POW WOW

Sun Bear was the first book seller at the Arlee Pow Wow (Montana)in the late '60's, and I accompanied him to a few in the early '70's. He had two boxes of various books on Indian Culture and History (only his BUFFALO HEARTS had been published at that point), and his magazine, MANY SMOKES. He loved talking to people, and he had jewelry from the Southwest for sale as well. He'd ask the little guys to sell the magazine for $1.00 and bring him the money, and he'd give them a dime. (In those days a dime could actually buy something.) They'd return over and over, and he'd exhaust his pocketful of dimes, and the magazine would get distributed to the population it was written for. Yesterday I made yet another trek to the Pow Wow. I go every few years because I feel at home there. It is a reunion, an art piece, a heartbeat. My husband and I watched the Dancers, danced in the Round Dance, ate frybread, and eventually wandered around the booths. Sure enough: one (and only one) booth selling books. It was a great selection, and I approached the seller. I told him I'd sold books with Sun Bear there years ago. He said, "Sun Bear. Oh yeah, I've heard of him. He's dead now." I said I'd be happy to give him a book I wrote about my time with Sun Bear, and he could sell it or give it away, whatever he wanted. He said, "No. I'm good." Another year, shortly after Sun Bear died, I approached the announcer in the dancing arena. I asked if he knew SB. "Yeah." I asked if he'd consider letting folks know SB had died earlier in the year. "Why would I want to do that?" Sun Bear's reputation among Indian people was quite varied. He was one of the very first to offer pipe and sweatlodge to the public. His promiscuity and the notion that he charged big money for sweatlodge and medicine wheel gatherings prevented many people from understanding his vision. Yet I attended a Sacred Pipe Circle offered by a Lakota elder last week near Big Hole, Montana, and listened to the same rap SB would have given. It can all be boiled down to three words: We are One. Or: Walk in Balance. Or five words: The Earth is Our Mother. I'll keep going to the Arlee Pow Wow. I love to watch Bone Game (not many tourists linger under that roof). I love to see the tiny dancers, decked out, free on the dance floor. I'm excited the arena is carpeted now. How that must help the old ones with COPD, and the new babies. I am still awestruck at the costumes. Surrounded by so many eagle and hawk feathers, I am blessed beyond measure. And when I see a face I've seen before, even if we've never met, I am greeting family. Ah ho!

FIRST ROYALTY CHECK

Yup, I finally got a check from IUniverse for royalties. I think instead of cashing it, I will frame it for the wall in my study. It's for $1.66.

Obviously, since several hundred books have been sold, I have sold them myself. I remember my husband thinking I'd have money from the book coming in by now. I warned him he was being too optimistic, but he didn't give up. Now he's giving up!

I figured my taxes for Fresh Metaphors, my book business. A meager $200 profit for the year. So if you're planning on retiring, writing and living off the fantastic words you peddle in the world, think again. Or get a fantastic agent, who finds a fantastic publisher, and have awesome luck. Cause that's what it takes!

I'm laughing, writing the next book, and still have the Nook info on my desk to tackle one of these days. Ah, the life of the worshipper of words.

CHAPTER ONE, HAMILTON

Happy to say Chapter One accepted two books, on consignment. They didn't let me know the others had sold out, but now I can refer folks there again.

Book stores must be in an awful bind as the publishing business goes through a huge revolution. Increasingly used books are more valuable for folks that want a book in their hands, and new books will be ever more pricey. I am hoping the self-publishing route will be a significant percentage of the industry, but of course that entirely depends on marketing...thus more social networking.

So now I've got a facebook page for MR, which I will add to frequently. And if I get a good review from an editor on the beginnings of my new book, perhaps a facebook page on it as well? The downside is writing on blogs, facebook and returning emails takes a fair amount of precious time. I enjoy it, but it takes me from the fantasy world I'm creating in the new book. No, it's not a fantasy novel, or sci fi, or futuristic. But it's my world, I created it, I populate it, and I'm the Source for all the action that occurs. Is that powerful or what??

UPLOADING TO KINDLE

At a reader's request, I am sharing the uploading process for Kindle. I'm always amazed when I go on Amazon that yes! It IS there! At the outset I should declare my ignorance: I am a far cry from a computer geek, although my daughter is, and in a pinch she can help me out, but not with apps like these.

I put off this step of marketing for as long as I could. Then when a whole morning was available to work on it, I psyched myself up to be patient with the process, follow instructions to the nth degree, and pray.

With that in mind, I cautiously began the uploading process with Amazon. I had already paid Booknook.biz $150 to convert MEDICINE ROCK into prc, mobi and epub, the "languages" needed for Kindle and Nook. They send step-by-step instructions for their process, and just encourage writers NOT TO PANIC!

I started by watching Amazon's video about uploading to Kindle, and then went to KDP Platform, followed the directions and eventually it was THERE, on the web, ready for purchase.

Unfortunately, the Kindle version doesn't have a table of contents, which was a major faux pas on my part. AND, the book covers were a hassle, mostly because I couldn't locate them on my hard drive!

Booknook.biz offers these helpful hints: Remember the formats for Kindle are prc and mobi; the format for Nook is epub. If you upload your epub by accident to Amazon, it won't be the end of the world--the book will actually work; but it won't have all the bells and whistles that an Amazon book should (like being linked to the 5-way button). At Pubit, (Nook), though, their uploader can get hung up if you upload the wrong books, so just double-check before you click that "upload" button!

You need Adobe Digital Edition installed on your computer, or use Firefox EpubReader add on (if you are a Firefox browser user and would prefer to go this route). You'll also need a Kindle Reader of some type, to review your Kindle book when it's prepared. You can download a Kindle reading application by going to: FREE Kindle Reading Apps, or by simply going to Amazon, scrolling down their menu on the left hand side until you get to "Kindle" and then selecting "Free Kindle Reading apps" from the pop-up menu.

Let me add that Nook and I didn't get along very well in the uploading process. Their template program isn't happy that the author and the credit card holder are two different names for some reason. I worked with that whole process 2-3 times back in November and haven't attacked it again since. So at the moment the book remains available only in Kindle. But I'll get back to it. Currently I have at least one day a week (usually) to focus on writing and marketing, so I'll clear the decks one of these mornings and voila, there it will be!

I am currently considering a webinair presenter named Steve Harrison who offers a free webinair about marketing and social networking. His starter video is offered in the evenings, which aren't a good time for me to listen/watch. But he's persistent, so I'll probably take the time to pick up a few tips. I'd like to have a MR facebook page, and connect everything together (website, blog, facebook)...another morning's work that takes me away from the flow and swirl of the actual writing which is like taking candy from a two year old!!

I'm delighted if this is helpful to anyone, and amazed I've pulled this much off! Oh, don't forget: deep breathing, and going S L O W L Y. No hurry. Hope this helps!

GRATITUDE

How could a writer spend several years growing a book (or half a lifetime) and not hope the critics will bring it to the attention of the world? I entertained those ideas a time or two as I put MR together. That my story might in someway touch thousands of others was a thought almost too grand to contemplate.

Since its publication in 2000, I've lowered my expectations. Our local bookstore didn't even send a press release when I was there to sign books. The book critic on our NPR station, who knows me by name, ignored it. The Sacramento Bee book critic, whom I'd cultivated with newsy notes before publication, ignored it. Alright, it's a one-of-a-kind book, written in a quirky way that reviewers don't like. They want a REAL memoir, in first person, that bares all: sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Well, I am unique, and can only fulfill life-missions in my own unique way. The result, while not profitable, has been deeply gratifying. Readers tell me, "I didn't want to put it down." "I was fascinated!" "It brought back so many memories." "Your writing is amazing. I can just feel myself in it." It's comments like these that remind me to keep writing, and marketing.

My grand nephew is in the business of marketing right now. He's an awesome and very handsome young man with determination and intelligence. He wants to help set up another layer of social networking for MR, which pleases me. AND, I need to discipline myself to tackle Barnes and Noble's Nook template again, which treated me very poorly last time! I've sold four books locally this past week. Every dollar goes into the "book fund" to reorder MR's for me to sell, or eventually to publish again.

I'm pleased to be working on a new book, one that doesn't resemble memoir at all. and quite excited as it develops, sometimes in twisty ways I didn't predict. So that's an update, beginning in January 2012, two years after I first had MR in my hands with a copyright, a cover and a head full of dreams!

KINDLE VERSION AVAILABLE

Just a note that the new Kindle version of MEDICINE ROCK is available now. It can be downloaded on line for $8.00. Quite a savings. The Nook version should be up in a week or so!

GOT THE DIGITAL

It was a long process...not because of the process itself, but because of my own ignorance and proscrastination. BUT, readers can contact me and I can send them a digital copy of MEDICINE ROCK for $8.

And while I'm at it, I'd recommend Booknook as an excellent recourse for this process. Soon I'll be uploading to websites, so the book is more available there!

Thanks for checking in!