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6/28/2017

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I wrote the publisher about rebranding Just Lucky from Romance/thriller to adult fiction. Their response was, we'll see. The editor added that her husband read it and loved it. Two other men I know have read it and liked it a lot. So, guys, don't be put off by the "Romance" label for Just Lucky. It is adult fiction and written to appeal to men as much as ladies.
My time in Colorado was pretty satisfying. I took my book markers along as planned and put them out for distribution at the reunion. I explained that they were for shameless self-promotion. At least a dozen people expressed interest in checking out my books and this website.  
There are other terms for shameless self-promotion: advertisements, commercials, "a word from our sponsors."
There is at least one other published writer in my graduating class. Ordinarily I'd include her name here, but I think I'll wait till I get permission.
Sometimes things work out good and bad at the same time. I was looking forward to visiting my son and his family but it just so happened that the same days I was there he and his had to be in Minnesota. That was too bad. But! They needed someone to feed their dogs and water their grass and outdoor plants while they were gone. So I dog sat. This saved me over four hundred dollars in motel bills, and their dogs got fed and watered and cared for and their grass and plants got enough water. A win-win arrangement and believe me those do not come along so often that a person should let the opportunity slide by.
There's a difference between Colorado and SW Wisconsin that I knew, but hadn't really noticed before in one specific way.
First, I was born and raised and educated in Colorado. I was told at an early age that I had asthma. I was never really sure what that meant because I never had an attack, never wheezed, never had any trouble breathing. I was as active as any other kid in the 50s and 60s and I was a pretty good sprinter. No breathing problems even when I moved to southwest Nebraska.
Then I came to Wisconsin. There is humidity in Wisconsin, at least in the summer.  It took a couple of years, but finally one dark and cool morning when I was jogging I discovered I could not breathe adequately. A visit with my doctor confirmed what I expected: asthma! I actually had two e.r. visits with asthma attacks during the first few months after it made itself known.
But it's been years now since I had any trouble. I use my inhaler before exercise.
The point is that even though I'm very aware of the difference, it was emphasized when I was in Colorado.
Here at home, when I shower, even after I dry off I don't feel dry. The humidity makes me feel damp no matter how much toweling I do.
But during my stay in Colorado I realized something after my first shower—I felt dry! It was so cool! My wife wants to move back to Colorado anyway, and I do too: I really miss the mountains. But now I have another reason. I'll get to feel dry and clean at the same time.
So, as soon as we become independently wealthy, or my writing brings in a few thousand a month, we'll probably move back to Colorado. Besides, there my wife can get marijuana extract specifically for her chronic pain.
Next post I'll mention a little about ol' MJ and that "gateway drug" crapola. Please feel free to comment any time about anything, and thanks for reading.

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Will Rebranding Increase Sales?

6/10/2017

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An old gag: sing the Burt Parks song, "There she goes...Miss America...but change it to Miss Cellaneous." So regarding miscellaneous, the weather here has been weird since December. It was in December that we had the only significant snowfall. On the other hand, we had rain in January and February, and ice. A lot of ice. Not just on the ground and streets and sidewalks, but also falling from the sky onto the roof. The roof survived; not so much the rain gutter. There's twenty to thirty feet that needs replacing.
I'm going to spend six days and five nights in Colorado later this month, including both travel days. My high school is having a ten-graduation years-reunion and I decided to attend, plus visit other friends, family, and maybe if the schedule aligns correctly, a Rockies game. And, of course, I'll take along my promotional book marks for give-away at the reunion.
In July there will be a Writers' Open Forum here in Prairie du Chien, held at the City Hall, sponsored by the local library and free to all. Kim Sigafus McIver, Anthony Wedgeworth and I (mostly them) organized and recruited. We have at least two other authors and a professional editor attending. Those doing a presentation (me, among others...ta-da!) will have a table to present our works for sale and our promotional goodies for give-away. I'm looking forward to July 15.
 
I was reviewing some of my earlier blog posts and I noticed it's been two months since I finished the first draft of Saving Atlantis. I'm still working on what is now the final pre-edit draft. I keep getting ideas of adding this or that to improve foreshadowing or tension. Eventually I'll have to decide that enough is enough and to start the software edit.
Born Lucky, Book 1: Friends and Enemies is not selling. I have to think that one big reason is simply that, nationally, no one knows about it. Because the print version is print-on-demand (pod) most if not all major book sellers won't take on a big consignment since they can't return unsold copies for a refund. This is one of the disadvantages of not being published by one of the big traditional publishing houses.
Born Lucky is on the carry lists of Barnes and Noble and other major retailers, and available through their web sites, but readers won't find them dominating the windows and entrances of brick-and-mortar book stores. Or even Walmart. Those stores do not want to risk getting stuck with even a dozen books they don't sell.
I'm not sure if anything can be done about this.
I am going to suggest one change to the publisher. I'll get the email off today. The publisher has branded the books as a romance/thriller. Previous publishers I contacted also insisted on labeling it a romance. But I never wrote it with that brand in mind.
I think of Born Lucky as simply adult fiction. I'm going to suggest that re-brand. The book is actually written as a book to appeal to guys, but also appeal to the more educated female audience. The readers of a regular formulaic Romance probably won't like it so much. I fear the "Romance" label is keeping male readers away. So, I'll suggest the brand name be changed to adult fiction and see what their response is. 

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    I'm a former teacher and current warehouse grunt that loves writing.

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