Should I...?

I stand or sit there for a few hours, an author friend on each side of me (pictured above, mystery writer Don Levin, whose books you should try).

They sell a few. I have sold nothing. The truth is, no one is selling very much.

I'm tormented by questions. Should I be trying harder to lose weight so I'd look better? Should I not care about losing weight so I'd be mainstream plump like so many others? Should I have gone to an event closer to home? Should I be writing my technothriller faster? Should I have focused on the children's picture book this year instead of North Country Quest? Should my table be arranged differently?

The event is beautifully organized, but somehow an audience has failed to materialize. We are "networking;" we are enjoying a really nice box lunch; we are buying a few books from each other. But we are not selling books to new readers.

Diana Plopa, the organizer, has segments where authors who requested a time slot can read from their books. The pieces will be put together into a program for Cable Network TV (Detroit market). So that is good!


I discussed marketing strategies with Don on one side and Bob on the other. We are all struggling to figure out what works.

Does it matter if I sit or stand--one might look disengaged while the other might look too aggressive? Should I have dressed nicer? Should I have dressed more casually? Should I have spent more hours writing so I'd have a new book in the Anastasia Raven series.

Well, events sometimes work and sometimes they don't. With two hours to go and still no book sold, it became a game. Can I make it to the end without selling a single book? But almost at closing I did sell one. So I lost the game, but I'll take it.

One has to accept that there are going to be days that are financial losses, but I can't continue to suffer them so regularly. Here's hoping the next one will be a big seller!

Pentwater Arts and Crafts Fair

This, right here, is the future of what I do.



Yesterday and today I was at the Pentwater (MI) Arts and Crafts Fair. The weather was marginal yesterday and downright icky today. Nevertheless, I did OK on sales. More on that later.

On Saturday, three of us shared the booth. We've done this before, and we work well together. Jean owns the sandwich board sign and it is great- it lets people know what we are about.



There was live music by Awesome Distraction of Manistee. They were quite good. Not so loud they blow out your brains, but our booth was very close to the stage, so it made it really difficult to talk to people. This is one of my pet peeves, and yet, when the music was playing people were definitely more upbeat and engaged. Don't know quite how to solve that conundrum. I'm sure it wasn't too loud for those a little farther away.



At one point they warned us that the Coast Guard helicopter was going to be flying low overhead as part of a demonstration so people wouldn't be alarmed.



Today, it was just Jean and me, well.. and Bitzi, who helped bring people to our table.


I met two new (to me) authors, so that was great.

Now for the nitty-gritty. I'm not throwing in the towel yet, but I need to do better than I did this weekend. Alternatively, I can do more than two shows a month, which will result in less writing time, and/or less volunteer time. It will definitely make me crabbier.

I can keep this up at this level for a while, but eventually there has to be an upturn in sales, or I will need to add another source of income.

I can live frugally, but I do need to have a car and a place to live and food, and a few minimum other things. I get tired of having to forego a lot of activities because I can't afford the gas or whatever. I know, I do go to a number of things, but I have to pick and choose carefully, often camp or sleep in my car, take my own food, etc, etc. I'm not whining, I'm just being honest. After a lifetime of having pretty much nothing, I'm used to it, but I'm not going to let the finances get to the point where I can't afford to do anything at all other than eat and drive.

We shall see. No major decisions until after this year. I'm trying to move from small potatoes to medium potatoes. Maybe that's just a slow transition.

Celebrate Scottville Event

I haven't done much posting of author events on this blog, which is where I really should be doing it instead of on My Quality Day. Maybe I'll try to do better.

Anyway, today was a fun little opportunity. Never discount fun little chances to sell books. This was a very local event celebrating some new businesses in Scottville, the town where I live. Space was free, lots of businesses held drawings for prizes, bounce house and activities for kids. All the things that make small towns fun.

The Cats and Jammers band played live music, which was really good- old time and folk music with a really upbeat sound, but not so loud that you couldn't hear yourself think or talk to people who might want to buy books.



I sort of stumbled into the opportunity. There is a new local author, Sandi Malburg. She's written a book of local history, "Lost Towns of Mason County." She was offered a chance to sell her brand new book, and then it sort of expanded to include other local authors, and I jumped on it.



I sold several books, had another internet TV interview, may have a chance for a local radio interview, and may have gotten my Dubois Files series in the elementary school library. Local people who know you are always going to be great supporters... assuming you put out quality books.

And now... it's been a busy day. I'm going to take Sandi's book and go get comfortable.

Grey Wolfe Scriptorium Visit

In keeping with my apparent goal to take a bad selfie everywhere possible, here's one from the Grey Wolfe Scriptorium in Clawson, Michigan. I had an author event there this evening. Since only Diana Wolfe, the owner and author (center), Wendy Thomson author, and I showed up, we just sat around and talked author stuff.

They let me ramble on about my books for a while, but then we talked about writing styles and genres and books we like and all that.

Nice to get to know Diana and Wendy better.

Arrivals - Part 2

I guessed these might arrive today based on when I received notice that they had shipped. 100 copies of The Hitchhiker have joined those of The Secret Cellar. The spines look really nice side by side. I'll wait till I have all three to show that. But those won't be here tomorrow. There was a time lag while I got the formatting done on the third one.



Today I got Library of Congress Catalog Numbers assigned to the books. They won't be in this first printing, but that's ok. It's pretty easy to tweak files on CreateSpace.

I also updated my list of events where I'll be wearing my author hat this summer. You can see the full list at Meet the Author

If you want to pre-order (through March 31) the set of the first three Dubios Files books for $24 (no discount after March 31), they will be signed by the cover artist Linda J. Sandow, as well as by me. Signed sets can be pre-ordered at Books Leaving Footprints




Formatting and more

What Might Make You Come to an Author Event?

at Big Rapids Authorpalooza

What would make you come to a vendor event (where you can meet multiple authors and buy books)? I am scheduled for two of them (at this point) this summer. The first will be at Shagway Arts Barn, Ludington on May 27. Also, on July 22, I'll be at the Writer's Rendezvous at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts. Shagway will have live music and multiple vendors... many of them arts and crafts. The Writer's Rendezvous will be only authors, and each will have a time to read short passages from his or her books.

But what if I offered a premium that you could ONLY get at one of these events? Would this entice you to come? Please answer in the poll above until April 8th at midnight. You can choose more than one option. If you can think of something I haven't listed that you'd like (that's reasonable, eh?) you can comment below.