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Tag Archives: selling your book

On the way up the hill again

27 Jun

As my sibling and fellow author Allyn M. Stotz can attest, writing books is a hilly, bumpy ride with a lot of potholes. You might be flying fast towards the top of the hill, pushed along by great success in selling your book or terrific comments from a reader, only to be jolted into reality by an equally slow event or thrust into a pothole by the everyday realities that get in the way of writing a book. It sometimes seems like you’re constantly struggling to find the energy to climb back up to that sweet crest.

© Alphaspirit | Dreamstime.com - Driving Uphill Arrow Photo

© Alphaspirit | Dreamstime.com – Driving Uphill Arrow Photo

This spring has mostly been spent at the bottom of the hill. Sales have been slow, and we’re in between publication of new books. For mom and me, that’s about to change. The fourth book of The Fate Series: Treasured Fate, will be out in July and we’re already planning an official launch for September. Allyn also will have a new book out this fall: a Halloween story called Pumpkin Squash. All of us: mom, Allyn and I, know that our busiest season of selling is about to start, and the excitement has already begun.

For the launch of Treasured Fate, Mom and I are returning to our favorite neighborhood restaurant, Applebee’s, which hosted a big party last Spring for Violet Fate’s unveiling. We picked this restaurant for a reason: mom and I meet there on a regular basis because it’s close to her house, reasonably priced, changes the menu frequently enough to remain interesting, and we like the food and staff. We acknowledged that staff in our first book, Twist of Fate, thanked them in last year’s book of short stories for hosting the launch of Violet Fate, and are mentioning them again in this current book. We do this because the wait staff gets to listen to us discuss how to shoot or poison people and how to get away with all kinds of crimes. The staff and management also stop by the table frequently to encourage us and find out how the books are coming.

As far as what to expect from this latest book: Treasured Fate is about a woman kicked out of her own home who gets on a bus with no destination in mind, ends up in the Lancaster area and answers an ad a local farmer has placed for a wife. Our beloved private investigator Sam Osborne is a good friend of the farmer and becomes involved when someone tries to hurt the woman. Behind the whole plot is a treasure that everyone knows exists and no one can find. Is it the reason someone is after the woman?

You’ll have to read the book to find out. Or better yet, come to our event this fall and we’ll give you a first-hand description.

I’ll write more on our launch, the progress of Treasured Fate, and fall’s busy schedule in upcoming blogs. Now that we’ve begun climbing towards a crest of the hill again, I’ve resolved to keeping in better touch with our readers.

If you’d like an invitation to the launch, please email us at swopeparente@gmail.com.

–Genilee Swope Parente

 
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Posted by on June 27, 2016 in Uncategorized

 

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Taking a bow

26 Aug

Mom and I had another book signing this week, and as with most of these events, it was nothing like the previous ones. However, we walked away with smiles on our face, and it was not because of the books we sold. Here’s why:

In July, we spoke at two senior communities in Fredericksburg – The Crossings and the Chancellor–both great meetings because the residents were truly interested in how two older women (a mother/daughter team no less!) finally got around to fulfilling a dream. We didn’t sell many books at those meetings and didn’t expect to—we were there to pump ourselves up and remember how great being an author can be.

This week, however, we tried our first book store event. We’ve been hesitant to jump into that circuit because the store has to take a cut so we’re lucky to break even. I think we also both visualized a situation similar to the library book signings we’ve done: sitting at a table with just a sign and a smile and watching people go by without looking our way. People at the library do not expect or want to see someone trying to sell them a product—even if it’s a book!

Last Saturday, we set up a table at 2nd and Charles, a huge used book (as well as used movies, instruments, albums) store, put on those smiles and put up the sign. But instead of being ignored, people stopped; people talked; some people bought—shoppers of all ages and types kept pouring through that front door and walking by the table.2nd and charles

It was delightful so many people paused to meet the authors and exclaim over our fortune and fortitude in getting our books into print. The staff at 2nd and Charles bent over backwards to make us feel comfortable and appreciated. And we sold more books than we’ve sold at any recent event.

However, what made us smile as we packed our materials away was something entirely different: we realized that the constant stream of traffic meant there are many many readers out there. Despite the 3D Imax glitter of movies, the 100-plus channels most people have on their televisions, the graphic fantasy worlds of computer and Xbox games, those who shop at 2nd and Charles choose to hold a book in their hands and let their minds do the work. Of course it made us smile: they are our audience and this is our curtain call.

Genilee Swope Parente

 
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Posted by on August 26, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

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You Can Sell Your Creation

09 Jan

If there’s one thing I have always hated to do, it is to sell – anything. It doesn’t matter what. The odd thing about it is that I have had been successful doing just that. When my husband and I owned a small weekly newspaper years ago, we came to a point where we had to make more revenue or sink. It was discouraging because we had worked so hard at trying to make the paper and the business a success. One day I decided I would go through all the other newspapers in the area, and then call the companies who advertised and see if they would run their ads with our paper. This action took all my nerve, and every time I had to do it, I got stomach cramps. But despite how much I dreaded that task, I was very successful at it, which showed me with the right impetus, anyone can sell themselves.

I’m telling you all this to explain my elation last week. Genilee and I meet once a week to talk about the book and the latest discussions have centered on how to get Twist of Fate before more audiences. After our first successful book signing at Victoria Park, we decided we should definitely try to find more places to hold signings. Since she was very busy with her full-time work, it was up to me to tackle the job. The old stomach cramps returned for just a short while!
Everyone I approached, however, was extremely nice. And somehow luck was really with me that day. I chose to approach the library near my home, and it happened to be the very day the librarian was going to a meeting of all the county librarians; a meeting where the librarians presented their lists of books they wanted the library association to purchase. This particular librarian took our book (Twist of Fate), as well as my youngest daughter’s children’s book (The Pea in Peanut Butter). And if that wasn’t good enough luck, another librarian who handles various reading clubs was there, and she had promised her mystery reading group that she would try to find an author to come to a spring meeting of the club. We were chosen right on the spot!

To top the day off, I secured another book signing at a retirement community the same day. It just goes to show you, folks, that if you believe in your book and you keep on trying, you’re going to be a success! Keep writing friends and keep selling your books!
F. Sharon Swope

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

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