Wednesdays with Joanne - "Keeping Up Appearances"

Hi guys,

No, I'm not talking about the delicious, vintage BBC tv comedy (featuring the ever-engaging Hyacynthe Bucket), but about "Keeping Up Writing, Reading, Signing, Conferencing, Library, and Bookstore Appearances, et al." Whew! Anyone exhausted yet?

With each book happily sold ( three now, thank goodness) to Five Star-Thomson Gale, I'm beginning to get it: to get all of the things about marketing that I didn't know! The first lesson (an obvious one) is that I wasn't "Keeping Up Appearances" in getting my book on The List at any and every bookstore within shouting distance, for a signing. The second lesson is that I wasn't "Keeping Up Appearances" in clever on-line connections. The third lesson, ready for this, I wasn't even "Keeping Up Appearances" by keeping a notebook handy at signings for readers to sign up for my Newsletter! Oh well, and oy vey!

Lest any of you doubt it, I'M NOT SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER!

I won't bore you with Lessons four and five. Suffice is to say, I'm learning to schlep my writing gear in a somewhat more organized fashion to stores and libraries. Geez, I didn't want to be known as the Five Star Bag Lady! The fifth lesson was the hardest to go down: Do everything you're supposed to do re marketing today, yesterday!

Now that I'm a little more street-wise in Keeping Up Appearances, I'll do what I can to Keep Up With The Joneses (all of those deliciously wonderful, talented authors at Five Star)!

Until next time...

Jo(anne)
www.joannesundell.com
author@joannesundell.com
www.fivestarauthors.blogspot.com