New Hampshire: A great place to be if you're an author

Some places are so fantastic at supporting their local authors. Others just seem to slam doors in your face. I'm not sure why this is. Why should the culture of one area be welcoming and rewarding to its writers, regardless of where you published, while others turn up their noses and act all high and mighty?

I wish I had a list and could divide states up into Supportive, Not, and It Depends. Not wanting to offend people from any areas or make grand generalities that I can't back up except to say, Well, yeah, anyway...I'll mention a few places that I know are in the Supportive category.

Top on the list is New Hampshire. While WiDo can't schedule a signing in some of the Barnes and Noble stores no matter what hoops they jump through, the stores in New Hampshire will actually work with you and let you in the door for a signing.

New Hampshire author G. M. Browning at the launch event for his high seas adventure novel, Cerulean Isle (WiDo, 2011)

Other of the smaller states on the Eastern seaboard are good to local authors as well, like Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine.When WiDo's sales team has called in these areas about stocking a new release, their first question is always, "Is it a local author?"

Another top state is Minnesota. They are super-supportive. They are proud of their Minnesota authors and will do book signings, newspaper interviews, generally whatever you ask if they can.

Nebraska is the same. I loved working with the local bookstores and newspapers when I planned my Farm Girl tour to Nebraska.

Texas is proud of Texas and Texans. Here's a copy of one of WiDo Publishing's books, written by Houston resident Paul Yarbrough, found in a local Houston bookstore. The guy holding up the book is my son who was visiting Texas recently with his wife and just happened to run across this while book-browsing.

A Happy Find: Mississippi Cotton by Paul H. Yarbrough (WiDo, 2011)

California is pretty good, too. But it's such a huge state that you can get lost there, so the smaller areas might be the best place to start. The economy is especially bad for California right now and many of the independents have closed. Still, if you're a California author, or have ties to the area, you should be able to schedule signings in a number of bookstores, if you can find ones that are still in business.

Colorado is pretty supportive as well but also falls into It Depends. Like where in Colorado are you talking about? Denver tends to be a bit snootier about it than smaller, rural areas.

What experiences have you had locally in working with your independent or chain bookstores?

Ten things I'll do with my next books that I didn't with the first ones

1. Write faster. Uncut Diamonds took 10 years to finish. House of Diamonds took 3. My newest work, a gritty romance, was finished in less than 2 months. It will be in editing for a year and released next fall.

2. Link to reviews on my blog. There were some amazing blogger reviews on Farm Girl and Uncut Diamonds. Why didn't I create a link list for them? I wish I had, and intend to do so for my next books, maybe even a page of links, if there are a lot.

3. Schedule a blog tour. Again, did not do that before because I had just begun blogging, but plan on it for House of Diamonds. I am really excited about my first blog tour!!

4. Laugh immediately at the horrible, one-star reviews on Goodreads and Amazon that I might get, instead of needing to give them a year before appreciating the silliness of them. "losey book" and "hated it" LOL LOL.

5. Not bother with book signings or appearances. It's not my cup of tea. I don't meet people well in these kinds of settings. Online is where I shine, not in person.

6. Have a clear vision of my demographic instead of wasting time promoting to those who will *hate* my book and call it *losey* (which btw should have been spelled *lousy*). 

7. Worry less about numbers sold. A solid review from a reader who enjoyed my book enough to review it means the world to me. It's like money in the bank on my emotional happiness scale.

8. Get right on to the next one. Needing to make up for lost time in my so-called writing career, procrastination is not an option. If I publish a bomb that doesn't sell, so what? I will just write another book. And if I publish one that sells really well, that *holding my breath* becomes a huge seller, I will just write another book.

9. Let go of comparison and competition. It doesn't matter what other writers and other books are doing in comparison. Period. Let it go, and focus on doing my best work.

10.  Write what I write, despite not knowing what to call it.  Although women's fiction is not the best-selling genre out there, it's what I've got. I could say "literary women's fiction" but I hesitate because for one, I don't think I'm good enough to put the "literary" label on my work, and two, literary isn't what people are reading these days. I could say "commercial women's fiction" but that's the new label applied to chick lit. So is my genre "realistic women's fiction"? Not sure. I write what I write, not sure what to call it.

We're Readers & Writers not Salesmen so Leave Us Alone

I like social media. As a writer, blogging & twittering are easy for me. I also like doing presentations-- speaking & meeting book-lovers and signing books. I do not like sitting at a table in a bookstore waiting for people to drop by. Unless you're a celebrity, customers avoid you and you feel like a shmuck.

But is all this enough to sell books? Clearly it isn't or I'd be on the bestseller list by now cuz I've done a lot of promotion. But only within my comfort zone.

I haven't gone out into the great big scary world with copies of my books in the back of my minivan and..... er....um.......whatever those people do. What John Grisham did with his first book, A Time to Kill. He and a friend went all over the South selling copies to bookstores. Yikes! Is that what I have to do?

Because no, I can't. I won't. Aaargh, I'm not a salesman. Leave me alone! Don't make me do that stuff!

So in honor of all us reclusive writers, whether we are published or not (yet), I have tossed a summer salad.

 And here's what's in this salad:

 LETTUCE     WRITE

 LETTUCE     READ

 LETTUCE     BLOG

 LETTUCE     SHARE

 LETTUCE     TWITTER

 LETTUCE     BUY BOOKS

 LETTUCE     REVIEW BOOKS

 LETTUCE     HOLD & ENTER CONTESTS

BUT PLEASE DON'T MAKE US BE SALESMEN!!!

And to go along with this anti-salesman summer salad, I am having AN EVENT!  Everyone of these lettuce leaves thingies whatever represents a different contest with a new prize!! Here's a sampling of the prizes:

Free books!

Chapter critiques!

A full manuscript review!

Your book bought & reviewed here!

 Your blog featured here!

And more!

Why am I doing this? Shouldn't I be spending my time and energy out there schmoozing booksellers into handselling copies of Farm Girl and Uncut Diamonds? Well, yes, probably so. But I am not that person. I'm the person who, when I'm not writing or editing, sits at home thinking of ways to promote literacy and support authors.

And besides, there is something BIG coming soon!! Something REALLY BIG and REALLY HELPFUL to authors with books to sell. Although I'm involved with it, I can't tell you yet. Yes, I know-- it's killing me!! But believe me, you're going to love it!!

So to kick off the "anti-salesman summer salad" event, I'm going to have a competition to name the event!! Because I'm the first to admit, this name is pretty lame and it's such an awesome, summer-long series of contests that it needs a name with some punch and whammy!

The winner will get three bonus points at each of the future contests and their blog linked here at every mention!!


The only rule to enter is you must be a follower here. To keep your entry private, just email your event name idea to me at karenjonesgowen at gmail.com. Cut off time for entries will 12:01 a.m., July 1. I'll announce the winner next Friday! (after I get home from vacation woo hoo) At that time I'll feature another lettuce leaf and post the first contest in the soon-to-be-awesomely-named event!

And so NAME THAT EVENT begins the summer of the endless contests!! Let the games begin, send me those great ideas!

I Support the Supportive Bookseller

Borders is the best indie bookseller that isn't indie. They have a policy of supporting local authors, whether published traditionally through a large or small press, or self-published. This means if you, the author, live near a Borders, you can call and ask to speak to the buyer. Give her a brief pitch and summary of your book, asking if she would mind carrying your title in the local section.

The answer will be "Bring it in so I can take a look." Take 5 copies and you'll most likely have a cash sale. Your local Borders will also be happy to schedule a signing. If you do well at the signing, selling 20 books or more, your title will automatically be logged into the Borders.com website and can then be ordered from any Borders brick and mortar store in the country.

I guarantee that, if you're with a small press, or without distribution, you won't get this kind of treatment from Barnes & Noble. And if you're self-published, your local Barnes & Noble won't even talk to you. But as soon as your book is listed with Amazon, then suddenly it shows up on B&N.com, linked from the Amazon site. That still doesn't mean it can be ordered in person from a B & N bookstore. It can't. They'll tell you to go home and get it online from B & N.com, which is another word for Amazon.com.

Where I live in the Salt Lake Valley, there are two indie bookstores and one chain indie. The chain indie will take books carried by a distributor. The indies will take them only on consignment. My publisher will not do consignment, therefore these two bookstores do not stock any of the books published by WiDo. Even though WiDo Publishing is out of Salt Lake City and has titles by authors who live here. I don't call that supportive, do you?

It seems to me that the indie bookseller should be supportive of the indie publisher. Right? Farm Girl is stocked in independent bookstores across the Great Plains states. Yet you can't order it from indiebound.org. It's not listed and doesn't show up in the search bar. If you don't live near one of the stores that carry Farm Girl, you'll have to order it from Amazon. Or from this website.

I am all for supporting the local independent bookstores. But why should I when they don't support me as a local author? My books have been well-reviewed, and Farm Girl does well at every store that carries it. (I'm pretty sure Uncut Diamonds will sell out in Ireland but that's neither here nor there.)

What reason do these local stores have for not doing business with my publishing company and stocking my books on a non-consignment basis? No rational reason that I can see, especially considering that it's stocked by a variety of other indies throughout the country. Just not here. Where I live. Where my children play. Where my husband and I sleep.(Godfather 2 throwback there lol.)

So when I want to buy a book, I drive past Barnes & Noble, I drive past Deseret Book (the local indie chain that said no to both my books), I drive 20 miles to get to Borders in Murray, Utah and there I spend money on books. When I was at the Orem (or was it Provo?), Utah Borders for a signing, I spent $40. If I'm traveling and I want to buy a book, I will seek out the Borders and give them my business.

I would love to support the independent bookseller but instead I support the supportive bookseller. That is Borders. Wherever you live, if there's a Borders, know this: they will support the local author. It's their nationwide policy. Long live Borders.

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?

15 Reasons Why an Author Needs Kick-butt Confidence

A few days ago, David J. West posted about an author needing a thicker skin, and I just read en violet's post about confidence. Both these posts inspired so much thought material on my end, I thought I'd write about it further. Thanks to both these excellent bloggers for their inspiration!

Note the name of my blog-- from reclusive writer to published author. Hmm, wonder why I was so reclusive for so long. And not published. Might it have had something to do with a lack of confidence and a super-thin skin? Well, yes. Still, I've worked out my issues and moved on, knowing I still have a ways to go. I judge my progress as a writer by the *thickness* of my skin.

Why does a writer need kick-butt confidence?:

1. To start writing for an audience in the first place

2. To finish a manuscript

3. To ask for critique

4. To submit to an agent and/or publisher

5. To take rejection, rewrite and resubmit

6. To keep going on this merry go round, which you're never sure will get you anywhere.

7. To put yourself on the internet and start blogging for the first time.

8. To interact with others on the internet, make comments, and be a part of the cyberspace community.

9. To get published at long last, and realize the work of finding your readership is just beginning.

10. To go to that very first book signing and watch people avoid your table. P.S. Don't chase them down or grab at them. No, I've not done this, but I've known authors who have. It doesn't work.

11. To give a presentation on your book and have all these people watching and waiting to be informed, entertained and enchanted by you, a reclusive writer not a public speaker or a performer.

12. To read reviews that are negative, mean-spirited, and critical of your baby, your heart and soul.

13. To make a pitch on yourself and your work.

14. To go back and do it all again and again and again.

15. To respond graciously to those people who ask you when you're going to get a real job.

That's my list. I decided to stop at fifteen. Anything to add? Why do you need confidence?

Blogging relieves anxiety and Book signings don't

When I have anxiety over things, even a near panic attack, I can blog and it calms me down. Maybe because it's instant writing to an audience (although a somewhat invisible audience), which to a writer is instant gratification. Chocolate will also calm my anxiety attacks, but blogging is less fattening. And talking to my husband or one of my kids who know how to relate to my crazy fears also helps, but they're all asleep.

I could write about what is giving me anxiety and bore you all to tears. Half the time I don't know myself, it just comes in the night, a sleep snatcher, and drives me to do things--like fill the dishwasher, fold laundry and blog. Read, comment, post. Read, comment, post.

Okay, now to the second part of this post, which I'm sure is much more interesting and thought-provoking than "my anxiety and how I cure it":

A Tale of Two Book Signings.

I attended W. Everett Prusso's signing at Borders last Friday and was very impressed. He had a poster set up, he had invited many, many friends and family, and he had a group of family members who stayed with him the entire time so he wasn't sitting there alone. A good number of his invited friends stopped by and purchased copies of his book, Ghost Waves. The people at Borders were pleased by the results. He prepared ahead of time, and at the event he conducted himself with class and good taste.

Now the next story. It's short and painful. Setting--Costco, a great place to have carry your book and do signings due to all the traffic. Characters-- woman with a stack of books at her table and an attractive young man who just happens to belong to the clan of Gowen. Freakish event that really did happen-- the Gowen fellow is walking down the aisle of this Costco toward the book section with an acquaintance of the female gender. Gowen is closest to the author's table. Author, still seated at her table, grabs his hand and says, "I'm so and so, and I wrote this book." Handsome Gowen fellow nods, smiles and says, "Okay," as he quickly walks on, with no desire whatsoever to even look at her book, let alone buy a copy.

Conclusion: This is why people will avoid book signing tables. They're afraid of being accosted. Better to bring your own friends who want to buy your book, have a party, sell a few copies and walk away with your self-respect. Desperation doesn't sell books.

Prusso, yours was a successful signing. Good job.

Book Signings, Yay or Nay?

Okay, I may take some flack for this but I think they are a waste of time. The one I had at Borders recently was a family reunion with my sisters, and I did get to meet two of the new WiDo authors, which was pretty awesome. But I would have enjoyed just inviting them to my home for dinner. That would have been less stressful, more fun, and we would have had more time to get acquainted.

Unless you are a celebrity with a following, they seem pointless. You better invite everyone you know to come, because your friends and family are your following. If you're a celebrity, you don't have to invite friends and family, because the public is your following. Then signings work great.

I went on a tour last summer to Nebraska to promote Farm Girl. The independent booksellers were amazing, wonderful and delightful. They went out of their way to promote my visit, to prominently display the posters WiDo had sent them, some even had cookies out for patrons.

Unfortunately, it wasn't worth it to them. People just didn't care. Who the heck is Karen Jones Gowen? A nobody, why bother? I have no following in the public forum, and it was too far for my friends and family to go.

Although I enjoyed the chance to meet the wonderful folks in these bookstores who bend over backwards to sell books and make it in this business, I didn't get to meet many book readers! Several of the booksellers said a signing used to attract people, didn't matter if they knew the author or not. But not any more. So it isn't just my opinion; these are folks who know.

My mom and I had a memorable trip to Nebraska with several other family members, and that was a great experience. But no way did we sell enough books to even pay for one day of the trip.

Another plus was some media attention in local papers, with some very good reviews of Farm Girl. Which feeds my ego and sells a few books. Again, nice but hardly worth the expense of such a trip.

Costco swears by book signings. If you have a book there, they encourage you to come out and sit at the table with your books stacked in front of you. And they will let you go to as many warehouses as your schedule permits. Maybe Costco knows something I don't, because I just don't see it happening at the bookstores. Again, unless you're a celebrity.... But then Costco does everything big. A bookstore makes an initial order of 6, Costco will order 600--and that's a small, initial order. Give me the chance to try out a signing at Costco....Please! I will sit there looking lonely sipping on my free drink from the food court, for a chance to sell thousands of my books to one store!

Launch parties at a bookstore are a different thing, because that gives you the opportunity to invite all the hundreds of people you know. Invite your following, and the more the merrier. They'll all buy a book, some will buy two. But after the launch party, mmmm, I wouldn't waste money traveling very far for signings. Unless it's to Costco.

If anyone has differing opinions feel free to comment. I'd like to know other people's ideas on this topic.