My huge two days at the Missoula Festival of the Book were well worth the money and the effort. I actually sold some books: two to strangers, the rest to old friends. I schmoozed with the editor/publisher of the Whitefish Review who suggested a portion of the book might fit in their wonderful publication, available only through the mail. I listened to two of the "Masters of Crime Fiction" James Lee Burke (whose book I'm now reading: BITTERROOT), and R. Rizzuto, both offering insight into their writing process. I enjoyed Burke, and later reflected that every one of his references to excellent writings or sayings were male authors. He was quite entertaining, and I'm picking up some ideas from reading his very bloody novels. So much for the male club.
Interestingly, I did poetry readings in the late 80's in Missoula with Roger Dunsmore. I connected with him briefly at the Festival two years ago, and reconnected Saturday at the urging of my inner guide, who harped on me to give him a copy of my book. It was fortunate. His wife hung with Sun Bear at Vision Mountain and was thrilled to have the book! In exchange Roger gifted me his latest chapbook, YOU'RE JUST DIRT, which I'm thoroughly enjoying.
There is really no way to describe the boost the Festival offered to me. I was challenged, enlightened, intimidated, encouraged. It was something like the rush of mescaline moving through my body--granted an old memory, but apt nonetheless. Watching people is a delightful hobby, and my table was right across from the authors after they completed a reading or a panel. Such rich observations. Cheryl Nolte was there, dressed in black, adoring a Native American poet. Cheryl has survived and obviously finally thrived with her stark poetry; I'm so happy for her. And of course Bill Kittridge, and Annuck Smith, who recently wrote a stunning piece in the Independent about the idea of a superhighway for vehicles 27' wide, 30' high and 2/3's of a football field long. (I wish it was only an idea, not already on paper, moving forward, etc. etc.)
And MEDICINE ROCK and I were there, thanks to my three friends who sat at the table and went to offerings too: Kay, Coco and Sabora, and to my benefactor who gave me a business loan last year. Now I am settling in for a winter at home, if all goes well, to write, enter poetry and short stories in various publications, and watch the leaves fall outside my window.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
SEE YOU AT THE FESTIVAL!
Are you getting excited yet? I am. I've got my MEDICINE ROCK post cards, my MEDICINE ROCK baseball cap, lots of books (duh) and even my laptop for Sun Bear's video! Do I think I'll be selling more than ten copies? No, but the exposure will be exciting.
AND, the workshops will be inspiring. New fiction, new poems, new discussion groups about social networking, starting bookclubs and the writing life. I'm a junkie.
See all you other junkies there!!
AND, the workshops will be inspiring. New fiction, new poems, new discussion groups about social networking, starting bookclubs and the writing life. I'm a junkie.
See all you other junkies there!!
PUBLISHERS' RETURN POLICIES
I've had several episodes with IUniverse about my book return policy in my contract. There have been two "glitches" with Ingram Distribution that portrayed my book as non-returnable for book stores. Now I've received a call that my return policy expires in February, that it only lasted a year.
I reread my contract. Ah yes, "Schedule B" numeral 2: The WORK will appear as returnable in the Ingram Title Information Database for a period of twelve (12) months after the book is listed." It was listed in February. It might take me till February to make enough money to re-list it, but I don't know the fee.
Back to my consultant, Joel, who is of course out to lunch, thanks to the time change between Montana and Indiana, where IU is located. But he calls back in due time and tells me my book "went live" on December 30, which just wasn't true. I encourage him to check his date, and sure enough, it was January 20, 2011.
And he tells me the fee for another year of return book policy: $300. Now had I been published by a conventional publisher (i.e. not self published) the publisher would be delighted to keep this policy in place in perpetuity. The author would not be paying for the book to make money for the publisher (and herself). But this is the infancy of the self-publishing industry, and I will indeed come up with the money for another year. After that? We'll see.
So my larger outlays this year so far have included $150 (Festival of the Book, 8' table, two days), $150(Writers' Conference where exposure was almost non existent), $99 (ad in Critics' Review - nothing came of it), $99 (YouTube trailer, yet to be published), $100 (minimum, gas to other areas), $1133 (100 more books, at half price from IU), and the new fee, for a total of $2031. Income? I recouped my initial loan for books of $2300 but the contract cost (+/- $1800) was a gift from my own retirement account!
Now my expenses are approaching the money I lost in a women's empowerment financial (pyramid) scheme a few years back! The difference between a hobby and an avocation is one costs money and one makes money. Guess which one writing is!
Had I more money to pour into it, would I be selling more? Who's to say. Well, on to the outline of the next book!
I reread my contract. Ah yes, "Schedule B" numeral 2: The WORK will appear as returnable in the Ingram Title Information Database for a period of twelve (12) months after the book is listed." It was listed in February. It might take me till February to make enough money to re-list it, but I don't know the fee.
Back to my consultant, Joel, who is of course out to lunch, thanks to the time change between Montana and Indiana, where IU is located. But he calls back in due time and tells me my book "went live" on December 30, which just wasn't true. I encourage him to check his date, and sure enough, it was January 20, 2011.
And he tells me the fee for another year of return book policy: $300. Now had I been published by a conventional publisher (i.e. not self published) the publisher would be delighted to keep this policy in place in perpetuity. The author would not be paying for the book to make money for the publisher (and herself). But this is the infancy of the self-publishing industry, and I will indeed come up with the money for another year. After that? We'll see.
So my larger outlays this year so far have included $150 (Festival of the Book, 8' table, two days), $150(Writers' Conference where exposure was almost non existent), $99 (ad in Critics' Review - nothing came of it), $99 (YouTube trailer, yet to be published), $100 (minimum, gas to other areas), $1133 (100 more books, at half price from IU), and the new fee, for a total of $2031. Income? I recouped my initial loan for books of $2300 but the contract cost (+/- $1800) was a gift from my own retirement account!
Now my expenses are approaching the money I lost in a women's empowerment financial (pyramid) scheme a few years back! The difference between a hobby and an avocation is one costs money and one makes money. Guess which one writing is!
Had I more money to pour into it, would I be selling more? Who's to say. Well, on to the outline of the next book!
Friday, October 15, 2010
INTERNATIONAL MARKETS & MISCELLANEOUS
Imagine my surprise when I checked my email to find an order from the Netherlands! How in the world that dear person found out about Medicine Rock I'll probably never know, although I emailed her directly!
My first stop to ship the book was the UPS store. Their first price was $81. Then they found a way to do it for $51! Then they told me the Post Office could do a lot better in this instance. Our post office is only a few blocks away, and was quiet yesterday. I was able to mail it for $13. I am hoping the recipient will let me know when she receives it!
So now I realize (after the horses are out of the barn) that my price needs to be a touch higher for out-of-country orders! Another experience of Live and Learn, or in this case Write and Learn Marketing.
I am preparing for the Festival of the Book in Missoula, MT on October 29-30. I have purchased more postcards to hand out with all the information and the cover, and my and Sun Bear's pictures. I've purchased a "baseball" hat with the book on it, just for fun. I have tent signs and one hundred books...how will it go? Chances are a few will sell, but more importantly I will get exposure, be able to chat with other authors and continue to imprint an important concept on my mind: I am a writer and an author. And my second book is beginning to gather some ingredients! It will be pure fiction, set in Montana.
More good news: Quill & Parchment, an on-line journal, published one of my poems and requested I send three more. That was a delightful surprise. I have a trailer coming soon for YouTube about the book to give further exposure. It was a $99 investment. My granddaughter wants to put a video up for me also...that should be fun!
A reader contacted me recently to say she is reading MR for the second time which totally thrilled me.
If you liked the book, please write a quick review, or a long one, on Amazon.com under my advertising. That would help me so much! Thanks, readers, more soon!
My first stop to ship the book was the UPS store. Their first price was $81. Then they found a way to do it for $51! Then they told me the Post Office could do a lot better in this instance. Our post office is only a few blocks away, and was quiet yesterday. I was able to mail it for $13. I am hoping the recipient will let me know when she receives it!
So now I realize (after the horses are out of the barn) that my price needs to be a touch higher for out-of-country orders! Another experience of Live and Learn, or in this case Write and Learn Marketing.
I am preparing for the Festival of the Book in Missoula, MT on October 29-30. I have purchased more postcards to hand out with all the information and the cover, and my and Sun Bear's pictures. I've purchased a "baseball" hat with the book on it, just for fun. I have tent signs and one hundred books...how will it go? Chances are a few will sell, but more importantly I will get exposure, be able to chat with other authors and continue to imprint an important concept on my mind: I am a writer and an author. And my second book is beginning to gather some ingredients! It will be pure fiction, set in Montana.
More good news: Quill & Parchment, an on-line journal, published one of my poems and requested I send three more. That was a delightful surprise. I have a trailer coming soon for YouTube about the book to give further exposure. It was a $99 investment. My granddaughter wants to put a video up for me also...that should be fun!
A reader contacted me recently to say she is reading MR for the second time which totally thrilled me.
If you liked the book, please write a quick review, or a long one, on Amazon.com under my advertising. That would help me so much! Thanks, readers, more soon!
Monday, September 27, 2010
FESTIVAL OF THE BOOK
I remember walking in to the Festival of the Book, Missoula, Montana, for the first time. It is staged in one of the finer hotels in Missoula. I was THRILLED! Hundreds of people who love words as much as I do! I soaked up authors talking about their writing experiences, poets reading their concise reviews of life, and met authors a few publishers. The book wasn't complete at that point.
I hadn't quite noticed that the date was creeping up when a friend, Kali Star, who has a networking website, asked if I was staffing a table for the Festival. Hmmmm, thought I. Why not? I checked out the website this morning to see that 1) they're still available and 2) they're reasonably affordable...that is to say, I could probably sell enough books to pay my account back for the fee.
And best of all, I'd have to be there at the Festival the whole time! Of course my table might not be staffed all the time, but that's understandable.
The festival is later in October. In the meantime, the first weekend of October I'll be at the Flathead Writer's Conference, where I can't sell books, but I can carry a few with me as I wander around. The conference features agents, screenplay writers, children's book authors, etc, who present in panel form to a wide range of local writers and authors. I'm looking forward to it; I'll check back later.
I hadn't quite noticed that the date was creeping up when a friend, Kali Star, who has a networking website, asked if I was staffing a table for the Festival. Hmmmm, thought I. Why not? I checked out the website this morning to see that 1) they're still available and 2) they're reasonably affordable...that is to say, I could probably sell enough books to pay my account back for the fee.
And best of all, I'd have to be there at the Festival the whole time! Of course my table might not be staffed all the time, but that's understandable.
The festival is later in October. In the meantime, the first weekend of October I'll be at the Flathead Writer's Conference, where I can't sell books, but I can carry a few with me as I wander around. The conference features agents, screenplay writers, children's book authors, etc, who present in panel form to a wide range of local writers and authors. I'm looking forward to it; I'll check back later.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
ROYALTIES, AT LAST!
Just the sound of the word royalties brings one to a vision of red velvet and gold tassels. When the envelop arrived from IUniverse I was surprised. I'd given up on anyone buying through them, even Amazon. But no, there it was. $52, representing an unknown number of copies purchased.
I remember imagining a writer's life as a stream of words onto paper everyday (this was before computers) with a lovely view outside her window, and royalties arriving every month which paid all her bills. I have a huge capacity for imagining the world I want, not necessarily the world as it is.
But there has been a little more activity recently. I spent a week around Whitefish, Montana, chauffeuring professional medical folks to a conference focused on "The Healing Moment" offered by Dolores Krieger, creator of Therapeutic Touch as a scientifically proven model. In between arrivals and departures I dropped into bookstores which I had already contacted by phone and postcard.
The first was very disappointing. BOOKWORKS, in Whitefish, is a small store with of course rows and rows of books without any special focus I could perceive. The owner approached me and listened to my brief spiel. "Well, you won't sell any!" she said, as if declaring God's own truth. "I'll order a couple, but they'll just sit on the shelf." I expressed my appreciation and inquired if she had a shelf for local authors. "Sure, but without publicity you won't sell any. Even with publicity only one usually sells."
Sometimes I am adept at not taking things personally; after all, she said she'd order a few. I wandered over to CRYSTAL WINTERS, an amazing store only a block away that has been open for 31 years. Craig, the owner, is an old friend of my husbands, and he recognized me with little prompting. We had a wonderful chat, then I mentioned the book. "Oh I'd love to buy some," he said, "how about four. I'll buy them outright. I'm sure I can sell them!" I was pleased to say the least. The store is not really a book store but a wonderful collection of party items, clothes, games, mobiles of crystals and bells, postcards, funny jokester items, incense and candles too. I walked out with some items I'd purchased as stocking stuffers for Christmas, and a check for four books minus the 35% discount I offer book stores.
I had a display at the workshop, and sold four and traded one. I also went to a big chain bookstore and the lovely young woman promised she'd order two from the web. She was excited by it, and thought she had two places to display it.
On the way home I stopped at Doug Allard's Trading Post in St. Ignatius on the Salish Kootenai Reservation. The woman at the counter said she couldn't purchase anything and the manager would return the following week. I gifted them a book, saying how much I was looking forward to them having one. After all, Sun Bear was the first vendor at the Arlee Pow Wow to sell books about native topics. And of course I gave her a postcard in case they wanted more.
And my dear friend Jules bought two, and insisted I take her check even though I spent the whole week in her lovely little cabin, driving in at 12 or 1 at night and leaving early in the mornings. We did slide in some good chats and one playful afternoon and a dinner too, but I'm looking forward to our next time together.
So let the checks roll in! This next week I'll leave all my books at home. We're floating the Missouri and there'll be no commercial opportunities. Hoping your summer included a wild adventure and a few royalty checks too.
I remember imagining a writer's life as a stream of words onto paper everyday (this was before computers) with a lovely view outside her window, and royalties arriving every month which paid all her bills. I have a huge capacity for imagining the world I want, not necessarily the world as it is.
But there has been a little more activity recently. I spent a week around Whitefish, Montana, chauffeuring professional medical folks to a conference focused on "The Healing Moment" offered by Dolores Krieger, creator of Therapeutic Touch as a scientifically proven model. In between arrivals and departures I dropped into bookstores which I had already contacted by phone and postcard.
The first was very disappointing. BOOKWORKS, in Whitefish, is a small store with of course rows and rows of books without any special focus I could perceive. The owner approached me and listened to my brief spiel. "Well, you won't sell any!" she said, as if declaring God's own truth. "I'll order a couple, but they'll just sit on the shelf." I expressed my appreciation and inquired if she had a shelf for local authors. "Sure, but without publicity you won't sell any. Even with publicity only one usually sells."
Sometimes I am adept at not taking things personally; after all, she said she'd order a few. I wandered over to CRYSTAL WINTERS, an amazing store only a block away that has been open for 31 years. Craig, the owner, is an old friend of my husbands, and he recognized me with little prompting. We had a wonderful chat, then I mentioned the book. "Oh I'd love to buy some," he said, "how about four. I'll buy them outright. I'm sure I can sell them!" I was pleased to say the least. The store is not really a book store but a wonderful collection of party items, clothes, games, mobiles of crystals and bells, postcards, funny jokester items, incense and candles too. I walked out with some items I'd purchased as stocking stuffers for Christmas, and a check for four books minus the 35% discount I offer book stores.
I had a display at the workshop, and sold four and traded one. I also went to a big chain bookstore and the lovely young woman promised she'd order two from the web. She was excited by it, and thought she had two places to display it.
On the way home I stopped at Doug Allard's Trading Post in St. Ignatius on the Salish Kootenai Reservation. The woman at the counter said she couldn't purchase anything and the manager would return the following week. I gifted them a book, saying how much I was looking forward to them having one. After all, Sun Bear was the first vendor at the Arlee Pow Wow to sell books about native topics. And of course I gave her a postcard in case they wanted more.
And my dear friend Jules bought two, and insisted I take her check even though I spent the whole week in her lovely little cabin, driving in at 12 or 1 at night and leaving early in the mornings. We did slide in some good chats and one playful afternoon and a dinner too, but I'm looking forward to our next time together.
So let the checks roll in! This next week I'll leave all my books at home. We're floating the Missouri and there'll be no commercial opportunities. Hoping your summer included a wild adventure and a few royalty checks too.
Monday, August 16, 2010
GIFTS OF JOY
What I'm enjoying most about having books on hand is giving them away! They are a precious gift of myself that I hand over with no agenda whatsoever. The powerful cover and intriguing topics speak for themselves.
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to gift the woman who purchased the land that Sun Bear lived on for many years in Northwestern Washington. She was the officiant at a wedding we were attending near Colville. She's a tiny woman whose face reflects a quality of listening and attention we rarely encounter. We had maybe met in the past, for we both said how familiar the other looked. When I returned from our car with a book tears filled her eyes. Now we are sisters and will remember the grace of our relationship. I hope we get to sit down and visit at length in the near future.
Another opportunity came when an old friend of my daughter's arrived yesterday. We hadn't seen her in seventeen years. She is still as beautiful and even more competent in the world, speaking perfect Chinese in the business world of China, raising an adopted daughter and creating fantastic art for marketing. She had no idea of course that I'd published; in fact, she didn't even know I wrote! Her astonishment was a delight, and having my red and black bundle ever-handy, I giggled at all she will come to find out about me!
This next week I'm attending a gathering of professional practitioners of Therapeutic Touch, a process of healing using the hands in the body's field that is used for pain relief, relaxation, and sometimes diagnostic reflection. I'll have the opportunity to join the dialogue and offer the book several afternoons during the week. I'm looking forward to spreading MR seeds to the East and West Coasts!
So instead of coveting the money each copy brings, I am offering them as tools for transformation. In that act perhaps they will travel, seed and I will see the sales increase without me! By the way, the next 4 boxes of books have arrived. Now where will I store them for the short (!) time they will be with me?
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to gift the woman who purchased the land that Sun Bear lived on for many years in Northwestern Washington. She was the officiant at a wedding we were attending near Colville. She's a tiny woman whose face reflects a quality of listening and attention we rarely encounter. We had maybe met in the past, for we both said how familiar the other looked. When I returned from our car with a book tears filled her eyes. Now we are sisters and will remember the grace of our relationship. I hope we get to sit down and visit at length in the near future.
Another opportunity came when an old friend of my daughter's arrived yesterday. We hadn't seen her in seventeen years. She is still as beautiful and even more competent in the world, speaking perfect Chinese in the business world of China, raising an adopted daughter and creating fantastic art for marketing. She had no idea of course that I'd published; in fact, she didn't even know I wrote! Her astonishment was a delight, and having my red and black bundle ever-handy, I giggled at all she will come to find out about me!
This next week I'm attending a gathering of professional practitioners of Therapeutic Touch, a process of healing using the hands in the body's field that is used for pain relief, relaxation, and sometimes diagnostic reflection. I'll have the opportunity to join the dialogue and offer the book several afternoons during the week. I'm looking forward to spreading MR seeds to the East and West Coasts!
So instead of coveting the money each copy brings, I am offering them as tools for transformation. In that act perhaps they will travel, seed and I will see the sales increase without me! By the way, the next 4 boxes of books have arrived. Now where will I store them for the short (!) time they will be with me?
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