A PLACE TO SHARE AND/OR PROMOTE BOOKS - SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE
Holiday Signings and a New Arrival
I'm back from my brief weekend break.
Over the last few weeks I have seen first hand how the economy and the increased use of the internet for book purchasing is effecting the normal author book signing events.
As anybody who has checked out my interviews, reviews or heard me on the radio knows, I am a great believer in the fact that the way forward for authors is through the internet.
Two weeks ago, I went to see a previous guest of my radio show Nancy Thayer in a local book store, where Nancy and her daughter were signing their books. It was one of the few non rainy days we've had in Connecticut this so called Summer. But I was there chatting for about two hours and Nancy, who is the author New York Times best seller. In that time there were a total of four guests, a friend of Nancy and her three friends.
This last holiday weekend I was at the "Sub Fest" at the submarine base in Groton CT. It was my first experience of being at a major event doing book signing. I was there on Saturday and Sunday, the days when the people were meant to be flocking to such a large event.
Well they might have flocked, indeed for the fireworks on Saturday they closed the base off three hours before the event started the event was so packed. However family's, young children, teenagers and second cousins twice removed went there for the fun fair, food, entertainment (bears, high wire acts etc) and latterly for the firewaorks. With the country as it is the last item they wanted to purchase was a book. Kids would rather have their faces painted or a henna tattoo created.
With six of seven "local" authors both days signing and selling I would guess not more than fifty books were sold.
Sunday was a lovely day and just to be able to sit in the sun, listen to the bands playing, try the various foods and finish with a cold beer, made the trip a pleasant day out.
So what did I learn...
That the internet is by far the best way to sell books unless your terribly famous...or lucky.
Shows and events are over in a flash and forgotten, blog interviews are there archived and for others to follow up on.
I need to prepare more for the next show. Unfortunately due to work issues I had very little time to prepare for the event as I should.
No matter what I did enjoy my time at Groton, met some very interesting people, and at least was able to sit enjoy the sunshine while it lasted.
NEW ARRIVAL:
While at Groton, we picked up our new pet. A minute African Hedgehog who now has been given the name "Prices Ella"
Needless to say she has now taken over the house.
BLOG TALK RADIO:
Tuesday July 7th I have a very interesting guest on my Blog Talk Radio Show 6:30pm EST - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond That is Sandee Sgarlata and her teen/YA book The Day After Tomorrow. The first book in the Julia Monroe series.
Saturday at 11:00am EST I have David Liss as my guest with his book "The Devils Company"
Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
"Across the Pond"
Over the last few weeks I have seen first hand how the economy and the increased use of the internet for book purchasing is effecting the normal author book signing events.
As anybody who has checked out my interviews, reviews or heard me on the radio knows, I am a great believer in the fact that the way forward for authors is through the internet.
Two weeks ago, I went to see a previous guest of my radio show Nancy Thayer in a local book store, where Nancy and her daughter were signing their books. It was one of the few non rainy days we've had in Connecticut this so called Summer. But I was there chatting for about two hours and Nancy, who is the author New York Times best seller. In that time there were a total of four guests, a friend of Nancy and her three friends.
This last holiday weekend I was at the "Sub Fest" at the submarine base in Groton CT. It was my first experience of being at a major event doing book signing. I was there on Saturday and Sunday, the days when the people were meant to be flocking to such a large event.
Well they might have flocked, indeed for the fireworks on Saturday they closed the base off three hours before the event started the event was so packed. However family's, young children, teenagers and second cousins twice removed went there for the fun fair, food, entertainment (bears, high wire acts etc) and latterly for the firewaorks. With the country as it is the last item they wanted to purchase was a book. Kids would rather have their faces painted or a henna tattoo created.
With six of seven "local" authors both days signing and selling I would guess not more than fifty books were sold.
Sunday was a lovely day and just to be able to sit in the sun, listen to the bands playing, try the various foods and finish with a cold beer, made the trip a pleasant day out.
So what did I learn...
That the internet is by far the best way to sell books unless your terribly famous...or lucky.
Shows and events are over in a flash and forgotten, blog interviews are there archived and for others to follow up on.
I need to prepare more for the next show. Unfortunately due to work issues I had very little time to prepare for the event as I should.
No matter what I did enjoy my time at Groton, met some very interesting people, and at least was able to sit enjoy the sunshine while it lasted.
NEW ARRIVAL:
While at Groton, we picked up our new pet. A minute African Hedgehog who now has been given the name "Prices Ella"Needless to say she has now taken over the house.
BLOG TALK RADIO:
Tuesday July 7th I have a very interesting guest on my Blog Talk Radio Show 6:30pm EST - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond That is Sandee Sgarlata and her teen/YA book The Day After Tomorrow. The first book in the Julia Monroe series.
Saturday at 11:00am EST I have David Liss as my guest with his book "The Devils Company"
Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
"Across the Pond"
Tags: book, a, across, and, author, barry, chat, david, eva, feast
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MORGAN'S OWN BLOGSPOT
Slides, Anyone?
I added a few slides of my books to my blogspot. I'm not sure yet if they should stay on or not.Do you have more trouble loading my blogspot with the slides up? Do you like them or are they too distracting?
A Christmas Tree Already
On the way home from work yesterday, I passed a house that already had a lighted and decorated Christmas tree up and showing by the window.Is it not too soon for that? In my mind, the day after Thanksgiving is when the Christmas Season starts. That's when it's fair game to put up a tree and decorations and start shopping. The way things are going this year, I'll be lucky if I get organized enough to decorate a few days before Christmas.
With our dog, Rascal, who lives up to her name, we'll probably go with a fiber optic small tree on top of an end table. One of these days I may pull put the larger tree from the box in the basement and set it up, but not until our doggy is a little more sedate. I don't feel like chasing her to get ornaments out of her mouth. I will be putting up knick knacks, lights inside and decorations on the walls, so it will still look Christmasy. No lights outside because for some reason we have no outlets outside.
While we're on the subject of Christmas trees and such, be sure to add holidays in your books. You can mention decorations and lights or Easter eggs and baskets, or even mattress sales in your descriptions to ground the reader as to the season.
Now, back to that tree I saw. What about you? When do you decorate for Christmas? What do you put up?
Winners and Losers at the CMAs and Life
I love country music and almost every country performer. While watching the CMAs, I enjoyed seeing the winners accept their awards. On the other hand, it was hard for me to see the losers do their best to appear gracious and for the most part succeeding.For every winner, there's a loser. In life and in books, it's the same way. How people react to their good and bad fortune shows what their characters are made of. You don't have to tell a reader who the good guy or bad guy is. Let their actions speak for themselves. The readers are smart enough to figure it out.
PS Can't finish this blog without saying - You Rock, Taylor Swift! You are one smart, talented teenager! Congrats on all your awards, especially, Entertainer of the Year!!!
CMA Awards Tonight and Twitter
One of my favorite shows is on tonight - the CMA Awards. If you're a country music fan, you're probably like me and will be glued to the TV 8pm EST, or in my case 7pm, in the flatlands of Illinois.Almost all my favorite performers will be there, except I hear that Rascal Flatts can't make it.
I'll be on Twitter during the show also. That's part of the fun of it - discussing and dissecting outfits, performers, songs and even commercials, kind of like I'm at a giant party with people who all go for the same thing and want to share.
What about you? What kind of music do you like? Do you tweet during a favorite show or event?
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Rascal is sleeping right now. When she gets up, you'll know about it.
When RASCAL wakes up, you'll hear from her and/or her Mom - that would be me, Morgan Mandel.
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