Interest from Cozy Cat Press

Cozy Cat Press has expressed an interest in News from Dead Mule Swamp!

"A 'cozy mystery' is a fun mystery that features an amateur sleuth--often female who uses brain power over brawn. The protagonist hero/heroine usually stumbles into investigating a crime--typically murder. She--or he--is generally a likeable, sympathetic character. In fact, most of the characters who appear in "cozies" are likeable--and often eccentric. Cozies move fast, with lots of exciting plot twists. That's what a cozy is. Here's what a cozy isn't--violent, profane, or sexually graphic!"

Cozy Cat is a consortium rather than a publisher. They collect mysteries with a similar style and work together for publicity and marketing. See Cozy Cat Press

Guess I better write faster.

I May Know More Than I Thought

A friend called me today and wanted some advice for her adult daughter who has written an elementary-school level book. The daughter had been talking to some self-publishing company that sounded to me like a terrible choice. Very little concern for the author, very high cost, etc.

I was amazed to discover that I now knew enough about some of the options available to actually help someone else make some choices as to how to proceed- query a traditional publisher, vanity press, print on demand, self publish, etc.

I certainly don't know enough yet to be writing articles about the topic or to lead seminars, but I sure know more than an average person. I think I've graduated to being a "professional" writer.

Two Program Bookings

Just this week I confirmed two more program bookings, both in September. On the 13th, I'll be in Marquette, Michigan giving one of my two keynote talks. They haven't decided which one for sure, just yet. I'll stay overnight with a friend. In fact, I may go a day early so that I can do some hiking around Marquette. It's a beautiful place! This program will be sponsored by the North Country Trail Hikers Chapter of the North Country Trail Association.

Then I have to boogie home on the 14th, because I have a program in Pentwater, Michigan on the evening of the 15th of September. This will be a shorter presentation, "The North Country Trail in Michigan." This one came as a direct result of putting out some flyers last Tuesday night. Several people from the Sable Dunes Audubon Society were there, and they want me at one of their meetings. They chose this title because it's a shorter program, and they don't usually have hour-long presentations.

I am really pleased at the steady requests for speaking!

Submitted "Secret Spring"

The poem, "Memory of Life," that I submitted for the Ludington Public Poetry Project was too long. They want shorter poems. I was completely uninspired until tonight when I read the poem "Mornings at Blackwater," by Mary Oliver. Suddenly, I had an idea based on a spring my dad showed me on our property when I was 14. I couldn't believe that I hadn't ever found it in all my years of roaming and exploring. The poem begins:

Secret Spring

My father told me about the secret spring
the year I turned fourteen.
I thought...

Ludington PPP is a small program that posts poems by local authors around town for people to read. The theme this time is Spring and Summer. I'd really like to have one poem posted, so I hope this one is more acceptable.

Sounding Board

I spent the afternoon with a friend who also writes. She mostly writes poetry, but has recently begun a series of short essays. She has self-published two of her books of poems and one of them sells quite well (just to give her some credibility as to quality).

This is the second time we've gotten together this summer. She's been in California for two years. We do some visiting, but a lot of what we do is to read our works to each other, out loud, and ask for feedback.

It's a very constructive time, and we have fun too.

Program and Book Sales

The program went really well! Despite torrential rains and lots of lightning and thunder there were 50 people who showed up. The library that sponsored the program was really happy- that was a high turnout for their program series. I concur that it was a good turnout. I usually get large groups when the program is for an outdoor or hiking club, but not always so many when it's aimed at a general audience. This was also in my local area, part of the Pentwater Library summer series. I hadn't yet given this program locally, so that might have helped, although there were only about five people there that I knew.

I sold four copies of North Country Cache, and one copy of Devotions for Hikers, so that was also a great success. That's a good sales percentage for that size group.

And, one good "rule" of public speaking is that you should never leave a program without having the next one lined up. I may have pulled that off. If the man I spoke with follows through, I'll have a program in September.

I personally have difficulty pushing my books as hard as I need too. I tend to be more retiring when it comes to sales, and would like books to sell themselves. But that is totally unrealistic unless you happen to be on the NY Times Bestseller list (ha!). I think I did a pretty good job last night, for me.

Here's a piece of phenomenal news! Last week I paid off the last of what I borrowed from a couple of friends to publish North Country Cache. I still haven't paid off what I borrowed from myself, but all the money made tonight can begin to go toward that goal. Since I'll need cash for North Country Quest in the next year or two, that is a great milestone.

Getting Ready for a Program

I am giving one of my programs this evening, "The North Country Trail and the Kitchen Sink." It informs people about the trail through my own adventures on my end-to-end hike. It's also my best marketing tool for selling North Country Cache.

There are a few little tweaks I want to do for the program (nice that Power Point is so easy to work with!). I also have to redo my brochure which lists all the various programs that I can give. I now have my own digital projector, and so I need to remove the part that says I need one. I'm going to raise the price for my two keynote programs a bit too. Now that I AM the only woman to hike the entire trail, I think my credibility demands it.

Wish me lots of book sales! This is actually a local program, at one of the area libraries. I haven't given a local showing for a long time, and never of this particular program, so I'm hopeful of a good turnout.