I'm still pounding the pavement to set up events so that I'll have a "running start" next year, but everyone is too busy even to schedule anything until after the holidays. So, I'll still be pounding the pavement, but I'm taking a break from blogging until January, probably.
Those one or two people who are reading this, THANK YOU. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Priceless
Royalty per book. $0.75
Tall decaf latte. $2.65
Price of my book. $14.95
Royalty check for the first three months of online book sales $37.40
Trying to make my dreams come true....Priceless
Tall decaf latte. $2.65
Price of my book. $14.95
Royalty check for the first three months of online book sales $37.40
Trying to make my dreams come true....Priceless
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Retail Therapy
I thought I was handling the abject failure of my talk yesterday very well, but today...today is a new day. I had to admit, I feel crushed. I'm usually a cheerful, optimistic kind of person, but it was depressing to get up. I tried to concentrate on the positive Barnes and Noble experience, but I couldn't shake off the depressing thoughts that came at me in waves. My first book talk in my hometown where I grew up as a child.... The branch manager was so helpful in trying to get the word out.... I couldn't stop thinking about it and analyzing it. Tuesday evening at 7pm probably wasn't the best time slot for a book talk.... I wanted to bury myself under a mound of blankets and just sleep. But when I tried to do just that, I couldn't fall asleep. I didn't want to do anything.
In my head, I knew it didn't mean anything unless I let it mean something. But my heart was nursing a wound that was bigger than I originally thought. So, in my efforts to shake off the blues, I went Christmas shopping (found perfect presents for my brothers), had lunch with wonderful friends who gave me a lot of air time to vent, and spent a nice afternoon with my son. I was feeling better and better as the day went on. I just have to get through today.
Tomorrow is another day. Maybe I'll schedule my next book signing with Barnes and Noble Fremont. Maybe I'll swing by Borders in Milpitas and try to catch the manager to talk about book signing. Tomorrow is a brand new day with endless possibilities.
In my head, I knew it didn't mean anything unless I let it mean something. But my heart was nursing a wound that was bigger than I originally thought. So, in my efforts to shake off the blues, I went Christmas shopping (found perfect presents for my brothers), had lunch with wonderful friends who gave me a lot of air time to vent, and spent a nice afternoon with my son. I was feeling better and better as the day went on. I just have to get through today.
Tomorrow is another day. Maybe I'll schedule my next book signing with Barnes and Noble Fremont. Maybe I'll swing by Borders in Milpitas and try to catch the manager to talk about book signing. Tomorrow is a brand new day with endless possibilities.
Ying Yang kind of night
I'm a day late, but I was too tired to blog last night....
I had no time to do anything for these events because I was so preoccupied by family health issues. So, I headed out with trepidation in my heart, wondering if anyone was going to show up tonight. I was worried about Barnes and Noble event. They are letting me use their store to get my book and my name out. I wanted some respectable, not so embarrassing sales. Considering I didn't have any friends showing up to support me ('cause I didn't send out an email out to them on time), I was really worried.
At the last book signing, I sold 14 books in a little over an hour. But the fact of matter was, I only sold 1 book to a total stranger I met at the book signing. So, I crossed my fingers hoping to sell...five books. My time slot of 5:30pm to 6:30pm was also a bad one. Who gets off work, head for home thinking heck I'm going to stop by a bookstore? Not that many, especially on Tuesday nights. So, I was delighted when I sold four or five books in an hour. That's to perfect strangers! The store manager said it was really dead last night, but she had me sign all the remaining copies (I think she ordered 27 copies) to sell as author signed copies. I asked if I can come back to see if I can do better and she was really open to it. Now, I need to call to set that up with a person who is in charge of that.
So, with this kind of success (small steps), I had high hopes when I showed up for my book talk at the Newark Library scheduled for 7pm. Well, lo and behold, it was a total bomb because no one showed up for the talk. Not one. Yikes! I was disappointed, but I knew this could be a definite possibility. When I made my rounds at different libraries to see if I can schedule a book talk, I was told, several times, that they had a very low turn out (less than a handful) for even the past bestselling author talks. So, I left the library disappointed, but not crushed.
I packed up my things, got in my car and thought, I'm going back to my family. How can I complain about THIS wonderful life?
I had no time to do anything for these events because I was so preoccupied by family health issues. So, I headed out with trepidation in my heart, wondering if anyone was going to show up tonight. I was worried about Barnes and Noble event. They are letting me use their store to get my book and my name out. I wanted some respectable, not so embarrassing sales. Considering I didn't have any friends showing up to support me ('cause I didn't send out an email out to them on time), I was really worried.
At the last book signing, I sold 14 books in a little over an hour. But the fact of matter was, I only sold 1 book to a total stranger I met at the book signing. So, I crossed my fingers hoping to sell...five books. My time slot of 5:30pm to 6:30pm was also a bad one. Who gets off work, head for home thinking heck I'm going to stop by a bookstore? Not that many, especially on Tuesday nights. So, I was delighted when I sold four or five books in an hour. That's to perfect strangers! The store manager said it was really dead last night, but she had me sign all the remaining copies (I think she ordered 27 copies) to sell as author signed copies. I asked if I can come back to see if I can do better and she was really open to it. Now, I need to call to set that up with a person who is in charge of that.
So, with this kind of success (small steps), I had high hopes when I showed up for my book talk at the Newark Library scheduled for 7pm. Well, lo and behold, it was a total bomb because no one showed up for the talk. Not one. Yikes! I was disappointed, but I knew this could be a definite possibility. When I made my rounds at different libraries to see if I can schedule a book talk, I was told, several times, that they had a very low turn out (less than a handful) for even the past bestselling author talks. So, I left the library disappointed, but not crushed.
I packed up my things, got in my car and thought, I'm going back to my family. How can I complain about THIS wonderful life?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)