My Mom Called Last Night

My mom called me last night. Now you may not think much of this, but mom calling me in the middle of the week in the evening is enough for me to think about grabbing the keys and heading for whatever hospital she's been admitted to. It just doesn't happen unless something's wrong.

So why is it important that she called? She wanted to tell me that she'd just finished reading my book "Akashan'te". Which almost had me grabbing my keys to run myself to the emergency room. Because my mom doesn't read books. Ever. It's just not something she does (I got my love of books and the written word from Dad). It took her several weeks to read it.

She wanted to call me and tell me how much she liked it. And that it amazed her that I could do something like that (okay, that one hurt a little, but taken in the light of what she was trying to say, I'll take it as a compliment). And that she was proud of me.

Gulp. What? She was proud of me? Again, not something Mom ever says. Not even when I graduated from college (first in the family). Or went on to get my Master's. Or... for any other accomplishments I (or my siblings) did. She was proud of me? Wow. Going for those keys again.

Before you think my mom is a mean person, she's not. She's one of the most giving people I know. Just not verbally. Her way of saying something nice is to bake you something incredibly good. Or give you a gift. Something tangible. Words have no value to her. So for her to say these things meant a lot more to me than they might to many people. It meant more than the great reviews (though I love them!) and the pats on the back from friends. Because I knew how difficult this was for her to say.

My mom called last night to tell me how much she liked my book. This is something I will remember for the rest of my life.

May you have a great day like that.

I wrote a book - can I sell it in your store?

In my regular life, I work part time at a small independent bookstore (Aaron's Books). Almost every week, we have people come in who want us to carry their book, or hold a booksigning for them. In most cases, these are self-pubbed writers (authors who pay to have their book published). Sometimes, they are from small publishers, micro-presses who don't have promotional staffs or publicity departments. After listening to these people, the owners came up with wonderful tips. These were specifically written for self-pubs, but they apply to all authors who are having signings. You might want to take a look and remember them the next time you want to have one:

 

1) DO NOT do a cold call the week after your book comes out. DO visit the bookstore before, after, and during the writing and printing of the book. Bookstores are much more likely to want to carry the book written by the person that has been in the store than by the person that calls them with "I live five minutes away and have never been in your store."

2) DO NOT be rude. DO treat the person you talk to as you would want to be treated. The people working in a bookstore are professionals who are passionate about books. But they are also overworked and under paid. Coming in with an attitude that your book is the best and we're stupid for not wanting to carry 30 copies immediately will not make us want to make an effort to add your book to our huge pile of books waiting to be reviewed.

3) In your email to us DO NOT mention that it's currently available on the (insert name of online or megachain stores), we know that EVERY book is available at them... that is NOT a selling point to us. DO tell us how to acquire your book. Is it listed with the major book distributors? Do we get it from the "publisher"? Do we get it from you directly? What is the wholesale price? (It is best to have a set wholesale price so we don't have to haggle with you about pricing. Industry standards are 40-50% off list price)

4) So now that we do have a few copies of your book in stock, DO NOT disappear. You want to sell books, we want to sell books. It's a lot easier for us to sell the book if you let people know they can get it at our store. Link to us in your emails, website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Tell Aunt Martha and Cousin Sue. Are you doing a reading/signing with us? Then please don't leave all the publicity work to us.... make sure we have cover images, author images, a full bio, blurb of the book, any reviews you have already received, etc. Are you doing a press release for the event? Then let us see it first. We have experience with the local book section editor, the local TV station, etc. We can help make sure your event listing appears... but DO NOT expect us to do ALL your publicity, and please DO NOT only link to the mega-chains on your online places.... like I said we want to sell your books as much as you do... and we can't if you're telling people to go somewhere else to get it.

5) DO NOT invite yourself to do a book signing. DO NOT email (the first one we get from you) and say "I see you are having a Dog Day, my book is about dogs, and can I come?" DO let us know that you are interested in an event at the store. DO let us know when you are available. DO understand that many of our events are set up 3-6 months in advance. DO trust that we know what events work at our location.

6) DO NOT assume that having your book at a chain store is the same as having it at an Indie. DO understand the value that an Indie has for your town. You are local right? Your kids went to school here? You've used the local parks, police, and ambulance? Guess who pays for that- NOT MegaSameEveryWhere Chain. WE do, the Indies. So having your book in an Indie store is not just about selling more copies and having more places to list that sell it, it is about supporting your community that will in turn support you.

I want to take a minute to highlight again what I think the most important thing to do is- BE NICE.

We are professionals. We know what will sell in our store. We know the subjects are customers are interested in. We know the price points they are willing to pay. If we choose not to carry your book, it is not personal; and understand we will not make the decision to carry your book on the spot. We rarely do that with the major publishing houses that send us hundreds of advance reading copies, so we won't do it with you either. Be willing to leave us a copy of your book, with the understanding that we have over 10,000 books already in the store, we cannot guarantee that we can be able to return it to you. Think of leaving that copy as an investment in future sales.

Check out Elizabeth Naughton's New Book

Coming April 26: MARKED by Elizabeth Naughton 

As unrest in the Underworld threatens, seven immortal warriors descended from the greatest heroes in all of Ancient Greece may just be mankind’s last hope.

THERON – Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He’s the leader of the Argonauts, an elite group of guardians that defends the immortal realm from threats of the Underworld.

From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn’t exist in real life—silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.

She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron’s duty to bring her in. But even as a 200-year-old descendent of Hercules, he wasn’t strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.
As war with the Underworld nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

An Interesting Day at the Bookstore

As many of my readers know, I work at a small, independent bookstore (aaronsbooksonline). Most days, I work with one or the other of my two bosses, the owners of the store. But there is the occasional day when I work alone. Today is one of those days.

I have to say, it's been interesting so far. I opened the store at ten to find a shipment of books outside on the doorstep, and a customer waiting. I brought both inside. While taking care of customer, phone rings - it's the boss with some notes for me. Listen to him, finish with customer, check "to-do" list. Enter new customers. Work on shelving new books while customers browse. One older couple and I got to talking. They were visiting our small town from Devon, England where they lead book groups. They must have stayed here an hour, browsing and chatting - and even buying. Including one of mine! When we were talking about signings, I mentioned about mine last week - and one thing led to another... :)

To be honest, I'm a horrible sales person of my own stuff because I tried to talk them out of it. Okay, not too hard, but still, they were hugely into mysteries and literary books, not YA fantasies. But they insisted, so I didn't argue. After all, the customer is always right. Right?

During that time, I also had a customer in from Connecticut, and a couple of locals, all getting something. (yay!) And a call for a special order. And a box of trade ins. And the new book order to receive. And still the to do list to get to.

In other words, not a break until now. But this is good. Grab my lunch while I check my mail and blog, then back to the to do list. I might even be able to get to it this afternoon. :)

All this on a cold, rainy day. Think I'll go find a good book to read.

Addendum: Just had a couple in from Australia looking for books on green living, ecology and sustainability - which we have. Such a lovely chat with them. Such an interesting day.

Book Signing Tonight

Wow. I'm having a book signing tonight with three of my friends. I'm so excited. Yes, I've done signings before. And with these same people, but this time is different.

Why? you ask?

Mostly because of where it is. The other signings were in other cities, not where I live. And at other stores, not where I work. This one is not only in the town where I live, but in the independent bookstore where I work.

My cohorts at the signing will be Misty Simon, writer of light-hearted mysteries and paranormal romance, Victoria Smith, writer of dark paranormal romance, and Susan Kelley, writer of fantasy and paranormal romance. (Seeing a theme here?) The boss is promoting the night as "Some Enchanted Evening" and we are going to have fun!

So... if any of you happen to be in the Lititz, PA area tonight, stop on in. We're the only bookstore in town. www.aaronsbooksonline.com