Good morning! I hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th of July! It was pretty quiet around here, but warm. Yes, I live in Seattle Suburbia. Warm to us, because of the humidity, is anything above 80. LOL. We don’t have central a/c in the house, just a few fans and one portable a/c unit. I’d love to get a few more of the a/c units, but book sales are a long way from supporting them. So, until it cools down, activity tends to be restricted in the afternoon when the house is warm.

I’ve been working intensely with a store manager down in Troutdale, Oregon to get my books in her store and do a signing. The date of the event is rapidly approaching (July 20th), but we’re just not sure if the books will arrive in time. There’s always the chance they will. And that they won’t.

Would it suck to show up and have no books to sign? Yes. It would. But, I had an idea over the weekend and I’m hoping she goes for it.

You see, I don’t go to that area that often. Maybe 1-2 times a year. There’s the 3 hour drive, gas prices, etc. It’s not like it’s 4 blocks from my house and I can just drop in. It’s something we have to put money aside for. 

So, to make the best of the day if books don’t show up, I suggested we do a ‘meet the author’ event. I’d be there, ready to chat about my books, talk them up, and see what people are interested in reading. I may bring an excerpt or two to read. And we let them know the books are on order and will be there soon. Perhaps they’ll be able to reserve a copy ahead of time. I’ve still got a few postcards (thinking I should order more today), plus both author and business cards, to hand out. It can, if we spin it right, be just as informative and fun as an actual signing.

The publishing business is full of ups and downs. You’re on the best seller list today, and sales drop like a rock the next. Books don’t arrive, reviews don’t come in, and you sell 2 copies in a single month. But life is like that. It’s great one day, then one phone call can shatter everything into a million pieces. As authors, you have to think fast and adapt. Take that bushel of lemons and make it into the best glass of lemonade you’ve ever had. Why? Because you can. Even if the books don’t arrive in time, it’s still exposure for me. It’s still getting me and my titles out in the public view. And maybe, just maybe, some of the people I meet on July 20th will buy the books.

BB