Well…book sales are pretty slow. I’m an abysmal self-promoter though I Tweet and Facebook. Both venues simply raised my awareness of other issues that are far more important than my little book, “Journey”. I’m grateful for that but feel my tweeting on political/environmental/human rights issues that are strongly polarized is not in the best interest of self promotion. Although, in fact, my novel circles these issues and my opinions on them are consistent.
I’ve received awesome feedback on the novel and I love checking the status at Vancouver Island Regional Library. That one copy has traveled up and down the island and has consistently had 3 or 4 holds on it all last year. But books sales are dreary. Good thing I don’t depend on them.
One would think, being such an avid reader myself and a frequent library user (I certainly can’t afford to buy every book I read) I would have noticed the lovely opportunities the library website gives for reviews and comments. Of course, now I have a book at the library, and it is being read, I keep expecting a review or something. I’ve never commented on the countless pleasures I’ve enjoyed reading favorite and new to me authors so it is rather ironic that I have such expectations of others. Take note: authors love being reviewed therefore I should review.
I suppose money is a good review but my small royalty cheque, though pleasing, was not half as rewarding as a positive comment on Facebook. I’ve decided to write letters to my favorite authors – Louise Erdrich, Anne Tyler, Amy Tan, Jodi Picoult, Margaret Atwood and others – to express my delight with their words, the way they read my own psyche, my heart. Perhaps they remember when a nice review fed their creative spirit more than a small royalty.
