My first ever book promotion event went better than I expected. Since Reluctant Burglar is still a few weeks away from release, my afternoon at the Madison Library couldn’t be called a book signing, so I had to dub it a pre-release event. But the interest was phenomenal!
I gave away 200 bookmarks in the first hour and sent many promotional fliers home with people from all over the country. My prayer is that they will all keep their commitment to post the fliers at their local bookstores or libraries.
Our small, rural community hosted 1,000 extra people over the weekend of July 1 and 2 for an All School Reunion. Several hundred of them came to the library for an ice cream social, and I chatted up countless people with roots in Madison, MN. Most of them belonged in one of two camps—Could-Care-Less or Fascinated-That-There’s-A-Real-Writer-in-My-Hometown.
Of course, I had better response talking to the latter, but I understand the former. Not everyone
is a reader. I wish they were (they don’t know what they’re missing), but they’re not, and I’m comfortable with that.
In fact, I discovered that I might be more comfortable with disinterest than over-interest. Maybe it’s my conservative Minnesota upbringing, but excessive attention makes me squirm. I think it’s the fear of seeming prideful if I welcome the kudos. I’d make a terrible movie star! (Not that I have any acting ability anyway.)
Regional heritage issues aside, I had a blast, and I’m ready to do it again—this time with actual books to sign. Sharon Hinck, author of The Secret Life of Becky Miller, and I are scheduled for a signing at the library in Willmar, Minnesota, on September 8. Keep checking on my web site Appearances page to see where I’ll be popping up next.
Photo courtesy of Dale Hatfield, Madison Library Board Member
