Leilah Skelton (taking a break)

Maker of small things. Literary fiction & picture books are my favourite. Tweets 98% bookish, 2% misguided.

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

I love it more, though... 💚 https://t.co/R2uyzyRgev

[Mr Philip Jones @philipdsjones]

Love this story about @Leilah_Makes for all sorts of reasons https://t.co/HYUi2DKvbZ Booksellers are important

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@samatlounge @EmilyDrabs @catwrote @_DavidStevens @ldlapinski @CharlotteLEyre @BooksandChokers @_KnightsOf @Booktrust @OnjaliRauf @Magnocarta @dellygh @Louiestowell @books_north @RobBiddulph @alibelle @bookloverJo ❤❤❤

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@redbreastedbird @NicoleBurstein @sarahshaffi It felt like a constant fight. It's why they weren't sorry to see me go. I didn't toe the line.

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@NicoleBurstein @sarahshaffi @redbreastedbird Broke my heart so many times trying do something right for my customers and getting shut down for it. Xx

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@sarahshaffi @redbreastedbird @NicoleBurstein I tried. I really did. https://t.co/rHO1uwvyJ6

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@272BookFaith @debrakidd I see! People get a false sense of worth because of prevalence. I tried halving a full height dedicated Walliams bay of books, front of store, once. All titles still double-faced, but 3 shelves below of 'IYLYL'. I was forced to turn it back into full Walliams. Prevalence. :(

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@drakebookshop @HarperCollinsUK MAKE BOOKS AVAILABLE TO ALL. LEVEL THE READING FIELD. :) https://t.co/FwZbndPwBG

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@sarahundart Yep. That's the logic. And of course you'd sell fewer HBs, but a staggering amount more PBs, and cut a lot of piracy. HBs could become beautiful collectibles with indie exclusives, and Record Store Day style specials. Film moved to simultaneous release, and books should too. Xx

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

THERE REALLY, REALLY SHOULD BE. Or else, yannow, MOVE THIS GODDAMN INDUSTRY TOWARDS SIMULTANEOUS FORMAT PUBLISHING AND STOP PUNISHING POORER READERS FOR BEING POORER.

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@sarahundart Yep. That's the logic. And of course you'd sell fewer HBs, but a staggering amount more PBs, and cut a lot of piracy. HBs could become beautiful collectibles with indie exclusives, and Record Store Day style specials. Film moved to simultaneous release, and books should too. Xx

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@272BookFaith @debrakidd I see! People get a false sense of worth because of prevalence. I tried halving a full height dedicated Walliams bay of books, front of store, once. All titles still double-faced, but 3 shelves below of 'IYLYL'. I was forced to turn it back into full Walliams. Prevalence. :(

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@AshaHick @debrakidd Agreed. @BootstrapCook has a platform, and is a trusted voice, and so this issue might finally be addressed. We MUST encourage the media to cover books honestly and critically. Without media coverage we risk parents using this breach of trust to turn away from books completely.

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@272BookFaith @debrakidd I'm not sure which Facebook group this refers to, but yes. Absolutely. 'Book People' are very good at talking to each other, and work valiantly to spread awareness and influence, but up against diminishing routes to 'Regular People' who need guidance most.

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@AshaHick @debrakidd Yeah but I won't criticise those who 'bought into' it. Of course they did. The whole system works the way it does because it relies on people doing just that. Visual apeing, name recognition... That matters above all else because critical coverage is so scarce.

[Frank Cottrell-Boyce @frankcottrell_b]

1. A handful of - sometimes brilliant - authors hold a virtual monopoly over the sales of children's books. This is partly because - with a few valiant exceptions - there is virtually no reviewing of children's books in this country.

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@JodieHodges31 I try my best. Xx

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@SENBooks @debrakidd We are on the same page here. There are some GREAT resources for kids book coverage. Kids books generally still have close to 0 press coverage, unless there is a celebrity angle. Grown up books have a healthier, though still pitiful, press balance for celeb vs non-celeb.

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@SENBooks @debrakidd The focus is on the celebrity, not the book, in that instance.

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@debrakidd ...If you're following the Walliams hashtag today, don't let the noise of "we all knew this" get to you, because it's highly likely that you didn't. High Street and supermarket prominence you'd hope would be allocated by quality, but a lot of the system has let you down. Xx

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@debrakidd Don't be ashamed. It's not feasible to vet everything that your child consumes. With books it's even harder because a) fewer bookshops with fewer booksellers, b) fewer dedicated school librarians, c) fewer public libraries, and d) close to 0 press coverage for kids books...

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@OllyAitch Coach and Horses, Scott Lane.

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

Actually my local pub. #Doncaster

[Proper Magazine @ProperMag]

Your local pub. 6.38am tomorrow.

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

@TheTeaMonkey Sadly, I don't think it's going to end anytime soon.

[Leilah Skelton (taking a break) @Leilah_Makes]

Just so that I'm clear... The next time I decide to enter a pub, I won't have to have men PHYSICALLY MANOEUVRING ME BY THE HIPS whenever they decide they need to pass me...?