Well, maybe not--but I've got to keep on trying!
My first novel, Finding Grace, has now been on the market for about 8 months; and while there have been some real bright spots (receiving the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval being the most noteworthy of these thus far), sales would have to be considered...ahem...um...well, just a tad slow.
Not that I'm complaining, mind you, because I didn't write the book with delusions of grandeur, imagining there would be a six-figure movie deal and I would become a rich and famous household name. I intended it to be a sort of antidote to some of the poison being peddled to teens and young adults these days via books, movies, TV, and the Internet (and while I was at it, I hoped to create a story that would prove to be an entertaining read). But I wouldn't mind seeing a teensy-tiny little jump in sales, if I'm being honest.
Finding Grace is listed on the website of my publisher, Bezalel Books (a wonderful small Catholic publishing house run by Cheryl Dickow), on Barnes & Noble's website, and on the Amazon.com mega-site. (I also Googled it, and I was surprised to find it advertised for sale on all kinds of foreign bookseller sites, in just about every language there is.) But for the most part, the publicizing/marketing/selling of the book depends largely on how much effort I'm willing to put into it. And even more so, how willing I am to talk it up, to put myself "out there" (like I'm doing right here, right now)--out there where my precious baby is vulnerable to criticism, bad reviews, and rejection. For someone who tends to begin every phone call she makes with "I hope this isn't a bad time," apologizes to chairs--out of habit--when she bumps into them, and asks for favors with the opener "I'm sorry to bother you," this self-promotion business doesn't come easily.
But I am constantly seeking ways to increase the book's visibility and marketability. On Easter morning, I came up with a new ploy. My most recent Facebook profile picture was one of my husband and me snuggled into one another at an Irish bar down in South Beach, the night before the ND-Alabama BCS Bowl game in January; now--perhaps you can guess where this is going--it's been replaced with a picture of the front cover of my book. (Shameless, I know!) I'd given up Facebook for Lent (except for quick check-ins on Sundays to make sure I wasn't missing any important messages or notifications), and this profile pic update seemed like a good way to celebrate the end of Lenten sacrifices and the Resurrection of Our Lord! Not long after my new FB profile picture was posted, I was tickled to get some nice comments from author Amy Bennett, whose mystery novel End of the Road is being published by Dark Oak Press sometime this year, and who is currently working on a Catholic YA novel for Tuscany Press.
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| (As I was checking out the comments after the profile pic switcheroo, I took a photo of my laptop screen. Then, because I'm so techno-savvy these days, I added the helpful arrows.) |
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The author must have been hiding under my bed when
I was 13!, Many young people deplore their parents' choice for their names, and Grace Kelly (she of the horn-rimmed glasses, braces, and frizzy hair) is no exception! But living up to a glamorous namesake is nothing compared to the subtle challenge Grace detects from her loving father--to become a saint!
As the story of Grace's teen years unfold, American society during the turbulent '60s and '70s with its radical ideas becomes Grace's biggest opponent to her goal of becoming a saint. I, for one, strongly identified with her and her desire for true love, especially in a world that seems to find traditional mores impossible to live with and personal sanctity an impossible ideal to live up to. Yet through it all, Grace perseveres in her faith and love of family, and despite her myriad setbacks, she discovers that true saintliness is achieved by discerning God's will for one's life and accepting it whole-heartedly.
I have recommended this book to my nieces and nephews and I'm sure they will see themselves in it as surely as I have seen myself!
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Amazon sells Finding Grace for $17.99 (plus shipping & handling), but I have purchased copies that I can offer to you, my dear readers, for a discounted rate of $15.99 flat. If you'd like to put in an order, contact me by clicking on the words "Email me" up there on the right side of the page, and we can set up the payment/shipment details. (I'll even sign it for you if you wish.)
So, then: to market, to market...to buy a copy of my book?
Laura, we are kindred spirits! The phone call opener, the apologies to chairs, and the "I hope I am not bothering you" that is all me, too!
ReplyDeleteI would love to purchase and read your book. And I would love for you to sign it! I will email you soon. :)
Yay!! :)
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