Author Dazzles Tiny Bookstore Crowd
So just did a reading up at Village Books in Bellingham. I enjoyed it, of course, like I do all my readings. My not-a-boyfriend who came up with me was forced to listen to the talk three times, twice in the car and once at the bookstore. He was a good sport about it and provided helpful feedback. He suggested I talk slower, discuss the writing process more (since many people who come to readings are also writers), and open the talk up a little more for questions. As it is, I talk for 35 minutes straight and don’t let people ask questions until the end.
So I think I might try that next time. If there is a next time. I have one more event on the docket, which is a signing in the beautiful faux-Bavarian town of Leavenworth, at A Book for All Seasons. Other than that, I’m currently stewing in a bit of indecision about where else to go.
But back to the Village Books reading. It was the first time no one bought a copy of my book! Two friends showed up who had a copy for me to sign, one friend showed up who is too stingy to buy a copy of a book he will never read (unless he was secretly hoarding his copy at home), and the rest of the 10-person audience were strangers who had never heard of me before, and, I guess, weren’t quite convinced enough to buy a copy of BreakupBabe based on my smashing little talk.
Oh well. I do not despair. Now the bookstore is stocking it and hopefully soon all the singles in Bellingham will fall upon it and devour it so that they will sell through the many copies they so bravely ordered.
Sigh. I always feel a bit scared and guilty when I see how many copies the bookstores order. I see those stacks and stacks of shiny BreakupBabes and immediately think, oh my God, how will they ever sell those many copies? However, I have not reason to feel guilty as they can return those mo’ fo’s when they don’t sell. Did I mention by any chance that my book has had a second printing already? Why yes, it did! But now we just need to sell all those copies they printed.
Did you know BreakupBabe makes a great stocking stuffer?