good/bad and what might come of it...

Yesterday was an interesting day of contrasts. I had been in touch with a woman who runs a writing group who had told me that the next meeting was on January 15th at 10 in the morning at the library. I showed up there after a lot of angst (basically hate groups, especially when I don't know anyone) and stood in the main room trying to figure out where to go. As I stood there I began to have an ocular migraine, a condition that is brought on by stress. My eyes go wonky and I can't focus. Okay, great, I thought to myself. I'll have to tell the group what's happening when I introduce myself. I walked over to the desk to ask where the meeting was being held and the woman there consulted the 'library newsletter' and then told me that the meeting was not today, it was on the 22nd! As soon as I found this out my ocular migraine began to recede.

In the meantime I introduced myself, secured a library card and made a plan to add my 7 books to the library. After that I drove over to a clothing shop a friend mentioned to me and made an appointment with the owner to bring my books by and speak to her about having them included in the store. From what I've been told she does book signings there as well. See? Good and bad.

An hour later my husband and I were speeding toward Bisbee with a sack of my books on the back seat. For a year now my books have been at a place there called "The Source within' but I haven't been able to reach them by e-mail. The owners are incredibly nice but not ones to go in for electronic communication. When I arrived there the owner was speaking with  customers and I waited...and waited...and waited some more...finally amidst his talking with others, I managed to glean that my books had not been selling. So, feeling disappointed I gathered them up and added them to the bag of books I'd hoped to leave there!

And so since it was after lunchtime by then, my husband and I headed up the street to a little market cafe that has very good food. I was still feeling funky but also relieved that I wouldn't have to drive to Bisbee all the time, (120 miles from Tucson) when I got into a conversation with a man and woman having coffee and dessert. I told them why I was in Bisbee and then we got into a discussion about my books. I gave them my card and then the woman making lattes behind the counter chimed in..."I couldn't help but overhear. Do you know about Vision Quest in Scottsdale?" No, I said. "Well, I used to work there and it would be a great place for your books." I handed her my card and thanked her and the others and went to eat my curried chicken salad.

I guess the moral is you never know what's going to happen next. And as far as the writer's group goes, I realized that since it's a motivational group and I don't need any motivation that it really isn't for me. Is the goddess (or my unicorn) at work here or is it my imagination? You tell me.

Book signings...

I had planned to write a blog every week or so, but life got in the way...

Yesterday I had a book signing in the small town of Bisbee, an event I set up with Joan, the owner, several weeks ago. I sat outside a store called Atatlanta's Music and Books that carries a little bit of everything! Unfortunately for the local residents, Joan plans to close the store by early fall. From what she told me her long stint in retail is coming to a close due to not enough business and burnout. People are now shopping at the big box stores over in the next town, a fact that is affecting local small business across the country.

In any case I did absolutely nothing to prepare for this event, not even posting on FB or putting a sign in the store window. I went in cold turkey, my only hope being that the holiday weekend would bring more foot traffic.

Just after I set up a rickety table and two chairs, a thunderstorm came through. Hail hit the streets scattering pedestrians who hurried to stand in doorways or take the opportune moment to head to a restaurant. Luckily I was under an overhang, on a tiled entryway in which the name J.C. Penney had been emblazoned. The town was booming back when the mine was going. After the hail came a few showers, and then sun. People began to walk up and down the streets again, many of them heading inside Atatlantis.

Several people came by to say hello, my first sale to an unlikely youngish man. After that I found myself making more eye contact and chatting with those who seemed so inclined. When three older women came by I said hello to one of them. She lingered for a moment, caught by the cover of Gypsy's Quest. We talked for a moment or two about the books and then she bought Gypsy's Quest, saying that it spoke to her. Encouraged, I began asking people if they needed a book to read--this was an out-of- character gregarious behavior that may have been due to the amount of ozone in the air. It was another half hour or so before another woman stopped by to ask about the books. I told her she didn't have to buy all three,  the backstory was woven into the last book of the trilogy, The Wolf Moon. Despite this she bought all three!

I learned several things from sitting there:
1. It's fun
2. I like people
3. Three hours goes by quickly
4. You never know who may be interested in your books
5. Being pessimistic about what may happen has no effect on what actually does happen

On the way home I thought of three more things I need to do to help with marketing:
1. Have an e-mail list going (I wish I had done this yesterday)
2. Make a large poster-size display of at least one of the books to draw people from afar.
3. Have a couple of simple quips ready to write inside the books-'Hope you enjoy' or 'Thank you' gets boring after a while. (also practice writing my name occasionally so I don't leave off or add an extra l at the end of Broadwell)

The biggest positive change to come from this is that I'm no longer afraid of these events and actually look forward to the next one!

Veering off

I'm changing my tactics when it comes to marketing. Blog tour is out unless I do a very simple one with a few bloggers who are on the same page as I am. Why, you ask? Because when I realized the time and effort involved, I decided I would lose my sanity. And what about my writing? I know marketing is important but I can't let it  take over my life. I'm still doing the online thing but I also have a long list of places in Arizona where I will attempt to consign my books.

My husband is helping me in this regard, and has compiled a list, not of bookstores, but of 'spiritual' stores and Celtic shops that might be a fit.

Since Mercury has been in retrograde, I've put this endeavor off, but as of monday, November 26th, Mercury begins heading forward again--the perfect time for new beginnings. I will start here in Tucson with one Celtic shop and two others: Metaphysics' World and Spirits' Child. After that we'll head to the small hippyish town of Bisbee and and then over to Sedona, where there are at least six possibilities. Now I know I'm making this sound like a breeze--believe me with my introverted personality, it won't be. But one on one I seem to do okay--it's the room full of people that has me quaking in my boots--the mere idea of giving a talk or a reading makes me light-headed!

Since the second book in my series has been released, I considered doing KDP select again--having one book free, one for .99 --but I didn't want to be stuck again for three months, trapped in a contract with Amazon. My sales did not show improvement from the last two...And so my time has been spent going through The Moonstone, AGAIN, in preparation for re-formatting. (It is now the new and improved version--2nd edition?) Smashwords, KOBO and NOOK are on my list. If anyone is thinking about this, check out Rik Hall http://www.facebook.com/RikHall, who is inexpensive and comes highly recommended.

I'm also signed up for a two hour session here in Tucson with real live people exchanging ideas who  have had experience with marketing. I've considered the book festival coming up next year but I think the price is prohibitive..doesn't seem worth it for the possible sale of a few books, although the exposure would be nice.

And so I continue my search, hoping to discover a few things that work and letting go of the ones that don't. I know marketing represents at least 60% of the pie but I need to finish book three, not to mention the sequel, Valley of the Moon. The more books one has out there the better, or so I've heard...

Here is a link to Johann Penn, a marketer who has done a lot of research on this subject: .http://www.thecreativepenn.com/ 

Thanks for reading! and any and all comments are most appreciated.