Sunday, September 11, 2011

How I promoted my book and where it's at now

You just never know who will help your book turn into a success. I keep that in mind when I talk with people. I decided a long time ago that if I was going to get my book published that I would just tell everyone I met about it. I wouldn't be shy about it. So I told everyone I knew about my book when it first came out. I mostly used e-mail and Face book to spread the word. I then started two Face book pages for my new book. One for myself and one for the book. I only had a couple of members to begin with, but people keep joining both all of the time. I don't have very many followers for either one yet but I think that will change with time. I use them to inform followers of up coming book signings and fun facts about me and my book. I am really new to this whole Internet scene but I decided to give it a shot.
I took my book around to wal-mart, smiths, Costco, deseret book, seagull book, barnes and noble and a few small book stores to see if I could get my book placed with them. They all referred me to their corporate office. They all have different submission processes and I have yet to submit a book to several of them. I spoke with the store manager at the Costco in Lehi and we had a very positive conversation and he told me that he would personally hand deliver a book for me to the buyer of all the Costco's. That was early July or late June. I hadn't heard anything back from him since then so I walked in there the other day and we again had a good conversation but he didn't have any information about my book being accepted. It's so dang frustrating waiting when there is absolutely NO communication from the people you want to hear from. I feel like my hopes and dreams hand on a balance while my book is most likely underneath their desk, being used to hold their desk up. I tried to call them, to talk with the buyer just to find out anything, but it was a computer voice that doesn't give you a real person to talk to or another phone number so you can find out what is going on. For all I know the store manager never gave it to the buyer at all. I just want to shake people, while yelling, "Come on man! This is a great novel! Just give it a chance!" I am having a really hard time feeling up beat about getting my book out lately. Too much drama happening at home and I haven't had anything I would consider BIG happen yet. I sent my book to Shadow Mountain in the hopes of them discovering that my book is wonderful. That was at the end of June and their information page said that it might take 6 weeks to even get a letter telling you anything at all. Well it's now the last week and I haven't received any kind of letter from them yet. I haven't sent my book into any other publishers because I wanted to see what they had to say first. I keep having these things happening to me that seem like positive events but they haven't yet. I went around and set up book signings at libraries, got posters made and went around and put them up in stores to promote them. Both libraries I had book signings at I had my picture taken for the local newspapers but I only had a few people come and only sold around 10 books at each signing. Both libraries were really nice to me and invited me to do these work shops for them and then have a book signing afterwards. They both have then every 3 months. I said I was interested. The problem that I am facing is that I was laid off from my normal job as a Nurse and their just aren't very many jobs here, so I don't have a lot of money right now and if I want to improve my situation until my book takes off I'm going to have to move to another state. That is going to make it very hard for me to do any workshops. Things are happening but just not enough fast enough to be able to help pay the bills or anything. A big local news paper is going to do a feature profile on me, what ever that means. I am happy about it, I'm just not going to hold my breath that anything will happen from it. Who knows maybe it will. I was invited to a big book signing at a busy Barnes and Noble at the end of October and that only happened because I spoke to the store manager about getting my book in his store. My publisher that I went with has made it so that it is impossible for big book stores to order my book. I have to pay them to get that option. The only way I will do that right now is if Costco told me that they want to carry my book. My future is still uncertain. But I found out from both libraries that my books I donated are always checked out and they all have long -on hold- lists. I was also told that they have been asking readers if they liked my book and they have been told that everyone loves my book and they are getting a positive 2 thumbs up from everyone. That is really encouraging for me to hear. I am really happy to hear that people who don't know me at all, are reading my book and that they all really like it. For me this is the best news I can hear. I think their is still hope for my book even though it is moving at a frustratingly slow snail like pace.