You know, looking at photos of me at the show last weekend (that I just posted here on my product blog), now that it's a few days later, and seeing all the things I put on my table, I'm struck by something. I am actually pretty good at this.
It's hard work, but it's hard work for everybody who goes out to promote something, not just me, and not because I'm not doing it right. It just is.
I think there is a 'get rich' dream in this country where you imagine some great financial success.
Sure. But it's always hard work. Always. Winning the lottery is the only 'easy' way I know to get a lot of money, but you'll be more likely to be struck by lightning than win the lottery. For everyone else (practically everyone else), it takes work. Even the very rich ... athletes, actors, rock stars, etc. It took them a phenomenal amount of work. They just make it *look* easy because all the hard work is hidden behind the scenes. That's show business.
So promoting my book is not easy. I just got the report for January from Ingram. No sales (through bookstores and online) and one book was returned. So I lost a few dollars last month! I was shocked to see that. I sold over 20 books in person at the show I was just at (technically in February), but that's from my own stock.
I need to make a living, and even though the economy is supposedly 'heating up' the reality among me and my friends is that it's a struggle. If you lost a higher paying job and took a lower paying job instead, the unemployment figures still count you as employed, even though you're having a harder time. And if wages go up, that's per hour, but it doesn't really reflect how hard you are working during that hour. And that's an average statistic anyway - the top earners are making more, but for most people who don't supervise anyone else, wages are still pretty stagnant.
(Note: I posted these words on my personal Facebook page, then copied them here.)
It's hard work, but it's hard work for everybody who goes out to promote something, not just me, and not because I'm not doing it right. It just is.
I think there is a 'get rich' dream in this country where you imagine some great financial success.
Sure. But it's always hard work. Always. Winning the lottery is the only 'easy' way I know to get a lot of money, but you'll be more likely to be struck by lightning than win the lottery. For everyone else (practically everyone else), it takes work. Even the very rich ... athletes, actors, rock stars, etc. It took them a phenomenal amount of work. They just make it *look* easy because all the hard work is hidden behind the scenes. That's show business.
So promoting my book is not easy. I just got the report for January from Ingram. No sales (through bookstores and online) and one book was returned. So I lost a few dollars last month! I was shocked to see that. I sold over 20 books in person at the show I was just at (technically in February), but that's from my own stock.
I need to make a living, and even though the economy is supposedly 'heating up' the reality among me and my friends is that it's a struggle. If you lost a higher paying job and took a lower paying job instead, the unemployment figures still count you as employed, even though you're having a harder time. And if wages go up, that's per hour, but it doesn't really reflect how hard you are working during that hour. And that's an average statistic anyway - the top earners are making more, but for most people who don't supervise anyone else, wages are still pretty stagnant.
(Note: I posted these words on my personal Facebook page, then copied them here.)
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