Just in Case you Might Want to Plan a Book Tour

I know this is the era of ebooks, social media marketing and forget- about- the -book- tour- unless- you're- a- celebrity, but some newly published authors might still want to plan a tax-exempt vacation
a working, fun vacation
a trip to someplace interesting
er-- a book tour.

If that sounds like you, I'm currently doing a series over at the Celery Tree blog on marketing and promotion. This first series will be focusing on planning a book tour *does anyone even do that anymore?* Well, my mum and I did and I want to share what we did and what we learned.

The first part of the series was on Identifying and Finding your Demographic. The second on Planning and Communication. Third will be on the Media, Getting Reviews and Articles. Fourth will be Playing to Your Strengths. And Fifth on Failures (because we learn more from our failures than from our successes).

So check it out yo. Come hang out with me and Liesel under the Celery Tree!

How to Enjoy Your Author Event

Today I'll be speaking at a local library in Salt Lake, to the Senior's Group. I get 45 minutes to talk about "how I wrote my books, Farm Girl, my next book, and tips for any of them who might want to write a personal and family history."

Sounds like fun, right? Well, it isn't UNLESS I go with my own agenda which is: "tell stories, have fun, make friends, tell stories, talk about writing, give tips on writing from life, tell stories, give tips on writing one's history, tell stories."

End with a question- answer session. Done and done. Go home and change back into  pajamas work clothes.

Here's what I DO NOT want to do: "worry about book sales, try to convince people to buy my books, think about who will buy my books, wonder why no one wants to buy my books, agonize over the lack of sales at this or any other event."

There you have my very short list on how to enjoy your author event. You notice I didn't say "how to have a successful author event." Because that involves selling books, and that means I put too much pressure on myself, and that means misery and failure instead of enjoyment and avoidance of an entire pan of fudge brownies.

Oh, one more thing-- Include a drawing for a free book. Each person in attendance writes their name and email address on a card and drops it in a basket. The winner gets a free copy of your book, and you go home with everyone's email addresses for future promotion. But be sure and tell them you will use their information only to contact them about future events, or when your next book is available. (I have yet to do this. But I keep thinking about doing it, as it's a really good idea.)

 Please feel free to add your own excellent tips in the comments-- either from your experience at presenting or attending such events. (I'm a lost cause, but your good ideas might help someone else.)

The Budding Author

I just got back from doing a library presentation at Pleasant Grove, Utah and there's this kid who I just have to tell you about.

This library does a Tuesday night book event for younger children. I talked about Farm Girl, two other authors spoke about their books, and the librarian interspersed it with bits about being an author, since the theme was "Author Night." (She was incredible btw, integrating what we said with her comments while keeping it all brief,  interesting and on topic.)

So afterwards a boy (about 4th grade I'd guess) comes up to me like he wants to say something. And I say, "Have fun reading books!"

His response: "You mean writing them!" And he proceeds to tell me about a story he's writing about a magic train-- "I'm on chapter three!"

His little brother pipes up, "He already published a book when he was only six!"

The mom explains it's the one where you send off an illustrated story and this company binds it for you. (I remember when my kids were in grade school their teachers did that for them. So fun and exciting!)

I asked the young writer his name and he gave me first, middle and last. I'll remember it. One day I hope to see that name on a book cover.

How old were you when you first started writing? When you knew you wanted to be an author someday?

Library Fun & Games

Last night another author (David J. West) and I did a presentation at a local library. It was geared toward families, with me presenting Farm Girl for the kids, Uncut Diamonds for the moms and David presenting his debut novel, Heroes of the Fallen, for the older kids and the dads.

Several families, lots of kids, and a great time. Having raised ten children of my own in an environment of reading, books, writing and telling stories, I loved doing this event. It was the kind of thing my husband and I would have really liked coming to with our own kids.

It wasn't that successful sales-wise, but that didn't matter to me. Sales come and go, you win some you lose some. (Like followers lol, which I have just lost 2 in one week. What's going on with that?) What mattered was sharing the story of the little farm girl and the different life she had, with the country school, the differences in culture between then and now, and all that. What mattered was seeing how attentive these kids were to this story.

When I switched to the mom's part, I shared the story of how the cover of Uncut Diamonds came to be, then I asked how many were Irish? (None.) Raised Catholic? (None. And they're wondering what the heck I'm getting at. Good, I have their attention.) Then I say, "Looks like you're not my demographic. I've learned my demographic is Irish women raised Catholic. So you may not like Uncut Diamonds, but you can try it if you want." (Punchline. A lot of laughs.)

I'm here to tell you that this job (paid or not) can have unexpected rewards. There's more to it besides sales, selling books, money, success, fame, being on Oprah, having tons of followers on your blog (gosh, why did 2 leave me? What did I do? What did I say? Oh, please come back!) Wait-- where was I?

Right..uh...unexpected writerly rewards...and last night I experienced one of them at the community library in American Fork, Utah.

Servant of a Dark God by John Brown --an awesome book by an awesome author!

Here I am in Soda Springs, Idaho and guess what-- hahaha, our room has internet access! So even though I promised my husband I wouldn't blog I just had to write this quick post (and he agreed) to tell you all that we got to hear John Brown (yup that's his real name lol) speak at the library show.

He spoke about how fiction, especially fantasy and sci fi is like a drug to the brain, so that makes the librarians drug dealers. I thought that was LOL funny. Why was I the only one laughing? I don't know, maybe they didn't get the humor but I thought it was hilarious and so so true! Reading a great book, an exciting book can be like a drug to a kid, especially when it's in their genre, which for so many of them now is fantasy and sci fi.

John Brown also spoke about his writing journey which I found fascinating. I won't recap here as I think a lot of that is on his website, but I just hung on every word. Afterward, I spoke to him at his table, and bought a copy of Servant of a Dark God (don't you love that title?) which he autographed for me (of course). He was there for most of the show and I didn't see a crowd buying his book, which surprised me. (There were no crowds buying my books either, so that made us somewhat alike in that aspect lol).

Anyway, this isn't my genre and I wouldn't have bought it otherwise. But because I heard the author speak, then met him and chatted for quite awhile (he also asked about my books which I thought was nice & friendly), I bought his book and was happy to do so. And I most certainly will read it. It will be the first book published by Tor that I have ever read!

Just goes to show, all of you authors and prospective authors out there, it's the personal touch that counts. It's US and OUR personality that sells our books. Crazy, isn't it?

What's your dream? Can you see it?

I believe in visualizing, imagining, dreaming. We cannot realize it unless we first visualize it. Can you see yourself submitting a complete manuscript to an agent or editor? Can you visualize an acceptance email or a phone call? Can you see your book in print, see people handing over money to purchase a copy? Can you imagine a room filled with strangers coming to hear you talk about your book?

Okay, stop right there, because yes, I'll be honest, that is my current visualization. The last presentation I went to, someone in the audience asked me, "What goals have you set for your writing? What is it you want?"

I knew the answer as soon as he said it. My response: "I want to see a room like this filled to capacity." It was a large conference room at a library, full of chairs, with three short rows occupied. In my mind's eye, I could see it full. Standing room only.

It's what I want. I visualize a room full of strangers coming to hear me talk (about my red shoes lol) and to buy my books. I added, "And then I want to go on Oprah!" This got a laugh and one lady said, "You'd better wear those red shoes of yours when you go on Oprah." Hooray, she was visualizing it, too! The more people you can get to share your dream, the more powerful it is.

That's me, what do you want? You're on a path to something-- what is it? And in your mind's eye, how far ahead can you see yourself on that path?

Of Bookstores, Signings and Presentations

This weekend I went to the launch party for fellow WiDo author David J. West at Borders in Murray, Utah. He had another signing the following day at Borders in Provo, Utah, and I was at that one, too.

David did very well for an unknown author publishing a debut novel with a small, unknown press. He had publicised both signings through his extensive social media network (blog & twitter), and although not everyone showed up who said they would, it was still pretty darn good. And I bought three books in Provo. Already reviewed one of them, Eat Pray Love, on my other blog here. (I already have a copy of David's book, which is awesome amazing and incredible btw, so I didn't buy that one.)

I don't do bookstore signings anymore. It feels too much like my 8th grade graduation dance. You sit there hoping someone will notice you, hoping your friends won't desert you and later when you get the pictures back, you realize you didn't look as cute as you thought. The hair's gone flat, the outfit just didn't work, and yes, it's true, the camera adds ten pounds. No wonder no one wanted to dance-- er I mean-- talk to me.

So yes, I find them incredibly painful on a deep and disturbing level. However, I do enjoy presentations, where people I don't know come on purpose to find out about me and/or my books. Those are a bit nervewracking at first, but once I'm there and see that yes, people actually DID show up, I relax and feel good. I talk about random things (my red shoes, Jane Austen, the economy, my family, whatever I'm in the mood to tell stories about) and somehow relate it all to my books.

And more of my books sell at presentations than at the sit-at-a-table-in-a-bookstore signings. Of course it might have something to do with my attitude. One is sitting & waiting, the other is sharing & storytelling. So much more fun! I mean, really, don't you agree? Which would you rather do?

The Golden Egg and Lavender Drops

Yesterday my husband asked me, "Has your blog reached its tipping point yet? You know, where you don't have to work so hard at it and it just keeps going and getting new followers?" (Read-- You sure spend a lot of time blogging.)

I said, "Why, Mr. Gowen, you are much too droll! How could I entertain the possibility of restraint on an activity which provides me with such pleasure?" (Read-- I'm having way too much fun with blogging to stop, and last night I finished Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen so this is how I talk now.)

Just the same, it reminded me of the realities of life, that it's not all fun & games. How my involvement in social media is supposed to be helping me sell my books and promote myself as an author. Sales and marketing! How terribly dull and pedantic! (oops, there's Jane Austen again, sorry folks)

Can I just say that I despise marketing? Hawking my books? Tonight I have a presentation and I don't want to talk about my books. I'd rather discuss Jane Austen. The weather. My red shoes. My son leaving for basic this morning, saying goodbye to his wife and three little kids for nine months. My other son in Africa. Brave people. Women's voices. The garden we need to plant. My heart and soul went into those two books. Buy them. Read them. Yadayadayada.

Remember the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg? Everyone is looking for that goose and that golden egg. Everywhere you see all these great ideas on promoting yourself and your books. Yes, they're great ideas. But there is no golden egg, no magic formula. It takes hard work and pushing yourself past your comfort zone. Over and over again.

Or as Jane Austen would say, "...but no attitude could give her ease, and in restless pain of mind and body she moved from one posture to another, till growing more and more hysterical, her sister could with difficulty keep her on the bed at all, and for some time was fearful of being constrained to call for assistance. Some lavender drops, however, which she was at length persuaded to take, were of use..."