The Tears and Triumphs of a New Author - Chapter 17

The Tears and Triumphs of a New Author

Chapter 17

The creation of novel #2 stopped abruptly with the arrival of Lady Justice #1.
It was time to launch our marketing campaign.
First on the list was the local senior center. We were regular attendees at the Thursday afternoon tea dance and knew there were at least two hundred seniors there for lunch every day. I was almost afraid we wouldn’t have enough books to go around.
I shouldn’t have worried.
After talking to the senior center administrator, we learned that the company that manages the activities there don’t allow vendors.
Wait a minute! I’m not a vendor, I’m an author!
No, you’re a vendor and you can’t sell your book here.
To our dismay, we discovered that the same company managed virtually all the senior centers within driving distance.
So much for that idea.
Our next outlet was the local libraries.
The closest large town is about thirty miles from our home, but close enough for us to be called “local”. We contacted the library to set up a book signing date and were informed they only do book signings once a year when they sponsor a large event for any local author who wants to participate. The event was in September. We missed it by a month.
Better luck next year.
OK, Peg and I spent thirty years living and working in the Independence, Mo area, so we contacted the Mid-Continent library in our hometown. It turned out the Mid-Continent manages thirty branches in the Greater Kansas City area and we could submit our book for consideration at their next branch manager meeting.
We sent them a book and waited and waited ---nothing.
OK then, I grew up in Harrisonville, Mo and attended school there through Freshman year until my parents moved to Blue Springs, Mo. I had attended several high school reunions and kept in touch with several old classmates.
I called the Cass County library and was totally shocked when they readily agreed to a book signing.
Cool! Our first gig!
We also contacted the library in our little town of Osceola, Mo. population 835. They also agreed to sponsor a book signing.
So, two down, but where next?
In early October, before my book was in print, I had attended a book signing at the huge Barnes & Noble store in Overland Park, Kansas. The author was a friend of my step-son. I was elated when the author introduced me to the Community Relations Manager of the store as a new author, and he promptly handed me his card and said to call when the book was available and he would set up an event for me.
I figured this one was in the bag.
But when I called a month later to schedule the event, all I got was a run-around and eventually an email saying that all available time slots were taken for the rest of the year. Call back next year ---oh well.
So far, the only books leaving our garage were the ones we were giving to friends and family.
Not much profit there.
Three of our prime sources for sales had evaporated almost before we opened the first box of books.
Then, our copy of Rural Missourian came in the mail. They have a section where they spotlight upcoming events in the communities they serve. With the Christmas Season approaching, the events calendar was loaded with Christmas Arts and Craft Fairs.
We said, “ What the heck. Why not?”
So we contacted the event co-coordinators and scheduled four craft fairs around our two library appearances.
It wasn’t exactly the book tour I’d hoped for, but it was a start.