Talking to book clubs about my book

I like to think of myself as a writer. Ever since I was a child that is one of the happier labels I have applied to myself.  When I was a child, a preschooler, I was a talker.  My Dad said I had been "vaccinated with a record needle and never stopped talking since."  Yet, as I started school, and learned that the other kids didn't like my non stop talking, and the fact that as an only child until just before I started school had created a child with no idea how to play well with others. I got slapped down hard, and rejected many times and it wasn't until the end of high school that I started to make friends and realize that I could both talk and listen.

So in school my best friends were the characters in books, and I have always considered myself an introvert.  It goes well with being the person who observes and records instead of interacting.  I curled up with my notebook, or hunched over a desk, and rarely made eye contact or had to speak.

Oddly enough though, when my brother was born with Down's syndrome and I learned to work with him, I also learned to be a teacher, and to work in front of large groups of children.  But that was separate.  I could talk to a class, and I could write - but I was too introverted to talk about my books out loud, so on-line I talked, in person I listened.  But Marketing books means you have to believe in them, AND you have to be their loudest, most vocal word of mouth advocate.  If I believed someone would love my story, nothing would happen until I would open my mouth and tell them why they would love my book.

Double Time On The Oregon Trail

So I wrote Duffy Barkley is Not a Dog, and very few people read it, even though I loved it, and the ones who did read it were positive.  Then I wrote Double Time on the Oregon Trail, and I started talking about it to 5th grade students who were studying the Oregon Trail, and then to a 5th grade teacher, who passed it to a School District Director of Curriculum who authorized the Instructional Media Center to order a class set of 38 copies. Then another 5th grade teacher convinced her book club to read it and asked me to come to their meeting and talk about it.  I was scared, but brought my handwritten draft, and some research, and some old storied I wrote in 5th grade myself and talked, and they listened and asked questions and it was fun.

 This year I am in a book club myself, and we read The Invention of Wings and ate dinner at one members house, and then read The Orphan Train and ate dinner at another members house, and it was my turn to be hostess, and I never invite people into my old house, decorated in Early American Yard Sale.  But I'm a good cook, so I said I can do it, and we chose my first book, Duffy Barkley and I cooked and they came over.

My old, chilly, very Green living room

 But what did I learn?  I learned you can't point out where the glasses and the garbage can are, and serve the food, and sit down and present about how you wrote a book, or ask the questions you want your readers to answer about what worked and where they loved, or hated my book.  Going into classes as an author presenter has been fun and satisfying.  Presenting in someone else's home as an author at their book club, I was focused and had planned ahead what to tell them and which questions to ask. In my home I kept wandering out of the conversation, and still missed a lot of what they said about my book

Duffy Barkley is Not a Dog

 So, when you want to market your book to book clubs, it is a good idea.  You do get a group of people willing to spend time and money on your book, but if you find yourself thinking about hosting the book club, find a partner, and focus for that evening, on being a speaker, speaking passionately about a book you really believe in.

 Amazon's Dixie Dawn Miller Goode Page - You can view it at:

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004458ES2

Twitter link: http://twitter.com/#!/pandorasecho

Twitter # 2;  http://twitter.com/#!/DuffyBarkley  

Author Blog:  http://duffybarkley.blogspot.com/

Blog # 2:      http://echo-echosvoice.blogspot.com/

Book Genre:  Fantasy/Young Adult/children's picture books

Book Giveaway still on until October 9

Mid September and I almost typed, mid August, Lol.  Life moves faster than I do a lot but I keep reminding myself to slow down and enjoy the little things. I love the moments holding my granddaughter and picking the apples and blackberries and walnuts. I love writing books but struggle to move beyond a "level three"  I wish I had bookmarked the article that told of five possible outcomes of self publishing.  I didn't read it all in detail but the description of the results of what was called a "level 3 success" described me pretty closely.  It said this author doesn't make a living and isn't a big seller, but is recognized as a writer among peers and sells a lot to their own community and has a small but wonderful group of fans.  This author is glad to have followed her dreams and made some success but is still searching for how to promote her books to the wider world.  Yes. Pretty much.

so as an incentive to get people to look at my newest books and to possibly get a few 4 or 5 star reviews on Amazon or Goodreads 

I am giving 4 copies away of each book, through Goodreads giveaway program and both links are below. 

If you want to see about al 5 of my books then I am also including the link to my Amazon author page

 https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/106796-moonrise?utm_medium=email&utm_source=giveaway_approved

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/106794-rainbows-around-us?utm_medium=email&utm_source=giveaway_approved

http://www.amazon.com/Dixie-Dawn-Miller-Goode/e/B004458ES2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1409941162&sr=1-1

I am also busy going to the local schools and I carry my books with me and the experience of reading them to the classes is really fun. I have the fun of seeing the things kids notice as I read and of interacting with the pictures and words in a playful way that isn't possible alone at my computer.

 both my cat and my artist friend here are victims of having me read the picture books out loud to them.  Yes even the cat, as it is easier to hear how the books read out lout and i worry less about how  I sound out loud with any kind of audience than with my voice echoing in an empty room.

So if you are interested in books to read to infants and preschool and kindergarten children, sign up for the giveaway, and if you are interested on fantasy or historical fiction check out my novels as well on Amazon.  Thank you

Author Presentations, Speaking Instead of Writing

As soon as I began following my dream of being a writer, I realized that it had many parts I loved, but also many parts that were scary, and unrewarding, and completely out of synch with my personality.
I am an introvert.  I hate talking on the phone, and being social in a big group may be fun for awhile but it doesn't energize me, it leaves me exhausted.  My favorite activities involve small groups of people, my family or a couple of close friends, and even then, I prefer to linger at the edges, listening and taking pictures and writing in my notebooks instead of diving in to the center of the board games or sledding or other pursuits my favorite people indulge in when together.

enjoying spring and the Rhododendron at home

And I don't just LOVE being alone, I need it more than sleep or food, so that on extremely hectic days I may be exhausted but I'll choose locking myself in the bathroom in a hot bath with only bubbles and a book over dropping in between the sheets.  On my own, I write letters and stories and poetry, I take pictures and play with editing them, I cuddle my cat or my sons dog while I watch NCIS or I put on my old Record albums from the 70's and sing along at the top of my voice while painting or drawing or even mopping the floor and doing laundry.

I traded a copy of my book for Clint Brill's Sci Fi thriller and loved it

But writing in a vacuum is not effective. Without interaction I would never sell a book, or share an idea, or even write convincingly abut how humans relate to each other.  So I have to do more than exchange facebook and twitter posts with other authors and read their books.  I have to get out and talk to the people I think might love my stories as much as I do but I am not comfortable with only marketing my books, I don't want to join all the other voices with nothing to say except, "Buy MY Book NOW.  It is a Must Read!!!!"

So I have begun reading and talking with classes and working on what I want to share with the young people of today.  I want to combat the constant negative news and violence that they are surrounded by, I want to let them know that constant connection to an electronic device is not a substitute for hugging and LOL doesn't hold a candle to really laughing out loud, rolling on the grass and giggling until your belly hurts with a best friend.

I want to tell them that my dream of writing didn't happen until I was willing to put time into it several times a week, and that it may never make a living and allow me to quit my day job, but it is still worth it, because it allows me to be the best me, I can be.  it allows me to have something to share with the world that might make a few other people smile for a moment, and realize that if I can be a writer, they can also ignore the people telling them their dreams are impossible, and realize that yes, you have to be able to support yourself with rent and groceries, but you also have to support your emotional needs with fun and with something that lets you be happy, even while dragging to work every day.

So I went to Pine Grove School, and presented as an author, to kids I know as a substitute teacher, and they were attentive and curious, and most of all they were willing to share that they were dreamers on the verge of being doers too.

And then I came home, visited my beautiful new granddaughter

Celebrated my 30th anniversary

Hugged the toddler who is like a granddaughter to me and looked at my broken down furniture and my ancient Dodge caravan, and laughed out loud.

because my life is full, and my dreams have come true mostly, though not always like I envisioned,

Then I got on facebook and found a post tagging me, from a teacher who had been at my presentation. She said an incredibly well-written article reminded her of the talk I had given.  I read her link, and only wish I had said it so well

part of that post is below


“Listen to your heart when you hold that basketball. Listen to your heart when you take that pencil in your hand and can’t stop writing. Think about what it feels like to sing at the top of your lungs. Think about what it feels like to do something you love to do. But don’t stop there. Share that incredible feeling with someone else. Because if we share OUR remarkable thing, someone else might notice his or her remarkable thing.

So maybe you don’t make it to The Voice. Maybe you don’t make the pros or land a book deal. That doesn’t mean you didn’t succeed. Maybe sharing your journey, your dream, or what excites your heart IS the achievement. Maybe inspiring someone else to see his or her life differently IS the success.”

As I walked out of the school holding my daughter's hand, I decided now, more than ever, we must speak of remarkable things … now, when undivided attention is a rare and priceless commodity … now, when we too often choose glowing screens over shining sunlight … now, when digital notifications take precedence over soul-to-soul connection. Now more than ever, we must speak of the remarkable things that make our heart sing … that fill our eyes with tears … that bring beauty, comfort, and joy to our ordinary, mundane lives. 

Why? 

Because you never know who might be listening … and using your dream to envision her own.

© Rachel Macy Stafford 2014

Friends of The Hands Free Revolution perhaps you have had a lifelong dream, a passion, or some activity that makes your heart sing. And maybe you’ve never told anyone about it fearing you could never be “successful.” Well, today I hope you will rethink that secrecy, as well as your definition of success.