by Bill Reed, West London Socialist Party
As the Socialist paper organiser for West London Socialist Party, one of the jobs I hate is disposing of unsold papers at the end of the week. Every time I do it, I think: We have a paper which contains the answers to the issues of the rotten capitalist society we live in, copies that remain unsold are helping to prop up that system.
We don’t have any magic formula, so I’m pleased members of West London Socialist Party sold a record 65 Socialist papers in the last week.
We have our paper at our weekly branch meeting. And everyone there takes some to sell during the week. We plan when we’ll campaign to sell the Socialist, what locations, and confirm who will be present.
Photo: London SP
Our main sales are at rail and Underground stations. Each evening, thousands of commuters pour from Hammersmith tube, or Ealing Broadway station.
So many people these days wear earphones, or are looking at their phone. How do we get their attention?
Noise is good — make sure the loudest voice among you has a range of simple slogans ready to shout. Be seen. Approach people directly. Be proud of our paper.
A paper sale is not just a social gathering. Our focus when we’re campaigning is engaging with the public. But we also plan a half an hour in a café after the sale, to exchange thoughts, ideas and views.