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.
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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