rolling, but let's see how we get on!


Subtle as a brick.

8 comments:

  1. Hi There,

    Sadly, really love the photos of the book tables.

    Comparing my table stock you yours, there are only seven titles the same out of fifty-three - ie only a 13% cross-over between Tetbury and Wood Green.

    If we were still working for Waterstone's, what would that cross-over figure be - 80/90%, or more?

    Hooray for us! Long live the independents!

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  2. Ooops, sorry, meant to post this on the other post.

    Doh.

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  3. Glad to see your local government is so supportive of local merchants. :-|

    Maybe I'll see if I can sneak your poster into the San Diego Zoo and tape it to the panda. Hmm, no, that's probably a good way to get arrested ...

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  4. I have a similar problem in trying to promote my books (The Stonewylde Series) with no marketing or advertising budget to mention. Stonewylde fans pestered me to get T shirts made, which we've done. Fans wear them out and about, especially at festivals where they'll be seen by many people. They've started posting pictures of themselves on the Stonewylde forum wearing the T shirts in different places. I shall be wearing mine to Womad later this month - whoo hoo! And I really hope you're stocking my books now, Simon. Bright blessings from Kit Berry.

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  5. I'd wear a TBGB's T-shirt. In possibly a ripped of font from some defunct New York club, perhaps... I'd even wear it at work. Or at least I would have done a month ago, when we could wear what we want...

    Yeah, TBGB's logo on the front (and 'Wood Green's Only Book Shop) and then.... the website on the back... plus tour dates of course.. xx

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  7. (Sorry spotted a mistake so had to delete.)
    How about posting a link to the HarringayOnline website about this competition? We always love stories about how supportive and understanding Haringey Council are.
    You could ask for some space in 'Haringey People' seeing as how they gave you an award 'n' all!

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  8. Might sound naive, but have you made 'friends' with Cllr Kaushika Amin? She's lead member for regeneration at Haringey and might put in a good word for your business...

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